Western Mining History
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Headlight Mine

The Headlight Mine is a copper, silver, and gold mine located in Gunnison county, Colorado at an elevation of 8,829 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

Name: Headlight Mine

State:  Colorado

County:  Gunnison

Elevation: 8,829 Feet (2,691 Meters)

Commodity: Copper, Silver, Gold

Lat, Long: 38.35083, -107.11444

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.


Satelite image of the Headlight Mine

Headlight Mine MRDS details

Site Name

Primary: Headlight Mine
Secondary: Patented Claims: Headlight, MS 16336
Secondary: Poorman, MS 16336
Secondary: Portland. MS 16336: Gray Horse, MS 16336
Secondary: Baltimore, MS 1981
Secondary: Camp Bird, MS 19981
Secondary: Boston, MS 19982
Secondary: Badger, MS 19983
Secondary: Portland Extension, MS 20114
Secondary: Camp Bird No. 1, MS 20114
Secondary: Camp Bird No. 2, MS 20114
Secondary: Boston Extension, MS 20115
Secondary: Headlight Extension, MS 20115

Commodity

Primary: Copper
Primary: Silver
Primary: Gold
Tertiary: Zinc

Location

State: Colorado
County: Gunnison
District: Goose Creek 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

Not available

Ownership

Owner Name: Headlight Gold Mining And Milling Co.
Home Office: Cincinnati, Oh.
Years: 1921 -

Production

Year: 1919
Material type: ORE AU AG ACC
Description: Ap_Grade: ^0.255 Oz/Ton Au, 2.8 Oz/Ton Ag, 5.3% Cu

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Operation Type: Unknown
Year Last Production: 1919
Discovery Method: Ore-Mineral In Place
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: N
Deposit Size: S

Physiography

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

Mineral Deposit Model

Not available

Orebody

Not available

Structure

Type: R
Description: Gunnison Uplift, San Juan Volcanic Field

Type: L
Description: Gunnison Gold Belt, Iron Hill Alkalic Complex, Tolvar Peak Stock, Headlight Syncline

Alterations

Not available

Rocks

Name: Diabase
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock Unit
Age Young: Late Ordovician

Name: Diabase
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Neoproterozoic

Name: Diabase
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock
Age Young: Late Ordovician

Analytical Data

Analytical Data: 0.004 TO 0.067 OZ/TON AU (0.13 TO 2.11 G/MT), AVERAGE 0.023 OZ/TON (0.71 G/MT). DROBECK'S (1979) SAMPLES CONTAINED AS HIGH AS 5.07% ZN, 0.3% PB, 0.73% CU, 0.5 OZ/TON AG, 0.04 OZ/TON AU.
Analytical Data: 0.096 TO 2.24 OZ/TON AG (3 TO 70 G/MT), AVERAGE 0.96 OZ/TON (30 G/MT)
Analytical Data: 0 TO 0.3% PB, AVERAGE 0.13%
Analytical Data: 0.1 TO GT 10% ZN, AVERAGE GT 6%
Analytical Data: OVERALL ANALYSIS OF SAMPLES FROM EACH OF THE FIVE MINES IN AREA (HEADLIGHT, IRONCAP, ANACONDA, GOOD HOPE, VULCAN) CONTAINED 0.07 TO 7.0% CU, AVERAGE 2.3%

Materials

Ore: Chalcopyrite
Ore: Sphalerite
Ore: Tetrahedrite
Gangue: Chlorite
Gangue: Tremolite
Gangue: Malachite
Gangue: Garnet
Gangue: Sericite
Gangue: Gahnite
Gangue: Cordierite

Comments

Comment (Workings): TWO SHAFTS; OPEN CUTS. CDM REPORT DESCRIBES ONE SHAFT AS 400 FT DEEP, VERTICAL, WITH TWO LEVELS: LEVEL 2 HAS 500 FT OF DRIFT AND CROSSCUTS, LEVEL 4 HAS 65-FT CROSSCUT AND 125-FT DRIFT.

