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Mary Lou

Producer in Alaska, 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. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  11. Mining district
  12. Links to other databases
  13. Bibliographic references
  14. General comments
  15. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10002297
MRDS ID A013202
Record type Site
Current site name Mary Lou
Alternate or previous names Sand Point, Popof Island Beach

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -160.51048, 55.3073 (WGS84)
Relative position This mine, representing beach gold placer deposits, is located on Popof Island approximately 2.5 miles south of the town of Sand Point (Cobb, 1972 [MF 433], locality 9; Cobb, 1973 [B 1374], locality 4; MacKevett and Holloway, 1977, locality 9; Wilson and others, 1988, locality 9). The map site is 0.3 mile northwest of triangulation point Red. The location is accurate.

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Alaska(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

Port Moller B-2 SW(quadrangle 1:24,000 scale)

Unga Island(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

Port Moller(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)

Geographic areas

Country State
United States Alaska

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Gold Primary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Gold Ore

Mineral occurrence model information

Model code 119
USGS model code 39a
Deposit model name Placer Au-PGE
Mark3 model number 54

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Unconsolidated Deposit > Gravel
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Holocene
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Unconsolidated Deposit > Sand and Gravel

Nearby scientific data

(1) -160.51048, 55.3073
ListMap

Economic information

Comments on the geologic information

  • Geologic Description = This beach gold placer deposit was discovered by Louis Herman in 1904 and described by Martin in 1905. The deposit was 4,000 feet in length and was apparently derived by erosion of nearby mineralized volcanic rocks. The gold was generally found below mid-tide, especially around boulders.? Atwood (1909) reported that 20 to 40 men were working the deposit with rockers in 1904 and that about 12,000 ounces were recovered in 1904 and 1905. Since that time there has been minor production.
  • Age = Quaternary.

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Producer
Commodity type Metallic

Comments on exploration

  • Status = Active

Mining district

District name Alaska Peninsula

Comments on the production information

  • Production Notes = Atwood (1909) estimated that 12,000 ounces of gold were recovered in 1904 and 1905.

Comments on the workings information

  • Workings / Exploration = The deposit occurs along 4,000 feet of beach. It was worked primarily during the period 1904 and 1905, when 20 to 40 men worked the deposit with rockers. Atwood (1909) estimated a production of 12,000 ounces during that time. Minor, intermittent work has taken place since.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    Martin, G.C., 1905, Gold deposits of the Shumagin Islands, in Brooks A.H., Mineral resources of Alaska in 1904: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 259, p. 100-101.

  • Deposit

    Atwood, W.W., 1909, Mineral resources of southwest Alaska, in Brooks, A.H., and others, Mineral resources of Alaska in 1908: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 379, 411 p.

  • Deposit

    Atwood, W.W., 1911, Geology and mineral resources of parts of the Alaska Peninsula: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 467, 137 p.

  • Deposit

    Smith, P.S., 1932, Mineral industry of Alaska in 1929, in Smith, P.S., and others Mineral resources of Alaska, report on progress of investigations in 1929: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 824-A, p. 1-81.

  • Deposit

    Cobb, E.H., 1973, Placer deposits of Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 1374, 213 p.

  • Deposit

    Wilson, F.H., White, W.H., and DuBois, G.D., 1988, Brief descriptions of mines, prospects, and mineral occurrences in the Port Moller and Stepovak Bay quadrangles, Alaska Peninsula: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 88-666, 128 p., scale 1:250,000.

  • Deposit

    Wilson, F.H., White, W.H., Detterman, R.L., and Case, J.E., (1991) 1996, Maps showing the resource assessment of the Port Moller, Stepovak Bay, and Simeonof Island quadrangles, Alaska Peninsula, with a section on Geology of the Pyramid porphyry copper deposit, Alaska Peninsula, Alaska, by W.H. White, J.S. Christie, M.R. Wolfhard, and F.H.Wilson, and a section on Description of the Shumagin epithermal gold vein deposit, by W.H. White and L.D. Queen: U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Field Studies Map MF-2155-F, 46 p., 2 sheets, scales 1:500,000 and 1:250,000...

  • Deposit

    MacKevett, E.M., Jr., and Holloway, C.D., 1977, Map showing metalliferous mineral deposits in the western part of southern Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 77-169-F, 38 p., 1 sheet, scale 1:1,000,000.

Comments on the references

  • Primary Reference = Atwood, 1909

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit Model Name = Placer Au (Cox and Singer, 1986; model 39a)

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 02-JAN-2001 S.H. Pilcher U.S. Geological Survey

Beyond USGS

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

Maps centered on this site

Authoritative Alaska resources

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