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Beartown District

Past Producer in San Juan county in Colorado, United States with commodities Gold, Silver, Lead, Copper, Zinc, Tellurium, Antimony
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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. Controls for ore emplacement
  14. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  15. Mining district
  16. Land status
  17. Workings at the site
  18. Links to other databases
  19. Bibliographic references
  20. General comments
  21. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10014090
MRDS ID D010716
Record type District
Current site name Beartown District
Alternate or previous names Bear Creek District, Patented Claims: Good Hope, MS 7764, Wonder, MS 7764, Ferris Heretofore Ptarmigan, MS 8705, Little Giant, MS 9145, Bonita, MS 11327, Repeal, MS 11691a, Gold Bug, MS 11691a, Gold Nugget, MS 11691a, Gold Bug Mill Site, MS 11691b, Montezuma, MS 12152, Great Western, MS 12152, Anaconda, MS 12152, Robertson, MS 12224, Scott, MS 12224, I.X.L., MS 12309, J.I.C., MS 12309, Kankakee, MS 14205, Eclipse, MS 15263, El Dorado, MS 16686

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -107.50313, 37.72279 (WGS84)
Elevation 3402
Relative position 10.5 MILES S 57 E FROM SILVERTON

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

San Juan(county)

Colorado(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

Storm King Peak(quadrangle 1:24,000 scale)

Silverton(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

Durango(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)

Hydrologic units (watersheds)

Rio Grande Headwaters(hydrologic unit)

Rio Grande Headwaters(hydrologic accounting unit)

Rio Grande Headwaters(hydrologic subregion)

Rio Grande(hydrologic region)

Federal lands

Rio Grande National Forest(National Forest)

National Forest FS(Type of land area)

FS(Federal land areas administered by FS)

Geographic areas

Country State County
United States Colorado San Juan

Public Land Survey System information

Meridian Township Range Section Fraction State
New Mexico 040N 006W 16,18,20,21,22,23,28,29 Colorado

Comments on the location information

  • DISTRICT LIES IN HEADWATERS OF BEAR CREEK AND UNNAMED TRIBUTARIES BETWEEN BEARTOWN SITE AND CONTINENTAL DIVIDE 2 MILES UPSTREAM (SW). SOME WORKINGS LIE ON WEST SIDE OF DIVIDE IN HEADWATERS OF ELK CREEK NORTH AND EAST OF ELDORADO LAKE (DRAINAGE AREA 14080104, UPPER COLORADO). DISTRICT ACCESSIBLE BY TRAIL SW UP BEAR CREEK FROM RIO GRANDE RIVER; VIA TRAIL NORTH UP VALLECITO CREEK AND OVER HUNCHBACK PASS; VIA TRAIL EAST UP ELK CREEK; VIA TRAILS ALONG CONTINENTAL DIVIDE SE FROM HOWARDSVILLE. AS AREA IS UNSURVEYED, SECTIONS GIVEN ARE BASED ON FORESHORTENED PROJECTED TOWNSHIP ON BLM SMM MAPS; CLAIM RECORDS CITE DIFFERENT SECTIONS FOR SOME CLAIMS BASED ON NORMAL TOWNSHIP PROJECTION. ELEV AND LAT-LONG GIVEN ARE FOR APPROXIMATE BEARTOWN SITE ON TRAIL NORTH OF BEAR CREEK 1.5 MILES NE OF KITE LAKE (PROJECTED NW SEC. 23, T40N, R6W). ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :1977

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Gold Primary
Silver Primary
Lead Secondary
Copper Secondary
Zinc Critical Tertiary
Tellurium Critical Tertiary
Antimony Critical Tertiary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Bornite Ore
Calaverite Ore
Chalcocite Ore
Chalcopyrite Ore
Galena Ore
Marcasite Ore
Petzite Ore
Sphalerite Ore
Sylvanite Ore
Tetrahedrite Ore
Barite Gangue
Calcite Gangue
Chlorite Gangue
Hematite Gangue
Kaolinite Gangue
Limonite Gangue
Magnetite Gangue
Quartz Gangue
Siderite Gangue
Vermiculite Gangue

