French Creek Placer and Tributaries

The French Creek Placer and Tributaries is a gold mine located in Deer Lodge county, Montana at an elevation of 6,201 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: French Creek Placer and Tributaries

Commodity

Primary: Gold

Location

State: Montana
County: Deer Lodge
District: French Creek District

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.

Holdings

Not available

Workings

Type: Surface

Ownership

Owner Name: Bostana Mines Co.
Home Office: Dillon, Mt.
Years: 1950 -

Production

Not available

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Deposit Type: Placer Au-PGE
Operation Type: Unknown
Year First Production: 1864
Discovery Year: 1864
Discovery Method: Unknown
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: Y
Deposit Size: S

Physiography

General Physiographic Area: Rocky Mountain System
Physiographic Province: Northern Rocky Mountains
Physiographic Detail: French Creek Valley

Mineral Deposit Model

Model Name: Placer Au-PGE

Orebody

Not available

Structure

Not available

Alterations

Not available

Rocks

Name: Alluvium
Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Holocene

Analytical Data

Not available

Materials

Ore: Gold

Comments

Comment (Deposit): FORMER OPERATIONS ALSO WORKED CALIFORNIA AND OREGON CREEKS HYDRAULICLY. ; INFO.SRC : 1 PUB LIT

Comment (Workings): GROUND HAS BEEN DREDGED AND HYDRAULIC MINED

Comment (Location): FRENCH GULCH

Comment (Development): A CONNECTED-BUCKET DREDGE OPERATED 1901-1902. AT THE SAME TIME A HYDRAULIC ELEVATOR AND THREE FLUMES WORKED GRAVEL UP THE CANYON.

Comment (Deposit): Merged data from Deposit ID10246120 (French Creek Placer )

References

Reference (Deposit): REYNER, M.L., 1950, DIRECTORY OF MINING PROPERTIES-1949: MONT. BUREAU OF MINES AND GEOL. MEM. 31, P. 20.

Reference (Deposit): LYDEN, C.J., 1948, GOLD PLACERS OF MONTANA: MONT. BUREAU OF MINES AND GEOL., MEMOIR 26, P. 24

Reference (Production): MBMG MEMOIR 26, P. 24.

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.