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Isbell Mine

Past Producer in Archer county in Texas, United States with commodity Copper
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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. Host and associated rocks
  9. Nearby scientific data
  10. Geologic structures
  11. Ore body information
  12. Controls for ore emplacement
  13. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  14. Mining district
  15. Land status
  16. Ownership information
  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 10022057
MRDS ID DE01871
Record type Site
Current site name Isbell Mine
Alternate or previous names Potato Mine

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -98.67785, 33.65124 (WGS84)
Location accuracy 250(meters)
Relative position GO W. AND NW OF ARCHER CITY ON TEX. HWY. 25 FOR ABOUT 5.1 MI. TURN E. 0.4 MI. GO N. 0.7 MI, THEN NE 0.5 MI, THEN NW 0.25 MI. WALK NE ABOUT 3000 FT TO ESCARPMENT.

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Archer(county)

Texas(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

Dads Corner(quadrangle 1:24,000 scale)

Wichita Falls(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

Wichita Falls(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)

Hydrologic units (watersheds)

Little Wichita(hydrologic unit)

Red-Lake Texoma(hydrologic accounting unit)

Red-Washita(hydrologic subregion)

Arkansas-White-Red(hydrologic region)

Geographic areas

Country State County
United States Texas Archer

Public Land Survey System information

Meridian Township Range Section Fraction State
Texas

Comments on the location information

  • SE-SE-SE-NE-NW, T.B. GLASS SEC; J. RICHARDS CLUB RANCH SUBDIVISION - EL. 1000+/-10 FT, LAT. 33-39-20N, LONG. 098-41-25W (SCHMITZ, 1897, P. 100, 102, FIG. 2); (4) WINN MINE, NEAR C-W-2, T.B. GLASS SEC.; J. RICHARDS CLUB RANCH SUBDIVISION - EL. 1020+/-10 FT, LAT. 33-39-13N, LONG. 098-41-35W (SCHMITZ, 1897, P. 103); (5) ELM SPRING MINE, NEAR C-SW-SE, SEC. 136; ROBERT CARSON SURVEY - EL. 1010+/-10, LAT. 33-39-20N, LONG. 098-42-06W (SCHMITZ, 1897, P. 103-104); (6) SE-NW-NW-NW, SEC. 139; ROBERT CARSON SURVEY - EL. 1000+/-10 FT, LAT. 33-39-38N, LONG. 098-42-51W (SCHMITZ, 1897, P. 105); (7) ABOUT 500 FT W. OF C. OF E.B. CLARK SEC; ABOUT 6000 FT WNW OF PREVIOUS MINE 6 - EL. 1040+/-10 FT, LAT. 33-39-56N, LONG. 098-44-04W (SCHMITZ, 1897, P. 104). CUMMINS (1891, P. 449-450) GIVES SOME PREVIOUS HISTORY. IN 1864, COL. J.B. BARRY, OF FT. BELKNAP, TOOK A PARTY HERE. THE COPPER WAS SMELTED AT AUSTIN AND USED FOR PERCUSSION CAPS DURING THE CIVIL WAR. LATER, IN 1874, A COMPANY LEASED 12,275 ACRES AND
  • SHIPPED MANY HUNDREDS OF TONS TO PHILADELPHIA AND BALTIMORE.
  • IN R. HACKETT SECTION, JNO RICHARDS CLUB RANCH SUBDIVISION. THE ISBELL ADIT IS ONE OF MANY PROSPECTS ALONG THE ESCARPMENT, ABOUT 35 FT TO S. INTO THE ESCARPMENT. ANOTHER ADIT IS ABOUT 25-30 FT TO W. IN ESCARPMENT, IN A 30-FT FACE. THE TUNNEL IS ABOUT 8 FT HIGH. THE ORE OCCURS AS FOSSIL WOOD AND AS NODULES IN ABOUT 10 FT OF CLAY SHALE, MOSTLY WITHIN A 2-FT CLAY ZONE. SANDSTONES CAP THE BLUFFS. THE ROCKS BELONG TO THE NOCONA FORMATION. SCHMITZ (1897, P. 98, 101-102, FIG. 1) GIVES THE MOST INFORMATION. THE EXACT LOCALITY IS NOT GIVEN. MANY PITS AND ADITS WERE APPARENTLY DUG SINCE 1864. SEVEN OTHER COPPER LOCATIONS IN THIS AREA ARE LISTED BELOW: (1) C-S2-SW-W2, SEC. 127; J. RICHARDS CLUB RANCH SUBDIVISION - EL. 1010+-10 FT, LAT. 33-39-11N, LONG. 098-39-41W (SCHMITZ, 1897, P. 100, 104, FIG. 3); (2) C-W2-W2-S2, D.L. AND C. SEC; J. RICHARDS CLUB RANCH SUBDIVISION - EL. 1010+/-10 FT, LAT. 33-38-51N, LONG. 098-40-13W (SCHMITZ, 1897, P. 102, 105, FIG. 4); (3) BALL MINE,

