Location
East flank of the Huachuca Mountains, 3 miles north of the international boundary. Tps. 23 and 24 S., and Rs. 20 and 21 E.
Topographic Map
Hereford and Sunnyside 15-minute quandrangles. Geologic map: Hayes and Raup, 1968, Geologic map of the Huachuca and Mustang Mountains, scale 1:48,000.
Access
Ash Canyon is accessible by a light-duty road leading east from State Highway 92, 25 miles east of Bisbee.
Extent
Placer gold deposits that also contain some scheelite have been worked in Ash Canyon; most of the gold is found in the bottom of the canyon between the 5,000- and 6,500-foot elevation (sees. 1 and 2, T. 24 S., R. 20 E.; sec. 6, T. 24 S., R. 21 E., Sunnyside quadrangle; sees. 31 and 32, T. 23 S., R. 21 E., Hereford quadrangle).
In 1937 gravels consisting of 8 feet of barren overburden and 2 feet of gold-bearing material were mined; the upper 2-3 inches of cemented gravel bedrock was also mined. Gold was recovered from the gravels near the Harper mine (possibly the Harper Tungsten mines in Bear Canyon (approximately sec. 1, T. 24 S., R. 19 E., Sunnyside quadrangle)).
Production History
The placers in the Huachuca Mountains were known during the late 1800's; but they apparently attracted little attention until 1911, when a nugget weighing about 22y2 ounces was found, and miners were reportedly recovering $3-$4 per day. No placer production is recorded for 1911, however. In 1919 another large nugget weighing 8i/2 ounces was recovered from the Old Timer placer in Ash Canyon. The placers have been worked intermittently during the 20th century.
Source
The gold is thought to be derived from auriferous quartz veins found in the granite upstream from the placers; these small veins, which have not been described in the literature, probably contain some scheelite.
Literature
Blake, 1899: Reports placer mining near the Harper mine.
Gardner and Allsman, 1938: Depth of gravel; thickness of overburden and of pay streak; boulder and clay content; type of bedrock; placer-mining operations with power shovel.
Mining World, 1911: Production per day per man.
1919: Presence of scheelite in placers; size of nuggets; production.
Weber, 1948: Summary of bedrock geology; no placer description;indicates age of scheelite and gold mineralization.
Wilson, 1941: No placer description; locates Harper tungsten mine.
1951: Notes that gold placers were worked during depression years; no placer description.
1961: Location; production; describes type of gravels; distribution of gold in gravels; source of gold.
