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Sherman District

Past Producer in Hinsdale county in Colorado, United States with commodities Silver, Gold, Lead, Copper, Zinc, Bismuth, Molybdenum
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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. Controls for ore emplacement
  12. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  13. Mining district
  14. Land status
  15. Ownership information
  16. Links to other databases
  17. Bibliographic references
  18. General comments
  19. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10101902
MRDS ID D011573
Record type District
Current site name Sherman District

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -107.42285, 37.90251 (WGS84)
Elevation 2911
Relative position 9.5 TO 11.5 MILES S 32 W TO 14.3 MILES S 46 W FROM LAKE CITY

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Hinsdale(county)

Colorado(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

Redcloud Peak(quadrangle 1:24,000 scale)

Silverton(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

Durango(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)

Hydrologic units (watersheds)

Upper Gunnison(hydrologic unit)

Gunnison(hydrologic accounting unit)

Gunnison(hydrologic subregion)

Upper Colorado(hydrologic region)

Geographic areas

Country State County
United States Colorado Hinsdale

Public Land Survey System information

Meridian Township Range Section Fraction State
New Mexico 042N;042N 005W;006W 08,09,10,16,17,19,20,21,29;22,23,24,25 Colorado

Comments on the location information

  • DISTRICT LOCATED ALONG LAKE FORK GUNNISON RIVER AT CONFLUENCE WITH COTTONWOOD CREEK AND ALONG UPPER COTTONWOOD CREEK AT CONFLUENCES OF SNARE CREEK AND CUBA GULCH; INCLUDES LOWER PART OF CATARACT GULCH. PROMINENT LANDMARKS INCLUDE SUNSHINE PEAK, WHITECROSS MOUNTAIN, CARSON PEAK, HANDIES PEAK, AND SEVERAL PEAKS AT HEAD OF SNARE CREEK ON HINSDALE-SAN JUAN COUNTY LINE TO WEST (JONES MOUNTAIN, NIAGARA PEAK, CROWN MOUNTAIN). DISTRICT EXTENDS WESTWARD ONTO HANDIES PEAK (1955) QUAD. DISTRICT ACCESSIBLE VIA ROAD UP LAKE FORK SW FROM LAKE CITY; VIA ROAD NORTH FROM SILERTON UP ANIMAS REIVER, UP CINNAMON CREEK, OVER CINNAMON PASS, AND DOWNVERTON UP ANIMAS RIVER, UP CINNAMON CREEK, OVER CINNAMON PASS, AND DOWN LAKE FORK, SECTIONS LISTED ABOVE INCLUDE ONLY THOSE CONTAINING PATENTED CLAIMS. ELEV AND LAT-LONG GIVEN ARE FOR OLD TOWNSITE OF SHERMAN AT CONFLUENCE OF LAKE FORK AND CONTTONWOOD CREEK IN APPROX N2 SEC. T42N, R5W (UNSURVEYED SECTION.) ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :1977

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Silver Primary
Gold Primary
Lead Secondary
Copper Secondary
Zinc Critical Tertiary
Bismuth Critical Tertiary
Molybdenum Tertiary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Chalcopyrite Ore
Galena Ore
Molybdenite Ore
Pyrite Ore
Sphalerite Ore
Tetrahedrite Ore
Barite Gangue
Calcite Gangue
Quartz Gangue

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Plutonic Rock > Granitoid > Quartz Monzonite
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Oligocene
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Oligocene
  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Plutonic Rock > Mafic Intrusive Rock > Diorite > Diabase
  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Felsic Volcanic Rock > Rhyolite
  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Intermediate Volcanic Rock > Andesite
  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Plutonic Rock > Granitoid > Granite
    Rock unit name Granite Of Cataract Canyon;Mafic Dikes;Henson And Pyroxene Andesite Members Of Silverton Volcanics;Ash-Flow Member Of Sunshine Peak Tuff
    Rock description Granite Of Cataract Canyon;Mafic Dikes;Henson And Pyroxene Andesite Members Of Silverton Volcanics;Ash-Flow Member Of Sunshine Peak Tuff
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Plutonic Rock > Granitoid > Quartz Monzonite
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Plutonic Rock > Mafic Intrusive Rock > Diorite > Diabase
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Felsic Volcanic Rock > Rhyolite
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Intermediate Volcanic Rock > Andesite
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Plutonic Rock > Granitoid > Granite
    Rock unit name Tuffaceous Sandstone Of Henson Member Of Silverton Volcanics
    Rock description Tuffaceous Sandstone Of Henson Member Of Silverton Volcanics

