Merry Widow Mine

The Merry Widow Mine is a uranium and gold mine located in Grant county, New Mexico at an elevation of 6,129 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: Merry Widow Mine
Secondary: Claims
Secondary: Merry Widow
Secondary: Acme
Secondary: Acme No.1
Secondary: Merry Widow No.1
Secondary: Ace-In-The-Hole
Secondary: Duece-In-The-Hole
Secondary: Blue Bird
Secondary: Blue Bird Nos. 1 and 2

Commodity

Primary: Uranium
Primary: Gold
Tertiary: Copper
Tertiary: Bismuth

Location

State: New Mexico
County: Grant
District: White Signal District: Southern Burro Mountains

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: Surface/Underground

Ownership

Owner Name: Hill, A. G.
Home Office: Dallas, Tx.
Years: 1950 -

Owner Name: Leach, A. A. And F.I.
Home Office: Lordsburg, N.M.
Years: 1920 -

Production

Not available

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Operation Type: Unknown
Year First Production: 1900
Year Last Production: 1925
Discovery Year: 1885
Discovery Method: Ore-Mineral In Place
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: N
Deposit Size: S

Physiography

General Physiographic Area: Intermontane Plateaus
Physiographic Province: Basin And Range Province
Physiographic Section: Mexican Highland

Mineral Deposit Model

Not available

Orebody

Form: IRREGULAR

Structure

Type: L
Description: Faults Strike East-Northeast And Dikes Trend Northwest In The Vicinity Of The Mine.

Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: Kaolinization, Sericitization

Rocks

Name: Rhyolite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock
Age Young: Pliocene

Name: Rhyolite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock Unit
Age Young: Neoproterozoic

Name: Rhyolite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Neoproterozoic

Analytical Data

Analytical Data: LOVERING, T.G., 1956, REPORTED THE RESULTS FROM ANALYSES OF SEVERALHUNDRED SAMPLES.

Materials

Ore: Torbernite
Ore: Gold
Ore: Bismutite
Ore: Chalcopyrite
Gangue: Siderite
Gangue: Pyrite
Gangue: Limonite
Gangue: Hematite
Gangue: Quartz
Gangue: Magnetite

Comments

Comment (Deposit): Discovery Year: 1880'S

Comment (Workings): UNDERGROUND WORKINGS IN THE LATE 1940'S AND EARLY 1950'S CONSISTED OF A 150 FT. SHAFT WITH FOUR LEVELS AND 475 FT. OF DRIFTS. SURFACE WORKINGS CONSISTED OF FIVE SHALLOW TRENCHES AND NUMEROUS PROSPECT PITS.

Comment (Location): ACCURATE LOCATION IS FOR THE MERRY WIDOW SHAFT AS SHOWN ON THE BURRO PEAK TOPOGRAPHIC QUADRANGLE.

Comment (Development): OWNER EXPLORATION IN 1950 CONSISTED OF DIAMOND DRILLING, TRECHING,SAMPLING AND GEOLOGIC MAPPING.

Comment (Deposit): DEPOSITS OCCUR AS IRREGULAR VEINS, FRACTURE COATINGS AND DISSEMINATED IN ALTERED DIABASE ALONG AN EAST-NORTHEAST STRIKING FAULT ZONE. TEN CLAIMS MINERAL SURVEY NUMBERS 2121 AND 2178 COVERING ABOUT 200 ACRES.

Comment (Commodity): HEDLUND, D.C., 1978, ESTIMATED THE MAXIMUM U308 CONTENT IS ABOUT 0.2%.

Comment (Production): LOVERING, T.G., 1956, P. 330, REPORTED THAT THE MINE WAS OPERATED AS A GOLD PROPERTY UNTIL EXHAUSTION OF THE EASILY ACCESSIBLE ORES IN THEEARLY 1900'S. TWO CARLOADS OF ORE CONTAINING A MIXTURE OF AUTUNITE, TORBERNITE, SERICITE AND CLAY WERE PRODUCED IN THE 1920'S.

References

Reference (Deposit): GRANGER, H.C., AND BAUER, H.L., JR., 1951 U.S. ATOMIC ENERGY COMMISSION, REPT. TEM-146A,7 PAGES

Reference (Deposit): GRANGER, H.C., AND BAUER, H.L., JR., 1952 USGS CIRC 186, 16 PAGES

Reference (Deposit): LOVERING, T.G., 1956 USGS BULL 1009-L, P. 329-341

Reference (Deposit): GILLERMAN, E., 1964 NMBMMR BULL 83, P. 94-95, PLATES 7, 9 AND 10

Reference (Deposit): HEDLUND, D.C., 1978 USGS MISC. FIELD STUDIES MAP MF-1040

Reference (Deposit): NMBMMR GENERAL FILE DATA

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