Iron Clad Mine

The Iron Clad Mine is a silver, lead, zinc, and copper mine located in Dolores county, Colorado at an elevation of 8,724 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: Iron Clad Mine
Secondary: Silver Clad Mine
Secondary: Patented Claims: Iron Clad, MS 865
Secondary: Santa Cruz, MS 6132
Secondary: Bancroft, MS 6515
Secondary: St. Louis, MS 8099
Secondary: Unpatented Claims: Rico Boy
Secondary: Red Dog
Secondary: Rainbow

Commodity

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

Location

State: Colorado
County: Dolores
District: Pioneer (Rico) 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: San Juan N. F.

Holdings

Not available

Workings

Not available

Ownership

Owner Name: Myron L. Jones
Home Office: Rico, Co.
Years: 1978 -

Production

Not available

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Operation Type: Unknown
Year First Production: 1900
Year Last Production: 1975
Discovery Year: 1881
Discovery Method: Ore-Mineral In Place
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: N
Deposit Size: S

Physiography

General Physiographic Area: Intermontane Plateaus
Physiographic Province: Colorado Plateaus
Physiographic Section: Canyon Lands

Mineral Deposit Model

Model Name: Polymetallic replacement

Orebody

Not available

Structure

Type: R
Description: San Juan Uplift, Paradox Basin

Type: L
Description: Rico Dome

Alterations

Not available

Rocks

Name: Latite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock
Age Young: Paleocene

Name: Latite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock Unit
Age Young: Paleocene

Analytical Data

Not available

Materials

Ore: Polybasite
Ore: Pyrargyrite
Ore: Chalcopyrite
Ore: Pyrite
Ore: Gold
Gangue: Calcite
Gangue: Quartz

Comments

Comment (Location): (LAND STATUS AND ADMINISTRATIVE AREA LOCATIONS CALCULATED USING GIS OVERLAY ANALYSIS FOR SAN JUAN N. F.). AT BASE OF HILL ON WEST SIDE OF DOLORES RIVER BETWEEN IRON DRAW AND SULPHUR CREEK (UNSURVEYED SECTION). ELEV AND LAT-LONG GIVEN FOR IRON CLAD NO. 1 ADIT ARE FROM MCKNIGHT, 1974, PL. 1 (1930 BASE). ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :1975

Comment (Production): PARTIAL PRODUCTION RECORD. PRODUCTION UNKNOWN FOR YEARS PRIOR TO 1949. NO PRODUCTION REPORTED IN 1950, 1952-1954, 1957-1961, 1963-1966, 1968, AND AFTER 1975. SEPARATE FIGURES CITED IN 1971 FOR IRON CLAD AND SANTA CRUZ. PRODUCTION FOR OTHER YEARS CREDITED TO SILVER CLAD (IRON CLAD).

Comment (Development): EARLY HISTORY UNKNOWN, BUT MINE DID PRODUCE AT LEAST 300 ST OF AG-CU ORE PRIOR TO 1900. IN LATER DEVELOPMENT, CLAIMS OWNED AND OPERATED BY MYRON JONES AND OTHERS FROM 1949-1967. SILVER BELL INDUSTRIES OF RICOOPERATED CLAIMS FROM 1969 TO 1975, TRUCKING ORE TO ITS MILL IN OPHIR. MUCH NEW DEVELOPMENT OF WORKINGS FROM 1972-1978. MYRON JONES WAS OWNER AND OPERATOR FROM 1976 TO 1978 AND CONDUCTED EXPLORATION AND DEVELOPMENT.

Comment (Deposit): LOWER HERMOSA FM SHALE, SANDSTONE, AND SHALY LIMESTONE STRIKE GENERALLY EAST-WEST AND DIP 15 SOUTH AND ARE INTRUDED BY HORNBLENDE LATITE PORPHYRY SILL. THREE PRINCIPAL VEINS TREND N 20 E, N 40 E, AND N 65 E, DIP 50 TO 80 NW. VEINS LIE IN SMALL-DISPLACEMENT FRACTURES BELOW PORPHYRY SILL, AND REPLACEMENT BODIES UP TO 10 FT THICK EXTEND FROM 2 TO 15 FT FROM FEEDER VEINS INTO SHALY LIMESTONE AND LIMY SHALE. VEINS ARE RICHER IN ARKOSE THAN IN SHALY ROCKS. SOME AG ORE CONTAINED AS SULFOSALTS. CORE DRILLING BY SILVER BELL INDUSTRIES IN 1969 REVEALED PB-ZN ORE (REPLACEMENT) IN UNDERLYING LEADVILLE LIMESTONE (MISSISSIPPIAN) AT DEPTH OF 625 TO 675 FT.

Comment (Workings): MAIN WORKINGS CONSIST OF TWO 100-FT TUNNELS AND 600-FT TUNNEL (UPPER) ON IRON CLAD CLAIM AND 700-FT TUNNEL WITH THREE 40-FT RAISES AND STOPES ON ST. LOUIS CLAIM. LATER DEVELOPMENT INCLUDED OPEN CUTS ON ST. LOUIS AND IRON CLAD, INCLINED EXTENSIONS AND DRIFTS, AND NEW ADIT ON IRON CLAD. SANTA CRUZ INCLINE DEVELOPED TO 600 FT WITH SHRINK STOPES.

References

Reference (Deposit): MCKNIGHT, E.T., 1974, GEOLOGY AND ORE DEPOSITS OF THE RICO DISTRICT, COLORADO, USGS PROF. PAPER 723, P. 94.

Reference (Deposit): PRATT, W.P., AND OTHERS, 1969, GEOLOGIC MAP OF THE RICO QUADRANGLE, DOLORES AND MONTEZUMA COUNTIES, COLORADO: USGS MAP GQ-797.

Reference (Deposit): RANSOME, F.L., 1901, THE ORE DEPOSITS OF THE RICO MOUNTAINS, COLORADO: USGS 22D ANN. REPT., PT. 2, P. 362.

Reference (Deposit): COLORADO DIV. MINES INF. REPTS. AND ANNUAL OPERATOR REPTS.

Reference (Deposit): BLM MINERAL SURVEYS MS 865, 6132, 6515, 8099

Reference (Production): COLORADO DIV. MINES ANNUAL OPERATOR REPTS.

Colorado Mining Photos

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