Wholey Mine

The Wholey Mine is a mercury mine located in Humboldt county, Nevada at an elevation of 5,000 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: Wholey Mine
Secondary: Long Horn Group
Secondary: Whaley's
Secondary: NBMG Sample Site 2453
Secondary: Eastern Nos. 1-6, Longhorn, Dexter Claims, Possible Fraction.

Commodity

Primary: Mercury
Tertiary: Copper

Location

State: Nevada
County: Humboldt
District: Poverty Peak District

Land Status

Land ownership: BLM Administrative Area
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

Type: Surface/Underground

Ownership

Owner Name: Wholey, T. C.
Years: 1940 -

Production

Not available

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Operation Type: Unknown
Year First Production: 1941
Discovery Year: 1939
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: N
Deposit Size: S

Physiography

Not available

Mineral Deposit Model

Model Name: Hot-spring Hg

Orebody

Form: IRREGULAR

Structure

Type: R
Description: Reg.Struct: Thrust Fault

Type: L
Description: Bedding Plane Faults

Alterations

Not available

Rocks

Name: Limestone
Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Late Permian

Analytical Data

Analytical Data: SAMPLE 2453 COLLECTED FROM DUMP, MAY HAVE COME FROM FAULT ZONE. DARK BROWN RICH-LOOKING FE-OXIDES WITH CU OXIDES, -IT CONTAINS +5 LB/TN HG, + 20 % FE, 0.5 % MG, 0.1 % CA, 0.05 %- TI, 3000 PPM MN, 200 PPM AS, 100 PPM B, 2000 PPM BA, 1.5 PPM -BE, 150 PPM CO, 700 PPM CR, +20000 PPM CU, 5 PPM MO, 1500 PPM -NI, 150 PPM SB, 30 PPM SC, 150 PPM SR, 100 PPM V, 50 PPM Y, 15-O PPM ZN

Materials

Ore: Cinnabar

Comments

Comment (Location): UNSURVEYED TOWNSHIP

Comment (Production): 4 - PIPE RETORT (1941)

Comment (Deposit): DISCOVERED IN 1939 BY J.C. WHOLEY. A 4-PIPE RETORT WAS BUILT IN 1941, FROM WHICH 16 FLASKS HG WERE PRODUCED FROM ORE MINED IN A SMALL OPEN CUT AND STOPE. PROPERTY IS ALSO DEVELOPED BY A 160-FT. ADIT, AND OTHER IRREGULAR WORKINGS. ; INFO.SRC : 1 PUB LIT; 2 UNPUB REPT; 3 FIELD OBSERV

Comment (Geology): GEOL.COM: CINNABAR OCCURS AS VEINLETS AND CRYSTALS ALONG BEDDING PLANE FAULTS. BESTORE OCCURS WHERE A CROSS-FRACTURE (N45 DEGREES W, DIP 75 DEGREES NE) CUTS ACROSS BEDDING

Comment (Workings): OPEN CUT, STOPE, ADIT. 3 VERTICAL SHAFTS (2 PARTLY OPEN, NO TIMBER); 3 ADITS, ALL CAVED.

Comment (Deposit): SANDY HORNFELS OR META-SANDSTONE. CONSIDERABLE FE OXIDE ON DUMPS ALONG WITH FAIR SHOWING OF CU OXIDES ON 3-4 DUMPS-. NO CINNABAR OBSERVED.

Comment (Development): 4-PIPE RETORT INSTALLED IN 1941. 14 FLASKS WERE RECOVERED IN 1941 FROM A SMALL OPEN CUT AND STOPE, NOW CAVED. AN ADIT DRIVEN FROM THE RETORT SITE -IS STILL OPEN AND EXTENDS SOUTHWARD ABOUT 160 FT, AND IRREGULA-R WORKINGS CONTAINING A SMALL STOPE EXTEND UP FROM IT TO THE O-PEN CUT. IN ADDITION TO THE REMAINS OF THE ORIGINAL U-PIPE RET-ORT, A 2-PIPE RETORT WITH CONDENSING PIPES LEADING TO A REFRIG-ERATOR IS STILL PRESENT ON THE PROPERTY. THE NORTH WORKINGS CO-NSIST OF AN ADIT, STILL OPEN, WITH BRANCHING DRIFTS TOTALLING -ABOUT 430 FT.

References

Reference (Deposit): WILLDEN, R., 1964, GEOLOGY AND MINERAL DEPOSITS OF HUMBOLDT COUNTY, NEV; NEV. BUREAU OF MINES BULL 59

Reference (Deposit): BAILEY, E.H., AND PHOENIX, D.A., 1944, QUICK SILVER DEPOSITS IN NEVADA: NEV. BUREAU OF MINES BULL. 41.

Reference (Deposit): ROBERTSON, J., 1943, RECONSTRUCTION FINANCE CORP. FIELD REPORT; UNPUB-ON FILE AT NEV. BUREAU OF MINES

Reference (Deposit): JONES, R. B., 29 APR 85, NBMG FIELD EXAMINATION AND SAMPLE ANALYSIS.

Reference (Deposit): BAILEY, E. H.,.RYTUBA, J. J. AND JONES, R. B., 1984,UNPUBLISHED DATA ON MERCURY DEPOSITS OF NEVADA.

Reference (Production): DAILEY, E.H. AND PHOENIX, D.A. 1944.

Nevada Gold

Nevada has a total of 368 distinct gold districts. Of the of those, just 36 are major producers with production and/or reserves of over 1,000,000 ounces, 49 have production and/or reserves of over 100,000 ounces, with the rest having less than 100,000 ounces. Read more: Gold Districts of Nevada.