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Ute-Ulay Mine

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

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10087980
MRDS ID D011623
Record type Site
Current site name Ute-Ulay Mine
Alternate or previous names Ute-Ule Mine, Patented Claims: Ule, MS 147a, Ule Mill Site, MS 147b, Ute, MS 148, Ule Extension, MS 1220, John J. Crooke Placer, MS 1280, Equator, MS 1366a, Equator Mill Site, MS 1366b, Cuter, MS 12265, Free Lance, MS 12265, Mab, MS 12265, Auric, MS 12265, Maid of Henson, MS 12265, Regulator, MS 12265, Yankee Doodle, MS 12265, Leadville, MS 12265, Mayor of Leadville, MS 12265
Related records 10288353, 10118524

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -107.37591, 38.01972 (WGS84)
Elevation 2804
Relative position 3.5 MILES S 79 W 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

Uncompahgre Peak(quadrangle 1:24,000 scale)

Montrose(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

Montrose(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 044N;044N 004W;005W 31;36 W2 (31); SE (36) Colorado

Comments on the location information

  • ULAY (OR ULE) MINE LOCATED AT HENSON AND ON HILLSIDE JUST NE OF HENSON AND EAST OF UTE CREEK. PRINCIPAL UTE OPENINGS LIE ON EAST SIDE OF UTE CREEK NNE OF HENSON AND ULAY MINE. ELEV AND LAT-LONG GIVEN ARE FOR ULAY SHAFT, ALONG ROAD AT HENSON, IN W2 NW NW SW SEC. 31. ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :1977

Commodities

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

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Chalcopyrite Ore
Silver Ore
Sphalerite Ore
Ankerite Gangue
Barite Gangue
Calcite Gangue
Chalcedony Gangue
Dickite Gangue
Fluorite Gangue
Gypsum Gangue
Kaolinite Gangue
Magnetite Gangue
Quartz Gangue
Rhodochrosite Gangue
Sericite Gangue

Alteration

  • (Local) Wallrock Silicification; Sericitization; Pyritization

Analytical data

Result CRUDE ORE MINED IN 1918 CONTAINED 3.7 OZ/TON AG AND 16.9% PB. MILLING ORE MINED IN 1940-1944 CONTAINED 1 TO 1.5 OZ/TON AG, 0.004 TO 0.01 OZ/TON AU, 3 TO 4.5% PB, 1% ZN, 0.8 TO 1.75% CU. STEVEN AND OTHERS' (1977) SEMIQUANTITATIVE SPECTROGRAPHIC ANALYSES: CHIP SAMPLE FROM VEIN AT FACE IN ADIT CONTAINED 5% AL, 0.1% CA, 3% FE, 0.2% MG, GT 7% MN, 0.05% TI, 7.21% BA, 30 PPM CR, 1000 PPM CU, 20 PPM MO, 10000 PPM PB, 50 PPM SN, LT 70 PPM ZR, TRACE AU AND 2.3 OZ/TON AG (FIRE ASSAY), 0.14% CU AND 0.53% PB (ATOMIC ABSORPTION)
Result GRAB SAMPLE FROM MUCK AT FACE CONTAINED 3% AL, 0.1% CA, 4% FE, 0.1% MG, GT 7% MN, 0.05 TI, 9.85% BA, 30 PPM CR, 3000 PPM CU, 20000 PPM PB, 0.10% SB, 50 PPM SN, 5000 PPM ZN, LT 70 PPM ZR, 5.4 OZ/TON AG (FIRE ASSAY) 0.24% CU AND 0.95% PB AND 0.52% ZN (ATOMIC ABSORPTION).

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Felsic Volcanic Rock > Rhyolite
    Rock unit name Eureka Menber Of Sapinero Mesa Tuff;Intrusive Rocks--Porphyro-Aphanitic Rocks
    Rock description Eureka Menber Of Sapinero Mesa Tuff;Intrusive Rocks--Porphyro-Aphanitic Rocks
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Oligocene
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Oligocene
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Oligocene
  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Intermediate Volcanic Rock > Andesite
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Pyroclastic Rock > Volcanic Breccia (Agglomerate)
    Rock unit name Picayune Megbreccia Member Of Sapinero Mesa Tuff
    Rock description Picayune Megbreccia Member Of Sapinero Mesa Tuff
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Felsic Volcanic Rock > Rhyolite

Nearby scientific data

(1) -107.37591, 38.01972
ListMap

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

Ore body information

  • General form IRREGULAR, PINCH AND SWELL
    Thickness 6.1M

Controls for ore emplacement

  • Ne-Trending Fault/Fracture Transverse To Trend Of North Ring Fault Of Lake City Caldera But Subparallel To Trend Of Pre-Lake City Caldera Eureka Graben