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Copper Primary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Chalcocite Ore
Malachite Ore
Shale Gangue

Analytical data

Result 57 TO 62% CU

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Clastic Sedimentary Rock > Sandstone
    Rock unit name Nocona Formation
    Rock description Nocona Formation
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Late Permian
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Late Permian
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Early Permian
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Clastic Sedimentary Rock > Shale
    Rock unit name Nocona Formation
    Rock description Nocona Formation

Nearby scientific data

(1) -98.67785, 33.65124
ListMap

Economic information

Geologic structures

Type of structure Regional
Structure description Gentle Dip Of 30 Ft/Mi Or Less Nnw Off Bend Arch

Ore body information

  • Name ISBELL LEAD
    General form LENTICULAR
    Strike ENE
    Dip NNW OF 30 FT/MI OR LESS
    Thickness 1.22M
    Length 6437.2M
    Width 1609.3M
    Depth to top 0M

Controls for ore emplacement

  • Reducing Environment, Stratigraphic

Comments on the geologic information

  • GEOLOGY BY NICKELL (1932), ROMER (1935, 1974), HENTZ AND BROWN (1987), AND HENTZ (1988).

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Past Producer
Commodity type Metallic
Deposit size Small
Significant No
Discovery year 1864
Discoverer Col. J.B. Barry And Indians, From Ft. Belknap
Year of first production 1864
Year of last production 1882
Production years 1864-1882

Mining district

District name Archer City

Land status

Ownership category Private

Ownership information

  • Type Operator
    Owner Confederate Army (Austin, Tex.), ; Texas Land And Immigration Co., ; Texas C
    First year 1868
    Last year 1865

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • THE ORE OCCURS OVER 4 SQUARE MILES OR MORE.

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Underground
    Name of workings ISBELL MINE
    Area 4856.4HA
    Length 10.67M
    Width 2.44M
    Height 2.44M
    Overall depth 9.14M

Comments on the workings information

  • SEE SCHMITZ (1897) FOR BALL MINE, WINN MINE, ELM SPRING MINE, AND OTHERS.

Comments on development

  • THE SCHUYLKILL COPPER WORKS OF PHILADELPHIA, PA., RECEIVED MUCH OF THE ORE IN 1874. ALSO ORE WAS SHIPPED TO BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    ROESSLER, A.R., 1874, LATEST MAP OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: NEW YORK, EDW. WELLKE AND BRO. (1 INCH = 40 MI).

  • Deposit

    YOUNG, KEITH, 1965, THE ROESSLER MAPS: TEXAS JOURNAL OF SCIENCE, V. 17, NO. 1, P. 28-45 (P. 29).

  • Deposit

    CUMMINS, W.R., 1891, TEXAS GEOLOGICAL SURVEY, 2ND ANNUAL REPORT, P. 359-552 (P. 399, 449-452, PL. 18).

  • Deposit

    EWING, F.E., JR., 1954, WEST TEXAS HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION YEARBOOK, V. 30, P. 17-19 (ABILENE) (P. 21-22).

  • Deposit

    CUMMINS, W.R., 1893, TEXAS GEOLOGICAL SURVEY, 4TH ANNUAL REPORT, P. 177-238 (P. 234).

  • Deposit

    CUMMINS, W.R., 1908, JOURNAL OF GEOLOGY, V. 16, NO. 8, P. 737-745 (P. 740).

  • Deposit

    SCHMITZ, E.J., 1897, AIME, TRANSACTIONS, V. 26, P. 97-108.

  • Deposit

    ROMER, A.S., 1935, GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA BULLETIN, V. 46, NO. 11, P. 1597-1657 (P. 1617-1618).

  • Deposit

    ROMER, A.S., 1974, BREVIORA, HARVARD MUSEUM OF COMPARATIVE ZOOLOGY, NO. 427, 31 P.

  • Deposit

    HENTZ, T.F., AND BROWN, L.F., JR., COMPILERS, 1987, IN BARNES, V.E., GEOLOGIC ATLAS OF TEXAS, WICHITA FALLS-LAWTON SHEET: TEXAS BUREAU OF ECONOMIC GEOLOGY, SCALE 1:250,000.

