Black Crook Mine

Past Producer in Hinsdale county in Colorado, United States with commodities Silver, Gold, Lead, Copper, Zinc, Antimony, Manganese
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. Links to other databases
  20. Bibliographic references
  21. General comments
  22. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10014672
MRDS ID D011554
Record type Site
Current site name Black Crook Mine
Alternate or previous names Ilma Mine, Ilma-Hiwassee Group, Patented Claims: Hiwassee, MS 8651, Black Crook, MS 11119, Ilma, MS 11119, Altair, MS 11119, Precious Metals, MS 11119, Palmer, MS 11235, Gold King, MS 11591, Florence, MS 12345, New Year, MS 12680
Related records 10191291

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -107.30063, 37.98279 (WGS84)
Elevation 3048
Relative position 3.4 MILES S 11 E 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

Lake San Cristobal(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 043N 004W 15,16 Colorado

Comments on the location information

  • CLAIMS LIE ON HILLSIDE WEST OF NORTH END OF LAKE SAN CRISTOBAL, ADJOINING GOLDEN FLEECE MINE WORKINGS. ELEV AND LAT-LONG GIVEN ARE FOR PORTAL OF SECOND LEVEL TUNNEL, SE NE SE SEC. 16. ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :1977

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Silver Primary
Gold Primary
Lead Secondary
Copper Secondary
Zinc Critical Tertiary
Antimony Critical Tertiary
Manganese Critical Tertiary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Chalcopyrite Ore
Silver Ore
Sphalerite Ore
Barite Gangue
Quartz Gangue
Rhodochrosite Gangue

Alteration

  • (Local) Oxidation Of Ag-Bearing Cu And Pb Sulfide To Pyrargyrite And Native Ag

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Felsic Volcanic Rock > Rhyodacite
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Oligocene
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Oligocene
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Miocene
  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Felsic Volcanic Rock > Quartz Latite
    Rock unit name Quartz Latite Of Volcanics Of Uncompahgre Peak;Quartz Latite Of Red Mountain;Quartz Latite Of Grassy Mountain
    Rock description Quartz Latite Of Volcanics Of Uncompahgre Peak;Quartz Latite Of Red Mountain;Quartz Latite Of Grassy Mountain
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Felsic Volcanic Rock > Rhyodacite
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Felsic Volcanic Rock > Quartz Latite
    Rock unit name Local Volcaniclastic Sedimentary Rocks
    Rock description Local Volcaniclastic Sedimentary Rocks

Nearby scientific data

(1) -107.30063, 37.98279

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, Black Crook Fault

Ore body information

  • Thickness 2.44M

Controls for ore emplacement

  • North-Trending Concentric Fault Related To Lake City Caldera Formation

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Past Producer
Commodity type Metallic
Deposit size Small
Significant No
Year of last production 1953

Mining district

District name Lake (Lake City) District

Land status

Ownership category Private

Ownership information

  • Type Operator
    Owner D And D Construction, Inc.
    Home office Golden, Co.
    First year 1975
  • Type Owner
    Owner Archie Steinbeck
    Home office Gunnison, Co.
    First year 1975

Production statistics

  • Year 1884
    Description Ap_Grade: ^Average 21 Oz/Ton Ag, 3 Oz/Ton Au
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Gold Gold 85g/mt
    Major Ore Silver Silver 596g/mt
  • Year 1927
    Description Ap_Grade: ^0.286 Oz/Ton Au, 10.75 Oz/Ton Ag, 20.4 % Pb, 24.85 % Zn
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Silver Silver 304g/mt
    Major Ore Gold Gold 8g/mt
    Trace Ore Zinc Zinc 25wt-pct
    Minor Ore Lead Lead 20wt-pct

Comments on the production information

  • PARTIAL PRODUCTION RECORD. FIGURES UNAVAILABLE FOR OTHER YEARS. MINERAL RESOURCES OF U.S. VOLUMES REPORT MINE PRODUCTION IN 1913, 1919-1921, 1949, 1950 (SMELTER DUMP), AND 1953; PRODUCTION NOT REPORTED SEPARATELY BUT COMBINED WITH THAT OF OTHER LAKE DISTRICT MINES. PRODUCTION IN 1884 CITED BY IRVING AND BANCROFT (FROM U.S. MINE REPORT).