Nearby scientific data

(1) -107.42285, 37.90251
ListMap

Economic information

Geologic structures

Type of structure Regional
Structure description San Juan Volcanic Field, San Juan Depression
Type of structure Local
Structure description San Juan-Uncompahgre Calderas, Lake City Caldera, Silverton Caldera, Eureka Graben

Controls for ore emplacement

  • Quartz Veins Locally Along Diabase Dike Margins: Ring Fractures Associated With Lake City Caldera Collapse; Resurgent Graben Faulting Following San Juan Caldera Collapse

Comments on the geologic information

  • WITHIN AND ON SAN JUAN-UNCOMPAHGRE CALDERA MARGIN; (8) BROAD EPISODIC RESURGENT DOMING ALONG CREST PERMITTED DOWNFAULTING OF EUREKA BRABEN, EXTENDING FROM WITHIN SILVERTON CALDERA NE ACROSS MEDIAL SEPTUM (COMPOSED OF PRECAMBRIAN GRANITE) SEPARATING SAN JUAN AND UNCOMPAHGRE CALDERAS; (9) ERUPTION OF MIOCENE SUNSHINE PEAK SILICIC ALKALI RHYOLITE TUFF (23.0 M.Y.) WITH CONCURRENT COLLAPSE OF LAKE CITY CALDERA (NESTED WITHIN UNCOMPAHGRE CALDERA) ALONG SINGLE, CONTINUOUS VERTICAL TO STEEP INWARD-DIPPING RING FAULT; ASH FLOWS INTERONGUING WITH COLLAPSE BRECCIAS; (10) FLOWS AND DOMES OF VISCOUS, SILICIC LAVAS (GRASSY MOUNTAIN AND RED MOUNTAIN QUARTZ LATITEA) (23.3 TO 22.8 M.Y.) ISSUED FROM RING-FAULT VENTS ON EAST SIDE OF LAKE CITY CALDERA; YOUNGER EMPLACEMENT OF ENE-TRENDING CHAIN OF RHYOLITIC INTRUSIVES (18.5 M.Y.) IN UNCOMPAHGRE CALDERA MOAT AREA NORTH OF LAKE CITY CALDERA; (11) UPWARD MOVEMENT OF SHALLOW GRANITIC MAGMA CAUSED SIMPLE DOMAL RESURGENCE OF LAKE CITY CALDERA, WITH NE-TRENDING
  • APICAL GRABEN FAULTING OVER DISTENDED CREST (REFLECTINT SIMILAR TREND OF EUREKA) AND CHAOTIC COLLAPSE BRECCIAS ON SW SIDE; (12) MIOCENE TO PLIOCENE REGIONAL EXTRUSION OF BIMODAL MAFIC-SILICIC (BASALTIC TO RHYOLITIC) FLOWS OF HINSDALE FM (18.8 TO 12.6 M.Y.) PERIPHERAL TO CALDERA COMPLEX AND RELATED TO INITIAL DEVELOPMENT OF RIO GRANDE RIFT AND REGIONAL EASTWARD TILTING OF EAST PART OF SAN JUAN VOLCANIC FIELD; (13) LATE TERTIARY AND QUATERNARY EROSION, DISSECTION, EXTENSIVE MASS WASTING, AND GLACIATION OF CALDERAS ADN PERIPHERAL OUTFLOW DEPOSITS.
