Silver Pick Mine

The Silver Pick Mine is a gold and silver mine located in San Miguel county, Colorado at an elevation of 12,119 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: Silver Pick Mine
Secondary: Patented Claims: Silver Pick, MS 1670
Secondary: Patented Claims: Gold Pick MS 7275A
Secondary: Patented Claims: Gold Pick Millsite MS 7275B
Secondary: Patented Claims: Silent Friend MS 17720
Secondary: Archean, MS 1671
Secondary: Tam O'Shanter, MS 9085
Secondary: Southport, MS 9086
Secondary: Silver Pick vein

Commodity

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

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.
Administrative Organization: Uncompahgre National Forest

Holdings

Type: Patented
Type: Other

Workings

Not available

Ownership

Owner Name: Gold Development Co. of Utah
Info Year: 1968
Years: 1903 - 1909

Owner Name: Mount Wilson Gold and Silver Mining Company
Info Year: 1968
Years: 1883 - 1898

Owner Name: Everett Blackburn
Home Office: Olathe, Co.
Years: 1968 -

Owner Name: Chastain Brothers
Home Office: Terreton, Id.
Years: 1968 -

Production

Year: 1897
Description: Ap_Grade: ^5.7 Oz/Ton Au, 16.4 Oz/Ton Ag
Year: 1896
Description: Ap_Grade: ^5.9 Oz/Ton Au, 18.8 Oz/Ton Ag
Year: 1895
Description: Ap_Grade: ^4.5 Oz/Ton Au, 14.5 Oz/Ton Ag
Year: 1895
Description: Ap_Grade: ^3.8 Oz/Ton Au, 15.4 Oz/Ton Ag

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Operation Type: Underground
Mining Method: Unknown
Year First Production: 1882
Year Last Production: 1961
Discovery Year: 1882
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

Alterations

Not available

Rocks

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

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

Analytical Data

Analytical Data: GRADE OF ORE SHIPPED FROM 1882-1898 RAN 2.5 TO 7.1 OZ/TON AU AND 14.1 TO 29.8 OZ/TON AG. SAMPLE OF VEIN MATTER SPILLED FROM AERIAL TRAM CONTAINED 0.88 OZ/TON AU, 6.22 OZ/TON AG, 0.75% CU, 0.10% PB, TRACE ZN. VEIN MATERIAL FROM DUMP OF FOURTH LEVEL CONTAINED 0.02 OZ/TON AU, 0.52 OZ/TON AG, 0.18% CU, 0.12% PB, 1.55% ZN. VEIN MATERIAL FROM DUMP OF SIXTH LEVEL CONTAINED 2.28 OZ/TON AU, 8.52 OZ/TON AG, 0.70% CU, 0.52% PB, TRACE ZN. HIGH-GRADE SAMPLE FROM CAVED PIT ABOVE OLD STOPE CONTAINED 1.0 OZ/TON AU, 13.9 OZ/TON AG, 3.36% CU, 1.20% PB, 1.75% ZN. GRAB SAMPLE FROM DUMP OF SECOND LEVEL CONTAINED 0.16 OZ/TON AU, 0.5 OZ/TON AG, 0.12% CU, 0.1% PB, 0.1% ZN. NASON (1900) REPORTS HIGH-GRADE CRUDE LOTS CONTAINING 80 OZ/TON AU AND 100 OZ/TON AG (SILVER PICK), 35 OZ/TON AU AND 40 OZ/TON AG (ARCHEAN), AND 12 OZ/TON AU AND 14 OZ/TON AG (TAM O'SHANTER).

Materials

Ore: Gold
Ore: Tetrahedrite
Ore: Sphalerite
Ore: Pyrite
Gangue: Barite
Gangue: Stibnite
Gangue: Quartz

Comments

Comment (Reference): Reference for Deposit, line 9: "CDM Summary Annual Report 1966" is rom deleted record 10119194.

Comment (Deposit): ON NORTH FLANK OF WILSON PEAK STOCK, SILVER PICK VEIN TRENDS N 40 TO 60 E, DIPS ABOUT 75 SE, AND CUTS MICROGRANOGABBRO, ADAMELLITE, AND GRANODIORITE, BUT MOST PRODUCTIVE PART CUT MICROGRANOGABBRO. NASON (1900) DESCRIBED NORTH-TRENDING CROSS VEINS THAT CARRIED ONLY PYRITE AND TRACES OF AU AND AG BUT OFFSET SILVER PICK VEIN UP TO SEVERAL FEET; AT FLEXURES, VEIN WIDENED AND CARRIED HIGHER AU AND AG VALUES. PURINGTON (1898, P. 779) WAS UNCERTAIN WHETHER VEIN WAS ACTUALLY FAULTED OR WHETHER IT TURNED LOCALLY TO FOLLOW THE CROSS FRACTURES AND THEN RESUME NE HEADING. VERY-FINE-GRAINED AU ASSOCIATED WITH CHALCOPYRITE AND ARSENOPYRITE.

