Capitol City Mine

The Capitol City Mine is a zinc, silver, lead, and copper mine located in Hinsdale county, Colorado at an elevation of 10,620 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: Capitol City Mine
Secondary: Patented Claims: Capitol City, MS 1148
Secondary: Capitol City No. 2, MS 1149
Secondary: Lilly, MS 1559
Secondary: Unpatented Claims: Crusader
Secondary: Old Glory
Secondary: High Stepper
Secondary: Panhandle
Secondary: Freeholder
Secondary: Sunny Chief
Secondary: East End
Secondary: Laddie Boy
Secondary: Monkey Shine

Commodity

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

Location

State: Colorado
County: Hinsdale
District: Galena (Henson Creek) 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.

Holdings

Not available

Workings

Not available

Ownership

Owner Name: Joe Gomez And Bob Trotter
Home Office: Gunnison, Co.
Years: 1972 -

Owner Name: Capitol City Mining Corp.
Home Office: Gunnison, Co.
Years: 1972 -

Production

Not available

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Deposit Type: Vein
Operation Type: Unknown
Year Last Production: 1954
Discovery Year: 1882
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

Not available

Orebody

Not available

Structure

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

Type: L
Description: San Juan-Uncompahgre Calderas, Lake City Caldera, Eureka Graben

Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: Chloritization

Rocks

Name: Monzonite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Oligocene

Name: Monzonite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock
Age Young: Miocene

Analytical Data

Not available

Materials

Ore: Sphalerite
Ore: Chalcopyrite
Ore: Pyrite
Gangue: Quartz
Gangue: Chlorite

Comments

Comment (Location): CLAIMS LOCATED WEST OF ADJOINING YELLOW MEDICINE MINE ON WEST SIDE OF YELLOWSTONE GULCH 0.5 TO 1.1 MILE ABOVE CONFLUENCE WITH NORTH FORK HENSON CREEK AND 0.7 TO 1.3 MILES NW OF CAPITOL CITY SITE. ELEV AND LAT-LONG GIVEN ARE FOR OPENING ON LILLY CLAIM. ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :1977

Comment (Production): PARTIAL PRODUCTION RECORD. FIGURES UNAVAILABLE FOR YEARS PRIOR TO 1925. APPARENTLY NO PRODUCTION FROM 1927-1937 AND 1939-1949. USBM MINERALS YEARBOOK CITES PRODUCTION IN 1954, BUT NO FIGURES WERE GIVEN.

Comment (Deposit): MINE LIES NW OF LAKE CITY CALDERA RIM IN UNCOMPAHGRE CALDERA INFILL SEQUENCE, CONSISTING OF EUREKA MEMBER RHYOLITE AND BURNS MEMBER QUARTZ LATITE. SOUTH OF MINE, SEQUENCE IS INTRUDED AND ALTERED BY MONZONITE PORPHYRY AND RHYOLITE PLUGS. STRIKE OF MAIN VEIN IS N 20 W, 80 NE, BUT IN MIDDLE LEVEL IT SPLITS WESTWARD AND TRENDS N 40 W, 70 NE. DEPOSIT LIES IN SLACK'S (1980) QUARTZ/BASE-METAL ASSEMBLAGE, INNER QUARTZ-CHALCOPYRITE ZONE. NW TREND SUGGESTS IT MAY BE RADIAL TO LAKE CITY CALDERA RING FAULT.

Comment (Workings): LILLY TUNNEL DRIVEN GENERALLY NNW FOR 1400 FT, CONNECTED BY RAISES TO THREE 800-FT-LONG CAPITOL CITY TUNNELS. CAPITOL CITY NO. 3 TUNNEL LIES 300 FT ABOVE LILLY TUNNEL AND WAS TO BE EXTENDED 250 FT IN 1972.

References

Reference (Deposit): IRVING, J.D., AND BANCROFT, HOWLAND, 1911, GEOLOGY AND ORE DEPOSITS NEAR LAKE CITY, COLORADO: USGS BULL. 478, P. 77-78.

Reference (Deposit): SLACK, J.F., 1980, MULTISTAGE VEIN ORES OF THE LAKE CITY DISTRICT, WESTERN SAN MOUNTAINS, COLORADO: ECON. GEOLOGY, V. 75, NO. 7, P. 963-991.

Reference (Deposit): LIPMAN, P.W., 1976, GEOLOGIC MAP OF THE LAKE CITY CALDERA AREA, WESTERN SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS, SOUTHWESTERN COLORADO: USGS MAP I-962.

Reference (Deposit): COLORADO DIV. MINES INF. REPTS. AND ANNUAL OPERATOR REPTS.

Reference (Deposit): BLM MINERAL SURVEYS MS 1148, 1149, 1559

Reference (Production): COLORADO DIV. MINES ANNUAL OPERATOR REPTS.

Colorado Mining Photos

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