Polaris Mine

Past Producer in Beaverhead county in Montana, United States with commodities Silver, Copper, Zinc, Lead, Gold
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. Ownership information
  17. Production statistics
  18. Workings at the site
  19. Links to other databases
  20. Bibliographic references
  21. General comments
  22. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10078275
MRDS ID W026529
Record type Site
Current site name Polaris Mine
Alternate or previous names Silver Fissure
Related records 10147980

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -113.08589, 45.36683 (WGS84)
Elevation 2188
Relative position APPROXIMATELY 26 MILES NW FROM DILLON, MONTANA

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Beaverhead(county)

Montana(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

Polaris(quadrangle 1:24,000 scale)

Salmon(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

Dillon(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)

Hydrologic units (watersheds)

Beaverhead(hydrologic unit)

Missouri Headwaters(hydrologic accounting unit)

Missouri Headwaters(hydrologic subregion)

Missouri(hydrologic region)

Geographic areas

Country State County
United States Montana Beaverhead

Public Land Survey System information

Meridian Township Range Section Fraction State
Montana Principal 005S 012W 28 Montana

Comments on the location information

  • CENTER OF SE 1/4, SECTION 28

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Silver Primary
Copper Primary
Zinc Critical Primary
Lead Primary
Gold Secondary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Copper Ore
Galena Ore
Sphalerite Ore

Alteration

  • (Local) Limestone Country Rock Is Altered

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Carbonate > Limestone
    Rock unit name Madison Limestone;Quartzite (Hanging Wall)
    Rock description Madison Limestone;Quartzite (Hanging Wall)
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Mississippian

Nearby scientific data

(1) -113.08589, 45.36683

Economic information

Geologic structures

Type of structure Regional
Structure description Eastward Thrust Faulting
Type of structure Local
Structure description Fault Zone (Polaris Fault) Strikes N 60 Deg E And Dips Approximately 45 To 60 Degrees Nw.

Ore body information

  • General form IRREGULAR, LENSES
    Strike N 60 E
    Dip 50 NW
    Width 6.1M

Controls for ore emplacement

  • Veins Located In Footwall, Resemble Feather Fractures Caused By Displacement Along The Fault

Comments on the geologic information

  • NO MINERALIZATION IN HANGING WALL OF POLARIS FAULT

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Past Producer
Commodity type Metallic
Deposit size Small
Significant No
Discovery year 1883
Year of first production 1884

Mining district

District name Polaris (Lost Cloud) District

Ownership information

  • Type Operator
    Owner Midnite Mines, Inc. Spokane
    First year 1976
  • Type Owner
    Owner Milton E. Hayes, Wisdom, Mt

Production statistics

  • Year 1965
    Period 1908 - 1965
    Material AU
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Cp_Grade: ^4243 Short Tons Of Ore Mined 1908 - 1965

Comments on the production information

  • PRODUCTION YEARS-1908, 1912, 1914-15, 1917-20, 1922, 1924-25, 1934-35, 1939, 1955-56, AND 1959-65.

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Underground
    Length 1524M
    Overall depth 198.12M

Comments on the workings information

  • POLARIS ADIT WAS 2300 FT. LONG, PLUS DRIFTS AND AN INCLINED RAISE CONNECTED TO WORKINGS ASSOCIATED WITH THE 320-FT. MAIN SHAFT. RECENT PRODUCTION WAS FROM A SURFACE CUT.

Comments on development

  • SEVERAL PATENTED CLAIMS. 100-TON SMELTER BUILT IN 1907, BUT CLOSED IN 1908 BECAUSE OF INSUFFICIENT ORE SUPPLY.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    MBMG BULL 85, P. 120-123.

  • Deposit

    USGS BULL 574, P. 76.

  • Deposit

    LAWSON, D.C., 1977, DIRECTORY OF MINING ENTERPRISES, 1976: MT. BUREAU OF MINES AND GEOL., BULL. 103, P. 3.

  • Deposit

    1914 RECON WINCHELL, A.N., U.S.G.S. BULL. 574

  • Deposit

    1972 COMPILE M.B.M.G. BULL. 85

  • Production

    GEACH, R. D., 1972 , MINES AND MIN DEPOSITS (EXCEPT FUELS) BEAVERHEAD CO., MONT, P. 179

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit POLARIS FAULT WAS MINERALIZED FOR SEVERAL HUNDRED FEET ALONG STRIKE AND IS ABOUT 10-20 FT. WIDE. LENSES OF HIGH-GRADE SILVER ORE WERE SEPARATED BY LOWER GRADE (12-40 OZ/TON) SEGMENTS RAKE OF ORE WAS 45 DEG TO SW

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 01-MAR-1977 Mc Kenzie, Craig L.; R. B. Berg U.S. Geological Survey
Updater 01-AUG-1980 Loen, Jeffrey S. (Pearson, Robert C.) U.S. Geological Survey

Beyond USGS

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

External references