Alteration

  • (Local) Oxidation Of Cu And Fe Sulfides

Analytical data

Result SEMIQUANTITATIVE SPECTROGRPHIC ANALYSES (STEVEN AND OTHERS, 1969) OF 66 SAMPLES OF QUARTZ VEINS WITH VARIOUS SULFIDES THROUGHOUT DISTRICT SHOWED UP
Result TO 10000 PPM TI, UP TO 5000 PPM MN, LT 0.5 TO 200 PPM AG (HIGHS 1000 TO 5000),
Result GENERALLY LT 200 TO 1500 PPM AS (HIGH 5000 PPM), 15 TO 3000 PPM BA,
Result GENERALLY LT 10 PPM BI, GENERALLY LT 20 TO 300 PPM CD (HIGH GT 500 PPM),
Result GENERALLY LT 5 TO 100 PPM CO (HIGH GT 2000 PPM), LT 5 TO 700 PPM CR, UP TO 20000 PPM CU (SAMPLES WITH TETRAHEDRITE OR CHALCOPYRITE),
Result GENERALLY LT 5 TO 100 PPM MO, 2 TO 200 PPM NI, 5 TO 500 PPM PB,
Result GENERALLY LT 100 TO 500 PPM SB (1000 TO GT 10000 IN SAMPLES WITH TETRAHEDRITE),
Result GENERALLY LT 10 TO 70 PPM SN, LT 10 TO 1000 PPM V, GENERALLY LT 50 PPM W,
Result GENERALLY LT 200 TO 500 PPM ZN (1500 TO GT 10000 PPM IN SAMPLES WITH SPHALERITE), LT 1 TO GT 20 PPM FE.
Result CHEMICAL ANALYSES SHOWED WIDER RANGE OF VALUES: LT 0.02 TO 190 PPM AU, LT 10 TO 24000 PPM CU, LT 25 TO 1400 PPM PB,
Result LT 25 TO 13000 PPM ZN, LT 2 TO 120 PPM MO, LT 10 TO 150 PPM AS, 1 TO GT 100 PPM SB, 0.02 TO GT 6 PPM HG, UP TO 1400 PPM TE, LT 0.1 TO 2600 PPM AG

Mineral occurrence model information

Model code 84
USGS model code 22b
Deposit model name Alkaline Au-Te (Au-Ag-Te veins)
Mark3 model number 80

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Felsic Volcanic Rock > Rhyodacite
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Oligocene
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Neoproterozoic
  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Felsic Volcanic Rock > Quartz Latite
  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Intermediate Volcanic Rock > Andesite
    Rock unit name San Juan Formation;Early Intermediate Lavas And Breccias--Near-Source Facies
    Rock description San Juan Formation;Early Intermediate Lavas And Breccias--Near-Source Facies
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Metamorphic Rock > Metasedimentary Rock > Slate
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Metamorphic Rock > Metasedimentary Rock > Quartzite
    Rock unit name Uncompahgre Formation;Irving Formation
    Rock description Uncompahgre Formation;Irving Formation
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Metamorphic Rock > Schist
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Metamorphic Rock > Gneiss
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Clastic Sedimentary Rock > Argillite

Nearby scientific data

(1) -107.50313, 37.72279
ListMap

Economic information

Geologic structures

Type of structure Regional
Structure description San Juan Uplift, San Juan Volcanic Field
Type of structure Local
Structure description San Juan Uplift, Unnamed Faults, San Juan Caldera, Unnamed Folds

Controls for ore emplacement

  • North-Trending Fissures In Precambrian Quartzite And Slate

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Past Producer
Commodity type Metallic
Deposit size Small
Significant No
Year of first production 1892
Year of last production 1961

Mining district

District name Beartown (Bear Creek) District

Land status

Ownership category Private

Comments on the production information

  • PARTIAL PRODUCTION RECORD. FIGURES FOR YEARS PRIOR TO 1900 UNAVAILABLE. 1961 WAS LAST YEAR OF PRODUCTION.

