The Bonanza Mine is a gold mine located in Baker county, Oregon at an elevation of 5,551 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: 5,551 Feet (1,692 Meters)
Commodity: Gold
Lat, Long: 44.7097, -118.41780
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.
Mine Description
The Bonanza mine is on the ridge north of Geiser Creek about 5 miles east of Greenhorn. It was discovered in 1877 and actively operated between 1892 and 1907. According to Pardee and Hewett (1914, p. 119), the lower levels were abandoned in 1904. From several adits and a shaft the mine is developed to a depth of 1250 feet. There are about 18,000 feet of workings. The vein, in argillite, strikes N. 550 W. and is nearly vertical. According to Lindgren (1901, p. 701): "The ore body as a whole forms a mass of clay slate traversed by quartz veins and seams of all sizes. The gold is low grade, being about 600 fine .... Something like 70 percent is free, though it is said that as depth is increased more concentrates and less gold are obtained. The concentrates are said to vary from $20 to $60 per ton, chiefly in gold. The average ore is believed to run from $7 to $12 per ton, but lenses of ore 8 to 16 inches wide have been mined which ran as high as $1400 per ton, and several hundred tons are said to have yielded at the rate of $100 in free gold per ton.
Bonanza Mine MRDS details
Site Name
Primary: Bonanza Mine
Secondary: Bonanza
Commodity
Primary: Gold
Location
State: Oregon
County: Baker
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
Not available
Ownership
Not available
Production
Not available
Deposit
Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Operation Type: Underground
Mining Method: Unknown
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: N
Physiography
General Physiographic Area: Intermontane Plateaus
Physiographic Province: Columbia Plateau
Physiographic Section: Blue Mountain Section
Mineral Deposit Model
Not available
Orebody
Not available
Structure
Not available
Alterations
Not available
Rocks
Not available
Analytical Data
Not available
Materials
Not available
Comments
Comment (Location): ALSO LOCATED IN RANGE 35+E AND SECTION 8.
References
Reference (Deposit): OR. DEPT. GEOL. AND MIN. INDUST. BULLETIN 14-A, 1939, P. 53.
Oregon Gold
"Where to Find Gold in Oregon" looks at the density of modern placer mining claims along with historical gold mining locations and mining district descriptions to determine areas of high gold discovery potential in Oregon. Read more: Where to Find Gold in Oregon.
