Dolly Varden Mine

The Dolly Varden Mine is a silver mine located in Hinsdale county, Colorado at an elevation of 12,201 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: Dolly Varden Mine
Secondary: Varden Belle Mine
Secondary: Patented Claim: Dolly Varden, MS 172

Commodity

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

Location

State: Colorado
County: Hinsdale
District: Galena (Henson Creek) 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: Coeur D'Alene Mining Co.
Home Office: New Haven, Ct.
Years: 1925 -

Production

Not available

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Deposit Type: Vein
Operation Type: Unknown
Year First Production: 1878
Year Last Production: 1919
Discovery Year: 1877
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: Miocene

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

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

Analytical Data

Not available

Materials

Ore: Chalcocite
Ore: Chalcopyrite
Ore: Stephanite
Ore: Galena
Ore: Pyrargyrite
Ore: Sphalerite
Gangue: Quartz

Comments

Comment (Workings): CROSSCUT TUNNEL DRIVEN GENERALLY NW FOR 804 FT TO VEIN; 116-FT DRIFT DRIVEN AT 550 FT FROM PORTAL; 83-FT DRIFT DRIVEN NE ON VEIN AT 712 FT FROM PORTAL, WITH 121-FT RAISE. RANSOME (1901) MENTIONS OLD SHAFT (DEPTH UNKNOWN).

Comment (Location): MINE LIES ON SE SLOPE OF DOLLY VARDEN MOUNTAIN 0.75 MILE NNE OF ROSE CABIN. ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :1977

Comment (Development): DEVELOPMENT WORK REPORTED IN 1907. PROBABLE SMALL PRODUCTION REPORTED IN 1913, 1917, AND 1919.

Comment (Deposit): MINE LIES TOWARD NW RIM OF SAN JUAN-UNCOMPAHGRE CALDERA IN LATER INFILLE SEQUENCE VOLCANIC AND SEDIMENTARY ROCKS. HILL JUST NNE OF MINE COMPOSED OF RHYOLITE PLUG (MIOCENE) RELATED TO LAKE CITY CALDERA FORMATION. GENERAL PARAGENESIS IDENTIFIED BY BROWN (1926): SPHALERITE, GALENA AND CHALCOPYRITE, PYRARGYRITE (SUPERGENE). RELATION OF CHALCOCITE IS UNCLEAR. PYRARGYRITE OCCURS AS VEINLETS IN SPHALERITE AND REPLACES GALENA IN IRREGULAR AREAS ALONG CONTACTS. RANSOME (1901) DESCRIBES VEIN AS SHEETED ZONE. CROSS AND OTHERS (1905) SHOW VEIN TRENDING N 5 W, DIPPING NE.

References

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

Reference (Deposit): CROSS, WHITMAN, AND OTHERS, 1905, DESCRIPTION OF THE SILVERTON QUADRANGLE: USGS FOLIO 120, 34 P.

Reference (Deposit): LIPMAN, P.W., 1976, GEOLOGIC MAP OF THE LAKE CITY CALDERA AREA, WESTERN SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS, SOUTHWESTERN COLORADO: USGS MAP I-962.

Reference (Deposit): LUEDKE, R.G., AND BURBANK, W.S., 1975, PRELIMINARY GEOLOGIC MAP OF THE HANDIES PEAK QUADRANGLE, COLORADO: USGS OPEN-FILE REPT. 75-432.

Reference (Deposit): RANSOME, F.L., 1901, ECONOMIC GEOLOGY OF THE SILVERTON QUADRANGLE, COLORADO: USGS BULL. 182, P. 190-191.

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

Reference (Deposit): BLM MINERAL SURVEY MS 172

Colorado Mining Photos

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