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Surface/Underground
    Overall depth 152.4M

Comments on the workings information

  • PROPERTIES DEVELOPED BY SURFACE CUTS: DRIFT TUNNELS ON VEINS; CROSSCUT TUNNELS TO VEINS WITH DRIFTS, RAISES, WINZES, STOPES; SHAFTS. UNDERGROUND WORKINGS DEVELOPED TO DEPTH OF ABOUT 500 FT.

Comments on development

  • AREA PROSPECTED AS EARLY AS 1878, BUT FIRST LOCATIONS NOT MADE UNTIL 1892. AT LEAST THREE QUARTERS OF PRODUCTION VALUE FROM DISTRICT CAME BEFORE 1900. RICH TELLURIDE POCKETS ACCESSIBLE FROM SURFACE CUTS AND BY ADITS IN SHALLOW UNDERGROUND WORKINGS. DEVELOPMENT SLOWED BY DIFFICULTY IN HAND STEELING IN HARD QUARTZITE AND BY LACK OF TRANSPORTATION. NEARLY ALL ORE WAS PACKED OUT ON MULE TRAINS. IN EARLY 1900S, GOLD MINES AND POWER CO. ATTEMPTED TO PROVIDE POWER TO AREA BY DAMMING NAVAJO (ELDORADO?) LAKE AND BUILDING POWER HOUSE BELOW. APPARENTLY ONLY SMALL SPORADIC PRODUCTION THROUGH EARLY 1900S AND 1930S. LAST REPORTED PRODUCTION WAS FROM KANKAKEE MINE IN 1940 AND LITTLE GIANT MINE IN 1961.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    STEVEN, T.A., AND OTHERS, 1969, MINERAL RESOURCES OF THE SAN JUAN PRIMITIVE AREA, COLORADO: USGS BULL. 1261-F, P. 67-71, 89-90.

  • Deposit

    PROSSER, W.C., 1911, THE BEAR CREEK SYLVANITE CAMP, COLORADO: ENG. MINING JOUR., V. 91. 712.

  • Deposit

    STEVEN, T.A., AND OTHERS, 1974, GEOLOGIC MAP OF THE DURANGO QUADRANGLE, SOUTHWESTERN COLORADO: USGE MAP I-764.

  • Deposit

    BARKER, FRED, 1969, PRECAMBRIAN GEOLOGY OF THE NEEDLE MOUNTAINS, SOUTHWESTERN COLORADO: USGS PROF. PAPER 644-A.

  • Deposit

    CROSS, WHITMAN, AND OTHERS, 1905, DESCRIPTION OF THE NEEDLE MOUNTAINS QUADRANGLE, COLORADO: USGS FOLIO 131.

  • Deposit

    BLM MINERAL SURVEYS 7764, 8705, 9145, 11327, 11691A&B, 12152, 12224, 12309, 14205, 15263, 16686

  • Deposit

    COLORADO DIV. MINES INF. REPTS., ANNUAL OPERATOR REPTS., INSPECTOR REPTS., MINE MANAGERS REPTS.

  • Production

    STEVEN, T.A., AND OTHERS, 1969, P. 89.

