Campbell-Monroe

The Campbell-Monroe is a gold mine located in Alaska.

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

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Site Name

Primary: Campbell-Monroe
Secondary: Campbell

Commodity

Primary: Gold

Location

State: Alaska
District: Fairbanks

Land Status

Not available

Holdings

Not available

Workings

Not available

Ownership

Not available

Production

Not available

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Operation Type: Unknown
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant:

Physiography

Not available

Mineral Deposit Model

Not available

Orebody

Not available

Structure

Not available

Alterations

Alteration Text: Possible alteration of intrusive and/or schistose host rocks to kaolinite (Swainbank and others, 1984).

Rocks

Not available

Analytical Data

Not available

Materials

Ore: Gold

Comments

Comment (Reference): Primary Reference = Olson and others, 1985

Comment (Geology): Age = Quaternary

Comment (Deposit): Model Name = Residual placer

Comment (Production): Production Notes = Approximately 8,000 ounces of gold was produced (D. May, oral communication, 1998).

Comment (Geology): Geologic Description = The Richardson area is characterized by gentle slopes and broad, alluvium-filled valleys (Prindle and Katz, 1913, p. 140). The area is unglaciated and largely overlain by windblown silt, sand, and loess, locally up to 50 meters thick (Foster and others, 1979). The bedrock in the region comprises greenschist to amphibolite facies schist, marble, and gneiss that have been intruded by various igneous bodies (Bundtzen and Reger, 1977, p. 29). The schist and marble are probably Paleozoic, and the gneiss has a probable protolith of Precambrian and Paleozoic sedimentary and igneous rocks (Weber and others, 1978). The intrusive bodies in the area range in composition from rhyolite to andesite. Fine-grained rhyolite containing quartz and feldspar phenocrysts is common throughout the area (Olson and others, 1985). At the nearby Democrat Lode (BD014), the rhyolite contains arsenopyrite, gold, and pyrite, and is albitic, clay, and sericite altered (R.J. Newberry, oral communication, 1998). Structurally, the Richardson region is cut by a northwest-trending fracture system termed the Richardson Lineament. This lineament appears to correspond with the distribution of the rhyolite and other intrusive bodies and placer gold deposits in the area (Bundtzen and Reger, 1977). Also, the lineament tends to separate gneissic rocks to the northeast from schistose rocks to the southwest (Swainbank and others, 1984). The Campbell-Monroe mine is situated in a section of the Richardson Lineament. The site is interpreted to be a residual placer. The bulk of the surface exposure contains clays (possibly kaolinite?), feldspar, muscovite, and quartz veinlets. There appear to be at least 3 episodes of veinlet formation (Swainbank and others, 1984). The quartz formd 1 to 35 centimeter cobbles, which are translucent to gray, angular to sub-rounded, and commonly accompanied by feldspar. Feldpar also forms cobbles that are locally pitted and weathered. The cobbles are in a matrix of fine, powdery clay and muscovite. Minor tourmaline is also present (D.J. Szumigala, oral communication, 1998). The gold fineness ranges from 650-695 and has a coarse morphology (D. May, oral communication, 1998). Although alteration and/or weathering and mining operations have altered the original characteristics of the site, several samples have the appearance of hydrothermal vein quartz in intrusive rock and other samples have a pegmatitic appearance. Olson and others (1985) described the altered and/or weathered clay as kaolin. It is suspected that Hinkley Gulch (BD019) and the Campbell-Monroe deposit are situated on the same or similar shear zones (Swainbank and others, 1984). The Campbell-Monroe deposit was discovered in 1908. However, lack of water at the site made conventional mining difficult at the time. Throughout the 1930's and 1940's, Fred Campbell transported ore mined from the Campbell-Monroe to Hinkley Gulch for processing (Olson and others, 1985). Don May leased the property from Gil Monroe and Bruce Erickson, and mined the bulk of the deposit from 1978-81 utilizing water pumped from Buckeye Creek. Approximately 8,000 ounces of gold was produced (D. May, oral communication, 1998).

Comment (Exploration): Status = Inactive

Comment (Workings): Workings / Exploration = The Campbell-Monroe deposit was discovered in 1908. However, lack of water at the site made conventional mining difficult at the time. Throughout the 1930's and 1940's, Fred Campbell transported ore mined from the Campbell-Monroe to Hinkley Gulch for processing (Olson and others, 1985). Don May leased the property from Gil Monroe and Bruce Erickson, and mined the bulk of the deposit from 1978-81 utilizing water pumped from Buckeye Creek.

References

Reference (Deposit): Chapin, Theodore, 1914, Placer mining in the Yukon-Tanana region: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 592-J, p. 357-362.

Reference (Deposit): Olson, B.G., Burton, J., Wolff, E.N., and Swainbank, R.D., 1985, Mining and minerals in the golden heart of Alaska: Fairbanks North Star Borough Publication, 80 p.

Reference (Deposit): Swainbank, R.C., Burton, J.P., and Metz, P.A., 1984, Bedrock geology of the Richardson mining district, Alaska: University of Alaska, Mineral Industry Research Laboratory Open-File Report 84-2, 60 p., 8 maps, scale 1:40,000.

Reference (Deposit): Menzie, W.D., and Foster, H.L., 1979, Metalliferous and selected nonmetalliferous mineral resource potential in the Big Delta quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 78-529D, 61 p., 1 sheet, scale 1:250,000.

Reference (Deposit): Weber, F.R., Foster, H.L., Keith, T.E.C., Dusel-Bacon, C., 1978, Preliminary geologic map of the Big Delta quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 78-529A, 1 sheet, scale 1:250,000.

Reference (Deposit): Prindle, L.M., and Katz, F.J., 1913, Detailed description of the Fairbanks district, in Prindle, L. M., A geologic reconnaissance of the Fairbanks quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 525, p. 59-152.

Reference (Deposit): Bundtzen, T.K., and Reger, R.D., 1977, The Richardson lineament-a structural control for gold deposits in the Richardson mining district, Alaska: Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys Geologic Report 55, 46 p.

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