1. Mineral Resources
  2. Online Spatial Data
  3. Mineral Resource Data System (MRDS)

Neglected Mine

Past Producer in La Plata county in Colorado, United States with commodities Gold, Silver, Copper, Mercury, Tellurium, Antimony
Map
XML
JSON
KML
A
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. Workings at the site
  20. Links to other databases
  21. Bibliographic references
  22. General comments
  23. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10014182
MRDS ID D010845
MAS/MILS ID 80670224
Record type Site
Current site name Neglected Mine
Alternate or previous names Patented Claims: Mountain View, MS 15973, Neglected, MS 15974, Sunnyside, MS 15974, Legal Tender, MS 15974, Over Sight, MS 15974, Monument, MS 15974, Bunker Hill, MS 15974, Silver Night, MS 15974, Little Johney, MS 15974, Elkton, MS 15974, Maid of Erin, MS 15974
Related records 10288235

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -107.94528, 37.43667 (WGS84)
Elevation 3170
Relative position 11.3 MILES N 20 W FROM DURANGO

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

La Plata(county)

Colorado(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

Monument Hill(quadrangle 1:24,000 scale)

Durango(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

Durango(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)

Hydrologic units (watersheds)

Animas(hydrologic unit)

Upper San Juan(hydrologic accounting unit)

San Juan(hydrologic subregion)

Upper Colorado(hydrologic region)

Federal lands

San Juan 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 La Plata

Public Land Survey System information

Meridian Township Range Section Fraction State
New Mexico 037N 010W 26,27 W2 (26); E2 (27) Colorado

Comments on the location information

  • (LAND STATUS AND ADMINISTRATIVE AREA LOCATIONS CALCULATED USING GIS OVERLAY ANALYSIS FOR SAN JUAN N. F.). CLAIMS LIE ON WEST SIDE OF MONUMENT HILL AT HEAD OF GAINES GULCH, 6.95 MILES NE OF LA PLATA TOWNSITE (UNSURVEYED SECTIONS). ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :1974; PREVIOUS QUAD DESIGNATION = DURANGO 1:250000

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Gold Primary
Silver Primary
Copper Tertiary
Mercury Tertiary
Tellurium Critical Tertiary
Antimony Critical Tertiary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Argentite Ore
Bornite Ore
Chalcopyrite Ore
Coloradoite Ore
Covellite Ore
Enargite Ore
Krennerite Ore
Petzite Ore
Sylvanite Ore
Ankerite Gangue
Barite Gangue
Chlorite Gangue
Dickite Gangue
Epidote Gangue
Halloysite Gangue
Limonite Gangue
Quartz Gangue
Tourmaline Gangue

Alteration

  • (Local) Wall Rock Strongly Altered Near Dike. Shale And Porphyry Groundmass Bleached And Silicified 2 To 10 Ft From Fracture Zones. Feldspars In Porphyry And Arkose Altered To Sericite And Halloysite; Hornblende Altered To Chlorite, Epidote, And Carbonate In Partly Altered Porphyry, But In More Thoroughly Altered Rock Closer To Vein Consists Of Intergrown Tourmaline, Sericite, And Chlorite With Disseminated Pyrite.

