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Independence Mine

Past Producer in Pitkin county in Colorado, United States with commodities Gold, Silver, Copper
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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. Alteration
  9. Host and associated rocks
  10. Nearby scientific data
  11. Geologic structures
  12. Ore body information
  13. Controls for ore emplacement
  14. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  15. Mining district
  16. Land status
  17. Ownership information
  18. Production statistics
  19. Reserves and resources
  20. Links to other databases
  21. Bibliographic references
  22. General comments
  23. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10013874
MRDS ID D010412
Record type Site
Current site name Independence Mine
Alternate or previous names Claims: Independence, MS 1421, Gatton, MS 1422, Dolly Varden, MS 1423, Mammoth, MS 1424
Related records 10167389

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -106.61256, 39.10888 (WGS84)
Elevation 3307
Relative position 2.5 MILES N 89 W FROM INDEPENDENCE PASS

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Pitkin(county)

Colorado(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

Independence Pass(quadrangle 1:24,000 scale)

Leadville(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

Leadville(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)

Hydrologic units (watersheds)

Roaring Fork(hydrologic unit)

Colorado Headwaters(hydrologic accounting unit)

Colorado Headwaters(hydrologic subregion)

Upper Colorado(hydrologic region)

Federal lands

White River 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 Colorado Pitkin

Public Land Survey System information

Meridian Township Range Section Fraction State
6th Principal 011S;011S 083W;082W 01,12;06,07 Colorado

Comments on the location information

  • ON NORTH SIDE OF ROARING FORK RIVER 0.4 MILE NW OF INDEPENDENCE TOWNSITE. PROPERTY MAY EVENTUALLY HAVE INCLUDED OTHER ADJACENT CLAIMS. ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :(1977)

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Gold Primary
Silver Primary
Copper Primary

Comments on the commodity information

  • CRUSON'S ANALYSES OF DUMP SAMPLES SHOWED ANOMALOUS W, BI, B, CO, AND NB

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Chalcopyrite Ore
Gold Ore
Pyrite Ore
Silver Ore
Quartz Gangue

Alteration

  • (Local) Fe Oxides, Cu Carbonates

Analytical data

Result ORE VALUES FROM 1931-32 CONTAINED 1.75 TO 3.16 OZ/TON AU, 1.8 TO 3.6 OZ/TON AG, 1.4 TO 2.8 % CU. LUDINGTON AND ELLIS' (1981) ANALYSES OF 20 SAMPLES SPACED ALONG 152 FT OF VEIN CONTAINED 0 TO 8.5 OZ/TON AU, 0 TO 12.04 OZ/TON AG, WITH WEIGHTED AVERAGE OF 0.175 OZ/TON AU AND 0.29 OZ/TON AG.

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Felsic Volcanic Rock > Rhyolite
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Neoproterozoic
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Oligocene
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Neoproterozoic
  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Felsic Volcanic Rock > Quartz Latite
  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Felsic Volcanic Rock > Latite
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Metamorphic Rock > Schist

Nearby scientific data

(1) -106.61256, 39.10888
ListMap

Economic information

Geologic structures

Type of structure Regional
Structure description Sawatch Uplift, Central Colorado Trough, Arkansas Valley Graben, Twin Lakes Batholith
Type of structure Local
Structure description Grizzly Peak Cauldron, Mt Elbert Volcanotectonic Depression, Lincoln Gulch Stock

Ore body information

  • Thickness 3.05M

Controls for ore emplacement

  • Mineralization Localized In Quartz Veins Filling Post-Collapse Radial And Concentric Faults And Fractures Beyond North Edge Of Main Collapse Structure.

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Past Producer
Commodity type Metallic
Deposit size Small
Significant No
Discovery year 1879
Discoverer J.V. Farwell (Claimant)
Year of first production 1879

Mining district

District name Independence District

Land status

Ownership category Private

Ownership information

  • Type Operator
    Owner Hagen And Knight
    Home office Aspen
    First year 1940
  • Type Owner
    Owner Williams Family
    Home office Snowmass, Co.
    First year 1940

