Mountain Lily Mine

The Mountain Lily Mine is a silver and gold mine located in La Plata county, Colorado at an elevation of 10,479 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

Name: Mountain Lily Mine

State: Colorado

County: La Plata

Elevation: 10,479 Feet (3,194 Meters)

Commodity: Silver, Gold

Lat, Long: 37.42806, -108.04361

Map: View on Google Maps

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.

Satelite image of the Mountain Lily Mine

Mountain Lily Mine MRDS details

Commodity

Primary: Silver
Primary: Gold
Tertiary: Tellurium

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: Merritt, A. J.
Home Office: Walsenburg, Co.
Years: 1940 -

Owner Name: Robert H. Sayres And Associates
Home Office: Hesperus, Co.
Years: 1940 -

Production

Year: 1935
Description: Ap_Grade: ^1.1 Oz/Ton Au, 1.25 Oz/Ton Ag

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Deposit Type: Vein
Operation Type: Unknown
Year First Production: 1895
Year Last Production: 1942
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: Kaolinitization, Chloritization

Rocks

Name: Diorite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock Unit
Age Young: Eocene

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

Analytical Data

Analytical Data: ORE GRADES FROM 1920 TO 1940 GENERALLY RAN 1.1 TO 8 OZ/TON AU AND 1.2 TO 10 OZ/TON AG, WITH HIGH GRADES FROM APPARENT SMALL SHIPMENT IN 1922 OF 31.35 OZ/TON AU AND 42.47 OZ/TON AG

Materials

Ore: Pyrite
Ore: Sylvanite
Gangue: Quartz
Gangue: Chlorite
Gangue: Kaolinite
Gangue: Chalcedony

Comments

Comment (Location): (LAND STATUS AND ADMINISTRATIVE AREA LOCATIONS CALCULATED USING GIS OVERLAY ANALYSIS FOR SAN JUAN N. F.). ON SE SLOPE OF DIORITE PEAK ON NOSE BETWEEN WILLIAMS GULCH AND BASIN CREEK, 2.25 MILES NE OF LA PLATA TOWNSITE (UNSURVEYED SECTION). ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :1974

Comment (Production): PARTIAL PRODUCTION RECORD. FIGURES UNAVAILABLE FOR YEARS PRIOR TO 1902, BUT AMOUNT CONSIDERED SMALL. NO PRODUCTION REPORTED FOR 1903-1919, 1923-1928, 1936-1939, AND AFTER 1942. ESTIMATED CUMULATIVE ORE TONNAGE EXCLUDES UNREPORTED BUT SMALL (PROBABLY LESS THAN 1 ST) TONNAGE FOR 1920. CUMULATIVE AU FIGURE ESTIMATED DUE TO ESTIMATED FIGURE FOR 1902. ORE GRADES FOR 1932, 1934, AND 1935 FROM CDM ANNUAL OPERATOR REPORTS.

Comment (Development): MINE WAS ACTIVE IN 1896, WAS OPERATED BY O.F. BOYLE IN 1902, BUT WAS IDLE UNTIL 1920 WHEN BOYLE'S ESTATE RENEWED PRODUCTION FOR SEVERAL YEARS. PROPERTY LEASED TO A.J. MERRITT AND ASSOCIATES (MARIPOSA MINES) IN 1929, WHO WORKED MINE UNTIL 1935.

Comment (Workings): MINE DEVELOPED BY FOUR TUNNELS. MOUNTAIN LILY NO. 1 TUNNEL DRIVEN GENERALLY WEST FOR ABOUT 430 FT TO FACE, WITH RAISES AT 80, 145, AND 320 FT FROM PORTAL, AND PRINCIPAL STOPES AT 65 TO 280 FT AND 320 TO 370 FT FROM PORTAL. MOUNTAIN LILY CROSSCUT TUNNEL LOCATED 75 FT SW OF AND 50 FT BELOW MOUNTAIN LILY NO. 1, DRIVEN N 22 W FOR 75 FT, WITH DRIFT DRIVEN N 68 E FOR 40 FT AND DRIFT DRIVEN GENERALLY S 87 W FOR 320 FT, WITH RAISES AT 10, 80, AND 180 FT FROM CROSSCUT AND PRINCIPAL STOPES AT 55 TO 120 FT AND 140 TO 235 FT FROM CROSSCUT, UNDERHAND STOPE AT 35 TO 70 FT FROM CROSSCUT. TIP TOP NO. 2 PORTAL LOCATED 235 FT ENE OF AND 80 FT BELOW MOUNTAIN LILY NO. 1, DRIVEN S 62 W FOR 110 FT TO FACE. TIP TOP NO. 1 LOCATED 365 FT ENE OF AND 165 FT BELOW MOUNTAIN LILY NO. 1, DRIVEN WEST FOR 170 FT, THENCE GENERALLY S 80 W FOR 325 FT TO FACE, WITH RAISE AT 345 FT FROM PORTAL AND PRINCIPAL STOPES AT 115 TO 140 FT, 230 TO 275 FT, 335 TO 415 FT, AND 470 TO 490 FT FROM PORTAL.

Comment (Deposit): COUNTRY ROCK CONSISTS OF CUTLER FM RED BEDS INTRUDED BY DIORITE-MONZONITE PORPHYRY SILLS AND DIORITE OF DIORITE PEAK STOCK. MOUNTAIN LILY VEIN TRENDS GENERALLY N 80 E, DIPS STEEPLY NW. NARROW SUBSIDIARY FRACTURE ZONES EXTEND INTO WALLS. 1- TO 5-FT-WIDE VEIN ZONE CONSISTS OF 1- TO 10-INCH MEDIAL SHEET OF ORE-BEARING SILICIFIED DIORITE FLANKED BY KAOLINITIZED AND CHLORITIZED DIORITE WITH PYRITE, GRADING INTO UNALTERED DIORITE.

Comment (Deposit): Discovery Year: 1890S

References

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

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, 154-155.

Reference (Production): ECKEL AND OTHERS, 1949, P. 154 (AS COMPILED FROM USGS AND USBM RECORDS); COLORADO DIV. MINES ANN. OPERATOR REPTS.

Reference (Deposit): BLM MINERAL SURVEYS MS 9421, 12611, 17241, 17276, 19403

Colorado Mining Photos

Placer mines at Cripple Creek, Colorado ca. 1892

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