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit AT NORTH END OF NEEDLE MTNS, OLDER GNEISS AND SCHIST OF IRVING FM LIE IN STEEP FAULT CONTACT WITH YOUNGER UNCOMPAHGRE FM QUARTZITES AND SLATES TIGHTLY COMPRESSED INTO EAST-WEST TO WNW-ESE-TRENDING FOLDS AND CUT BY SEVERAL EAST-TRENDING FAULTS. PRECAMBRIAN ROCKS IN NORTH PART OF DISTRICT OVERLAIN BY PRE-SAN JUAN CALDERA VOLCANICLASTICS OF SAN JUAN FM AND NEAR-SOURCE FACIES ANDESITE AND QUARTZ LATITE FLOWS ALONG SOUTH THIN EDGE OF VOLCANIC SEQUENCE WHERE ABUTTED AGAINST HIGHER NEEDLE MTNS TOPOGRAPHY. RIDGE NORTH OF KITE LAKE AND ELDORADO LAKE IS POSITIVE, RESISTANT FAULT BLOCK OF QUARTZITE (MISTAKEN FOR DIKE BY EARLY PROSPECTORS) IN CONTRAST TO MORE EASILY ERODIBLE VALLEY-FORMING SLATES. UNCOMPAHGRE FM QUARTZITE AND SLATE CUT BY NUMEROUS NORTH-TRENDING FISSURES AT APPROXIMATELY RIGHT ANGLES TO GNEISSIC FOLIATION AND EAST-TRENDING FOLDS AND FAULTS. MORE CLEARLY DEFINED VEINS MARKED BY LIMONITE STAINING. VEINS BETTER DEFINED IN QUARTZITE THAN IN SLATE. LOCALLY QUARTZ FILLED OPEN SPACES IN
Deposit FISSURE ZONES AS SINGLE WELL-DEFINED VEIN, AS SERIES OF INTERLOCKING VEINLETS, OR AS BRECCIA CEMENT. SEAMS AND PODS MOSTLY LESS THAN ONE FT THICK BUT ATTAIN MAXIMUM THICKNESS OF 6 FT AS GOLD BUG MINE. ORES ARE WIDELY DISTRIBUTED PYRITE WITH ASSOCIATED AU-AG TELLURIDES. MOST PRODUCTIVE MINES LIE ON GOOD HOPE, GOLD BUG, AND REPEAL VEINS IN CENTRALLY CONCENTRATED ZONE OF DISCONTINUOUS FISSURES FROM WEST OF KITE LAKE 4000 FT NORTH TO AREA OF FAULT CONTACT BETWEEN IRVING AND UNCOMPAHGRE FMS. OTHER MINES DEVELOPED ON SMALL, WIDELY SCATTERED VEINS AND MINOR MINERALIZED FISSURE ZONES. IN HEADWATERS OF ELK CREEK, OTHER VEIN TYPE NOTED. MAFIC POD CONTAINS SHEARED CHLORITIC QUARTZITE, QUARTZ VEINLETS, WITH PYRITE IN SHEARED COUNTRY ROCK. ZONE STRIKES EAST-WEST, DIPS NEAR VERTICAL AND CRUDELY PARALLELS GNEISS FOLIATION. SECOND MAFIC POD IN GRANITIC GNEISS CONTAINS CHLORITIC TO BIOTITIC QUARTZITE, BIOTITE GNEISS, AND VERMICULITE SCHIST. SAMPLES SHOW STRONG CU ANOMALY, WITH AG SLIGHTLY ABOVE
Deposit BACKGROUND. FISSURES FORMED SUBSEQUENT TO YOUNGEST PRECAMBRIAN DEFORMATION AND METAMORPHISM BUT NO CONCLUSIVE EVIDENCE SEEN OF MINERALIZED FISSURE ZONES PASSING FROM METAMORPHICS INTO OVERLYING VOLCANICS. FEW LOCAL HYDROTHERMALLY ALTERED SHEAR ZONES NOTED IN SAN JUAN FM SUGGEST MINERALIZATION AND PERHAPS FISSURING ARE TERTIARY IN AGE.
Deposit DISTRICT IS REFERRED TO IN LITERATURE AS BEARTOWN OR BEAR CREEK, BUT BLM CLAIM RECORDS ASSIGN DISTRICT NAME OF "ANIMAS," PROBABLY DUE TO ITS PROXIMITY TO ANIMAS DISTRICT PROPER AROUND SILVERTON. DUE TO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES IN GEOLOGY AND MINERALIZATION BETWEEN AREAS, BEARTOWN IS DESCRIBED SEPARATELY. INDIVIDUAL RECORDS PREPARED FOR ALL APPARENT PRODUCTIVE MINES IN DISTRICT: GOLD BUG, GOLDEN SHEAR, GOOD HOPE, KANKAKEE (CRUSADER), LITTLE GIANT, LITTLE MAY, ROBINSON, SUMMIT, SYLVANITE; ADDITIONAL RECORD FOR ELDORADO CLAIM, SECOND VEIN TYPE IN DISTRICT. ; INFO.SRC : 1 PUB LIT; 2 UNPUB REPT

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 01-JUL-83 Schwochow, Stephen D. Colorado Geological Survey
Editor 16-NOV-11 Wilson, Anna B U.S. Geological Survey changed from site to district

Beyond USGS

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

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