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Cherokee Mine

Past Producer in Polk county in Tennessee, United States with commodities Copper, Gold, Iron, Lead, Silver, Sulfur, Zinc
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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. Nearby scientific data
  8. Geologic structures
  9. Ore body information
  10. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  11. Mining district
  12. Mineral rights holdings
  13. Land status
  14. Ownership information
  15. Reserves and resources
  16. Workings at the site
  17. Links to other databases
  18. Bibliographic references
  19. General comments
  20. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10129290
MRDS ID K001184
MAS/MILS ID 0471390017
Record type Site
Current site name Cherokee Mine
Alternate or previous names Old Tennessee Mine, School Property

Geographic coordinates

Point of reference Main Entrance
Geographic coordinates: -84.39432, 35.00931 (WGS84)
Elevation 458
Location accuracy 10(meters)
Relative position 8500 FT. SOUTH 28 DEG. WEST OF THE U.S. RT. 64 - TN. RT. 68 INTERCHANGE

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Polk(county)

Tennessee(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

Ducktown(quadrangle 1:24,000 scale)

Cleveland(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

Chattanooga(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)

Hydrologic units (watersheds)

Ocoee(hydrologic unit)

Middle Tennessee-Hiwassee(hydrologic accounting unit)

Middle Tennessee-Hiwassee(hydrologic subregion)

Tennessee(hydrologic region)

Geographic areas

Country State County
United States Tennessee Polk

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Copper Primary
Gold Tertiary
Iron Primary
Lead Tertiary
Silver Tertiary
Sulfur Secondary
Zinc Critical Primary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Actinolite Gangue
Calcite Gangue
Tremolite Gangue
Diopside Gangue
Hedenbergite Gangue
Staurolite Gangue
Chalcopyrite Unknown
Galena Unknown
Gold Unknown
Magnetite Unknown
Pyrite Unknown
Pyrrhotite Unknown
Quartz Unknown
Silver Unknown
Sphalerite Unknown

Analytical data

Result THE ORE CONTAINS ABOUT 25.0 % S AND 35.0 % FE. CU AND ZN CONTENTS ARE LOWER THAN THE OTHER DEPOSITS IN THIS DISTRICT, BUT THE TOTAL SULFIDE PROPORTION IS HIGHER

Nearby scientific data

Main Entrance (1) -84.39432, 35.00931
ListMap

Economic information

Geologic structures

Type of structure Regional
Structure name Northeastward-Plunging Anticlines
Type of structure Local
Structure name A Nw Trending Fault Horizontally Offset The Ore Body By Some 250 Feet.

Ore body information

  • Strike N35E
    Dip 45E
    Thickness 15M
    Length 793M
    Width 274M
    Area 9.5HA
    Depth to top 365M
    Field Value
    Type of Orebody #1 SHEAR ZONE
    Shape of Orebody #1 TABULAR
    Type of Orebody #2 REPLACEMENT
    Shape of Orebody #2 LENTICULAR
    Shape of Orebody #3 IRREGULAR
    Primary mode of Origin HYDROTHERMAL
    Secondary mode of Origin METAMORPHISM
    Primary Ore Control FAULTING
    Secondary Ore Control FOLDING
    Degree of Wallrock Alter. MODERATE
    Type of Wallrock Alter. #1 SERICITIC
    Type of Wallrock Alter. #2 OTHER
    Strike And Dip N35E:45E
    Minimum Depth to Top 0
    Avg. Thick. Unconsol. Mat. 0
    Min. Thick. Unconsol. Mat. 0
    Total Surface Area (HA) 9.5
    Date of Last Modification 810921
  • General form LENTICULAR - TABULAR
    Dip 45-65 DEG. SE
    Thickness 9.14M
    Length 1828.8M
    Width 9.14M
    Depth to bottom 731.52

Comments on the geologic information

  • GENERAL METAMORPHIC ROCK TYPE CONSIST OF INTERBEDDED METAMORPHOSED GRAYWACKE & GRAYWACKE CONGLOMERATE,AND MICA SCHIST. ADDITIONAL WALLROCK ALTERATION IS RETROGRADE METAMORPHISM.

