DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

H~bert Work, Secretary 

U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 

George Otis Smith. Director 

Professional Paper 138 

MINING IN COLORADO 

A HISTORY OF DISCOVERY, DEVELOPMENT 

AND PRODUCTJON 

BY 

CHARLES W. HENDERSON 

WASIDNGTON 

GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 

1926 
ADDITIONAL COPIES . 

(JF THIS PUBUCATION MAY BE PROCURED ... )ROM 

THE SUPERINTENDENT OF DOCUMENTS 

GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 

WASHINGTON, D. C. 

AT 

$1.00 PER COPY (Paper coven>) 
CONTENTS 

Historical sk~tch __________________________ .. _______ _ 

The first discoveries of gold _____________________ _ 

Chronologie record __________ ' ____________ ,. _____ _ 

The location, area, and organization of the mining counties of Colorado _________________________ _ 

Adams County_- __ - - _____________________ _ 

Alamosa County __________________________ _ 

Arapahoe County _________________________ _ 

Archuleta County _________________________ _ 

Baca CountY------------------------------

Boulder CountY----------------------~----- Chaffee County _____________________ · ______ _ 

Clear Creek County _______________________ _ 

Conejos CountY---------------------------- Costilla County ___________________________ _ 

Custer County ____________________________ _ 

Denver County ___________________________ _ 

Dolores County ___________________________ _ 

Douglas County----- ______________________ _ 

Eagle CountY--------~-----~--------------- . El Paso County ___________________________ _ 

Fremont County __________________________ _ 

Garfield CountY----------------------------

Gilpin County ____________________________ _ 

Grand CountY-----------------------------

Gunnison County _________________________ _ 

Hinsdale CountY-----~--------------------- Huerfano County _____ . ____ :... ________________ _ 

Jackson CountY----------------------------

Jefferson County ______________________ · ____ _ 

Lake CountY-----------------~------------ La Plata County __________________________ _ 

Larimer County ___________________________ _ 

Las Animas County ____ .!. __________________ _ 

~esa County _____________________________ _ 

~ineral County ____ ~ ______________________ _ 

~offat CountY----------------------------- ~ontezuma County _______________________ _ 

~ontrose County------ ____________________ _ 

Ouray CouritY--------------~-------------­

Park CountY-------------------------------

Pitkin CountY--------------------~-------- Pueblo County ____________ .. _______________ _ 

Rio Blanco County ________________________ _ 

Rio Grande CountY------------------------

Routt County _____________________________ _ 

Saguache County __________________________ _ 

San Juan CountY------------------------~--- San ~iguel County_ .. __________________ ~ ___ _ 

Summit Courity ___________________________ _ 

Teller County _____________________________ .:. 

Development by counties _______________________ _ 

Arapahoe, Denver, and Jefferson counties _____ _ Gilpin County ____________________________ _ 

Clear Creek County _______________________ _ 

Summit County ___________________________ _ 

Park CountY------------------------------- Boulder County ___________________________ _ 

Page 

1 

1 

8 

17 

17 

18 

18 

19 

19 

19 

19 

19 

19 

20 

20 

20 

20 

20 

21 

21 

21 

21 

21 

21 

22 

22 

22 

22 

22 

23 

23 

23 

23 

23 

23 

24 

24 

24 

24 

24 

25 

25 

25 

25 

25 

26 

26 

26 

27 

27 

27 

27 

27 

31 

32 

36 

38 

Historical. sketch-Continued. 

Development by counties_:_Continued. 

Lake County------ ______________ : ____ -----_ Chaffee County ___________________________ _ 

Gunnison County----- ___________ ---- ______ _ 

Pitkin CountY-----------------------------

Eagle County _____________________________ _ 

Custer County-- __________________________ _ 

Rio Grande County_------- _________ ,.. ______ _ San Juan County __________________________ _ 

Hinsdale County __________________________ _ 

Dolores County _______________________ --- __ 

La Plata CountY------------------------~--

. San ~iguel County---- ____ ---- ______ -- ____ _ 

Ouray CountY-----------------------------

Saguache CountY--------------------------- ~ineral County-the Creede district _________ _ 

Teller County-the Cripple Creek district _____ _ General features _______________________ _ 

The Roosevelt or Cripple Creek drainage tunnel _____________________________ _ 

~illing in the Cripple Creek district _____ _ 

The sulphuric acid industry ________________ . _____ _ 

Railroad building in Colorado ___________________ _ 

Mining districts .in Colorado _______________________ ..:-

Production of the State ____________________________ _ 

Accuracy of the figures given---------------------

Sources of figures by metals and years ___________ _ 

Sources of figures by years and counties __________ _ 

Gold and silver __ . ______ ---~ ________________ _ 

Copper ___________________________________ _ 

Lead _______________________________ .:. ____ _ 

ZinC--------------------------------------

Content of ore and concentrates ____________ _ 

Summary of features of production shown by curves_ 

Gold------------------------------------- Silver ______________________ ..: ____ . _______ · __ 

Copper __ ~---------~--------~------------- Lead-----------------------------~------­

Zinc-----------------------------------~-

Total values of gold, silver, copper, lead~ and 

zinC------------------------------------

Curves of production of gold, silver, copper, 

lead, and zinc _________ -----.. ------------

Production by years and counties- ______________ _ 

Production by counties _________________________ _ Adams County ______________________ ··- ___ _ 

Arapahoe CountY--------------------------

Archuleta County_------ ___________ . ________ _ 

Baca CountY------------------------------- Boulder County ___________________________ _ 

Chaffee County ____________________________ . 

Clear Creek County _____ ·- ____________ ~ ____ _ 

Conejos CountY------~--------------------- Costilla County _____________ _, _____________ _ 

Custer County ___________________ · _________ _ 

Delta County--- __________________________ _ 

Dolores County ___________________ . _______ _ 

III 

Page 

40 

43 

44 

45 

46 

47 

48 

48 

50 

51 

52 

52 

54 

55 

55 

56 

56 

57 

59 

60 

61 

62 

68 

68 

70 

70 

70 

72 

73 

73 

74 

76 

76 

7() 

78. 

8() 

82: 

83 

84 

84 

104 

104 

104 

104 

10& 

10& 

107 

108 

109 

110 

112 

114 

114 
-

IV CONTENTS 

Production of the State-Continued. Production of the State-Continued. 

Production by counties-Continued. 

Douglas County ______________________ ~ ____ _ 

Eagle County ____________________ -.- _______ _ 

El Paso County ___________________________ _ 

Fremont County __________________________ _ 

Garfield. County __ ._ ________________________ _ 

Gilpin County ____________________________ _ 

Grand County ______________________ . ______ _ 

Gunnison County _________________________ _ 

Hinsdale County _______ -.- _________________ _ 

H uerfano,County _________________________ _ 

Jefferson County __________________________ _ 

Lake County _____________________________ _ 

La Plata and Montezuma counties _____________ _ 

Larimer and Jackson counties ___ ..: ___________ _ 

Las Animas County _______________________ _ Mesa County _____________________________ _ 

Mineral County _________________________ ··-_ 

Page 

117 

118 

119 

120 

121 

.121 

122 

124 

126 

128 

129 

130 

177 

178 

179 

179 

180 

Production ·by counties-Continued. 

Montrose County _________________________ _ 

Ouray CountY-----------------------------

Park CountY-----------------------------=-

Pitkin CountY-----------------------------

Pueblo County _________________ ~ __________ _ 

Rio Grande CountY----------~-------------

Routt and Moffat counties ________ ----------

Saguache CountY--------------------------

San Juan CountY---------------------------

San Miguel County---- ______ · ______________ _ 

Summit County ____________________________ _ 

Teller County--- _________________ . ___ ~ _____ _ Bibliography _______________ ;_ _____________________ _ 

Conclusions ____________ ·--------~----------------- Appendix ________________________________________ _ 

Index--------------------------------------------

ILLUSTRATIONS 

Page 

181 

182 

186 

197 

201 

201 

206 

208 

"210 

216 

227 

246 

247 

248. 

251 

261 

Page 

PLATE I. ·Map showing mining districts in Colorado __________________ · _______________________________ _, _______ In pocket 

FIQURE 1. Map showing original17 counties created in 1861 by first territorial legislature of Colorado__________________ 18 

2. Value in dollars of gold produced in Colorado from 1859 to 1923, by years-------------------------------- 77 

3. Value of gold produced by principal counties or regions in Colorado, from 1859 to 1923, by years------------ 77 

4. Quantity and value of silver produced in Colorado from 1859 to 1923, by years, and average price for each year_ 78 

5. Production of silver by principal counties or regions in Colorado from 1859 to 1923·, by years__________________ 78 

6. Quantity and value of copper produced in ·colorado from 1868 to 1923, by years, and average price for each year_ 79 

7. Production of copper by principal counties or regions in Colorado from 1868 to 1923, by years------------ 79 

8. Quantity and value of lead produced in Colorado from 1869 to 1923, by years, and average price for each year_ 80 

9. Production of lead by principal counties or regions in Colorado from 1869 to 1923, by years__________________ 81 

10. Quantity and value of zinc produced in Colorado from 1885 to 1923, by years, and average price for each year_ 82 

11. Production of zinc by principal counties or regions in Colorado from 1885 to 1923, by years__________________ 83. 

12. Total value of gold, silver, copper, lead, and zinc produced in Colorado from1859 to 1923, by years____________ 84 

13. Total value of gold, silver, copper, lead, and zinc produced by principal counties or regions in Colorado from 

1859 to 1923, by years ______________ -.- _________ ----_---------_-_-- __ - __ ---_------_________________ 85 

14. Production of gold in dollars, of silver in ounces, and of copper, lead, and zinc in pounds, in Colorado, from 1859 

to 1923, by years ________________________ -_-- ________ - ___ - ___ -:..__________________________________ 85 

15. Production of gold in Colorado, 1859 to 1922, by counties-------------------------~--------------------- 86 

16. Production of silver in Colorado, 1859 to 1922, by counties ____________________ ;.._________________________ 86 

17. Production of copper in Colorado, 1868 to 1922, by counties ________________ ~____________________________ 86 

18. Production of lead in Colorado, 1869 to 1922, by counties----------------------------------------------- 86 

19. Production of zinc in Colorado, 1865 to 1922, by counties----------------------------------------------- 87 

20. Total value of gold, silver, copper, lead, and zinc produced in Colorado from 1859 to 1922, by counties _______ · 87 
MINING IN COLORADO 

By CHARLES w. HENDERSON 1 

HISTORICAL SKETCH 

THE FIRST DISCOVERIES OF GOLD 

Spanish explorers 1a appear not to have visited the 

region that is now eastern Colorado until the middle of 

the seventeenth century, but traversed southern. central, and western Colorado in 1706 1719 1720 .1765 ' ' ' ' 1776, and 1779. A small party of Frenchmen, headed 

by two brothers named Mallet, crossed the·eastern part 

of the State from north to south in 1739. The American explorers that left records of their journeys in the 

region were Pike, in 1805 and 1806 · Long in 1820 · 

B onneVI 'II ' ' ' e, in 1~832; Dodge, in 1835; Fremont, in 

1842, 1843, 1845, 1848, and 1853 · Gunnison and 

Beckwith, in 1853; Macomb and N~wberry, in 1859 

and 1860. Neither Pike, Long, Bonneville, nor Dodge 

seem to have reported the discovery of any minerals. 

