Columbus Mine Or Prospect

The Columbus Mine Or Prospect is a gold mine located in Esmeralda county, Nevada at an elevation of 7,119 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: Columbus Mine Or Prospect
Secondary: Part of Valcalda Group

Commodity

Primary: Gold

Location

State: Nevada
County: Esmeralda
District: Silver Peak District (1865)

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

Not available

Production

Not available

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Occurrence
Operation Type: Unknown
Discovery Year: 1865
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: N
Deposit Size: S

Physiography

Not available

Mineral Deposit Model

Not available

Orebody

Form: LENSES

Structure

Type: L
Description: Post-Ore Crushing

Alterations

Not available

Rocks

Name: Diorite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Late Jurassic

Analytical Data

Not available

Materials

Gangue: Quartz
Gangue: Calcite
Gangue: Pyrite

Comments

Comment (Production): THE ORE WAS MILLED IN A SMALL STAMP MILL AT VALCALDE SPRINGS

Comment (Deposit): THIS AND A FEW OTHER NEARBY CLAIMS WERE FIRST LOCATED IN 1860'S, RELOCATED BY ELISWEIGER IN 1886, WHO HELD THEM FOR 4 YEARS, AND RELOCATED BY THE VALCALDA BROTHERS, (JOHN, JIM, OTIS AND ANDREW) IN ABOUT 1892. JOHN VALCALDA WORKED THE PROPERTY WITH SHALLOW CUTS FROM 1885 TO 1905 MILLING THE ORE IN A 2 STAMP MILL AND A MORTAR, MAKING ABOUT $2700. THE PROPERTY WAS OPTIONED FROM THE VALCALDA'S IN 1905 BY BILLY AND MIKE O'MEARA AND JOHN LYNCH FOR $30,000, AND THEY FORMED THE SILVER PEAK-VALCALDA GOLD MINING CO., INC. IN 1906, AT WHICH TIME THEY DROVE SEVERAL TUNNELS INTO THE FRANK VEIN AND CONSTRUCTED A MILL WHICH WAS COMPLETED IN 1907 AND RAN INTERMITTENTLY FOR A YEAR. IN 1908, SAMUEL NEWHOUSE, A SUCCESSFUL MINE OPERATOR FROM UTAH, PURCHASED CONTROL OF THE SILVER PEAK VALCALDA GOLD MINING CO. PROPERTIES AND BEGAN PLANS FOR A 200 T.P.D. MILL. IN 1909, THE VALCALDA PROPERTY WAS SOLD TO INTERESTS FRIENDLY TO THE PITTSBURG S.P.G.M. CO., AND A TUNNEL WAS BUILT TO CONNECT IT WITH THE PITTSBURG

Comment (Location): EAST SIDE OF HEAD OF ECHO CANYON. UTM IS TO ADIT NEAR CENTER OF CLAIM ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :1972

Comment (Development): THE COLUMBUS WAS ONE OF FOUR CLAIMS SOLD BY JOHN VALCALDA TO OROMONTE MINES CO., LTD. IN 1927. THE COMPANY'S PLANS FOR ORE TRANSPORTATION WERE UNSUCCESSFUL, AND IT IS DOUBTFUL ANY PROFIT WAS MADE IN THE VENTURE.

Comment (Deposit): FLAT-LYING QUARTZ LENSES

Comment (Workings): SEVERAL TUNNELS, NUMEROUS SHALLOW SURFACE WORKINGS

Comment (Deposit): PROPERTY,AND ORE WAS HAULED FROM THE VALCALDA PROPERTY THROUGH THE TUNNEL TO FEED PITTSBURG'S MILL. A FEW YEARS AFTER THE MINES HAD CLOSED DOWN IN 1915, THE VALCALDA PROPERTY WAS SOLD FOR TAXES TO J ; INFO.SRC : 1 PUB LIT

Comment (Deposit): Discovery Year: 1860'S

References

Reference (Deposit): SPURR, J.E., 1906, U.S.G.S. PROF PAPER NO. 55.

Reference (Deposit): SHAMBERGER, H.A., 1976, SILVER PEAK: HISTORIC MINING CAMPS OF NEVADA SERIES, NO. 8: NEVADA HISTORICAL PRESS, CARSON CITY, NEVADA.

Reference (Production): SPURR, J.E., (1906). P. 59

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.