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Terrible Mine

Past Producer in Custer county in Colorado, United States with commodities Lead, Silver, Gold
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Sections on this page
  1. Identification information
  2. Geographic coordinates
  3. Site location context
  4. Geographic areas
  5. Public Land Survey System information
  6. Commodities
  7. Materials information
  8. Alteration
  9. Mineral occurrence model information
  10. Host and associated rocks
  11. Nearby scientific data
  12. Geologic structures
  13. Ore body information
  14. Controls for ore emplacement
  15. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  16. Mining district
  17. Land status
  18. Ownership information
  19. Production statistics
  20. Reserves and resources
  21. Workings at the site
  22. Links to other databases
  23. Bibliographic references
  24. General comments
  25. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10012903
MRDS ID D008909
Record type Site
Current site name Terrible Mine
Alternate or previous names Ilse Lead Mine

Geographic coordinates

Point of reference Pit
Geographic coordinates: -105.24724, 38.21862 (WGS84)
Elevation 2560
Location accuracy 10(meters)
Relative position 13.25 MILES N 63 E FROM WESTCLIFFE

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Custer(county)

Colorado(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

Hardscrabble Mountain(quadrangle 1:24,000 scale)

Canon City(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

Pueblo(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)

Hydrologic units (watersheds)

Upper Arkansas(hydrologic unit)

Upper Arkansas(hydrologic accounting unit)

Upper Arkansas(hydrologic subregion)

Arkansas-White-Red(hydrologic region)

Geographic areas

Country State County
United States Colorado Custer

Public Land Survey System information

Meridian Township Range Section Fraction State
6th Principal 021S 070W 17,19 SW OF SW OF SW (17); NE OF NE OF NE (19) Colorado

Comments on the location information

  • EAST SIDE OF OAK CREEK AT ILSE ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :1976

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Lead Primary
Silver Secondary
Gold Secondary

Comments on the commodity information

  • CERUSSITE FILLS FRACTURE INTERSTICES ALONG FAULTS; IT IS BOTH CRYSTALLINE AND MASSIVE, AND FROM GRAYISH-WHITE TO TRANSLUCENT AMBER; APPRECIABLE AMOUNT OF STRONTIUM ISOMORPHOUS WITH LEAD; RELATIVE ABSENCE OF GALENA OR OTHER SULFIDES; NO ZN, AS, SB OR S; ORE FORMS LENSES, STRINGERS AND POCKETS IN CRACKS TO 2 INCHES WIDE; PB ENRICHED NEAR SURFACE

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Phosgenite Ore
Cerussite Ore
Calcite Gangue
Chalcedony Gangue
Chert Gangue
Limonite Gangue
Manganese Ox-Hydrous Gangue

Alteration

  • (Local) Extensive Oxidation, Iron Staining

Analytical data

Result ORE RUNS 5 TO 8% PB CONCENTRATABLE TO 60 TO 70% PB

Mineral occurrence model information

Model code 30
USGS model code 11d
Deposit model name Thorium-rare-earth veins

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Plutonic Rock > Granitoid > Syenite
    Rock unit name Syenite Dike;Diorite Dike
    Rock description Syenite Dike;Diorite Dike
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Neoproterozoic
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Neoproterozoic
  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Plutonic Rock > Mafic Intrusive Rock > Diorite
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Metamorphic Rock > Gneiss
    Rock unit name Undivided Gneiss
    Rock description Undivided Gneiss

Nearby scientific data

Pit (1) -105.24724, 38.21862
ListMap

Economic information

Geologic structures

Type of structure Regional
Structure description Wet Mountains
Type of structure Local
Structure description Ilse Fault; Mine Near Intersection Of Ilse And Another Nw-Trending Fault

Ore body information

  • General form LENS
    Strike N20-25W
    Dip S60W
    Plunge 60 DEGREES
    Plunge direction NW
    Thickness 213.36M
    Length 91.44M
    Width 45.72M
    Depth to top 0M
    Depth to bottom 213.36M

Controls for ore emplacement

  • Ilse Fault

Comments on the geologic information

  • MOST ORE ON HANGING WALL, WEST SIDE OF FAULT

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Operation type Surface-Underground
Development status Past Producer
Commodity type Metallic
Deposit size Small
Significant No
Discovery year 1879
Discoverer Mr. Rain; Located Originally By Rain And Spaulding
Year of first production 1884
Year of last production 1943

Mining district

District name Oak Creek (Ilse) District

Land status

Ownership category Private

Ownership information

  • Type Operator
    Owner Ilse Lead Mining Co.
    Home office Garry E. Devareaux (Mgr), Canon City, Co.
    First year 1942
  • Type Owner
    Owner Dr. Robert D. Webb
    Home office Minden, La.
    First year 1942

