Pitkin Iron Mine

The Pitkin Iron Mine is a iron mine located in Pitkin county, Colorado at an elevation of 11,919 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: Pitkin Iron Mine
Secondary: Cooper Iron Mine, Cooper Basin Mine, Iron Mtn Mine,
Secondary: Taylor Peak Iron Deposit, Cf & 1 Mine
Secondary: Claims: Fall River
Secondary: Iron King
Secondary: Iron Mountain Boy
Secondary: Star
Secondary: Cincinnati
Secondary: Mammoth
Secondary: Hidden Treasure

Commodity

Primary: Iron
Tertiary: Silver
Tertiary: Titanium, Metal
Tertiary: Manganese
Tertiary: Copper

Location

State: Colorado
County: Pitkin
District: Columbia 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: Pitkin Iron Corp.
Home Office: Carbondale, Co.
Years: 1980 -

Owner Name: Morrison-Knudson Co.
Home Office: Carbondale, Co.
Years: 1980 -

Production

Not available

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Producer
Deposit Type: Replacement
Operation Type: Unknown
Year First Production: 1960
Discovery Year: 1882
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

Not available

Orebody

Form: IRREGULARLY TABULAR

Structure

Type: R
Description: Sawatch Range, Elk Range Thrust Fault , Central Colorado Trough, Elk Uplift , Central Colorado Trough, Elk Uplift , Central Colorado Trough, Elk Uplift

Type: L
Description: Elk Range Thrust Fault, White Rock Pluton , White Rock Pluton , White Rock Pluton

Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: Magnetite And Pyrite Altering To Limonite

Rocks

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

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

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

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

Analytical Data

Analytical Data: 0.01 TO 0.1 % CU, TI, CO
Analytical Data: U.S. BUR. MINES ANALYSIS YIELDED 67.2 % FE, 0.02 % P, 0.63 % S, 1.8 % SILICA, 0.3 % MN. SPECTROGRAPHIC ANALYSIS YIELDED 0.001 TO 0.01 % GA, PB, ZR, CR
Analytical Data: 0.1 TO 1.0 % MN. DEVEREUX (1884) REPORTS THAT 30-TON ORE SAMPLE CONTAINED 68.79 % FE, 0.24 % S, 1.7 % S102, AND TRACE OF AG. DEVEREUX (1884) REPORTS THAT 30-TON ORE SAMPLE CONTAINED 68.79 % FE, 0.24 % S, 1.7 % S102, AND TRACE OF AG.

Materials

Ore: Magnetite
Gangue: Chlorite
Gangue: Siderite
Gangue: Calcite
Gangue: Quartz
Gangue: Chalcopyrite
Gangue: Barite
Gangue: Pyrite

Comments

Comment (Deposit): Discovery Year: EARLY 1880S

Comment (Deposit): STRIKE AND DIP GIVEN IS IN BEDDING SOUTH OF MINE, AS SHOWN ON BRYANT'S (1970) MAP. HARDER (1909) CITES DIP OF LIMESTONE-IRON ORE CONTACT AS 35 TO 80 DEG TOWARD IRON ORE (APPARENTLY W TO SW). NEAR CONTACT, LIMESTONE IS SOFT, FRIABLE, MIXED WITH GANGUE AND SEAMS OF MAGNETITE AND LIMONITE. GANGUE GRADES INTO HARD, DENSE MAGNETITE ON ORE SIDE. BRYANT (1979) BELIEVES THAT ORE EMPLACEMENT WAS CONTROLLED BY STEEPLY DIPPING NW-TRENDING FRACTURES PROBABLY RELATED TO INTRUSION OF WHITE ROCK PLUTON. BRYANT (1979) BELIEVES THAT ORE EMPLACEMENT WAS CONTROLLED BY STEEPLY DIPPING NW-TRENDING FRACTURES PROBABLY RELATED TO INTRUSION OF WHITE ROCK PLUTON. BRYANT (1979) BELIEVES THAT ORE EMPLACEMENT WAS CONTROLLED BY STEEPLY DIPPING NW-TRENDING FRACTURES PROBABLY RELATED TO INTRUSION OF WHITE ROCK PLUTON.

Comment (Workings): SEVERAL OLD INACCESSIBLE ADITS. NEWER DEVELOPMENT IS QUARRY-TYPE OPEN PIT WITH 150 X 75 X 30-FT BENCHES

Comment (Geology): HARDER (1909) AND HARRER AND TESCH (1959) DESCRIBE DEPOSIT AS LYING AT CONTACT BETWEEN LEADVILLE LIMESTONE (MISS) AND WEBER SANDSTONE (PENN). BRYANT (1970) MAPS MINE AREA AS FAULTED BELDEN FM WITH MINE IN A LOWER MARBLE UNIT SUPERFICIALLY RESEMBLING THE LEADVILLE. BELDEN BEDS HAVE BEEN METAMORPHOSED BY LOCAL GRANODIORITE OR DIORITE INTRUSIONS.

Comment (Deposit): HARDER (1909) ESTIMATED A RESERVE OF AT LEAST 3 TO 4 MILLION TONS OF ORE ; INFO.SRC : 1 PUB LIT; 2 UNPUB REPT; 2 UNPUB REPT; 2 UNPUB REPT

Comment (Location): LIES ABOVE UNNAMED TRIBUTARY OF COOPER FORK, TRIBUTARY TO CASTLE CR. S-T-R GIVEN IS PROJECTION INTO UNSURVEYED AREA. ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :(1977)

Comment (Production): PRODUCTION FOR 1963, 1964, 1968 UNKNOWN

Comment (Development): PROPERTY WAS KNOWN BEFORE 1885 BUT ONLY PRODUCTION WAS SMALL TRIAL SHIPMENTS. MOST RECENT ACTIVITY BEGAN 1960 AFTER 2 YEARS EXPLORATION AND DEVELOPMENT. ORE PURCHASED BY CF & I STEEL CORP.

References

Reference (Deposit): HARRER, C.M., AND TESCH, W.J., JR., 1959, RECONNAISSANCE OF IRON OCCURRENCES IN COLORADO: U.S. BUREAU OF MINES IC 7918, P. 57-58.

Reference (Deposit): HARDER, E.C., 1909, THE TAYLOR PEAK AND WHITEPINE IRON-ORE DEPOSITS, COLORADO: USGS BULL. 380, P. 188-198.

Reference (Deposit): ASPEN TIMES, 1967, "IRON MOUNTAIN" YIELDS TO STEEL-WILLED MEN: ASPEN TIMES, MAY 11, P. 8-B.

Reference (Deposit): BRYANT, BRUCE, 1970, GEOLOGIC MAP OF THE HAYDEN PEAK QUADRANGLE, PITKIN AND GUNNISON COUNTIES, COLORADO: USGS MAP GQ-863.

Reference (Deposit): BRYANT, BRUCE, 1979, GEOLOGY OF THE ASPEN 15-MINUTE QUADRANGLE, PITKIN AND GUNNISON COUNTIES, COLORADO: USGS PROF. PAPER 1073.

Reference (Deposit): COLORADO DIV. MINES ANN. OPERATOR REPTS.

Reference (Production): COLO. DIV. MINES ANNUAL OPERATOR REPORTS

Colorado Mining Photos

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