Alpha Claim

The Alpha Claim is a silver and gold mine located in Storey county, Nevada at an elevation of 6,201 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

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: Alpha Claim

Commodity

Primary: Silver
Primary: Gold

Location

State: Nevada
County: Storey
District: Comstock Lode

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: Houston Oil And Minerals Corp. (Present)

Production

Not available

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Deposit Type: Vein
Operation Type: Unknown
Discovery Year: 1859
Discovery Method: Ore-Mineral In Place
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: N
Deposit Size: S

Physiography

General Physiographic Area: Intermontane Plateaus
Physiographic Province: Basin And Range Province
Physiographic Section: Great Basin
Physiographic Detail: Basin And Mountains

Mineral Deposit Model

Model Name: Epithermal vein, Comstock

Orebody

Form: TABULAR TO V-SHAPED

Structure

Type: R
Description: Regional Dip To West And Northwest

Type: L
Description: Faults

Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: Oxidation, Propylitization, Pyritization

Rocks

Name: Andesite
Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock Unit
Age Young: Miocene

Name: Andesite
Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Miocene

Analytical Data

Not available

Materials

Ore: Argentite
Ore: Gold
Gangue: Quartz

Comments

Comment (Deposit): THIS MINE FALLS IN THE SOUTH END GROUP OF THE COMSTOCK CLAIMS. THE DEPOSIT IS V-SHAPED AND THE ORE OCCURS ON THE HANGING WALL. THE FOOTWALL IS COMPOSED OF BARREN QUARTZ. ORIGINALLY STAKED IN 1859, DEVELOPED BY SHAFTS AND DRIFTS BROM 1860 TO 1864. FURTHER DEVELOPMENT CONTINUED THROUGH THE 1890'S, IN AN UNSUCCESSFUL SEARCH FOR HIGH-GRADE ORE. CURRENTLY PART OF THE CLAIM BLOCK ON WHICH HOUSTON OIL AND MINERALS HAS ITS OPEN PIT OPERATIONS. ; INFO.SRC : 1 PUB LIT

Comment (Location): BETWEEN EXCHEQUER AND IMPERIAL CLAIMS ON THE LODE

Comment (Development): STAKED IN 1859, DEVELOPED IN 1860-1864 AND THROUTH THE 1890'S. CURRENTLY PART OF THE CLAIM BLOCK ON WHICH HOUSTON OIL & MINERALS HAS ITS OPEN PIT OPERATIONS

Comment (Workings): SHAFTS, DRIFTS, OPEN PIT

References

Reference (Deposit): STODDARD, CAR., AND CARPENTER, J. A., 1950, MINERAL RESOURCES OF STOREY AND LYON COUNTIES, NEVADA; NBMG BULL. 49.

Reference (Deposit): BONHAM, H. F., 1969, GEOLOGY AND MINERAL DEPOSITS OF WASHOE AND STOREY COUNTIES, NEVADA: NBMG BULL. 70

Reference (Deposit): W.P.A. STATEWRITER'S PROJECT AND NEV. BUREAU OF MINES: INDIVIDUAL HISTORIES OF THE MINES OF THE COMSTOCK, 1940-41 OPEN FILE REPORT, NEVADA BUREAU OF MINES.

Reference (Production): BONHAM, H. F., 1969.

Nevada Gold

Nevada has a total of 368 distinct gold districts. Of the of those, just 36 are major producers with production and/or reserves of over 1,000,000 ounces, 49 have production and/or reserves of over 100,000 ounces, with the rest having less than 100,000 ounces. Read more: Gold Districts of Nevada.