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Mine Drilling Pioneer Lew Eklund Dies at 85

Published: July 21, 2017 |

Lew Elklund.

Lew Elklund.
[Click image to enlarge]

National Mining Hall of Fame honoree Lew Eklund died Monday at the age of 85. He devoted more than 45 years to the mining industry and contributed his talents to northeastern Nevada.

Eklund, wife JoAnn Huss and supportive friends founded Eklund Drilling in 1960, landed a contract with Newmont’s Carlin Trend Property, then went on to make innovations that increased mine productivity and increased environmental impact.

“It’s been a lot of hard work, but also a lot of luck,” Eklund told the Elko Daily Free Press in 2008 upon the announcement of his induction to the National Mining Hall of Fame. “This county, this country, has been good to me and my family.”

An icon of the Nevada mining industry, Eklund contributed to the design of 10 drill rigs, including the Cyclo Blower rig, which increased output by more than 20 percent. Other models such as a truck-mounted drill on tires instead of tracks help diminish environmental impact.

Despite his success, Eklund would not patent his designs so that others could build on his ideas. Gratitude guided his decision: “We grew up poor on a farm in North Dakota,” he told the Elko Daily. “At the time we had a little money in the bank. I was grateful because the mining industry had been so good to us, and we wanted to put something back.”

Beyond mining, Eklund dedicated his time to filming Carlin High School events and expanded his talents to include oral histories at the Northeastern Nevada Museum, playing for the Silver Stage Players, and documenting the Grass March Cowboy Express.

County Commissioner Cliff Eklund remembered his brother’s interest in history and horses that led him to film wild horse roundups “free of charge” for the Bureau of Land Management.

“He did it for his own personal use and he gave it to the BLM and individuals,” said Cliff Eklund. “He was working with them trying to help with the wild horse issues.”

Northeastern Nevada Museum Archivist Toni Mendive said Eklund became “a great friend to the museum” after he donated a statue of Will James in 2010, and volunteered his time filming oral histories.

Great Basin College Technician Donald Jones said he worked on many projects with Eklund for over 20 years.

Source: (July 20, 2017) Elko Daily Free Press


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