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Past Producer
Commodity type Metallic
Deposit size Small
Significant No
Discovery year 1871
Discoverer Harry Henson, Jorl K. Mullin, Albert Mead, Charles Godwin
Year of first production 1874
Year of last production 1967

Mining district

District name Galena (Henson Creek) District

Land status

Ownership category Private

Ownership information

  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner Hughes Mining Co., Inc.
    Home office Grand Junction, Co.
    First year 1980

Comments on the production information

  • PARTIAL PRODUCTION RECORD. FIGURES UNAVAILABLE FOR PRIOR YEARS. MINE DID PRODUCE AS EARLY AS 1887 AND 1888, BUT ONLY DOLLAR VALUES WERE GIVEN FOR THOSE YEARS (IRVING AND BANCROFT, 1911, P. 92). MINERAL RESOURCES OF U.S. VOLUMES AND USBM MINERAL YEARBOOKS ALSO CITE PRODUCTION FOR 1920, 1921, 1937, 1938, AND 1950, BUT NO FIGURES WERE GIVEN. FIGURES FOR 1918, 1922, 1927, 1939, 1940, 1942, 1943, 1944, 1952, 1966, AND 1967, ARE FROM CDM REPORTS. BECAUSE CDM RECORDS LISTED TWO SETS OF PRODUCTION FIGURES FOR 1967, IT IS UNCERTAIN WHETHER SECOND SET REPRESENTS REVISION OF FIRST SET OR SEPARATE AMOUNT OF PRODUCTION IN SAME YEAR.

Comments on the workings information

  • MINE DEVELOPED BY CROSSCUT TUNNELS AND INCLINED SHAFT. ON ULAY VEIN, TWO SHORT TUNNELS DRIVEN GENERALLY NE ON VEIN NORTH OF HENSON CREEK. MAIN OPENING IS 700-FT SHAFT INCLINED TO NW DOWN VEIN AND FROM WHICH NINE LEVELS DRIVEN. UPPER THREE LEVELS, CALLED "THIRD," "FOURTH," AND "FIFTH," ARE NOT EXTENSIVE. "SIXTH" LEVEL DRIVEN 850 FT NE. "SEVENTH" LEVEL DRIVEN AT LEAST 170 FT SW OF AND 830 FT NE OF SHAFT. "EIGHTH" LEVEL DRIVEN AT LEAST 410 FT SW OF SHAFT AND BENEATH HENSON CREEK, AND 385 FT NE OF SHAFT. "NINTH" LEVEL DRIVEN 300 FT SW AND AT LEAST 250 FT NE OF SHAFT. "TENTH" LEVEL DRIVEN 880 FT SW OF SHAFT AND BENEATH HENSON CREEK, AND AT LEAST 200 FT NE OF SHAFT. EXTENT OF "ELEVENTH" LEVEL UNKNOWN. RAISES OR WINZES CONNECT SIXTH AND SEVENTH LEVELS, AND EIGHTH LEVELS. UTE VEIN OPENED BY UTE NO. 1 (UPPER) CROSSCUT TUNNEL, LOCATED ON EAST SIDE OF UTE CREEK 1500 FT NNE OF ULAY SHAFT, DRIVEN ESE FOR 220 FT, THENCE NE ON VEIN FOR AT LEAST 1170 FT, CONNECTING TO HIDDEN TREASURE LEVEL 1 AT HIDDEN TREASURE SHAFT. UTE NO, 2 LEVEL CROSSCUT TUNNEL, LOCATED ON EAST SIDE OF UTE CREEK 1470 FT NNE OF ULAY SHAFT, DRIVEN 430 FT NE TO VEIN, THENCE AT LEAST 375 FT SW ALONG VEIN AND AT LEAST 1100 FT NE ALONG VEIN, CONNECTING TO HIDDEN TREASURE LEVEL 2 AT HIDDEN TREASURE SHAFT. UTE NO. 3 LEVEL OPENED BY TUNNEL, LOCATED 650 FT NNE OF ULAY SHAFT, DRIVEN GENERALLY NE FOR 850 FT, THENCE 1500 FT ALONG VEIN, CONNECTING TO HIDDEN TREASURE LEVEL 5 AT HIDDEN TREASURE DHAFT. UTE NO. 4 LEVEL DEVELOPED OFF WINZE FROM SW END OF UTE NO. 3 LEVEL DRIFT, AND EXTENDING 100 FT SW OF WINZE AND 1700 FT NE ALONG VEIN, CONNECTING TO HIDDEN TREASURE LEVEL 1 AT HIDDEN TRESURE SHAFT. UTE NO. 5 (MAIN OPERATING) LEVEL OPENED BY CROSSCUT TUNNEL, LOCATED 70 FT NE OF ULAY SHAFT, DRIVEN NE FOR 1320 FT, THENCE AT LEAST 1100 FT NE ALONG VEIN. NEWER SHAFT LOCATED 715 FT NW OF ULAY SHAFT ON WEST SIDE OF UTE CREEK; FROM BOTTOM, CROSSCUT DRIVEN 180 FT EAST, THENCE (PRESUMABLY) NE ALONG VEIN FOR 1230 FT. WIRE-ROPE TRAM CONNECTED MINE TO 90- TO 100-TPD-CAPACITY CONCENTRATING MILL ON HENSON CREEK AT HENSON. MOLL CONTAINED BLAKE 9X15-INCH ROCK BREAKER, THREE SETS OF ALLIS CHALMERS 16X30-INCH ROLLS, FOUR 36-INCH-DIAM, 7-FT-LONG TROMMELS; SIZERS, JIGS, BUDDLES, AND SETTLING TANKS.

