Morning Star Mine

The Morning Star Mine is a gold, silver, and lead mine located in San Miguel county, Colorado at an elevation of 10,240 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: Morning Star Mine

Commodity

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

Location

State: Colorado
County: San Miguel
District: Mount Wilson 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.

Holdings

Not available

Workings

Not available

Ownership

Owner Name: Phillip Klingensmith
Home Office: Grand Junction, Co.
Years: 1972 -

Owner Name: Gold Leaf Mining Co.
Home Office: Grand Junction, Co.
Years: 1972 -

Production

Not available

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Operation Type: Unknown
Year First Production: 1878
Year Last Production: 1952
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 replacement

Orebody

Not available

Structure

Type: R
Description: Paradox Basin, San Miguel Mtns

Type: L
Description: Wilson Peak Stock, Ames Pluton

Alterations

Not available

Rocks

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

Name: Diorite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Pliocene

Analytical Data

Analytical Data: BROMFIELD AND OTHERS' (1972) FIRE ASSAY OF CHIP SAMPLE FROM VEIN IN SHORT BRANCH DRIFT CONTAINED 0.04 OZ/TON AU, 2.10 OZ/TON AG, 0.01% CU, 0.36% PB, AND 0.52% ZN
Analytical Data: CHEMICAL ANALYSES, 0.3 AND 1 PPM AU, 120 AND 190 PPM AG, 950 AND 1400 PPM CU, 15000 AND 18000 PPM PB, 6000 AND 13000 PPM ZN.
Analytical Data: SAMPLE FROM FACE OF VEIN CONTAINED 0.46 OZ/TON AU, 9.28 OZ/TON AG, 0.32% CU, 11.54% PB, AND 0.72% ZN. SEMIQUANTITATIVE SPECTROGRAPHIC ANALYSES OF TWO SAMPLES FROM CAVED ADIT CONTAINED 10% FE, 0.07% MG, 0.15% CA, 0.015 AND 0.03% TI, 300 AND GT 5000 PPM MN, 150 AND 300 PPM AG, 2000 AND 7000 PPM AS, 15 PPM B, 20 AND 150 PPM BA, LT 10 PPM BI, LT 20 AND 300 PPM CD, 5 AND 10 PPM CO, LT 5 PPM CR, 700 AND 1500 PPM CU, 15 PPM MO, 5 AND 15 PPM NI, 2000 AND 3000 PPM PB, 700 AND 3000 PPM SB, LT 10 AND 10 PPM SN, LT 100 PPM SR, 10 AND 30 PPM V, 1500 AND GT 10000 PPM ZN

Materials

Ore: Gold
Ore: Pyrite
Ore: Sphalerite
Gangue: Quartz
Gangue: Calcite

Comments

Comment (Workings): BROMFIELD AND OTHERS (1972) DESCRIBE WORKINGS AS FOUR TUNNELS: LOWEST (FOURTH), THIRD IS 125 FT HIGHER, SECOND IS 45 FT HIGHER, FIRST IS 65 FT HIGHER. CDM REPORTS CITE WORKINGS AS FIVE TUNNELS: 1700 FT LONG (PRESUMED LOWEST), 600 FT AND THREE TUNNELS EACH ABOUT 100 FT LONG. NEW TUNNEL BELOW NO. 3 BEING DRIVEN 150 FT TO VEIN WITH 450 FT OF DRIFT.

Comment (Production): PARTIAL PRODUCTION RECORD. FIGURES UNAVAILABLE FOR YEARS PRIOR TO 1904, BUT TOTAL PRODUCTION CONSIDERED SMALL. NO PRODUCTION REPORTED FOR 1906, 1910-1911, 1915-1951, AND AFTER 1952.

Comment (Development): CDM REPORTS CITE CLAIM GROUP LOCATED IN 1878 AND PRODUCED TO 1903. MOST PRODUCTIVE PERIOD WAS 1904-1914. EXCEPT FOR SMALL PRODUCTION IN 1952, MINE INACTIVE, BUT WITH SOME EXPLORATION AND DEVELOPMENT IN 1964-1971.

Comment (Deposit): MICROGRANOGABBRO AND GRANODIORITE LIE IN CONTACT WITH GRANODIORITE PORPHYRY OF AMES PLUTON ON NE EXTENSION OF WILSON PEAK STOCK. MORNING STAR VEIN OCCUPIES FISSURE TRENDING N 75 TO 90 W, AVERAGING ABOUT N 85 W, AND DIPPING 80 TO 90 NORTH. VEIN CUTS ALL THREE INTRUSIVE ROCKS, BUT WORKINGS CUT ONLY MICROGRANOGABBRO AND GRANODIORITE PORPHYRY. PARALLEL VEIN DIPPING 75 NORTH LIES 150 FT SOUTH OF MORNING STAR.

Comment (Location): UNPATENTED CLAIMS LIE ACROSS BILK CREEK AND EXTEND TO NORTH SLOPE OF SUNSHINE MTN 2 MILES ENE OF WILSON PEAK. ELEV AND LAT-LONG GIVEN ARE FOR LOWER PORTAL ON WEST SIDE OF BILK CREEK. ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :1975

References

Reference (Production): BROMFIELD, 1967 (AS COMPILED FROM USBM RECORDS)

Reference (Deposit): BROMFIELD, C.S., 1967, GEOLOGY OF THE MOUNT WILSON QUADRANGLE, WESTERN SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS, COLORADO: USGS BULL. 1227, P. 88-89.

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

Reference (Deposit): BROMFIELD, C.S., AND OTHERS, 1972, MINERAL RESOURCES OF THE WILSON MOUNTAINS PRIMITIVE AREA, COLORADO: USGS BULL. 1353-A, P. 46-47, 66-67.

Colorado Mining Photos

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