Comment (Workings): MINE DEVELOPED ON 8 LEVELS: LEVEL 1 (ELEV 13220) DRIVEN SW ALONG VEIN 430 FT THROUGH TOP OF RIDGE; LEVEL 2 (ELEV 13150) DRIVEN SW FOR 300 FT TO FACE; LEVEL 3 (ELEV 12940) DEVELOPED FOR ABOUT 650 FT ALONG VEIN APPARENTLY OFF CROSSCUT TUNNEL FROM NORTH; LEVEL 4 (ELEV 12780) DRIVEN SW FOR AT LEAST 1000 FT; LEVEL 5 (ELEV 12730) DRIVEN SW FOR 975 FT TO FACE; LEVEL 6 (ELEV 12640) DRIVEN SW FOR 1150 FT TO FACE; LEVEL 7 (ELEV 12530) DRIVEN SW FOR AT LEAST 850 FT WITH 470-FT-LONG SUBLEVEL (ELEV 12575) DEVELOPED OFF RAISE TO LEVEL 6 AT 430 FT FROM PORTAL; LEVEL 8 LIES ABOUT 400 FT BELOW OLDER WORKINGS. PRINCIPAL STOPES WORKED BETWEEN LEVELS 6 AND 2. AERIAL TRAM LED FROM PORTAL OF LEVEL 6 TO MILL SITE ON BEAR CREEK ABOUT 5300 FT TO NNW.

Comment (Development): SILVER PICK AND ARCHEAN CLAIMS LOCATED IN JULY 1882 BY L.D. RATLIFF AND OTHERS, AND SMALL PRODUCTION THAT YEAR MARKED FIRST MINING ACTIVITY IN DISTRICT. IN 1883, MOUNT WILSON GOLD AND SILVER MINING CO. WORKED MINE AND ADDED OTHER CLAIMS ADJACENT TO SILVER PICK AND ARCHEAN. PRINCIPAL OUTPUT OF MINE OCCURRED FROM 1890-1898. OTHER LESSEES PRODUCED SMALL AMOUNTS OF ORE FROM 1899-1902. GOLD DEVELOPMENT CO. CONTROLLED PROPERTY FROM 1903-1909 AND DROVE LOWER NO. 8 LEVEL TO INTERSECT VEIN BELOW OLDER WORKINGS. SOME HIGH-GRADE ORE AND MILL CLEANUP SHIPPED IN 1930S; SOME CONCENTRATES PRODUCED IN 1946; SOME REHABILITATION IN 1954-1958; DRILLING, EXPLORATION, AND DEVELOPMENT IN LATE 1960S.

Comment (Location): CLAIMS LIE IN UPPER SILVER PICK BASIN (BEAR CREEK) JUST BELOW AND ALONG DIVIDE BETWEEN SAN MIGUEL AND DOLORES COUNTIES, 0.7 TO 1.2 MILES WSW OF WILSON PEAK. VEIN, CLAIMS, AND WORKINGS EXTEND WEST ONTO DOLORES PEAK (1953) QUAD.

Comment (Production): PARTIAL PRODUCTION RECORD. EXACT FIGURES UNAVAILABLE FOR 1905, 1908, 1930-1941, AND 1959-1961 (BROMFIELD AND OTHERS, 1971, P. 19 CITE ONLY VALUES). NO PRODUCTION REPORTED FOR 1883-1884, 1886-1888, AND OTHER INTERVENING YEARS. ESTIMATED AU AND AG FIGURES CALCULATED FROM REPORTED GRADES BY BROMFIELD (1967).

Comment (Names): Anna Wilson determined that the Silver Pick mine consists of 4 patented claims: Silver Pick, Gold Pick, Gold Pick millsite (which is farther north at the base of Silver Pick basin), and Silent Friend. There are 2 Silent Friend claims in the immediate vicinity, the other one is southwest of the main workings over the divide into Dolores County. Removed Bedrock Placer MS 9003 (see pl. 6 of Bull. 1227) from this record. Other named claims in this claim group include Tam o'Shanter, Archean, Southport.

References

Reference (Deposit): PURINGTON, C.W., 1898, PRELIMINARY REPORT ON THE MINING INDUSTRIES OF THE TELLURIDE QUADRANGLE, COLORADO: USGS 18TH ANN. REPT., PT. 3, P. 779, 846-847.

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

Reference (Deposit): BLM MINERAL SURVEYS MS 1670, 1671, 7275A&B, 9033, 9085, 9086

Reference (Deposit): SPAULDING, M.B., 1898, THE SILVER PICK, WILSON: COLUMBIA SCHOOL MINES QUART., V. 20, P. 41-47.

Reference (Production): BROMFIELD, 1967, USGS Bull. 1227, P. 91 (AS COMPILED FROM COMPANY REPORTS)

Reference (Deposit): BROMFIELD, C.S., AND OTHERS, 1972, MINERAL RESOURCES OF THE WILSON MOUNTAINS PRIMITIVE AREA, COLORADO: USGS BULL. 1353-A, P. 19, 39, 43-45.

Reference (Deposit): BUSH, A.L., AND BROMFIELD, C.S., 1966, GEOLOGIC MAP OF THE DOLORES PEAK QUADRANGLE, DOLORES AND SAN MIGUEL COUNTIES, COLORADO: USGS MAP GQ-536.

Reference (Deposit): BROMFIELD, C.S., 1967, GEOLOGY OF THE MOUNT WILSON QUADRANGLE, WESTERN SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS, COLORADO: USGS BULL. 1227, P. 89-93.

Reference (Deposit): NASON, F.L., 1900, THE GEOLOGY AND VEIN SYSTEMS OF THE MOUNT WILSON MINING DISTRICT, COLORADO: ENG. MINING JOUR., V. 69, P. 681-682.

Reference (Deposit): CDM Summary Annual Report 1966 (from deleted record 10119194)

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