The Aspen Contact Mine is a zinc, silver, and lead mine located in Pitkin county, Colorado at an elevation of 8,638 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
Elevation: 8,638 Feet (2,633 Meters)
Commodity: Zinc, Silver, Lead
Lat, Long: 39.23528, -106.75750
Map: View on Google Maps
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Aspen Contact Mine MRDS details
Site Name
Primary: Aspen Contact Mine
Secondary: Claims: Tenderfoot
Secondary: Last Chance
Secondary: Last Chance No. 2
Secondary: Eureka
Secondary: Mollie
Secondary: River
Secondary: Lamokin
Secondary: Annex
Commodity
Primary: Zinc
Primary: Silver
Primary: Lead
Location
State: Colorado
County: Pitkin
District: Aspen (Roaring Fork) 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: Underground
Ownership
Owner Name: Herron Family
Years: 1956 -
Production
Year: 1926
Material type: ORE
Description: Ap_Grade: ^3.0 To 11.1 Oz/Ton Ag, 9 To 24 % Pb, 34.3 % Zn
Year: 1925
Material type: ORE
Description: Ap_Grade: ^3.3 To 6.9 Oz/Ton Ag, 10 To 20 % Pb, 35.8 % Zn
Year: 1920
Material type: ORE
Description: Ap_Grade: ^2.6 To 5.4 Oz/Ton Ag, 10 To 21 % Pb, 37.4 % Zn
Year: 1919
Material type: ORE
Description: Ap_Grade: ^6.7 Oz/Ton Ag, 22.8 % Pb, 10.4 % Zn
Deposit
Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Operation Type: Unknown
Discovery Year: 1892
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: N
Deposit Size: S
Physiography
General Physiographic Area: Rocky Mountain System
Physiographic Province: Southern Rocky Mountains
Mineral Deposit Model
Not available
Orebody
Form: IRREGULAR
Structure
Type: R
Description: Sawatch Uplift, Central Colorado Trough, Piceance Basin, White River Uplift, Elk Uplift
Type: L
Description: Lenado Fault, Silver Fault
Alterations
Not available
Rocks
Name: Quartz Monzonite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock
Age Young: Neoproterozoic
Name: Quartz Monzonite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock Unit
Age Young: Neoproterozoic
Analytical Data
Analytical Data: AVERAGE ANALYSIS OF 20 ORE SHIPMENTS (625 TONS) IN 1920 WAS 3.6 OZ/TON AG, 13.9 % PB, 37.4 % ZN, 4.8 % CAO, 6.1 % SIO2, 1.9 % FE, 14.0 % S, TRACE BARITE, VALUES FOR AU, MN, AS, SB, AND CARBONATE NOT DETERMINED
Materials
Ore: Sphalerite
Comments
Comment (Location): LENADO AREA OR SUBDISTRICT ALONG WOODY CREEK 0.25 MILE UPSTREAM OF LENADO TOWNSITE. ELEV AND LAT-LONG FROM BRYANT (1972) ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :(1980)
Comment (Commodity): OXIDIZED PART OF ORE CONTAINS UNSPECIFIED PB AND ZN CARBONATE MINERALS
Comment (Production): PARTIAL PRODUCTION RECORD
Comment (Workings): MAIN TUNNEL DRIVEN AT S 46 E FOR 600 FT. DRIFTS TO NE AND SW DEVELOPED AT 350 TO 500 FT FROM PORTAL. 50-FT UPRAISE AND MAJOR STOPE AT 430 FT DEVELOPS ORE IN FOOTWALL OF SE FAULT. DRIFTS EXTEND ABOUT 230 FT NE OF AND AT LEAST 200 FT SW OF TUNNEL, POSSIBLY EXTENDING TO 600 FT SW INTO LEADVILLE MINE WORKINGS
Comment (Deposit): VERTICAL TO STEEPLY SE DIPPING LENADO FAULT TRENDS APPROX N 60 E, OFFSETS SILVER FAULT AT DEPTH OF ABOUT 650 FT BELOW MINE WORKINGS, AND DISPLACES BELDEN SHALE AGAINST CAMBRIAN-ORDOVICIAN-DEVONIAN(?) SANDSTONE, DOLOMITE, AND QUARTZITE. FIRST ORE BODY LIES NEAR MAIN FAULT AND CONTAINS FRAGMENTS OF ORE AND LIMESTONE RICH IN ZN, WITH HIGH AG AND PB. OXIDIZED CARBONATE ORE FOUND ON EDGES OF VEIN. SPURR BELIEVES THIS ORE FORMED PREVIOUS TO LENADO FAULTING. JUST SE OF MAIN FAULT IS SECOND SUBPARALLEL FAULT CUTTING CAMBRIAN-ORDOVICIAN SEDIMENTARY ROCKS. MAJOR STOPE DEVELOPED IN ORE BODY LYING IN BRECCIATED DOLOMITE IN FOOTWALL BENEATH CAMBRIAN SAWATCH QUARTZITE. DOLOMITE HOST BETWEEN TWO FAULTS IS QUESTIONABLY ASSIGNED AND COULD BE EITHER PEERLESS FM (CAMBRIAN), MANITOU DOLOMITE (ORDOVICIAN), OR DYER MBR OF CHAFFEE FM (DEVONIAN). LATER INTERPRETATION BY BRYANT (1979) SHOWS MORE COMPLICATED BLOCK FAULTING IN MINE AREA.
References
Reference (Deposit): HEYL, A.V., 1964, OXIDIZED ZINC DEPOSITS OF THE UNITED STATES, PART 3-COLORADO: USGS BULL. 1135-C, P. 28, 61 &&
Reference (Deposit): BRYANT, BRUCE, 1979, GEOLOGY OF THE ASPEN 15-MINUTE QUADRANGLE, PITKIN AND GUNNISON COUNTIES, COLORADO: USGS PROF. PAPER 1073, P. 111-113. &&
Reference (Deposit): BLM MINERAL SURVEY MS 5759
Reference (Production): HEYL (1964), AS COMPILED FROM PRIVATE OWNER'S RECORDS
Reference (Deposit): SPURR, J.E., 1898, GEOLOGY OF THE ASPEN DISTRICT, COLORADO: USGS MON. 31, P. 200-201
Reference (Deposit): BRYANT, BRUCE, 1971, GEOLOGIC MAP OF THE ASPEN QUADRANGLE, PITKIN COUNTY, COLORADO: USGS MAP GQ-933
Reference (Deposit): BRYANT, BRUCE, 1972, MAP SHOWING MINES, PROSPECTS, AND AREAS OF SIGNIFICANT SILVER, LEAD, AND ZINC PRODUCTION IN THE ASPEN QUADRANGLE, PITKIN COUNTY, COLORADO: USGS MAP I-785-D
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