Jessup District
Overview
Other Names: Copper Valley, New Virginia, Sebastopol
County: Churchill
Discovered: 1908 (1864)
Commodities: gold, silver, tungsten, diatomite, montmorillonite
Comments
Located in the southern Trinity Range, about 10 miles northwest of White Plains on the Southern Pacific Railroad. The district sometimes included the southern part of the Copper Valley district to the north. According to the Gold Hill News (1864), the New Virginia district was “in the Trinity Range, 10 miles west of Murphys and 8 miles north of the Desert district,” and probably covered this area. The Sebastopol district, described as being 6 miles from New Truckee district in one 1865 account, and 4 miles in another (Gold Hill News, 1865), was probably in the western part of what is now the Jessup district.
The diatomite occurrences are south of the main Jessup district and are found north and south of Interstate 80 near the low pass that separates the Trinity and Hot Springs Ranges.
References
Gold Hill News, April 20, 1864 2:1, and April 28, 1864, 3:1; Gold Hill News, April 27, 1865 3:1, and May 18, 1865 3:1; Stuart, 1909, p. 122; Hill, 1912, p. 200; Lincoln, 1923, p. 6; Papke, 1970, p. 17; Stoddard, 1932, p. 21; Vanderburg, 1940, p. 35; Schrader, 1947, p. 319; Willden and Speed, 1974, p. 76; Stager and Tingley, 1988, p. 33
Jessup Placer District Description
Location
Southern Trinity Range, T. 24 N., Rs. 27 and 28 E.
Topographic Maps
Desert Peak 15-minute quadrangle.
Geologic Maps
Willden and Speed, 1968, Geologic map of Churchill County, Nevada (pi. 1), scale 1:200,000.
Access
From Reno, about 66 miles east and north on U.S. Interstate 80 to the Jessup exit, a dirt road leading northwest about three-quarters of a mile to the townsite of Jessup in a pass through the Trinity Range.
Extent
A small placer deposit was discovered in 1932 on a low hill near the Valley King lode claims (location not recorded) in alluvium that consists of clay, small boulders, and well-rounded pebbles. Small lode deposits of gold, silver, and copper are found on the northern side of the range in sees. 8 and 17-20, T. 24 N., R. 28 E., and in sec. 22 T 24 N., R. 27 E.
Production History
A few ounces of placer gold about 600 fine were dry- washed in 1932, but this production was not reported to the U.S. Bureau of Mines. In 1938. placer equipment was installed on the Valley King Xo. 3 placer claims, and 1 ounce of gold was recovered.
Source
The gold-silver deposits in the Jessup district occur in altered Tertiary volcanic rocks; the gold at the Valley King lode mine occurs in a free state, and the silver, in cerargyrite.
Literature
Mining Journal, 1938a: Reports installation of placer equipment on Valley King Xo. 3 placer claims.
Vanderburg, 1940: Reports discovery of placer gold in 1932; production, and fineness of gold; lithology of alluvium.
Jett District
Overview
Other Names: Ledbetter Canyon, Peavine, Peavine Canyon, Wall Canyon, Pablo Creek, Hot Springs, El Dorado, Toiyabe, Eclipse
County: Elko
Discovered: (1864 or 1865?) 1875
Organized: 1876
Commodities: antimony, mercury, silver, gold, lead, copper, tungsten
Comments
Located in the southern Toiyabe Mountains south of Arc Dome, extending from Broad Canyon, west of Carver’s, to Peavine Canyon, on the south end of the range. Jett also includes part of upper Ledbetter Canyon, on the western slope of the range several miles to the west. The 1881 map shows an Eclipse district in southern Toiyabe Range that may have included the area of the present Cloverdale and Jett districts.
Todd and Welton (1866) show a Peavine district located in the area of Peavine Canyon that included the southern part of the present Jett district, an El Dorado district located in the vicinity of Jett Canyon, and a Hot Springs district located west of Darraugh’s Hot Spring and covering the east flank of the Toiyabe Range generally between Broad Creek and South Twin River that would include the remainder of the present Jett district.
References
Todd and Welton, 1866; Whitehill, 1877,p. 106; Angel, 1881, p. 517, 519; 1881 map; Lincoln, 1923, p. 172; U.S. Bureau of Mines, 1925, p. 690; Stoddard, 1932, p. 67; Kral, 1951, p. 82; Lawrence, 1963, p. 138; Kleinhampl and Ziony, 1984, p. 119; Stager and Tingley, 1988, p. 141
Job Peak District
Overview
Other Names:
County: Churchill
Commodities: lead, copper, silver, gold
Comments
The Job Peak district is located on the east side of the Stillwater Range, south of the I.X.L. district, and extends from East Job and West Job Canyons, south to the foothills of Job Peak. The district is sometimes included in the adjacent I.X.L. district, and is within the large Silver Hill district of DeGroot (1863).
References
DeGroot, 1863; Schrader, 1947, p. 301; Schilling, 1976
Joe May Canyon District
Overview
County: Clark
Commodities: lead, zinc, silver
Comments
Located in the Sheep Range near the head of Joe May Canyon, south of Wildhorse Pass.
References
Tingley and others, 1993, p. 30
