Hunter Creek

Site Name

Primary: Hunter Creek

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Commodity

Primary: Gold
Secondary: Tin
Secondary: Lead
Secondary: Copper
Secondary: Mercury
Secondary: Silver

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Location

State: Alaska
District: Rampart

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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: Placer Au-PGE

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Orebody

Not available

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Structure

Not available

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Alterations

Not available

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Rocks

Name: Greenstone
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock Unit
Age Young: Late Triassic

Name: Greenstone
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock
Age Young: Late Triassic

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Analytical Data

Not available

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Materials

Ore: Copper
Ore: Gold
Ore: Galena
Ore: Cinnabar
Ore: Cassiterite

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Comments

Comment (Workings): Workings / Exploration = Mining began in 1896 and continued with few interruptions to as recently as 1940 (Cobb, 1976; OFR 76-633, p. 100).

Comment (Exploration): Status = Inactive

Comment (Deposit): Model Name = Placer gold deposit (Cox and Singer, 1986; model 39a).

Comment (Production): Production Notes = Mining began in 1896 and continued with few interruptions to as recently as 1940 (Cobb, 1976; OFR 76-633, p. 100).

Comment (Reference): Primary Reference = Cobb, 1976 (OFR 76-633)

Comment (Commodity): Ore Material = Copper (native)

Comment (Geology): Geologic Description = Except near the mouth and the extreme headwaters of this placer-mined creek, the bedrock is shale, tuff and diabase of the Rampart series (Spurr, 1898). Prindle and Hess (1906) describe the bedrock as slate near the head, quartzite with tuffaceous greenstone in the lower part of the valley, and Kenai (Tertiary) sandstone and conglomerate near the mouth. More recent geologic mapping of the area indicates that most of the Hunter Creek drainage is underlain by mafic igneous rocks with a few interlayered sedimentary rocks (Weber and others, 1992). Prospectors found gold through the entire length of the creek (Spurr, 1898).? Gravels are 2 to 12 feet thick and overlain by as much as 40 feet of frozen muck (Prindle and Hess, 1906). Much of the gold was found in bedrock cracks along with considerable barite and some hematite in the concentrates (Prindle and Hess, 1906). Eakin (1912) reported that there was very little production from stream gravels and that most gold came from the bench 15 to 20 feet above the stream. The bedrock surface was noted to be uneven with overburden thickening toward the valley wall (Eakin, 1912). The gravel and the top 4 feet of shattered greenstone bedrock were mined (Mertie, 1934). Heavy mineral in concentrates include magnetite, ilmenite, hematite, barite, pyrite, picotite, cinnabar, galena, cassiterite, and native copper (Mertie, 1934). Waters (1934) reported that concentrate samples also contained garnet, zircon, limonite, quartz, diopside, and epidote. ? Mining began in 1896 and continued with few interruptions to as recently as 1940 (Cobb, 1976; OFR 76-633, p. 100). The ground was apparently mined out with little gold being found upstream from Dawson Creek (Eberlein, 1977, p. 66).

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References

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): Smith, P.S., 1942, Mineral industry of Alaska in 1940: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 933-A, p. 1-102.

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., 1933, Mineral industry of Alaska in 1930: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 836-A, p. 1-83.

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

Reference (Deposit): Eakin, H.M., 1913, A geologic reconnaissance of a part of the Rampart quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 535, 38 p.

Reference (Deposit): Smith, P.S., 1930, Mineral industry of Alaska in 1928: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 813-A, p. 1-72.

Reference (Deposit): Cobb, E.H., 1972, Metallic mineral resources map of the Livengood quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Field Studies Map MF-413, 2 sheets, scale 1:250,000.

Reference (Deposit): Cobb, E.H., 1976, Summary of references to mineral occurrences (other than mineral fuels and construction materials) in the Livengood quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 76-819, 241 p.

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

Reference (Deposit): Ellsworth, C.E., and Davenport, R.W., 1913, Placer mining in the Yukon-Tanana region: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 542, 303 p.

Reference (Deposit): Eakin, H M., 1912, The Rampart and Hot Springs region: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 520, p. 271-286.

