Little Giant Mine

The Little Giant Mine is a silver and gold mine located in San Juan county, Colorado at an elevation of 12,451 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: Little Giant Mine
Secondary: Patented Claim: Little Giant
Secondary: Ms 9145

Commodity

Primary: Silver
Primary: Gold
Secondary: Copper
Secondary: Lead
Tertiary: Antimony
Tertiary: Tellurium
Tertiary: Zinc

Location

State: Colorado
County: San Juan
District: Beartown (Bear Creek) District

Land Status

Administrative Organization: San Juan N. F. (?)

Holdings

Not available

Workings

Not available

Ownership

Owner Name: Bill Jim Gold Mining Co.
Home Office: Denver, Co.
Years: 1897 -

Production

Not available

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Deposit Type: Vein
Operation Type: Unknown
Year First Production: 1892
Year Last Production: 1961
Discovery Year: 1892
Discovery Method: Ore-Mineral In Place
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: N
Deposit Size: S

Physiography

General Physiographic Area: Rocky Mountain System
Physiographic Province: Southern Rocky Mountains

Mineral Deposit Model

Model Name: Alkaline Au-Te (Au-Ag-Te veins)

Orebody

Not available

Structure

Type: R
Description: San Juan Uplift, San Juan Volcanic Field

Type: L
Description: San Juan Uplift, Unnamed Fault

Alterations

Not available

Rocks

Name: Rhyodacite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock Unit
Age Young: Neoproterozoic

Name: Rhyodacite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Neoproterozoic

Name: Rhyodacite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock
Age Young: Oligocene

Analytical Data

Not available

Materials

Ore: Bornite
Ore: Sphalerite
Ore: Marcasite
Ore: Sylvanite
Ore: Petzite
Ore: Chalcopyrite
Ore: Tetrahedrite
Ore: Galena
Ore: Calaverite
Gangue: Quartz
Gangue: Barite
Gangue: Calcite
Gangue: Limonite
Gangue: Hematite

Comments

Comment (Location): (LAND STATUS AND ADMINISTRATIVE AREA LOCATIONS CALCULATED USING GIS OVERLAY ANALYSIS FOR SAN JUAN N. F.). ON HILLSIDE ABOVE UNNAMED TRIBUTARY OF BEAR CREEK APPROX EAST OF MIDWAY BETWEEN GOOD HOPE AND GOLD BUG MINES, 1.4 MILES SW OF BEARTOWN SITE (UNSURVEYED SECTION). ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :41? 01 1977

Comment (Commodity): CDM REPORT CITES UNSPECIFIED TELLURIDE AND "COPPER GLANCE" (CHALCOCITE). TELLURIDES, CU-PB-ZN SULFIDES (EXCEPT CHALCOCITE), AND OXIDIZED ORES LISTED ARE REPORTED GENERALLY FOR DISTRICT AND NOR SPECIFICALLY MENTIONED AT THIS MINE. MINOR PRODUCTION OF CU AND PB LIKEWISE NOT VERIFIED.

Comment (Deposit): MINE DEVELOPED ON NNW-TRENDING QUARTZ VEIN EAST OF CENTRALLY CONCENTRATED PRODUCTIVE VEIN ZONE AND CUTTING DIAGONALLY ACROSS EAST-WEST-TRENDING QUARTZITE FAULT BLOCK.

Comment (Workings): 1897 DESCRIPTION CITES 68-FT SHAFT WITH 30-FT SOUTH DRIFT AT BOTTOM; OPEN CUT NEAR SHAFT COLLAR

References

Reference (Deposit): BLM MINERAL SURVEY MS 9145

Reference (Deposit): COLORADO DIV. MINES INSP. REPTS., 1897, V. 3, P. 265.

Reference (Deposit): CROSS, WHITMAN, AND OTHERS, 1905, DESCRIPTION OF THE NEEDLE MOUNTAINS QUADRANGLE, COLORADO: USGS FOLIO 131.

Reference (Deposit): STEVEN, T.A., AND OTHERS, 1974, GEOLOGIC MAP OF THE DURANGO QUADRANGLE, SOUTHWESTERN COLORADO: USGS MAP I-764.

Reference (Deposit): STEVEN, T.A., AND OTHERS, 1969, MINERAL RESOURCES OF THE SAN JUAN PRIMITIVE AREA, COLORADO: USGS BULL. 1261-F, P. 67-71, 89-90.

Colorado Mining Photos

Check out this collection of Colorado's best historic mining photos: Incredible Photos of Colorado Mining Scenes.