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Hecla Mines

Past Producer in Beaverhead county in Montana, United States with commodities Lead, Silver, Copper, Gold, Zinc
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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. Mineral occurrence model information
  10. Host and associated rocks
  11. Nearby scientific data
  12. Geologic structures
  13. Controls for ore emplacement
  14. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  15. Mining district
  16. Mineral rights holdings
  17. Land status
  18. Production statistics
  19. Links to other databases
  20. Bibliographic references
  21. General comments
  22. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10196635
MRDS ID W006769
MAS/MILS ID 0300010482
Record type Site
Current site name Hecla Mines
Alternate or previous names Bryant
Related records 60001667

Geographic coordinates

Point of reference Main Entrance
Geographic coordinates: -112.93259, 45.60379 (WGS84)
Elevation 2609
Location accuracy 10(meters)

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Beaverhead(county)

Montana(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

Mount Tahepia(quadrangle 1:24,000 scale)

Butte South(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

Dillon(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)

Hydrologic units (watersheds)

Big Hole(hydrologic unit)

Missouri Headwaters(hydrologic accounting unit)

Missouri Headwaters(hydrologic subregion)

Missouri(hydrologic region)

Federal lands

Beaverhead-Deerlodge 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 Montana Beaverhead

Public Land Survey System information

Meridian Township Range Section Fraction State
Montana Principal 003 S 011 W 02 Montana

Commodities

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

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Galena Ore
Tetrahedrite Ore
Argentite Ore
Sphalerite Ore
Chalcocite Ore
Chalcopyrite Ore
Silver Ore
Gold Ore
Calcite Gangue
Pyrite Gangue

Alteration

  • (Local) SERITICIZATION, OXIDATION

Mineral occurrence model information

Model code 85
USGS model code 22c
Deposit model name Polymetallic veins
Mark3 model number 46

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Carbonate
    Rock type qualifier DOLOMITE, LIMESTONE
    Rock unit name JEFFERSON DOLOMITE
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Devonian
  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Plutonic Rock > Granitoid > Quartz Monzonite
    Rock type qualifier QUARTZ MONZONITE
    Rock unit name PIONEER BATHOLITH (ALSO CALLED THE MOUNT TORREY BATHOLITH)
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Tertiary

Nearby scientific data

Main Entrance (1) -112.93259, 45.60379
ListMap

Economic information

Geologic structures

Type of structure Regional
Structure name DOME WITH OVERTURNED FOLDS, THRUSTING, AND TEAR FAULTS
Type of structure Regional
Structure name WISE RIVER THRUST
Type of structure Local
Structure name GREAT FAULT
Type of structure Local
Structure name BASALT DIKES; NORMAL FAULTS

Controls for ore emplacement

  • PALEOZOIC DOLOMITIC LIMESTONE

Comments on the geologic information

  • GREAT FAULT (NORTHWEST-TRENDING, STEEP NORTH DIPPING) (CROWLEY, 1972); BASALT DIKES; NORMAL FAULTS (?GARY LIVELY? FAULT, AND ?BIG? FAULT OF GIGNOUX, 2000); ?TWO MAJOR FAULTS ALONG DIKES ARE THE MOUNTAIN SHEEP AND THE ATLANTUS; THE ATLANTUS FAULT-DIKE TERMINATED THE ATLANTUS ORE BODY DOWNDIP.? CROWLEY, 1972. THE DIKES WERE INTERPRETED BY CROWLEY AS POST-MINERAL.

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Operation type Underground
Development status Past Producer
Commodity type Metallic
Significant Yes

Comments on exploration

  • THE FOLLOWING SUMMARY WAS TAKEN FROM GEACH, 1972:

    1872 - WILLIAM SPURR LOCATED THE FOREST QUEEN CLAIM.

    1873 - FIRST ORE SHIPPED TO SWANSEA, WALES.

    1874 - 40-TON LEAD SMELTER BUILT AT GLENDALE, 10 MILES DOWN THE VALLEY.

    1877 - HECLA CONSOLIDATED MINING COMPANY PURCHASES MOST MAJOR MINING PROPERTIES.

