Russell Placer Claim

The Russell Placer Claim is a gold mine located in Sanders county, Montana at an elevation of 2,841 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: Russell Placer Claim

Commodity

Primary: Gold

Location

State: Montana
County: Sanders
District: Cabinet District

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

Owner Name: B. Russell

Production

Not available

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Deposit Type: Placer
Operation Type: Unknown
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: N
Deposit Size: S

Physiography

General Physiographic Area: Rocky Mountain System
Physiographic Province: Northern Rocky Mountains
Physiographic Detail: Cabinet Mountains

Mineral Deposit Model

Not available

Orebody

Not available

Structure

Not available

Alterations

Not available

Rocks

Name: Gravel
Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock Unit
Age Young: Holocene

Analytical Data

Not available

Materials

Ore: Gold

Comments

Comment (Deposit): GOLD IN THE PLACER GRAVELS OF VERMILLION CREEK HAS BEEN DERIVED PRIMARILY FROM QUARTZ VEINS CARRYING FREE GOLD. GOLD IN CREEK IS PROBABLY OF THREE AGES: THAT WHICH FORMED PLACERS PRIOR TO PLEISTOCENE GLACIATION, THAT WHICH FORMED DURING THE PLEISTOCENE ICE ADVANCE AND THAT WHICH HAS FORMED DUE TO WEATHERING OF THE VEINS SINCE THE ICE SHEET WITHDRAWAL.

Comment (Development): A BECKER-HOPKINS TYPE SUCTION DREDGE WAS ASSEMBLED IN 1946 , BUT WAS DISMANTLED AND MOVED THAT SAME YEAR. THE REASON FOR NOT CONTINUING OPERATIONS WAS REPORTED TO BE THAT THE INTAKE OF THE SUCTION LINE WAS SO OFTEN CLOGGED BY COBBLES THAT THE OPERATIONS WERE NOT PROFITABLE. ; ECON.COM: IT HAS BEEN STATED THAT MUCH OF THE HILLSIDE ALLUVIUM ADJOINING THIS CLAIM CARRIES SUFFICIENT GOLD FOR PROFITABLE WORKING IT COULD BE BROUGHT TO THE WATER OR IF WATER COULD BE BROUGHT TO IT CHEAPLY ENOUGH.

Comment (Production): IN 1946 RECOVERIES AVERAGED 23 CENTS PER CUBIC YARD

Comment (Location): LOCATION IS APPROXIMATE ON VERMILION RIVER

Comment (Reserve-Resource): THE FACT THAT THE SUCTION DREDGE WAS ABLE TO MAKE RECOVERIES AVERAGING 23 CENTS PER CUBIC YARD OF GRAVEL INDICATES THAT CONSIDERABLE GRAVEL REMAINS UNWORKED ABOVE AND BELOW THE CLAIM.

References

Reference (Deposit): LYDEN, C. J., 1948 , THE GOLD PLACERS OF MONTANA: MONTANA BUREAU OF MINES AND GEOLOGY MEM. 26 , PP. 136 - 138

Reference (Production): LYDEN, C. J., 1948 : MONTANA BUREAU OF MINES AND GEOLOGY MEM. 26 , P. 136 , 138 .

Principal Gold Districts of Montana

In Montana, 54 mining districts have each have produced more than 10,000 ounces of gold. The largest producers are Butte, Helena, Marysville, and Virginia City, each having produced more than one million ounces. Twenty seven other districts are each credited with between 100,000 and one million ounces of gold production. Read more: Principal Gold Districts of Montana.