Analytical data

Result (F) COMPOSITE ASSAY, 0.85 OZ/TON AU AND 0.62 OZ/TON AG.
Result ASSAYFROM 175 LEVEL: 0.435 OZ/TON AU AND 0.67 OZ/TON AG.
Result SMELTER AND MINT RECEIPTS OF ORE SHIPPED IN 1901: 1.16 TO 8.24 OZ/TON AU AND 1.2 TO 7.05 OZ/TON AG, WITH HIGHS OF 15.31, 17.24, AND 18.37 OZ/TON AU, AND 9.63 AND 11.56 OZ/TON AG.
Result SMELTER RECEIPTS FROM ORE SHIPPED IN 1902: 1.94 TO 18.01 OZ/TON AU AND 1.41 TO 6.47 OZ/TON AG.
Result SMELTER RECEIPTS FOR ORE SHIPPED IN 1903: 3.02 TO 7.84 OZ/TON AU AND 1.57 TO 4.87 OZ/TON AG.
Result SMELTER RECEIPTS OF ORE SHIPPED IN 1904: 1.08 TO 6.99 OZ/TON AU AND 0.18 TO 4.88 OZ/TON AU, WITH HIGHS OF 10.05, 13.50, AND 34.91 OZ/TON AU, AND 12.10 AND 17.70 OZ/TON AG.
Result SMELTER RECEIPTS FOR ORE SHIPPED IN 1905: 1.62 TO 4.36 OZ/TON AU AND 1.72 TO 5.88 OZ/TON AG, WITH HIGHS OF 10.02 OZ/TON AU AND 5.88 OZ/TON AG.
Result SMELTER RECEIPTS FOR ORE SHIPPED IN 1911-1912: 1.74 TO 3.36 OZ/TON AU AND 0.73 TO 2.26 OZ/TON AG, WITH HIGHS OF 7.86 OZ/TON AU AND 4.52 OZ/TON AG.
Result ORTS (1933) ASSAY OF SILICEOUS OXIDE ORE WITH AURIFEROUS PYRITE CONTAINED 0.26 OZ/TON AU AND 0.25 OZ/TON AG.

Mineral occurrence model information

Model code 85
USGS model code 22c
Deposit model name Polymetallic veins
Mark3 model number 46

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Plutonic Rock > Mafic Intrusive Rock > Diorite
    Rock unit name Porphyritic Rocks--Diorite-Monzonite Porphyry
    Rock description Porphyritic Rocks--Diorite-Monzonite Porphyry
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Late Permian
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Pleistocene
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Paleocene
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Paleocene
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Plutonic Rock > Mafic Intrusive Rock > Diorite
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Clastic Sedimentary Rock > Shale
    Rock unit name Cutler Formation
    Rock description Cutler Formation

Nearby scientific data

(1) Cutler Fm
ListMap

Economic information

Geologic structures

Type of structure Local
Structure description La Plata Dome
Type of structure Regional
Structure description San Juan Uplift, Four Corners Platform

Ore body information

  • Thickness 4.88M

Controls for ore emplacement

  • Shale-Porphyry Contact; Fault Zone Split

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Operation type Underground
Development status Past Producer
Commodity type Metallic
Deposit size Small
Significant No
Discovery year 1895
Discoverer Richard Gaines
Year of first production 1901
Year of last production 1949

Mining district

District name California (La Plata) District)

Land status

Ownership category National Forest
Area name San Juan N. F.

Ownership information

  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner Gus Wilhouse
    Home office Durango, Co.
    First year 1960

Comments on the production information

  • PARTIAL PRODUCTION RECORD. FIGURES UNKNOWN BUT CONSIDERED SMALL FOR YEARS PRIOR TO 1901. FIGURES FOR 1901 ARE FROM BRECKON (1934); ORE FIGURE IS TOTAL OF 26 ORE LOTS AND ESTIMATED AU AND AG ARE TOTALS OF CALCULATED CONTENTS BASED ON REPORTED ORE LOT GRADES. ALL FIGURES FOR 1902-1912 FROM ECKEL AND OTHERS (1949). ORE FIGURE FOR 1949 FROM CDM ANNUAL OPERATOR REPT.; ESTIMATED AU AND AG FOR 1949 ARE CALCULATED FROM REPORTED ORE GRADE. CUMULATIVE ORE TOTAL NOT POSSIBLE DUE TO INCONSISTENCY OF REPORTING SEPARATE CRUDE ORE, MILLING ORE, AND CONCENTRATES AND TO DISCREPANCIES BETWEEN ORE FIGURES REPORTED BY ECKEL AND OTHERS (1949) AND BRECKON (1934).

