The Mason Mine is a gold and silver mine located in La Plata county, Colorado at an elevation of 8,901 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: 8,901 Feet (2,713 Meters)
Commodity: Gold, Silver
Lat, Long: 37.39722, -107.89000
Map: View on Google Maps
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.
Mason Mine MRDS details
Site Name
Primary: Mason Mine
Secondary: Poverty Hill Group
Secondary: Unpatented Claims: Banker Lode
Secondary: Gold Coin
Secondary: Golden Eagle
Secondary: Hazel M.
Secondary: Last Chance
Secondary: Lucky Strike
Secondary: Poverty Hill
Secondary: Red Rock
Secondary: Rosalie
Commodity
Primary: Gold
Primary: Silver
Secondary: Lead
Secondary: Copper
Tertiary: Mercury
Location
State: Colorado
County: La Plata
District: California (La Plata) 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
Not available
Ownership
Owner Name: Amalgam Gold Mines Co.
Years: 1937 -
Production
Not available
Deposit
Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Deposit Type: Vein
Operation Type: Unknown
Year First Production: 1912
Year Last Production: 1937
Discovery Year: 1921
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
Not available
Structure
Type: R
Description: San Juan Uplift, Four Corners Platform
Type: L
Description: San Juan Dome
Alterations
Not available
Rocks
Name: Shale
Role: Host
Age Type: Associated Rock
Age Young: Paleocene
Name: Shale
Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Late Triassic
Name: Shale
Role: Host
Age Type: Associated Rock Unit
Age Young: Paleocene
Analytical Data
Not available
Materials
Ore: Gold
Ore: Mercury
Ore: Sylvanite
Ore: Amalgam
Gangue: Quartz
Gangue: Calcite
Gangue: Fluorite
Gangue: Barite
Comments
Comment (Location): (LAND STATUS AND ADMINISTRATIVE AREA LOCATIONS CALCULATED USING GIS OVERLAY ANALYSIS FOR SAN JUAN N. F.). CLAIMS LOCATED IN UNNAMED TRIBUTARY BETWEEN FALLS CREEK AND TRIPP GULCH. MASON AND LOST MINES ARE ON SE PERIPHERY OF DISTRICT. ELEV AND LAT-LONG GIVEN ARE FOR C SE 07. ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :1974
Comment (Production): COMPLETE PRODUCTION RECORD, EXCEPT FOR ORE TONNAGES NOT REPORTED IN 1921, 1934-1935. PRODUCTION FOR 1912 CREDITED TO RED ROCK CLAIM. PRODUCTION IN 1914 CREDITED TO LAST CHANCE CLAIM. NO PRODUCTION REPORTED FOR INTERVENING YEARS 1913, 1915-1920, 1922-1923, 1925-1930, AND AFTER 1937.
Comment (Development): ELMER N. MASON APPARENTLY REDISCOVERED A VEIN IN 1921 FROM WHICH PREVIOUS PRODUCTION WAS RECORDED IN 1912 AND 1914. LATER INTERMITTENT PRODUCTION RECORDED FROM 1921 TO 1937. OPERATORS WERE MASON IN 1921 AND 1924, MASON MILLING AND MINING CO. IN 1931, LAST CHANGE MINING AND MILLING CO. IN 1932-1933, AND AMALGAM GOLD MINES CO. IN 1934-1937.
Comment (Deposit): COUNTRY ROCKS CONSIST OF GENERALLY SOUTHWARD DIPPING DOLORES AND CUTLER FM RED BEDS INTRUDED BY WNW-TRENDING PORPHYRY DIKE AND PARALLEL VEIN. 4- TO 22-FT-WIDE VEIN STRIKES N 80 W, DIPS 65 NE, AND CONSISTS OF BLEACHED AND SILICIFIED ROCK WITH CALCITE VEINLETS. FREE AU IRREGULARLY DISTRIBUTED IN NARROW SEAMS AND CRACKS AND CONTAINS TELLURIDE, AMALGAM, AND NATIVE HG.
Comment (Workings): MINE DEVELOPED BY SURFACE CUTS AND SEVERAL CROSSCUT AND DRIFT TUNNELS. LUCKY STRIKE CLAIM: THREE SHORT PROSPECT TUNNELS DRIVEN NW ON VEIN. POVERTY HILL CLAIM: 120-FT UPPER TUNNEL AND 600-FT LOWER TUNNEL WITH 50-FT CROSSCUT, BOTH DRIVEN NW ON VEIN. GOLD COIN CLAIM: OPEN CUTS AND APPROX 150-FT TUNNEL DRIVEN NW ON VEIN. ROSALIE CLAIM: APPROX 180-FT CROSSCUT TUNNEL DRIVEN SW TO VEIN WITH SHORT NW DRIFT. BANKER LODE CLAIM: 60-FT CROSSCUT WITH 40-FT TUNNEL. GOLDEN EAGLE CLAIM: 340-FT DRIFT. LAST CHANCE CLAIM: 400-FT UPPER TUNNEL DRIVEN NW ON VEIN WITH 84-FT RAISE AT 160 FT FROM PORTAL; 400-FT LOWER TUNNEL DRIVEN NW ON VEIN WITH 30-FT INCLINED RAISE AT FACE. HAZEL M.: 100-FT SHAFT.
Comment (Deposit): "THE GOLD IS HERE AND THERE IS NO TENDERFEET"--E.N. MASON ; INFO.SRC : 1 PUB LIT; 2 UNPUB REPT
References
Reference (Deposit): ALLER, F.D., 1932, REPORT ON A GROUP OF MINING CLAIMS IN THE CALIFORNIA MINING DISTRICT, LA PLATA CO., COLORADO WITH A LETTER FROM FRANK W. LOTT AND L.G. INGERSALL: COLORADO STATE PLANNING COMM. UNPUB REPT., 4 P.
Reference (Deposit): REED, J.R., 1936, REPORT ON THE MASON MILLING AND MINING CO., LA PLATA COUNTY: UNPUB. ENG. REPT., 4 P.
Reference (Deposit): COLORADO DIV. MINES INF. REPTS.
Reference (Deposit): STEVEN, T.A., AND OTHERS, 1974, GEOLOGIC MAP OF THE DURANGO QUADRANGLE, SOUTHWESTERN COLORADO: USGS MAP I-764.
Reference (Production): ECKEL AND OTHERS, 1949, P. 142 (AS COMPILED FROM USBM RECORDS)
Reference (Deposit): ECKEL, E.B., AND OTHERS, 1949, GEOLOGY AND ORE DEPOSITS OF THE LA PLATA DISTRICT, COLORADO: USGS PROF. PAPER 219, P. 73-76, 141-143.
Reference (Deposit): LAKES, ARTHUR, 1906, A PECULIAR OCCURRENCE OF NATIVE MERCURY, FREE GOLD, AND TELLURIDE MINERALS NEAR TRIMBLE SPRINGS, DURANGO: MINING REPORTER, V. 53, NO. 15, P. 389-390.
Colorado Mining Photos
Check out this collection of Colorado's best historic mining photos: Incredible Photos of Colorado Mining Scenes.