Comments on development

  • HISTORY OF DISTRICT BEGAN WITH DISCOVERY OF UTE AND ULAY VEINS ON AUGUST 27, 1871, BY HARRY HENSON, JORL K. MULLIN, ALBERT MEAD, AND CHARLES GODWIN. DISCOVERY STARTED FIRST BOOM PERIOD IN LAKE CITY AREA. MINING DID NOT BEGIN ON VEINS UNTIL AFTER TREATY WAS SIGNED WITH UTE INDIANS IN 1874. REAL RUSH DID NOT BEGIN UNTIL MINE WAS SOLD FOR $135,000 TO CROOKE BROTHERS IN 1876. CROOKE SMELTER WAS COMPLETED AT LAKE CITY IN 1878, AND PRODUCTION FROM UTE-ULAY AND POLAR STAR MINE (UNCOMPAHGRE DISTRICT, SAN JUAN CO.) SUPPLIED SMELTER TO ITS FULL CAPACITY. CONCENTRATING WORKS BUILT AT HENSON IN 1881. SMELTER CLOSED BY EARLY 1884. MINE PRODUCED AGAIN IN LATE 1880S TO ABOUT 1900, THEN INTERMITTENTLY FROM LATE 1910S THROUGH EARLY 1950S BY VARIOUS OPERATORS, INCLUDING AMERICAN SMELTING AND REFINING, BURKE MINING AND INVESTING, BASE METALS CORP., IDARADO MINING CO., ROCKY MOUNTAIN VENTURES, AND HUGHES MINING CO. SOME DEVELOPMENT WORK DONE IN LATE 1960S, AND MOST RECENTLY SOME CLEAN-UP IN 1980.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit MINE LOCATED NORTH OF LAKE CITY CALDERA RING FAULT IN UNCOMPAHGRE CALDERA INFILL SEQUENCE CONSISTING OF EUREKA MEMBER RHYOLITE OVERLYING PICAYUNE MEGABRECCIA, COMPOSED OF CHAOTIC MASSES OF PRECALDERA INTERMEDIATE-COMPOSITION ROCKS INTERPRETED TO BE RESULT OF SLUMPING FROM OVERSTEEPENED CALDERA WALLS DURING INITIAL SUBSIDENCE OF UNCOMPAHGRE CALDERA. AT SUGARLOAF ROCK (ONE MILE EAST OF HIDDEN TREASURE SHAFT) AND APPROX ALONG TREND OF UTE-ULAY/HIDDEN TREASURE VEIN NE OF HIDDEN TREASURE SHAFT ARE PORPHYRO-APHANITIC, ANDESITIC TO RHYOLITIC PLUG AND DIKE, RESPECTIVELY, BOTH INTRUDING EUREKA RHYOLITE. ACCORDING TO IRVING AND BANCROFT (1911), VEIN LIES ENTIRELY WITHIN MEGABRECCIA, ALTHOUGH NE END OF HIDDEN TREASURE VEIN EXTENDS CLOSE TO OVERLYING EUREKA RHYOLITE. VEIN SYSTEM IS GENERALLY CONCAVE TO NW AND TRENDS N 46 E AT SW END, N 37 E IN CENTER, AND N 19 E AT NE END. DIP AND STRIKE BOTH SHOW MANY DEFLECTIONS IN TREND; AVERAGE DIP IS 56 TO 60 NW. VEIN WIDTH VARIES FROM 20 FT TO FRACTURES OR SERIES OF FRACTURES AND AVERAGES 4 FT, BUT WITH PINCHES AND SWELLS. IN UTE MINE, VEIN IS WELL DEFINED BETWEEN SIMPLE WALLS. IN HIDDEN TREASURE MINE, VEIN SPLITS INTO STRINGERS, MOST NOTABLE OF WHICH WAS RICHLY MINERALIZED AND OCCURRED ON FIFTH LEVEL WHERE 10-FT- AND 4-FT-WIDE BRANCHES SPLIT FROM 20-FT-WIDE VEIN, WITH JUNCTION PITCHING NE IN PLANE OF VEIN. ON UTE NO. 5 LEVEL, VEIN SPLITS INTO MANY SMALL PARALLEL STRINGERS SEPARATED FROM MAIN VEIN BY BARREN SILICIFIED ROCK. VEIN SYSTEM LIES IN SLACK'S (1980) QUARTZ/BASE-METAL ASSEMBLAGE AND SHOWS LATERAL ZONING FROM INNER