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Rye Valley Mining Company Mine

Past Producer in Smyth county in Virginia, United States with commodities Lead, Zinc, Gold, Fluorine-Fluorite, Calcium, Dolomite
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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. Geologic structures
  11. Ore body information
  12. Controls for ore emplacement
  13. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  14. Mining district
  15. Land status
  16. Ownership information
  17. Workings at the site
  18. Links to other databases
  19. Bibliographic references
  20. General comments
  21. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10080242
MRDS ID W031347
Record type Site
Current site name Rye Valley Mining Company Mine
Alternate or previous names Chamberlain Mine, Sugar Mine, Sugar Grove Mine

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -81.42204, 36.77897 (WGS84)
Elevation 805
Relative position 6.3 MILES S 52 DEG E FROM MARION, .7 MILES N 51 DEG W FROM SUGAR GROVE (DOT SMYTH COUNTY HIGHWAY MAP, 1981)

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Smyth(county)

Virginia(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

Atkins(quadrangle 1:24,000 scale)

Wytheville(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

Winston-Salem(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)

Hydrologic units (watersheds)

South Fork Holston(hydrologic unit)

French Broad-Holston(hydrologic accounting unit)

Upper Tennessee(hydrologic subregion)

Tennessee(hydrologic region)

Federal lands

Jefferson National Forest(National Forest)

National Forest FS(Type of land area)

FS(Federal land areas administered by FS)

George Washington and Jefferson 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 Virginia Smyth

Comments on the location information

  • 4200 FEET N 60 DEG E FROM THE INTERSECTION OF STATE ROADS 601 AND 670 AT ROBERTS MILL, 2550 FEET N 35 DEG W FROM THE INTERSECTION OF STATE ROADS 601 AND 695 WEST OF SUGAR GROVE, AND 850 FEET N 52 DEG E FROM THE INTERSECTION OF STATE ROADS 674 AND 675 NORTH OF THE SOUTH FORK OF HOLSTON RIVER. WORKINGS EXTEND ABOUT 300 IN A N80E TO N85E TREND ALONG NORTHERN HILLSIDE. LOCATION GIVEN IS THE MIDDLE OF THE WORKINGS. ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :(1988)

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Lead Primary
Zinc Critical Primary
Gold Tertiary
Fluorine-Fluorite Critical Tertiary
Calcium Tertiary
Dolomite Tertiary

Comments on the commodity information

  • PYRITE IS SCARCE; GOLD WITH THE GALENA WAS ASSAYED AT $6.50/TON (CURRIER, 1935). VIOLET FLUORITE REPORTED BY WATSON (1905) AND FOUND ON DUMP IN 1988.

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Galena Ore
Gold Ore
Sphalerite Ore
Calcite Unknown
Dolomite Unknown
Fluorite Unknown

Mineral occurrence model information

Model code 228
USGS model code 32b
Deposit model name Mississippi Valley, Appalachian Zn
Mark3 model number 42

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Carbonate > Dolomite
    Rock unit name Shady Dolomite
    Rock description Shady Dolomite
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Early Cambrian
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Early Cambrian

Nearby scientific data

(1) -81.42204, 36.77897
ListMap

Economic information

Geologic structures

Type of structure Regional
Structure description Ne-Sw Trend, Mine Located In Minor Thrust Faulted Area, Major Thrust Fault Nearby
Type of structure Local
Structure description Major Thrust Fault About 0.8 Km South Of Mine

Ore body information

  • General form IRREGULAR
    Strike N 80 DEG E TO N 85 DEG E
    Dip 60 DEG SE
    Width 7.01M

Controls for ore emplacement

  • Ore Is Concentrated In Fractures Of Brecciated Area Within Dolomite (Shear Zone)

Comments on the geologic information

  • FOR GEOLOGIC MAP SEE CURRIER (1935). ROCKS FOUND ON THE DUMPS WERE FRACTURED AND BRECCIATED, MEDIUM TO DARK GRAY, SUGARY TO VERY FINE GRAINED, DENSE, CRYSTALLINE DOLOMITE WITH SMALL QUARTZ CRYSTALS, CALCITE, DARK PURPLE FLUORITE, BARITE (?), MEDIUM BROWN SPHALERITE, FINE GRAINED GALENA, AND TRACE PYRITE.

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Past Producer
Commodity type Both
Deposit size Small
Significant No
Discovery year 1897
Discoverer Rye Valley Mining Company
Year of first production 1897

Mining district

District name Rye Valley Lead/Zinc District

Land status

Ownership category Private

Ownership information

  • Type Operator
    Owner Chamberlain Mineral Co.
  • Type Owner
    Owner Rye Valley Mining Co. Chamberlain Mineral Co.

Comments on the production information

  • 30 CARLOADS OF ORE.

