Sumdum Chief Gold Mine

The Sumdum Chief Gold Mine is a gold mine located in Alaska at an elevation of 1,601 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: Sumdum Chief Gold Mine
Secondary: Sumdum Chief
Secondary: Lone Tree
Secondary: Bald Eagle
Secondary: New Racket
Secondary: Golden Slipper Claims

Commodity

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

Location

State: Alaska
District: Petersburg

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.

Holdings

Not available

Workings

Type: Surface

Ownership

Not available

Production

Not available

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Operation Type: Unknown
Year First Production: 1894
Year Last Production: 1903
Discovery Year: 1889
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: N
Deposit Size: S

Physiography

Not available

Mineral Deposit Model

Not available

Orebody

Not available

Structure

Type: L
Description: Limestone Strikes N 16 Degrees W, Dips 81 Degrees N

Alterations

Not available

Rocks

Name: Limestone
Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Late Cretaceous

Analytical Data

Analytical Data: BALD EAGLE VEIN ORE ASSAYED UP TO 0.73 OZ/TON AU. ORE MINED AT AVERAGE OF GRADE OF 0.39 OZ/TON AU. 1 FT. LONG CHIP SAMPLE (4S365) ON UPPER PART OF SUMDUM CHIEF VEIN ASSAYED 0.76 OZ/TON AU, 0.88 OZ/TON AG, 3,100 PPM ZN, 1,900 PPM PB, 940 PPM CU-USGS B 1525, P. 159, 160.

Materials

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

Comments

Comment (Location): USGS B 1525, FIG. 53, 54, 55. LOCATION IS AT ENTRANCE TO SUMDUM CHIEF VEIN STOPE LAND STATUS VALUE CALCULATED 6-94 USING GIS OVERLAY ANALYSIS WITH BLM 1:2,500,000 SCALE OWNERSHIP STATUS MAP (1991).

Comment (Development): BALD EAGLE MINING CO. FORMED IN 1893, PRODUCTION STARTED IN 1894, CONTINUED UNTIL 1903. SUMDUM MINING CO. FORMED IN 1899. MINE CLOSED IN 1903 AFTER ORE BODY MINED OUT.

Comment (Deposit): TWO QUARTZ VEINS IN FISSILE GRAPHITIC LIMESTONE. SUMDUM CHIEF VEIN STRIKES N 80 DEGREES E AND DIPS 84 DEGREES N; AND IS 3 FT. WIDE AT SURFACE BUT NARROWS TO VEIN FILLING WHERE INTERSECTED BY DRIFT AT 1,200 FT.. BALD EAGLE VEIN IS 2 FT. WIDE AT SURFACE AND WIDENS TO 20 FT. WHERE INTERSECTED BY DRIFT AT 500 FT.. AT THAT DEPTH ORE GRADE IS ONLY 0.05-0.10 OZ/TON AU, WHICH WAS TOO UNECONOMICAL TO MINE. VEINS CONTAIN MINOR PYRITE, SPHALERITE, GALENA, CHALCOPYRITE, AND GOLD IN DISSEMINATED FINE GRAINS. GOLD APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN INTRODUCED WITH QUARTZ AND OTHER SULFIDES, AND IS INTERGRANULAR WITH QUARTZ, OFTEN FORMING ADJACENT TO SULFIDES.

Comment (Workings): 3,500 FT. HAULAGE DRIFT WITH 1,600 FT. RAISE DRIVEN FROM END OF DRIFT. AERIAL TRAM CONNECTS MAIN PORTAL WITH MILL, AND 1 MI. OF ROAD AND SURFACE TRAMWAY. ALL ARE NEARLY OBLITERATED, AND MAIN PORTAL OF MINE IS CAVED (AS OF 1984).

Comment (Deposit): CRONEY PROSPECT CLAIM ADJOINS SUMDUM CHIEF CLAIM. ; INFO.SRC : 1 PUB LIT

References

Reference (Deposit): USBM OFR 91-86, P. 14-24 (1986)

Reference (Other Database): BAG-B-1525-FIGS-53, 54, 55

Reference (Deposit): USGS B 1525, P. 157-162, FIGS. 53-55 (1984)

Reference (Deposit): USGS OF 78-698, P. 30, 31 (1978)

The Top Ten Gold Producing States

These ten states contributed the most to the gold production that built the West from 1848 through the 1930s. The Top Ten Gold Producing States.