Mountain King Mine

The Mountain King Mine is a silver and lead mine located in Custer county, Idaho at an elevation of 8,301 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: Mountain King Mine
Secondary: Silver Streak
Secondary: Happy Day
Secondary: King

Commodity

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

Location

State: Idaho
County: Custer
District: Sheep Mountain 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.
Administrative Organization: Challis National Forest

Holdings

Type: Located Claim
Type: Patented

Workings

Type: Surface/Underground

Ownership

Owner Name: Earl And Fred Shirts; Larson

Owner Name: Lee Hopkins, Boise, Id.

Production

Year: 1892
Year: 1917
Year: 1939
Year: 1945
Year: 1946
Year: 1947
Year: 1948
Year: 1949
Year: 1951
Year: 1952
Year: 1953
Year: 1954
Year: 1965
Year: 1884
Year: 1965
Time Period: 1884-1965
Material type: ORE
Description: Cp_Grade: ^10.1% Pb, 0.2% Cu, 11.9% Zn, 16.6 Oz Ag, 0.05 Oz Au/Ton

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Operation Type: Underground
Year First Production: 1884
Discovery Year: 1880
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: Salmon River Mountains

Mineral Deposit Model

Not available

Orebody

Form: CHIMNEY

Structure

Type: R
Description: Folds Near Batholith Contact Strike N 15 Deg W; Farther E. From Contact Folds Strike N 35 To 40 Deg W

Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration: Silicification
Alteration Text: Silicification

Rocks

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

Name: Granite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Neoproterozoic

Analytical Data

Analytical Data: ASSAYS SHOW 0.15 TO 28.0 OZ AG/TON, TRACE TO 0.2 OZ. AU/TON, TRACE TO 0.52% CU, TRACE TO 50.2% PB, TRACE TO 12.7% ZN.

Materials

Ore: Gold
Ore: Silver
Ore: Sphalerite
Ore: Chalcopyrite
Gangue: Quartz
Gangue: Calcite
Gangue: Pyrite

Comments

Comment (Commodity): 1 Sample Had 0.07% Cd; Ag, Au In Galena

Comment (Location): 1.5 Mi W of Sheep Mountain; On N. Side of Ridge

Comment (Production): Total Production $323,100

Comment (Development): 86 Claims; Mill On Property

Comment (Deposit): Silver Streak Workings Are About 3600 Ft. N of the Mountain King and About 800 Ft Lower.

References

Reference (Deposit): USBM, 1975, ACTIVITY OF IDAHO MINING PROPERTIES, 1974, USBM, BOISE, IDAHO, 61 P.

Reference (Deposit): MELEAR, J. D., 1953, THE PETROLOGY AND ORE DEPOSITS OF THE SEAFOAM MINING DISTRICT, CUSTER COUNTY, IDAHO: MOSCOW, IDAHO, UNIV. OF IDAHO, M. S. THESIS, 36 P.

Reference (Deposit): 1953 RECON IDAHO BUREAU OF MINES AND GEOLOGY PAMPHLET 96

Reference (Deposit): 1973 RECON CATER, F. W., AND OTHERS, BULL. 1304

Reference (Deposit): 1975 COMPILE USBM, MINING ACTIVITY LIST, 1974

Reference (Production): ITEMS 1 - 3 , MELEAR, J.D., 1953 , UNIV. OF IDAHO, M.S. THESIS, P. 26; ITEMS 8 - 13 , CATER, F.W., AND OTHERS, 1973 , USGS BULL. 1304 , 431 P.

Reference (Deposit): CATER, F. W., AND OTHERS, 1973, MINERAL RESOURCES OF THE IDAHO PRIMITIVE AREA AND VICINITY, IDAHO: U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULL. 1304, 431 P.

Reference (Deposit): TREVES, SAMUEL B., AND MELEAR, JOHN D., 1953, THE GEOLOGY AND ORE DEPOSITS OF THE SEAFOAM MINING DISTRICT, CUSTER COUNTY, IDAHO: IDAHO BUREAU OF MINES AND GEOLOGY PAMPHLET 96, 19 P.

Reference (Deposit): BELL, R. N., 1919, TWENTY-FIRST ANN. REPT. OF THE MINING INDUSTRY OF IDAHO FOR THE YEAR 1919, P. 68.

Reference (Deposit): UMPLEBY, J. B., AND LIVINGSTON, D. C., 1920, IDAHO BUREAU OFMINES AND GEOLOGY BULL. 3, P. 24-25.

Reference (Deposit): ROSS, C. P., 1930, IDAHO BUREAU OF MINES AND GEOLOGY PAMPHLET 33, P. 5-6.

Idaho Gold

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