Blue Bird Mine

The Blue Bird Mine is a silver mine located in Silver Bow county, Montana 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: Blue Bird Mine
Secondary: Bluebird Mine

Commodity

Primary: Silver
Tertiary: Zinc
Tertiary: Manganese

Location

State: Montana
County: Silver Bow
District: Butte 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

Type: Underground

Ownership

Owner Name: Blue Bird Consolidated Mining Co.

Production

Not available

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Operation Type: Unknown
Year First Production: 1885
Discovery Year: 1881
Discovery Method: Ore-Mineral In Place
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: N

Physiography

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

Mineral Deposit Model

Not available

Orebody

Form: PINCH AND SWELL

Structure

Type: R
Description: Boulder Batholith

Alterations

Not available

Rocks

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

Analytical Data

Not available

Materials

Ore: Argentite
Ore: Sphalerite
Ore: Rhodochrosite
Ore: Silver

Comments

Comment (Location): BLUE BIRD MILL IN SEC. 16 AND 21, T. 3 N., R. 8 W.

Comment (Production): DAILY PRODUCTION ESTIMATED AT 200 TONS PER DAY (SWALLOW AND TREVARTHEN, 1890)

Comment (Development): MILL$: 0.3 ; ECON.COM: MILL CAPACITY 120 TONS PER DAY - 1887

Comment (Deposit): VEIN STRIKES GENERALLY EAST AND DIPS SOUTH - VEIN NARROWS IN PLACES TO 12 FT WIDE

References

Reference (Deposit): SWALLOW, G. C., AND TREVARTHEN, J. B., 1890, REPORTS OF THE INSPECTOR OF MINES AND DEPUTY INSPECTOR OF MINES FOR THE SIX MONTHS ENDING NOV. 30, 1889: JOUR. PUB. CO., HELENA, MONTANA

Reference (Deposit): ANONYMOUS, NO DATE, REPORT ON BLUE BIRD MINE: ON FILE AT MONTANA BUREAU OF MINES AND GEOLOGY, BUTTE.

Reference (Deposit): CONROW, J. M., NO DATE, BLUEBIRD MINE: ON FILE AT MONTANA BUREAU OF MINES AND GEOLOGY, BUTTE

Reference (Production): ANONYMOUS, NO DATE, BLUE BIRD MINE

Reference (Deposit): WEED, W. H., EMMONS, S. F., AND TOWER, G. W., 1897, BUTTE SPECIAL FOLIO (MONTANA): U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY GEOL. ATLAS, FOLIO 38

Principal Gold Districts of Montana

In Montana, 54 mining districts have each have produced more than 10,000 ounces of gold. The largest producers are Butte, Helena, Marysville, and Virginia City, each having produced more than one million ounces. Twenty seven other districts are each credited with between 100,000 and one million ounces of gold production. Read more: Principal Gold Districts of Montana.