  • Deposit

    ROESSLER, A.R., 1869, COPPER ORES IN TEXAS: VERHANDLUNGEN DER KAISERL.-KONIGL. GEOLOG. REICHSANSTALT, WIEN. JAHRGARY 1869, NO. 1, P. 2 (QUOTED SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS, OCT. 16, 1868).

  • Deposit

    HENTZ, T.F., 1988, TEXAS BUREAU OF ECONOMIC GEOLOGY, REPORT OF INVESTIGATIONS 170, 55 P. (NOCONA FORMATION).

  • Deposit

    MCCONNELL, H.H., 1889, FIVE YEAR A CAVALRYMAN: JACKSBORO, TEX., J.N. ROGERS AND CO., 319 P. (P. 215, 294).

  • Deposit

    FURMAN, J.H., 1881, NEW YORK ACADEMY OF SCIENCES, TRANSACTIONS, V. 1, P. 15-20, MAP (P. 18-19, MAP).

  • Deposit

    BUCKLEY, S.B., 1866, A PRELIMINARY REPORT ON GEOLOGICAL AND AGRICULTURAL SURVEY OF TEXAS (AUSTIN) 85 P. (P. 24-25).

  • Deposit

    BUCKLEY, S.B., 1868, THE MINERAL RESOURCES OF TEXAS: TEXAS ALMANAC FOR 1868, P. 79-82.

  • Deposit

    BUCKLEY, S.B., 1874, TEXAS GEOLOGICAL AND AGRICULTURAL SURVEY, 1ST ANNUAL REPORT, 142 P. (HOUSTON), P. 10, 39-42.

  • Deposit

    GENTH, F.A., 1868, PHILADELPHIA ACADEMY OF NATURAL SCIENCES, PROCEEDINGS, V. 20 (OCT. 20, 1868), P. 227-228.

  • Deposit

    GORDON, C.H., 1913, U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER-SUPPLY PAPER 317, 88 P. (P. 55).

  • Deposit

    LOEW, OSCAR, AND ROESSLER, A.R., 1873, EXPLORATION OF THE NORTHWEST PART OF TEXAS IN 1872: PETERMANNS-MITTHEILUNGEN AUS JUSTUS PERTHES GEOGRAPHISCHER ANSTALT...(GOTHA), V. 19, P. 453-467, MAP, PL. 23 (P. 458, ARCHER COUNTY).

  • Deposit

    NICKELL, C.O., 1932, THE COLEMAN JUNCTION HORIZON IN ARCHER AND CLAY COUNTIES, TEXAS: AUSTIN, UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS, M.A. THESIS, 40 P

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit THERE ARE 7 OTHER MINED AREAS DESCRIBED BY SCHMITZ (1897), LOCATED IN DIFFERENT SECTIONS AND SURVEYS IN THE AREA, ABOUT 4 MI LONG E-W, BY 1 MI N-S, AS LISTED ON P. 4 HEREIN.
Deposit THE ORE IS IRREGULAR BUT OCCURS OVER A WIDE AREA. ROESSLER (1874) AND CUMMINS (1891, PL. 18) SHOW SEVERAL COPPER AREAS NORTH OF THE LITTLE WICHITA RIVER HERE.
Deposit BUCKLEY (1868, P. 79-82; 1874, P. 39-42), GENTH (1868), LOEW AND ROESSLER (1873, P. 458), CUMMINS (1891, P. 449-452, PL. 18), AND SCHMITZ (1897, P. 98, 101-102, FIG. 1) ARE MAIN REFERENCES. ROESSLER (1874), CUMMINS (1908, P. 740), ROMER (1935, P. 1617-1618), AND CUMMINS (1893, P. 234) ARE ALSO REFERENCES. ROESSLER (1874) ALSO HAD A MAP OF ARCHER COUNTY, ACCORDING TO YOUNG (1965, P. 29). ROESSLER (1869) MENTIONS THIS AREA IN 1868. EWING (1954, P. 21-22) CITES REFERENCES TO THE CIVIL WAR COPPER VENTURE. FURMAN (1881, P. 18-19, MAP) ALSO MENTIONS THIS AREA. MCCONNELL (1889, P. 215, 294) MENTIONS AN 1870 TRIP TO ARCHER COUNTY. BUCKLEY (1866, P. 24-25) VISITED THE AREA IN 1861. GORDON (1913, P. 55) MENTIONS THE AREA.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 01-APR-93 Fay, Robert O. Oklahoma Geological Survey

Beyond USGS

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

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