Star of the West Mine

The Star of the West Mine is a iron mine located in Costilla county, Colorado at an elevation of 10,121 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: Star of the West Mine
Secondary: Ainsworth

Commodity

Primary: Iron
Secondary: Gold
Secondary: Silver
Tertiary: Copper

Location

State: Colorado
County: Costilla
District: Grayback (Russell) 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: Trinchera (Estate) ; Winfield Ripley
Years: 1910 -

Production

Year: 1909
Time Period: 1881 to 1883
Mined: 13250.000 mt
Material type: iron ore

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Deposit Type: Replacement
Operation Type: Underground
Year First Production: 1877
Year Last Production: 1883
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: Skarn Fe

Orebody

Form: TABULAR

Structure

Type: R
Description: Sierra Blanca Massif, Ft. Garland Embayment

Type: L
Description: Vega Cr. Anticline, Wagon Mesa Fault

Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: Limonite In Irregular Zone At Base Of Magnetite Ore; Some Copper Carbonate

Rocks

Name: Monzonite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Pennsylvanian

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

Analytical Data

Analytical Data: 67.30 % FE, 0.007 % P, 0.03 % S, 3.53 % SIO2, 0.11 % MN, 1.70 % AL2O3, 0.83 % CAO, 0.91 % MGO.
Analytical Data: 56.84 % FE, 0.045 % P, 8.60 % SIO2, 1.20 % AL2O3, 2.20 % CAO, 0.38 % MGO, 4.60 % L.O.I.
Analytical Data: 57.50 % FE, 0.04 % P, 11.90 % SIO2, 3.90 % AL2O3, 0.20 % CAO, TRACE MGO, 4.20 % L.O.I.
Analytical Data: 47.74 % FE, 0.008 %P
Analytical Data: AVERAGE OF FOUR ANALYSES ON ENTIRE IRON DEPOSIT YIELDED 53.78 % FE AND 0.931 % P. ASSAY OF 2- TO 6-INCH COPPER-STAINED STREAK RAN $9.92/TON AU AND $0.08/TON AG. ENTIRE IRON DEPOSIT ASSAYED $2.90/TON AU AND $0.10/TON AG. FIVE USBM ANALYSES YIELDED 59.23 % FE, 0.016 % P

Materials

Ore: Magnetite
Ore: Hematite
Gangue: Epidote
Gangue: Chlorite
Gangue: Pyrite
Gangue: Garnet
Gangue: Calcite

Comments

Comment (Location): ALTHOUGH DISTRICT ACTUALLY IS IN UNSURVEYED PRIVATE LAND GRANT, SECTIONS REPORTED ARE BASED ON PATTON AND OTHERS' (1910) MAP RATHER THAN PROJECTIONS FROM ADJACENT QUADS. LAT-LONG AND ELEVATIONS DETERMINED FROM TOPO QUAD. MINE OR CLAIM LIES 0.3 MILE SW OF SUMMIT OF GRAYBACK MTN. ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :(1975)

Comment (Production): CUMULATIVE PRODUCTION FIGURE PROBABLY INCLUDES ORE FROM LOWER AND UPPER STAR OF THE WEST WORKINGS.

Comment (Deposit): IRON ORE REPLACES CALCITE IN GARNETIFEROUS CONTACT-METAMORPHOSED LIMESTONE ALONG SOUTHWEST EDGE OF INTRUSION. TRANSITIONAL CONTACT OF ORE DOWNDIP INTO BARREN LIMESTONE. A 15-FT-THICK TACTITE OVERLIES THE ORE BED . ORE BODY LIES CLOSE TO MONZONITE INTRUSION, BUT NO CONTACT OBSERVED BECAUSE HIGH-ANGLE REVERSE FAULT TRENDING EAST-WEST AND DIPPING 70 S HAS OFFSET ORE. ORE ON FOOTWALL IS BELIEVED TO HAVE BEEN UPTHROWN TO A POINT ABOVE GROUND SURFACE AND ERODED AWAY. 8 TO 10 FT OF DRAG ON ORE NOTED IN FAULT ZONE.

Comment (Geology): GEOL.DESC: MAGNETITE AND HEMATITE REPLACING METAMORPHOSED LIMESTONES AT OR NEAR A CONTACT WITH MONZONITE PORPHYRY. BED 6-10 FT THICK, N80W 35S. BED 1-4 FT THICK, N80W 45S.

References

Reference (Deposit): PATTON, H.B., AND OTHERS, 1910, GEOLOGY OF THE GRAYBACK MINING DISTRICT, COSTILLA COUNTY, COLORADO: CGS BULL. 2.

Reference (Deposit): WARNER, L.A., AND OTHERS, 1959, OCCURRENCES OF NONPEGMATITIC BERYLLIUM IN THE UNITED STATES: USGS PROF. PAPER 3182 P. 165.

Reference (Deposit): HARPER, C.M., AND TESCH, W.J., JR., 1959, RECONNAISSANCE OF IRON OCCURRENCES IN COLORADO: USBM IC-7918, P. 22.

Reference (Deposit): CONSV. DIV. COMP. DATE, 1,64

Reference (Production): HARPER AND TESCH, 1959

Colorado Mining Photos

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