Production statistics

  • Year 1931
    Description Ap_Grade: ^1.75 Oz/Ton Au, 3.6 Oz/Ton Ag, 1.4% Cu, 8.7% Fe, 7% S
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Ore Iron Iron 9wt-pct
    Major Ore Copper Copper 1wt-pct
    Major Ore Silver Silver 102g/mt
    Major Ore Gold Gold 49g/mt
    Ore Sulfur Sulfur 7wt-pct
  • Year 1932
    Description Ap_Grade: ^3.16 Oz/Ton Au, 1.7% Oz/Ton Ag, 2.8% Cu, 18.8% Fe, 16.2% S
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Conc. Iron Iron 19wt-pct
    Major Conc. Copper Copper 3wt-pct
    Major Conc. Silver Silver 48g/mt
    Major Conc. Gold Gold 89g/mt
    Sulfur Sulfur 16wt-pct
  • Year 1932
    Description Ap_Grade: ^1.8 Oz/Ton Au, 2.4 Oz/Ton Ag, 7.2% Fe, 3.9% S
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Ore Sulfur Sulfur 4wt-pct
    Ore Iron Iron 7wt-pct
    Major Ore Silver Silver 68g/mt
    Major Ore Gold Gold 51g/mt
  • Year 1932
    Description Ap_Grade: ^3.16 Oz/Ton Au, 1.8 Oz/Ton Ag, 2.8% Cu, 18.85% Fe, 16.2% S
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Ore Sulfur Sulfur 16wt-pct
    Ore Iron Iron 19wt-pct
    Major Ore Copper Copper 3wt-pct
    Major Ore Silver Silver 51g/mt
    Major Ore Gold Gold 89g/mt

Comments on the production information

  • PARTIAL PRODUCTION RECORD FOR INDEPENDENCE GROUP. TWO ORE SHIPMENTS LISTED FOR 1932, PRE-1931 STATISTICS UNAVAILABLE.

Reserves and resources

  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1981
    Indicated 4000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Gold Au 3.95 g/mt Gold Major 1981
    Silver Ag 6.656 g/mt Silver Major 1981
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1981
    Inferred 24000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Gold Au 5.442 g/mt Gold Major 1981
    Silver Ag 9.05 g/mt Silver Major 1981

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • LUDINGTON AND ELLIS, 1981

Comments on the workings information

  • PRINCIPAL WORKINGS ARE LAST DOLLAR, LEGAL TENDER, AND BENNINGTON TUNNEL LEVELS, LEVELS 1, 2, 2.5, AND 3; TAM O'SHANTER, INTERMEDIATE, LITTLE TILLIE, AND BROWN TUNNELS; SEVERAL WINZES AND RAISES.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    CRUSON, M.G., 1973, GEOLOGY AND ORE DEPOSITS OF THE GRIZZLY PEAK CAULDRON COMPLEX, SAWATCH RANGE, COLORADO: COLORADO SCHOOL MINES PH.D. THESIS T-1538

  • Deposit

    ROHLFING, D.P., 193?, REPORT ON THE INDEPENDENCE GOLD PROPERTY, PITKIN COUNTY, COLORADO: COLORADO STATE PLANNING COMM. UNPUB. REPT., 7 P.

  • Deposit

    HOWELL, J.V., 1919, GEOLOGY AND ORE DEPOSITS OF THE TWIN LAKES DISTRICT OF COLORADO: CGS BULL. 17, 106 P.

  • Deposit

    LUDINGTON, STEVE, AND ELLIS, C.E., 1981, MINERAL RESOURCE POTENTIAL OF THE HUNTER-FRYINGPAN WILDERNESS AND THE PORPHYRY MOUNTAIN WILDERNESS STUDY AREA, PITKIN COUNTY, COLORADO: USGS MAP MF-1236-D. & &

  • Deposit

    LUDINGTON, STEVE, AND YEOMAN, R.A., 1980, GEOLOGIC MAP OF THE HUNTER-FRYINGPAN WILDERNESS AREA AND THE PORPHYRY MOUNTAIN WILDERNESS STUDY AREA, PITKIN COUNTY, COLORADO: USGS MAP MF-1236-A.

  • Production

    COLO. DIV. MINES ANN. OPERATOR REPTS.

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit PRINCIPAL (INDEPENDENCE) VEIN LIES IN FAULT FISSURE TRENDING N 50 W, 20 TO 45 SW, VARIES FROM 1 TO 10 FT WIDE, AVERAGES 3.5 FT WIDE. HANGING WALL AND FOOT WALL ARE SMOOTH AND WELL MARKED. ORE SHOOT PITHCES SHALLOWLY TO SE, WITH RICHEST ORE IN CENTRAL PART. SULFIDES IMPREGNATE VEIN WALLS FOR SHORT DISTANCE. SULFIDE-BEARING OXIDIZED ORE AT OR NEAR SURFACE AND EXTENDING TO DEPTH OF 100 FT. FRONT VEIN PARALLELS INDEPENDENCE VEIN AND LIES 25 FT SOUTH OF IT IN HANGING WALL. BACK VEIN LIES IN FOOT WALL 200 FT NORTH OF INDEPENDENCE VEIN. OFFSETTING INDEPENDENCE VEIN ARE POST-MINERAL FAULTS TRENDING NORTH-SOUTH, 70 TO 90 E, AND N 50 W, 90 SW.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 01-MAR-1983 Schwochow, Stephen D. Colorado Geological Survey

Beyond USGS

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

External references

Maps centered on this site

Authoritative Colorado resources

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