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Surface/Underground
    Length 68.58M
    Overall depth 60.96M
    Overall length 68.58M
    Overall width 30.48M

Comments on the workings information

  • WATSON (1905) REPORTED 2 MAIN SHAFTS AND A NUMBER OF SMALL SURFACE TEST PITS TRENDING N 80 DEG E. THE SHAFTS WERE INCLINED OLONG THE DIP OF THE ROCK AT 60 DEG SE, 100 AND 200 FEET DEEP, 225 FEET APART, AND CONNECTED UNDERGROUND BY A DRIFT AT THE 100 FOOT LEVEL. CURRIER (1935) REPORTED 3 SHAFTS, 2 WERE 200 FEET DEEP, AND THE OTHER WAS 100 FEET DEEP AND EACH 100 FEET APART ALONG A N 85 DEG E BEARING. FIELD EXAMINATION CONDUCTED 2/11/88. THREE CAVED SHAFTS WITH OUTSLOPE DUMPS LOCATED ON A N 82 DEG TREND. TWO CAVED SHAFTS AT EAST END ARE LONGEST. MOST EASTERN WAS 40 FT IN DIAMETER, AND 20 FEET DEEP, NOW FILLED WITH TRASH AND DEGRIS WITH LARGE DUMP. MIDDLE CAVED SHAFT WAS 25 FEET IN DIAMETER, 15 DEEP, AND OPEN, PARTIALLY CAVED SHAFT IN BOTTOM. WESTERN WORKINGS ARE SMALLER PITS, OPEN CUTS AND TRENCHES.

Comments on development

  • THE RYE VALLEY MINING COMPANY WORKED THE MINE IN THE 1890'S, PRODUCTION OCCURRED IN THE LATE 1890'S AND CONSISTED OF 30 CARLOADS OF HAND SORTED ORE. FROM 1907 TO 1908 THE CHAMBERLAIN MINERAL CO. ERECTED A 100-TON MILL. VERY LITTLE PRODUCTION OCCURRED FROM 1907 TO 1908, WORK WAS SPENT CHIEFLY IN DEVELOPMENT AND PROSPECTING. LEAD WAS THE CHIEF ORE PRODUCED.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    CURRIER, L.W., 1935, ZINC AND LEAD REGION OF SOUTHWESTERN VIRGINIA: VIRGINIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 43, 122 P.

  • Deposit

    MCCASKEY, H.D., 1908, GOLD, SILVER, COPPER, LEAD, AND ZINC IN THE EASTERN STATES, U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY, MINERAL RESOURCES OF THE U.S., PART I, P. 680.

  • Deposit

    WATSON, T.L., 1905, LEAD AND ZINC DEPOSITS OF VIRGINIA: VIRGINIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 1, 156 P.

  • Deposit

    WATSON, T.L., 1907, MINERAL RESOURCES OF VIRGINIA: LYNCHBURG, VIRGINIA, JAMESTOWN EXPOSITION COMMISSION, 618 P.

  • Deposit

    MCCASKEY, H.D., 1907, GOLD, SILVER, COPPER, LEAD, AND ZINC IN THE EASTERN STATES: U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY, MINERAL RESOURCES OF THE UNITED STATES, PART I, P. 570.

  • Deposit

    BALL AND THOMPSON, 1916, ENGINEERING AND MINING JOURNAL, V. 102 P. 735-737.

  • Deposit

    1907 DIREXPL CHAMBERLAIN MINERAL COMPANY, PRODUCTION LEAD

  • Deposit

    DIREXPL RYE VALLEY COMPANY, PRODUCTION OF LEAD, ZINC

  • Deposit

    1934 GEOLMAP VA. GEOL. SURV.: ISSUED BULL. 43.

  • Production

    CURRIER (1935)

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit MINERALIZATION OCCURRED IN A BRECCIATED ZONE UP TO 23 FEET THICK, BUT AVERAGED ABOUT 2 FEET THICK IN DOLOMITE BELOW A COMPACE, FINE-GRAINED CALCAREOUS OR DOLOMITE SHALE. SHAFTS WERE INCLINED, FOLLOWING THE DIP OF THE ROCK OF 60 DEG SE. SPHALERITE WAS FOUND AT THE BOTTOM OF THE 200 FOOT SHAFT.
Deposit OLD MILL PLANT FOUNDATION LOCATED ON SOUTHSIDE OF THE RIDGE, NORTH OF STATE ROAD 675, AT UTM COORDINATES 4070170-462170. ; INFO.SRC : 1 PUB LIT; 3 FIELD OBSERV

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 01-JUL-1980 Trimble, David C. (Sweet, Palmer C.) Virginia Division of Mineral Resources
Updater 01-MAR-1988 Lovett, James A. Virginia Division of Mineral Resources

Beyond USGS

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

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