Special Session Mine

The Special Session Mine is a gold mine located in San Miguel county, Colorado at an elevation of 12,799 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

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Site Name

Primary: Special Session Mine
Secondary: Patented Claims: Special Session, MS 12908
Secondary: Slide Rock, MS 12908
Secondary: Oasis, MS 12908
Secondary: Polar No. 1, MS 12908
Secondary: Polar No. 2, MS 12908
Secondary: Polar No. 3, MS 12908

Commodity

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

Location

State: Colorado
County: San Miguel
District: Mount Wilson 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: Campbell Brothers
Home Office: Placerville, Co.
Years: 1960 -

Owner Name: Fred Sellan
Home Office: Grand Junction, Co.
Years: 1960 -

Production

Not available

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Operation Type: Underground
Mining Method: Unknown
Year Last Production: 1940
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

Model Name: Polymetallic replacement

Orebody

Not available

Structure

Type: R
Description: Paradox Basin, San Miguel Mtns

Type: L
Description: Wilson Peak Stock

Alterations

Not available

Rocks

Name: Gabbro
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Pliocene

Name: Gabbro
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock
Age Young: Pliocene

Analytical Data

Analytical Data: 1936 ORE SHIPMENT FROM POLAR CLAIM CONTAINED 2.4 OZ/TON AU
Analytical Data: CHEMICAL ANALYSIS SHOWED 18 PPM AU, 63 PPM AG, 9200 PPM CU, 9600 PPM PB, 8000 PPM ZN.
Analytical Data: THAT FROM 1938 CONTAINED 1.62 OZ/TON AU. BROMFIELD AND OTHERS (1972) SEMIQUANTITATIVE SPECTROGRAPHIC ANALYSIS OF SELECTED DUMP SAMPLE CONTAINED 7% FE, 0.15% MG, 1% CA, 0.15% TI, 700 PPM MN, 30 PPM AG, 3000 PPM AS, 10 PPM B, 500 PPM BA, 30 PPM BI, LT 20 PPM CD, 10 PPM CO, LT 5 PPM CR, 3000 PPM CU, 10 PPM MO, LT 5 PPM NI, 2000 PPM PB, 700 PPM SB, LT 10 PPM SN, LT 100 PPM SR, 30 PPM V, 3000 PPM ZN

Materials

Ore: Gold
Ore: Pyrite
Ore: Sphalerite
Gangue: Quartz

Comments

Comment (Deposit): MINE DEVELOPED ON PROBABLE SW EXTENSION OF SILVER PICK VEIN, TRENDING ABOUT N 65 E, DIPPING STEEPLY NW, NEAR INTERSECTION WITH PROMINENT JOINT TRENDING N 78 W.

Comment (Location): (LAND STATUS AND ADMINISTRATIVE AREA LOCATIONS CALCULATED USING GIS OVERLAY ANALYSIS FOR SAN JUAN N. F.). MINE LIES NEAR HEAD OF UNNAMED TRIBUTARY OF ELK CREEK 1.2 MILES WSW OF WILSON PEAK. CLAIMS STRADDLE DOLORES SAN MIGUEL COUNTY LINE. ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :41? 01 1975

Comment (Production): PARTIAL PRODUCTION RECORD. FIGURES UNAVAILABLE FOR YEARS PRIOR TO 1937. AU FIGURE CALCULATED FROM REPORTED VALUE USING PRICE OF $35/OZ. OTHER FIGURES REPORTED AS VALUES BUT WITH UNKNOWN AVERAGE PRICES.

Comment (Workings): TWO ADITS (CAVED) COMPRISING 1500 FT OF CROSSCUTS AND DRIFTS (BY 1900)

Comment (Ownership): Deleted record 10288989 notes in the bibliographic references section " OWN-OP: Fred Sellan, 1960"

Comment (Development): CLAIMS SURVEYED AND PATENTED IN 1899, BUT DEVELOPMENT WORK AND SOME STOPING AND SMALL PRODUCTION HAD TAKEN PLACE BEFORE 1896. LAST ACTIVITY WAS PROBABLY 8 ST HAND-COBBED ORE PRODUCED IN 1934-1940. CDM RECORDS SHOW SMALL PRODUCTION IN 1936 CREDITED TO POLAR (CLAIM).

References

Reference (Production): BROMFIELD AND OTHERS, 1972, P. 19 (AS COMPILED FROM USGS, USBM, AND US MINT RECORDS)

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

Reference (Deposit): BROMFIELD, C.S., AND OTHERS, 1972, MINERAL RESOURCES OF THE WILSON MOUNTAINS PRIMITIVE AREA, COLORADO: USGS BULL. 1353-A, P.54-55, 66-67.

Reference (Deposit): BUSH, A.L., AND BROMFIELD, C.S., 1966, GEOLOGIC MAP OF THE DOLORES PEAK QUADRANGLE, DOLORES AND SAN MIGUEL COUNTIES, COLORADO: USGS MAP GQ-536.

Reference (Deposit): BLM MINERAL SURVEY MS 12908

Reference (Deposit): CDM Summary Annual Report 1960, MMR DOC #407862.

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