American Mine

The American Mine is a silver and lead mine located in Santa Cruz county, Arizona at an elevation of 5,449 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: American Mine
Secondary: Virginia Hay Claims
Secondary: American Millsite Claim

Commodity

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

Location

State: Arizona
County: Santa Cruz
District: Harshaw District

Land Status

Not available

Holdings

Not available

Workings

Type: Underground

Ownership

Owner Name: Virginia Hay (?-

Production

Not available

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Operation Type: Unknown
Year First Production: 1880
Year Last Production: 1943
Discovery Year: 1880
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: LENSES

Form: LENSES

Structure

Type: R
Description: Sedimentary Rocks Dip Steeply To Se; Rhyolite Shows N-S Vertical Flow Structure And Banding

Type: L
Description: Mine Workings On Contact Between Silicified Limestone, Or Quartzite, And Intrusive Porphyritic Brecciated Rhyolite

Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: Surface Oxidation To 90-Ft. Depth

Rocks

Name: Trachyandesite
Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock
Age in Years: 72.100000+-3.000000
Age Young: Late Cretaceous

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

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

Analytical Data

Analytical Data: ASSAY VALUES AVERAGED 21 OZ/TON AG, 2% PB, MINOR CU AND AU

Materials

Ore: Galena
Ore: Chalcopyrite
Ore: Pyrite
Ore: Cerargyrite
Ore: Argentite
Ore: Sphalerite
Ore: Tetrahedrite

Comments

Comment (Location): LOCATED IN SHORT, STEEP GULCH ON NW SLOPE OF AMERICAN PEAK. INFO FROM LAND.ST :01, 41? (1979)

Comment (Production): PRODUCED INTERMITTENTLY FROM 1880'S TO 1943; ABOUT 7800 TONS OF ORE

Comment (Development): OPERATORS INCLUDED TONY GARCIA, MARCIA BROTHERS, AMERICAN LEASE, GIACOMA; PROPERTY COMPRISES ONE PATENTED CLAIM AND ONE PATENTED MILLSITE CLAIM.

Comment (Deposit): MOST ORE MINED FROM LENS THAT DIPS N AND IS 75 FT LONG AND 14 FT WIDE.

Comment (Workings): DEVELOPMENTS INCLUDED 3 90-FT. SHAFTS, ALL CONNECTED ON 90-FT LEVEL BY DRIFTS; GLORYHOLE OPERATIONS OPENING VEIN FOR LENGTH OF 150 FT AND WIDTH OF 50 FT; 200 FT OF DRIFTS AND STOPES; ALMOST ALL ORE MINED BETWEEN SURFACE AND 90-FT LEVEL.

Comment (Geology): RHYOLITE LOCALLY MUCH ALTERED TO SERICITE, EPIDOTE, CARBONATE, AND CHLORITE; SPOTTY HIGH GRADE SILVER VALUES IN OXIDIZED SURFACE ZONE

Comment (Deposit): SEE ALSO: BLUE NOSE MINE (ALSO OWNED BY VIRGINIA HAY) ; INFO.SRC : 1 PUB LIT; 2 UNPUB REPT

References

Reference (Deposit): USBM FILES, AMERICAN MINE.

Reference (Deposit): ABGMT-USBM FILE DATA.

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, P. 74.

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

Reference (Deposit): SCHRADER, FRANK C., 1915, MINERAL DEPOSITS OF THE SANTA RITA AND PATAGONIA MOUNTAINS, ARIZONA: USGS BULLETIN 582, P. 277-278.

Reference (Deposit): KEITH, 1975, ABM BULL 191, P. 56.

Reference (Deposit): ABGMT FILE DATA, STANTON B. KEITH.

Reference (Deposit): ARIZONA DEPARTMENT OF MINERAL RESOURCES FILE DATA, BIG JIM MINE.

Reference (Other Database): CIMRI

Reference (Deposit): SIMONS, FRANK S. 1972, MESOZOIC STRATIGRAPHY OF THE PATAGONIA MOUNTAINS AND ADJOINING AREAS, SANTA CRUZ COUNTY, ARIZONA: USGS PROFESSIONAL PAPER 658-E, P. 8-9.

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

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.