Little Kate Mine

The Little Kate Mine is a gold and silver mine located in La Plata county, Colorado at an elevation of 10,761 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: Little Kate Mine
Secondary: Patented Claim: Little Kate
Secondary: Ms 8964

Commodity

Primary: Gold
Primary: Silver
Tertiary: Copper

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

Not available

Production

Not available

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Deposit Type: Vein
Operation Type: Unknown
Year First Production: 1895
Year Last Production: 1900
Discovery Year: 1892
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

Form: LENTICULAR

Structure

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

Type: L
Description: La Plata Dome, Diorite Peak Stock

Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: Oxidation Of Pyrite To Limonite

Rocks

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

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

Analytical Data

Analytical Data: DUMPS, OUTCROPS, AND UNDERGROUND EXPOSURES YIELDED ASSAYS OF 0.034 TO 0.38 OZ/TON AU. MAIN BODY OF BRECCIA CONTAINS 0.02 TO 0.11 OZ/TON AU AND AVERAGES 0.04 TO 0.06 OZ/TON AU. ECKEL AND OTHERS' (1949) ANALYSES OF THREE BRECCIA SAMPLES SHOWED 0.01 TO 0.04 OZ/TON AU AND TRACE TO 0.05 OZ/TON AG.

Materials

Ore: Chalcopyrite
Gangue: Calcite
Gangue: Epidote
Gangue: Quartz

Comments

Comment (Deposit): Discovery Year: EARLY 1890S

Comment (Location): (LAND STATUS AND ADMINISTRATIVE AREA LOCATIONS CALCULATED USING GIS OVERLAY ANALYSIS FOR SAN JUAN N. F.). ON NORTH SIDE OF BASIN CREEK IN UPPER TOMAHAWK BASIN, 2.25 MILES NNE OF LA PLATA TOWNSITE (UNSURVEYED SECTION). ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :1974

Comment (Development): FOLLOWING DISCOVERY IN EARLY 1890S, PEAK PRODUCTION OCCURRED IN 1895-1896 MOSTLY FROM OPEN CUT, BUT MINE WAS ABANDONED BY 1900. 20-STAMP MILL RAN FOR SEVERAL YEARS.

Comment (Deposit): COUNTRY ROCK CONSISTS OF METAMORPHOSED CUTLER FM RED BEDS (QUARTZITE AND HORNFELS) INTRUDED BY DIORITE-MONZONITE PORPHYRY SILLS AND DIORITE STOCK. MINE INTERSECTS WESTWARD EXTENSION OF EAST-WEST-TRENDING CLYDESDALE AND TOMAHAWK VEINS IN PORPHYRY AND DEVELOPED NE-TRENDING VEIN THAT INTERSECTS TOMAHAWK VEIN AT NW END OF PROMINENT NW-TRENDING BODY OF BRECCIA ALONG SW SIDE OF DIORITE STOCK. DEPOSIT IS UNIQUE IN DISTRICT IN THAT VEIN IS BELT OF NARROW, PYRITE-BEARING QUARTZ STRINGERS CUTTING BRECCIA AND TRENDING GENERALLY N 60 E, 70 TO 90 NW. MOST ORE IS OXIDIZED TO LIMONITE, BUT UNOXIDIZED PYRITE ORE OCCURRED WITHIN 10 TO 12 FT OF SURFACE.

Comment (Workings): PRINCIPAL WORKINGS WERE OPEN CUT AND MAIN ADIT DRIVEN GENERALLY NORTH TO NNW FOR 255 FT WITH 95-FT DRIFT DRIVEN NE AT 75 FT FROM PORTAL; OTHER INACCESSIBLE NEAR-SURFACE WORKINGS.

References

Reference (Deposit): BLM MINERAL SURVEY MS 8964

Reference (Deposit): ECKEL, E.B., AND OTHERS, 1949, GEOLOGY AND ORE DEPOSITS OF THE LA PLATA DISTRICT, COLORADO: USGS PROF. PAPER 219, P. 67-68, 136-138, 171.

Reference (Deposit): MCCAUSLAND, ROSS, 1936, TOMAHAWK-BLACK DIAMOND MINES, DURANGO, COLORADO: UNPUB. ENG. REPT., 22 P.

Reference (Deposit): BECKER, C.M., 1934, REPORT ON THE TOMAHAWK AND BLACK DIAMOND PROPERTIES, SAN JUAN DISTRICT, LA PLATA COUNTY, COLORADO: UNPUB. ENG. REPT., 5 P.

Colorado Mining Photos

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