In 1833 a party of trappers from Taos, N. Mex., 

camped on Dolores River near Trout Lake about 13 

miles northeast of the present site of Rico 2 but apparently paid no attention to mineral deposits. Gold is 

said to have been discovered near the site of Lake City 

about i848 by a member of the Fremont party, but 

no one has been able to identify the place or even 

the stream from which the first gold was panned.3 • 

The explorations of the geologis.ts of the Hayden, 

W~eeler, King, and Powell surveys, and later of the· 

U~ted States Geol~gical Survey, made chiefly by 

King, Hague, Emmons, Hayqen, Powell, Gilbert, 

Walcott, Marvine, Howell, Holmes, Peale, and Dutton, 

early gave a general knowledge .of the geography andgeology of the State, which has later been studied in 

greater detail in many areas by members of the 

United States Geological Survey and oth~rs. 

The great transcontinental mig:r:ation to the California g.old. mines that began in 1849 found the high 

mountruns In Colorado a barrier to travel so that the 

main available avenues to the Far We~t were the 

1 In the prepa~ation of the statistics the writer has had the assistance of Virginia E. 

Kn?wle!l, Bess1e M. Pet~rson, John H. Winchell, Sue D. Boot, and Max J. 

Gle1ssner, of the United States Geological Survey. 1" Thomas, A. B., Spanish expeditions into Colorado: Colorado Mag., vol. 1, 

No.7, November,1924. Thomas disproves the ent·rance of. the Spaniards into 

Colorado in 154o-1600. 1 Ransome, F. L., The ore deposits of the Rico Mountains, Colo.: U. S. Geol. 

Survey Twenty-second Ann. Rept., pt. 2, p. 239, 1901. 5 Irving, J.D., and Bancro!t, Howland, Geology and ore deposits near Lake City 

Colo.; U.S. Geol. Survey Bull. 478, p. 13, 1911. 

Overland route, through Wyoming, on the north, 

and the Santa Fe route, through New Mexico, on 

the south. 

. It is the purpose here not to relate· completely the 

history of Colorado, but to give as far as it is clearly 

known only the history of mining, with which the 

history of the State runs parallel after 1858. If 

hunters, trappers, and Indians knew of gold in 

Colorado before 1849 their knowledge occasioned no 

immigration; and even the knowledge possessed by 

those who may ·have known of gold in the period 

between 184.9 and 1858 did nothing to stimuiate the 

opening and settlement of Colorado other than to 

supplement the leadership of the Russell brothers to 

whom nearly all historians now credit the rush to 

t~e Pikes Peak region in 1858, a rush that was fraught 

With much hardship, danger, and disappointment 

but that broug:h t to the successful miners handsome 

rewards and hastened by many years the development 

of the s.tate.. There were then no roads through the 

mountains of Colorado to California, and even if 

there had been such routes it is quite possible· that the 

"forty-niners" might have passed by the bonanza 

fields of Colorado as they did those of Nevada. The 

plains of Colorado were occupied by Indians, chiefly 

the Arapahoes and Cheyennes. The Russell brothers 

who were originally from Georgia but who had gained 

experi~nce in mining in California, led a party of 

Georg~~ns, Che~okee Indians, and others to Cherry 

Creek In 1858 In search of gold in what was then 

western Kansas. 

~B:mes H. Pierce, a member of the expedition under· 

William Green Russell to Cherry Creek in 1858 wrote 

as follows in a manuscript in the files of th~, State 

Historical and Natural History Society of Colorado: 

In April, 1858, in .company of William Green Ru·ssell, Joseph 

0. Russell, Dr. Levi J. Russell, R. J. Pierce Solomon Roe I 

with s.ome six or eight more, all from the State of Georgia, ~ut~ fitted m ~eavenworth City, Kans., with the object of prospecting 

for gold m the Rocky Mountains. The place in view was South 

Platte, Cherry Creek, and Ralston Creek, by a former understanding between William Green Russell, the leader of our company, and John Beck, then a citizen of the Cherokee Nation a 

man of e~perience in ~ining, and formerly from Georgia. ' 

Beck, m ~ompany with Louis Ralston, in crossing tile plains 

[of Kansas] m the year 1849, had found gold on Cherry Creek, 

1 
2 MINING IN COLORADO 

and also on Ralston Creek, in small quantities. Russell had 

also found gold on the North Platte and Sweetwater rivers, 4 

while he and a small company of Georgians were on their way 

to California. Beck and Russell had been acquainted in Georgia 

before going to California. They met by chance in California, 

and in talking of their trip they discovered that both had found 

gold in the Rocky Mountains. 

Mter [William] Green Russell had made two trips home from 

California he accumulated some means-he and his [two] 

brothers. His youngest brother, Dr. Levi John Russell, had 

gone to Philadelphia and there graduated at the Pen.nsylvania 

Medical College, after which he had returned to Georgia, married, and settled down to. the practice of medicine. [William] 

Green, [Levi] John, and [Joseph] Oliver Russell had bought 

farms and a few slaves, and. were comfortably situated in 

Auraria, Lumpkin County, in northeast Georgia, but all of them 

had been miners from boyhood. Green had kept up a correspondence with John Beck, of the Cherokee Nation, from the 

· time he had last met him in California, and in the winter of 

1857 they entered into an agreement to form parties each in 

their respective countries and to meet on the plains at the Big 

Bend of the Arkansas River. 

The meeting at the Big Bend was accomplished on April 25, 

1858. Beck had 78 men and Russell 26, making in all104 men, 

composed of Georgians, Cherokees, Arkansans, Missourians, 

and some who joined us in Kansas. All or most of them were 

outfitted with ox teams and six months' provisions. We then 

proceeded on our journey, halting only ·on Sm~·days, until we 

.reached the head of Cherry Creek. We· there found gold as 

Beck had represented, generally in light sand and in small 

quantities, but in no place [did we try tq] work. We stayed 

there only one or two days. 

We then went on to the Platte [and] camped at the mouth of 

Cherry Creek a day or two. We got there May 23, 1858. We 

prospected up and down the Platte but found nothing of value. 

We then crossed the Platte, went to Ralston Creek, and camped 

there where Beck and Ralston had found gold in 1849. The 

place' I judge to be about 1 mile above .the junction of Ralston 

and Clear creeks and perhaps a quarter of a mile west of the 

old Cherokee trail. We prospected up and down Ralston and 

Clear. creeks and back into the mountains about 5 miles. We 

were there several days but found nothing of much importance; 

but we got gold every pan. * * * 

As I said we had got gold in small quantities both on Clear 

Creek and Ralston. We had not at that time been in the 

mountains exceeding 5 miles, but piut of the men began to get 

disheartened, and about one-half of the Cherokee party wanted 

to stay. They wanted us to unite and build a fort or stockade, 

but the majority of the party could see no use in such work. 

So thev concluded to bust up, and about the lOth of June the 

whole ·of the Cherokee party left us. There were, however, 

a few that had fallen in with them who remained with us. We 

were now reduced to less than 50 men. 

We spent a few days in the same camp, still prospecting. 

We went as far north as Boulder and Big Thompson, and 

south to Bear Creek and into the mountains a short distance. 

Finding nothing of any importance we concluded to recross the 

Platte, which we did about the 24th of June. [Note date.] In 

crossing the Platte we came near losing the wagon and our 

money and the summer's provisions, which were in the wagon, 

where I was myself, Doctor Russell, Bates, Roe, and McMee 

being with me. We managed to get the wagon and most of 

our rations out, but our rations were damaged considerably by 

the water. We then camped there for a day or two and there 

had another split-up in the company. All of our original 

Georgian party but seven and six of those that had fa:llen in 

with u~ from Kansas left. The balance of the 104 who came 

• At the site of Atlantic City, Wyo., gold was found as early as 1842.-C. W. H. 

with us were all gone on the back track, leaving only 13 men 

to prospect the Rocky Mountains. 

* * * I shall never as long as life lasts forget the last 

split in the company. [I and] Twelve [others] of us agreed to 

stay, and all the balance went home or somewhere else. 

* * * I have only seen a few of them since that day. We 

had in one month's time been reduced from the formidable 

number of 104 to only 13. * * * 

On the very day that we were left alone we started up the 

Platte to make a camp at the canyon, some 12 or 15 miles from 

the mouth of Cherry Creek. As fortune would have it, some 

372 miles up the river, while the wagons were ahead of me some 

one hundred or two hundred yards, I discovered on the bank of 

the river a bed of alluvial gravel, and under it was a conglomerate or cement bedrock. I ran ahead to the wagons and got a 

pan, pick, and shovel and had taken out a handful of the 

gravel and had it about two-thirds panned when Green Russell 

came up to me and finished washing it. We had about 6 or 7 

cents' worth of nice scale gold. He then says in rather an 

excited tone: "Our fortune is made. Run and stop the wagons 

and tell them to come back here." This I did. We panned 

several pans that evening and really the prospect was flattering. 

But it only proved to be a small deposit. 

We camped there several days and made a hand rocker out 

of a cottonwood log and mined out something over $200 in thin 

scale gold. In the meantime Green Russell and Sam Bates 

found another little deposit in a bar up Dry Creek, some 

2 miles from the river, that was richer than the one on the 

Platte. They got $2.50 out of one panful of the dirt. We sank 

a hole some 4 feet deep in the sand and got water to rock our 

dirt. We took out $50 in one day. This buoyed us up considerable. We felt that our trip, though hazardous, was not a 

failure, and another thing that helped us out was that those 

discoveries were made in so short a time after our comrades 

left us. But this also proved, like the prospect on the Platte, 

of but little extent. 

The gold obtained here was scale gold, about as coarse as 

wheat bran, though coarser than any that had been found 

anywhere on the plains, and was evidently a ·float gold and had 

a source somewhere that we thought we could trace out. 

Our party, though, was weak, and we could not go into the 

mountains with our wagons·. We had only two little mules, 

so that it was impossible for us to explore the mountains 

to any great extent, though at one time six of our little 

party started up the Platte and were gone six or seven days, 

carrying their provisions on the mules. There were no roads, 

arid it is natural for men always to find the hardest places to 

get over first. That proved to be the case with them. They 

returned without making any discovery, tired, hungry, and 

disappointed. 

We had now been something like a month during which time 

we had not seen a human being of any kind. We saw a man 

on horseback coming toward ou~ camp. We soon saw that it 

was a white man, and what could a lone white man be doing 

in this part of the country? It was not any of our party or 

anyone that had been with us at any time but an entire stranger. 