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Underground
    Length 2290.57M

Comments on the workings information

  • MINE DEVELOPED BY SHAFT AND TWO ADITS. SHAFT IS VERTICAL TO 125 LEVEL, THENCE INCLINED TO 175 LEVEL; LEVELS DEVELOPED AT 35 FT, 65 FT, 85 FT, 125 FT, AND 175 FT. 35 LEVEL DRIVEN GENERALLY ENE FOR 700 FT TO 90-FT WINZE TO 125 LEVEL; RAISE TO SURFACE AT 120 FT FROM SHAFT, WINZE TO STOPED AREA BETWEEN 85 AND 175 LEVELS AT 275 FT FROM SHAFT, TOP OF STOPE FROM 175 LEVEL AT 350 FT FROM SHAFT. 65 LEVEL DEVELOPED BY ADIT DRIVEN N 80 E FOR 170 FT, THENCE SOUTH FOR 50 FT, THENCE GENERALLY EAST FOR 125 FT TO SHAFT, THENCE 50 FT EAST TO INCLINED 30-FT RAISE TO 35 LEVEL. 85 LEVEL DEVELOPED BY DRIFT 170 FT GENERALLY WEST OF SHAFT AND DRIFT 170 FT GENERALLY EAST OF SHAFT. 125 LEVEL DEVELOPED BY DRIFT AT LEAST 165 FT WEST OF SHAFT AND DRIFT DRIVEN 835 FT EAST OF SHAFT WITH NORTH AND SOUTH BRANCHES ON FAULT ZONE SPLITS FROM 0 TO 160 FT FROM SHAFT AND FROM 400 TO 575 FT FROM SHAFT. 175 LEVEL DEVELOPED BY DRIFT AT LEAST 250 FT WEST OF SHAFT AND DRIFT 1080 FT EAST OF SHAFT, WITH NORTH AND SOUTH BRANCHES
  • ON FAULT ZONE SPLITS AT 150 TO 360 FT AND 410 TO 720 FT EAST OF SHAFT. SEVERAL RAISES ON EAST DRIFT TO 125 AND 35 LEVELS. NEW ADIT DRIVEN GENERALLY N 7 E FOR 160 FT, THENCE GENERALLY EAST FOR 520 FT, THENCE GENERALLY S 45 E FOR 190 FT TO VEIN, THENCE AS DRIFT ON VEIN GENERALLY EAST FOR 285 FT TO 6-FT RAISE TO WEST END OF WEST DRIFT ON 175 LEVEL. PRINCIPAL STOPES: (1) BETWEEN 125 AND 65 LEVELS WEST OF SHAFT, (2) BETWEEN 125 AND 85 LEVELS EAST OF SHAFT, (3) ABOVE 175 LEVEL AND BELOW 85 LEVEL (PROJECTED) FROM 150 TO 650 FT EAST OF SHAFT. PRINCIPAL AREA OF BROKEN ORE LIES BETWEEN 175 AND 125 LEVELS FROM 150 TO 650 FT EAST OF SHAFT.

Comments on development

  • CLAIMS DISCOVERED BY RICHARD GAINES IN 1895; RELOCATED AS NEGLECTED MINES SEVERAL YEARS LATER. FIRST ORE WAS PRODUCED BY GAINES AND SHIPPED TO AS&R SMELTER IN DURANGO. DENNISON AND BOYLE SHIPPED LARGER AMOUNTS OF ORE IN 1901 BETWEEN SURFACE AND 125-FT LEVEL. NEW MILL BUILT AND OPERATED FROM 1903-1905. BRECKON (1934) REPORTED THAT FLOODING CLOSED MINE IN 1905, BUT ECKEL AND OTHERS (1949) REPORT THAT PERSONAL EXTRAVAGANCE AND DISCORD AMONG OPERATORS ALSO WAS FACTOR; HOWEVER, DIMINISHING ORE RESERVES MAY HAVE BEEN DECIDING FACTOR. SOME ORE PRODUCED IN 1911-1912 BY LA PLATA GOLD MINING CO., BUT MINE LAY IDLE UNTIL 1932, WHEN COLORADO JUNEAU MINES, INC., DID SURFACE DEVELOPMENT WORK AND DROVE 1150-FT DRAINAGE AND TRANSPORTATION TUNNEL IN 1935. SUBSEQUENT SAMPLING INDICATED NO COMMERCIAL ORE. LAST REPORTED PRODUCTION WAS SMALL AMOUNT OF ORE IN 1949.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Production

    ECKEL AND OTHERS, 1949, P. 156 (AS COMPILED FROM USGS AND USBM RECORDS); BRECKON (1934); COLO. DIV. MINES ANNUAL OPERATOR REPTS.

