Gold King Mine

Site Name

Primary: Gold King Mine
Secondary: Patented Claims: Eureka, MS 1271
Secondary: Gold King, MS 20371
Secondary: Independence, MS 20371
Secondary: Bonanza, MS 20371
Secondary: Bonanza Extension, MS 20371
Secondary: American Flag, MS 20372
Secondary: Jim, MS 20373
Secondary: Unpatented Claims: Alice
Secondary: June
Secondary: Jo Dandy
Secondary: New Copper Hill Extension
Secondary: Hierro

---

Commodity

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

---

Location

State: Colorado
County: La Plata
District: California (La Plata) District

---

Land Status

Land ownership: National Forest
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

Type: Underground

---

Ownership

Owner Name: Durango Developing And Exploration Co.
Home Office: Durango, Co.
Years: 1966 -

---

Production

Not available

---

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Deposit Type: Vein
Operation Type: Unknown
Year First Production: 1921
Year Last Production: 1941
Discovery Year: 1921
Discovery Method: Ore-Mineral In Place
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: N
Deposit Size: S

---

Physiography

General Physiographic Area: Intermontane Plateaus
Physiographic Province: Colorado Plateaus
Physiographic Section: Navajo Section

---

Mineral Deposit Model

Model Name: Polymetallic veins

---

Orebody

Not available

---

Structure

Type: R
Description: San Juan Uplift, Four Corners Platform

Type: L
Description: La Plata Dome

---

Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: Silicification

---

Rocks

Name: Diorite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Pleistocene

Name: Diorite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock
Age Young: Paleocene

Name: Diorite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock Unit
Age Young: Paleocene

---

Analytical Data

Analytical Data: 24 SAMPLES TAKEN BELOW 100 LEVEL CONTAINED 0.08 OZ/TON AU, 5.31 OZ/TON AG AND AVERAGED 0.92 OZ/TON AU OVER 20-INCH WIDTH. MILLING ORE GRADES 1929-1936 (FROM CDM ANN. OPERATOR REPTS.): 0.08 TO 0.59 OZ/TON AU, 1.3 TO 6 OZ/TON AG, 0.2 TO 1.16% PB, 0.2 TO 1.35% ZN. CRUDE ORE GRADES 1927-1936: 2.94 TO 9.76 OZ/TON AU WITH HIGH 487.7 OZ/TON AU, 14.4 TO 33.2 OZ/TON AG WITH HIGHS OF 142.48 AND 2875 OZ/TON AG, 0.2 TO 1.65% PB WITH HIGH OF 14.21%, 1.1 TO 2.5% ZN WITH HIGH OF 8.6%. CONCENTRATE GRADES 1928-1936: 2.09 TO 7.16 OZ/TON AU, 24.46 TO 59.1 OZ/TON AG WITH HIGH OF 104.7 OZ/TON AG, 2.4 TO 13.9% PB, 3.6 TO 14% ZN.

---

Materials

Ore: Tetrahedrite
Ore: Sphalerite
Ore: Miargyrite
Ore: Chalcopyrite
Ore: Pyrite
Ore: Gold
Ore: Petzite
Ore: Sylvanite
Ore: Calaverite
Ore: Krennerite
Gangue: Barite
Gangue: Calcite
Gangue: Fluorite
Gangue: Quartz
Gangue: Ankerite

---

Comments

Comment (Deposit): COUNTRY ROCKS CONSIST OF WEST- AND SW-DIPPING CUTLER, RICO, AND HERMOSA FM RED BEDS INTRUDED BY IRREGULAR DIORITE-MONZONITE PORPHYRY SILLS. SILICIFIED, PYRITIZED BRECCIA MASS 75 TO 230 FT WIDE TRENDS NORTH AND GRADES INTO SEDIMENTARY ROCKS. GOLD KING VEIN FOLLOWS WNW-ESE-TRENDING FAULT DIPPING 35 TO 85 NE, AVERAGING ABOUT 60 NE, AND CONSISTING OF CRUSHED AND BRECCIATED COUNTRY ROCK CEMENTED AND PARTLY REPLACED BY DENSE, FINELY CRYSTALLINE QUARTZ. SULFIDES AND TELLURIDES OCCUR AS SMALL IRREGULAR MASSES SCATTERED THROUGH GANGUE; ALSO SMALL VEINLETS AND IRREGULAR MASSES OF FREE AU. MOST PRODUCTIVE ORE SHOOT (ASSOCIATED WITH BRECCIA MASS) WAS 250 TO 350 FT LONG AND AT LEAST 200 FT HIGH ABOVE MAIN LEVEL. WIDE PLACES IN VEIN APPEAR MORE FAVORABLE THAN NARROW PLACES, BUT VEIN SHOWS NO CONSISTENT PREFERENCE FOR EITHER WALL BUT USUALLY FOLLOWS THE STEEPER.

