Martin

Site Name

Primary: Martin
Secondary: Alaska Free Gold Mining Co.

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Commodity

Primary: Gold
Secondary: Lead
Secondary: Copper

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Location

State: Alaska
District: Willow Creek

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Land Status

Not available

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Holdings

Not available

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Workings

Not available

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Ownership

Not available

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Production

Not available

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Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Operation Type: Unknown
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant:

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Physiography

Not available

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Mineral Deposit Model

Model Name: Low-sulfide Au-quartz vein

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Orebody

Not available

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Structure

Not available

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Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: Wall-rock alteration within a few inches of the veins is intense, but seldom extends more than 10 to 12 inches beyond the quartz filling. Sericitization and carbonate alteration predominate, but there is some pyritization and in the outer parts of the alteration zone chloritization is present (Ray, 1954).

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Rocks

Not available

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Analytical Data

Not available

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Materials

Ore: Chalcopyrite
Ore: Galena
Ore: Gold
Ore: Pyrite
Gangue: Quartz

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Comments

Comment (Deposit): Model Name = Low-sulfide Au-quartz veins (Cox and Singer, 1986; model 36a)

Comment (Deposit): Other Comments = Martin mine is the site of first lode-gold discovery in the district in 1906 (Capps, 1915). Martin mine is often confused or combined with Eldorado mine (ARDF number AN033), however the literature separates the two mines.

Comment (Exploration): Status = Inactive

Comment (Geology): Age = Late Cretaceous or younger; vein cuts the Late Cretaceous Willow Creek Pluton.

Comment (Production): Production Notes = Active mining from about 1911 to about 1920, during which time it was one of the major mines of the district (Cobb, 1979). The Martin mine recovered over 95 percent of the estimated 27,000 ounces of gold recovered from the Skyscraper vein and recovered an estimated 1,500 ounces of gold from the Homestake vein, for an estimated total production of about 27,150 ounces of gold for the Martin mine (Stoll, 1997).

Comment (Geology): Geologic Description = The Martin mine is the site of the first lode discovery in the district, 1906. At the point of discovery the lode was separated into two quartz bodies about 15 feet apart. The top body showed 5 feet of milling ore and below it from 4 to 10 feet of ore (Capps, 1915). The two major veins, Homestake and Skyscraper veins, cut quartz diorite of the Late Cretaceous Willow Creek Pluton and are in shear zones and are separated by a transverse fault. The Homestake vein, probably a continuation of Granite Mountain vein at Independence mine (ARDF number AN001), is 6 to 24 inches wide, strikes N 10 E, and dips 30 - 42 N. The Skyscraper vein (also known as the Smuggler-Union vein), is also seen in the Independence mine (ARDF number AN001), is 1.5 to 8 ft wide, strikes N 10 E, and dips 45 N (Ray, 1933). Both veins carry free gold, pyrite, chalcopyrite, and a little galena in quartz gangue. The veins are probably cut off by the same faults that are seen in the Gold Bullion mine (ARDF number AN004) (Ray, 1933). Recovery from the Homestake vein was about 1 oz/ton Au (Capps, 1915).? the Willow Creek Pluton is a zoned pluton: the outer part consists of hornblende quartz diorite and lesser hornblende tonalite; the core consists of hornblende-biotite granodiorite, and lesser hornblende-biotite quartz monzodiorite and biotite quartz monzonite. Wall-rock alteration within a few inches of the veins is intense, but seldom extends more than 10 to 12 inches beyond the quartz filling. Sericitization and carbonate alteration predominate, but there is some pyritization and in the outer parts of the alteration zone chloritization is present (Ray, 1954).

Comment (Reference): Primary Reference = Ray, 1933

Comment (Workings): Workings / Exploration = Discovered by Robert Hatcher, the Martin mine is the site of the first lode discovery in the district, 1906. Development included surface stripping, open cuts, and several tunnels, there was a mill, cyanide plant, and aerial tram onsite during active years. In 1911, some ore was milled at the Alaska Gold Quartz Mining Company (Independence mine ARDF number AN001) mill. The mine's own mill was installed in 1912 and enlarged with a cyanide plant added in 1914 (Capps, 1915). By 1918, 9 tunnels having aggregate length of 3,400 ft plus connecting stopes and winzes (Chapin, 1920). An unsuccessful attempt made by Brooklyn Development Co.(Kelly-Willow prospect ARDF number AN032) to undercut the veins with a 1,200 ft tunnel from the west side of Skyscraper Mountain. Abandoned prior to 1931 with the camp and surface plant being dismantled (Ray, 1933). Recovery from Homestake vein was about 1 oz/ton Au (Capps, 1915).

