Location
East and west flanks of the Baboquivari Mountains. T. 18 S., R. 7 E.; T. 20 S., R. 8 E.
Topographic Maps
Presumido Peak and Baboquivari Peak 15-minute quadrangles.
Geologic Map
Wilson, Moore, and O'Haire, 1960, Geologic map of Pima and Santa Cruz Counties, scale 1:375,000.
Access
State Highway 286 parallels the east flank of the Baboquivari Mountains, and service roads lead about 8 miles west from the highway to mining areas.
Extent
Placer gold is found about 5 or 6 miles southeast of Baboquivari Peak at the eastern foot of the mountains. The gold-bearing gravels range in thickness from 6 to 11 feet and are found in benches and bars along a large east-trending wash (Placeritos Wash or Shaffer Wash, T. 20 S., R. 8 E., Presumido Peak quadrangle); the gravels contain many boulders and some clay.
The Fresnal placer claims are near the Lost Horse lode claims in the Baboquivari Mountains; the location of these claims is not known to me, but the name suggests Fresnal Canyon on the west side of the mountains near the Allison lode-gold mine (T. 18 S., R. 7 E., projected, Baboquivari Peak quadrangle).
Production history
The placers in the Baboquivari district were discovered during, or shortly before, the early 1930's; since that time,production has been small, and gold recovery was reported for only 4 years (1935, 1938, 1940, 1958). During 1933, the Edna J. Gold Placer Mines, Inc., leased 680 acres in the placer area on the east side of the mountains; the company planned to work a bar of gravel that contained about 50,000 cubic yards of gravel reportedly averaging 65 cents per cubic yard.
In 1938 another company held the Fresnal placer claims. Apparently, there was very little development of these placer claims, as there is no record of any large-scale mining operations in the area.
Source
Unknown.
Literature
Mining Journal, 1938a: Placer-mining developments at the Fresnal Placers.
Wilson, 1961: Placers at eastern side of Baboquivari Mountainslocation, extent; placer-mining activity; average grade of gravels, depth of gravels.
