Fern

The Fern is a gold, tellurium, tungsten, and lead mine located in Alaska.

About the MRDS Data:

All mine locations were obtained from the USGS Mineral Resources Data System. The locations and other information in this database have not been verified for accuracy. It should be assumed that all mines are on private property.

Mine Info

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Site Name

Primary: Fern
Secondary: Fern Gold Mining Co.
Secondary: Fern Gold Leasing Co.
Secondary: Fern & Goodell
Secondary: Bartholf-Isaacs
Secondary: Marmot

Commodity

Primary: Gold
Primary: Tellurium
Primary: Tungsten
Primary: Lead

Location

State: Alaska
District: Willow Creek

Land Status

Not available

Holdings

Not available

Workings

Not available

Ownership

Not available

Production

Not available

Deposit

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

Physiography

Not available

Mineral Deposit Model

Not available

Orebody

Not available

Structure

Not available

Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: Wall Rock Has Been Intensely Altered With Ankerite, Kaolinite, And Secondary Quartz (Ray, 1933). 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 (Ray, 1954).

Rocks

Not available

Analytical Data

Not available

Materials

Ore: Galena
Ore: Tetrahedrite
Ore: Gold
Ore: Pyrite
Ore: Scheelite
Ore: Nagyagite
Gangue: Quartz
Gangue: Ankerite

Comments

Comment (Workings): CYANIDE PLANT WERE PRESENT ON THE PROPERTY, HOWEVER THE MILL WAS DESTROYED BY FIRE IN 1946. A NEW MILL WAS COMPLETED IN 1948. ASSAY OF CHANNEL SAMPLES INDICATE A 12 FT SAMPLE OF QUARTZ STRINGERS IN ALTERED COUNTRY ROCK HAS 1.0 OZ/TON AU, 8 TO 12 INCHES OF MASSIVE QUARTZ YIELDED 0.45 OZ/TON AU, AND 2.5 FT ZONE OF QUARTZ AND ALTERED COUNTRY ROCK SHOW 2.3 OZ/TON AU (RAY, 1933).

Comment (Deposit): MARMOT AND BARTHOLF-ISAACS PROSPECTS PROBABLY ALL BECAME PART OF FERN PROPERTY. CAPPS (1915) REPORTS ASSESSMENT WORK AT BARTHOLF-ISSACS PROSPECT IN 1914 AND CHAPIN (1921) REPORTS WORK DURING THE WINTER OF 1919-1920 AT MARMOT PROSPECT. THIS IS THE LAST REFERENCES TO THESE TWO PROSPECTS IN THE LITERATURE.

Comment (Production): THE FERN MINE, UNDER MCDOUGAL (1931-1941), HAD AN ESTIMATED PRODUCTION WORTH OVER $1,000,000 (RAY, 1954). STOLL (1997) ESTIMATES THAT FROM THE FERN GOLD MINING COMPANY'S FIRST GOLD SHIPMENTS, IN 1922, INTO 1950 UNDER DODSON, THE FERN VEIN YIELDED ROUGHLY 44,000 OUNCES OF GOLD. IN AGGREGATE GOLD RECOVERY, THE FERN LODE IS THE DISTRICT'S FOURTH MOST IMPORTANT, AFTER LUCKY SHOT-WAR BABY (ARDF NUMBERS AN002 AND AN003), INDEPENDENCE (ARDF NUMBER AN001), AND GOLD BULLION (ARDF NUMBER AN004).

Comment (Location): MARKED WITH ADIT SYMBOL AND LABELED 'FERN MINE' ON THE ANCHORAGE D-6 1:63,360-SCALE TOPOGRAPHIC MAP, AT HEADWATERS OF ARCHANGEL CREEK. ACCURATE WITHIN 400 FT. THIS IS LOCALITY 19 OF COBB (1972) AND LOCALITY 16 OF MACKEVETT AND HOLLOWAY (1977).

