Kankakee Mine

The Kankakee Mine is a gold and silver mine located in San Juan county, Colorado at an elevation of 12,201 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

Satelite View

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Site Name

Primary: Kankakee Mine
Secondary: Crusader Gold Mine
Secondary: Patented Claim: Kankakee, MS 14205
Secondary: Unpatented Claims: Kankakee
Secondary: Extension
Secondary: Tunnel Site
Secondary: Bullion
Secondary: Chance
Secondary: Oro
Secondary: Aurum
Secondary: Gold Coin
Secondary: Pure Gold
Secondary: Iron Mask
Secondary: Iron King
Secondary: Lake View
Secondary: Golden Age

Commodity

Primary: Gold
Primary: Silver
Secondary: Copper
Secondary: Lead
Tertiary: Zinc
Tertiary: Tellurium
Tertiary: Antimony

Location

State: Colorado
County: San Juan
District: Beartown (Bear Creek) 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.
Administrative Organization: San Juan N. F.

Holdings

Not available

Workings

Not available

Ownership

Owner Name: Kankakee Mining Co.
Home Office: Kansas City, Mo.
Years: 1940 -

Owner Name: Crusader Gold Mining Co.
Home Office: Silverton, Co.
Years: 1940 -

Production

Year: 1940
Description: Ap_Grade: ^1 To 27 Oz/Ton Au, 4 Oz/Ton Ag

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Deposit Type: Vein
Operation Type: Unknown
Year Last Production: 1940
Discovery Year: 1892
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: Alkaline Au-Te (Au-Ag-Te veins)

Orebody

Not available

Structure

Type: R
Description: San Juan Uplift, San Juan Volcanic Field

Type: L
Description: San Juan Uplift, Unnamed Fault, Unnamed Anticline

Alterations

Not available

Rocks

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

Name: Rhyodacite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock
Age Young: Oligocene

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

Analytical Data

Analytical Data: STEVEN AND OTHERS' (1969) SEMIQUANTITATIVE SPECTROGRAPHIC ANALYSIS OF SAMPLE FROM PYRITE-BEARING QUARTZ VEIN SHOWED 2000 PPM TI, 50 PPM MN, 1.5 PPM AG, LT 200 PPM AS, 100 PPM BA, LT 10 PPM BI, LT 20 PPM CD, 70 PPM CO, 30 PPM CR, 70 PPM CU, 5 PPM MO, 30 PPM NI, 70 PPM PB, LT 100 PPM SB, LT 10 PPM SN, 700 PPM SR, 70 PPM V, LT 50 PPM W, LT 200 PPM ZN, , 3 PPM FE. CHEMICAL ANALYSIS SHOWED 0.04 PPM AU, 80 PPM CU, LT 25 PPM PB, LT 25 PPM ZN, 30 PPM MO, 30 PPM AS, 30 PPM SB, 0.16 PPM HG, 0.6 PPM TE, 2.6 PPM AG.

Materials

Ore: Calaverite
Ore: Marcasite
Ore: Sylvanite
Ore: Bornite
Ore: Tetrahedrite
Ore: Chalcopyrite
Ore: Petzite
Ore: Galena
Ore: Chalcocite
Ore: Sphalerite
Gangue: Hematite
Gangue: Limonite
Gangue: Barite
Gangue: Quartz
Gangue: Calcite

Comments

Comment (Location): (LAND STATUS AND ADMINISTRATIVE AREA LOCATIONS CALCULATED USING GIS OVERLAY ANALYSIS FOR SAN JUAN N. F.). ON HILLSIDE ABOVE UNNAMED HEADWATER TRIBUTARY OF BEAR CREEK 0.27 MILE NE OF HUNCHBACK PASS AND 1.3 MILES SW OF BEARTOWN SITE (UNSURVEYED SECTION). ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :1977

Comment (Deposit): MINE DEVELOPED ON NNE-TRENDING QUARTZ VEIN ON SW LIMB OF SE-PLUNGING ANTICLINE (AS IMPLIED BY CROSS AND OTHERS' MAP).

Comment (Workings): MINE DEVELOPED BY THREE TUNNELS (LEVELS). LEVEL 1, CALLED "SYLVANITE LEVEL," IS 300-FT LONG AND DRIVEN GENERALLY SOUTH WITH SHORT CROSSCUTS. LEVEL 2 IS 600-FT DRIFT. LEVEL 3, CALLED "GOLD BUG LEVEL," IS 600-FT CROSSCUT DRIVEN EAST TO VEIN, WITH 300-FT NORTH DRIFT AND 300-FT SOUTH DRIFT; AT 35 AT 35 FT ON SOUTH DRIFT IS 250-FT RAISE TO OFFSET CONNECTION WITH 260-FT SHAFT FROM SURFACE. STOPES ON VEIN BETWEEN GOLD BUG LEVEL AND SURFACE AND ON 250-FT LEVEL WHERE RAISE AND SHAFT CONNECT. 15-TON PILOT MILL CONSTRUCTED BUT NEVER USED.

Comment (Commodity): UNSPECIFIED TELLURIDES REPORTED. CU-PB-ZN SULFIDES AND OXIDIZED ORES LISTED ARE REPORTED GENERALLY FOR DISTRICT BUT NOT SPECIFICALLY MENTIONED AT THIS MINE. MINOR PRODUCTION OF CU AND PB LIKEWISE NOT VERIFIED

Comment (Production): PARTIAL PRODUCTION RECORD. NO PRODUCTION 1936-39. PRODUCTION FOR PRIOR YEARS UNKNOWN.

References

Reference (Deposit): STEVEN, T.A., AND OTHERS, 1969, MINERAL RESOURCES OF THE SAN JUAN PRIMITIVE AREA, COLORADO: USGS BULL. 1261-F, P. 67-71, 89-90, 168-171.

Reference (Deposit): STEVEN, T.A., AND OTHERS, 1974, GEOLOGIC MAP OF THE DURANGO QUADRANGLE, SOUTHWESTERN COLORADO: USGS MAP I-764.

Reference (Production): COLORADO DIV. MINES INSP. REPT.

Reference (Deposit): CROSS, WHITMAN, AND OTHERS, 1905, DESCRIPTION OF THE NEEDLE MOUNTAINS QUADRANGLE, COLORADO: USGS FOLIO 131.

Reference (Deposit): BLM MINERAL SURVEY 14205

Reference (Deposit): COLORADO DIV. MINES INF. REPTS., ANNUAL OPERATOR REPTS.; MINE MANAGERS REPTS. 1900, P. 542; 1901, P. 316, 1902, P. 218.

Reference (Deposit): PROSSER, W.C., 1911, THE BEAR CREEK SYLVANITE CAMP, COLORADO: ENG. MINING JOUR., V. 91, P. 712.

Colorado Mining Photos

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