Gold Bug Mine

The Gold Bug Mine is a gold mine located in El Dorado county, California at an elevation of 4,301 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: Gold Bug Mine
Secondary: Gold Bug Lode
Secondary: Hattie Mine
Secondary: Silver Pine Mine
Secondary: Priest Mine

Commodity

Primary: Gold

Location

State: California
County: El Dorado

Land Status

Land ownership: State Park
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: John I. Martin (Estate)

Production

Not available

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Operation Type: Unknown
Year First Production: 1888
Discovery Year: 1848
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: N
Deposit Size: S

Physiography

General Physiographic Area: Pacific Mountain System
Physiographic Province: Cascade-Sierra Mountains
Physiographic Section: Sierra Nevada

Mineral Deposit Model

Model Name: Low-sulfide Au-quartz vein

Orebody

Not available

Structure

Not available

Alterations

Not available

Rocks

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

Analytical Data

Not available

Materials

Ore: Gold
Ore: Pyrite
Gangue: Quartz

Comments

Comment (Geology): THE GOLD BUG MINE IS PART OF THE MOTHER LODE SYSTEM OF MINERALIZED ROCK AND QUARTZ VEINS THAT EXTENDS FROM MARIPOSA COUNTY NORTH TO EL DORADO COUNTY. PRODUCTION IN THE MOTHER LODE FAR EXCEEDS SEVERAL BILLION DOLLARS, AND MUCH OF THE GOLD WAS PRODUCED WHEN IT SOLD FOR LESS THAN $30 PER OUNCE. QUARTZ VEINS ARE TYPICAL OF THE NORTHERN PORTION OF THE MOTHER LODE, WHILE LARGE BODIES OF CARBONATE ROCK ARE MORE COMMON IN THE SOUTH.

Comment (Commodity): THE MINERALOGY IS SIMPLE AND CONSISTS OF WHITE QUARTZ RIBBONED WITH BANDS OF SLATE OR SCHIST AND MINOR AMOUNTS OF PYRITE WITH NATIVE GOLD.

Comment (Location): UTM ACC NR CTR S 1/2 SEC. THE MINE IS LOCATED IN PLACERVILLE IN HANGTOWN'S GOLD BUG PARK, OFF BEDFORD AVENUE LESS THAN 1 MILE NORTH OF U.S. 50.

Comment (Development): MINING WAS PROBABLY STARTED BY WILLIAM CRADDOCK AND JOHN BENCH IN 1888. THEY NAMED THE MINE THE HATTIE MINE AFTER CRADDOCK'S ELDEST DAUGHTER. THE CLAIM WAS THEN SOLD TO THOMAS BISHOP AND FRANK MONAGHAN IN 1902. IN 1926 THE NEXT OWNER JOHN MCKAY RENAMED IT THE GOLD BIG MINE, AND OPERATED IT UNTIL WWII, WHEN PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT ORDERED ALL GOLD MINES CLOSED BECAUSE THEY WERE DEEMED NON-ESSENTIAL. THE UPPER LEVEL, THE PRIEST MINE WAS STARTED BEFORE THE GOLD BUG, WHICH WORKED THE SAME QUARTZ VEIN. STAMP MILLS WERE PROBABLY IN PLACE IN THE 1920'S OR 1930'S.

Comment (Deposit): TABULAR VEINS DIP STEEPLY TO THE NORTHEAST AND PARALLEL THE METAMORPHOSED SANDSTONE AND SHALE LAYERS

Comment (Workings): THE GOLD BUG IS ONE OF TWO MAIN ADITS CONNECTED WITH A VERTICAL SHAFT. THE OTHER MAIN ADIT IS THE PRIEST MINE, AND A THIRD UNDEVELOPED ADIT IS THE SILVER PINE MINE.

Comment (Deposit): ON FEB 1, 1985 THE GOLD BUG MINE WAS PLACED ON THE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES. THE 61-ACRE GOLD BUG PARK PROVIDES A SAFE WALK THROUGH A REAL GOLD MINE AND HAS AN 8-STAMP MILL ONCE USED TO REDUCE ORE TO POWDER. THE PARK HAS 8 ADITS AND OVER 250 PROSPECTING HOLES AND TRENCHES. ; INFO.SRC : 1 PUB LIT

Comment (Deposit): THIS RECORD IS AN UPDATED VERSION INCLUDING DUPLICATE INFORMATION FROM RECORD # C008458 WHICH HAS BEEN DELETED.

References

Reference (Deposit): LOGAN, C. A., 1938 , MIN. RESOURCES OF EL DORADO CO.: CALIF. JOUR. OF MINES AND GEOL., VOL. 34 , NO. 3 , PG. 262 AND PL II.

Reference (Deposit): CLARK, W.B., 1970, GOLD DISTRICTS OF CALIFORNIA, CDMG BULLETIN 193, 186P.

Reference (Deposit): DODGE, F.W., AND LOYD, R.C., 1984, GOLD DEPOSITS OF THE WESTERN SIERRA NEVADA; FIELD TRIP GUIDE: USGS OPEN FILE REPORT 84-169, 25P.

Reference (Deposit): BURNETT, JOHN, L., THE GOLD BUG MINE, 1993, CALIFORNIA GEOLOGY, MAY/JUNE, 1993, V. 46, NO. 3. P. 68-72.

California Gold

"Where to Find Gold in California" looks at the density of modern placer mining claims along with historical gold mining locations and mining district descriptions to determine areas of high gold discovery potential in California. Read more: Where to Find Gold in California.