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References

Reference (Deposit): Cobb, E.H., 1972, Metallic mineral resources map of the Anchorage quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Field Studies Map MF-409, 1 sheet, scale 1:250,000.

Reference (Deposit): Capps, S.R., 1919, Gold lode mining in the Willow Creek district: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 692-D, p. 177-186.

Reference (Deposit): Cobb, E.H., 1979, Summary of references to mineral occurrences (other than mineral fuels and construction materials in the Anchorage quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 79-1095, 184 p.

Reference (Deposit): MacKevett, E.M., Jr., and Holloway, C.D., 1977, Map showing metalliferous mineral deposits in the western part of southern Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 77-169-F, 38 p., 1 sheet, scale 1:1,000,000.

Reference (Deposit): Smith, S.S., 1917, The mining industry in the Territory of Alaska during the calendar year 1915: U.S. Bureau of Mines Bulletin 142, 65 p.

Reference (Deposit): Capps, S.R., 1916, Gold mining in the Willow Creek district: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 642-G, p. 147-194, 195-200.

Reference (Deposit): Brooks, A.H., 1915, Mineral resources of Alaska in 1914: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 622, 238 p.

Reference (Deposit): Capps, S.R., 1915, The Willow Creek District, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 607, 86 p.

Reference (Deposit): Stoll, W.M., 1997, Hunting for gold in Alaska's Talkeetna Mountains 1897-1951: Greensburg, Pennsylvania, Henry Printing, 301 p.

Reference (Deposit): Brooks, A.H., 1913, Mineral resources of Alaska, report on progress of investigations in 1912: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 542, 308 p.

Reference (Deposit): Brooks, A.H., 1914, Mineral resources of Alaska in 1913: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 592, p. 340-341.

Reference (Deposit): Smith, S.S., 1917, The mining industry in the Territory of Alaska during the calendar year 1916: U.S. Bureau of Mines Bulletin 153, 89 p.

Reference (Deposit): Capps, S.R., 1916, Gold mining in the Willow Creek district: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 642-E, p. 147-200.

Reference (Deposit): Smith, P.S., 1917, The mining industry in the territory of Alaska during the calendar year 1915: U.S. Bureau of Mines Bulletin 142, 66 p.

Reference (Deposit): MacKevett, E.M., Jr., and Holloway, C.D., 1977, Map showing metalliferous and selected non-metalliferous mineral deposits in the eastern part of southern Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 77-169-A, 99 p., 1 sheet, scale 1:1,000,000.

Reference (Deposit): Ray, R.G., 1954, Geology and ore deposits of the Willow Creek Mining district, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 1004, 86 p.

Reference (Deposit): Smith, P.S., 1938, Mineral industry of Alaska in 1936: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 897-A, p. 1-107.

Reference (Deposit): Ray, J.C., 1933, The Willow Creek gold-lode district, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 849-C, p. 165-229.

Reference (Deposit): Smith, P.S., 1932, Mineral industry of Alaska in 1929, in Smith, P.S., and others Mineral resources of Alaska, report on progress of investigations in 1929: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 824-A, p. 1-81.

Reference (Deposit): Smith, P.S., 1929, Mineral industry of Alaska in 1926: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 797, p. 1-50.

Reference (Deposit): Chapin, Theodore, 1920, Lode developments in the Willow Creek district: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 712-F, p. 169-176.

Reference (Deposit): Katz, F.J., 1911, A reconnaissance of Willow Creek gold region: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 480-G, p. 139-152.

Reference (Deposit): Martin, G.C., 1919, Alaska Mining Industry in 1917: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 692, p. 11-42

Reference (Deposit): Brooks, A.H., 1918, Mineral resources of Alaska, 1916: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 662, 469 p.

Reference (Deposit): Brooks, A.H., 1922, The Alaska mining industry in 1920: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 722-A, p. 1-74.

Reference (Deposit): Brooks, A.H. and Capps, S.R., 1924, Mineral industry in Alaska, 1922: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 755, p. 1-56.

Reference (Deposit): Martin, G.C., 1920, The Alaska mining industry in 1918: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 712-A, p. 1-52.

Reference (Deposit): Chapin, Theodore, 1921, Lode developments in the Willow Creek district: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 714-E, p. 201-206.

Reference (Deposit): Brooks, A.H., and Martin, G. C. 1921, The Alaska mining industry in 1919: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 714, p. 59-95.

Reference (Deposit): Brooks, A.H., 1925, Alaska's mineral resources and production, 1923: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 773, p. 3-52.

Reference (Deposit): Brooks, A.H., 1912, The Alaska mining industry in 1911, in Brooks, A.H., and others, Mineral resources of Alaska, 1911: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 520, p. 17-44.

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