Buffalo Mine

The Buffalo Mine is a silver, gold, copper, lead, and zinc mine located in Grant county, Oregon at an elevation of 5,600 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: Buffalo Mine
Secondary: Monitor
Secondary: Constitution

Commodity

Primary: Silver
Primary: Gold
Primary: Copper
Primary: Lead
Primary: Zinc

Location

State: Oregon
County: Grant
District: Granite 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.
Administrative Organization: Wallowa-Whitman National Forest

Holdings

Not available

Workings

Type: Underground

Ownership

Owner Name: American Amex,Inc. /Vincent Coluccio, Seattle, Wa

Owner Name: James Jackson

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: Intermontane Plateaus
Physiographic Province: Columbia Plateau
Physiographic Section: Blue Mountain Section
Physiographic Detail: Elkhorn Mountains

Mineral Deposit Model

Not available

Orebody

Form: TABULAR

Structure

Type: R
Description: Ne Trending Blue Mountains Uplift

Type: L
Description: E Trending Isoclinal Folds

Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: Selvage

Rocks

Name: Diorite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock
Age Young: Late Cretaceous

Analytical Data

Analytical Data: ORE IS ABOUT 10 PERCENT SULFIDES

Materials

Ore: Chalcopyrite
Ore: Tetrahedrite
Ore: Pyrargyrite
Ore: Gold
Ore: Sphalerite
Ore: Galena
Ore: Pyrite
Gangue: Calcite
Gangue: Quartz

Comments

Comment (Production): ITEMS 8 AND 9 REPRESENT RECORDED PRODUCTION 1903-1965. PRODUCTION 1880-1903 IS UNKNOWN, BUT ESTIMATES BASED ON KNOWN GRADE AND STOPE VOLUMES ARE ABOUT DOUBLE RECORDED PRODUCTION. SEE ITEMS 10 AND 11.

Comment (Development): MILL REHABILITATED AND LOWER ADIT REOPENNED (1981)

Comment (Geology): DIKES, HIGHLY ALTERED.

Comment (Deposit): CONSV. RECORD M014806 HAS BEEN MERGED WITH THIS ONE, AND DELETED FROM OREGON FILE.

References

Reference (Deposit): 1941 ORE. DEPT. GEOL. MIN. IND.: BULL. 14-B: 157 P.

Reference (Deposit): 1959 ORE. DEPT. GEOL. MIN. IND.: BULL. 49; 49 P.

Reference (Production): BROOKS, H. C., AND RAMP. L., 1968, GOLD AND SILVER IN OREGON, P. 78

Reference (Deposit): KOCH, G.S., JR., 1959, LODE MINES OF THE CENTRAL PART OF THE GRANITE MINING DISTRICT, GRANT COUNTY, OREGON: ORE. DEPT. GEOL. MIN. INDUSTRIES BULL. 49, 49P.

Reference (Deposit): OREGON DEPARTMENT OF GEOLOGY AND MINERAL INDUSTRIES, 1941, OREGON METAL MINES HANDBOOK; NORTHEASTERN OREGON-WEST HALF: BULL. 14-B, 157 P.

Reference (Deposit): HEWETT, D. F., 1931, ZONAL RELATIONS OF THE LODES OF THE SUMPTER QUADRANGLE: A.I.M.E. TRANSACTIONS 5: 305-346.

Reference (Deposit): BROOKS, H.C. AND OTHERS, 1982, MAP OF THE GEOLOGY ANA G3 82 01

Reference (Deposit): 1901 RECON LINDGREN

Reference (Deposit): 1914 RECON ORE, BU.MINES GEOL.: MIN RES. OF ORE. 1(8): 229 P.

Oregon Gold

"Where to Find Gold in Oregon" 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 Oregon. Read more: Where to Find Gold in Oregon.