The Big Chief Mine is a feldspar and mica mine located in Pennington county, South Dakota at an elevation of 4,386 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: 4,386 Feet (1,337 Meters)
Commodity: Feldspar, Mica
Lat, Long: 43.86528, -103.38139
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.
Big Chief Mine MRDS details
Site Name
Primary: Big Chief Mine
Commodity
Primary: Feldspar
Primary: Mica
Secondary: Beryllium
Location
State: South Dakota
County: Pennington
District: Unorganized District
Land Status
Land ownership: National Forest
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.
Administrative Organization: Black Hills National Forest
Holdings
Not available
Workings
Type: Surface/Underground
Ownership
Owner Name: J. Arthur Johnson
Production
Not available
Deposit
Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Operation Type: Unknown
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: N
Deposit Size: S
Physiography
General Physiographic Area: Interior Plains
Physiographic Province: Great Plains Province
Physiographic Section: Black Hills
Mineral Deposit Model
Not available
Orebody
Form: DIKES
Structure
Not available
Alterations
Not available
Rocks
Name: Pegmatite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock Unit
Age Young: Neoproterozoic
Name: Pegmatite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock
Age Young: Neoproterozoic
Name: Pegmatite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Neoproterozoic
Analytical Data
Not available
Materials
Ore: Feldspar
Ore: Mica
Ore: Beryl
Gangue: Triphylite
Gangue: Sphalerite
Gangue: Pyrrhotite
Gangue: Pyrite
Gangue: Vivianite
Gangue: Torbernite
Gangue: Quartz
Gangue: Garnet
Gangue: Siderite
Comments
Comment (Development): UNPATENTED CLAIM ; ECON.COM: THE SOUTHERN DIKE YIELDED ABOUT 36 PERCENT GOOD-QUALITY 'BLUE' FELDSPAR.
Comment (Workings): SOUTHERN DIKE - A CUT 30 FEET WIDE AND 30 FEET DEEP EXPOSES A 20 FOOT FACE. NORTHERN DIKE - EXPOSED BY A KEYSTONE-SHAPED CUT 60 FEET WIDE AT TOP AND 40 FEET AT THE BOTTOM WITH AN EXPLORATION DRIFT 80 FEET DRIVEN FROM THE CENTER OF THE FACE.
Comment (Location): E 1/2, NE 1/4
Comment (Deposit): THERE ARE 2 LARGE PEGMATITE MASSES
References
Reference (Deposit): MOORE, PAUL B., 1971, AMERICAN MINERALOGIST, VOL. 56, PP. 1-17./BAUER, WERNER H., 1969, AMERICAN MINERALOGIST, VOL. 54, PP. 1312-1323./ROBERTS W.L., AND RAPP, GEORGE, 1965, MINERALOGY OF THE BLACK HILLS, SOUTH DAKOTA SCHOOL OF MINES AND TECHNOLOGY BULLETIN 18
Reference (Deposit): U.S. BUREAU OF MINES, 1955, BLACK HILLS MINERAL ATLAS, SOUTH DAKOTA: PART 2, BUREAU OF MINES INFORMATION CIRCULAR 7707
Reference (Deposit): MOORE, PAUL B., KAMPF, ANTHONY R., AND IRVING, ANTHONY J., 1974, AMERICAN MINERALOGIST, VOL. 59, PP. 900-905.
Reference (Deposit): RITZ, CHARLES, ESSERE, ERIC J., AND REACOR, DONALD R., 1974, AMERICAN MINERALOGIST, VOL. 59, PP. 896-899.
The Top Ten Gold Producing States
These ten states contributed the most to the gold production that built the West from 1848 through the 1930s. The Top Ten Gold Producing States.
