Comstock Mine

The Comstock Mine is a gold and silver mine located in La Plata county, Colorado at an elevation of 9,121 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: Comstock Mine  

State:  Colorado

County:  La Plata

Elevation: 9,121 Feet (2,780 Meters)

Commodity: Gold, Silver

Lat, Long: 37.37722, -108.07750

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 Comstock Mine

Comstock Mine MRDS details

Site Name

Primary: Comstock Mine
Secondary: Patented Claims: Comstock, MS 89
Secondary: Comstock, MS 90a
Secondary: Comstock Mill Site, MS 90b


Commodity

Primary: Gold
Primary: Silver
Secondary: Copper
Secondary: Lead
Tertiary: Zinc
Tertiary: Tellurium
Tertiary: Bismuth
Tertiary: Antimony


Location

State: Colorado
County: La Plata
District: California (La Plata) 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: George And Lewis Toll
Home Office: Vista, Ca.
Years: 1962 -

Owner Name: Montonati Brothers
Home Office: Durango, Co.
Years: 1962 -


Production

Not available


Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Deposit Type: Vein
Operation Type: Unknown
Year First Production: 1875
Year Last Production: 1931
Discovery Year: 1873
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: Navajo Section


Mineral Deposit Model

Model Name: Polymetallic veins


Orebody

Not available


Structure

Type: R
Description: San Juan Uplift, Four Corners Platform

Type: L
Description: La Plata Dome, Parrott Fault System


Alterations

Not available


Rocks

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

Name: Diorite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Late Permian

Name: Diorite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock Unit
Age Young: Paleocene

Name: Diorite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock Unit
Age Young: Late Permian


Analytical Data

Not available


Materials

Ore: Gold
Ore: Amalgam
Ore: Tetrahedrite
Ore: Pyrite
Ore: Covellite
Ore: Chalcopyrite
Gangue: Limonite
Gangue: Ankerite
Gangue: Quartz


Comments

Comment (Production): PARTIAL PRODUCTION RECORD. PRODUCTION FROM 1870S TO 1885 UNKNOWN BUT CONSIDERED SMALL. INTERMITTENT PRODUCTION SINCE 1904 INCLUDES 1904, 1910-1912, 1914, 1918, 1930-1931.

Comment (Location): (LAND STATUS AND ADMINISTRATIVE AREA LOCATIONS CALCULATED USING GIS OVERLAY ANALYSIS FOR SAN JUAN N. F.). ALONG WEST SIDE OF LA PLATA RIVER AT ROOT CREEK CONFLUENCE, 1.7 MILES SW OF LA PLATA TOWNSITE (UNSURVEYED SECTION). ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :1974

Comment (Deposit): COUNTRY ROCK CONSISTS OF RELATIVELY UNMETAMORPHOSED CUTLER FM RED BEDS INTRUDED BY DIORITE-MONZONITE PORPHYRY SILLS AND IRREGULAR DIKELIKE MASSES. COMSTOCK VEIN FOLLOWS FAULT TRENDING N 20 E, DIPPING STEEPLY SE, WITH SHARPLY DEFINED WALLS. IN UPPER WORKINGS, VEIN IS 1- TO 8-FT ZONE OF BRECCIATED AND SILICIFIED ROCK WITH 1- TO 18-INCH PAY STREAK NEAR FOOTWALL. VEIN NARROWS THROUGH SHALE BUT WIDENS WHEN TRAVERSING PORPHYRY.

Comment (Development): VEIN DISCOVERED IN 1873 BY A.K. FLEMING, WHO ALONG WITH CAPTAIN JOHN MOSS AND HARRY LIGHTLNER STAKED NORTH AND SOUTH COMSTOCK CLAIMS IN 1874. CLAIMS SOLD IN 1875 TO TIRBIRCIO PARROTT. SHAFT AND THREE DRIFTS OPENED BY 1881, BUT MINE WAS INACTIVE FROM 1885 TO LATE 1890S. INTERMITTENT PRODUCTION FROM 1904-1931. COMSTOCK CREDITED AS FIRST DISCOVERY IN DISTRICT.

Comment (Workings): MINE DEVELOPED BY TWO ADITS, VERTICAL SHAFT, AND FOUR LEVELS. ADIT LEVEL DRIVEN N 30 W FOR 260 FT, THENCE N 75 W FOR 45 FT TO VEIN, ON WHICH 70-FT DRIFT DRIVEN S 20 W AND 100-FT DRIFT DRIVEN N 20 E; 25-FT RAISE AT 80 FR ON NE DRIFT DRIVEN TO 92-FT LEVEL THAT EXTENDS NNW 110 FT TO SHAFT; SAME RAISE ALSO GOLES TO INTERMEDIATE (80-FT) LEVEL ABOVE 92-FT LEVEL BUT EXTENDING NORTH OR NNW ONLY 50 FT. 40-FT LEVEL ADIT (CAVED) DRIVEN ALONG VEIN S 12 W FOR 95 FT TO SHAFT, THENCE S 35 W FOR 150 FT.VERTICAL SHAFT IS 160 FT DEEP. 75-FT LEVEL DRIVEN 95-FT NNE FROM SHAFT; INTERMEDIATE UNDEVELOPED LEVEL DRIVEN 20 FT SSW AT 60 FT IN SHAFT.


References

Reference (Deposit): ECKEL, E.B., AND OTHERS, 1949, GEOLOGY AND ORE DEPOSITS OF THE LA PLATA DISTRICT, COLORADO: USGS PROF. PAPER 219, P. 69-70, 103-104, PL. 17.

Reference (Deposit): COLORADO DIV. MINES INF. REPTS.

Reference (Production): ECKEL AND OTHERS, 1949, P. 103 (AS COMPILED FROM USGS AND USBM RECORDS)


Colorado Mining Photos

Placer mines at Cripple Creek, Colorado ca. 1892

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