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Hughes Mine

Past Producer in Fluvanna county in Virginia, United States with commodity Gold
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Sections on this page
  1. Identification information
  2. Geographic coordinates
  3. Site location context
  4. Geographic areas
  5. Commodities
  6. Materials information
  7. Mineral occurrence model 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 10079834
MRDS ID W030575
Record type Site
Current site name Hughes Mine

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -78.28694, 37.78755 (WGS84)
Elevation 110
Relative position ABOUT 3.5 KM (2.2 MI) NW OF FORK UNION.

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Fluvanna(county)

Virginia(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

Palmyra(quadrangle 1:24,000 scale)

Dillwyn(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

Roanoke(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)

Hydrologic units (watersheds)

Rivanna(hydrologic unit)

James(hydrologic accounting unit)

Lower Chesapeake(hydrologic subregion)

Mid Atlantic(hydrologic region)

Geographic areas

Country State County
United States Virginia Fluvanna

Comments on the location information

  • 0.72 KM (0.45 MI) OFF E SIDE OF STATE ROAD 672 ABOUT 0.3 KM (0.2 MI) BY ROAD NE OF ITS INTERSECTION WITH STATE ROAD 671.

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Gold Primary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Gold Ore
Chlorite Gangue
Epidote Gangue
Magnetite Gangue
Rutile Gangue
Sericite Gangue
Zoisite Gangue

Analytical data

Result GOLD ORE TAKEN FROM SHAFT NO. 1 WAS SAID TO GIVE A GROSS VALUE OF $9 PER TON. FROM SHAFT NO. 2 GOLD ORE AVERAGED $20 PER TON. THE THIRD VEIN YIELDED ORE WORTH $13 PER TON. OF THE FOUR OTHER VEINS MINED, THE THREE THICKEST VEINS AVERAGED $5 PER TON AND THE 381 MM VEIN AVERAGED $23 PER TON AT A DEPTH OF 5.5 M (18 FT). THE COST OF MINING AND MILLING WAS SLIGHTLY OVER $4 PER TON.

Mineral occurrence model information

Model code 273
USGS model code 36a
Deposit model name Low-sulfide Au-quartz vein
Mark3 model number 27

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Metamorphic Rock > Metavolcanic Rock > Mafic Metamorphic Rock > Greenstone
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Early Cambrian
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Early Cambrian
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Early Cambrian
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Metamorphic Rock > Metavolcanic Rock > Mafic Metamorphic Rock > Greenstone
    Rock unit name Chopawamsic Formation
    Rock description Chopawamsic Formation

Nearby scientific data

(1) -78.28694, 37.78755
ListMap

Economic information

Geologic structures

Type of structure Regional
Structure description Long Island Syncline, Ne-Sw Trend
Type of structure Local
Structure description Anticline (Unnamed)

Ore body information

  • Thickness 1.2M

Controls for ore emplacement

  • In Quartz Veins

Comments on the geologic information

  • MAGNETITE FOUND A SHORT DISTANCE W OF THE MINE; QUARTZ VEINS CONTAIN GOLD, PYRITE, CHLORITE AND OCCUR IN GREENSTONE SCHIST CONTAINING BLUE QUARTZ "EYES."

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Past Producer
Commodity type Metallic
Deposit size Small
Significant No
Discovery year 1836
Year of first production 1836

Mining district

District name Gold-Pyrite Belt

Land status

Ownership category Private

Ownership information

  • Type Operator
    Owner Hughes Gold Mining And Milling Co.
  • Type Owner
    Owner Gold Mine Hunt Club , Leonard W. Melton

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Surface/Underground
    Area 111.293HA
    Length 113M
    Overall depth 35M

