Whitlach Mine

The Whitlach Mine is a silver mine located in Lander county, Nevada.

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: Whitlach Mine
Secondary: Union Mine

Commodity

Primary: Silver
Secondary: Gold

Location

State: Nevada
County: Lander
District: Reese River 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

Type: Surface/Underground

Ownership

Not available

Production

Not available

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Deposit Type: Vein
Operation Type: Unknown
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: Polymetallic veins

Orebody

Not available

Structure

Type: L
Description: Fractures, Postmineral Faults

Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: Oxidation

Rocks

Name: Quartz Monzonite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock
Age Young: Late Jurassic

Name: Quartz Monzonite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Early Cambrian

Analytical Data

Analytical Data: ASSAYED AT $700 /TON IN 1864

Materials

Ore: Argentite
Ore: Galena
Ore: Sphalerite
Ore: Chalcopyrite
Ore: Polybasite
Ore: Stephanite
Ore: Proustite
Ore: Pyrargyrite
Ore: Silver
Ore: Cerargyrite
Ore: Stibnite
Gangue: Pyrite
Gangue: Graphite
Gangue: Pyrolusite
Gangue: Rhodochrosite
Gangue: Quartz
Gangue: Ankerite
Gangue: Calcite

Comments

Comment (Location): CHOSE A POINT NEAR CENTER OF SECTION

Comment (Production): TOTAL VALUE $5,000 TO $100,000; ACCORDING TO STEWART ET AL; ACCORDING TO ROSS, PRODUCTON TOTALS NEARLY $800,000, AND ACCORDING TO SCHMIDT; PRODUCTION WAS $3,500,000.?

Comment (Deposit): THE UNION VEIN HAS BEEN MINED FOR ABOUT 600 FT. DOWNDIP. A RICH ORE SHOOT WAS PART OF THE WHITLACH VEIN. TWO OTHER VEINS ARE PRESENT AT THE MINE.

Comment (Deposit): MUCH OF THE ACTIVITY OF THE DISTRICT WAS AT THE PLYMOUTH AND UNION MINES IN 1888-1889. IN 1890 45 MEN WERE EMPLOYED AT THE UNION, AND THE ORE AVERAGED 250 OUNCES TO THE TON. DEVELOPMENT THEN WAS CARRIED OUT IN PART BY THE MANHATTAN SILVER MINING CO, WHICH CARRIED WORK DOWN TO THE 200-FT LEVEL. LATER DEVELOPMENT WAS DONE BY THE AUSTIN MINING CO. IN THE 1890'S. ; INFO.SRC : 1 PUB LIT

Comment (Workings): LEVELS HAVE BEEN OPENED AT DEPTHS OF APPROXIMATELY 125, 200, 350, 450, 550, AND 625 FT. A WINZE ON THE VEIN NEAR THE BOTTOM OF THE SHAFT HAS BEEN EXTENDED TO THE 700-FT LEVEL. STOPES EXPLORE THE UNION VEIN, AND EITHER A BRANCH OR A SEPARATE VEIN HAS BEEN STOPED. CROSSCUTS WERE DRIVEN SOUTHWESTERLY. THE WILD JIM VEIN HAS BEEN STOPED RATHER EXTENSIVELY; THE SNOW FLAKE VEIN HAS LITTLE STOPPING. A CROSSCUT HAS BEEN DRIVEN ABOUT 1700 FT NORTHEAST FROM THE SHAFT AT THE 350-FT LEVEL.

References

Reference (Deposit): SCHMIDT, F.S., (UNPUBLISHED), AUSTIN CUSTOM MILL REPORT: NBMG FILES.

Reference (Deposit): STEWART, J.H., MCKEE, E.H., AND STAGER, H.K., 1977, GEOLOGY AND MINERAL DEPOSITS OF LANDER COUNTY, NEVADA: NBMG BULL. 88.

Reference (Deposit): ROSS, C.P., 1953, THE GEOLOGY AND ORE DEPOSITS OF THE REESE RIVER DISTRICT, LANDER COUNTY, NEVADA: USGS BULL. 997.

Reference (Deposit): HUGHES, H.H., 19558 CONFIDENTIAL REPORT ON AUSTIN, NEVADA PROPERTIES OF HERCULES MINES COMPANY (UNPUB.): NBMG FILES.

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.