Songbird Mine

The Songbird Mine is a perlite mine located in Custer county, Colorado at an elevation of 7,936 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: Songbird Mine

Commodity

Primary: Perlite
Secondary: Silver
Secondary: Lead

Location

State: Colorado
County: Custer
District: Silver Cliff

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

Type: Underground

Ownership

Owner Name: Cotter Corp. ?
Home Office: Denver, Co.
Years: 1963 -

Owner Name: J. D. Blunt ?
Years: 1963 -

Production

Not available

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Operation Type: Surface-Underground
Discovery Year: 1895
Discovery Method: Ore-Mineral In Place
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: Epithermal veins

Orebody

Form: tabular, lensoid

Structure

Type: R
Description: Silver Cliff Volcanic Center, Wet Mtns, Wet Mtn Valley

Type: L
Description: Concentric Faults Of Ben West Hill

Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: Strongly Argillized, White, Bleached

Rocks

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

Name: Tuff
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock Unit
Age Young: Oligocene

Analytical Data

Not available

Materials

Ore: Galena
Ore: Magnetite
Ore: Pyrite
Gangue: Illite
Gangue: Quartz
Gangue: Jarosite

Comments

Comment (Workings): SHAFT (PASSIFLORA SHAFT?)

Comment (Commodity): LOCALLY THE IRON ORE IS QUITE PURE

Comment (Location): NW OF BEN WEST HILL ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :(1976)

References

Reference (Deposit): CROSS, WHITMAN, 1896, GEOLOGY OF SILVER CLIFF AND THE ROSITA HILLS, COLORADO: USGS 17TH ANN. REPORT, PT 2, P. 263-403

Reference (Deposit): EMMONS, S.F., 1896, THE MINES OF CUSTER COUNTY, COLORADO: USGS 17TH ANN. REPORT, PT 2, P. 405-472

Reference (Deposit): COLORADO DIVISION OF MINES RECORDS, 1981

Reference (Deposit): SHARP, W.M., 1978, GEOLOGIC MAP OF THE SILVER CLIFF AND ROSITA VOLCANIC CENTERS, CUSTER COUNTY, COLORADO: USGS MAP I-1081.

Colorado Mining Photos

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