Terrible Mine

The Terrible Mine is a lead mine located in Custer county, Colorado at an elevation of 8,399 feet.

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: Terrible Mine
Secondary: Ilse Lead Mine

Commodity

Primary: Lead
Secondary: Silver
Secondary: Gold

Location

State: Colorado
County: Custer
District: Oak Creek (Ilse) District

Land Status

Land ownership: Private
Note: the land ownership field only identifies whether the area the mine is in is generally on public lands like Forest Service or BLM land, or if it is in an area that is generally private property. It does not definitively identify property status, nor does it indicate claim status or whether an area is open to prospecting. Always respect private property.

Holdings

Not available

Workings

Type: Surface/Underground

Ownership

Owner Name: Dr. Robert D. Webb
Home Office: Minden, La.
Years: 1942 -

Owner Name: Ilse Lead Mining Co.
Home Office: Garry E. Devareaux (Mgr), Canon City, Co.
Years: 1942 -

Production

Year: 1942
Year: 1940
Year: 1943
Time Period: 1942-1943
Year: 1921
Time Period: 1879-1921
Year: 1895
Time Period: 1879-1895
Year: 1923
Year: 1923
Year: 1922
Year: 1922
Year: 1921
Year: 1921
Year: 1926
Year: 1926
Year: 1925
Year: 1925
Year: 1924
Year: 1924

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Operation Type: Surface-Underground
Year First Production: 1884
Year Last Production: 1943
Discovery Year: 1879
Discovery Method: Ore-Mineral In Place
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: N
Deposit Size: S

Physiography

General Physiographic Area: Rocky Mountain System
Physiographic Province: Southern Rocky Mountains

Mineral Deposit Model

Model Name: Thorium-rare-earth veins

Orebody

Form: LENS

Structure

Type: R
Description: Wet Mountains

Type: L
Description: Ilse Fault; Mine Near Intersection Of Ilse And Another Nw-Trending Fault

Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: Extensive Oxidation, Iron Staining

Rocks

Name: Syenite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Neoproterozoic

Name: Syenite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock Unit
Age Young: Neoproterozoic

Analytical Data

Analytical Data: ORE RUNS 5 TO 8% PB CONCENTRATABLE TO 60 TO 70% PB

Materials

Ore: Phosgenite
Ore: Cerussite
Gangue: Limonite
Gangue: Calcite
Gangue: Chalcedony
Gangue: Manganese Ox-Hydrous
Gangue: Chert

Comments

Comment (Deposit): WATER TABLE 50 FT; MINE TAKES ON WATER AT 280-300 GPA.; A FIRE IN 1928 DESTROYED MILL, BUILDINGS AND MUCH OF TIMBERING IN MINE WORKINGS ; INFO.SRC : 1 PUB LIT

Comment (Geology): MOST ORE ON HANGING WALL, WEST SIDE OF FAULT

Comment (Reserve-Resource): ESTIMATED RESOURCE FROM DUMP

Comment (Production): DURING 1897-1900 ORE ROASTED AND CONVERTED TO LITHARGE; THE U.S. MINT CREDITS THE MINE WITH $759,717 WORTH OF PB UP TO 1915.

Comment (Development): PATENTED CLAIMS WITH MILL SITES TOTAL G.T. 45 ACRES; MINING DONE PRIMARILY BY CAVING

Comment (Workings): OPEN CUT 300 FT LONG X 115 FT WIDE X 50 FT DEEP; UNDERGROUND WORKINGS INCLUDE SHAFT, CROSSCUTS, DRIFTS, STOPES. 250-FT LEVEL LOWEST WORKING LEVEL; SHAFT 400 FT DEEP PLUS WINZE AT 400 FT LEVEL GOES 300 FT; 7 LEVELS DEVELOPED

Comment (Commodity): CERUSSITE FILLS FRACTURE INTERSTICES ALONG FAULTS; IT IS BOTH CRYSTALLINE AND MASSIVE, AND FROM GRAYISH-WHITE TO TRANSLUCENT AMBER; APPRECIABLE AMOUNT OF STRONTIUM ISOMORPHOUS WITH LEAD; RELATIVE ABSENCE OF GALENA OR OTHER SULFIDES; NO ZN, AS, SB OR S; ORE FORMS LENSES, STRINGERS AND POCKETS IN CRACKS TO 2 INCHES WIDE; PB ENRICHED NEAR SURFACE

Comment (Location): EAST SIDE OF OAK CREEK AT ILSE ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :1976

References

Reference (Deposit): SCOTT, G.R., TAYLOR, R.B., EPIS, R.C. AND WOBUS, R.A., 1978, GEOLOGIC MAP OF THE PUEBLO 1 DEGREE X 2 DEGREE QUADRANGLE, SOUTH-CENTRAL COLORADO: USGS MAP I-1022, 1:250,000

Reference (Deposit): COLORADO DIVISION OF MINES, 1982, INSPECTION RECORDS 1921-1942.

Reference (Production): VANDERWILT, 1947; COLORADO DIVISION MINES, 1982;

Reference (Reserve-Resource): COLORADO DIVISION MINES, INSPECTION RECORDS.

Reference (Deposit): HUNTER, J.F., 1915, SOME CERUSITE DEPOSITS IN CUSTER COUNTY, COLORADO, IN CONTRIBUTIONS TO ECONOMIC GEOLOGY: USGS BULLETIN 580, P. 25-37

Reference (Deposit): ECKEL, E.B., 1961, MINERALS OF COLORADO, A 100-YEAR RECORD: USGS BULLETIN 1114, P. 96

Reference (Deposit): VANDERWILT, J.W., 1947, MINERAL RESOURCES OF COLORADO: COLORADO MINERAL RESOURCES BOARD, P. 69

Colorado Mining Photos

Check out this collection of Colorado's best historic mining photos: Incredible Photos of Colorado Mining Scenes.