Comment (Workings): AN ADIT WAS DRIVEN 40 FT TO VEIN AND THEN 56 FT ALONG VEIN IN ATTEMPT TO FIND THE ORE SHOOT EXPOSED AT SURFACE (CAPPS, 1919). BY 1920, THE ADIT WAS DRIVEN 300 FT (CHAPIN, 1920). A MILL WAS INSTALLED, AND BOTH MINE AND MILL OPERATED IN 1922 (BROOKS AND CAPPS, 1924). THE FIRST GOLD FROM THE MINE WAS PRODUCED IN 1922. THE FERN GOLD MINING COMPANY MILLED ITS LAST ORE IN 1928. EXPLORED BY MORE THAN 4,000 FT OF UNDERGROUND WORKINGS PLUS STOPES ON 2 LEVELS BY 1931 (RAY, 1933). WORKINGS EXTENDED BENEATH A TUNNEL OF THE ADJOINING TALKEETNA MINE (ARDF NUMBER AN025), BUT DO NOT CONNECT. IN 1931, THOMAS MCDOUGAL LEASED THE PROPERTY AND WORKED THE MINE AS THE FERN GOLD LEASING COMPANY (STOLL, 1997). MINING STOPPED IN 1941 AND MCDOUGAL GAVE UP THE LEASE IN 1945. DURING THE TIME FROM 1931 TO 1941, TWO NEW LEVELS OF ADITS WERE DRIVEN WITH OVER 3,000 FT AGGREGATE LENGTH. IN 1945, A.G. DODSON OBTAINED A LEASE FOR THE PROPERTY AND OPERATED THE MINE UNTIL HIS DEATH IN LATE 1950. A MILL AND

Comment (Deposit): SCHEELITE (RAY, 1933). ASSAY OF CHANNEL SAMPLES INDICATE A 12 FT SAMPLE OF QUARTZ STRINGERS IN ALTERED COUNTRY ROCK HAS 1.0 OZ/TON AU, 8 TO 12 INCHES OF MASSIVE QUARTZ YIELDED 0.45 OZ/TON AU, AND 2.5 FT ZONE OF QUARTZ AND ALTERED COUNTRY ROCK SHOW 2.3 OZ/TON AU (RAY, 1933).

Comment (Deposit): QUARTZ VEINS AND STRINGERS IN SHEAR ZONE CUTTING COMMINUTED AND KAOLINIZED TONALITE OF THE LATE CRETACEOUS WILLOW CREEK PLUTON, 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. THE MAIN VEIN IS AS WIDE AS 18 FT AND IS MADE UP OF QUARTZ, GOUGE, AND ALTERED TONALITE (RAY, 1954). ORE CONCENTRATED AT INTERSECTIONS OF MAIN VEIN AND SMALLER CROSS VEINS. THE STRINGER VEINS ARE DISPLACED AND BROKEN UP INTO DISTINCT BLOCKS BY MAJOR POST-MINERIZATION FAULTS. 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 (RAY, 1954). THE WALL ROCK HAS BEEN INTENSELY ALTERED WITH ANKERITE, KAOLINITE, AND SECONDARY QUARTZ (RAY, 1933). METALLIC MINERALS INCLUDE PYRITE, ARSENOPYRITE, TETRAHEDRITE, GALENA, NAGYAGITE, GOLD, AND SPARSE

Comment (Exploration): Status = Inactive

References

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., 1925, ALASKA'S MINERAL RESOURCES AND PRODUCTION IN 1923: U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 773-A, P. 1-52.

Reference (Deposit): BROOKS, A.H., AND CAPPS, S.R., 1924, THE ALASKAN MINING INDUSTRY IN 1922: U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 755, P. 3-49.

Reference (Deposit): SMITH, P.S., 1926, MINERAL INDUSTRY OF ALASKA IN 1924 AND ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT: U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 783-A, P. 1-39.

Reference (Deposit): MOFFIT, F.H., 1927, MINERAL INDUSTRY IN ALASKA IN 1925 AND ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT: U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 792-A, P. 41-49.

Reference (Deposit): CHAPIN, THEODORE, 1920, LODE DEVELOPMENTS IN THE WILLOW CREEK DISTRICT: U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 712-F, P. 169-176.

Reference (Deposit): CAPPS, S.R., 1919, GOLD LODE MINING IN THE WILLOW CREEK DISTRICT: U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 692-D, P. 177-205.

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., 1916, Gold mining in the Willow Creek district: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 642-E, p. 147-200.