He came· up to us. He was a man that had evidently traveled 

east as well as west. He seemed to be at home among the 

western hills. It was a man by the name of Cantrell, from 

Kansas City, Mo. He had been to Fort Laramie in the Black 

Hills trading with the Government troops and had heard about 

our party starting out from Leavenworth and had concluded 

to come by and see what we were doing. 

He happened to strike us at the right time to raise an excitement in the East. He had been to California and was a 

practical miner. We had not got that little bar on Dry Creek 

worked out. So he got me and one of the others to go with him 

and get a sackful of the dirt out of that place. We got it out, 
FIBST DISCOVERIES OF GOLD 3 

and I suppose that it would have prospected 25 cents to the 

panful. He took it with him to Kansas City, and I learned 

afterward that he panned it out there and published it in the 

papers with an affidavit that it came from the Rocky Mountains 

and it was just as it came out of the mines, which I have every 

reason to believe was the case. He then left us and went all 

the way down the Arkansas River home by himself. 

During all these times the Indians were entirely friendly to 

the whites in all this country, from the Rocky Mo~ntains to 

the Arkansas. We never met up with any Utes. I rather 

suppose they might have been of a different temperament from 

developments a year or so after that time. 

In a few days after Cantrell had left three more white men 

and one or two Mexicans came through here. It was Captain 

Dice and some men with him from New Mexico. They had 

been to Fort Bridger in Utah. They had traveled alone all the 

way from Fort Bridger, just these three white men by themselves. They stopped a couple of days with us and proceeded 

on their journey to Taos. Well, then we were alone but a short 

time when we were joined by an old trader by the name of 

John Smith. He had with him two or three white men and 

one or two families of Indians, and an Indian wife. I am now• 

lost for dates. We did not take any papers, as our nearest 

post office was Fort Laramie, and we had not been there to get 

our mail and had not heard from home since leaving. 

Captain Dice, as he went home, met up with another party 

of prospectors as he was on the way to Taos, which had been 

out all summer. They had come from Lawrence, Kans., and 

were known as the Lawrence party. They had started with 

tlie intention of joining us, but met those going back that 

left us in the early part of the summer, and from that, instead 

of coming on, they turned southwest along th~ Raton Mountains in New Mexico, coming hence north toward Pikes Peak 

and camping a month near the Peak. Hence the name Pikes 

Peak was given to the new gold mines. It was the Lawrence 

party that prospected around Pikes Peak, not the Georgia 

party, as many suppose. I have never been any nearer Pikes 

Peak than Colorado Springs, and not then until last year, 

that being the year 1884. None of the Georgians ever prospected in that place. 

Sometime in August, 1858, our little party left the South 

Platte and went north as far as the Medicine Bow Mountains. 

On the 22d day of September, 1858, we camped on Medicine 

Bow Creek, at the foot of the mountains. While there a snow 

fell about 6 inches deep. We got some small gold on that 

creek and on the West Laramie River but only light, fine 

colors. That was a great country for game. We killed three 

bears one day and saw many more. In fact, game was plentiful everywhere t~an in all the country we had been in. 

This trip was more a hunting and fishing trip than prospecting. 

While camped there we saw a regiment of soldiers coming in 

from Salt Lake, who were the first men we had seen on that 

trip. 

The snow coming made us think that perhaps we had better 

get out of there. So we turned south, and in about ten days 

we were again on the Platte where Denver City now stands. 

That place seemed to have a ·natural attraction for us; so 

we camped at the same place. We found there about 35 or 

40 men. The Lawrence party had got in. So we were not 

so lonesome any more. But what was to be done for rations? 

There we were 700 miles from any depot of supplies. William 

G. Russell. and J. 0. Russell wanted to go home and return 

the next spring and get a few of their friends to come out with 

them. We had then only about $500 in the company and that 

was not enough to buy provisions and then go home on. Val verias 

Young, who had been with us all the time as one of the thirteen 

pioneers, had come from Kansas but was a natfve of Iowa. 

He owned the two little mules and he wanted to go also. So· 

they three went together. Green Russell bought a pony from 

one of our mountaineer acquaintances on time, and they went 

on horseback to Leavenworth City. They took with them 

most of the gold that had been taken out by all of us and left 

us ten to remain in the mountains. I will here give the names 

of our little band of pioneers: 

William Green Russell, Dr. L. J. Russell, Joseph 0. Russell, 

three brothers; James H. Pierce and R. J. Pierce, cousins to 

each other and cousins to the Russell brothers; Solomon Roe, 

brother to Doctor Russell's wife; Samuel Bates, no connection 

to any of us. These were all of our .little party who came 

from Georgia. The others had joined us in Kansas: W. A. 

McPhadden, William McKimmons, Theodore Herring, Lute 

Tierney, and J. L. Hastison and Valverias Young. These 

were the names of our little band. 

As I have said, two of the Russells and Young went home. 

Doctor Russell, McPhadden and McKimmons, and R. J. Pierce 

took the teams and went to Fort Garland, then in New 

Mexico, now Colorado, to get supplies. They had but little 

money to buy with, but Doctor Russell sold his watch to an 

officer for provisions. With that and what little they had, 

they procured enough to make out on until spring. * * * 

While Doctor Russell, McPhadden, and the others w-ere gone 

after provisions, myself and the others who were left were 

preparing winter quarters. We built a cabin near the Platte 

about 100 yards south of the mouth of Cherry Creek, and it 

was joined on to by John Smith and others, making a long 

row of log cabins, afterward called the Indian Row, and 

familiar to all old-timers. McPhadden's party had built a 

cabin on Ferry Street. 

About the time that our party got back with provisions, 

the emigration began to pour in from the Missouri River. 

The sack of dirt that Cantrell had taken to Kansas City had 

raised an excitement, and men were coming in from St. Louis 

and Leavenworth and all the points along the Missouri River 

so late in the fall they could only build cabins and fit temporary winter quarters. By Christmas there inust have been a 

thousand men on the South Platte. The excitement spread 

like wildfire. The presses in the towns on the river were 

heralding to the world that great and fabulou~ quantities of 

gold had been found near Pikes Peak, thus getting up a rush 

and stampede permanently. As yet nothing worthy of the 

excitement had even been found; in fact, nothing but some 

little deposits near the Platte and the light float gold on Cherry 

Creek and a little bar on Ralston and gold on Clear Creekthese were all that had been found up to that time. 

The emigrants, having gotten here too late to prospect for 

themselves, were disposed to discredit what we told them 

· and believed that we really had a big bonanza awaiting the 

return of our comrades in the spring of 1859. So, many of · 

them sat in their cabins writing big yarns, and many of them 

drawing largely on their prolific brains and writing back for 

truth what was nothing but a hallucination of the brain. By 

this time all had gone into town-site speculations. The first 

of these [was] Auraria, and the next Denver, [now] the first town 

in the great State of Colorado. We had one hundred shareholders, and I was one of them. I helped to chain the town. 

There were 1,280 acres included in the site. Each shareholder 

had 26 lots of 68 feet front, and a solid block in the bottom 

of low land not surveyed into lots. William H. Foster was 

the surveyor. About the time that we had got Auraria laid 

out, there came a new outfit of men from Kansas and with a 

full board of county officers appointed by Governor Denver, of 

Kansas, who had authority to organize the county and to call 

it Arapahoe. They being officials and old town speculators 

could not recognize our town·, but they went to work and laid 

out. a town of their own and called it Denver City, after His 

Excellency, Governor Denver. They took 1,280 acres more 

just east of Cherry ·creek and on the hill back of McPhadden' s 

ranch on the Platte; McPhadden had a claim in the bottom. 
4 MINING IN COLORADO 

Their site was all beautiful table-land and really a better townsite than ours; but it was usel~ss to grieve after spilt milk. 

* * * 

The winter fortunately was one of the mildeet I ever saw 

in the mountains and everybody was busy building towns to 

sell in the spring. All had their pockets full of town papers. 

Before spring there. were perhaps 20 cities in the country as 

large as New York, minus the wealth, population, and buildings. That is, they had the ground to build on, but· nothing 

to build with. 

Well, by this time the winter was getting pretty well past 

the date of 1858, which was a thing of the past, and our town 

shares all bore the date of 1859. Time was flying by. We 

had lots of big log houses built. A. J. Williams and Charles 

Blake had the Denver Hotel, a large building of cottonwood 

logs, dirt floor, and canvas roof. Old Dick Wooton had his 

saloon of fine logs up and the upper story rented to William N. 

Byers as the Rocky Mountain News Office. Auraria was 

ahead with the first newspaper in the country, and everybody 

must be there to see the first sheet in press. Denver had lots 

of big log houses waiting for men in the spring. Levi, St. 

James & Co., were selling goods on the bank of Cherry Creek 

on Larimer Street, while John Ming was selling them near the 

foot of Ferry Street. Everything was booming. 

So Auraria has a paper now and the town and every city 

are full of literary men. S.o I leave the history of the towns 

to them, and I go to prospecting again. It is now February, 

and men are spending their time in hunting and prospecting 

a little, but nothing is discovered to justify all this town 

business. What was to support it all? No mines that would 

pay wages. Thousands of men back on the Missouri waiting 

for the ice to give away so that they could come to the great 

bonanza at Pikes Peak, as all the Eastern papers called it. 

We were getting our mail once a month from Fort Laramie, 

carried by Old Big Phil, an old mountain man. * * * 

In our papers coming from the East we could get all the · 

lies that were being published about this country and knew 

that they were nothing but lies. We were not surprised to see 

the big rush in the spring of 1859, though our little prospecting 

party was not by any means responsible for it. 

It was now well on to spring. We had in aU this addition 

to our company added last year's miners. John Gregory, [who 

shortly afterward] discovere[ d] the noted Gregory lode near 

Mountain City, came in the early part of the spring. He was 

an old Georgia miner. He had been spending the winter at 

Fort Laramie and came here early .in the spring. * * * I 

was told by him that he was living on venison at the time he 

discovered the famous lode. It was truly a fortunate and 

· timely discovery, and it caused many other discoveries in the 

same neighborhood. 

About this time George Jackson discovered Idaho bar on 

South Clear Creek. Those two discoveries caused an immediate rush into the mountains. 

All this time our own little party had not left their winter 

quarters, and those discoveries do not belong properly to us. 

All the honor that we can claim is that John H. Gregory was 

another Georgian added to the list. 

How it happened that Gregory thus dropped in at this 

particular crisis I never was able to account for, but his dis~ 

covery was really the most important of the early days of 

Colorado. 

Soon after some one discovered the diggings on the Boulder. 

I do not know who the discoverer there was, but those discoveries were all made before Green Russell came back from 

Georgia. There was considerable anxiety by us regarding 

his return, and the people of Leavenworth City had induced 

him to come by the Smoky Hill Route, a. ~oute which up to 

that time was unexplored and unknown and was supposed 

to be a great part of the way a desert without water and inhabited by Indians. . 