Comment (Location): ON WEST SIDE OF WILDCAT GULCH 0.8 MILE NW OF COLORADO RTE 149. ELEV AND LAT-LONG GIVEN ARE FOR HEADLIGHT SHAFT IN C W2 E2 SE SE SEC. 05. ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :1976

Comment (Deposit): NELSON AND RIESMEYER (1983) DESCRIBED DEPOSIT AS THICK PILE OF FELSIC VOLCANICS (RHYOLITE), VOLCANICLASTICS, AND CHERT LAYER FOLDED INTO WEST-PLUNGING SYNCLINE. RHYOLITE BELOW CHERT LAYER ON NORTH LIMB OF SYNCLINE STRONGLY ALTERED TO SERICITE-CHLORITE+/-TREMOLITE+/-GARNET+/-CORDIERITE AND CONTAINS DISSEMINATED CHALCOPYRITE-SPHALERITE+/-TETRAHEDRITE AND THE ZN SPINEL, GAHNITE. ALTERED SEQUENCE IN MINE AREA IS ABOUT 200 FT THICK, TRACEABLE FOR ABOUT 5000 FT TO WEST WHERE IT LOCALLY THICKENS TO OVER 1000 FT. DISTRIBUTION MAY REFLECT ALTERATION SYSTEM DEVELOPED ON FLANKS OF MASSIVE RHYOLITE PILE THAT WAS SUBSEQUENTLY DRAGGED OUT ALONG NORTH LIMB OF COMPLEX, DEFORMED SYNFORM.

Comment (Production): PARTIAL PRODUCTION RECORD. FIGURES UNAVAILABLE FOR YEARS PRIOR TO 1919, WHICH WAS LAST YEAR OF REPORTED PRODUCTION.

References

Reference (Deposit): SHERIDAN, D.M., AND OTHERS, 1981, PRECAMBRIAN SULFIDE DEPOSITS IN THE GUNNISON REGION, COLORADO, IN EPIS, R.C., AND CALLENDER, J.F., EDS., WESTERN SLOPE COLORADO: NEW MEXICO GEOL. SOC. 32D FIELD CONF. GUIDEBOOK, P. 273-277.

Reference (Deposit): NELSON, C.J., AND RIESMEYER, W.D., 1983, GEOLOGY OF THE ANACONDA-GUNNISON MINE AREA, GUNNISON COUNTY, COLORADO, IN HANDFIELD, R.C., ED., GUNNISON OLD BELT AND POWDERHORN CARBONATITE FIELD TRIP GUIDEBOOK: DREGS, P. 8-18.

Reference (Deposit): TROST, P.B., 1975, GEOLOGIC REPORT ON THE VULCAN-ANACONDA-HEADLIGHT MINE AREA, DUBOIS GREENSTONE BELT, GUNNISON COUNTY, COLORADO: UNPUB. CONSULTING REPT.

Reference (Deposit): HEDLUND, D.C., AND OLSON, J.C., 1975, GEOLOGIC MAP OF THE POWDERHORN QUADRANGLE, GUNNISON AND SAGUACHE COUNTIES, COLORADO: USGS MAP GQ-1178.

Reference (Deposit): NELSON, A.P., (NO DATE), MINING DISTRICTS, PRODUCING MINES AND PROSPECTIVE PROPERTIES (OF GUNNISON COUNTY): COLORADO STATE PLAN. COMM. UNPUB. REPT., P. 6.

Reference (Deposit): BLM MINERAL SURVEY MS 16336, 19981, 19982, 19983, 20114, 20115

Reference (Deposit): COLORADO DIV. MINES INF. REPTS. AND ANNUAL OPERATOR REPTS.

Reference (Deposit): DROBECK, P.A., 1979, GEOLOGY AND TRACE ELEMENT GEOCHEMISTRY OF A PART OF THE GUNNISON GOLD BELT: COLORADO SCHOOL OF MINES M.SC. THESIS T-2251, P. 141-142.

Reference (Production): COLORADO DIV. MINES ANNUAL OPERATOR REPT.

Colorado Mining Photos

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