Comment (Development): SMELTER IN DURANGO. IN 1930S ORE AND CONCENTRATES SHIPPED TO DURANGO, THENCE TO AS&R SMELTER IN LEADVILLE.

Comment (Workings): MINE DEVELOPED BY FOUR CROSSCUT ADITS AND SIX LEVELS. MAIN CROSSCUT ADIT DRIVEN N 27 E FOR 580 FT TO MAIN LEVEL, THENCE AS DRIFTS GENERALLY WEST FOR 190 FT AND S 83 TO 90 E FOR 825 FT. NO. 2 ADIT LOCATED 440 FT NE OF AND 210 FT ABOVE NO. 1 ADIT, DRIVEN N 33 E FOR 200 FT TO NO. 2 LEVEL, THENCE AS DRIFTS GENERALLY WEST FOR 120 FT AND GENERALLY S 78 E FOR 1240 FT. NO. 3 ADIT LOCATED 780 FT NE OF MAIN ADIT, DRIVEN N 4 E FOR 80 FT, THENCE N 63 W FOR 40 FT TO 84-FT (PROJECTED) INCLINED WINZE TO NO. 2 LEVEL. NO. 4 ADIT LOCATED 795 FT NE OF MAIN ADIT, DRIVEN N 32 E FOR 30 FT TO FACE. WORKINGS ABOVE MAIN LEVEL: INTERMEDIATE LEVEL AT 90 FT ABOVE MAIN LEVEL EXTENDS 905 FT AND IS CONNECTED BY INCLINED RAISES AT 95 FT AND 180 FT EAST OF MAIN CROSSCUT. INCLINED BIG RAISE AT 560 FT EAST OF MAIN CROSSCUT DRIVEN THROUGH INTERMEDIATE LEVEL TO NO. 2 LEVEL. PRINCIPAL STOPES ABOVE MAIN LEVEL AT 70 FT WEST TO 220 FT EAST OF CROSSCUT. PRINCIPAL STOPES ABOVE INTERMEDIATE LEVEL AT 220 TO 630 FT WEST OF BIG

Comment (Workings): RAISE. PRINCIPAL STOPES ABOVE NO. 2 LEVEL AT 290 FT WEST TO 250 FT EAST OF BIG RAISE AND AT 400 TO 660 FT EAST OF BIG RAISE. DAVIE TUNNEL LIES AT EAST END OF, 56 FT ABOVE, AND CONNECTED TO NO. 2 LEVEL BY RAISE; WATER TUNNEL LEVEL LIES AT EAST END OF AND 124 FT ABOVE NO. 2 LEVEL. LOWER LEVEL WORKINGS DEVELOPED BELOW MAIN LEVEL THROUGH 390-FT (PROJECTED) INCLINED NO. 1 WINZE AT 20 FT WEST OF MAIN CROSSCUT, OFF WHICH LEVELS DRIVEN AT 100 FT, 200 FT, 300 FT, AND 400 FT. 100 LEVEL DRIVEN 40 FT WEST AND 560 FT ESE; 200 LEVEL DRIVEN 135 FT WNW AND 320 FT ESE; 300 LEVEL DRIVEN 95 FT WSW AND 235 FT ESE; 400 LEVEL DRIVEN 40 FT ESE. INCLINED NO. 2 WINZE SUNK 185 FT (PROJECTED) AT 225 FT EAST OF MAIN CROSSCUT THROUGH 100 AND 200 LEVELS. PRINCIPAL STOPES ABOVE 100 LEVEL AT 25 TO 200 FT EAST OF NO. 1 WINZE AND 15 TO 150 FT EAST OF NO. 2 WINZE. PRINCIPAL STOPES ABOVE 200 LEVEL AT 30 TO 90 FT WEST OF NO. 1 WINZE. PRINCIPAL STOPE BELOW 100 LEVEL AT 80 FT WEST TO 60 FT EAST OF NO. 2 WINZE. NO

Comment (Workings): DEVELOPMENT ON 300 AND 400 LEVELS.