Comments on the workings information

  • 5 WATER-FILLED AND CAVED SHAFTS, ABOUT 10 CAVED PITS AND TRENCHES, CONCRETE AND ROCK FOUNDATIONS AND DUMPS REPORTED 1974. SHAFT NO. 1 WAS SUNK TO A DEPTH OF 12 M (40 FT) ON THE LARGER VEIN, A LEVEL WAS DRIVEN FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE SHAFT 43 M (140 FT) SOUTHWEST ALONG THE VEIN, AND MORE THAN 15 M (50 FT) OF ORE HAD BEEN STOPED AND MILLED ABOVE THIS LEVEL. THE VEIN HAS BEEN PROVED BY SURFACE PITS FOR 457 M (1500 FT) ALONG THE STRIKE AND HAS AN AVERAGE WIDTH OF 0.8 M (2.5 FT). SHAFT NO. 2 WAS SUNK TO A DEPTH OF 33.5 M (110 FT) ON A SECOND VEIN ABOUT 244 M (800 FT) SOUTHWEST OF THE FIRST, AND LEVELS WERE DRIVEN AT DEPTHS OF 18 M (60 FT) AND 33.5 M (110 FT), RESPECTIVELY. FROM THESE LEVELS CROSS-CUTS WERE DRIVEN TO REACH THE THIRD VEIN 39 M (128 FT) FROM THE SHAFT. THE SECOND VEIN HAS BEEN STOPED OUT FROM THE 18 M LEVEL TO THE SURFACE. THIS VEIN VARIED IN THICKNESS FROM 0.3 TO 1 M (1 TO 3 FT). THE THIRD VEIN HAS BEEN DEVELOPED FOR 70 M (230 FT) ALONG ITS STRIKE AND VARIES FROM 0.3 TO 1.2 M
  • (1 TO 4 FT) IN WIDTH. IN ADDITION TO THESE, PITS HAVE BEEN SUNK ON 4 OTHER GOLD-BEARING VEINS, 3 OF WHICH ARE FROM 0.6 TO 1 M (2 TO 3 FT) THICK, THE FOURTH IS 381 MM (15 IN) THICK.

Comments on development

  • ORIGINAL PLANT CONSISTED OF 2 STEAM HOISTS, BOILER HOUSE, CYANIDE PLANT, MILL CONSISTING OF 2 5-STAMP BATTERIES, COPPER PLATES, 4 FRUE CONCENTRATORS. NO MACHINERY FOUND AT SITE IN 1974 MINE WAS FIRST OPENED IN 1836, BUT FOR MANY YEARS IT CHANGED HANDS FREQUENTLY AND VERY LITTLE DEVELOPMENT WORK WAS DONE. THE LAST PERIOD OF OPERATION BEGAN ABOUT 1895 AND CONTINUED UNTIL THE SPRING OF 1906, SINCE WHICH TIME THE MINE HAS REMAINED IDLE. DURING THIS PERIOD THE MINE WAS DEVELOPED BY THE HUGHES GOLD MINING AND MILLING COMPANY AND THE PLANT INSTALLED TO TREAT THE ORE.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    SWEET, P.C., 1980, GOLD IN VIRGINIA: VIRGINIA DIVISION OF MINERAL RESOURCES, PUBLICATION 19, 77 P.

  • Deposit

    TABER, S., 1913, GEOLOGY OF THE GOLD BELT IN THE JAMES RIVER BASIN VIRGINIA: VIRGINIA DIVISION OF MINERAL RESOURCES, BULLETIN 7, 271 P.

  • Deposit

    LUTTRELL, G.W., 1966, BASE-AND PRECIOUS-METAL AND RELATED ORE DEPOSITS OF VIRGINIA: VIRGINIA DIVISION OF MINERAL RESOURCES, MINERAL RESOURCES REPORT 7, 167 P.

  • Deposit

    SMITH, J.W., MILICI, R.C., AND GREENBURG, S.S., 1964, GEOLOGY AND MINERAL RESOURCES OF FLUVANNA COUNTY: VIRGINIA DIVISION OF MINERAL RESOURCES, BULLETIN 79, 62 P.

  • Deposit

    WATSON, T.L., 1907, GOLD AND SILVER IN MINERAL RESOURCES OF VIRGINIA: LYNCHBURG, VIRGINIA, JAMESTOWN EXPOSITION COMMISSION, PP.549-567.

  • Deposit

    HAMMETT, A.B.J., 1966, THE HISTORY OF GOLD, KERRVILLE, TEXAS, BRASWELL PRINTING CO., 107 P.

  • Deposit

    CREDNER, H., 1869, REPORT OF EXPLORATIONS ON THE GOLD FIELDS OF VIRGINIA AND NORTH CAROLINA: AMER. JOUR? MNG., VOL. VII, P. 58.

  • Deposit

    1895 DIREXPL HUGHES GOLD MINING AND MILLING CO.; DEVELOPED 3 VEINS

  • Deposit

    1974 RECON VA. DIV. OF MINERAL RESOURCES; SITE INSPECTED

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit 3 VEINS DEVELOPED, 2 OF WHICH STRIKE NE-SW, THE THIRD STRIKES E-W AND INTERSECTS ONE OF THE OTHER VEINS; VEIN THICKNESS VARIES FROM 0.3 M TO 1.2 M

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 01-JUN-1979 Beaulieu, Harvey R. (Le Van, D. C.) U.S. Geological Survey
Updater 01-OCT-1981 Trimble, David, C. U.S. Geological Survey

Beyond USGS

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

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