  • GENERALIZED EVOLUTION OF UNCOMPAHGRE-SAN JUAN, SILVERTON, AND LAKE CITY CALDERAS (LIPMAN AND OTHERS, 1973; STEVEN AND LIPMAN, 1976; HON AND MEHNERT, 1983): (1) ERUPTION OF EARLY OLIGOCENE (35.6 TO 31.9 M.Y.) INTERMEDIATE-COMPOSITION LAVAS, BRECCIAS, AND PYROCLASTICS (SAN JUAN AND LAKE FORK FMS), AND LATERALLY ASSOCIATED VOLCANICLASTICS FROM CLUSTERED CENTRAL-VENT SHIELD VOLCANOES (LARSON, CARSON, AND CIMARRON CENTERS) COMPRISED OF RHYOLITE PORPHYRY, ANDESITIC TO RHYODACITIC, AND MONZONITIC INTRUSIVES; (2) LOWER FLANKS AND COALESCING OUTFLOW APRONS OF SHIELD VOLCANOES COVERED BY ASH-FLOW SHEETS (UTE RIDGE (29.1 M.Y.) AND BLUE MESA TUFFS) FROM NEARBY UTE CREEK AND LOST LAKE CENTERS TO SE; (3) ERUPTION OF RELATIVELY SMALL VOLUME OF DILLON MESA TUFF (29 TO 28 M.Y.) PROBABLY FROM AREA OF INCIPIENT UNCOMPAHGRE CALDERA; (4) VOLUMINOUS ERUPTION OF WIDESPREAD SAPINERO MESA TUFF (CIRCA 28 M.Y.) FROM SAN JUAN DEPRESSION, CONCURRENT COLLAPSE OF SAN JUAN AND UNCOMPAHGRE CALDERAS WITHIN DEPRESSION,
  • AND DEPOSITION OF THICK INTRA-CALDERA TUFFS AND INTERBEDDED LANDSLIDE BRECCIAS OF ITS EUREKA MEMBER; (5) EARLY POSTSUBSIDENCE LOCAL DOMING AND ERUPTION OF VISCOUS, PORPHYRITIC RHYODACITE TO QUARTZ LATITE LAVAS GRADING UPWARD INTO ANDESITE IN SAN JUAN CALDERA, WITH PERIPHERAL DEPOSITION OF BEDDED TUFFS, VOLCANICLASTICS, AND LACUSTRINE SEDIMENTS (BURNS FM); LATER INFILLING PREDOMINANTLY VOLCANICLASTIC SEDIMENTS AND MUDFLOW BRECCIAS (HENSON FM), PARTLY OVERFLOWING SE CALDERA WALL; (6) INFILL SEQUENCE OVERLAIN BY ASH-FLOW TUFFS FROM ADJACENT ERUPTIVE CENTERS--FISH CANYON (LA GARITA CALDERA) (28.5 M.Y.), CRYSTAL LAKE (SILVERTON CALDERA), CARPENTER RIDGE (BACHELOR CALDERA), WASON PARK (SOURCE UNKNOWN), AND NELSON MOUNTAIN (SAN LUIS CALDERA); (7) ERUPTION OF CRYSTAL LAKE TUFF (27.5 M.Y.) RESULTED IN TRAPDOOR COLLAPSE OF SIVERTON CALDERA NESTED WITHIN SAN JUAN CALDER A, WITH GREATEST DISPLACEMENT ON SOUTH MARGIN AND GRABEN-FAULTED MONOCLINE ON NE; PRE- AND POST-COLLAPSE MONZONITIC INTRUSION

