Bighorn Mine

The Bighorn Mine is a lead mine located in Butte county, Idaho at an elevation of 9,199 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: Bighorn Mine
Secondary: Buckhorn
Secondary: Metta
Secondary: Big Horn
Secondary: Mormon Gulch 1-3

Commodity

Primary: Lead
Tertiary: Silver
Tertiary: Gold
Tertiary: Zinc

Location

State: Idaho
County: Butte
District: Dome 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

Workings

Type: Unknown

Ownership

Owner Name: Bill Yearsley
Percent: 100.0
Home Office: Idaho

Production

Not available

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Operation Type: Underground
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: Lemhi Mountains

Mineral Deposit Model

Not available

Orebody

Not available

Structure

Not available

Alterations

Not available

Rocks

Name: Shale
Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Pennsylvanian

Analytical Data

Not available

Materials

Ore: Galena
Ore: Smithsonite
Gangue: Barite
Gangue: Quartz
Gangue: Limonite

Comments

Comment (Location): In Mormon Gulch Canyon

Comment (Production): Production Intermittent

Comment (Workings): Several Shafts, Short Adits

References

Reference (Deposit): Kiilsgaard, T. H., Quinlan, J. J., And Magill, E. A., 1951, Big Horn Mine, Butte County, Idaho: Defense Mineral Administration Unpublished Report Dma-188, 7 P.

Reference (Deposit): Maclaren, D. R., 1964, Big Horn, Et Al Claims, Butte County, Idaho: Office Of Minerals Exploration Unpublished Report Ome-6337, 5 P.

Reference (Deposit): Shaffer, L. E., 1943, The Big Horn And Staley Mines: U.S. Bureau Of Mines Unpublished War Minerals Report, 6 P.

Reference (Deposit): U.S. Bur. Mine Sopen-File Report MLA 11-91, 1991, Appendix C, No. 52, P. 151.

Reference (Deposit): Anderson, R. A., 1948, Reconnaissance Survey Of The Geology And Ore Deposits Of The Southwestern Portion Of Lemhi Range, Idaho: Idaho Bureau Of Mines And Geology Pamphlet 80, P. 13

Reference (Deposit): Ross, C. P., 1961, Geology Of The Southern Part Of The Lemhi Range, Idaho: USGS Bulletin 1081-F, P. 189-260

Reference (Production): Ross, C. P., 1961, USGS Bulletin 1081-F

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.