Comment (Development): GOLD KING VEIN DISCOVERED BY BASIL CARAMOUZIS WHO DID EARLY DEVELOPMENT WORK AND SHIPPED SOME ORE FOR FIRST 5 YEARS. IN 1927 LA PLATA MINES CO. BOUGHT PROPERTY, REBUILT OLD BONNIE GIRL MILL AND ADDED JAW CRUSHER, TUBE AND BALL MILLS, CLASSIFIER, THICKENER, AND FLOTATION CELLS, BUILT 8000-FT-LONG AERIAL TRAM FROM MINE TO MILL. MILL CONCENTRATES PRODUCED FROM 1928-1935 (EXCEPT 1931), BUT DIFFICULTIES FORCED MINE TO OPERATE UNDER TRUSTEESHIP. FAWN MINING CO. OPERATED SITE FROM 1936-1937, BUT EXHAUSTION OF DEVELOPED ORE FORCED SHUTDOWN. IN 1940 PROPERTY OWNED BY GOLD KING MINING AND MILLING CO. (BOSTON, MA) AND OPERATED BY W.A. NASH AND ASSOCIATES (DURANGO). IN 1941 PROPERTY OWNED AND OPERATED BY J.E. BOLETIN (NEW YORK), BERT THOMPSON AND THOMAS HATFIELD (DURANGO). LAST REPORTED ACTIVITY WAS EXPLORATION AND SAMPLING BY DURANGO DEVELOPING AND EXPLORATION CO. AT LEAST IN LATE 1920S, HIGH-GRADE ORE AND CONCENTRATES HAULED TO MAY DAY SWITCH, THENCE VIA RIO GRANDE AND SOUTHERN RR TO AS&R

Comment (Production): COMPLETE PRODUCTION RECORD. ALL ORE AND CONCENTRATE GRADES ARE FROM CDM ANNUAL OPERATOR REPORTS. ALL MILLING AND CRUDE ORE AND CONCENTRATE FIGURES FOR 1927-1936 FROM CDM ANNUAL OPERATOR REPORTS. CRUDE ORE AND CONCENTRATE FIGURES COMBINED FOR 1937. ORE FIGURES FOR 1939-1941 PRESUMED TO BE MILLING ORE. NO PRODUCTION REPORTED FOR 1922-1923, 1926, 1931, 1938, AND AFTER 1941. CUMULATIVE TOTAL MILLING ORE FIGURE ESTIMATED DUE TO ESTIMATED ORE FIGURES FOR 1927 AND 1928. CUMULATIVE FIGURES FOR CRUDE ORE AND CONCENTRATES ESTIMATED DUE TO COMBINED FIGURE FOR 1937. CUMULATIVE FIGURE FOR ZN PROBABLY IS CONSIDERABLY LOW DUE TO ANNUAL FIGURES NOT BEING RECORDED FOR 1925 AND 1933-1941 (GRADES REPORTED ONLY FOR 1933-1936).

Comment (Location): (LAND STATUS AND ADMINISTRATIVE AREA LOCATIONS CALCULATED USING GIS OVERLAY ANALYSIS FOR SAN JUAN N. F.). AT SW BASE OF LEWIS MTN NEAR HEAD OF LEWIS CREEK WEST OF EAGLE PASS, 2.3 MILES NE OF LA PLATA TOWNSITE (UNSURVEYED SECTION). MILL LOCATED ON LA PLATA RIVER AT TIRBIRCIO CREEK CONFLUENCE 0.35 MILE BELOW LEWIS CREEK CONFLUENCE (NE SEC. 03, T36N, R11W). ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :1974

---

References

Reference (Deposit): ECKEL, E.B., AND OTHERS, 1949, GEOLOGY AND ORE DEPOSITS OF THE LA PLATA DISTRICT, COLORADO: USGS PROF. PAPER 219, P. 73-76, 120-123, PL. 22.

Reference (Deposit): COLORADO DIV. MINES INF. REPTS. AND ANNUAL OPERATOR REPTS.

Reference (Deposit): BLM MINERAL SURVEYS MS 1271, 20371, 20372

Reference (Production): ECKEL AND OTHERS, 1949, P. 121 (AS COMPILED FROM USBM RECORDS); COLORADO DIV. MINES ANNUAL OPERATOR REPTS.

---

Colorado Mining Photos

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