Esterley Placer

The Esterley Placer is a gold mine located in Josephine county, Oregon at an elevation of 1,499 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: Esterley Placer
Secondary: Llano De Oro
Secondary: Cameron Placer
Secondary: Logan Placer
Secondary: Simmons Placer
Secondary: French Flat

Commodity

Primary: Gold
Secondary: Silver
Secondary: Platinum
Tertiary: Chromium
Tertiary: Iridium
Tertiary: Ruthenium
Tertiary: Rhodium
Tertiary: Palladium
Tertiary: Osmium

Location

State: Oregon
County: Josephine
District: Waldo Area

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

Type: Surface

Ownership

Owner Name: Acura Mining Corp.
Years: 1980 -

Owner Name: Esterly, George M.
Years: 1933 -

Production

Not available

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Producer
Deposit Type: Stream Placer
Operation Type: Unknown
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: N
Deposit Size: S

Physiography

General Physiographic Area: Pacific Mountain System
Physiographic Province: Pacific Border Province
Physiographic Section: Klamath Mountains

Mineral Deposit Model

Model Name: Placer Au-PGE

Orebody

Form: STREAM SEDIMENT DEPOSITS

Structure

Not available

Alterations

Not available

Rocks

Not available

Analytical Data

Analytical Data: PT:AU=1:50. GOLD FINENESS=955

Materials

Ore: Chromite
Ore: Gold
Gangue: Epidote
Gangue: Ilmenite
Gangue: Zircon
Gangue: Limonite
Gangue: Hematite
Gangue: Magnetite

Comments

Comment (Development): ONE OF STATE'S LARGEST PLACERS IN EARLY 1900'S. MINING SEASON IS 7 MONTHS/YR

Comment (Geology): WORKINGS IN TERTIARY CONGLOMERATE MINOR IN COMPARISON TO PLEISTOCENE GRAVELS. BEDROCK VARIES - TERTIARY CONGLOMGERATE, SERPENTINE; HORSETOWN(?) SANDSTONE ; GEOL.DESC: BEDROCK VARIES - TERT. CONG., SERP; HORSETOWN (?) SANDSTONE

Comment (Location): ON CARROLL SLOUGH AND FRENCH FLAT. LOCATION GIVEN IS TAILINGS NORTH OF ESTERLY LAKES

Comment (Commodity): PT IS FLATTENED SCALES WITH ROUNDED CORNERS - TINY GRAINS TO >2 MM. MOST OF GOLD IS ANGULAR. PLATINUM METALS ARE MOSTLY PT WITH RU, SOME IR, OS, SLIGHT PD, RH

Comment (Production): FOR MANY YEARS THIS WAS THE MOST PRODUCTIVE AU-PT PLACER IN OREGON

Comment (Deposit): AVERAGE THICKNESS 18 FT. AU, PT CONCENTRATED NEAR BEDROCK BUT SOME GOLD THROUGHOUT FORMATION

Comment (Workings): OVER 30 ACRES HYDRAULICKED. SEVERAL BIG PITS

Comment (Deposit): SEE ALSO: MRDS M013263.

Comment (Reserve-Resource): LARGE AREAS CONTAINING GOLD ARE UNTOUCHED. 1921 ESTIMATE: GRAVELS AVERAGED $0.18 IN RESERVES

References

Reference (Deposit): SHENON, P.J., 1933, GEOLOGY AND ORE DEPOSITS OF THE TAKILMA-WALDO DISTRICT, OREGON: U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 846-B, P. 186-188.

Reference (Deposit): RAMP, LEN, AND PETERSON, N.V., 1979, GEOLOGY AND MINERAL RESOURCES OF JOSEPHINE COUNTY, OREGON: OREGON DEPARTMENT OF GEOLOGY AND MINERAL INDUSTRIES BULLETIN 100, TABLE 1.

Reference (Deposit): MERTIE, J.B., JR., 1969, ECONOMIC GEOLOGY OF THE PLATINUM METALS: U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY PROFESSIONAL PAPER 630, P. 99-100.

Reference (Deposit): BROOKS, H.C., AND RAMP, LEN, 1968, GOLD AND SILVER IN OREGON: OREGON DEPARTMENT OF GEOLOGY AND MINERAL INDUSTRIES BULLETIN 61, P. 242.

Reference (Deposit): OREGON DEPARTMENT OF GEOLOGY AND MINERAL INDUSTRIES, 1952, OREGON METAL MINES HANDBOOK, SOUTHWESTERN OREGON--JOSEPHINE COUNTY (2D ED.): OREGON DEPARTMENT OF GEOLOGY AND MINERAL INDUSTRIES BULLETIN 14-C, V. 2, SEC. 1, P. 194-196.

Reference (Deposit): DILLER, J.S., 1914, MINERAL RESOURCES OF SOUTHWESTERN OREGON: U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 546, P. 119-120.

Oregon Gold

"Where to Find Gold in Oregon" looks at the density of modern placer mining claims along with historical gold mining locations and mining district descriptions to determine areas of high gold discovery potential in Oregon. Read more: Where to Find Gold in Oregon.