Free Enterprise Mine

Past Producer in Jefferson county in Montana, United States with commodities Silver, Uranium, Lead, Copper, Zinc, Molybdenum, Barium-Barite, Arsenic, Antimony
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. Host and associated rocks
  9. Nearby scientific data
  10. Geologic structures
  11. Ore body information
  12. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  13. Mining district
  14. Ownership information
  15. Links to other databases
  16. Bibliographic references
  17. General comments
  18. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10103894
MRDS ID M060809
Record type Site
Current site name Free Enterprise Mine
Alternate or previous names Silver Bell

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -112.14866, 46.25573 (WGS84)
Elevation 1676

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Jefferson(county)

Montana(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

Mount Thompson(quadrangle 1:24,000 scale)

Butte North(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

Butte(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)

Hydrologic units (watersheds)

Boulder(hydrologic unit)

Missouri Headwaters(hydrologic accounting unit)

Missouri Headwaters(hydrologic subregion)

Missouri(hydrologic region)

Geographic areas

Country State County
United States Montana Jefferson

Public Land Survey System information

Meridian Township Range Section Fraction State
Montana Principal 006N 004W 19 Montana

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Silver Primary
Uranium Primary
Lead Secondary
Copper Secondary
Zinc Critical Secondary
Molybdenum Tertiary
Barium-Barite Critical Tertiary
Arsenic Critical Tertiary
Antimony Critical Tertiary

Comments on the commodity information

  • USE AS HEALTH MINE STARTED IN 1952

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Chalcopyrite Ore
Galena Ore
Molybdenite Ore
Pitchblende Ore
Silver Ore
Uraninite Ore
Barite Gangue
Limonite Gangue
Pyrite Gangue
Quartz Gangue

Analytical data

Result ORE SHIPMENTS CONTAINED 5 TO 133 OZ AG/TON AND 0.14 TO 1.61% U3O8

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Plutonic Rock > Granitoid > Quartz Monzonite
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Late Cretaceous
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Late Cretaceous
  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Plutonic Rock > Granitoid > Granite
    Rock unit name Aplite Alaskite Dike (Boulder Batholith);Butte Quartz Monzonite
    Rock description Aplite Alaskite Dike (Boulder Batholith);Butte Quartz Monzonite
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Plutonic Rock > Granitoid > Quartz Monzonite
    Rock unit name Butte Quartz Monzonite;Aplite And Alaskite Dikes
    Rock description Butte Quartz Monzonite;Aplite And Alaskite Dikes

Nearby scientific data

(1) -112.14866, 46.25573

Economic information

Geologic structures

Type of structure Regional
Structure description Boulder Batholith

Ore body information

  • General form TABULAR, PODS
    Strike N65E
    Dip 75-90N
    Thickness 0.91M

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Past Producer
Commodity type Both
Deposit size Small
Significant No
Discovery year 1949
Discoverer Sanford Davis

Mining district

District name Boulder District

Ownership information

  • Type Operator
    Owner John Lewis, Elkhorn Mining Co., Boulder Bank Bldg. Boulder Mt. 59632
  • Type Owner
    Owner Elkhorn Mining Co.
    Home office Boulder, Mt 59632.

Comments on the workings information

  • WORKINGS CONSIST OF TWO VERTICAL SHAFTS AND DRIFTS AT DEPTHS OF 80, 100, AND 140 FT. MINE REMAINS OPEN AS A HEALTH CURE DUE TO PRESENCE OF RADON GAS 150FT WORKING SHAFT, AN ELEVATOR SHAFT. DRIFTS EXTEND FROM THE MINING SHAFT FOR 80-170 FT TO THE SW AND 150-180 FT TO THE NE.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit QUARTZ MONZONITE IS INTRUDED BY AT LEAST 2 FLAT-LYING SHEETS OF ALASKITE UP TO 25 FT THICK. URANIUM MINERALS NOT FOUND AT THE SURFACE. A CHALCEDONY VEIN CARRIES THE ORE.
Deposit Discovery Year: ? (RADIOACTIVE MINERALS DISCOVERED 1949)

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 01-MAR-1974 Puffett, Willard P. U.S. Geological Survey
Updater 01-JUN-1981 Wise, Kristine K. (Elliott, James E.) U.S. Geological Survey

Beyond USGS

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

External references