Golden Leaf Group (Bannack)

Site Name

Primary: Golden Leaf Group (Bannack)
Secondary: Sleeping Princess
Secondary: Bannack
Secondary: New York-Montana

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Commodity

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

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Location

State: Montana
County: Beaverhead
District: Bannack District

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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.

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Holdings

Not available

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Workings

Type: Underground

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Ownership

Owner Name: Spokane National Mines, Inc.
Home Office: 424 Hutton Bldg. Spokane, WA 99204

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Production

Not available

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Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Deposit Type: Skarn Au
Operation Type: Unknown
Discovery Year: 1863
Discovery Method: Ore-Mineral Not In Place
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: N
Deposit Size: S

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Physiography

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

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Mineral Deposit Model

Model Name: Skarn Au

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Orebody

Form: IRREGULAR PIPES

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Structure

Type: R
Structure: NORTH-TRENDING BELT OF OVERTHRUST FAULTING

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Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration: MARBLE, SKARN

Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: Oxidation, Intense Garnetization

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Rocks

Name: Diorite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock
Age Young: Pliocene

Name: Diorite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Mississippian

Name: Diorite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock Unit
Age Young: Pliocene

Name: Diorite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock Unit
Age Young: Mississippian

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Analytical Data

Not available

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Materials

Ore: Malachite
Ore: Bornite
Ore: Chalcopyrite
Ore: Silver
Ore: Sphalerite
Ore: Gold
Ore: Melaconite
Ore: Smithsonite
Ore: Galena
Ore: Chrysocolla
Gangue: Quartz
Gangue: Epidote
Gangue: Gypsum
Gangue: Magnetite
Gangue: Idocrase
Gangue: Sulfur
Gangue: Calcite
Gangue: Pyrite
Gangue: Chlorite
Gangue: Siderite
Gangue: Garnet
Gangue: Limonite

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Comments

Comment (Exploration): 1862 - DAKOTA LODE, FIRST QUARTZ LODE IN MONTANA, 6-STAMP MILL BUILT AT THE SAME TIME. 1870 - 4 MILLS BUILD PREVIOUS TO 1870. 1894 - WESTERN ENTERPRISE MINING COMPANY OPERATES AT BANNACK. 1905 - BANNACK CONSOLIDATED MINING COMPANY FORMS. 1909 - DUNN DEVELOPMENT COMPANY LEASES MINES. 1914 - 200-TON CYANIDE MILL BUILT BY THE BANNACK GOLD MINING AND MILLING CO. 1915 - NEW YORK MONTANA MINES COMPANY TAKES OVER MINES, BUILT 250-TON MILL, OPERATED ONE YEAR. 1920 - DUNN DEVELOPMENT COMPANY LEASES PROPERTIES AGAIN. A STAMP MILL WAS BUILT ON THE HENDRICKS PROPERTY AND OPERATED FOR ABOUT TWO YEARS. 1929 - I.B. HAVILAND COMPANY LEASED BANNACK PROPERTIES. 1933 - THOMPSON GOLD MILLING COMPANY TOOK OVER BANNACK PROPERTIES. 1942 - MINES CLOSED BY GOVERNMENT ORDER (ALTHOUGH GEACH, 1972 LISTS STOPPAGE IN 1944). 1970?S? - SPOKANE NATIONAL MINES LEASES PROPERTIES.

Comment (Production): LODE PRODUCTION FOR THE BANNACK DISTRICT THROUGH 1950 IS ESTIMATED AT 108,400 OUNCES (AND FROM PLACER 132,000 OUNCES GOLD). FROM 1902-1965, LODE PRODUCTION WAS 124,687 TONS ORE WITH 40,108 OZ AU, 113,776 OZ AG, 92,930 LBS CU, 138,147 LBS PB, 880 LBS ZN FOR A TOTAL VALUE OF $1,136,455. (GEACH, 1972).

Comment (Orebody): AROUND IGNEOUS BODIES BUT IN LIMESTONE; ?THE ORE DEPOSITS OCCUR AT OR NEAR THE CONTACT BETWEEN THE GRANODIORITE AND LIMESTONE AND OCCUR CHIEFLY AT OR NEAR THE APEX OF APOPHYSES (GRANODIORITE OUTLIERS) WHICH EXTEND INTO THE LIMESTONE.? (SHENON, 1931). ASSOCIATED WITH THE FRACTURING SURROUNDING THE INTRUSIVES.

Comment (Geology): LIMESTONE STRIKES N. 75 DEG E, DIPS 30 DEG NNW. (WINCHELL, 1914) GRANODIORITE INTRUSIVES MAY BE SATELLITES OFF OF BOULDER BATHOLITH; BANNACK GRANODIORITE STOCK IS ABOUT 1 MILE LONG AND 1/3 MILE WIDE; ANOTHER SMALLER STOCK LIES 1/3 MILE NORTH OF GRASSHOPPER CREEK; A TABULAR GRANODIORITE DIKE CROPS OUT ON THE BLUE GRASS AND GOLD BUG CLAIMS. (THE TWO STOCKS MAY BE CONNECTED AT DEPTH). (GEACH, 1972) ORE IS IN THE LIMESTONE AND NOT IN THE EPIDOTE-GARNET ?TACTITE?

