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Campbell-Monroe

Past Producer in Alaska, United States with commodity Gold
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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. Alteration
  8. Nearby scientific data
  9. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  10. Mining district
  11. Links to other databases
  12. Bibliographic references
  13. General comments
  14. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10308525
Record type Site
Current site name Campbell-Monroe
Alternate or previous names Campbell

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -146.31484, 64.29968 (WGS84)
Relative position The Campbell-Monroe mine is located in the Banner Creek (BD001) drainage. The approximate center of mining activity is in NW1/4 section 23, T. 7 S., R. 7 E., of the Fairbanks Meridian. The site covers several acres and is approximately 1.5 miles north-northeast of the town of Richardson on the Richardson Highway (Olson and others, 1985). An unimproved road leading east from the confluence of Buckeye Creek (BD005) and Banner Creek to VABM Tenderfoot provides access to the mine. Currently (1999), the mine is unvegetated with several shallow ponds and trenches and can be easily identified on the north side of the road. The surface exposure is a characteristic white to light tan color with numerous quartz cobbles. It is locality 7 of Menzie and Foster (1979), who summarized relevant references under the name 'Campbell'.

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Fairbanks North Star(Borough)

Alaska(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

Big Delta B-5(quadrangle 1:63,360 scale)

Big Delta SW(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

Big Delta(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)

Hydrologic units (watersheds)

Alaska(hydrologic region)

Geographic areas

Country State
United States Alaska

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Gold Primary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Gold Ore

Alteration

  • Possible alteration of intrusive and/or schistose host rocks to kaolinite (Swainbank and others, 1984).

Nearby scientific data

(1) -146.31484, 64.29968
ListMap

Economic information

Comments on the geologic information

  • Geologic Description = The Richardson area is characterized by gentle slopes and broad, alluvium-filled valleys (Prindle and Katz, 1913, p. 140). The area is unglaciated and largely overlain by windblown silt, sand, and loess, locally up to 50 meters thick (Foster and others, 1979). The bedrock in the region comprises greenschist to amphibolite facies schist, marble, and gneiss that have been intruded by various igneous bodies (Bundtzen and Reger, 1977, p. 29). The schist and marble are probably Paleozoic, and the gneiss has a probable protolith of Precambrian and Paleozoic sedimentary and igneous rocks (Weber and others, 1978). The intrusive bodies in the area range in composition from rhyolite to andesite. Fine-grained rhyolite containing quartz and feldspar phenocrysts is common throughout the area (Olson and others, 1985). At the nearby Democrat Lode (BD014), the rhyolite contains arsenopyrite, gold, and pyrite, and is albitic, clay, and sericite altered (R.J. Newberry, oral communication, 1998). Structurally, the Richardson region is cut by a northwest-trending fracture system termed the Richardson Lineament. This lineament appears to correspond with the distribution of the rhyolite and other intrusive bodies and placer gold deposits in the area (Bundtzen and Reger, 1977). Also, the lineament tends to separate gneissic rocks to the northeast from schistose rocks to the southwest (Swainbank and others, 1984). The Campbell-Monroe mine is situated in a section of the Richardson Lineament. The site is interpreted to be a residual placer. The bulk of the surface exposure contains clays (possibly kaolinite?), feldspar, muscovite, and quartz veinlets. There appear to be at least 3 episodes of veinlet formation (Swainbank and others, 1984). The quartz formd 1 to 35 centimeter cobbles, which are translucent to gray, angular to sub-rounded, and commonly accompanied by feldspar. Feldpar also forms cobbles that are locally pitted and weathered. The cobbles are in a matrix of fine, powdery clay and muscovite. Minor tourmaline is also present (D.J. Szumigala, oral communication, 1998). The gold fineness ranges from 650-695 and has a coarse morphology (D. May, oral communication, 1998). Although alteration and/or weathering and mining operations have altered the original characteristics of the site, several samples have the appearance of hydrothermal vein quartz in intrusive rock and other samples have a pegmatitic appearance. Olson and others (1985) described the altered and/or weathered clay as kaolin. It is suspected that Hinkley Gulch (BD019) and the Campbell-Monroe deposit are situated on the same or similar shear zones (Swainbank and others, 1984). The Campbell-Monroe deposit was discovered in 1908. However, lack of water at the site made conventional mining difficult at the time. Throughout the 1930's and 1940's, Fred Campbell transported ore mined from the Campbell-Monroe to Hinkley Gulch for processing (Olson and others, 1985). Don May leased the property from Gil Monroe and Bruce Erickson, and mined the bulk of the deposit from 1978-81 utilizing water pumped from Buckeye Creek. Approximately 8,000 ounces of gold was produced (D. May, oral communication, 1998).
  • Age = Quaternary

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Past Producer
Commodity type Metallic

Comments on exploration

  • Status = Inactive

Mining district

District name Fairbanks

Comments on the production information

  • Production Notes = Approximately 8,000 ounces of gold was produced (D. May, oral communication, 1998).

Comments on the workings information

  • Workings / Exploration = The Campbell-Monroe deposit was discovered in 1908. However, lack of water at the site made conventional mining difficult at the time. Throughout the 1930's and 1940's, Fred Campbell transported ore mined from the Campbell-Monroe to Hinkley Gulch for processing (Olson and others, 1985). Don May leased the property from Gil Monroe and Bruce Erickson, and mined the bulk of the deposit from 1978-81 utilizing water pumped from Buckeye Creek.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    Prindle, L.M., and Katz, F.J., 1913, Detailed description of the Fairbanks district, in Prindle, L. M., A geologic reconnaissance of the Fairbanks quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 525, p. 59-152.

  • Deposit

    Bundtzen, T.K., and Reger, R.D., 1977, The Richardson lineament-a structural control for gold deposits in the Richardson mining district, Alaska: Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys Geologic Report 55, 46 p.

  • Deposit

    Weber, F.R., Foster, H.L., Keith, T.E.C., Dusel-Bacon, C., 1978, Preliminary geologic map of the Big Delta quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 78-529A, 1 sheet, scale 1:250,000.

  • Deposit

    Menzie, W.D., and Foster, H.L., 1979, Metalliferous and selected nonmetalliferous mineral resource potential in the Big Delta quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 78-529D, 61 p., 1 sheet, scale 1:250,000.

  • Deposit

    Swainbank, R.C., Burton, J.P., and Metz, P.A., 1984, Bedrock geology of the Richardson mining district, Alaska: University of Alaska, Mineral Industry Research Laboratory Open-File Report 84-2, 60 p., 8 maps, scale 1:40,000.

  • Deposit

    Olson, B.G., Burton, J., Wolff, E.N., and Swainbank, R.D., 1985, Mining and minerals in the golden heart of Alaska: Fairbanks North Star Borough Publication, 80 p.

  • Deposit

    Chapin, Theodore, 1914, Placer mining in the Yukon-Tanana region: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 592-J, p. 357-362.

Comments on the references

  • Primary Reference = Olson and others, 1985

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit Model Name = Residual placer

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 26-APR-1999 Cameron S. Rombach Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys

Beyond USGS

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

Maps centered on this site

Authoritative Alaska resources

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