American

The American is a gold 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: American
Secondary: American Eagle
Secondary: Perrault
Secondary: Perrault and Murphy

Commodity

Primary: Gold

Location

State: Alaska
District: Fairbanks

Land Status

Not available

Holdings

Not available

Workings

Not available

Ownership

Not available

Production

Not available

Deposit

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

Physiography

Not available

Mineral Deposit Model

Not available

Orebody

Not available

Structure

Not available

Alterations

Not available

Rocks

Not available

Analytical Data

Not available

Materials

Ore: Gold

Comments

Comment (Reference): Primary Reference = Chapin, 1914 (B 592-J, p. 321-355)

Comment (Deposit): Model Name = Schist-hosted gold-quartz vein

Comment (Geology): Geologic Description = By 1913, several tons of ore had been mined from an 18-inch- to 4-foot-wide vein that carried approximately 1.2 ounces of gold per ton (Smith, 1913 [B 525, p. 166]). The gold-quartz vein contained very few sulfides and was oriented N. 50 E., 60 NW. (Chapin, 1914,B[ 592, p. 329-330]). The footwall is a zone of schist, 3 feet wide, that contains small quartz stringers; gold could be panned from most random samples of the quartz (Chapin, 1914 [B 592-J]). This mine lies on the western edge of a Cretaceous granite that intrudes two units of the Fairbanks Schist that are composed of (1) quartz-muscovite schist, quartzite, and chlorite-quartz schist, and (2) amphibolite, magnetite-rich biotite schist, quartz schist, and marble (Newberry and others, 1996). By 1931, the workings were inaccessible, but the material on the dumps was examined and consisted of brecciated schist partly cemented by quartz (Hill, 1933).

Comment (Production): Production Notes = In 1911, twenty tons of ore, with a grade of 1.21 ounces of gold per ton, were mined from a 38-foot shaft on the American Eagle claim. There is no record of production after 1913 when several tons of ore were mined (Smith, 1913 [B 525]).

Comment (Workings): Workings / Exploration = In 1914, an inclined shaft was 60 feet deep (Chapin, 1914, B 592-J, p. 329-330). By 1931, the workings were inaccessible (Hill, 1933).

Comment (Exploration): Status = Inactive

References

Reference (Deposit): Newberry, R.J., Bundtzen, T.K., Clautice, K.C., Combellick, R.A., Douglas, T., Laird, G.M., Liss, S.A., Pinney, D.S., Reifenstuhl, R.R., and Solie, D.N., 1996, Preliminary geologic map of the Fairbanks mining district, Alaska: Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys Public Data File 96-16, 17 p., 2 sheets, scale 1:63,360.

Reference (Deposit): Cobb, E.H., 1976, Summary of references to mineral occurrences (other than mineral fuels and construction materials) in the Fairbanks quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 76-662, 174 p.

Reference (Deposit): Chapman, R.M., and Foster, R.L., 1969, Lode mines and prospects in the Fairbanks district, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 625-D, 25 p., 1 plate.

Reference (Deposit): Cobb, E.H., 1972, Metallic mineral resources map of the Fairbanks quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Field Studies Map MF-410, 1 sheet, scale 1:250,000.

Reference (Deposit): Smith, P.S., 1913, Lode mining near Fairbanks, in Prindle, L.M., A geologic reconnaissance of the Fairbanks quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 525, p. 153-216.

Reference (Deposit): Smith, P.S., 1913, Lode mining near Fairbanks: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 542-F, p. 137-202.

Reference (Deposit): Chapin, Theodore, 1914, Lode mining near Fairbanks, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 592-J, p. 321-355.

Reference (Deposit): Hill, J.M., 1933, Lode deposits of the Fairbanks District, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 849-B, p. 29-163.

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