Pelican Mine

The Pelican Mine is a silver and gold mine located in Hinsdale county, Colorado at an elevation of 9,459 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: Pelican Mine  

State:  Colorado

County:  Hinsdale

Elevation: 9,459 Feet (2,883 Meters)

Commodity: Silver, Gold

Lat, Long: 38.02417, -107.33972

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 Pelican Mine

Pelican Mine MRDS details

Site Name

Primary: Pelican Mine
Secondary: Patented Claims: Pelican, MS 464
Secondary: Pelican No. 2, MS 17000a
Secondary: Atlanta, MS 17000a
Secondary: Cannon, MS 17000a
Secondary: Benson, MS 17000a
Secondary: Blair, MS 17000a
Secondary: Hunt, MS 17000a
Secondary: Pelican Mill Site, MS 17000b


Commodity

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


Location

State: Colorado
County: Hinsdale
District: Lake (Lake City) 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: Don Crist
Home Office: Moab, Ut.
Years: 1976 -

Owner Name: Silverline Mining Co.
Home Office: Lake City, Co.
Years: 1976 -


Production

Not available


Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Deposit Type: Vein
Operation Type: Unknown
Year First Production: 1891
Year Last Production: 1960
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: San Juan Volcanic Field, San Juan Depression

Type: L
Description: San Juan-Uncompahgre Calderas, Lake City Caldera


Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: Silicification; Oxidation Of Argentiferous Cu Sulfide To Pyrargyrite


Rocks

Name: Rhyolite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Oligocene

Name: Rhyolite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock Unit
Age Young: Oligocene

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


Analytical Data

Analytical Data: 0.01 OZ/TON AU AND 3.0 OZ/TON AG (FIRE ASSAY)
Analytical Data: GT 7% AL, 0.03% CA, 2% FE, 0.4% MG, 0.2% MN, 0.2% TI, 200 PPM B, 1000 PPM BA, 100 PPM CR, 80 PPM CU, 30 PPM MO, 3000 PPM PB, 2000 PPM ZN, LT 70 PPM ZR
Analytical Data: IRVING AND BANCROFT (1911) CITE GRADE OF TWO 10-ST ORE SHIPMENTS AS 0.69 AND 0.63 OZ/TON AU, 165 AND 129 OZ/TON AG, WITH 2.07% PB. SEMIQUANTITATIVE SPECTROGRAPHIC ANALYSIS OF STEVEN AND OTHERS' (1977) GRAB SAMPLE FROM SHAFT DUMP
Analytical Data: 0.23% PB AND 0.20 % ZN (ATOMIC ABSORPTION).
Analytical Data: TRACE AU AND 5.6 OZ/TON AG (FIRE ASSAY)
Analytical Data: 0.07% CU, 0.07 TO 0.94% PB, 0.12 TO 1.70% ZN (ATOMIC ABSORPTION). ANALYSIS OF UPPER ADIT PUMP SAMPLE: GT 7% AL, 0.03% CA, 2% FE, 0.4% MG, 0.1% MN, 0.2% TI, 0.05% SB, 300 PPM B, 20000 PPM BA, 100 PPM CR, 300 PPM CU, 70 PPM MO. 20000 PPM PB, 3000 PPM ZN, LT 70 PPM ZR
Analytical Data: TRACE TO 0.07 OZ/TON AU AND 2.7 TO 14.3 OZ/TON AG(FIRE ASSAY)
Analytical Data: 0.10% PB AND 0.10% ZN (ATOMIC ABSORPTION). ANALYSES OF FOUR SAMPLES FROM UPPER ADIT: 0.2 TO GT 7% AL, 0.02 TO 0.3% CA, 1 TO 4% FE, 0.02 TO 0.05% MG, 0.02 TO 0.05% MN, 0.002 TO 0.05% TI, LT 100 PPM B, LT 1000 PM TO GT 7% BA, 60 TO 100 PPM CR, 80 TO 60 PPM CU, 20 TO 70 PPM MO, 3000 TO 20000 PPM PB, 1000 PPM SR, 3000 TO 30000 PPM ZN, LT 70 PPM ZR, 0.05% SB


Materials

Ore: Sphalerite
Ore: Galena
Gangue: Quartz
Gangue: Rhodochrosite
Gangue: Barite


Comments

Comment (Location): MINE LIES ON UNNAMED TRIBUTARY OF HENSON CREEK ON SOUTH SLOPE OF NEOGA MTN. ELEV AND LAT-LONG GIVEN ARE FOR PORTAL OF SECOND LEVEL TUNNEL, IN SW SE NE NE SEC. 32 (EXTENDED SECTION). ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :1977

Comment (Production): PARTIAL PRODUCTION RECORD. FIGURES UNAVAILABLE FOR YEARS PRIOR TO 1956, BUT MINERAL RESOURCES OF U.S. VOLUMES SHOW MINE PRODUCED ORE IN 1907-1910, 1912-1913, 1916-1917, 1919-1922; DATA UNAVAILABLE FOR YEARS 1923-1931.