Production statistics

  • Year 1895
    Period 1879-1895
    Accuracy Estimate
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Lead Lead 7wt-pct
  • Year 1921
    Period 1879-1921
    Accuracy Estimate
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Lead Lead 100wt-pct
  • Year 1921
    Accuracy Accurate
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Mill Ore Lead Lead 4wt-pct
  • Year 1921
    Accuracy Accurate
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Conc. Lead Lead 70wt-pct
  • Year 1922
    Accuracy Accurate
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Mill Ore Lead Lead 7wt-pct
  • Year 1922
    Accuracy Accurate
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Conc. Lead Lead 72wt-pct
  • Year 1923
    Accuracy Accurate
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Mill Ore Lead Lead 7wt-pct
  • Year 1923
    Accuracy Accurate
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Conc. Lead Lead 71wt-pct
  • Year 1924
    Accuracy Accurate
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Mill Ore Lead Lead 7wt-pct
  • Year 1924
    Accuracy Accurate
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Conc. Lead Lead 69wt-pct
  • Year 1925
    Accuracy Accurate
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Mill Ore Lead Lead 7wt-pct
  • Year 1925
    Accuracy Accurate
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Conc. Lead Lead 63wt-pct
  • Year 1926
    Accuracy Accurate
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Mill Ore Lead Lead 7wt-pct
  • Year 1926
    Accuracy Accurate
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Conc. Lead Lead 60wt-pct
  • Year 1940
    Accuracy Estimate
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Minor Mill Ore Silver Silver 20g/mt
    Major Mill Ore Lead Lead 8wt-pct
  • Year 1942
    Accuracy Estimate
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Lead Lead 7wt-pct
  • Year 1943
    Period 1942-1943
    Accuracy Estimate
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Conc. Lead Lead 44wt-pct

Comments on the production information

  • DURING 1897-1900 ORE ROASTED AND CONVERTED TO LITHARGE; THE U.S. MINT CREDITS THE MINE WITH $759,717 WORTH OF PB UP TO 1915.

Reserves and resources

  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1934
    Total resources 136000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Lead Pb 1 wt-pct Lead Major 1934
    Gold Au 0.25 g/mt Gold Minor 1934

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • ESTIMATED RESOURCE FROM DUMP

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Surface/Underground
    Area 0.302HA
    Length 8046.5M
    Overall depth 213.36M
    Overall length 91.44M
    Overall width 35.05M

Comments on the workings information

  • OPEN CUT 300 FT LONG X 115 FT WIDE X 50 FT DEEP; UNDERGROUND WORKINGS INCLUDE SHAFT, CROSSCUTS, DRIFTS, STOPES. 250-FT LEVEL LOWEST WORKING LEVEL; SHAFT 400 FT DEEP PLUS WINZE AT 400 FT LEVEL GOES 300 FT; 7 LEVELS DEVELOPED

Comments on development

  • PATENTED CLAIMS WITH MILL SITES TOTAL G.T. 45 ACRES; MINING DONE PRIMARILY BY CAVING

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    HUNTER, J.F., 1915, SOME CERUSITE DEPOSITS IN CUSTER COUNTY, COLORADO, IN CONTRIBUTIONS TO ECONOMIC GEOLOGY: USGS BULLETIN 580, P. 25-37

  • Deposit

    ECKEL, E.B., 1961, MINERALS OF COLORADO, A 100-YEAR RECORD: USGS BULLETIN 1114, P. 96

  • Deposit

    VANDERWILT, J.W., 1947, MINERAL RESOURCES OF COLORADO: COLORADO MINERAL RESOURCES BOARD, P. 69

  • Deposit

    SCOTT, G.R., TAYLOR, R.B., EPIS, R.C. AND WOBUS, R.A., 1978, GEOLOGIC MAP OF THE PUEBLO 1 DEGREE X 2 DEGREE QUADRANGLE, SOUTH-CENTRAL COLORADO: USGS MAP I-1022, 1:250,000

  • Deposit

    COLORADO DIVISION OF MINES, 1982, INSPECTION RECORDS 1921-1942.

  • Production

    VANDERWILT, 1947; COLORADO DIVISION MINES, 1982;

  • Reserve-Resource

    COLORADO DIVISION MINES, INSPECTION RECORDS.

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit WATER TABLE 50 FT; MINE TAKES ON WATER AT 280-300 GPA.; A FIRE IN 1928 DESTROYED MILL, BUILDINGS AND MUCH OF TIMBERING IN MINE WORKINGS ; INFO.SRC : 1 PUB LIT

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 01-FEB-1982 Collins, Donna B. Colorado Geological Survey
Updater 01-SEP-1992 Spanksi, Gregory T. U.S. Geological Survey

Beyond USGS

Supplemental information added by qvyshift.com. Not part of the original USGS MRDS record.

External references

Maps centered on this site

Authoritative Colorado resources

These are landing pages for further research — the state agencies don't currently expose per-mine deep links.