Chief Mine

The Chief Mine is a copper mine located in Santa Cruz county, Arizona at an elevation of 5,049 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: Chief Mine

Commodity

Primary: Copper
Secondary: Silver
Secondary: Gold
Secondary: Lead
Tertiary: Manganese
Tertiary: Zinc

Location

State: Arizona
County: Santa Cruz
District: Harshaw District

Land Status

Land ownership: National Forest
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: Underground

Ownership

Not available

Production

Not available

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Producer
Operation Type: Unknown
Discovery Year: 1875
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: N
Deposit Size: S

Physiography

General Physiographic Area: Intermontane Plateaus
Physiographic Province: Basin And Range Province
Physiographic Section: Sonoran Desert

Mineral Deposit Model

Not available

Orebody

Form: STRINGERS

Form: STRINGERS

Form: STRINGERS

Structure

Type: R
Description: General Structure Common To Regional Formations Is A Sheeting Which Dips 40 Nnw

Type: L
Description: N60e Trending Silexite Dike

Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: Volcanics Locally Much Altered To Quartz, Sericite, Epidote, Pyrite, Carbonate, And Chlorite; Strongly Hornfelsed In Places

Rocks

Name: Tuff
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Late Jurassic

Name: Tuff
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock
Age Young: Late Cretaceous

Analytical Data

Analytical Data: EARLY 1900'S ASSAY VALUES AVERAGED 25 OZ/TON AU

Materials

Ore: Chalcocite
Ore: Sphalerite
Ore: Chalcopyrite
Ore: Freibergite
Ore: Pyrite
Ore: Galena
Gangue: Limonite
Gangue: Hematite

Comments

Comment (Deposit): Discovery Year: LATE 1800'S

Comment (Development): PROPERTY COMPRISES 12 CLAIMS; OWNERS AND OPERATORS INCLUDED E.E. BETHEL, CALUMET AND ARIZONA COPPER CO (1 YEAR LEASE, EARLY 1900'S), WONDER MINING CO. (R.W. COLEMAN AND ASSOCIATES) JOHN GLASSON, WASHINGTON TRADING CO., HOSIER AND W.H. WORTHINGTON, A.L HARROUN AND ASSOCIATES, HOWARD E. DAVIS, BRACEY CURTIS, L. LINDSAY

Comment (Deposit): PROPERTY LOCATED ON A NUMBER OF VEINS, INCLUDING THE FLUX AND WORLD'S FAIR VEINS

Comment (Workings): DEVELOPMENTS INCLUDED SEVERAL SHALLOW SHAFTS, EACH ABOUT 50 FT DEEP; 230 FT DEEPSHAFT WITH DRIFTS EXTENDING NORTH AND SOUTH FROM 110 FT LEVEL; 600 FT LONG TUNNEL; 460 FT OF DRIFTS; 70-FT DEEP INCLINED KEMP SHAFT IS LOCATED TO NW ACROSS FLUX CANYON, ON A FAULT ZONE WHICH STRIKES N30-40W AND DIPS 40 SW

Comment (Geology): SURFACE CROPPINGS ARE HEAVILY STAINED WITH MANGANESE AND IRON

Comment (Location): 1/2 MILE SW OF WORLD'S FAIR MINE, IN FLUX CANYON; PROPERTY JOINED ON WEST BY FLUX MINE AND ON SOUTH BY THREE R MINE ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :(1979)

Comment (Production): NO RECORDS OF PRODUCTION

References

Reference (Deposit): SIMONS, FRANK S., 1974, GEOLOGIC MAP AND SECTIONS OF THE NOGALES AND LOCHIEL QUADRANGLES, SANTA CRUZ COUNTY, ARIZONA; USGS MAP I-762 (1:48000)

Reference (Deposit): ARIZONA DEPARTMENT OF MINERAL RESOURCES FILE DATA, CHIEF MINE

Reference (Deposit): USBM FILES, CHIEF

Reference (Deposit): SCHRADER, FRANK C., 1915, MINERAL DEPOSITS OF THE SANTA RITA AND PATAGONIA MOUNTAINS, ARIZONA; USGS BULLETIN 582, P. 251

Reference (Deposit): ABGMT CLIPPINGS FILE, CHIEF MINE-PATAGONIA

Reference (Deposit): ABGMT FILES, STANTON B. KEITH

Reference (Deposit): SIMONS, FRANK S. 1972, MESOZOIC STRATIGRAPHY OF THE PATAGONIA MOUNTAINS AND ADJOINING AREAS, SANTA CRUZ COUNTY, ARIZONA; USGS PROFESSIONAL PAPER 658-E

Reference (Deposit): KARTCHNER, WAYNE E., 1944, THE GEOLOGY AND ORE DEPOSITS OF A PORTION OF THE HARSHAW DISTRICT, PATAGONIA MOUNTAINS, ARIZONA; PHD. THESIS, UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA, P. 91-92

Arizona Gold

"Where to Find Gold in Arizona" 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 Arizona. Read more: Where to Find Gold in Arizona.