Reference (Deposit): Cobb, E.H., 1975, Tungsten occurrences in Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Mineral Investigations Resource Map MR-66, 1 sheet, scale 1:250,000.

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, P.S., 1941, Mineral industry of Alaska in 1939: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 926-A, p. 1-106.

Reference (Deposit): Moffit, F.H., 1927, Mineral industry in Alaska in 1925: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 792-A, p. 1-39.

Reference (Deposit): SMITH, P.S., 1930, MINERAL INDUSTRY OF ALASKA IN 1927 AND ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT: U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 813-A, P. 1-96.

Reference (Deposit): SMITH, P.S., 1933, MINERAL INDUSTRY OF ALASKA IN 1930: U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 836, P. 1-83.

Reference (Deposit): COBB, E.H., 1979, SUMMARY OF REFERENCES TO MINERAL OCCURRENCES (OTHER THAN MINERAL FUELS AND CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS IN ANCHORAGE QUADRANGLE, ALASKA: U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OPEN-FILE REPORT 79-1095, 184 P.

Reference (Deposit): SMITH, P.S., 1930, MINERAL INDUSTRY OF ALASKA IN 1927 AND ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT: U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 810-A, P. 1-64.

Reference (Deposit): MACKEVETT, E.M., 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): MOXHAM, R.M., AND NELSON, A.E., 1952, RECONNAISSANCE FOR RADIO-ACTIVE DEPOSITS IN SOUTH-CENTRAL ALASKA, 1947-1949: U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY CIRCULAR 184, 14 P.

Reference (Deposit): CAPPS, S.R., 1940, GEOLOGY OF THE ALASKA RAILROAD REGION: U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 907, 201 P.

Reference (Deposit): SMITH, P.S., 1942, MINERAL INDUSTRY OF ALASKA IN 1940: U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 933-A, P. 1-102.

Reference (Deposit): THORNE R.L., MUIR, N.M., ERICKSON, A.W., THOMAS, B.I., HEIDE, H.E., AND WRIGHT, W.S., 1948, TUNGSTEN DEPOSITS IN ALASKA: U.S. BUREAU OF MINES REPORT OF INVESTIGATIONS 4174, 22 P.

Reference (Deposit): CAPPS, S.R., 1914, GOLD LODES AND PLACERS OF THE WILLOW CREEK DISTRICT: U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 592, P. 245-272.

Reference (Deposit): CAPPS, S.R., 1915, THE WILLOW CREEK DISTRICT, ALASKA: U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 607, 86 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): SMITH, P.S., 1939, MINERAL INDUSTRY OF ALASKA IN 1937: U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 917-A, P. 1-113.

Reference (Deposit): SMITH, P.S., 1929, MINERAL INDUSTRY OF ALASKA IN 1926 AND ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT: U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 797-A, P. 1-66.

Reference (Deposit): SMITH, P.S., 1939, MINERAL INDUSTRY OF ALASKA IN 1937: U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 910-A, P. 1-113.

Reference (Deposit): SMITH, P.S., 1936, MINERAL INDUSTRY IN ALASKA IN 1934: U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 868-A, P. 1-91.

Reference (Deposit): SMITH, P.S., 1937, MINERAL INDUSTRY IN ALASKA IN 1935: U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 880-A, P. 1-95.

Reference (Deposit): SMITH, P.S., 1938, MINERAL INDUSTRY OF ALASKA IN 1936: U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 897-A, P. 1-107.

Reference (Deposit): SMITH, P.S., 1934, MINERAL INDUSTRY OF ALASKA IN 1932: U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 857-A, P. 1-91.

Reference (Deposit): SMITH, P.S., 1934, MINERAL INDUSTRY OF ALASKA IN 1932: U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 864-A, P. 1-94.

Reference (Deposit): SMITH, P.S., 1933, MINERAL INDUSTRY OF ALASKA IN 1930: U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 844, P. 1-81.

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): STOLL, W.M., 1997, HUNTING FOR GOLD IN ALASKA'S TALKEETNA MOUNTAINS 1897-1951: GREENSBURG, PA, HENRY PRINTING, 301 P.

Reference (Other Database): BAG-MF-409-19

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