In the meantime the great rush of immigrants had set in, 

and the cry of humbug ·was heard all over the land. Never 

did I see as many disappointed men in all my life as there were 

at that time coming into Colorado. One day the news was 

that men were traveling for months on the Smoky Hill; another 

~hat the Indians had killed all of them; another, that Green 

Russell had been hung for getting out the great humbug. In 

fact all the malicious lies that could be invented were circulated, 

but in a few days in came Green Russell and with some 30 or 

40 men, all in perfect health and fine spirits. They only 

camped at Denver a day or two and then went into the mountains and in a short time they had found Russell Gulch, about 

2.72 miles west of the Gregory Road. 

Russell Gulch proved to be one of the best towns in Colorado 

for some time after his coming. 

On the Smoky Hill route in a short time the Holaday stage 

line was established and made regular trips for that year. 

Denver seemed to flourish and was at once the metropolis of 

the Rocky Mountains and ever since has been the leading town 

~f Colorado. 

According to the s'tory given to Rickard 5 by James 

Andrew O'Farrell, who says that he was a member of 

the Russell expedition of 1858, 

a party of six Georgians, in the summer of 1849, were taking a 

nerd· of thoroughbred horses across the continent. This party 

consisted of Green Russell [William Green Russell], and his 

younger brother Dr. Levi J. Russell, A. T. Lloyd, G. W. Kiker, 

Charles Kiker, and P. H. Clark. They reached Camp Lyon, 

on the Arkansas, in October, and were there persuaded by James 

Dempsey, a Government guide, that it was too late in the · 

season to cross the mountains. Moving northward they established a winter camp at the junction of Cherry Creek and 

the Platte. There they· built ·two cabins on a sand bar on the 

south side of the river, and during the rest of t_he year they 

prospected the alluvial banks of Cherry Creek, but they did 

not penetrate the mountains for fear of the Indians. They 

found gold at several places along the creek, particularly at 

a point 16 miles upstream from its mouth [probably in Newlin 

Gulch in alluvial gravels derived from the Dawson arkose beds 

or the Castle Rock co.nglomerate beds],6 and they preserved 

small quantities of the gold dust in quills made of feathers of 

wild geese that they had shot. 

Early in 1850 the party crossed the range by Bridger Pass, in 

Wyoming (thell in Utah), and went on to California. They 

occasionally mentioned to others the gold they had found in 

"western Kansas," and in proof of their story they showed to 

them ·the gold-filled goose quills. They mined gold successfully near Downieville, Calif. In the spring of 1857 this party 

and others sold out their interests in California and returned 

to Georgia, but before they separated they agreed that in the 

near future they would form a prospecting party to go to "west- . 

ern Kansas" and search for gold. 

In May, 1858, the six men who had mined gold on Cherry 

Creek and five others met at the Planter's House, in St. Louis, 

to carry out the agreement thus made. The five new members of the party were J. A. O'Farrell, three men named Chastine, and a man named Fields. All except two were old Californians. Having organized, they went to Leavenworth by 

water and thence to Camp Harney [obviously Camp Kearney, 

Nebr.], along the military road. Late in July they left this 

a Rickard, T. A., The development of Colorado's mining industry: Am. lnst. 

Min. Eng: Trans., vol. 26, pp. 834-848, 1896. 

e See also description of localities of discoveries on Cherry Creek in 1849 and 1858 

in Richardson, G. B., U.S. Geol. Survey Geol. Atlas, Castle Roca folio (No. 198), 

p. 12, 1915. 
FIRST DISCOVERIES OF GOLD 5 

frontier post, accompanied by an escort of 20 men under the 

command of Captain Lyon. In August 7 the party reached 

the log cabins at the junction· of the Platte and Cherry Creek, 

where the banks of the creek were cqvered with the wild cherry 

trees that had suggested its name. As soon as they had established camp they went to the places where Russell and his 

friends had found sufficient gold to encourage them in 1849 

[at Russellville Gulch, 5 miles southeast of Franktown; Ronk 

Gulch and Gold Run, southeast of Elizabeth; and Newlin 

Gulch, near Parker.]. 

Hollister says: 8 

It was the commercial collapse of 1857 that set many adventurous spirits in the then West peering into.the obscurity beyond 

them for a new field of enterprise.sa A party of Cherokee Indians, traveling overland to California in 1852, via the Arkansas River and along the· base of the Sierra Madre to the North 

Platte at Fort· Laramie, by some means found gold in the banks 

of Ralston Creek, a small affluent of the South Platte, emptying into it near its mouth; and each year thereafter parties of 

Cherokees had gone out and prospected the streams in the 

vicinity of what is now Denver City. At last they were sue- · 

cessful; they obtained a few dollars worth of the glittering dust, 

which they carried home late in 1857, exhibiting it freely as 

they passed through Nebraska and Kansas. 

~he report of a new land of gold in the West spread like an 

epidemic through the country drained by the Missouri River, 

and soon traveled far beyond. These Indians appear to have 

gone home and told their story on the confines of the Gulf of 

Mexico, for Georgians were among the first to seek the new 

gold country. 

On the 9th of February, 1858, W. G. Russell, with a party of 

nine men left the State of Georgia with a view of prospecting 

the eastern slope of the Sierra Madre along the heads of the 

South Platte, from Pikes Peak to the Black Hills. They arrived on the head of Cherry Creek about the first of June. 

They prospected Cherry Creek, tb,e Platte, and the afiluents 

of the Platte as far north as Cache la Poudre Creek without 

finding attractive gold ·placers. .They returned to the Platte, 

and about 5 miles up a small dry creek that joins the Platte 

from the east 7 miles soutl). of the mouth of Cherry Creek they 

found gold and panned several hundred dollars' worth. As 

soon as the work was well begun some of the party [including 

William Greim Russell], returned to Kansas with the news. 

As the nearest notable object was Pikes Peak the new goid 

region was named from that mountain. 

In the last days of the summer of 1858 several small parties 

left Lawrence, Plattsmouth, Omaha, Florence, Bellevue, 

Council Bluffs, and other towns on Missouri River for the new 

Pikes Peak district. On the 23d of October several parties, 

including Dr. [Levi John] Russell's, ·were encamped at the 

mouth of Cherry Creek. Three miles farther up the Platte, 

on its west [?] bank, were the " Mexican diggings" 9-gold 

diggings worked by Mexicans. Parties were constantly arriving and were vigorously prospecting, though they were not 

very successful, only Dry Creek yielding gold in ql,lantities 

large enough to be encouraging. The camp at the mouth of 

Dry Creek was called Placer Camp. [Placering was done on 

the Platte from what is now Alameda Avenue and the Platte, 

in Denver, where a dry creek entered the Platte, to the mouth 

7 The Russell partY arrived about June 1, according to Hollister. On June~24. 

according to Smiley. Arrived hece May 23, left for Ralston Creek, returned to 

mouth of Cherry Creek June 24, according to James H. Pierce. 

s Hollister, 0. J,, Tbe mines of Colorado, Springfield, Mas~., 1867, 

sa Confirmed in a personal interview May 22, 192!', with Mr. Hal Sayre, of Central 

City and Denver, who found himself, a civil engineer, out of work as the result of 

the panic of 1857 and started from Dubuq~e, Iowa, in 1859 for Pikes Peak and 

arrived with many others at Auraria June 1, 1859. .. 9 Smiley locates the "Mexican or Spanish diggings" on the east'bank, at West 

Virginia A venue, six blocks south of Alameda A venue. 

5653-26t-2 

of the dry creek which flows into the Platte north of Petersburg. Placering also had some success up both. these dry 

creeks, the most southerly one passing through the town of 

Englewood.-C. W. H.] The divide between the Platte and 

the Arkansas was then covered with snow, and on the 31st of 

October 10 inches of snow fell at the mouth of Platte Canyon. 

By the 4th of November a town plat had been surveyed, on 

the west side [of Cherry Creek near its junction with the Platte] 

by William Foster and christened Auraria by Doctor Russell, 

whose party had come from a town of that name in Lumpkin 

County, Ga., where gold is still found. This region was then 

within the bounds of Kansas, and a county was defined and 

called Arapahoe, after the neighboring tribe of Indians. 

Arrivals from the States continued. Early in the winter a 

town called St. Charles was laid out [on the east bank of Cherry 

Creek] opposite Auraria, by a party from Lawrence, most of 

whom returned home. The governor of Kansas Territory at 

that time was James William Denver, and the interests of St. 

Charles were left in the hands of a man who sold out to the 

Denver Town Co. So, through a natural process of aggregation, Denver was slowly established. 

In August, 1858, George A. Jackson did some prospecting about Vasquez Fork (Clear Cre~k), and in the 

winter of that year reached the site of Idaho Springs, 

where, on January 7, 1859/0 according to his diary on 

:file in the State Historical and Natural History 

Society of Colorado, he found colors and one nugget 

at the mouth of a branch of South Clear Creek. 

Because of a heavy storm, he marked the spot and 

returned to Golden and in April returned with friends. 

who named the branch Chicago Creek, after their 

home city. The gravel deposits became known as 

Jackson diggings. 

The most complete story of the earliest days of 

mining in Colorado is given by Smiley,11 whose details, 

obtained from Dr. Levi J. Russell, check well with the 

story told in Mr. James H. Pierce's manuscript, as 

follows: 

When the extravagant accounts, based on practically nothing-because nothing beyond the old, time-worn stories we 

have recounted, was actually known-of the alleged "new gold 

field at Pikes Peak" were again put into circulation by newspapers and word-of-mouth late in the autumn of 1857, W[illiam] 

Green Russell, who was then at his home in Georgia, resolved 

to go to the Peak on a prospecting tour. After ·some correspondence with the Indian Territory people it was decided 

jointly to organize such an expedition, a part of the men to be 

from Lumpkin County, Ga., and other('! from the Cherokee 

Nation. This was the earliest movement toward making an 

organized attempt by experienced men to search systematically 

for gold in this Rocky Mountain country. Of the ensuing pro-

, ceedings we quote from Doctor Russell's statement made for 

this History [of Denver]: 

"A party was finally made up in Lump~n County, consisting 

of the following-named persons; W. G. Russell, J. Q. Russell, 

L. J. Russell, Lewis Ralston, William Anderson, Joseph McAfee, 

Solomon Roe,· Samuel Bates, and John Hampton. This party 

left home on the 17th day of February, 1858, and expected to 

be joined by the Cherokee party at the Cherokee town of 

Maysville, near the northeast corner of the. Cherokee Nation's 

territory. When we reached Maysville we found that the other 

party was not ready to move. After a conference with the 

to Hollister says that the discovery was made on Apr. 1, 1859. 

u Bmlley, J. 0., History or Denver, with outlines or the earlier history or the 

Rocky Mountain .count.ry, pp. 184-197, 1903. 
6 MINING IN COLORADO 

leader of the Cherokee party the Rev. John Beck, a Baptist 

preacher, and a future time and place of. meeting agreed upon, 

our party moved on to Rock Creek, Kans., where W. G. Russell 

had taken up land in 1857, and where we went into camp and 

remained several days. J. H. and R. J. Pierce joined us at Rock 

Creek, and from that point W. G. Russell, J. 0. Russell, William 

Anderson, Lewis Ralston, and Joseph McMee went to Leavenworth and exchanged our mule teams for oxen, and procured a 

general outfit. Upon their return we left Rock Creek and moved 

to Manhattan, Kan~., where we camped for two or three days. 

