Lexington Tunnel

The Lexington Tunnel is a silver, lead, and zinc mine located in Dolores county, Colorado at an elevation of 8,911 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: Lexington Tunnel

Commodity

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

Location

State: Colorado
County: Dolores
District: Pioneer (Rico) 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

Owner Name: Pelleyre Mining And Milling Co.
Home Office: Salt Lake City, Ut.
Years: 1940 -

Production

Year: 1940
Description: Ap_Grade: ^7.061 Oz/Ton Ag, 8.652% Pb, 44.708% Zn, 1.575% Cu, 0.5909 Oz/Ton Au
Year: 1939
Description: Ap_Grade: ^26.0480 Oz/Ton Ag, 10.776% Pb, 27.525% Zn, 10.95 Cu, 0.4411 Oz/Ton Au

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Operation Type: Unknown
Year Last Production: 1940
Discovery Method: Ore-Mineral In Place
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: N
Deposit Size: S

Physiography

General Physiographic Area: Intermontane Plateaus
Physiographic Province: Colorado Plateaus
Physiographic Section: Canyon Lands

Mineral Deposit Model

Model Name: Polymetallic replacement

Orebody

Not available

Structure

Type: R
Description: San Juan Uplift, Paradox Basin

Type: L
Description: Rico Dome

Alterations

Not available

Rocks

Name: Diabase
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Pennsylvanian

Name: Diabase
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock
Age Young: Paleocene

Name: Diabase
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock Unit
Age Young: Pennsylvanian

Analytical Data

Not available

Materials

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

Comments

Comment (Deposit): LOWER HERMOSA SANDSTONE AND SHALE DIP GENERALLY SW AND ARE CUT BY SEVERAL NE- AND NW-TRENDING VEINS BUT AT THAT DEPTH RANSOME (1901) NOTED THEM TO BE SMALL AND RELATIVELY BARREN. DRIFT ON EUREKA VEIN PROBABLY DEVELOPS DEEPER EUREKA FISSURE VEIN.

Comment (Workings): LEXINGTON TUNNEL DRIVEN S 75 E FOR 3000 FT; AT APPROX 1900 FT FROM PORTAL, DRIFT DRIVEN GENERALLY N 65 E FOR APPROX 800 FT ALONG EUREKA VEIN.

Comment (Production): PARTIAL PRODUCTION RECORD. FIGURES UNAVAILABLE FOR ALL PREVIOUS YEARS. ORE PRODUCED FROM DRIFT ON EUREKA VEIN.

Comment (Location): (LAND STATUS AND ADMINISTRATIVE AREA LOCATIONS CALCULATED USING GIS OVERLAY ANALYSIS FOR SAN JUAN N. F.). ON WEST SLOPE OF NEWMAN HILL BENEATH NEWMAN AND ENTERPRISE MINES WORKINGS (UNSURVEYED SECTIONS). ELEV AND LAT-LONG GIVEN ARE FROM MCKNITHT, 1974, PL. 1 (1930 BASE). ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :1975

Comment (Commodity): MINERALOGIES BASED ON DESCRIPTION OF EUREKA VEIN IN ENTERPRISE MINE

References

Reference (Deposit): MCKNIGHT, E.T., 1974, GEOLOGY AND ORE DEPOSITS OF THE RICO DISTRICT, COLORADO: USGS PROF. PAPER 723, P. 73-75.

Reference (Deposit): PRATT, W.P., AND OTHERS, 1969, GEOLOGIC MAP OF THE RICO QUADRANGLE, DOLORES AND MONTEZUMA COUNTIES, COLORADO: USGS MAP GQ-797.

Reference (Deposit): RANSOME, F.L., 1901, THE ORE DEPOSITS OF THE RICO MOUNTAINS, COLORADO: USGS 22D ANN. REPT., PT. 2, P. 339-340.

Reference (Deposit): CROSS, WHITMAN, AND RANSOME, F.L., 1905, DESCRIPTION OF THE RICO QUADRANGLE: USGS FOLIO 130.

Reference (Deposit): COLORADO DIV. MINES INF. REPT. AND ANNUAL OPERATOR REPTS.

Reference (Production): COLORADO 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.