Pittsburg Mine

The Pittsburg Mine is a gold and silver mine located in La Plata county, Colorado at an elevation of 12,569 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

Name: Pittsburg Mine  

State:  Colorado

County:  La Plata

Elevation: 12,569 Feet (3,831 Meters)

Commodity: Gold, Silver

Lat, Long: 37.57111, -107.60500

Map: View on Google Maps

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.


Satelite image of the Pittsburg Mine

Pittsburg Mine MRDS details

Site Name

Primary: Pittsburg Mine


Commodity

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


Location

State: Colorado
County: La Plata
District: Needle Mountain (Tacoma, Florida, Vallecito) District


Land Status

Land ownership: National Forest
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.
Administrative Organization: San Juan N. F.


Holdings

Not available


Workings

Not available


Ownership

Not available


Production

Not available


Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Deposit Type: Vein
Operation Type: Unknown
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

Model Name: Polymetallic veins


Orebody

Not available


Structure

Type: R
Description: San Juan Uplift, San Juan Basin, San Juan Volcanic Field

Type: L
Description: Needle Mtns Uplift, Chicago Basin Stock, Eolus Batholith, Trimble Stock


Alterations

Not available


Rocks

Name: Granite
Role: Host
Age Type: Associated Rock Unit
Age in Years: 10.100000+-1.100000
Material Analyzed: Zircon
Age Young: Miocene

Name: Granite
Role: Host
Age Type: Associated Rock Unit
Age in Years: 9.000000+-0.900000
Material Analyzed: Zircon
Age Young: Miocene

Name: Granite
Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock Unit
Age in Years: 1350.000000+-50.000000
Dating Method: Rb-Sr
Age Young: Precambrian

Name: Rhyolite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock Unit
Age in Years: 10.100000+-1.100000
Material Analyzed: Zircon
Age Young: Miocene

Name: Rhyolite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock Unit
Age in Years: 9.000000+-0.900000
Material Analyzed: Zircon
Age Young: Miocene

Name: Quartz Monzonite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock Unit
Age in Years: 10.100000+-1.100000
Material Analyzed: Zircon
Age Young: Miocene

Name: Quartz Monzonite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock Unit
Age in Years: 9.000000+-0.900000
Material Analyzed: Zircon
Age Young: Miocene

Name: Granite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock Unit
Age in Years: 1350.000000+-50.000000
Dating Method: Rb-Sr
Age Young: Precambrian

Name: Granite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock Unit
Age in Years: 9.000000+-0.900000
Material Analyzed: Zircon
Age Young: Miocene

Name: Granite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock Unit
Age in Years: 10.100000+-1.100000
Material Analyzed: Zircon
Age Young: Miocene


Analytical Data

Analytical Data: CHEMICAL ANALYSES CONTAINED 0.30 AND 5 PPM AU, 1900 AND 3000 PPM CU, 800 AND 20000 PPM PB, 220 AND 6000 PPM ZN, 50 AND GT 100 PPM SB.
Analytical Data: SELECTED GOSSAN SAMPLE FROM DUMP CONTAINED 3.30 OZ/TON AG, 0.04% CU, TRACES OF AU, PB, AND ZN: SELECTED DUMP SAMPLE FROM SHAFT CONTAINED 0.04 OZ/TON AU, 83.66 OZ/TON AG, 0.18% CU, 0.73% PB, 0.12% ZN. SEMIQUANTITATIVE SPECTROGRAPHIC ANALYSES OF SULFIDE-BEARING QUARTZ VEIN MATERIAL CONTAINED 20 PPM TI, 30 AND 200 PPM MN, 100 AND 5000 PPM AG, LT 200 AND 200 PPM AS, 500 AND 3000 PPM BA, LT 10 AND 50 PPM BI, LT 20 AND 300 PPM CD, LT 5 AND 5 PPM CR, 1500 AND 2000 PPM CU, 30 AND 100 PPM MO, 500 AND 20000 PPM PB, 150 AND 1500 PPM SB, LT 10 PPM SN, LT 100 PPM SR, 10 AND 20 PPM V, LT 50 PPM W, 200 AND GT 20000 PPM ZN
Analytical Data: STEVEN AND OTHERS' (1969) ASSAY OF SELECTED DUMP SAMPLE CONTAINED 0.02 OZ/TON AU, 6.84 OZ/TON AG, 1.08% CU, 1.20% PB, 2.36% ZN


Materials

Ore: Chalcopyrite
Ore: Sphalerite
Gangue: Quartz


Comments

Comment (Workings): ONE SHAFT OF UNKNOWN DEPTH; ONE TUNNEL DRIVEN NNW ALONG VEIN, EXTENT UNKNOWN

Comment (Location): (LAND STATUS AND ADMINISTRATIVE AREA LOCATIONS CALCULATED USING GIS OVERLAY ANALYSIS FOR SAN JUAN N. F.). TUNNEL LIES ON SE SIDE OF AZTEC MTN 0.8 MILE SW OF COLUMBINE PASS; ELEV AND LAT-LONG GIVEN ARE FOR SHAFT NEAR NORTH END OF EAST SILVER MESA IN SEC. 11, 1.9 MILE SSW OF COLUMBINE PASS. ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :1974

Comment (Deposit): TUNNEL DEVELOPED ON QUARTZ VEIN TRENDING N 10 W, 70 NE, WHICH IS PART OF PRINCIPAL CONTINUOUS RADIAL FAULT OR FRACTURE CENTERED ON CHICAGO BASIN STOCK. SHAFT SUNK ON DETACHED SOUTHERN SEGMENT OF SAME VEIN ON SAME TREND.


References

Reference (Deposit): SCHMITT, L.J., AND RAYMOND, W.H., 1977, GEOLOGY AND MINERAL DEPOSITS OF THE NEEDLE MOUNTAINS DISTRICT, SOUTHWESTERN COLORADO: USGS BULL. 1434, 40 P.

Reference (Deposit): STEVEN, T.A., AND OTHERS, 1969, MINERAL RESOURCES OF THE SAN JUAN PRIMITIVE AREA, COLORADO: USGS BULL. 1261-F, P. 30-32, 55-67, 105-107, 164-165.

Reference (Deposit): CROSS, WHITMAN, AND OTHERS, 1905, DESCRIPTION OF THE NEEDLE MOUNTAINS QUADRANGLE, COLORADO: USGS FOLIO 131.


Colorado Mining Photos

Placer mines at Cripple Creek, Colorado ca. 1892

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