The Carpenter Mine is a vanadium mine located in San Miguel county, Colorado at an elevation of 8,471 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: 8,471 Feet (2,582 Meters)
Commodity: Vanadium
Lat, Long: 37.94333, -107.97667
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.
Carpenter Mine MRDS details
Site Name
Primary: Carpenter Mine
Secondary: Alchemist Mine, Polaris Mine, Rare Metals of Colorado Mine
Secondary: Patented Claims: Alchemist Tunnel No. 1, MS 19293
Secondary: Planet No. 7, MS 19296a
Secondary: Planet Mill Site, MS 19296b
Secondary: Venus, MS 19366a
Secondary: Jupiter, MS 19366a
Secondary: Polaris Mill Site, MS 19366b
Secondary: Rare Metals, MS 19481
Secondary: Alchemist Tunnel No. 1, MS 19556
Secondary: Imperial, MS 19563
Secondary: Planet No. 5, MS 19565
Secondary: Planet No. 4, MS 19623
Secondary: Lebanon, MS 19625
Secondary: Polaris Tunnel No. 2, MS 19626
Secondary: Polaris Tunnel No. 1, MS 19644
Secondary: Polaris, MS 19645
Secondary: Alchemist Tunnel No. 3, MS 19663
Secondary: Alchemist Tunnel No. 2, MS 19666
Secondary: Planet No. 3, MS 19699
Commodity
Primary: Vanadium
Tertiary: Uranium
Location
State: Colorado
County: San Miguel
District: Lower San Miguel 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
Not available
Ownership
Owner Name: Rare Metals Of Colorado, Inc.
Home Office: New York City, N.Y.
Years: 1944 -
Owner Name: U.S. Vanadium Corp.
Home Office: Grand Junction, Co.
Years: 1944 -
Production
Year: 1920
Time Period: 1919-1920
Material type: ORE V EST
Description: Cp_Grade: ^Average 3% V205
Year: 1971
Time Period: -1971
Material type: ORE V U ACC
Description: Cp_Grade: ^3.15% V205, 0.13% U308
Deposit
Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Operation Type: Unknown
Year First Production: 1917
Year Last Production: 1944
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
Not available
Orebody
Not available
Structure
Type: R
Description: Paradox Basin, Uncompahgre Uplift, San Juan Volcanic Field, San Miguel Mtns
Type: L
Description: Placerville Anticline, Frazier Fault, Ross Graben
Alterations
Not available
Rocks
Name: Rhyolite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock
Age Young: Pliocene
Name: Rhyolite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Late Jurassic
Name: Rhyolite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock Unit
Age Young: Late Jurassic
Name: Rhyolite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock Unit
Age Young: Pliocene
Analytical Data
Not available
Materials
Not available
Comments
Comment (Location): CLAIMS COVER MINERALIZED BED ON BOTH SIDES OF BIG BEAR CREEK 1.3 TO 2 MILES SOUTH OF VANADIUM (CONFLUENCE OF BIG BEAR CREEK AND SAN MIGUEL RIVER), BUT PRINCIPAL WORKINGS LIE ON WEST SIDE OF CREEK IN SW SEC. 33. ELEV AND LAT-LONG GIVEN ARE FOR PROBABLE PORTAL OF CARPENTER TUNNEL (PROJECTED NE NE SW SEC. 33). ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :1975
Comment (Production): PARTIAL PRODUCTION RECORD. ANNUAL TOTALS UNAVAILABLE FOR YEARS UP TO 1920, BUT FISCHER AND OTHERS ESTIMATE A CUMULATIVE TOTAL OF ABOUT 2000 TONS ORE. 1944 ANNUAL FIGURE FROM CDM RECORDS. CUMULATIVE FIGURES THROUGH 1971 ARE FROM NELSON-MOORE AND OTHERS AND CREDITED TO ALCHEMIST NO. 1.
Comment (Development): CLAIMS WERE SURVEYED IN 1912-1916 BY RARE METALS MINING AND MILLING CO. AND LEASED TO COLORADO VANADIUM CORP IN 1919-1920, DURING WHICH TIME ABOUT 2000 TONS ORE WERE MINED. FISCHER AND OTHERS STATE MINE WAS PROSPECTED BY METALS RESERVE CO. IN 1943-1944, BUT CDM RECORDS CITE ONLY SOME PRODUCTION BY U.S. VANADIUM CORP. IN 1944.
Comment (Deposit): BEDS DIP GENTLY NE AND EAST OFF CREST AND NE FLANK OF PLACERVILLE ANTICLINE. RHYOLITE SILL INTRUDES DAKOTA SANDSTONE NEAR TOP OF MESA ABOVE MINE AREA. DEPOSIT LIES NEAR INNER (NE) BOUNDARY OF MINERALIZED BELT NEAR ITS SE END. MOST PAST STOPING CONFINED TO SEVERAL ORE BODIES ALINED TOWARD NW. AS ORE VARIES ABRUPTLY IN THICKNESS AND GRADE, ORE BODIES ARE POORLY DEFINED AND IRREGULAR IN PLAN.
Comment (Workings): MINE DEVELOPED BY AT LEAST TWO TUNNELS DRIVEN GENERALLY WEST, WITH ABOUT 4000 FT OF DRIFTS AND SOME STOPES. CARPENTER TUNNEL DRIVEN GENERALLY WEST FOR 1000 FT AS CROSSCUT TO OLDER WORKINGS.
References
Reference (Deposit): FISCHER, R.P., AND OTHERS, 1947, VANADIUM DEPOSITS NEAR PLACERVILLE, SAN MIGUEL COUNTY, COLORADO: COLORADO SCI. SOC. PROC., V. 15, NO. 3, P. 117-146.
Reference (Deposit): BUSH, A.L., AND OTHERS, 1961, PRELIMINARY GEOLOGIC MAP OF THE GRAY HEAD QUADRANGLE, SAN MIGUEL COUNTY, COLORADO: USGS MAP MF-176.
Reference (Deposit): NELSON-MOORE, J.L., AND OTHERS, 1978, RADIOACTIVE MINERAL OCCURRENCES OF COLORADO AND BIBLIOGRAPHY: CGS BULL. 40, P.404.
Reference (Deposit): COLORADO DIV. MINES INF. REPTS. AND ANNUAL OPERATOR REPTS.
Reference (Deposit): BLM MINERAL SURVEYS MS 19293, 19296A&B, 19366A&B, 19481, 19556, 19563, 19565, 19623, 19625, 19626, 19644, 19645, 19663, 19666, 19699
Reference (Production): FISHER AND OTHERS, 1947, P. 133; COLORADO DIV. MINES ANNUAL OPERATOR REPT.; NELSON-MOORE AND OTHERS, 1978, P.404.
Colorado Mining Photos
Check out this collection of Colorado's best historic mining photos: Incredible Photos of Colorado Mining Scenes.
