Belle of the East Mine

The Belle of the East Mine is a gold and silver mine located in Hinsdale county, Colorado at an elevation of 9,751 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: Belle of the East Mine  

State:  Colorado

County:  Hinsdale

Elevation: 9,751 Feet (2,972 Meters)

Commodity: Gold, Silver

Lat, Long: 38.00306, -107.28333

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 Belle of the East Mine

Belle of the East Mine MRDS details

Site Name

Primary: Belle of the East Mine
Secondary: Patented Claim: Belle of the East
Secondary: Ms 385


Commodity

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


Location

State: Colorado
County: Hinsdale
District: Lake (Lake City) District


Land Status

Land ownership: Private
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: H. H. Avery (Estate)
Home Office: Lake City, Co.
Years: 1923 -

Owner Name: Lucky Day Mines And Milling Co.
Home Office: Lake City, Co.
Years: 1923 -


Production

Year: 1922
Description: Ap_Grade: ^58.7 Oz/Ton Ag, 0.12 Oz/Ton Au, 3.3 % Zn


Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Deposit Type: Vein
Operation Type: Unknown
Year Last Production: 1922
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

Not available


Orebody

Not available


Structure

Type: R
Description: San Juan Volcanic Field, San Juan Depression

Type: L
Description: San Juan-Uncompahgre Calderas, Lake City Caldera


Alterations

Not available


Rocks

Name: Rhyolite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock
Age Young: Oligocene

Name: Rhyolite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Oligocene


Analytical Data

Not available


Materials

Ore: Chalcopyrite
Ore: Sphalerite
Gangue: Barite
Gangue: Quartz


Comments

Comment (Deposit): DEPOSIT LIES IN THICK, HYDROTHERMALLY ALTERED RHYOLITE FLOWS AND DOMES OCCUPYING EAST PART OF UNCOMPAGHRE CALDERA'S MOAT-FILL. BROWN (19 26) DESCRIBED NE-TRENDING VEIN AS PARALLEL TO ABOUT 150 FT NW OF BELLE OF THE WEST VEIN. APPROX OR OF ORE DEPOSITION WAS PYRITE, SPHALERITE T ETRAHEDRITE, GALENA, CHALCOPYRITE. ONE SECTION SHOWED APPARENT SIMULTANEOUS DEPOSITION OF SPHALERITE, TETRAHEDRITE, AND GALENA. VEIN OCCUPIES RADIAL FRACTURE/FAULT NE OF LAKE CITY CALDERA AND LIES IN SLACK'S (1980) BARITE/PRECIOUS METALS ASSEMBLAGE, ON APPROX BOUNDARY BETWEEN RHODOCHROSITE-TETRAHEDRITE ZONE AND INNER QUARTZ-SPHALERITE ZONE.

Comment (Location): CLAIM STRADDLES SECTION LINE ON HILLSIDE EAST OF LAKE FORK,ADJOINI NG CLAIMS OF BELLE OF THE WEST MINE. ELEV AND LAT-LONG GIVEN ARE FOR TUNNEL OPENING IN C N2 SE NE SEC. 10. ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :1977

Comment (Production): PARTIAL PRODUCTION RECORD. FIGURES UNAVAILABLE FOR YEARS OTHER THAN 1922. MINERAL RESOURCES OF U.S. VOLUMES CITE SOME PRODUCTION IN 1914.

Comment (Workings): CDM REPORTS DESCRIBED WORKINGS AS 600-FT TUNNEL DRIVEN GENERALLY SE, 40-FT BY 200-FT STOPE; LOWER TUNNEL DRIVEN 90 FT PRESUMABLY GENERALLY SE; OPEN CUTS; 50-TPD FLOTATION MILL (EXACT LOCATION UNKNOWN).


References

Reference (Deposit): IRVING, J.D., AND BANCROFT, HOWLAND, 1911, GEOLOGY AND ORE DEPOSITS NEAR LAKE CITY, COLORADO: USGS BULL. 478.

Reference (Deposit): LIPMAN, P.W., 1976, GEOLOGIC MAP OF THE LAKE CITY CALDERA AREA,WEST ERN SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS, SOUTHWESTERN COLORADO:

Reference (Deposit): LIPMAN, P.W., AND OTHERS, 1976, MULTIPLE AGES OF MID-TERTIARY MINERALIZATION AND ALTERATION IN THE WESTERN SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS, COLORADO:EC ON. GEOLOGY, V. 71, NO. 3, P. 571-588.

Reference (Deposit): SLACK, J.F., 1980, MULTISTAGE VEIN ORES OF THE LAKE CITY DISTRICT,W ESTERN SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS, COLORADO: ECON. GEOLOGY, V. 75, NO.7,P.96 3-991.

Reference (Deposit): BROWN, W.H., 1926, THE MINERAL ZONES OF THE WHITE CROSS DISTRICT,W NEIGHBORING DEPOSITS IN HINSDALE COUNTY, COLORADO: MINES MAG.,V.15, NO. 11, P. 5-15.

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

Reference (Deposit): BLM MINERAL SURVEY MS 385

Reference (Production): COLORADO DIV. MINES ANNUAL OPERATOR REPT.


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.