Here we were joined by William McFadding, William McKimmons, Jacob Masterson, Valarias Young, Theodore Herring, J. 

Brock, Luke Tierney, T. C. Dickson, George L. Howard, and a 

Frenchman whose first name, Henry, is the only one I remember. 

Leaving Manhattan we crossed the Kansas River near that place 

and struck out for the old Santa Fe trail on the Arkansas, reaching 

it near the Great Bend. Here we came up with Mr. Beck and 

some 30 other Cherokees, on June 3;. they having arrived somewhat in advance of us and we having seen signs of their presence 

ahead of us for a couple of days." 

Beck's contingent had been joined by several white people 

after it started. These were George McDougall, a brother of 

Senator McDougall, of California; Philander Simmons an experienced mountaineer, * * * a mountain and plains man 

of some experience. He had been attached to Bent's Fort as 

early as 1842, and was familiar with all the region hereabouts. 

* * * The united companies made an imposing caravan, which 

consisted of 33 yoke of cattle, 14 wagons, 2 two-horse teams, a 

dozen or two of ponies. * * * But not all of the people 

were bound out to dig gold. * * * . · On June 12 the expedition reached Fort Bent, where a brief 

stop was made. On the 16th of June the Russell-Cherokee part 

of it, including Simmons and the men who had in Kansas directly attached themselves to the expedition, left the Arkansas 

and struck across the country by the way of [Black] Squirrel 

Creek [which enters the Arkansas 12 miles east of Pueblo] to 

the South Platte-Arkansas divide. Beck claimed that the Cherokee party of 1850 had found gold in the hills down there while 

passing through them. Russell found nothing, and after a day 

or two of labor [on the divide], crossed over to Cherry Creek, 

and all the party began prospecting as soon as they struck it, 

and continued along its bed without finding anything of importance. Then it was decided to move down the creek to the South 

Platte. They came in here on June 24, 1858 [now the date of 

the Colorado Pioneers annual celebration of the arrival at the 

mouth of Cherry Creek], and crossing the creek at a point between the present Blake and Wazee streets, went into camp on 

the west side. * * * When the party went into camp on the 

24th of June there was neither a white man nor the sign of one 

around the mouth of Cherry Creek; nor were there any Indians 

within sight. 

The Russell party came nearly not· being the first organized 

company of gold seekers in the Pikes Peak country. Not far 

behind it was another band, almost a.s large, winding its way 

across the plains. The new rumors of gold being in plenty at the. 

Peak, or new versions of the old ones, had reached Lawrence, 

Kans., in the winter of 1857-58, as they had every other place 

along the Missouri border, anGl were so persistent as to excite 

great interest in the town. * * * A meeting of adventurous 

younger citizens was held, and a company organized by John 

Easter to go at once to Pikes Peak. These Lawrence men, who 

constituted what is known in the early annals of Denver as 

"the Lawrence party," * * * started on their long journey on May 19. This party comprised Albert W. Archibald, 

A. F. Bercaw, Giles Blood, Frank Bowen, Joseph Brown, W. 

J. Boyer, William Chadsey, John A. Churchill, Frank M. Cobb, 

William ·Copley, --- Cross, John Easter, Adnah French, 

Peter Halsey, William Hartley, Josiah Hinman, Mrs. Anna A. 

Holmes, Charles Holmes, George Howard, Howard Hunt, 

Roswell Hutchins, "Pap" Maywood; William McAllen,---

McKay, John D. Miller, Austin R. Mills, Robert Middleton 

and his wife and child, Charles Nichols, William Parsons, 

George Peck, Robert Peebles, William Prentiss, William Regan, 

Charles Runyon, George W. Smith, Nicholas Smith, J. H. 

Tierney, Jack Turner, Augustus Voorhees, James H. White, 

A. C. Wright, and Jason T. Younker: with J. H. Tierney as the 

guide, or leader. 

This Lawrence party also came out by the Arkansas River 

route. The Lawrence party followed the Arkansas to the 

mouth of the Fontaine-qui-Bouille [Fountain Creek] and then 

turned northward and on July 5 went into camp at Pikes Peak, 

which they fondly believed marked the location of the fortunes 

awaiting them. * * * 

It is to be remembered that at this time this region here at 

the base of the mountains was not altogether unfrequented by 

white men. While the Russell and Lawrence parties were the 

only organized parties out here on the search for gold, there 

were several individuals and little parties of two or three persons 

in the country who knew nothing of the larger organizations 

until they fell in with them here along the South Platte. Furthermore, the first overland stage line was making occasional 

trips between the Missouri River and Salt Lake, by the way of 

Fort Laramie, and at longer intervals a wagon train would 

pass this way [by way of Denver] on a journey between New 

Mexico and Utah, or by the Arkansas River route to and from 

the Mi.ssouri River. * * * 

The departure from the Missouri border of these two large 

companies bound for the alleged "new gold regions" was soon 

noised abroad. Wildly exaggerated reports of what was going 

on out at the base of the mountains were again in circulation 

that spring and summer [1858] along the Missouri and through 

the States and led to the organization of many other parties 

in the border towns to follow these pioneers. * * * 

. Philander Simmons, mentioned by Smiley as a 

member of Russell's party in 1858, says 12 that Russell 

did not come to Cherry Creek in 1849 and that 1858 

marks his first trip to the Pikes Peak region. 

The numerous histories seem to agree in the main 

in regard to the series of events that began in 1859. 

Rickard says that by the end of 1858 rumors of rich 

diggings had crossed the plains, the rush had set in, 

and crowds had begun. to arrive. Hollister recounts 

in more detail some of the events that followed 1858, 

and the history given below is taken, with slight 

changes, from his workP 

Very early in· 1859 the citizens of Auraria, in 

Arapahoe County, Kans., began to scatter out in a 

search. for gold. Mter thoroughly prospecting all the 

streams in the region they decided that Clear Creek 

(Vasquez Fork of the South Platte), was the richest. 

Diggings were therefore begun on that stream 3 or 4 

miles east of the gap between North and"South Table 

Mountains, and at that place there soon sprang up a 

town called Arapahoe. At one time this town must 

have consisted of 50 houses, but in 1867 not one remained to mark its site. A little higher up on the 

stream, just where it fairly escapes from the foothills, 

another town was soon begun, called Golden City, 

12 Rockafellow,.B. F., History or Fremont County, in History or the Arkansas 

Valley, Baskin & Co., 1881. 

u Hollister, 0. J., op. cit. 
FIRST DISCOV .ERIES OF GOLD 

named for Tom Golden1 its founder. In the later part 

of 1859 this town was built up rapidly, reaching, in 

the summer of 1860 the highest point of prosperity it 

attained during the years 1859-1867. Diggings were 

also opened and worked . successfully on Ralston 

Creek, a small tributary of Clear Creek. The creek 

bars were a mass of boulders of all sizes, and it was 

soon observed' that ·the gold there always occurred in 

scales, like flattened shot, which indicated to the 

prospectors that the gold had come from farther up 

the creeks. 

Other placer gold ha·d already been found in. the 

:r;nountains, too, at that time. About the end of January, 1859, B. F. Langley discovered some rich 

placers or bars in a gulch on South Boulder Creek, 

which was full of fallen timber, so that the place was 

called Deadwood diggings. This gulch is described 

by Hollister as at the junction of Gamble Gulch and 

its tributary, Lump Gulch, but the present Lump 

Gulch is parallel to Gamble Gulch; it is not a tributary 

of it. His location would appear to be near the present site of Rollinsville. Gold Dirt and Perigo are 

farther up Gamble Gulch. The map prepared in 1860 

by S. W. Burt an.d E. L. Berthoud, mining and civil 

engineers, of Central City and Golden City, shows 

Deadwood diggings as on South Boulder Creek near 

the mouth of North Beaver Creek, and Jefferson diggings several miles up North Beaver Creek. These 

places could have been reached by starting from the 

camp of Ralston, following Ralston Creek to its most 

northerly source, and crossing the divide into Lump 

and Gamble gulches or by prospectors following Lefthand Creek and crossing the ridges into South Boulder 

Creek. By the end of March, 1859, a number of men 

were mining- at Deadwood and took out considerable 

gold. 

All the'gold mined thus far had been found in stream 

sand and gravel, but on May 6, 1859, John Hamilton 

Gregory discovered the outcrop of the gold lode on 

North Clear Creek that was distinguished by his name. 

Gregory left his home. in Gordon County, Ga., in 

1857, and in 1858 he drove a Government wagon from 

Leavenworth to Fort Laramie, which stood at the 

junction of the Big Laramie and the North Platte, 

where he remained for several months. Meantime he 

heard that gold had been discovered on the South 

Platte, and early in January, 1859, he started alone 

on a prospecting tour southward along the base of the 

mountains. He found nothing of value until he 

reached the camp at Auraria and started prospecting 

the Vasquez Fork (Clear Creek) of the South Platte, 

which he followed upstream, his plan being to prospect. 

thoroughly wherever the creek forked and to follow 

up the branch that gave the most promise. In this 

way he went up Clear Creek Canyon to the main forks, 

14 miles above Golden, then up the north branch 7 

miles to the gulch that bears his name, where he found 

promising indications, but a heavy snowstorm prevented further work. He returned to the valley for 

provisions and prevailed on Wilkes Defrees, of South 

Bend, Ind., to accompany him back to the mountains. 

The two reached Gregory Gulch after a tedious journey 

of three days and discovered what was soon after 

known as Gregory No. 5. They returned to the 

valley to get their friends, who with teams went 

laboriously (there was no road then) zigzagging up 

the north bank of Clear Creek over into Eightmile 

Canyon above Golden Gate, to Guy Hill, over to 

Ralston Creek, and down Dory Hill to North Clear 

Creek. Each member of ~his group of men except 

Gregory located a 100-foot claim on the Gregory Lode, 

Gregory being given two claims, Nos. 5 and 6. From 

the 16th to the 23d of May, Gregory worked five 

hands on one of the claims with a sluice.and.took out 

$9.72. He soon afterward optioned claims Nos. 5 

and 6 to E. W. Henderson and A. Gridley for $21,000 

and began to prospect for other properties at $200 a 

day and left in September; 1859, for the East with 

$30,000 in gold (so it is said), to return again in 1860. 

Hollister's statements as to the quantity of gold 

washed and the results of hand labor alone show that 

in this district, as in other mining districts in the West, 

the rewards of many of the miners in those days were 

rich. Gregory advanced Henderson & Gridley $200 

with which to commence operations, and their first 

four days' labor with a sluice brought them $607. 

