Tennessee Pass

The Tennessee Pass is a chromium mine located in Josephine county, Oregon at an elevation of 2,165 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: Tennessee Pass
Secondary: K #130

Commodity

Primary: Chromium
Secondary: Platinum
Tertiary: Palladium
Tertiary: Iridium
Tertiary: Ruthenium
Tertiary: Rhodium

Location

State: Oregon
County: Josephine

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: Siskiyou National Forest

Holdings

Not available

Workings

Not available

Ownership

Owner Name: T. E. Murphy And G. C. Young
Years: 1958 -

Production

Year: 1958
Material type: ORE
Description: Ap_Grade: ^50.11% Cr2o3, 13.15% Fe, 6.46% Sio2

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Operation Type: Unknown
Discovery Year: 1918
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: N
Deposit Size: S

Physiography

General Physiographic Area: Pacific Mountain System
Physiographic Province: Pacific Border Province
Physiographic Section: Klamath Mountains

Mineral Deposit Model

Model Name: Podiform chromite (minor)

Orebody

Form: LENS

Structure

Type: L
Description: Serpentine Is Contorted

Alterations

Not available

Rocks

Name: Peridotite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Late Jurassic

Name: Peridotite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock Unit
Age Young: Late Jurassic

Name: Peridotite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock Unit
Age Young: Late Jurassic

Name: Peridotite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock
Age Young: Late Jurassic

Analytical Data

Analytical Data: RH=63 PPB.
Analytical Data: RU=1,800 PPB
Analytical Data: IR=700 PPB
Analytical Data: PD=<4 PPB
Analytical Data: 1 PGE ANALYSIS: PT=450 PPB

Materials

Ore: Chromite
Gangue: Olivine
Gangue: Serpentine

Comments

Comment (Location): LOCATION GIVEN IS FOR PGE SAMPLE SITE LOCATION. TOPO MAP DOES NOT SHOW A PROSPECT NEAR THAT LOCATION.

Comment (Workings): WORKINGS CONSIST OF A CAVED TUNNEL TRENDING N 10 E AND A CAVED GLORY HOLE 20 FT IN DIAMETER AND 15 FT DEEP

Comment (Commodity): CHROMITE IS MEDIUM TO COARSE GRAINED

References

Reference (Deposit): THAYER, T.P., 1974, U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY, UNPUB. DATA.

Reference (Deposit): PAGE, N.J, JOHNSON, M.G., HAFFTY, JOSEPH, AND RAMP, LEN, 1975, OCCURRENCE OF PLATINUM GROUP METALS IN ULTRAMAFIC ROCKS OF THE MEDFORD-COOS BAY 2 DEGREE QUADRANGLE, SOUTHWESTERN OREGON: U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY MISCELLANEOUS FIELD STUDIES MAP MF-694, SCALE 1:250,000.

Reference (Deposit): RAMP, LEN, AND PETERSON, N.V., 1979, GEOLOGY AND MINERAL RESOURCES OF JOSEPHINE COUNTY, OREGON: OREGON DEPARTMENT OF GEOLOGY AND MINERAL INDUSTRIES BULLETIN 100, TABLE 1.

Reference (Deposit): RAMP, LEN, 1961, CHROMITE IN SOUTHWESTERN OREGON: OREGON DEPARTMENT OF GEOLOGY AND MINERAL INDUSTRIES BULLETIN 52, P. 155-156.

Reference (Deposit): CARLSON, C.A., AND OTHERS, 1985, ANALYSES FOR PLATINUM-GROUP ELEMENTS IN SAMPLES FROM PODIFORM CHROMITE DEPOSITS, CALIFORNIA AND OREGON: U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OPEN-FILE REPORT 85-442, 14 P.

Oregon Gold

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