Comments on the workings information

  • MINE DEVELOPED BY SEVERAL CROSSCUT TUNNELS DRIVEN WEST AND SW FROM SURFACE AND BY DEEP CROSSCUT TUNNEL FROM GOLDEN FLEECE MINE. AT 1950 FT FROM PORTAL OF GOLDEN FLEECE TUNNEL, DE CAMP CROSSCUT DRIVEN N 52 W FOR ABOUT 750 FT, THENCE INTO WEST BRANCH AT N 80 W FOR 510 FT AND INTO NORTH BRANCH AT N 25 W FOR 620 FT. ABOUT 1450 FT OF MAIN DRIFT ON HIWASSEE VEIN DEVELOPED OFF WEST AND NORTH BRANCHES. AT 160 FT NORTH OF WEST BRANCH OF MAIN DRIFT, 100-FT WINZE SUNK TO LOWER WORKINGS, CONSISTING OF 240-FT NORTH-NNE DRIFT. AT 100 FT NORTH OF WEST BRANCH ON MAIN DRIFT, RAISE DRIVEN ABOUT 470 FT ON VEIN TO CONNECTING LEVEL DRIFT OF UPPER WORKINGS. UPPER CROSSCUT DRIVEN GENERALLY N 85 W FOR 480 FT TO VEIN, THENCE AS FIRST LEVEL DRIFT 300 FT TO SOUTH AND 450 FT TO NORTH. AT 40 FT NORTH OF UPPER CROSSCUT ON FIRST DRIFT, MAIN SHAFT SUNK 500 FT, WITH STOPED 360-FT INTERMEDIATE LEVEL DRIFT AT 80 FT; 660-FT SECOND LEVEL DRIFT AT 150 FT; 40-FT THIRD LEVEL DRIFT AT 250 FT; 380-FT FOURTH LEVEL DRIFT AT 340
  • FT; 30-FT FIFTH LEVEL DRIFT AT 440 FT; 70-FT COMMECTING LEVEL DRIFT AT BOTTOM (500 FT). SHAFT ALSO EXTENDS 180 FT ABOVE FIRST LEVEL TO 90-FT DRIFT DEVELOPED OFF 200-FT CAPEL CROSSCUT, DRIVEN N 83 W FROM SURFACE. FIRST CROSSCUT PORTAL LOCATED 910 FT N 29 W FROM UPPER CROSSCUT PORTAL, DRIVEN GENERALLY SSW FOR 180 FT TO 290-FT FIRST HIWASSEE DRIFT, WHOSE SOUTH END CONNECTED BY SHORT WINZE TO NORTH END OF FIRST LEVEL DRIFT. SECOND CROSSCUT PORTAL, LOCATED 1050 FT N 18 W OF UPPER CROSSCUT PORTAL, DRIVEN GENERALLY SW FOR 375 FT TO 330-FT SECOND HIWASSEE DRIFT, WHOSE SOUTH END CONNECTED BY SHORT WINZE TO NORTH END OF SECOND LEVEL DRIFT. THIRD CROSSCUT PORTAL, LOCATED 1200 FT NORTH OF UPPER CROSSCUT PORTAL, DRIVEN GENERALLY SW FOR 340 FT TO FACE. 120-FT THIRD HIWASSEE DRIFT DEVELOPED OFF WINZE FROM SECOND HIWASSEE DRIFT AT 370 FT FROM CROSSCUT; AT SAME POINT, 200-FT RAISE EXTENDS THROUGH FIRST HIWASSEE DRIFT TO SURFACE.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit MINE LOCATED ON EAST RIM OF LAKE CITY CALDERA ON NORTH-SOUTH-TRENDING CONCENTRIC FAULT IN SLACK'S (1980) BARITE/PRECIOUS METALS ASSEMBLAGE, INNER QUARTZ-SPHALERITE ZONE. CALDERA WALL TRUNCATES SEQUENCE OF UNCOMPAHGRE CALDERA MOAT-FILL ROCKS, CONSISTING OF HENSON MBR QUARTZ LATITE, VOLCANICLASTICS (TUFFACEOUS SANDSTONE AND SHALE), AND UNCOMPAHGRE PEAK QUARTZ LATITE, THIS AREA OF LAKE CITY CALDERA FILLED BY RED MOUNTAIN QUARTZ LATITE INTRUDED ALONG RING FRACTURE AND PARTLY OVERLAIN BY GRASSY MOUNTAIN QUARTZ LATITE. PRINCIPAL VEIN IS ILMA VEIN, TRENDING GENERALLY NORTH-SOUTH, BUT WITH LOCAL ANGULAR DEVIATIONS, DIPPING 70 W AT SURFACE, SHALLOWING TO 45 TO 50W, THEN STEEPENING TO 58 W IN LOWEST WORKINGS (IRVING AND BANCROFT, 1911). FOOTWALL FREQUENTLY SEPARATED FROM VEIN BY STRONG SELVAGE LAYER. VEIN BRANCHES FROM HANGING WALL AND IS COMPOSED OF SERIES OF SHEETING PLANES, OFTEN BRECCIATED, AND REPLACED BY ORE AND GANGUE. VEIN OFFSET BY EAST-WEST-TRENDING BLACK CROOK FAULT. MASSIVE,
Deposit IRREGULAR ORE REPLACES SHEETED ROCK RATHER THAN FILLING OPEN SPACES. ORE CHARACTERIZED BY ABUNDANT SPHALERITE, PYRARGYRITE, AND BY BROWNISH-GREEN, MASSIVE, FINE-GRAINED AURIFEROUS PYRITE KNOWN AS BROWN IRON.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 01-MAR-1984 Schwochow, Stephen D. Colorado Geological Survey

Beyond USGS

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

External references

Authoritative Colorado resources

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