During the summer they took out $17,000 and had 

besides a large pile of quartz and sluice headings and 

tailings, which they sold for $7,000 to Gregory & 

Reese, who were then operating a rude quartz mill on 

North Clear Creek. 

In July, 1859, prospectors had found their way into 

the South )?ark, and in August extravagant stories 

were told of the richness of the· newly discovered 

deposits in the South Park and in the mountains on· 

the Cache la Poudre. !!'he consequence was a stampede from the Gregory workings in both directions. 

Of the workings on the Cache la Poudre little has since 

been heard, but in South Park gulch and bar mining 

were carried on with fair success on all the affiuents of 

the south fork of the South Platte. The towns of 

Montgom,ery, Buckskin [Laurette], Mosquito, Fairplay, Tarryall, Hamilton, and Jefferson sprang into 

being. At Tarryall, in one week in September, the 

Rocky Mountain Union Co., with four hands, took out 

$420. In one week Bowers & Co., with three hands, 

took out 57 ounces. In one week W. J. Holman, with 

five hands, took out $686. The discovery of placer 

gold was followed by the discovery of rich lodes from 

Mosquito Creek to the head of the Platte, where the 

town of Montgomery was located. 

Many immigrants who arrived late in the season 

by way of Arkansas River went straight by either the 

northern or the southern base of Pikes Peak to the 
8 MINING IN COLORADO 

mines in South Park through a succession of delightful 

parks, which furnished a natural and easy route. 

Hence arose Canon City on the Arkansas, at the 

entrance to the mountt;tins, and Colorado City on 

FQuntain Creek, 40 miles north of the Arkansas, almost 

in the shadow of Pikes Peak. · 

In August and September, 1859, parties crossed into 

the Middle Park from Montgomery and Hamilton and 

discovered both placer and quartz gold on the upper 

ref,Lches of Blue River and its tributaries. That yearin all the gulch and bar diggings in South Park; on 

South Clear Creek; on North Clear Creek, including 

Russell, Illinoi::;, and Nevada· gulches; on the several 

forks of Boulder Creek; on main Clear Creek below 

Golden City; on Ralston Creek; and on the Platte 

above Denver-miners at work were making from $3 

to $5 a day to the hand. Others were finding gold on 

the Arkansa~ from Canon City to Tennessee Pass. 

Men were prospecting from the head of the Del Norte 

to the head of the Big Laramie, ranging west as far as 

the mouth of White River. 

Gold was discovered in Hahns Peak district, Routt 

County, in 1865, and active work was begun there in 

1866. 

CHRONOLOGIC RECORD 

1807 

Pursley reports to Pike at Santa Fe that gold occurs on the 

South Platte, to which "he had refused to lead Spaniards." 

Nothing resulted from this report. 

1848 

Gold said to have been found near site of Lake City, Hinsdale 

County, by a member of an exploring party in command of J. C. 

Fremont, but the spot is unmarked and was unheralded. 

1849, 1850, or 1852 

Party on their way to California, which included men who 

were acquainted with gold placer mining and some Cherokee 

·Indians, found gold on branches of the South Platte, Cherry 

Creek and Ralston Creek, a tributa:ry of Clear Creek, and took 

away small quantities of it in goose quills. 

1858 

Members of party ?laking. discovery in 1849-1852 and others, 

including inany with experience in placer mining in Georgia 

and California, under command of William Green Russell, of 

Auraria, Ga, having outfitted at Leavenworth, Kans., according 

to Levi J. Russell, James H. Pierce, and others of the party, go 

up the Arkansas to Fort Bent, and turn off the Arkansas east pf 

the present site of Pueblo, up Black Squirrel Creek, over divide 

into .Cherry Creek and begin prospecting for gold. Find colors 

all along Cherry Creek, with a slightly better showing about 

16 miles above its mouth (probably at Newlin Gulch, near 

Parker) and ·colors at the mouth of Ralston Creek. Go as far 

north as· Boulder and Big Thompson creeks and south to Bear 

Creek and find nothing of importance. Conclude to go back 

across the Platte. Start up the Platte on east bank for Platte 

Canyon and 3~ miles above mouth of Cherry Creek in a bed 

of alluvial gravel with a conglomerate bedrock, find gold and 

rock out about $200 in thin scale gold. In a bar up Dry Creek, 

about 2 miles from the river, find another little deposit, richer 

than the one on th~ Platte. 

Traveler [Cantrell] from the west comes by and takes sackful 

of gravel from deposit on Dry Creek. He takes gold by way 

of Arkansas River to Kansas City (Westport) and has it panned 

before witnesses,. helping the rush already started. 

Captain Dice comes through, goes on to Taos, N. Mex., 

meets a party from Lawrence, Kans., which had left Lawrence 

·intending to join Russell-Cherokee party but meeting those 

returning has gone southwest to Raton Mountains, thence 

north to Pikes Peak. 

Russell party make a camp called Placer Camp, just north 

of Petersburg, back a little way from mouth of Dry Creek. In 

August, 1858, Russell party goes north as far as Medicine Bow 

Mountains. Turn back to mouth of Cherry Creek. William 

Green Russell, Joseph Oliver Russell, and Valerias Young 

return to Leavenworth for provisions and reinforcements. 

Others of party go to Fort Garland, then in New Mexico, for 

prov1s10ns. Remainder, joined by John Smith, Indian trader, 

build cabins near the Platte about 100 yards south of the 

mouth of Cherry Creek, joined by cabins of John Smith and 

others, later called Indian Row. About time party returned 

from Fort Garland with provisions immigrants began to pour 

in from Missouri River. By Christmas about 1,000 men on 

the South Platte. Town-site locations begin. 

Montana City laid out in September by Lawrence party, 

between Platte River, West Evans, South Delaware, and West 

Iliff streets, south of Overland Park, Denver, and about 20 

log houses built. Some men wintered here, but the place was 

overshadowed by Auraria City and Denver City and was 

abandoned in 1859. 

Auraria City laid out in October by the Georgians (Levi J. 

Russell, secretary) on west bank of Cherry Creek near its 

junction with the Platte, at site of West Denver. 

St. Charles laid out by Lawrence party, in September, on 

east bank of Cherry Creek, b~t no buildings erected. Most 

of Lawrence party return down the Platte route. Denver 

City laid out in November and December on St. Charles site 

by party of officials from Leavenworth sent out by Governor 

James William Denver, of Kansas. Streets paralleled approximately course of Cherry Creek. 

Tlie name of A uraria City (Russell had also presented name 

of Dahlonega, from the town of that name in Georgia, where 

there was once a branch of the United States Mint) was dropped 

upon completion of the first bridge across Cherry Creek at 

Larimer Street April 6, 1860. 

The "City of Highland" or the "Highland Town Company," 

across the Platte, was organized in the summer or fall of 1859, 

and some part if not all of the site was surveyed and staked 

off. The village of Highlands was a later growth and a different enterprise from the pioneer Highland project. 

Other parties arrive at Cherry. Creek, some up the Platte 

route and others up the Arkansas and Fountain .and down 

Cherry Creek, some of the latter perhaps crossing from Cherry 

Creek [Franktown] to Plum Creek and down the Platte. 

1859 

The rush to the Cherry Creek or Pikes Peak gold region 

continues. 

Prospectors find gold along Platte from Alameda Avenue 

(Denver) to mouth of the dry creek that empties into the 

Platte six blocks south of Alameda Avenue and southward to 

the dry creek that empties into the Platte just north of Petersburg and up both dry creeks, some gold being found 12 miles 

up the most southerly creek (the one that flows through 

Englewood). · 

Gold Run, near Gold Hill, Boulder County, perhaps first 

discovered late in 1858, found to be rich early in 1859. The 

"Pikes Peak region," the destination in the minds of all, 

although Cherry Creek diggings was their objective point, 
OHRONOLOGIO RECORD 9 

becomes the lod-estar of a large number of adventurous men, 

most of them ignorant of mining, but hopeful of improving 

their financial condition, hard hit by the depression of 1857-

1859. Diggings begun on Clear Creek, just east of Table 

Mountains, and settlement of Arapahoe built. Golden City 

built higher up the stream. Diggings begun on Ralston Creek; 

George A. Jackson, on January 7, finds gold on South Clear 

Creek, at the mouth of what is later called Chicago Creek. 

Placer gold found at Deadwood diggings, at the mouth of 

North Beaver Creek and South Boulder Creek, near the present 

railroad station. of Pactolus, on the Denver & Salt Lake Railroad (Moffat road), and in June in Lump Gulch and Gamble 

Gulch, tributaries of South Boulder, probably near site of 

present settlement of Rollinsville, Gilpin County. 

Placer gold found on headwaters of Arkansas River, chiefly 

in Cache and Clear creeks, now in Chaffee County, early in 

1859. 

John Hamilton Gregory on May 7 finds rich, easily worked, 

decomposed, oxidized surface deposits of lode veins on North 

• Clear Creek, soon called Gregory diggings, near the spot where 

later rose the town of Blackhawk. 

William Green Russell returns with provisions for his party, 

coming by way of the old Cherokee trail, then known as Smoky 

Hill route. 

William Green Russell. discovers, in the first days of. June, 

placer gravels and residual· decomposed, oxidized surface outcrops of lode veins in what is now Russell Gulch. 

Pattern of mining districts and miners' laws roughly outlined and adopted at Gregory diggings June 8. 

Provisional local government formed at Gregory diggings 

July 9 and 16. · 

First arrastre built in Gregory diggings to crush quartz in 

July, 1859. Placer gold found at Buckskin, Mosquito, Hamilton, Tarryall, Montgomery, and Fairplay, on branches of the 

south fork of the South Platte, in the northwest part of South 

Park (July to August). 

Placer gold found in Georgia Gulch and other gulches on the 

headwaters of the Blue and the Swan, over the mountain passes 

from the South Park, in August and Septembe:r;. 

George Griffith discovers gold in phi.ce near Georgetown 

August·1, but does not pursue discovery. First steam quartz 

mill erected in Gregory diggings in September, 1859.. September 29 a foot of snow in Gregory diggings. Stampede to the 

plains, but about 1,500 stay. 

Placer gold found at junction of California Gulch and Arkansas River (now in Lake County) late in 1859. 

1860 

A second rush, larger than the one in 1859. Most of the immigra:Qts head for Gregory diggings, which they find overcrowded, some obtaining work of some description there and 

others (with even earlier arrivals) spreading in every direction. 

First stagecoach from Denver to Gregory district arrives over 

Golden Gate-Dory Hill road March 4. 

Mining laws of Gregory district codified and amplified. 

Horace Greeley, Albert D. Richardson, and Henry Villard, of 

the New York Tribune, the Boston Journal, and the Cincinnati· 

Commercial, respectively, visit the Pikes Peak country. 

On July 4 consolidated ditch completed, bringing water from 

Fall River to Russell Gulch. 

California Gulch (now Lake County) scene of big rush to 

rich placer diggings. Placers found in MeN ulty Gulch, Tenmile district, Summit.County. 

