St. Louis Mine

The St. Louis Mine is a silver, gold, lead, and copper mine located in Saguache county, Colorado at an elevation of 10,046 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

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Site Name

Primary: St. Louis Mine

Commodity

Primary: Silver
Primary: Gold
Primary: Lead
Primary: Copper
Secondary: Zinc
Tertiary: Manganese

Location

State: Colorado
County: Saguache
District: Bonanza (Kerber Creek)

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: Pratt-Bonanza Mining And Milling Co.
Home Office: Pratt, Ks.
Years: 1946 -

Production

Year: 1946
Year: 1943
Year: 1942
Year: 1942
Year: 1942

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Operation Type: Unknown
Year Last Production: 1946
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: N

Physiography

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

Mineral Deposit Model

Not available

Orebody

Not available

Structure

Type: L
Description: Bonanza Caldera

Type: R
Description: Sawatch Range, San Juan Volcanic Field, Rio Grande Rift

Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: Early Barren Stage Of Alteration By Fumarolic Or Acid-Hot Spring Activity Resulted In Intense Silicification, Wallrock Replacement By Jasper And Alteration Products Hematite, Diaspore, Alunite, Barite, Zunyite, Rutile, And Kaolin Minerals. Later Mineralizing Stage By Alkaline Or Neutral Solutions Deposited Ore And Gangue And Caused Micaceous Alteration (Sericite And Chlorite) And Calcite, Quartz, And Pyrite.

Rocks

Name: Andesite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock Unit
Age Young: Oligocene

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

Name: Andesite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Oligocene

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

Analytical Data

Analytical Data: GOLD SHOOT BETWEEN 50 AND 180 LEVELS RANGED 0.03 TO G.T. 7 OZ/TON AU, AVERAGING 1.3 TO 1.4 OZ/TON, TWO 5-TON SHIPMENTS CONTAINED 27 TO 35 OZ/TON AU, AVERAGING 12 TO 15 OZ/TON AG, 8 TO 9% PB, 1.5 TO 2% CU, 12% ZN. BORNITE ORE FROM 180 LEVEL CONTAINED 7.55% CU, 55.3 OZ/TON AG, 0.15 OZ/TON AU. NORMAL LOWER GRADE ORE RAN 6.5 TO 16% PB, UP TO 12% ZN, 1% CU, 6 TO 22 OZ/TON AG, 0.03 TO 0.07 OZ/TON AU. MILLED ORES IN 1941-42 RAN 0.01 OZ/TON AU, 4.5 TO 6 OZ/TON AG, 8.4 TO 12.5% PB, 10 TO 15% ZN, 0.25% CU. CRUDE ORE RAN 0.01 TO 0.0166 OZ/TON AU, 6 OZ/TON AG, 6.816 TO 13.26% PB, 13 TO 15.29 % ZN, 0.347 TO 0.35% CU.

Materials

Ore: Galena
Ore: Bornite
Ore: Chalcocite
Ore: Sphalerite
Ore: Pyrite
Ore: Tennantite
Gangue: Quartz
Gangue: Jasper

Comments

Comment (Workings): MINE IS DEVELOPED BY 340-FT INCLINED SHAFT AND FIVE PRINCIPAL LEVELS. LEVEL NAMES (BASED ON DEPTH BELOW SURFACE) AND DRIFT FOOTAGES WEST AND EAST OF SHAFT ARE AS FOLLOWS: 50 LEVEL, 75,40; 70 LEVEL, 50,0; 80 LEVEL, 75,105; 130 LEVEL, 50 (TO CAVED AREA), 410 (TO CAVED AREA); 180 LEVEL, 0, 140 (TO CAVED AREA); 230 LEVEL, 0, 190 (TO CAVED AREA). ON 80 LEVEL AT 50 FT ALONG WEST DRIFT, CROSSCUT ADIT DRIVEN SE FROM SURFACE APPROX. 150 FT TO PROVIDE DRAINAGE FOR UPPER LEVELS. ALSO ON 80 LEVEL, CROSSCUT TUNNEL DRIVEN FROM SHAFT SE TO INTERSECT SOUTH VEIN, ALONG WHICH 220 FT DRIFT DEVELOPED. RAISE CONNECTS 50,70, AND 80 LEVELS AT POINT 50 FT WEST OF SHAFT. RAISES CONNECT 80 AND 130 LEVELS AT POINTS 30 AND 80 FT EAST OF SHAFT. RAISES CONNECT 130 AND 180 LEVELS AT POINTS 15,35,75, AND 105 FT EAST OF SHAFT. RAISE CONNECTS 180 AND 230 LEVELS AT POINT 55 FT EAST OF SHAFT.

Comment (Deposit): MAIN OR NORTH VEIN TRENDS N50 TO 70E, 75 TO 80 SE. SOUTH VEIN TRENDS N50 TO 70E, BUT DIPS 55 TO 60 NW AND IS PROBABLY A HANGING WALL FAULT THAT JOINS MAIN VEIN ABOUT 15 FT BELOW 80 LEVEL. ORE SHOOT ON MAIN VEIN PITCHES 50 DEG EAST, IS BOUNDED BY CROSS-FISSURES AND PINCHOUTS, AND CONTAINS NARROW HIGH-GRADE GOLD SHOOT GRADING LATERALLY INTO LOWER GRADE PB-ZN ORE.

Comment (Location): S-T-R, LAT-LONG, AND ELEV. TAKEN FROM BURBANK'S (1932) PLATE 1 (SCALE 1:12000). MINE OR CLAIM LIES ALONG COPPER GULCH 0.9 MILE NE OF BONANZA ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :(1976)

References

Reference (Deposit): PATTON, H.B., 1916, GEOLOGY AND ORE DEPOSITS OF THE BONANZA DISTRICT, SAGUACHE COUNTY, COLORADO: COLORADO GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULL. 9, 136 P.

Reference (Deposit): BURBANK, W.S., 1932, GEOLOGY AND ORE DEPOSITS OF THE BONANZA MINING DISTRICT, COLORADO: USGS PROF. PAPER 169, 166 P.

Reference (Production): BURBANK (1932) AS COMPILED FROM U.S. GOVT. RECORDS; COLO. DIV. MINES ANN. OPERATORS REPTS.

Colorado Mining Photos

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