    1881 TO 1901 - $15 MILLION IN GROSS METAL VALUE PRODUCED.

    1913 TO 1915 - PENOBSCOT MINING COMPANY PRODUCED ORE WORTH $243,427.

    1916 TO 1922 - $902, 878 IN METALS PRODUCED AT GLENDALE SMELTER.

    1923 - PROPERTIES SOLD TO THE HECLA DEVELOPMENT SYNDICATE.

    1926 AND ONWARD- LESSORS WORK THE MINES.

    1928 - G.B. CONWAY PURCASES THE MINES. HE SELLS THEM TO THE FOUNDATION COMPANY OF UTAH.

    1930 - PROPERTIES REVERT TO CONWAY.

    1930 TO 1945 - $1,656,991 PRODUCED FROM DISTRICT.

    1942 AND ONWARD - PROPERTIES HELD BY L.H. FOREMAN, DILLON AND THEN LEONARD LIVELY, MELROSE.

    MINING ACTIVE 1873-1920, BUT DECLINED AFTER 1904. SMALL, INTERMITTENT PRODUCTION IN 1920'S. ACTIVE AGAIN 1934-1949. SMALL PRODUCTION 1954-1965

Mining district

District name HECLA (BRYANT) DISTRICT

Mineral rights holdings

Type of mineral rights Patented

Land status

Ownership category Private

Production statistics

  • Year 1965
    Period 1873-1965
    Material Zn
    Ore mined 1737827.58mt
    Accuracy Accurate
  • Year 1965
    Period 1873-1965
    Material Pb
    Ore mined 51021152.95mt
    Accuracy Accurate
  • Year 1965
    Period 1873-1965
    Material Cu
    Ore mined 3751724.18mt
    Accuracy Accurate
  • Year 1965
    Period 1873-1965
    Material Ag
    Ore mined 567638.52g
    Accuracy Accurate
  • Year 1965
    Period 1873-1965
    Material Ag
    Ore mined 416311446.41g
    Accuracy Accurate
  • Year 1965
    Period 1873-1965
    Material ore
    Ore mined 723201.99mt
    Accuracy Accurate

Comments on the workings information

  • EXTENSIVE UNDERGROUND WORKINGS IN CLEVE AND LION MTNS. MAIN WORKING WAS 3000 FT LION TUNNEL. MANY WORKINGS OPEN IN 1972. 20 MILES OF UNDERGROUND WORKINGS ON LION MOUNTAIN (CROWLEY, 1972).

Comments on other economic factors

  • $20 MILLION IN ORE PRODUCED (GEACH, 1972).

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    MONT. BUREAU OF MINES AND GEOL. BULLETIN 25, 1948.

  • Deposit

    MONT. BUREAU OF MINES AND GEOL. IC 20, 1957, P. 5.

  • Deposit

    MONT. BUREAU OF MINES AND GEOL. BULLETIN 85, 1972, P. 111.

  • Deposit

    MONT. BUREAU OF MINES AND GEOL. BULLETIN 111, 1979, P. 2.

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit 4 MAIN MINE GROUPS - LION MTN., CLEVE-AVON, HECLA-SILVER KING, AND KEOKIRK-ELM ORLU (IN ORDER OF IMPORTANCE). HECLA MINING CO. PRODUCED $15 MILLION FROM 1881-1901. ; INFO.SRC : 1 PUB LIT
Deposit Merged data from Depodit ID's 10245151 (Lion Mountain),

10197094 (True Fissure Mine), 10070486 (Hecla-Silver King Group)

10221038 (Silver King Mine).
Deposit LION MTN. ORE BODIES ARE OFFSET STEP-WISE TO NE.

?AG-PB-ZN REPLACEMENT DEPOSITS WHICH FORMED AT THE INTERSECTIONS OF THRUST FAULTS AND FAVORABLE BEDS? (GIGNOUX, 2000)

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 29-APR-94 Hughes, Curt A. U.S. Bureau of Mines

Beyond USGS

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

External references

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