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Operation type Underground
Development status Past Producer
Commodity type Both
Significant No
Discovery year 1847
Mining method Open Stope - Sublevel
Year of first production 1962
Milling method Flotation

Mining district

District name Ducktown District

Mineral rights holdings

Type of mineral rights Fee Ownership

Land status

Ownership category Private

Ownership information

  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner Tennessee Chemical Corp
    ID 4000704
    Interest 100
    Home office Georgia
    Year 1982
  • Type Operator
    Owner Cities Service Co.
    Home office Copperhill, Tn. 37317

Comments on the ownership information

  • GENERAL METAMORPHIC ROCK TYPE CONSIST OF INTERBEDDED METAMORPHOSED GRAYWACKE & GRAYWACKE CONGLOMERATE,AND MICA SCHIST TENNESSEE CHEMICAL CORP. ADDRESS: 3475 LENOX RD N.E, SUITE 670, ATLANTA, GA 30326 TENNESSEE CHEMICAL PURCHASED ALL PROPERTIES IN THE COPPERHILL DISTRICT FROM CITIES SERVICE CORP IN SEPT 1982 FOR AN UNDISCLOSED AMOUNT.

Comments on the production information

  • PRODUCTION IS ONGOING. MINE PERMANENTLY CLOSED IN AUG 1987
  • PELLETIZING PLANT ANNUAL CAPACITY 1 MILLION TONS.

Reserves and resources

  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1968
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Zinc Zn 0.7 wt-pct Zinc Major 1968
    Iron FeO 3 wt-pct Iron Major 1968

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • M9C4 = M1C1. RESOURCES FROM THIS DEPOSIT NOT INCLUDED IN OFFICIAL DISTRICT RESERVES.

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Underground
    Field Value
    MAS Development Schedule # 1
    Mining Record # 1
    Status of Mining Method ESTIMATE
    Mining Method SUBLEVEL 10-43
    Percent Waste Rock 20
    Percent Recovery 80
    Hardness of Rock HARDROCK FISSURED WITH MODERATE WATER
    Rock Characteristics ONE SYSTEM OF WEAKNESS PLANES
    Rock Support Chars. SUPPORTING MAY BACK SLAB
    Mine Support Chars. POST, HEADBOARD, CAPS, ROOF BOLTS
    1st Condition of Workings OPEN
    Capacity 856
    Capacity Units MT ORE/DAY
    Unit Production Cost 7.02
    Units of Production $/MT ORE
    Operating Days per Year 365
    Operating Shifts per Day 3
    Year of Information 1977

Comments on other economic factors

  • TRANSPORTATION/ORE FROM THIS DEPOSIT IS HAULED BY THE TENNESSEE COPPER CO. RAILROAD TO THE LONDON FLOTATION PLANT FOR BENEFICIATION. THE COPPER AND IRON CONCENTRATES PRODUCED AT THE MILL ARE THEN HAULED BY RAILROAD TO THE COPPERHILL SMELTER. THE ZINC CONCENTRATE IS SOLD AND SHIPPED TO OFFSITE SMELTERS DIRECTLY FROM THE MILL.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Production

    TENNESSEE DIV GEOLOGY 1972 MINE INVENTORY

  • Reserve-Resource

    RIDGE, JOHN D. GEOLOGY AND ORE DEPOSITS OF THE DUCKTOWN
    DISTRICT, TENNESSEE IN ORE DEPOSITS OF THE UNITED STATES,
    1933-1967. AM. INST. MINING, METALL., AND PETROLEUM
    ENGINEERS, INC., V. 1, 1968, PP. 223-231.

  • Deposit

    BEALL, J. W., 1973, COPPER IN THE U. S. -- A POSITION SURVEY
    MINING ENGINEERING: SOC. MINING ENGINEERS, V. 25, NO. 4, P. 38.

  • Reserve-Resource

    ASHLEY, G.H. MINERAL RESOURCES OF TENNESSEE. TENN. GEOL.

  • Deposit

    EMMONS, W. H., AND LANEY, F. B., 1926, GEOLOGY AND ORE DEPOSIT
    THE DUCKTOWN MINING DISTRICT, TENNESSEE: U. S. GEOLOGICAL
    SURVEY PAPER 139, PP. 30-32.

  • Reserve-Resource

    FLOYD, R.J. STATE OF TENNESSEE ROCK AND MINERAL RESOURCES.

  • Deposit

    HARDEMAN, W. D., 1970, ZINC AND COPPER MINES IN TENNESSEE:
    BUREAU OF MINES OPEN-FILE REPORT, P. 22.