Reference (Deposit): Ellsworth, C.E., and Parker, G.L., 1911, Placer mining in the Yukon-Tanana region: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 480, 325 p.

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

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

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

Reference (Deposit): Brooks, A.H., 1916, Antimony deposits of Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 649, 67 p.

Reference (Deposit): Smith, P.S., 1934, Mineral industry of Alaska in 1933: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 864-A, p. 1-94.

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

Reference (Deposit): Mertie, J.B., Jr., 1934, Mineral deposits of the Rampart and Hot Springs districts, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 844-D, p. 163-226.

Reference (Deposit): Smith, P.S., 1933, Mineral industry of Alaska in 1931: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 844-A, p. 1-81.

Reference (Deposit): Smith, P.S., 1930, Mineral industry of Alaska in 1928: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 813, p. 1-72.

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., 1933, Mineral industry of Alaska in 1930: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 836, p. 1-83.

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): Waters, A.E., 1934, Placer concentrates of the Rampart and Hot Springs district: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 844-D, p. 227-246.

Reference (Deposit): Prindle, L.M. and Hess, F.L., 1905, Rampart placer region: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 259, p. 104-119.

Reference (Deposit): Purington, C.W., 1905, Methods and costs of gravel and placer mining in Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 263, 273 p.

Reference (Deposit): Brooks, A.H., 1909, The mining industry in 1908: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 379-A, p. 21-62.

Reference (Deposit): Ellsworth, C.E., 1910, Placer mining in the Yukon-Tanana region: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 442, 432 p.

Reference (Deposit): Brooks, A.H., 1923, The Alaska mining industry in 1921: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 739, p. 1-50.

Reference (Deposit): Smith, P.S., 1926, Mineral industry of Alaska in 1924: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 783-A, p. 1-39.

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

Reference (Deposit): Collier, A.J., 1903, The Glenn Creek gold-mining district, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 213, p. 49-56.

Reference (Deposit): Brooks, A.H., 1908, The mining industry in 1907: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 345, 294 p.

Reference (Deposit): Hess, F.L., 1908, Placers of the Rampart region: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 337, p. 64-98.

Reference (Deposit): Brooks, A.H., 1907, The Alaskan mining industry in 1906: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 314, p. 19-39.

Reference (Deposit): Prindle, L.M. and Hess, F.L., 1906, The Rampart gold placer region, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 280, 54 p.

Reference (Deposit): Brooks, A.H., 1904, Placer mining in Alaska in 1903: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 225, p. 43-59.

Reference (Deposit): Forbes, R.B. and Cannon, Bart, 1991, Native mercurian-silver, silver, and gold nuggets from Hunter Creek, Alaska: in Reger, R.D., ed., Short notes on Alaska geology 1991: Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys Professional Report 111, p. 41-44.

Reference (Deposit): Orris, G.J., and Bliss, J.D., 1985, Geologic and grade volume data on 330 gold placer deposits: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 85-0213, 173 p.

Reference (Deposit): Cobb, E.H., 1976, Summary of references to mineral occurrences (other than mineral fuels and construction materials) in the Circle quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 76-633, 72 p.

Reference (Deposit): Cobb, E.H., 1973, Placer deposits of Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 1374, 213 p.

Reference (Deposit): Malone, Kevin, 1965, Mercury in Alaska, in Mercury potential of the United States: U.S. Bureau of Mines Information Circular 8252, p. 31-59.

Reference (Deposit): Spurr, J.E., 1898, Geology of the Yukon gold district, Alaska, with an introductory chapter on the history and conditions of the district to 1897 by H.B. Goodrich: U.S. Geological Survey 18th Annual Report, Part 3, p. 87-392.

Reference (Deposit): Malone, Kevin, 1962, Mercury occurrences in Alaska: U.S. Bureau of Mines Circular 8131, 57 p.

Reference (Deposit): Smith, P.S., 1939, Mineral industry of Alaska in 1938: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 917-A, p. 1-113.

Reference (Deposit): Wayland, R.G., 1961, Tofty tin belt, Manley Hot Springs district, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 1058-I, p. 363-414.

Reference (Deposit): Smith, P.S., 1939, Mineral industry of Alaska in 1937: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 910-A, p. 1-113.

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