  • Deposit

    ECKEL, E.B., AND OTHERS, 1949, GEOLOGY AND ORE DEPOSITS OF THE LA PLATA DISTRICT, COLORADO: USGS PROF. PAPER 219, P. 73-76, 156-158

  • Deposit

    EMMONS. W.H., 1905, THE NEGLECTED MINE AND NEAR-BY PROPERTIES, DURANGO QUADRANGLE, COLORADO: USGS BULL. 260, P. 121-127.

  • Deposit

    BRECKON, L.S., 1934, REPORT ON THE COLORADO-JUNEAU MINES, INC., ORO FINO MINING DISTRICT, LA PLATA COUNTY, SOUTHWESTERN COLORADO: UNPUB. ENG. REPT., 14 P.

  • Deposit

    EVANS, W.S., (NO DATE), REPORT ON THE NEGLECTED MINES, LA PLATA COUNTY: UNPUB. ENG. REPT., 5 P.

  • Deposit

    COLORADO DIV. MINES INF. REPTS.

  • Deposit

    BLM MINERAL SURVEYS MS 15973, 15974

  • Deposit

    ORT, J.C., 1933, REPORT OF TESTS CONDUCTED ON SAMPLE OF ORE FROM COLORADO-JUNEAU MINES, INC.: UNPUB. REPT., 4 P.

  • Deposit

    U.S. Bureau of Mines, 1965, Mercury potential in the United States: U.S. Bureau of Mines IC-8252, 376 p.

  • Deposit

    Neubert, J.T., and others, 1992, Mineral appraisal of San Juan National Forest, Colorado: U.S. Bureau of Mines Mineral Land Assessment Open-File Report MLA 2-92, 311 p., 4 appendices, 2 plates.

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit COUNTRY ROCKS CONSIST OF GENERALLY EAST-DIPPING CUTLER FM RED BEDS INTRUDED BY DIORITE-MONZONITE PORPHYRY SILLS AND DIKE. NEGLECTED VEIN OCCUPIES STRONG FAULT ZONE TRENDING GENERALLY EAST, DIPPING STEEPLY SOUTH, WITH UNKNOWN BUT PROBABLY SMALL DISPLACEMENT. NEAR PORPHYRY ON LOWEST LEVELS, FAULT ZONE SPLITS INTO TWO BRANCHES 10 TO 30 FT APART; INTERVENING ROCK IS BROKEN AND SHATTERED. INDIVIDUAL FAULT ZONES ARE 1 TO 16 FT WIDE AND CONSIST OF SHEARED, BRECCIATED, AND SILICIFIED COUNTRY ROCK CUT BY NUMEROUS QUARTZ VEINLETS. NEARLY ALL ORE CAME FROM SINGLE ORE SHOOT CLOSELY ASSOCIATED WITH PORPHYRY MASS AND PITCHING 15 TO 20 EAST, WITH MOST PROFITABLE ORE BETWEEN 85 AND 175 LEVELS. IN CONTRAST TO OTHER MINES IN DISTRICT, BEST ORE FOUND AT CONTACT BETWEEN PORPHYRY AND SILICIFIED SHALE; SANDSTONE NOT FAVORABLE DUE TO SERICITIZATION OF FELDSPARS AND WEAKENING OF ROCK. MUCH SHIPPING ORE OBTAINED FROM PART OF VEIN IN PORPHYRY DIKE; MILLING GRADE ORE IN ALTERED WEDGE BETWEEN FAULT ZONE SPLITS
Deposit BELOW THEIR INTERSECTION. COVELLITE, ARGENTITE, SOME BORNITE, AND SOME NATIVE AU BELIEVED TO BE OF SUPERGENE ORIGIN.
Deposit EAST-TRENDING VEIN HOSTED IN CUTLER REDBEDS AND PORPHYRY CONTAINS PYRITE, ARSENOPYRITE, BORNITE, CHALCOPYRITE, TETRAHEDRITE, ENARGITE, GOLD, AND TELLURIDES. (From deleted record MAS 080670224)

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 1983-08-01 Schwochow, Stephen D. Colorado Geological Survey
Editor 2012-09-18 Wilson, Anna B U.S. Geological Survey Merged and deleted duplicate record.
Reporter 1996-12-31 Intermountain Field Operations Center (IFOC) U.S. Bureau of Mines MAS 0080670224

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.