QUARTZ-CHALCOPYRITE ZONE IN SW (CLOSEST TO LAKE CITY RING FAULT), INTO MIDDLE HYBRID (TRANSITION) ZONE, TO OUTER CARBONATE-TETRAHEDRITE ZONE ON NE. MINERALOGY IS COMPLICATED BY BARITE AND SPHALERITE OVERPRINT FROM YOUNGER BARITE/PRECIOUS-METALS ASSEMBLAGE MORE PROMINENT JUST TO EAST AROUND NE RIM OF LAKE CITY CALDERA IN LAKE DISTRICT (SEE LAKE DISTRICT RECORD FOR MINERALOGY AND PARAGENESIS OF BARITE/PRECIOUS-METALS ASSEMBLAGE).
Deposit LATERAL ZONING ON UTE NO. 5 LEVEL: (1) QUARTZ, SPHALERITE, ARGENTIFEROUS GALENA, MINOR CHALCOPYRITE, TRACE PYRITE AND BARITE (AT SW END NEAREST LAKE CITY RING FAULT), (2) INCREASED GALENA, DECREASED SPHALERITE, PLUS SMALL AMOUNTS OF RHODOCHROSITE AND HEMATITE (CENTER), (3) MASSIVE RHODOCHROSITE, MINOR SERICITE, AND TETRAHEDRITE (NE END). IN GENERAL, ZONATION SHOWS THAT PARAGENETICALLY YOUNGER PERIODS OF QUARTZ/BASE-METAL MINERALIZATION FORMED PROGRESSIVELY OUTWARD (TO NE) ALONG VEIN. BARITE/PRECIOUS-METALS OVERPRINT ALSO SHOWS VERTICAL ZONATION: (1) QUARTZ, SPHALERITE, MINOR BARITE AND GALENA, AND TRACE MAGNETITE, TETRAHEDRITE, AND OTHER SULFOSALTS (UTE NO. 5 LEVEL), TO (2) ABUNDANT COARSE BARITE, TETRAHEDRITE, AND ACCESSORY QUARTZ AND SULFIDES (SURFACE EXPOSURE). ADJACENT TO VEIN SYSTEM, ALTERED ROCK COMPOSED OF DENSE MIXTURE OF FINE-GRAINED QUARTZ, PYRITE, AND MINOR SERICITE. IN INNER ZONE, MINOR SPHALERITE, GALENA, CHALCOPYRITE, AND ARSENOPYRITE FILL THIN FRACTURES AND ARE INTERGROWN WITH DISSEMINATED PYRITE. OUTWARD FROM VEIN, LESS ALTERED ROCK COMPOSED OF QUARTZ, SERICITE, PYRITE, CLAYS (KAOLINITE AND POSSIBLY DICKITE), RELICT FELDSPAR AND APATITE, PRIMARY MAGNETITE/HEMATITE SELECTIVELY REPLACED BY PYRITE AND RARE ACCESSORY BASE-METAL SULFIDES. NE TREND OF VEIN CONSIDERED TRANSVERSE TO TREND OF NORTH LAKE CITY RING FAULT; HOWEVER, SUCH NE TRENDS NORTH OF LAKE CITY CALDERA AND NE TRENDS OF "CONCENTRIC" VEINS NW OF LAKE CITY RING FAULT ARE PARALLEL TO NE TREND OF PRE-LAKE CITY EUREKA GRABEN FAULTS/FRACTURES AND INDICATE PRE-LAKE CITY AGE. BARITE/PRECIOUS-METALS OVERPRINT AT UTE-ULAY/HIDDEN TREASURE MINES SUGGESTS YOUNGER MINERALIZATION PHASE RELATED TO INTRUSIONS (SUCH AS RED MTN) ALONG EAST RING FAULT OF LAKE CITY CALDERA. MINIMUM AGE SUGGESTED BY K-AR DATE OF 20.3+/-0.4 MY FROM SERICITE STRINGER IN HIDDEN TREASURE VEIN. FRACTURES HOSTING QUARTZ/BASE-METALS ASSEMBLAGE MAY HAVE OPENED INITIALLY DURING UNCOMPAHGRE-SAN JUAN CALDERA RESURGENT DOMING, AND REACTIVATED AND MINERALIZED CONTEMPORANEOUSLY WITH EMPLACEMENT OF MIOCENE PERIPHERAL PORPHYRIES.

Reporter information

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

Beyond USGS

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