America Mine

The America Mine is a silver and gold mine located in Dolores county, Colorado at an elevation of 8,999 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

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.

Site Name

Primary: America Mine
Secondary: Patented Claims: America, MS 18486a
Secondary: Columbia, MS 18486a
Secondary: Nil Desperandum, MS 18486a

Commodity

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

Location

State: Colorado
County: Dolores
District: Lone Cone (Dunton) 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: Lucy, James, And Robert Fahrion
Home Office: Rico, Co.
Years: 1977 -

Owner Name: West Dolores Gold And Silver, Inc.
Home Office: Rico, Co.
Years: 1977 -

Production

Not available

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Deposit Type: Vein
Operation Type: Unknown
Year Last Production: 1910
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 veins

Orebody

Not available

Structure

Type: R
Description: San Juan Uplift, Paradox Basin

Type: L
Description: Rico Dome, Dunton Syncline, Unnamed Fault, Emma Fault

Alterations

Not available

Rocks

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

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

Analytical Data

Analytical Data: OLD STOPES SAID TO CONTAIN 200 OZ/TON AG AND 1 OZ/TON AU

Materials

Ore: Argentite
Ore: Polybasite
Ore: Sphalerite
Ore: Galena
Ore: Pyrargyrite
Ore: Chalcopyrite
Gangue: Quartz

Comments

Comment (Deposit): MINE DEVELOPED IN DOLORES FM RED BEDS ON PROBABLE VEIN THAT TRENDS NW-SE AND IS PARALLEL TO EMMA VEIN AND TO OTHER FISSURES THAT LIE TO SW BEYOND GRABEN.

Comment (Workings): CDM REPORTS CIT WORKINGS AS FOUR ADITS (DRIVEN GENERALLY SE) CONNECTED BY RAISES

Comment (Location): (LAND STATUS AND ADMINISTRATIVE AREA LOCATIONS CALCULATED USING GIS OVERLAY ANALYSIS FOR SAN JUAN N. F.). CLAIMS LIE ON SOUTH SIDE OF WEST DOLORES RIVER IN UNNAMED GULCH 1 MILE BELOW DUNTON AND ABOUT 0.35 MILE SW OF SMUGGLER MINE. ELEV AND LAT-LONG GIVEN ARE FOR LOWER TUNNEL AS SHOWN ON 1937 SPECIAL EDITION TOPO MAP OF DUNTON MINING AREA. ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :1975

Comment (Commodity): COMMODITIES AND ORE MINERALS LISTED NOT DEFINITELY KNOWN BUT INFERRED ON BASIS OF PROBABLE SIMILARITY WITH EMMA AND SMUGGLER MINES.

References

Reference (Deposit): BLM MINERAL SURVEY MS 18486A

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): BASTIN, E.S., 1922, SILVER ENRICHMENT IN THE SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS, COLORADO: USGS BULL. 735-D, P. 116-129.

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

Colorado Mining Photos

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