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Past Producer
Commodity type Metallic
Deposit size Small
Significant No
Discovery year 1877
Year of first production 1882
Year of last production 1925

Mining district

District name Sherman District

Land status

Ownership category Private

Ownership information

  • Type Operator
    Owner Roy Van Houten And Others (George Washington Group)
    Home office Lake City, Co.
    First year 1932
  • Type Owner
    Owner Coburn (Estate) (George Washington Group)
    Home office Boston, Ma.
    First year 1932

Comments on the workings information

  • DESCRIBED PROPERTIES DEVELOPED BY SHAFTS UP TO 40 FT DEEP, CROSSCUT AND DRIFT TUNNELS UP TO 300 FT LONG WITH EXTENSIVE DRIFTS; SURFACE CUTS; ONE OR TWO OLD MILLS.

Comments on development

  • EARLY HISTORY OF DISTRICT LARGELY UNKNOWN. FIRST PATENTED CLAIM (GEORGE WASHINGTON) SURVEYED IN 1879 BY MARY GARBUTT AND OTHERS. MOST OF REMAINING CLAIMS SURVEYED AND PATENTED INTERMITTENTLY FROM 1880 TO 1894, WITH LAST SEVERAL BETWEEN 1898 AND 1904. SMALL AMOUNT OF PRODUCTION FROM DISTRICT PROBABLY REALIZED BETWEEN 1880 AND 1900. BLACK WONDER MINE LAST ACTIVE ABOUT 1908. PROBABLY SOME EXPLORATION AND DEVELOPMENT SPORADICALLY AT BLACK WONDER, GEORGE WASHINGTON, AND MINNIE LEE MINES BETWEEN 1923 AND 1932. LAST REPORTED ACTIVITY WAS EXPLORATION AND DEVELOPMENT AT STERLING GROUP IN 1964-1969, CONSISTING OF DIAMOND DRILLING, GEOPHYSICAL AND GEOCHEMICAL WORK.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit BLM CLAIM RECORDS ASSIGN DISTRICT NAME OF "SHERMAN" TO CLAIMS AROUND OLD TOWNSITE OF SHERMAN. GEORGE WASHINGTON CLAIM (MS 312) ORIGINALLY ASSIGNED TO PARK DISTRICT LOCATED TO NW, BUT BASED ON CONTIGUITY WITH OTHER SHERMAN DISTRICT CLAIM, IT IS INCLUDED IN SHERMAN DISTRICT. INDIVIDUAL RECORDS PREPARED FOR DISTRICT'S PRINCIPAL PROPERTIES, MOST OF WHICH APPEAR TO HAVE PRODUCED SMALL AMOUNTS OF ORE: BLACK WONDER, GEORGE WASHINGTON GROUP, MINNIE LEE, AND STERLING GROUP. ; INFO.SRC : 1 PUB LIT; 2 UNPUB REPT; 4 OTHER SRC
Deposit DISTRICT LOCALIZED MAINLY IN PRECAMBRIAN GRANITIC ROCKS THAT BORDER THE UNCOMPAHGRE-LAKE CITY CALDERAS ON SOUTH AND SAN JUAN CALDERA ON SE, AND PROJECTING NW TO FORM THE SEPTUM THAT SEPARATED THE SAN JUAN AND UNCOMPAHGRE CALDERAS FOLLOWING THEIR COLLAPSE INTO SAN JUAN DEPRESSION. GRANITE OF CATARACT CANYON IS MASSIVE, MEDIUM- TO COARSE-GRAINED GRANITE OR QUARTZ MONZONITE, WITH LOCAL WEAK, STEEPLY DIPPING FOLIATION OR LINEATION DEFINED BY ALIGNED MICROCLINES. CUTTING GRANITE ARE SEVERAL PROMINENT CAMBRO-ORDOVICIAN DIABASE DIKES TRENDING GENERALLY NW-SE AND WNW-ESE. DIKES CONSIST OF FINELY INTERGROWN PLAGIOCLASE AND AUGITE, AND HAVE BEEN RECRYSTALLIZED TO FINE-GRAINED ASSEMBLAGE OF SERICITE, CHLORITE, ALBITE, EPIDOTE, AND CALCITE, QUARTZ VEINS LOCALLY PERSISTENT ALONG DIKE MARGINS. ORE AND GANGUE NIMERALS LISTED ARE INFERRED ON BASIS OF SIMILARITY WITH OCCURRENCES IN PARK DISTRICT TO NW AND IN LAKE DISTRICT TO NE, AS DESCRIPTIONS FOR SHERMAN DISTRICT ARE LACKING. AU COULD OCCUR IN
Deposit TELLURIDES; AG PROBABLY OCCURS IN TETRAHEDRITE OR CHALCOPYRITE. BI MINERAL(S) UNKNOWN BUT COULD BE IN ANY OF SEVERAL COMPLEX SULFIDES OF CU, PB, AND BI: AIKINITE, MATILDITE, SCHIRMERITE, BISMUTHINITE, OR TELLUROBISMUTHITE (IN LAKE DISTRICT), OR LILLIANITE (IN PARK DISTRICT). DESCRIPTIONS OF MINERALIZATION ALSO LACKING FOR DISTRICT. VEINS AT BLACK WONDER AND GEORGE WASHINGTON MINES COULD BE ASSOCIATED WITH RING FRACTURES OF LAKE CITY CALDERA OR WITH LOCAL QUARTZ VEINS ALONG DIABASE DIKES CUTTING GRANITE AT OR JUST BEYOND SOUTH RIM OF UNCOMPAHGRE AND LAKE CITY CALDERAS. THESE WOULD MOST LIKELY BE ASSOCIATED WITH LAKE CITY CALDERA FORMATION AND, THEREFORE, MIOCENE IN AGE. MINERALIZATION IN SNARE CREEK-CUBA GULCH AREA (MINNIE LEE AND STERLING) LOCATED ON AND JUST BEYOND SE RIM OF SAN JUAN CALDERA: MINNIE LEE IN GRANITE AND STERLING ON CALDERA RIM OR IN SAN JUAN CALDERA INFILL SEQUENCE. AGE UNCERTAIN, POSSIBLY LATE OLIGOCENE ASSOCIATED WITH SAN JUAN COLLAPSE AND FORMATION OF EUREKA GRABEN.
Deposit Discovery Year: LATE 1870S

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 01-MAR-84 Schwochow, Stephen D. Colorado Geological Survey
Editor 16-NOV-11 Wilson, Anna B U.S. Geological Survey Changed record type from site to district.

Beyond USGS

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

Maps centered on this site

Authoritative Colorado resources

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