Buffalo Group

The Buffalo Group is a lead and silver mine located in Santa Cruz county, Arizona at an elevation of 4,875 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: Buffalo Group
Secondary: Wieland Group Claims
Secondary: Golden Rose
Secondary: Lead Queen
Secondary: Jefferson Group
Secondary: Mono Mine

Commodity

Primary: Lead
Primary: Silver
Secondary: Gold
Secondary: Copper
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
Year First Production: 1898
Year Last Production: 1940
Discovery Year: 1897
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: Sonoran Desert

Mineral Deposit Model

Not available

Orebody

Form: TABULAR

Structure

Type: R
Description: Porphyritic To Fine-Grained, Thin To Very Thick Trachyandesite Flows

Type: L
Description: Nw- And Ne-Trending Fissure Veins Cutting Thick-Bedding Very Fine-Grained Volcanics Of Red Mountain

Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: Andesite Is Crushed And Highly Altered To Soft Vein Material

Rocks

Name: Andesite
Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock
Age in Years: 72.100000+-3.000000

Name: Rhyolite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock
Age Young: Paleocene

Analytical Data

Analytical Data: EARLY 1900'S ASSASY VALUES AVERAGED 2.8% CU, 55 OZ/TON AG, $1-2/TON AU, 56% PB, 9.2% FE, 2% ZN

Materials

Ore: Galena
Ore: Stephanite
Ore: Pyrite
Ore: Chalcocite
Ore: Specularite

Comments

Comment (Commodity): ORE CONSISTS PRIMARILY OF SULFIDES, WITH CARBONATE AND CHLORIDE OF LEAD

Comment (Geology): OLDER SILICATED LIMESTONE AND ALTERED SHALE OCCUR LOCALLY; GOLDEN ROSE DEPOSITS ARE CONTAINED IN FINE-GRAINED, DARK IRON-GRAY QUARTZ DIORITE; GOLDEN ROSE ORE DEPOSITS CONTAIN GOLD, SILVER, LEAD, AND COPPER MINERALS IN A CRUDELY BANDEDGANGUE OF QUARTZ AND ALTERED ROCK WHICH IS MORE OR LESS POROUS AND HONEYCOMBED

Comment (Location): LOCATED ON RIDGE BETWEEN HARSHAW AND ALUM CREEKS; 1/4 MILE TO NW OF BASIN MINE; GOLDEN ROSE MINE IS WESTERN EXTENSION OF BUFFALO GROUP ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :(1979)

Comment (Development): PROPERTY COMPRISES 5 CLAIMS; OWNERS AND OPERATORS INCLUDED GEORGE WIELAND, JEFFERSON MINING CO. (?-1902), T.E. MUNN MINING CO. (1910-?), MUMME MINING CO., PABLO MEDINA, AUGUST BRODINE, J.W. WILSON; GEORGE A. EDWARD, K.H. HOWE, DUARTA AND SOTO, R.H. ROWE; PRODUCED INTERMITTENTLY DURING EARLY-MID 1900'S

Comment (Deposit): LEAD-SILVER ORE ENCOUNTERED JUST BELOW SURFACE; COPPER, LEAD, AND SILVER ORES FOUND AT DEPTHS OF 40-50 FT; GOLDEN ROSE LODE STRIKES N70E, DIPS 80S, IS 16-20 FT WIDE, AND IS 300 FT LONG

Comment (Workings): DEVELOPMENTS INCLUDED A 166-FT DEEP SHAFT AND VARIOUS DRIFTS, CROSSCUTS, AND STOPES ON 2 LEVELS; GOLDEN ROSE MINE WORKINGS INCLUDE 90-FT. INCLINED SHAFT AND A FEW 100 FT OF DRIFTS AND CROSSCUTS, 300 FT TUNNEL FOLLOWING LODE STRIKE

Comment (Deposit): MONO MINE IS SYNONYM FOR GOLDEN ROSE MINE ; INFO.SRC : 1 PUB LIT; 2 UNPUB REPT

References

Reference (Deposit): ABGMT-USBM FILE DATA

Reference (Deposit): ABGMT CLIPPINGS FILE; GOLDEN ROSE GROUP, MONO MINE

Reference (Deposit): USBM FILES, MONO MINE

Reference (Deposit): SCHRADER, FRANK C., 1915, MINERAL DEPOSITS OF THE SANTA RITA AND PATAGONIA MOUNTAINS, ARIZONA; USGS BULLETIN 582, P. 276-277

Reference (Deposit): SIMONS, FRANKS, 1974, GEOLOGIC MAP AND SECTIONS OF THE NOGALES AND LOCHIEL QUADRANGLES, SANTA CRUZ COUNTY, ARIZONA; USGS MAP I-762 (1:4800O)

Reference (Deposit): KEITH, STANTON B., 1975, INDEX OF MINING PROPERTIES IN SANTA CRUZ COUNTY, ARIZONA; ARIZONA BUREAU OF MINES BULLETIN 191, P. 57

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): MOORES, RICHARD C., 1972, THE GEOLOGY AND ORE DEPOSITS OF A PORTION OF THE HARSHAW DISTRICT, SANTA CRUZ COUNTY, ARIZONA; M.S. THESIS, UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA

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.