Paragon Mine

The Paragon Mine is a lead, silver, and copper mine located in Saguache county, Colorado at an elevation of 10,876 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: Paragon Mine

Commodity

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

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

Not available

Production

Year: 1939
Year: 1939
Year: 1921
Year: 1920

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Operation Type: Unknown
Year First Production: 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

Not available

Structure

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

Type: L
Description: Bonanza Caldera

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: 375 TONS CRUDE ORE AVERAGED 7.2% PB, 2.3% CU, 12.2 OZ/TON AG, 0.08 OZ/TON AU. PART OF VEIN TRENDING N80W ASSAYED 1% PB, 1% CU, 6.8 OZ/TON AG, 0.016 OZ/TON AU. SMALL SHIPMENTS OF SILICEOUS SILVER ORE RAN 3% PB, 1% CU, 18 OZ/TON AG, 0.20 OZ/TON AU, 8 TO 18% FE. VEIN ASSAYS FROM NO. 2 TUNNEL SHOWED 1 TO 6% PB (AVG. 2%), 1 TO 8% CU (AVG. 3%), 13 OZ/TON AG, 0.05 OZ/TON AU, ZN CONTENT UNKNOWN BUT IS PROBABLY 1.5 TIMES THAT OF PB

Materials

Ore: Galena
Ore: Chalcopyrite
Ore: Sphalerite
Ore: Tennantite
Ore: Pyrite
Gangue: Rhodochrosite
Gangue: Quartz

Comments

Comment (Deposit): PARAGON FAULT ZONE CONSISTS OF THREE NEARLY PARALLEL FAULTS STRIKING N 50 TO 70E, DIPPING 50 TO 55 SE AND SEPARATED BY 30 TO 50 FT OF BROKEN, SILICIFIED, AND BLEACHED ANDESITE. TWO OF THE FAULTS ARE CUT AND DISPLACED BY A NEARLY EAST-WEST-STRIKING, IRREGULARLY MINERALIZED FAULT DIPPING 55 TO 70 SOUTH. ASSAYED VEINS AVERAGED 30 INCHES THICK, BUT ONE VEIN IN THE N60E FISSURE REACHED 8 FT IN WIDTH. OVERALL MINERALIZATION IS SCATTERED.

Comment (Commodity): AG PROBABLY CONTAINED IN TENNANTITE

Comment (Workings): MINE DEVELOPED BY THREE TUNNELS, DRIFTS ON NE- AND E-W-TRENDING VEINS, AND SEVERAL CROSSCUTS AND WINZES. PARAGON NO. 1 TUNNEL DRIVEN DUE NORTH FOR 140 FT TO VEIN, THENCE N83E FOR 375 FT, THENCE N53E AS RAWLEY PARAGON NO. 3 LEVEL FOR 350 FT TO INTERSECTION OF PARAGON AND MICHIGAN VEINS, THENCE S65E FOR 180 FT AS CROSSCUT TO ANOTHER NE VEIN ALONG WHICH 290 FT OF DRIFT DEVELOPED. TWO OTHER SE-TRENDING CROSSCUTS TOTALLING 550 FT DEVELOPED OFF OF RAWLEY PARAGON NO. 3. PARAGON NO. 2 TUNNEL, LOCATED 62 FT ABOVE AND 250 FT N67E OF NO. 1, DRIVEN N30W FOR 85 FT TO NE-TRENDING VEIN, THENCE ALONG IT AT N46E FOR 153 FT TO E-W VEIN, THENCE 585 FT GENERALLY EASTWARD. AT 350 FT ALONG VEIN, DRIFT DEVELOPED NORTHEASTWARD ALONG MICHIGAN VEIN. PARAGON NO. 3 TUNNEL, LOCATED 415 FT N65E FROM NO. 2, DRIVEN GENERALLY NORTHWARD FOR 85 FT, WITH SHORT DRIFT DEVELOPED ALONG E-W VEIN. MISCELLANEOUS DRIFTS AND CROSSCUTS TOTAL 360 FT.

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

Comment (Production): PARTIAL PRODUCTION RECORD. NO PRODUCTION REPORTED AFTER 1939. NO COLO. DIV. MINES RECORDS FOR PREVIOUS INTERVENING YEARS. PRODUCTION FOR THREE YEARS GIVEN INCLUDES PARAGON, MICHIGAN, PAYSON AND OTHER SMALL PROPERTIES. 1920 FIGURES INCLUDE ANTORO PRODUCTION.

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): COLO. DIV. MINES ANNUAL OPERATOR REPTS.

Colorado Mining Photos

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