Spotted Horse Mine

The Spotted Horse Mine is a gold and silver mine located in Fergus county, Montana at an elevation of 5,299 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: Spotted Horse Mine
Secondary: Spotted Horse Claim
Secondary: Kentucky Favorite Claim
Secondary: Gold Hill
Secondary: McGinnis
Secondary: Bonanza
Secondary: Smith Cut
Secondary: Magin

Commodity

Primary: Gold
Primary: Silver
Secondary: Zinc
Secondary: Lead
Secondary: Copper
Secondary: Tellurium

Location

State: Montana
County: Fergus
District: Warm Springs District

Land Status

Not available

Holdings

Not available

Workings

Type: Underground

Ownership

Owner Name: 1st Trust Co. Of Mt (Trustee)
Home Office: Great Falls, MT 59401

Owner Name: Viking Exploration, Inc.,
Home Office: 820 Denver Center Bldg., Denver, Co. 80203

Production

Year: 1935
Time Period: 1883-1935
Material type: AG
Description: Cp_Grade: ^0.25 - 5 Toz/St
Year: 1935
Time Period: 1909 - 1935
Material type: CU
Description: Cp_Grade: ^0.0005 %
Year: 1935
Time Period: 1909 - 1935
Material type: AG
Description: Cp_Grade: ^0.85 Toz/St
Year: 1935
Time Period: 1909 - 1935
Material type: AU
Description: Cp_Grade: ^0.92 Toz/St

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Producer
Deposit Type: Au-Ag-Te vein
Plant Type: Leach
Operation Type: Underground
Mining Method: Open Stope - Other Open Stope Methods
Milling Method: Leach-Precipitation
Discovery Year: 1881
Discovery Method: Ore-Mineral In Place
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: Y
Deposit Size: S

Physiography

General Physiographic Area: Interior Plains
Physiographic Province: Great Plains Province
Physiographic Section: Missouri Plateau, Unglaciated
Physiographic Detail: Judith Mountains

Mineral Deposit Model

Model Name: Alkaline Au-Te (Au-Ag-Te veins)

Orebody

Form: IRREGULAR SHOOTS AND PIPES

Structure

Type: R
Description: Judith Mts. - Domal Structures Intruded By Cret-Tert. Stocks

Type: L
Description: Gold Hill Quartz Monzonite Stock, A Syenite Porphyry Dike, Three Faults Or Fault Systems Intersect In The Mine Area, The Large East-West Warm Springs Creek Fault, A Northeast Fault System, And A Northwest Fault System

Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: Silicification, Sericitization, Argillization

Rocks

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

Analytical Data

Not available

Materials

Ore: Sphalerite
Ore: Tetrahedrite
Ore: Sylvanite
Ore: Galena
Gangue: Roscoelite
Gangue: Fluorite
Gangue: Quartz
Gangue: Kaolinite

Comments

Comment (Workings): MINE SINCE 1968 HAS BEEN REPORTED AS DEVELOPING. PRIOR TO THIS DEVELOPMENT WORKINGS INCLUDED SEVERAL ADITS, AND A 450 FT. SHAFT, 8 LEVELS, A 135' WINZE FROM THE 7TH LEVEL TO THE 8TH LEVEL WITH A 350 FOOT HAULAGE LEVEL FROM THE WINZE, WHICH IS IN THE DISCOVERY STOPE, TO THE SHAFT. MAJOR STOPES, THE BONANZA STOPE, DISCOVERY STOPE, AND LIME CRACK, AND NUMEROUS SMALLER STOPES. A 750 FOOT CROSS CUT FROM THE SECOND LEVEL OF THE SPOTTED HORSE SHAFT TO THE CAVED KENTUCKY FAVORITE SHAFT, AND 2 STOPES. APPROXIMATELY 3000 FEET OF DRIFTS CONNECT THE SPOTTED HORSE SHAFT WITH VARIOUS STOPES ON VARIOUS LEVELS, WELL OVER 1000' OF EXPLORATORY DRIFTING HAS BEEN DONE IN THE PAST. CURRENT DEVELOPMENT AND EXPLORATION CONSISTS OF INSTALLING A HOIST IN THE SPOTTED HORSE SHAFT, SAMPLING THE OLD STOPES, APPROXIMATELY 200 FEET OF EXPLORATORY DRIFTING, AND WELL OVER 5,000 FEET OF UNDERGROUND DIAMOND DRILLING.

Comment (Production): EARLY MINE PRODUCTION RECORDS UNAVAILABLE, BUT ESTIMATES UP TO 1902 VALUE PRODUCTION AT $3,000,000.

Comment (Deposit): THE ORE WAS ORIGINALLY TREATED IN A STAMP MILL AND AMALGAMATED WITH MERCURY. AT A LATER DATE THE TAILINGS WERE TREATED IN A CYANIDE MILL. NUMEROUS LEASORS IN THE PERIOD 1912 - 1935 OPERATED SUCCESSFULLY BY SCRAPING THE OLD STOPE WALLS, LEAVING LITTLE ORE AND DOING NO DEVELOPMENT WORK.

Comment (Deposit): Merged data from Depodit ID 10293638

Comment (Geology): SPOTTED HORSE, MAGINNIS, AND CUMBERLAND ON GOLD HILL SYENITE PORPHYRY - MADISON LIMESTONE CONTACT

References

Reference (Deposit): ROBERTSON, A. F., 1950, MINES & MINERAL DEPOSITS - FERGUS COUNTY, MT, U.S. BUREAU OF MINES INF. CIRC. 7544.

Reference (Deposit): LAWSON, D. C., 1974, DIRECTORY OF MINING ENTERPRISES FOR 1974, MT BUREAU OF MINES & GEOLOGY BULL. 95.

Reference (Deposit): CORRY, A. V., 1933, SOME GOLD DEPOSITS - BROADWATER, BEAVERHEAD, PHILLIPS, FERGUS CO., MT BUREAU OF MINES & GEOLOGY MEMOIR 10.

Reference (Deposit): FORREST, R. A., 1971, GEOLOGY AND MINERAL DEPOSITS OF THE WARM SPRINGS - GILT EDGE DISTRICT, FERGUS COUNTY, MONTANA M.S. THESIS. MONT. TECH

Reference (Production): ROBERTSON, 1950, U.S.B.M. INF. CIRC. 7544.

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.