  • Reserve-Resource

    MCMAHON, A.D. COPPER. A MATERIALS SURVEY. BUMINES IC 8225.

  • Deposit

    KERR, J. R., RAND, L. H., AND VALLELY, J. L., 1965, THE SULFURIC ACID INDUSTRY OF EASTERN UNITED STATES: U. S. BUR.INF. CIRC. 8255, P. 74-75.

  • Deposit

    MAGEE, MAURICE, 1968, GEOLOGY AND ORE DEPOSITS OF THE DUCKTOWN
    DISTRICT, TENNESSEE IN ORE DEPOSITS OF THE UNITED STATES, 1967:
    AM. INST. MINING, METALL., AND PETROLEUM ENGINEERS, V. 1 P. 207-241.

  • Deposit

    MAHER, S. W., 1966, THE COPPER-SULFURIC ACID INDUSTRY IN TENNESSEE DIV. GEOLOGY INF. CIRC. 14, P. 28.

  • Deposit

    SAFFORD, J. M., 1869, GEOLOGY OF TENNESSEE: NASHVILLE, S. J. MERCER, P. 470-482.

  • Deposit

    TENNESSEE COPPER COMPANY DIVISION, 1966, THE TCC STORY: COPPERHILL
    TENN., 3RD ED., PP. 6, 11 & 13.

  • Deposit

    CAMMAROTA, V. A. ET. AL. TRIP REPORT TO TENNESSEE ZINC MINE
    BUMINES MEMORANDUM, JANUARY 8, 1976, P. 3.

  • Deposit

    U. S. BUREAU OF MINES. ANNUAL STATISTICS ON THE MINERAL INDUSTRY
    OF TENESSEE. MINERAL INDUSTRY SURVEYS 1962-1976.

  • Deposit

    KINKEL, A. A., AND OTHERS, 1968, COPPER AND SULFUR, IN MINERAL RESOURCES OF THE APPALACHIAN REGION: U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY PROF. PAPER 580, P. 377-385.

  • Deposit

    ROSS, C. S., 1935, ORIGIN OF THE COPPER DEPOSITS OF THE DUCKTOWN TYPE IN THE SOUTHERN APPALACHIAN REGION: U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY PROF. PAPER 179, 165 P.

  • Deposit

    MINING AND MINERAL PLANT INVENTORY MANUSCRIPT, 1972, JOINT TDG, TVA, USBM COMPILATION.

  • Deposit

    1968 DIREXPL MAGEE, CHAPTER IN GRATON-SALES VOLUME

  • Deposit

    1972 COMPILE TENN. DIV. GEOLOGY MINE INVENTORY

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit CONTRACT NO. G0166176 ENTERED 1977/REVISED BY T. Q. LYDAY 19 IRON OCCURS AS IRON SULFIDE AND MAGNETITE. SULFUR OCCURS IN SULFIDE MINERALS. PROPERTY UPDATED SEP 1987
Deposit LOCALLY, FOLDING HAS THICKENED THE VEIN UP TO 150 FEET. THE ROCKS DIP 45 DEG. SE NORTH OF A CROSSFAULT AND 65 DEG. SE SOUTH OF IT. THE OLD TENNESSEE MINE WORKED THE NORTHEAST PORTION OF THE CHEROKEE ORE BODY.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 19-APR-1993 Lyday, Travis Q. U.S. Bureau of Mines
Reporter 01-JUL-1973 Fagan, James M. Tennessee Valley Authority
Updater 01-SEP-1978 Geraci, Philip J. U.S. Geological Survey
Updater 19-AUG-2009 Illo, Diane R. Contractor

Beyond USGS

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

Current status (per MSHA)

StatusAbandoned since 03/15/1988
MSHA mine ID4000704
Mine name (MSHA)Cherokee Mine
Current operatorTennessee Chemical Company
Current controller (parent)Davis Bruce D
Mine typeUnderground (Metal / non-metal)

MSHA cross-reference per the original MRDS record. Mine status and operator reflect MSHA's last published Mines export (February 2025); MSHA's public bulk feed has been unavailable since, so this may be out of date. See the Mine Data Retrieval System for current status.

Open MSHA's Mine Data Retrieval System for inspections, accidents, and violations for this mine.

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