Gnome Mine

The Gnome Mine is a silver, gold, lead, and copper mine located in Hinsdale county, Colorado at an elevation of 12,661 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: Gnome Mine
Secondary: Patented Claim: Gnome, MS 14680
Secondary: Unpatented Claims: Sydney Nos. 1-3
Secondary: Bull Run
Secondary: Bull Run No. 1
Secondary: Gnome Nos. 1-26

Commodity

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

Location

State: Colorado
County: Hinsdale
District: Park (Whitecross, Burrows Park, Adams) 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: Southern Union Production Co.
Home Office: Denver, Co.
Years: 1971 -

Owner Name: Ed Hughes Mining Co.
Home Office: Grand Junction, Co.
Years: 1971 -

Production

Not available

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Deposit Type: Vein
Operation Type: Unknown
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: San Juan Volcanic Field, San Juan Depression

Type: L
Description: San Juan-Uncompahgre Calderas, Lake City Caldera, Silverton Caldera, Eureka Graben

Alterations

Not available

Rocks

Name: Quartz Monzonite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock Unit
Age Young: Oligocene

Name: Quartz Monzonite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Oligocene

Name: Quartz Monzonite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock Unit
Age Young: Oligocene

Name: Quartz Monzonite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock
Age Young: Oligocene

Analytical Data

Not available

Materials

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

Comments

Comment (Deposit): DEPOSITS IN THE CENTRAL DISTRICT ARE VEIN AND VEIN REPLACEMENT ZINC-LEAD-COPPER-SILVER ORE DEPOSITS. NUMEROUS FAULTS TRAVERSE THE REGION AND MINERALIZING FLUIDS FOLLOWED THE FAULTS. THERE WERE THREE PERIODS OF MINERALIZATION; MAJOR MINERALIZATION TAKING PLACE DURING THE SECOND PERIOD. ALL OF THE INTRUSIVE ROCKS HAVE BEEN HYDROTHERMALLY ALTERED. A CONCLUSION WAS DRAWN BY LASKY (1936, P.L) THAT EACH GENERAL PERIOD OF INTRUSION WAS FOLLOWED BY ROCK ALTERATION THAT PASSED AS A CONTINUOUS PROCESS INTO VEIN FORMATION.

Comment (Workings): THE MINES IN THIS DISTRICT WERE WORKED BY UNDERGROUND SHAFTS, STOPES AND DRIFTS.

Comment (Location): LOCATION IS ACCURATE FOR THE GROUNDHOG MINE. THE DISTRICT IS CENTERED AROUND THE COMMON CORNER OF T. 17, 18 S., R. 12, 13 W. THE TERM CENTRAL DISTRICT HAS BEEN APPLIED IN A BROADER SENSE TO INCLUDE THE FIERRO-HANOVER, FIERRO MANGANESE, GEORGETOWN AND SANTA RITA DISTRICTS. ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :1979; PREVIOUS QUAD DESIGNATION = FORT BAYARD (1947) 1:24000

Comment (Commodity): COMMODITIES AND ORE MINERALS LISTED NOT DEFINITELY KNOWN BUT BASED ON GENERAL OCCURRENCES REPORTED FOR DISTRICT

Comment (Location): LOCATION UNCERTAIN, BUT MINE APPARENTLY LIES ALONG UNNAMED TRIBUTARIES WEST OF LAKE FORK GUNNISON RIVER ABOUT 2 MILES SW OF WHITECROSS AND 1.3 MILES NW OF HANDIES PEAK. UNPATENTED CLAIMS REPORTEDLY EXTEND WESTWARD INTO SAN JUAN CO. ELEV AND LAT-LONG GIVEN ARE FOR POSSIBLE WORKINGS IDENTIFIED FROM AIRPHOTO EXAMINATION. ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :1977

Comment (Deposit): VEIN PROBABLY RELATED TO ONE OR MORE GENERALLY NE-TRENDING FAULTS WITHIN EUREKA GRABEN SYSTEM THAT CUT EUREKA TUFF AND ITS ASSOCIATED MEGABRECCIA IN SAN JUAN-UNCOMPAHGRE CALDERA INFILL SEQUENCE.

Comment (Workings): CDM REPORTS DESCRIBE WORKINGS AS 20-FT-DEEP SHAFT, 30-FT TUNNEL, 50-FT DRIFT EXTENDING DOWN FROM UPPER WORKINGS.

Comment (Commodity): MOST MINES OF DISTRICT EXCEPT PORPHYRY COPPER MINE CLOSED IN 1958 DUE TO PRICES. A MAJOR DISTRICT FOR CU, ZN, PB, AG, AU, AND MO (MCKNIGHT, 1960?, UNPUBLISHED DATA).

Comment (Development): THERE ARE NO OPERATING MINES IN THIS DISTRICT

Comment (Geology): THREE MAIN TYPES OF DEPOSITS: (1) CONTACT METAMORPHIC DEPOSITS IN LIMESTONE CLOSE TO IGNEOUS CONTACT; (2) COMBINATION OF FISSURE FILLING AND REPLACEMENT VEIN ON FAULTED CONTACT BETWEEN PORPHYRY DIKES AND SHALY LIMESTONE; AND (3) QUARTZ VEINS IN SHALE AND PORPHYRY, GRANODIORITE PORPHYRY STOCK, QUARTZ MONZONITE PORPHYRY SILLS, GRANODIORITE PORPHYRY DIKES, ALL LARAMIDE. (MCKNIGHT, 1960?, UNPUBLISHED DATA)

Comment (Deposit): THIS RECORD CONTAINS DATA FROM RECORD K002895 BY HELMUTH WEDOW WHICH HAS BEEN DELETED FROM MRDS. ; INFO.SRC : 1 PUB LIT; 2 UNPUB REPT

References

Reference (Deposit): COLORADO DIV. MINES INF. REPTS.

Reference (Deposit): BLM MINERAL SURVEY MS 14680

Reference (Deposit): LUEDKE, R.G., AND BURBANK, W.S., 1975, PRELIMINARY GEOLOGIC MAP OF THE HANDIES PEAK QUADRANGLE, COLORADO: USGS OPEN-FILE REPT. OFR-75-431.

Reference (Deposit): WOOLSEY, L.H., 1907, LAKE FORK EXTENSION OF THE SILVERTON MINING AREA, COLORADO: USGS BULL. 315, P. 26-30.

Reference (Deposit): LIPMAN, P.W., 1976, GEOLOGIC MAP OF THE LAKE CITY CALDERA AREA, WESTERN SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS, SOUTHWESTERN COLORADO: USGS MAP I-962.

Reference (Deposit): BROWN, W.H., 1926, THE MINERAL ZONES OF THE WHITE CROSS DISTRICT AND NEIGHBORING DEPOSITS IN HINSDALE COUNTY. COLORADO: MINES MAG., V. 15, NO. 11, P. 5-15.

Colorado Mining Photos

Check out this collection of Colorado's best historic mining photos: Incredible Photos of Colorado Mining Scenes.