Comment (Reserve-Resource): POTENT. RESERVES-LOW GRADE WALL ROCK & ORE SHOOTS

Comment (Location): WEST 1/2, NW 1/4, SECTION 8.

Comment (Production): FIGURES FROM LISTING OF SLEEPING PRINCESS GROUP, ADDITIONALLY THE GROUP PRODUCED 2,043 LB. LEAD.

Comment (Deposit): IRREGULAR TACTITE ZONE FOLLOWS GRANODIORITE-LIMESTONE CONTACT. BEST ORE DEPOSITS OCCUR OUTSIDE OF GARNET ZONE ALONG GRANODIORITE APOPHYSES IN LIMESTONE.

Comment (Reference): WINCHELL, A.N., 1914, MINING DISTRICTS OF THE DILLON QUADRANGLE AND ADJACENT AREAS: USGS BULLETIN 574, P. 72-75.?GEACH, R.D., 1972, MINES AND MINERAL DEPOSITS (EXCEPT FUELS) OF BEAVERHEAD COUNTY: MBMG BULLETIN 85, P. 78-86.?SHENON, P.J., 1931, GEOLOGY AND ORE DEPOSITS OF BANNACK AND ARGENTA, MONTANA: MBMG BULLETIN 6, 80 P. ?LOWELL, W.R., 1965, GEOLOGIC MAP OF THE BANNACK-GRAYLING AREA, BEAVERHEAD COUNTY, MONTANA: MISCELLANEOUS GEOLOGIC INVESTIGATIONS MAP I-433, SCALE 1:31,680.?1968, PRINCIPAL GOLD-PRODUCING DISTRICTS OF THE UNITED STATES, USGS PROFESSIONAL PAPER 610, 283 P.?SASSMAN, OREN, 1941, METAL MINING IN HISTORIC BEAVERHEAD: BOZEMAN, MONTANA STATE UNIVERSITY, MA THESIS, 310 P. ?NORTHERN TESTING LABORATORIES, 1982, REPORT OF GEOTECHNICAL INVESTIGATION (TO ABANDONED MINE RECLAMATION BUREAU, DEPARTMENT OF STATE LANDS), HARD ROCK MINE DUMP AND MILL POND PROJECT, WESTERN MONTANA, VOLUMES I AND II, 26 P. AND 13 P., WITH APPENDICES (TRACE ELEMENT ANALYSES TEST RESULTS, CROSS SECTIONS, LOGS OF EXPLORATION HOLES), BILLINGS, MONTANA, NOVEMBER 17, 1982.?LOEN, J.S., AND PEARSON, R.C., 1989, MAP SHOWING LOCATIONS OF MINES AND PROSPECTS IN THE DILLON 1 X 2 QUADRANGLE, IDAHO AND MONTANA: U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY MISCELLANEOUS INVESTIGATIONS SERIES MAP I-1803-C, 85 P., SCALE 1:250,000.?

Comment (Deposit): Merged data from Deposit ID's 10123571 (Bannack Mines), and 10105638 (Hendricks-Graeter Mine)

Comment (Names): MINES IN THE BANNACK DISTRICT INCLUDE: EXCELSIOR, GOLDEN LEAF GROUP (WADAMS, WALLACE, AND GOLDEN LEAF MINES), BLUE GRASS AND GOLD BUG, HENDRICKS (GRAETER). GEACH (1972) INCLUDES THE BEA ANN, EXCELSIOR, GOLD BUG AND BLUE GRASS, GOLDEN LEAF (SLEEPING PRINCESS), HENDRICKS (GRAETER), LAURILENE NO. 1 MINES IN THE BANNACK DISTRICT.

Comment (Workings): WADAMS, WALLACE, PRISCILLA AND GOLDEN LEAF CLAIMS ARE CONNECTED BY THREE ADIT LEVELS: IN DESCENDING ORDER, WALLACE, GOLDEN LEAF AND PRISCILLA, PLUS DUNN LEVEL INCLINED WINZE OF THE PRISCILLA.

Comment (Geology): ORE LIES OUTSIDE OF GARNET ZONE. ENTIRELY OXIDIZED ORE OCCURS AT SURFACE BUT BECOMES SULPHIDE IN LOWER WORKINGS.

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References

Reference (Deposit): USGS BULL 574.

Reference (Deposit): ENG AND MIN JOUR, V. 64.

Reference (Deposit): USGS MAP I-433.

Reference (Deposit): MBMG BULL 6, P. 41-42.

Reference (Deposit): 1972 RECON M.B.M.G. BULL. 85

Reference (Production): GEACH, R. D., 1972, MT. BUREAU OF MINES & GEOLOGY BULL. 85.

Reference (Deposit): 1914 COMPILE WINCHELL, A. N. - DILLON QUAD.

Reference (Deposit): 1931 COMPILE M.B.M.G. BULLETIN 6.

Reference (Deposit): 1965 GEOLMAP LOWELL, W. R. MAP OF BANNACK - GRAYLING

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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.