Monarch Mine

The Monarch Mine is a gold mine located in La Plata county, Colorado at an elevation of 10,400 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

MRDS mine locations are often very general, and in some cases are incorrect. Some mine remains have been covered or removed by modern industrial activity or by development of things like housing. The satellite view offers a quick glimpse as to whether the MRDS location corresponds to visible mine remains.

Site Name

Primary: Monarch Mine
Secondary: Tip Top Mine
Secondary: Patented Claims: Tip Top, MS 8870
Secondary: Chandler, MS 8870
Secondary: Lafe Pence, MS 8870
Secondary: Capitan, MS 8870
Secondary: Platora, MS 8870
Secondary: Unpatented Claims: Protection
Secondary: Eclipse
Secondary: Monitor
Secondary: Sunshine
Secondary: Jupiter
Secondary: Echo
Secondary: Lonesome
Secondary: Happy

Commodity

Primary: Gold
Secondary: Silver

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: Monarch Gold Mining Co.
Home Office: Hesperus, Co.
Years: 1934 -

Production

Not available

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Deposit Type: Vein
Operation Type: Unknown
Year Last Production: 1933
Discovery Year: 1895
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: Oxidation Of Pyrite To Limonite; Sericitization Of Feldspars

Rocks

Name: Syenite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock
Age Young: Eocene

Name: Syenite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock Unit
Age Young: Late Permian

Analytical Data

Not available

Materials

Not available

Comments

Comment (Location): (LAND STATUS AND ADMINISTRATIVE AREA LOCATIONS CALCULATED USING GIS OVERLAY ANALYSIS FOR SAN JUAN N. F.). ABOVE BURNT TIMBER CREEK ON SOUTH SIDE OF BRAGDON RIDGE, 1.2 MILES SOUTH OF LA PLATA TOWNSITE (UNSURVEYED SECTION). ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :1974

Comment (Production): PARTIAL PRODUCTION RECORD. MINE MAY HAVE PRODUCED ORE IN UNKNOWN AMOUNTS IN 1890S.

Comment (Development): DEPOSIT DISCOVERED IN EARLY 1890S PROBABLY, AND ORIGINALLY CALLED TIP TOP MINE. MINE ACTIVE IN 1896 BUT FIRST PRODUCTION RECORDED IN 1932 AND 1933 WHEN MINE RENAMED TO MONARCH BY MONARCH GOLD MINING CO. LATER DEVELOPMENT WORK DONE IN 1934-1935 BUT MINE ABANDONED BY 1936.

Comment (Deposit): COUNTRY ROCKS CONSIST OF CUTLER FM RED BEDS INTRUDED BY DIORITE-MONZONITE PORPHYRY SILLS GRADING NORTHWARD INTO SYENITE. DEPOSIT LIES IN ZONE OF CRUSHED, ALTERED PORPHYRY WITH STEEPLY DIPPING SHEAR PLANES AND ABUNDANT DISSEMINATED PYRITE AND SERICITIZED FELDSPARS. VEIN TRENDS N 20 TO 40 E, DIPS 72 TO 90 NW, 3 TO 24 INCHES WIDE WITH IRREGULAR, ILL-DEFINED WALLS INDICATING REPLACEMENT RATHER THAN FISSURE FILLING.

Comment (Workings): LOWER CROSSCUT TUNNEL DRIVEN N 35 W FOR 263 FT TO FACE. UPPER CROSSCUT DRIVEN N 22 W FOR 65 FT TO VEIN: S 40 W DRIFT DRIVEN 73 FT, GENERALLY N 40 E DRIFT DRIVEN 230 FT WITH 30-FT RAISE TO SHORT NE DRIFT AT 70 FT FROM CROSSCUT.

Comment (Deposit): Discovery Year: 1890's

References

Reference (Deposit): BLM MINERAL SURVEY MS 8870

Reference (Production): ECKEL AND OTHERS, 1949, P. 152 (AS COMPILED FROM USBM RECORDS)

Reference (Deposit): ECKEL, E.B., AND OTHERS, 1949, GEOLOGY AND ORE DEPOSITS OF THE LA PLATA DISTRICT, COLORADO: USGS PROF. PAPER 219, P. 67-68, 152-154.

Reference (Deposit): COLORADO DIV. MINES INF. REPT.

Colorado Mining Photos

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