Helena District

Past Producer in Lewis and Clark county in Montana, United States with commodities Gold, Silver, Copper, Lead, Zinc, Stone, Tungsten, Arsenic, Marble, Dimension, Dolomite
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. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  12. Mining district
  13. Links to other databases
  14. Bibliographic references
  15. General comments
  16. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10008989
MRDS ID D001593
Record type Site
Current site name Helena District

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -112.08421, 46.55823 (WGS84)
Relative position THE HELENA DISTRICT IS AN AREA EXTENDING FROM THE CITY S AND SW. IT EXTENDS TO CLANCY-LUMP GULCH AND RIMINI DISTRICTS. IT INCLUDES COLORADO, NELSON, GRIZZLY, ORO FINO AND DRY GULCHES.

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Lewis and Clark(county)

Montana(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

Helena(quadrangle 1:24,000 scale)

Elliston(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

Butte(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)

Hydrologic units (watersheds)

Upper Missouri(hydrologic unit)

Upper Missouri(hydrologic accounting unit)

Missouri-Marias(hydrologic subregion)

Missouri(hydrologic region)

Federal lands

Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest(National Forest)

National Forest FS(Type of land area)

FS(Federal land areas administered by FS)

Geographic areas

Country State County
United States Montana Lewis and Clark

Public Land Survey System information

Meridian Township Range Section Fraction State
Montana Principal 009N;009N;009N;010N;010N;010N 003W;004W;005W;003W;004W;005W 05,06,07,08,17,18,19,20;01,02,03,04,05,06,07,08,09,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24;01,02,12,13,24;19,30,31,32;25,301,02,036;25,34,35,36 Montana

Comments on the location information

  • LAT/LONG GENERAL FOR AREA.

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Gold Primary
Silver Primary
Copper Secondary
Lead Secondary
Zinc Critical Secondary
Stone Secondary
Tungsten Critical Tertiary
Arsenic Critical Tertiary
Marble, Dimension Tertiary
Dolomite Tertiary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Chalcopyrite Ore
Galena Ore
Gold Ore
Limestone Ore
Calcite Gangue
Pyrite Gangue
Quartz Gangue

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Plutonic Rock > Granitoid > Quartz Monzonite
    Rock unit name Butte Quartz Monzonite (Boulder Batholith);Elkhorn Mountain Volcanics
    Rock description Butte Quartz Monzonite (Boulder Batholith);Elkhorn Mountain Volcanics
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Late Cretaceous
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Mississippian
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Late Cretaceous
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Plutonic Rock > Granitoid > Quartz Monzonite
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Carbonate > Limestone
    Rock unit name Madison Group
    Rock description Madison Group
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Intermediate Volcanic Rock > Andesite

Nearby scientific data

(1) -112.08421, 46.55823

Economic information

Geologic structures

Type of structure Regional
Structure description Boulder Batholith

Comments on the geologic information

  • SEDIMENTARY ROCKS GO FROM CRETACEOUS-QUADRANT QUARTZITE THROUGH PRECAMBRIAN-BELT SERIES. TERT-RHVDLITE TUFF IS PRESENT.

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Past Producer
Commodity type Both
Deposit size Large
Significant No
Discovery year 1864

Mining district

District name Helena District

Comments on the production information

  • QUARTZ MONZONITE HAS BEEN QUARRIED FROM THE HARRISONAAND SCHIMPF QUARRIES.

Comments on development

  • LAST CHANCE GULCH WAS AMONG THE RICHEST IN PLACER GOLD, THE WHITLATCH-UNION WAS THE MOST PRODUCTIVE LODE IN THE DISTRICT. MOST OF THE RICH PLACER AND LODES WERE MINED OUT BEFORE 1900. DURING 1935-1950 THERE WERE SOME SUCCESSFUL DREDGING OPERATIONS. OTHERE MINES: SPRING HILL, INDEPENDENT, HOLMES GULCA PLACER, YELLOW JACKET, BIG INDIAN, NELSON GULCH PLACER; HARRISON, COLORADO GULCH DOLOMITE, NELSON GULCH MARBLE, SCHIMPF ARE NOMETALLIC MINES.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    MBMG BULL 16, P. 7.

  • Deposit

    USGS BULL 842, P. 202-09.

  • Deposit

    USBM R1 6334, P. 25-6.

  • Deposit

    USGS BULL 527, P. 85-7.

  • Deposit

    USGS PP 610, P. 155.

  • Deposit

    MBMG MEM 26, P. 43.

  • Deposit

    USGS-USBM YEARBOOKS

  • Deposit

    MBMG BULL 94.

  • Production

    USGS PP 610, P. 155; USGS-USBM YEARBOOKS. MBMG BULL 94.

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit THE ORE DEPOSITS ARE MAINLEY NEAR THE CONTACT OF THE BATHOLITH WITH THE SEDIMENTARY ROCKS. SOME ARE IN THE GRANITIC ROCKS AND OTHERS ARE IN THE ADJACENT HORNFELS OR TACTITE.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 01-NOV-1974 Fisher, Fred S. U.S. Geological Survey
Updater 01-DEC-1982 Wise, Kristine K. (Elliott, James E.) U.S. Geological Survey

Beyond USGS

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