The Bell Hamilton Mine is a silver and copper mine located in Montezuma county, Colorado at an elevation of 10,098 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
Elevation: 10,098 Feet (3,078 Meters)
Commodity: Silver, Copper
Lat, Long: 37.49083, -108.05861
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Bell Hamilton Mine MRDS details
Site Name
Primary: Bell Hamilton Mine
Commodity
Primary: Silver
Primary: Copper
Location
State: Colorado
County: Montezuma
District: Bear Creek District
Land Status
Land ownership: National Forest
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: San Juan N. F.
Holdings
Not available
Workings
Type: Underground
Ownership
Not available
Production
Not available
Deposit
Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Prospect
Operation Type: Underground
Year First Production: 1882
Year Last Production: 1932
Discovery Year: 1882
Discovery Method: Ore-Mineral In Place
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: N
Deposit Size: S
Physiography
General Physiographic Area: Intermontane Plateaus
Physiographic Province: Colorado Plateaus
Physiographic Section: Navajo Section
Mineral Deposit Model
Model Name: Polymetallic veins
Orebody
Form: LENSES, SEAMS, PEBBLE-LIKE MASSES
Structure
Type: R
Description: San Juan Uplift (San Juan Mountains), La Plata Mountains Dome
Type: L
Description: Faults, Fractures Parallel To Dike For 10 To 20 Ft
Alterations
Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: Hydrothermal Alteration, Bleaching
Rocks
Name: Monzonite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock Unit
Age Young: Late Triassic
Name: Monzonite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock Unit
Age Young: Pliocene
Name: Monzonite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Late Triassic
Name: Monzonite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock
Age Young: Pliocene
Analytical Data
Analytical Data: SORTED ORE CONTAINED 25-30% CU
Analytical Data: UNSORTED ORE REPORTED TO CONTAIN 4-5% CU
Materials
Ore: Malachite
Ore: Chalcocite
Ore: Silver
Gangue: Calcite
Gangue: Pyrite
Gangue: Limonite
Comments
Comment (Production): According to PP-219, p. 91: "Apparently no ore was ever shipped from the property, and no minable ore was observed by the writer"
Comment (Production): APPARENTLY "CONSIDERABLE SORTED COPPER ORE CONTAINING 25% CU WAS AT ONE TIME STACKED ON THE DUMP BUT WAS CARRIED AWAY BY A CLOUDBURST". NO REPORT OF SHIPPED ORE HAS BEEN FOUND.
Comment (Deposit): DEPOSIT WITHIN 40 FT OF BORDERS OF MONZONITE PORPHYRY DIKE; SOMETIMES CHALCOCITE DISSEMINATED ALONG BEDDING CLOSE TO CARBONACEOUS MATERIAL, LOCALLY REPLACING LIMESTONE PEBBLES
Comment (Workings): TWO CROSSCUT TUNNELS, 100 AND 300 FT LONG, BOTH CAVED IN 1932; ONE 25-FT TUNNEL ALONG a FAULT.
Comment (Geology): ALL OF THE DEPOSITS IN THIS AREA ARE CLOSELY ASSOCIATED WITH THE MONZONITE DIKES.
Comment (Location): Location from PP-219, pl. 13 transferred to La Plata 7.5' topo. At 10,100 ft. elevation.
Comment (Commodity): MALACHITE COATS CHALCOCITE AND FRACTURE SURFACES AS A MINOR CONSTITUENT
References
Reference (Deposit): GODDARD, E.N., 1949, COPPER DEPOSITS OF THE BEAR CREEK DISTRICT, IN ECKEL, E.B., 1949, GEOLOGY AND ORE DEPOSITS OF THE LA PLATA DISTRICT, COLORADO: USGS PROF. PAPER 219, P. 70-72, 90-91, pl. 13, #4.
Reference (Deposit): BURCHARD, H.C., 1883, REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR OF THE MINT FOR 1882, P. 508.
Colorado Mining Photos
Check out this collection of Colorado's best historic mining photos: Incredible Photos of Colorado Mining Scenes.