Clark, Gruber & Co. build in Denver a ba:nking, coining, and 

assay establishment, which was purchased by the United States 

in April, 1862. 

Disastrous expedition of Baker up the Rio Grande into Bakers 

Park (now Silverton). Deposit at Phillips mine, Buckskin 

Gulch, Park County, discover~d. 

1860-1865 

Much prosperity at Empire, owing to ease of sluicing gold 

of surface deposits. 

1861 

Only a slight immigration during the year. 

Congress organizes Territory of Colorado February 26 with 

William Gilpin as governor. · 

First Territorial legislature of Colorado meets September 9. 

Creates seventeen counties, fixes the county seats, and upholds 

the mining laws of local mining districts. 

Much experimentation ,in Gregory and other districts of 

Gilpin County in treatment of ores by various forms of crushers, 

by steam, by fire, and by chemicals, 

Whale, Lincoln, and other lodes at Idaho Springs producing 

in a 20-stamp mill. 

1862-63 

Slight immigration. Effects. of Civil War seen. Two regiments enlisted in Colorado and moved south. Some miners go 

home to join ~ither the North or South. The members of the 

Russell party try to return to the South but are made political 

prisoners. 

Mills of Gregory district work only half successfully. Losses 

of gold heavy, perhaps 75 per cent. 

1863 

Great speculation in Gregory mine by investors in New York 

and Boston. 

Good gold recovery in small mill at Georgetown. 

1864 

A 40-stamp mill and reverberatory furnace for gold ores built 

at Georgetown. 

Mining nearly at a standstill at Gregory. 

Discovery of silver early in 1864 (Coaley claim, on Glacier 

Mountain, near Montezuma, Surrunit County) draws attention 

to headwaters of South Clear Creek. In September the -Belmont lode, on Mount McClellan, 8 miles above Georgetown, is 

discovered-the first paying silver mine. 

1865-66 

Repetition of 1864 at Gregory. 

1865 

Placer gold found at Hahns Peak. 

Rush to Argentine silver district, above Georgetown. 

1866 

Elizabethtown and Georgeto~n both in their making; later 

joined to form Georgetown. Idaho Springs mines mostly idle. 

Machinery arrives at Florence to bore holes for oil. Plans 

for prospecting for oil near Golden. 

1866-67 

Gold ores of Griffith district and silver ores of Argentine draw 

attention to Georgetown. 

1867 

Placers in Gunnison County discovered. 

Union Pacific Railroad completed from Omaha to Cheyenne. 

Hill smelter, or ·Boston & Colorado Smelting Co.'s experimental plant, erected at Blackhawk in June. 

Placers in California Gulch (Lake County). about exhausted. 

• 
• 

10 MINING IN COLORADO 

1868 

Easily worked rich placers and surface deposits of South 

Park mines about gone. Sulphides in lode mines giving trouble. 

Dives-Pelican silver lode, Silver Plume, discovered. 

Burleigh tunnel, Silver Plume, started by hand. 

Burleigh drills introduced at Burleigh tunnel, Silver Plume, 

early in. 1869. Power drills first used for driving a mine adit 

in the United States. 

Deposit at Ward, Boulder County, discovered. 

Gold lodes (leaf gold in nests of lead carbonate) worked at 

Leadville. 

Hill smelter open for business in January; first shipment of 

matte made in June. This smelter revived the waning mining 

industry of Colorado. 

1869 

Silver at· Caribou, Boulder County, recognized. 

1870 

Denv~r Pacific Railroad (Denver to Cheyenne, Wyo.) completed in summer. Kansas Pacific (now Union Pacific) Railroad reached Denver by Smoky Hill route in August. 

Colorado Central Railroad between Denver and Golden completed in September, 1870. 

Gold discovered in Wightman's Gulch, Summitville ,district, 

Rio Grande County.' 

Gold found in Arrastra Gulch, near Silverton. 

187o-1880 

Georgetown and Silver Plume grow fast. 

1871 

Lodes discovered in the Archean granite in Tenmile district, 

Summit County, but no development until 1879, and that in 

deposits in limestone. 

Denver & Rio Grande Railroad (now Denver & Rio Grande 

W e~tern) built south from Denver to Colorado Springs. Ultimate destination the City of Mexico. 

Ute and Ulay deposits discovered at Lake City. 

Hukill mine at Idaho Springs opened. Silver discovered on 

Lincoln and on Bross Mountains, Park County. 

1872 

Homestake mine, near Tennessee Pass, shipping. 

In November lead blast furnace of Mount Lincoln Smelter 

Works (Dudley smelter) built. (Changed to copper reverberatory in August, 187?; ran until January 25, 1874.) 

Small blast furnace in operation at Montezuma, Summit 

County. 

Small matte smelter in operation at Whale mine near Idaho 

Springs. 

Silver discovered in Elk Mountains, Gunnison County. 

Golden City Smelting Works (Bagley & Sons) b''Llilt at 

Golden (a blast furnace). 

Small Mexican smelting furnace in operation at Rico. 

Colorado Central extended from Golden to Blackhawk and 

branch from Forks to Floyd Hill. 

Mount Lincoln Smelting works at Dudley, Park County, 

completed in November. 

Petzite discovered at Gold Hill, Boulder County. 

1872-73 

Swansea lead smelter (8 tons in 24 hours) operating near 

Empire. 

1873 

Branch smelter of Boston & Colorado Smelting Works erected 

at Alma, Park County. Operated through the years 1873-1875. 

Small reverberatory furnace built at Lincoln City, French 

Gulch, near Breckenridge, which did not prove successful. In 

187 4 a blast furnace substituted, not satisfactory, so two Drummond lead furnaces added; successful for four months of 1874 

on ore froni Cincinnati lead mine. 

Denver Smelting Co.'s lead smelter built at Denver. 

1874 

Rush into San Juan country. Hotchkiss (Golden Fleece) 

deposits discovered. 

Gold discovered at Sunshine, Boulder County. Silver· at 

Humboldt-Pocahontas mi~e, Rosita, Custer County. 

The South Park Railroad built from Denver to Morrison. 

Two unsuccessful smelters built at Silverton .. 

Boyd smelter built at Boulder. 

1874-75 

Smelter at Halls Gulch, Park County, tried out. 

1875 

Grand View mine, half a mile north of Ouray, located. 

Lake City, Hinsdale County, founded. Crooke smelter built. 

Deposits at Salina, Magnolia, and Jame~town, Boulder 

County, discovered. 

Malta smelter built at Malta, at mouth of California Gulch. 

Mary Murphy mine, on Chalk Creek, Chaffee County, being 

opened. 

Greene smelter built at Silverton. Active to 1880. Moved to 

Durango, where forerunner of present smelter was built later. 

Collom lead smelter built at Golden. 

Golden Smelting Co.'s smelter altered to a copper matting 

plant. 

Smuggler deposit, above Telluride, discovered. 

1876 

Colorado Dressing & Smelting Co.'s matting plant began 

operation at Golden. 

Virginia Canyon mines, between Russell Gulch and Idaho 

Springs, brought to notice by the opening of the Specie Payment mine. 

South Park Railroad being pushed up north fork of the South 

Platte, with the San Juan country in view as its final destiflation. 

Discovery made that heavy sands in sluice boxes, which had 

for years bothered placer miners in California Gulch, were rich 

lead carbonates. 

1877 

U~a and Gertrude claims of Camp Bird, O_uray County, 

staked. 

Discovery of lodes of lead carbonate leads to great rush to 

California Gulch, and the establishment of Leadvill~, which 

became the county seat of Lake County. As a consequence of 

this discovery Lake County has produced the gre~test variety 

of metal in Colorado and has the record of the greatest total 

value of metal mined in all counties, amounting roughly to 

one-third of the grand total value for the State. 

Leadville smelter built at Leadville. · 

Colorado Central Railroad reached Georgetown. 

Bassick gold deposit, at Querida, Custer County, discovered. 
CHRONOLOGIC RECORD 11 

1878 

Grant built smelter at Leadville. Small smelter built at 

Crested Butte. 

Harrison Reduction Works, of St. Louis, Mo., build smelter 

at Leadville. 

La Plata smelter built at Leadville. 

Great Monarch claim and Madonna deposit discovered at 

Monarch, Chaffee County. 

Silver discovered at Robinson and Kokomo in Tenmile 

district, Summit County, during the summer. 

Mines at Silver Cliff, Custer County, and Bull Domingo 

mine opened. 

1878-1888 

Crooke Smelter, at Lake City, in operation. 

1879 

Eilers & Billing built Arkansas Valley smelter at Leadville. 

Little Chief; Ohio & Missouri; Cumming & Finn; Gage, Hagaman & Co.; Raymond, Sherman & McKay; Elgin; and Adelaide smelters built at Leadville. Opening of mines at Rico, 

on deposits that had been known for several years. 

Discovery of Belden lode in Eagle County, near Red Cliff. 

Bonanza, Saguache County, opened by rush into Gunnison 

County. Gold discovered in Independence district and silver 

at Aspen, Pitkin County. Ore from Perigo mine, Gold Dirt 

district, Gilpin County, yielding well under stamps. Deposit 

at Terrible mine, Ilse, Custer County, discovered. RobinsonKokomo district, Summit County, outcrops opened by shallow ~fu. . 

1879-80 

Ocean Wave smelter operated at Lake City. 

1880 

At Leadville 11 or 12 smelters operating, several ore-buying 

firms, and 4 s~amp mills. 

Robinson-Kokomo district, in Summit County, produces 

$200,000 in silver and lead. 

Unsuccessful Eclipse smelter built at Animas Forks, above 

Silverton. 

Grand View smelter built at Rico. Ran a few years. 

Three smelters in operation at Golden. 

Five small and inefficient smelters at Garfield, Maysville, 

Poncha Springs, and on Chalk Creek, Chaffee County. 

Rich lodes discovered in French Gulch, near Breckenridge, 

in Summit Comity; the source of the placers that had produced 

in 1859 and later. 

Two smelters built at Tincup (short-lived). Small smelter 

at Gothic. · 

Denver & Rio Grande Railroad reached Leadville. 

Three smelting plants in operation at Golden. 

1881 

Virginius mines, at head of Canyon Creek, Ouray County, 

worked by, three levels and two shafts. 

Denver & Rio Grande Railroad reached Crested Butte. 

Greene smelter moved from Silverton to Durango and operated. 

Deposits at Red Mountain and Ironton, Ouray· County, 

discovered. 

Smelters in Summit County are White Quail lead smelter and 

Greer lead smelter at Kokomo; Summit two-blast lead furnace 

at Robinson; Wilson matte smelter, Boston & Colorado (two 

stacks), and Elyria (two stacks) at Breckenridge; Lincoln at 

Lincoln City, above Breckenridge; Sissapo, at Montezl!ma; 

Battle Mountain, two stacks, at Red Cliff [now Eagle County.] 

1882 

Denver & Rio Grande Railroad reached Silverton. 

Present Durango smelter opened for business. 

Grant smelter, at Denver, built. Permanently closed a~ 

time of strike in 1903. 

