Lower Star of the West Mine

The Lower Star of the West Mine is a iron mine located in Costilla county, Colorado at an elevation of 9,521 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

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Site Name

Primary: Lower Star of the West Mine
Secondary: Stoddard Mine

Commodity

Primary: Iron
Secondary: Gold
Secondary: Silver

Location

State: Colorado
County: Costilla
District: Grayback (Russell) District

Land Status

Land ownership: Private
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: Trinchera (Estate)
Years: 1910 -

Owner Name: Otto Drum
Years: 1959 -

Production

Not available

Deposit

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

Physiography

General Physiographic Area: Rocky Mountain System
Physiographic Province: Southern Rocky Mountains

Mineral Deposit Model

Model Name: Skarn Fe

Orebody

Form: moderately dipping layer

Structure

Type: R
Description: Sierra Blanca Massif, Ft. Garland Embayment

Type: L
Description: Vega Cr. Anticline, Wagon Mesa Fault

Alterations

Not available

Rocks

Name: Monzonite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock
Age Young: Oligocene

Name: Monzonite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Pennsylvanian

Name: Monzonite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock Unit
Age Young: Pennsylvanian

Analytical Data

Analytical Data: AVERAGE OF FOUR ANALYSES ON ENTIRE IRON DEPOSIT YIELDED 53.78% FE AND 0.931%

Materials

Ore: Hematite
Ore: Magnetite
Gangue: Epidote
Gangue: Chlorite
Gangue: Calcite
Gangue: Garnet

Comments

Comment (Deposit): IRON ORE REPLACES CALCITE IN CONTACT-METAMORPHOSED LIMESTONE. ORE CONFORMS WITH ORIGINAL BEDDING AND IS OVERLAIN BY 12-FT-THICK TACTITE. FAULT THAT OFFSETS ORE TRENDS S 40 E, 70 NE.

Comment (Location): ALTHOUGH DISTRICT ACTUALLY IS IN UNSURVEYED PRIVATE LAND GRANT, SECTIONS REPORTED ARE BASED ON PATTON AND OTHERS (1910) MAP RATHER THAN PROJECTIONS FROM ADJACENT QUADS. LAT-LONG AND ELEVATIONS DETERMINED FROM TOPO QUAD. MINE OR CLAIM LIES ALONG GRAYBACK CREEK 0.55 MILE SW OF SUMMIT OF GRAYBACK MTN. ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :(1975)

Comment (Workings): ADIT DRIVEN NE TO ORE ZONE ON NW SIDE OF MONZONITE INTRUSION. TUNNEL TURNS RIGHT TO FOLLOW FAULT ZONE THAT OFFSETS ORE. ORE WORKED OUT ALONG FAULT ZONE FOR LENGTH OF 50 FT AND WIDTH OF 25 FT. TUNNEL CAVED BEYOND.

References

Reference (Deposit): PATTON, H.B., AND OTHERS, 1910, GEOLOGY OF THE GRAYBACK MINING DISTRICT, COSTILLA COUNTY, COLORADO: CGS BULL. 2.

Reference (Deposit): WARNER, L.A., AND OTHERS, 1959, OCCURRENCE OF NONPEGMATITIC BERYLLIUM IN THE UNITED STATES: USGS PROF. PAPER 318, P. 165.

Reference (Deposit): HARRER; C.M., AND TESCH, W.J., JR., 1959, RECONNAISSANCE OF IRON OCCURRENCES IN COLORADO: USBM 1C-7918, P. 22.

Colorado Mining Photos

Check out this collection of Colorado's best historic mining photos: Incredible Photos of Colorado Mining Scenes.