Del Monte Mine

The Del Monte Mine is a silver, gold, copper, and lead mine located in Beaverhead county, Montana at an elevation of 6,801 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: Del Monte Mine
Secondary: Bonaparte

Commodity

Primary: Silver
Primary: Gold
Primary: Copper
Primary: Lead
Tertiary: Antimony

Location

State: Montana
County: Beaverhead
District: Blue Wing 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: Sarah M. Anderson

Production

Not available

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Operation Type: Unknown
Year First Production: 1865
Discovery Year: 1865
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: Pioneer Mountains

Mineral Deposit Model

Not available

Orebody

Not available

Structure

Type: L
Description: Extensive Faulting, Trending Mainly To The North And Northeast.

Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: Oxidation, Silver Leaching.

Rocks

Name: Diorite
Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Pliocene

Name: Diorite
Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock Unit
Age Young: Mississippian

Analytical Data

Analytical Data: BONAPARTE VEIN ASSAYED 20 TO 40 OZ. AG/TON. DEL MONTE VEIN AVERAGES 60 OZ. AG/TON WITH ASSAYS AS HIGH AS 450 OZ/TON.

Materials

Ore: Cerargyrite
Ore: Stibnite
Ore: Galena
Ore: Pyrargyrite
Ore: Polybasite
Gangue: Quartz
Gangue: Stibiconite
Gangue: Calcite

Comments

Comment (Deposit): TWO VEINS IN GRANODIORITE. THE BONAPARTE IS LARGER (6-FT. WIDE) BUT LOWER GRADE THAN THE DEL MONTE (4-14 INCHES WIDE). SULPHIDE ORE APPEARS ABOUT 50-FT BELOW THE SURFACE.

Comment (Production): MOST PRODUCTIVE YEARS WERE 1890-1899. PRODUCTION AS EARLY AS 1870.

Comment (Development): SIX PATENTED CLAIMS, DEL MONTE, BONAPARTE, MALTBY S., ISABELLA, FRANCIS H., AND BAREHILL.

Comment (Workings): DEL MONTE INCLINE SHAFT REACHED A DEPTH OF 253 FEET. (FLOODED, 1931). OTHER UNDERGROUND WORKINGS WERE DRIVEN OFF THE DEL MONTE SHAFT.

Comment (Geology): VEINS IN LIMESTONE HAVE LOW SILVER CONTENT BUT CONTAIN SMALL, HIGH-GRADE ANTIMONY ORE DEPOSITS.

Comment (Deposit): ORE WAS RICH NEAR SURFACE BUT SILVER CONTENT DECLINED NOTABLY BY 60 FOOT DEPTH. AT 80 FEET IT CHANGED TO SULPHIDE ORE, (PYRARGYRITE). ATTEMPTS TO REOPEN PROPERTY IN EARLY 1920'S WERE ABANDONED AFTER A YEARS WORK. ; INFO.SRC : 1 PUB LIT

Comment (Deposit): Discovery Year: 1860'S

References

Reference (Deposit): USGS BULL 574, P. 71.

Reference (Deposit): SHENON, P.J., 1931, GEOL. AND ORE DEPOSITS - BANNACK/ARGENTA, MONTANA: MONT. BUREAU OF MINES AND GEOL, BULL. 6, P. 34-36

Reference (Deposit): USGS MGI I-433

Reference (Deposit): BERGER, B.R., 1979, GEOCHEM. RECON. OF MINING DISTRICTS-SO. PIONEER MTNS., MONT: U.S. GEOL. SUR. OPEN-FILE REPORT 79-1426.

Reference (Deposit): GEACH, R.D., 1972, MINES AND MINERAL DEPOSITS, BEAVERHEAD CO., MT: MT. BUREAU OF MINES AND GEOL., BULL. 85, P 99.

Reference (Deposit): MBMG BULL 85, P. 99.

Reference (Deposit): 1914 COMPILE WINCHELL, A.N., U.S.G.S. BULL. 574

Reference (Deposit): 1931 COMPILE M.B.M.G. BULL. 6

Reference (Deposit): 1965 GEOLMAP LOWELL, W.R., U.S.G.S. M.G.I. MAP I-433

Reference (Deposit): 1972 COMPILE M.B.M.G. BULL. 85

Reference (Deposit): 1979 RECON BERGER, B.R., U.S.G.S. OPEN-FILE 79-1426

Reference (Production): M.B.M.G. BULL. 6; M.B.M.G. BULL. 85.

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.