Whitlatch-Union Mine

Past Producer in Lewis and Clark county in Montana, United States with commodities Gold, Silver, Copper, Lead, Zinc
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. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  15. Mining district
  16. Land status
  17. Ownership information
  18. Production statistics
  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 10015848
MRDS ID DB02105
Record type Site
Current site name Whitlatch-Union Mine
Alternate or previous names Owyhee and Mcintye Inclines

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -112.09366, 46.54796 (WGS84)
Relative position 4 MILES SOUTH OF HELENA ON THE SUMMIT OF THE LOW DIVIDE BETWEEN GRIZZLY AND ORO FINO GULCHES

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Lewis and Clark(county)

Montana(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

Helena(quadrangle 1:24,000 scale)

Elliston(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

Butte(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)

Hydrologic units (watersheds)

Upper Missouri(hydrologic unit)

Upper Missouri(hydrologic accounting unit)

Missouri-Marias(hydrologic subregion)

Missouri(hydrologic region)

Federal lands

Helena-Lewis and Clark 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 Montana Lewis and Clark

Public Land Survey System information

Meridian Township Range Section Fraction State
Montana Principal 009N 004W 10 Montana

Comments on the location information

  • INFO FROM LAND.ST :(1950)

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Gold Primary
Silver Secondary
Copper Secondary
Lead Secondary
Zinc Critical Secondary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Gold Ore
Pyrite Gangue
Quartz Gangue

Alteration

  • (Local) Slight Oxidation

Analytical data

Result $20-30/TON AU NEWEST WORKING (1913) $70-130/TON AU.

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 > Granitoid > Quartz Monzonite
    Rock unit name Butte Quartz Monzonite (Boulder Batholith)
    Rock description Butte Quartz Monzonite (Boulder Batholith)
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Late Cretaceous
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Late Cretaceous
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Late Cretaceous
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Plutonic Rock > Granitoid > Quartz Monzonite

Nearby scientific data

(1) -112.09366, 46.54796

Economic information

Geologic structures

Type of structure Regional
Structure description Boulder Batholith

Ore body information

  • Strike N84W
    Dip 45N
    Width 4.57M

Comments on the geologic information

  • S OF CONTACT WITH QUADRANT QUARTZITE

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Past Producer
Commodity type Metallic
Deposit size Small
Significant Yes
Discovery year 1864
Discoverer James W. Whitlatch

Mining district

District name Helena District

Land status

Ownership category National Forest

Ownership information

  • Type Owner
    Owner Jared W. Young
    Home office Chicago, Il.

Production statistics

  • Year 1948
    Period 1905-1948
    Material ore
    Ore mined 49000mt
    Accuracy Accurate
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Minor PB Lead Lead 36704.24mt
    Minor CU Copper Copper 8488.98mt
    Minor AG Silver Silver 260740.48g
    Major AU Gold Gold 540920.63g
    Minor ZN Zinc Zinc 8369.23mt

Comments on the production information

  • $5,500,000 TO $6,000,000 PRODUCED IN GOLD
  • Estimated production of 275,000 oz Au occurred prior to 1901 from ore containing between $20 to $25 (0.97 to 1.21 oz) Au. Estimated ore mined prior to 1901 more than 250,000 short tons.

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Underground
    Overall depth 152.4M

Comments on the workings information

  • EXTENSIVE UNDERGROUND OPERATION

Reference information

Comments on the other database information

  • RECORD NUMBER 724 IS A POTENTIAL DUPLICATE OF THIS RECORD

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    USGS BULL 842, P. 210.

  • Deposit

    USGS BULL 527, P. 99-100.

  • Deposit

    MBMG MEM 31, P. 56-57.

  • Production

    MONT. BUREAU OF MINES AND GEO. MEM. 31, P. 56-57.

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit DIP CHANGES ABRUPTLY FROM NEARLY HORIZONTAL TO NEARLY VERTICAL

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 01-DEC-1979 Elliott, James E. U.S. Geological Survey
Updater 01-NOV-1981 Wise, Kristine K. (Elliott, James E.) U.S. Geological Survey

Beyond USGS

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