Independence Mine

The Independence Mine is a silver, copper, and gold mine located in Pitkin county, Colorado at an elevation of 10,850 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: Independence Mine
Secondary: Claims: Independence, MS 1421
Secondary: Gatton, MS 1422
Secondary: Dolly Varden, MS 1423
Secondary: Mammoth, MS 1424

Commodity

Primary: Silver
Primary: Copper
Primary: Gold

Location

State: Colorado
County: Pitkin
District: Independence 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: Williams Family
Home Office: Snowmass, Co.
Years: 1940 -

Owner Name: Hagen And Knight
Home Office: Aspen
Years: 1940 -

Production

Year: 1932
Description: Ap_Grade: ^3.16 Oz/Ton Au, 1.7% Oz/Ton Ag, 2.8% Cu, 18.8% Fe, 16.2% S
Year: 1932
Description: Ap_Grade: ^1.8 Oz/Ton Au, 2.4 Oz/Ton Ag, 7.2% Fe, 3.9% S
Year: 1932
Description: Ap_Grade: ^3.16 Oz/Ton Au, 1.8 Oz/Ton Ag, 2.8% Cu, 18.85% Fe, 16.2% S
Year: 1931
Description: Ap_Grade: ^1.75 Oz/Ton Au, 3.6 Oz/Ton Ag, 1.4% Cu, 8.7% Fe, 7% S

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Deposit Type: Vein
Operation Type: Unknown
Year First Production: 1879
Discovery Year: 1879
Discovery Method: Ore-Mineral Not 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 Uplift, Central Colorado Trough, Arkansas Valley Graben, Twin Lakes Batholith

Type: L
Description: Grizzly Peak Cauldron, Mt Elbert Volcanotectonic Depression, Lincoln Gulch Stock

Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: Fe Oxides, Cu Carbonates

Rocks

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

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

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

Analytical Data

Analytical Data: ORE VALUES FROM 1931-32 CONTAINED 1.75 TO 3.16 OZ/TON AU, 1.8 TO 3.6 OZ/TON AG, 1.4 TO 2.8 % CU. LUDINGTON AND ELLIS' (1981) ANALYSES OF 20 SAMPLES SPACED ALONG 152 FT OF VEIN CONTAINED 0 TO 8.5 OZ/TON AU, 0 TO 12.04 OZ/TON AG, WITH WEIGHTED AVERAGE OF 0.175 OZ/TON AU AND 0.29 OZ/TON AG.

Materials

Ore: Gold
Ore: Chalcopyrite
Ore: Pyrite
Ore: Silver
Gangue: Quartz

Comments

Comment (Commodity): CRUSON'S ANALYSES OF DUMP SAMPLES SHOWED ANOMALOUS W, BI, B, CO, AND NB

Comment (Reserve-Resource): LUDINGTON AND ELLIS, 1981

Comment (Location): ON NORTH SIDE OF ROARING FORK RIVER 0.4 MILE NW OF INDEPENDENCE TOWNSITE. PROPERTY MAY EVENTUALLY HAVE INCLUDED OTHER ADJACENT CLAIMS. ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :(1977)

Comment (Production): PARTIAL PRODUCTION RECORD FOR INDEPENDENCE GROUP. TWO ORE SHIPMENTS LISTED FOR 1932, PRE-1931 STATISTICS UNAVAILABLE.

Comment (Deposit): PRINCIPAL (INDEPENDENCE) VEIN LIES IN FAULT FISSURE TRENDING N 50 W, 20 TO 45 SW, VARIES FROM 1 TO 10 FT WIDE, AVERAGES 3.5 FT WIDE. HANGING WALL AND FOOT WALL ARE SMOOTH AND WELL MARKED. ORE SHOOT PITHCES SHALLOWLY TO SE, WITH RICHEST ORE IN CENTRAL PART. SULFIDES IMPREGNATE VEIN WALLS FOR SHORT DISTANCE. SULFIDE-BEARING OXIDIZED ORE AT OR NEAR SURFACE AND EXTENDING TO DEPTH OF 100 FT. FRONT VEIN PARALLELS INDEPENDENCE VEIN AND LIES 25 FT SOUTH OF IT IN HANGING WALL. BACK VEIN LIES IN FOOT WALL 200 FT NORTH OF INDEPENDENCE VEIN. OFFSETTING INDEPENDENCE VEIN ARE POST-MINERAL FAULTS TRENDING NORTH-SOUTH, 70 TO 90 E, AND N 50 W, 90 SW.

Comment (Workings): PRINCIPAL WORKINGS ARE LAST DOLLAR, LEGAL TENDER, AND BENNINGTON TUNNEL LEVELS, LEVELS 1, 2, 2.5, AND 3; TAM O'SHANTER, INTERMEDIATE, LITTLE TILLIE, AND BROWN TUNNELS; SEVERAL WINZES AND RAISES.

References

Reference (Deposit): CRUSON, M.G., 1973, GEOLOGY AND ORE DEPOSITS OF THE GRIZZLY PEAK CAULDRON COMPLEX, SAWATCH RANGE, COLORADO: COLORADO SCHOOL MINES PH.D. THESIS T-1538

Reference (Deposit): ROHLFING, D.P., 193?, REPORT ON THE INDEPENDENCE GOLD PROPERTY, PITKIN COUNTY, COLORADO: COLORADO STATE PLANNING COMM. UNPUB. REPT., 7 P.

Reference (Deposit): HOWELL, J.V., 1919, GEOLOGY AND ORE DEPOSITS OF THE TWIN LAKES DISTRICT OF COLORADO: CGS BULL. 17, 106 P.

Reference (Deposit): LUDINGTON, STEVE, AND ELLIS, C.E., 1981, MINERAL RESOURCE POTENTIAL OF THE HUNTER-FRYINGPAN WILDERNESS AND THE PORPHYRY MOUNTAIN WILDERNESS STUDY AREA, PITKIN COUNTY, COLORADO: USGS MAP MF-1236-D. & &

Reference (Deposit): LUDINGTON, STEVE, AND YEOMAN, R.A., 1980, GEOLOGIC MAP OF THE HUNTER-FRYINGPAN WILDERNESS AREA AND THE PORPHYRY MOUNTAIN WILDERNESS STUDY AREA, PITKIN COUNTY, COLORADO: USGS MAP MF-1236-A.

Reference (Production): COLO. DIV. MINES ANN. OPERATOR REPTS.

Colorado Mining Photos

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