Comment (Deposit): MINE LOCATED NORTH OF LAKE CITY CALDERA WALL IN UNCOMPAHGRE CALDERA MOAT-FILL SEQUENCE OF EUREKA MEMBER RHYOLITE, AND IN TRANSVERSE FAULT IN SLACK'S (1980) BARITE/PRECIOUS METALS ASSEMBLAGE, INNER QUARTZ-SPHALERITE ZONE. IRVING AND BANCROFT (1911) DESCRIBE ORE AS DEVELOPED ALONG SERIES OF INTERSECTING FRACTURES TRENDING N 10 E AND N 35 W. MINERALIZATION ALTERNATES BETWEEN TWO TRENDS AS FRACTURES ALONG ONE TREND NARROW. VEIN IS SHEETED ZONE IN PLACES, BUT DUE TO BRECCIATION, IT CONTAINS ANGULAR INCLUSIONS OF COUNTRY ROCK, BRANCHES, AND OTHER IRREGULARITIES. VERY FINE DRUSES PARALLEL VEIN WALLS AND FOLLOW PERIPHERY OF INCLUSIONS. SECONDARY PYRARGYRITE FILLS CRIVICES IN EARLIER ORE AND OCCURS AS CRYSTALS ON QUARTZ DRUSES IN OPEN CAVITIES. PROBABLE SECONDARY GALENA COATS SURFACES OF SPHALERITE ALONG CRACKS AND FRACTURES.

Comment (Workings): IRVING AND BANCROFT (1911) DESCRIBED OLDER WORKINGS AS 75-FT AND 38-FT SHAFTS, FORMER CONNECTING 450-FT-LONG FIRST (UPPER) LEVEL TO SURFACE. 900-FT-LONG SECOND LEVEL ABOUT 200 FT BELOW UPPER LEVEL; 35-FT WINZE SUNK FROM UPPER LEVEL. CDM REPORTS DESCRIBE WORKINGS (IN 1960S AND 1970S) AS TWO CROSSCUT TUNNELS AND INTERMEDIATE LEVEL, CONNECTED BY RAISES. UPPER TUNNEL DRIVEN GENERALLY NE FOR 800 FT; LOWER TUNNEL DRIVEN GENERALLY NE FOR 1000 FT, CONNECTED TO UPPER LEVEL BY THREE 196-FT RAISES. 40-FT DRIFT DEVELOPED OFF WINZE 75 FT BELOW LOWER TUNNEL. DRIFTS AND STOPES ON SUBLEVEL 20 FT BELOW UPPER LEVEL.


References

Reference (Deposit): SLACK, J.F., 1980, MULTISTAGE VEIN ORES OF THE LAKE CITY DISTRICT, WESTERN SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS, COLORADO: ECON. GEOLOGY, V. 75, NO. 7, P. 963-991.

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

Reference (Deposit): BLM MINERAL SURVEYS MS 464, 17000A&B

Reference (Deposit): STEVEN, T.A., AND OTHERS, 1977, MINERAL RESOURCES OF STUDY AREAS CONTIGUOUS TO THE UNCOMPAHGRE PRIMITIVE AREA, SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS, SOUTHWESTERN COLORADO: USGS BULL. 1391-E, P. 41-47, 80-83, 108-109.

Reference (Production): COLORADO DIV. MINES ANNUAL OPERATOR REPTS.

Reference (Deposit): IRVING, J.D., AND BANCROFT, HOWLAND, 1911, GEOLOGY AND ORE DEPOSITS NEAR LAKE CITY, COLORADO: USGS BULL. 478, P. 95-98.

Reference (Deposit): LIPMAN, P.W., 1976, GEOLOGIC MAP OF THE LAKE CITY CALDERA AREA, WESTERN SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS, SOUTHWESTERN COLORADO: USGS MAP I-962.

Reference (Deposit): LIPMAN, P.W., AND OTHERS, 1976, MULTIPLE AGES OF MID-TERTIARY MINERALIZATION AND ALTERATION IN THE WESTERN SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS, COLORADO: ECON. GEOLOGY, V. 71, NO. 3, P. 571-588.


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.