Gold Bug Mine

The Gold Bug Mine is a gold and silver mine located in Beaverhead county, Montana at an elevation of 5,971 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: Gold Bug Mine
Secondary: Dakota Mine

Commodity

Primary: Gold
Primary: Silver
Secondary: Copper
Secondary: Lead
Tertiary: Bismuth
Tertiary: Tellurium

Location

State: Montana
County: Beaverhead
District: Bannack 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: Underground

Ownership

Owner Name: Graves Estate, Bannack
Years: 1931 -

Production

Year: 1941
Time Period: 1922 - 1941
Material type: CU
Description: Cp_Grade: ^0.7 %
Year: 1941
Time Period: 1922 - 1941
Material type: AG
Description: Cp_Grade: ^2 Oz/St
Year: 1941
Time Period: 1922 - 1941
Material type: AU
Description: Cp_Grade: ^0.9 Oz/St
Year: 1868
Material type: ORE
Description: Ap_Grade: ^0.9 Oz. Au/Ton

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Deposit Type: Contact Metasomatic
Operation Type: Unknown
Year First Production: 1862
Discovery Year: 1862
Discovery Method: Unknown
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: N
Deposit Size: S

Physiography

General Physiographic Area: Rocky Mountain System
Physiographic Province: Northern Rocky Mountains
Physiographic Detail: Pioneer Mountains

Mineral Deposit Model

Not available

Orebody

Form: IRREGULAR PIPES, SHOOTS

Structure

Not available

Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: Garnetization, Oxidation

Rocks

Name: Diorite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Mississippian

Name: Diorite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock
Age Young: Pliocene

Name: Diorite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock Unit
Age Young: Pliocene

Name: Diorite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock Unit
Age Young: Mississippian

Analytical Data

Not available

Materials

Gangue: Quartz
Gangue: Calcite
Gangue: Epidote
Gangue: Garnet

Comments

Comment (Deposit): REPLACEMENT VEINS AVERAGE 2 OR 3 FEET IN WIDTH, BUT LOCALLY ATTAIN 15 FOOT. VEINS ARE NOT CONTINUOUS ALONG CONTACT.

Comment (Deposit): THE GOLD BUG CLAIM OVERLIES THE DAKOTA CLAIM ON WHICH WAS STARTED THE FIRST QUARTZ LODE MINE IN MONTANA. ; INFO.SRC : 1 PUB LIT

Comment (Workings): SEVERAL SHALLOW SHAFTS AND ADITS. THE EARLY DAKOTA NO. 6 WAS BEST DEVELOPED, WITH A 100 M MAIN SHAFT, 112 M ADIT, AND WINZE SUNK 40 M FROM THE ADIT.

Comment (Production): PRODUCTION INCLUDED 7,437 LB. PB AT 0.2% FROM 2,353 ST ORE

Comment (Development): 6-STAMP MILL ERECTED IN 1863 NEAR THE TWELVE DAKOTA CLAIMS, NOW COVERED BY GOLD BUG AND BLUE GRASS MINES

References

Reference (Deposit): MBMG BULL 85.

Reference (Deposit): MBMG BULL 6.

Reference (Deposit): USGS BULL 574, P. 73.

Reference (Deposit): 1914 COMPILE WINCHELL,A.N., U.S.G.S. BULL. 574

Reference (Deposit): 1931 COMPILE M.B.M.G. BULL. 6

Reference (Deposit): 1972 RECON M.B.M.G. BULL. 85

Reference (Production): M.B.M.G. BULL. 85, U.S.G.S. BULL. 574.

Principal Gold Districts of Montana

In Montana, 54 mining districts have each have produced more than 10,000 ounces of gold. The largest producers are Butte, Helena, Marysville, and Virginia City, each having produced more than one million ounces. Twenty seven other districts are each credited with between 100,000 and one million ounces of gold production. Read more: Principal Gold Districts of Montana.