Montezuma Mine

The Montezuma Mine is a lead, silver, and zinc mine located in Pitkin county, Colorado at an elevation of 12,700 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: Montezuma Mine
Secondary: Tam O'Shanter-Montezuma Mine
Secondary: Claims: Montezuma, MS 2043-A
Secondary: Tam O'Shanter, MS 2044-A
Secondary: Borealis, MS 2052
Secondary: North Star, MS 2153
Secondary: Yellow Boy, MS 2177
Secondary: Ivanhoe, MS 2295-A
Secondary: New Discovery, MS 2610
Secondary: Halcyon, MS 2807
Secondary: Green Lake, MS 2880
Secondary: Emma, MS 6976
Secondary: Tam O'Shanter Mill Site, MS 2044-B
Secondary: Montezuma Mill Site, MS 2043-B
Secondary: Ivanhoe Mill Site, MS 2295-B

Commodity

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

Location

State: Colorado
County: Pitkin
District: Columbia 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

Not available

Ownership

Owner Name: Montezuma Industries, Inc.
Home Office: Aspen, Co.
Years: 1960 -

Production

Year: 1906
Time Period: 1897-1906
Material type: ORE AG PB
Description: Cp_Grade: ^46.26 Oz/Ton Ag, 19.11% Pb, 5.85% Zn

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Operation Type: Unknown
Year First Production: 1881
Year Last Production: 1960
Discovery Year: 1881
Discovery Method: Ore-Mineral In Place
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: N
Deposit Size: S

Physiography

General Physiographic Area: Rocky Mountain System
Physiographic Province: Southern Rocky Mountains

Mineral Deposit Model

Not available

Orebody

Not available

Structure

Type: R
Description: Sawatch Uplift, Central Colorado Trough, Piceance Basin, Elk Uplift

Type: L
Description: White Rock Pluton

Alterations

Not available

Rocks

Name: Diorite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock Unit
Age Young: Late Permian

Analytical Data

Analytical Data: ORE SHIPMENTS FROM 1897 TO 1906 AVERAGED 46.26 OZ/TON AG, 19.11% PB, 5.85% ZN

Materials

Ore: Pyrite
Ore: Chalcopyrite
Ore: Sphalerite
Gangue: Quartz
Gangue: Barite
Gangue: Calcite

Comments

Comment (Deposit): ORE LOCALIZED IN QUARTZ-PYRITE AND QUARTZ-CARBONATE-PYRITE VEINS DEPOSITED IN FAULTS AND FRACTURES RELATED TO EMPLACEMENT OF WHITE ROCK PLUTON. COUNTRY ROCK IS MAROON FM CLASTICS LOCALLY METAMORPHOSED TO HORNFELS BY GRANODIORITE STOCK AND NUMEROUS DIKES AND SILLS. WESTON'S (1910) DESCRIPTION ALSO INDICATES DISSEMINATED ORE IN MATRIX REQUIRING BENEFICIATION. THICKNESS OF SMELTER ORE IS 3 FT ON TAM O'SHANTER VEIN AND 2.5 FT ON MONTEZUMA VEIN. CONCENTRATING ORE IS 4 TO 6 FT ON TAM O'SHANTER VEIN AND 5 TO 8 FT ON MONTEZUMA VEIN.

Comment (Production): PARTIAL PRODUCTION RECORD. MINE INACTIVE 1916-1959 AND AFTER 1960

Comment (Workings): AS OF 1907, ABOUT 5500 FT OF CROSSCUTS, DRIFTS, WINZES, RAISES, AND SHAFTS, PLUS SURFACE WORKINGS

Comment (Development): DISCOVERED BY PROSPECTORS ON 9/23/81, PROMINENT VEIN OF SOLID ORE STOOD ABOVE GROUND SURFACE DUE TO EROSION RESISTANCE, FIRST WORKED BY SURFACE OPERATION, BUT HIGHER ZN CONTENT AT DEPTH AND LACK OF ADEQUATE ROADS FORCED CLOSURE. AFTER NEW ROADS AND RR. TO A SPEN BUILT AND NEW ZN-SEPARATION METALLURGY DEVELOPED, MINE REOPENED BY TUNNEL AND EXTENSIVE UNDERGROUND WORKINGS.

Comment (Location): 1.2 MILES UP UNNAMED TRIBUTARY OF CASTLE CREEK ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :(1980)

References

Reference (Deposit): WESTON, W., 1910, THE TAM O'SHANTER-MONTEZUMA MINES: COLORADO STATE PLAN. COMM. UNPUB. REPT.

Reference (Deposit): BRYANT, BRUCE, 1970, GEOLOGIC MAP OF THE HAYDEN PEAK QUADRANGLE, PITKIN AND GUNNISON COUNTIES, COLORADO: USGS MAP GQ-863

Reference (Deposit): BRYANT, BRUCE, 1979, GEOLOGY OF THE ASPEN 15-MINUTE QUADRANGLE, PITKIN AND GUNNISON COUNTIES, COLORADO: USGS PROF. PAPER 1073, P. 114-115

Reference (Production): WESTON, 1910 (PRODUCTION 1897-1906); COLO. DIV. MINES ANN. OPERATOR REPTS. (PRODUCTION FOR 1915, 1960)

Colorado Mining Photos

Check out this collection of Colorado's best historic mining photos: Incredible Photos of Colorado Mining Scenes.