Elk Mountain Mining and Milling Company

Site Name

Primary: Elk Mountain Mining and Milling Company
Secondary: Elk Mountain Prospect
Secondary: M & M Elk Mountain Mine
Secondary: Elk Mountain District
Secondary: Elk Mountain mine
Secondary: M & M's Elk Mountain mine

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Commodity

Primary: Copper
Secondary: Silver
Secondary: Gold

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Location

State: Wyoming
County: Carbon
District: Elk Mountain District

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Land Status

Land ownership: State
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.

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Holdings

Not available

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Workings

Type: Underground

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Ownership

Not available

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Production

Not available

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Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Operation Type: Surface-Underground
Mining Method: Unknown
Year Last Production: 1902
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: N

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Physiography

General Physiographic Area: Rocky Mountain System
Physiographic Province: Wyoming Basin

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Mineral Deposit Model

Model Name: Polymetallic replacement

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Orebody

Not available

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Structure

Not available

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Alterations

Not available

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Rocks

Name: Limestone
Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Mississippian
Age Old: Mississippian

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Analytical Data

Not available

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Materials

Ore: Chalcocite
Ore: Chalcopyrite

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Comments

Comment (Deposit): A.B. Wilson and W. Heran attempted to visit this site on Aug. 5, 2010. Amazinigly, the FS road shown on the topo immediately east of Brush Creek was open and not posted or gated. However, we found little, if any evidence of a mine at this site, only evidence that is has been used as a hunting camp. There were round nodules of chert or chalcedony (not calcareous--they do not fizz with acid) in a limestone matrix in float in what is left of the road. A tougher off road vehichle might have been able to drive all the way to the site (we stopped about 1/2 mi away). We found several collapsed piles of wood but were unable to determine if these had been buildings or were remnants from saw mill. As we were unable to find anything resembling a mine or prospect, we did not take any geochemical samples.

Comment (Deposit): Citing references from 1905 and earlier, Hausel (1980 and 1997), summarizes this as a copper-and iron-stained gossan. Based on those early reports, Hausel (1997) describes the site as follows: "Located in secs. 22, 23, and 26, T19N, R82W. Operated by the Elk Mountain Mining and Milling Company, the property was discovered as a copper- and iron-stained gossan [...]. The deposit lies on the north side of Pass Creek in a series of north-trending fractures along the contact between Madison Limestone and Precambrian schist and granite. Two feet of limestone breccia containing iron oxides, copper oxides, and copper carbonates were discovered. Bunches and streaks of gold- and silver-bearing chalcocite varied from mere specks to masses weighing several hundrd pounds [...]. Chalcopyrite was discovered below the chalcocite [...]. According to Beeler {..], more than 300 feet of drifts and shafts were dug by 1902, and smelter returns showed a shiopment of 15.75 tons of ore yielded 4380.21 poiunds of copper (14% Cu)."

Comment (General): Wilson (USGS Field notes, Aug. 5, 2010) concluded "that the M&M, if either of these sites was the M&M Elk Moutain, is/was very small and long gone." This record falls into the category of abandoned mine.

Comment (Location): Moved location to location suggested by Terry Klein. Within 1 mile accuracy. Although Wilson and Heran found this location, based on lat/long coordinates, we were unable to confirm that there was any mine at this site.

Comment (Production): Cu 14%; smelter returns on 15.75 tons of ore reported by Beeler, 1902 (in Hausel, 1997).

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References

Reference (Deposit): Harris, Hausel, and Meyer, 1985, Metallic and industrial minerals map of Wyoming: Geological Survey of Wyoming Map Series 14, scale 1:500,000.

Reference (Deposit): Hausel, 1997, Copper, lead, zinc, molybdenum, and associated metal deposits of Wyoming: WGS Bull. 70, p. 119.

Reference (Deposit): Osterwald and others, 1959, Mineral Resources of Wyoming: Geological Survey of Wyoming Bull. 50, p. 40, 157.

Reference (Deposit): Hausel, 1989, The geology of Wyoming's precious metal lode and placer deposits: Geological Survey of Wyoming Bull. 68, p. 108-109.

Reference (Deposit): Osterwald and others, 1966, Mineral Resources of Wyoming: Geological Survey of Wyoming Bull. 50 [revised ed.], p. 43, 119, 174.

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