Fern

Past Producer in Alaska, United States with commodities Gold, Lead, Molybdenum, Silver, Tungsten
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. Nearby scientific data
  8. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  9. Mineral rights holdings
  10. Land status
  11. Ownership information
  12. Production statistics
  13. Links to other databases
  14. Bibliographic references
  15. General comments
  16. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10185322
MRDS ID A011619
MAS/MILS ID 0020850074
Record type Site
Current site name Fern
Alternate or previous names Fern-Goodell, Hillis, Black Butte, Ptarmigan, Homestake, Iriquois, Liberty, Midas, Ruthland, Combination, Portal, Fairangel, Archangel, Highgrade, Bartholf-Isaacs, Marmot, Giant Gold Mining Co., Red Hill 1-2
Related records 10000948

Geographic coordinates

Point of reference Main Entrance
Geographic coordinates: -149.24099, 61.82376 (WGS84)
Elevation 1036
Location accuracy 500(meters)

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Matanuska-Susitna(Borough)

Alaska(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

Anchorage D-6(quadrangle 1:63,360 scale)

Anchorage NW(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

Anchorage(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)

Hydrologic units (watersheds)

Lower Susitna River(hydrologic unit)

Susitna River(hydrologic accounting unit)

South Central Alaska(hydrologic subregion)

Alaska(hydrologic region)

Federal lands

BLM(Federal land areas administered by BLM)

Geographic areas

Country State
United States Alaska

Public Land Survey System information

Meridian Township Range Section Fraction State
Seward 020 N 001 E 15 Alaska

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Gold Primary
Lead Tertiary
Molybdenum Tertiary
Silver Tertiary
Tungsten Critical Tertiary

Nearby scientific data

Main Entrance (1) -149.24099, 61.82376

Economic information

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Operation type Underground
Development status Past Producer
Commodity type Metallic
Significant No
Discovery year 1912
Year of first production 1922

Mineral rights holdings

Type of mineral rights Patented
Type of mineral rights Located Claim

Land status

Ownership category Mixed

Ownership information

  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner Fern Development Co.- Fritz Kalmback, Owner
    ID 5001306
    Interest 100
    Home office Washington
    Year 1985
  • Type Operator
    Owner Alaska Hard Rock Inc.
    ID 5001306
    Home office Alaska
    Year 1984

Comments on the ownership information

  • OWNER-OPERATOR ADDRESS: FERN DEVELOPMENT CO.- FRITZ KALMBACK, OWNER 5950 KINKAID ROAD ANCHORAGE, ALASKA 99502

Production statistics

  • Year 1922
    Description Producion Reported
  • Year 1927
    Description Inactive
  • Year 1928
    Description Inactive
  • Year 1929
    Description Inactive
  • Year 1930
    Description Inactive
  • Year 1949
    Description 1381oz.Au 63oz.Ag 11tons Concentrate 800 Short Tons Ore
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Gold Gold 42953.9g
    Trace Silver Silver 1959.51g
  • Year 1951
    Description 2700z.Au 15oz. Ag 210 Short Tons Ore
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Trace Silver Silver 466.55g
    Major Gold Gold 83979.39g
  • Year 1952
    Description 156oz.Au 9oz.Ag
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Trace Silver Silver 279.93g
    Major Gold Gold 4852.14g
  • Year 1953
    Description Idle

Comments on the production information

  • FIRE EARLY IN THE YEAR.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    B773a p. 15

  • Deposit

    B783a p. 8

  • Deposit

    B792a p. 11

  • Deposit

    B797a p. 12

  • Deposit

    B844A p. 18

  • Deposit

    B849C p. 222

  • Deposit

    B864A p. 19

  • Deposit

    B868A p. 19

  • Deposit

    BM YEARBOOK 1936a p. 194

  • Deposit

    BM YEARBOOK 1937a p. 226

  • Deposit

    BM YEARBOOK 1938a p. 170

  • Deposit

    BM YEARBOOK 1939a p. 189

  • Deposit

    BM YEARBOOK 1940a p. 167

  • Deposit

    BM YEARBOOK 1940* p. 179

  • Deposit

    BM YEARBOOK 1941a p. 183

  • Deposit

    BM YEARBOOK 1942a p. 223

  • Deposit

    BM YEARBOOK 1949b p. 1358

  • Deposit

    BM YEARBOOK 1950b p. 1374

  • Deposit

    BM YEARBOOK 1951b p. 1396

  • Deposit

    BM YEARBOOK 1952 p. 81

  • Deposit

    BM YEARBOOK 1953 p. 86

  • Ownership

    ALASKA KARDEX 085-026

  • Ownership

    ALASKA KARDEX 085-104

  • Ownership

    ALASKA KARDEX 085-105

  • Ownership

    ALASKA KARDEX 085-145

  • Deposit

    B592l p. 264

  • Deposit

    B607 p. 76

  • Deposit

    B692j p. 186

  • Deposit

    B712f p. 176

  • Deposit

    B714i p. 204

  • Deposit

    B755a p. 31

  • Deposit

    IR HHT 24 p. 7

  • Deposit

    B773a pp. 15, 42

  • Deposit

    MR195-10 pp. 212-213

  • Deposit

    B810a p. 14

  • Deposit

    B813a p. 16

  • Deposit

    B836a p. 18

  • Deposit

    B849C pp. 169, 187-188, 195, 202, 222-226

  • Deposit

    B857A p. 17

  • Deposit

    B880A pp. 19-20

  • Deposit

    MR85-4 pp. 13-14

  • Deposit

    B897A p. 20

  • Deposit

    IR JCR 380727 pp. 4-5

  • Deposit

    B910A pp. 22-23

  • Deposit

    B917A p. 23

  • Deposit

    IR JCR 390901 pp. 23-24

  • Deposit

    B926A pp. 21-22

  • Deposit

    B926C pp. 188-189

  • Deposit

    B933A pp. 19-20

  • Deposit

    RI4174 p. 35

  • Deposit

    IR HMF 490806 p. 4

  • Deposit

    C184 p. 5

  • Deposit

    B1004 pp. 1, 28, 31, 44, 53, 65-68, 73

  • Deposit

    MF409

Comments on the references

  • ROEHM, 1937, P. 8 (UNPB TDM IR)

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit USGS CRIB A000034 USGS CRIB A000111 USGS CRIB D002732 GOLD MINING CO. 1928 ON 77.37 ACRES. PAT 1019055. FERN MINE PRODUCED $1 MILLION 1931-1941 (B1004).

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 11-JUL-1995 Mirl-Dwb U.S. Bureau of Mines

Beyond USGS

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

Current status (per MSHA)

StatusAbandoned since 08/11/1983
MSHA mine ID5001306
Mine name (MSHA)Fern Mine
Current operatorFern Operating Company
Current controller (parent)Fern Development Co Inc & Alaska Willow Creek
Mine typeUnderground (Metal / non-metal)

MSHA cross-reference per the original MRDS record. Mine status and operator reflect MSHA's last published Mines export (February 2025); MSHA's public bulk feed has been unavailable since, so this may be out of date. See the Mine Data Retrieval System for current status.

Open MSHA's Mine Data Retrieval System for inspections, accidents, and violations for this mine.

External references

Authoritative Alaska resources

These are landing pages for further research — the state agencies don't currently expose per-mine deep links.