Unsuccessful Martha Rose smelter built at Silverton. 

Pueblo plant built at Pueblo by Mather & Giest. · 

Second smelter at Rico, later purchased by Pasadena Co., 

operated for two years. 

Smelter built at Aspen. Ran until 1887, could not survive 

on ore of one district. 

1883 

Silver mines of Breckenridge opened up. 

Denver, South Park & Pacific Railroad (later part of Colorado 

& Southern) reached Leadville by way of Como, Breckenridge, 

and Tenmile Creek. 

. Small smelter at Ames, San Miguel County, unsuccessful. 

· Colorado Smelting Co. built Eilers plant at Pueblo. 

1884 

Bonanza smelter, Saguache County, idle because of inability 

to treat ores. 

Only one sme~ter in operation at Golden. 

1885 

Zinc first recovered from Colorado ores; long considered only 

as something to be avoided and cursed when found with other 

ores; often called "poison" by operators of amalgamating and 

concentrating mills. 

1886 

Yak tunnel, Leadville, started. From 1888 to 1898 operated 

intermittently; from 1898 to completion in 1910 driven prac 

tically continuously. Length 23,800 feet. 

Globe smelter built near Denver by Holden & Chanute; 

later taken over by Dennis Sheedy and Charles Kountze, and 

later (1899) by American Smelting & Refining Co. 

1887 

Gilpin County tramway, 24-inch gage, completed between 

Blackhawk and Russell Gulch. 

Denver & Rio Grande Railroad reached Aspen. 

1888 

Colorado Midland Railroad reached Aspen. 

Philadelphia plant built at Pueblo by Holden, general manager for Guggenheim Bros. 

Belgian retort zinc furnace built at Denver. Failure. 

1890 

Large copper deposits opened in Henriette and Maid of Erin 

mines at Leadville. 

. 1891 

Bartlett erected zinc oxide plant at Canon City, calle4 the 

American Zinc-Lead Co. 

Ores at Creede and Cripple Creek discovered. Denver & Rio 

Grande Railroad extended from Wagonwheel Gap to Creed~. 

Leadville finds gold in the Little Jonny and other. mines on 

Breece Hill. · 

1892 

Manganiferous iron ores shipped from Leadville, 3,100 tons, 

worth at mines $15,500. Manganiferous ·silver ores ·shipped 

from Leadville, 62,309 tons. · 
12 MINING IN COLORADO 

1893 

Beginning of aerial tram transportation and extension of use 

of electricity for power. 

. Newhouse tunnel, Idaho Springs, started by hand in September.· Machine drills installed January, 1894. Completed, 

22,000 fe~t long, November .17, 1910. 

1894: 

Labor trouble at Cripple Creek. 

1895 

Wilfley table invented at Kokomo, Summit County. 

Gravels on Swan River tested with oil drill. 

1896 

Camp Bird mine relocated by Thomas F. Walsh. 

Thomas F. Walsh running pyritic smelter at Ouray. 

Labor strike at Leadville June 1. 

New Colorado-Philadelphia chlorination mill at Colorado 

City to treat Cripple Creek ores. 

1897 

Labor strike ended at Leadville in March. 

Eighteen stamp mills, aggregating 870 stamps·, in operation 

in Gilpin County. . 

Fire in the carbonaceous shale in Smuggler mine, at Aspen. 

Small smelter erected at Dunton, Dolores County. 

Centrally located smelters of the State receive large quantities of ore from mines outside Colorado. 

Carter tunnel, .Gunnison County, started in July. 

Camp Bird and Revenue mines, Sneffels, most prominent in 

Ouray County. 

Silver Lake mill, San Juan County, operated by electric power 

generated on Animas River. 

Smuggler Union mills, San Miguel County, formerly amalgamation mills, now entirely concentration. Tom Boy uses 

amalgamation-concentration. Liberty Bell .mine examined 

and purchased. Telluride Power Transmission Co. transmits 

power 17 miles to Camp Bird mine, said to be the longest distance electric power had been transmitted in the United 

States up to that time. 

Copper ore discovered in La Sal Mountains, Montrose 

County, near Utah line; also uranium minerals. 

1898 

Five sampling works in operation in Clear Creek County and 

two in Gilpin County. 

Two New Zealand type gold dredges built on Swan River. 

Failed to e?Ccavate deep and coarse gravel. 

Colorado & Northwestern Railroad (later Denver, Boulder 

& Western) reaches Ward from Boulder. 

l899 

Liberty Bell mine, Telluride, adds a 7-ton cyanide leaching 

plant to its 80-stamp amalgamation mill. 

Zinc ore shipped from Georgetown. 

Bismuth ore shipped from LeadvilJe. 

Smelters in Colorado shut down for two months in strike 

over eight-hour law. 

Home Mining Co. unwaters Penrose shaft, Leadville, in . 

May. 

Certain smelters in Kansas received small shipments of zinc 

blende concentrate ~rom Creede, the beginning of the zinc industry in the Rocky Mountains. Large shipments of zinc ore 

and concentrates made to Belgium from Leadville in 1899 to· 

1903 aided in starting zinc industry in Colorado. 

Cripple Creek reached by two railroads-the Florence & 

Cripple Creek, from Florence, and the Midland Terminal 

from Divide. 

American Smelting & Refining Co. organized. 

Stratton's Indep·endence mine at Victor sold to a British 

syndicate. 

Four smelters at Leadville: Arkansas Valley, Union, Bimetallic, and Boston Gold-Copper. 

Two orange-peel dredges built on Blue River. Failures. 

Cripple Creek mills. are the Metallic Extraction Co. (cyanide) near Florence, the Colorado-Philadelphia Reduction Co. 

(chlorination) at Colorado City, the El Paso Reduction Co. 

(chlorination) at Florence, the National Gold Extraction Co. 

(a part of the Colorado-Philadelphia Reduction Co.) (chlorination) at Florence, the Colorado Ore Reduction Co. (cyanide) 

at Elkton, the Gillette Reduction Co. (chlorination) at Gillette,. 

and the Brodie Reduction Works, (cyanide) at Mound City. 

The Economic Gold Extraction Co. built a plant (chlorination 

with precipitation: by hydrogen sulphide, also using the cyanide· 

process) in Eclipse Gulch, on west side of Squaw Mountain. 

One Risdon and one Bucyrus dredge built on Swan River. 

Camp Bird and Revenue mines, Sneffels, two most prominent in Ouray County. 

1900 

Two public sampling works in operation at Boulder. 

Mary Murphy mine, Chalk Creek, Chaffee County, under 

lease to Buena Vista Smelting & Refining Co., which has a 

·matting plant at Buena Vista treating a mixture of siliceous ore 

and heavy iron sulphides carrying one-half to 4 per cent copper 

from Leadville, some Sedalia ore, and some Mary Murphy 

ore. The smelter did not operate long. 

Two public samplers at Georgetown and three at IdahoSprings, Clear Creek County. 

W. S. Stratton buys much property in the Cripple Creek 

district. 

Three of the first mills erected in the Cripple Creek district,. 

the Chlorination, at Gillette; the Brodie Cyanide mill, at Cripple 

Creek; and the Chlorination Cyanide mill in Arequa Gulch, 

find that they can not compete with the mills in the valley, . 

leaving in operation in the district only the Economic Chlorination mill, on the west slope of Squaw Mountain, at the mouth 

of the Columbine-Victor tunnel. 

Union Gold Extraction Co.'s Chlorination mill (with precipitation by hydrogen sulphide. and with Wilfley tables for 

the slimes) built at Florence by the syndicate controlling the 

Vindicator-Golden Cycle-Anaconda mines. 

Dorcas cyanide mill built at Florence. 

Rocky Mountain Smelting Co.'s matting plant built at. 

Florence. 

Portland Gold Mining Co. starts construction at ColoradoCity of 350-ton chlorination mill. 

The Colorado-Philadelphia and Standard Chlorina~ion mills 

under one management, in operation at Colorado City. 

. Metallic Extraction Co. at Cyanide, near Florence, in opera-· 

tion. Heavy hoisting, pumping, and compressor plants placed 

at the Gold .Coin and Portland shafts at Victor. 

Building of roadbed into Cripple Creek of th~ Colorado· 

Springs & Cripple Creek District Railway (the Short Line), 4& 

miles between the two towns, expected to be in operation by 

April. 

Colorado Electric Power Co., of Canon City, furnishes power 

to Cripple Creek mines. 

Three concentrating milJs, none working at full capacit~'· in 

operation at Rico. 
• 

CHRONOLOGIC RECORD 13 

Agent of the Director of the Mint estimates that 68,689 tons 

of ore were mined in 1900 in Gilpin County. Many stamp 

mills in operation at Blackhawk. 

In Hinsdale County the Ute and Ulay mine produces 5,000 

tons of concentrates and the Golden Fleece mine ships about 

$100,000 worth o~ ore. 

Leadville Pumping Association undertakes to unwater the 

down-town mines of Leadville. 

Home Mining· Co., at Leadville, operates through the Penrose, Star, and Bon Air shafts the Coronado, Midas, and Penrose, near the head of Seventh, Fifth, and Fourth streets, 

respectively. 

Cloud City Mining Co. obtains mineral rights by purchase of 

city lots in Leadville, in what is known as the Stevens and Leiter 

addition. 

Arkansas Valley smelter, Leadville, is enlarged. 

A semipyritic smelter started at Leadville, in November 

1899, by the Boston Gold-Copper Smelting Co. is operated 

continuously through 1900. 

Shipments of iron-manganese ore to steel works-chiefly 

from the Catalpa-Crescentmines-ceasein June. 

Leasing system predominates at Leadville. 

Treatment of lead-zinc ores receives attention at Leadville. 

Nelson adit, at Creede, in over 9,000 feet and drain.s Amethyst and Last Chance mines. 

Two sampling plants and three mills operate at Aspen, which 

together with the town are furnished with electric power by 

the Castle Creek Power Co. 

The Baca grant, in Saguache County, in litigation for 25 

years, passes to a syndicate which proposes to develop the 

mineral resources. This company erected a large stamp mill 

at Crestone. As depth is reached, the free-milling ores change 

· to a sulphide carrying considerable copper. 

Two concentrating mills built at Bonanza, Saguache County. 

Kendrick-Gelder semipyritic smelter built at Silverton. 

Silver Lake mine, San Juan County, installs electric drills. 

Sunnyside and Gold King continue to operate. 

In San Miguel County, Tom Boy amalgamation-Frue Vanner 

concentration mill in operation. Liberty Bell completes 250~ 

ton cyanide leaching plant. Smuggler-Union mill at·Pandora 

concentrates only. Telluride Power Transmission Co. increases 

its capacity·. Copper ore found in sandstone in western part 

of San Miguel County. 

1901 

Magnetic separating plants built at Canon City, Pueblo, and 

Denver. 

Three sampling works and many mills in operation at Idaho 

Springs. 

~umphreys concentration mill built at Creede. 

Work in progress at Emma mine, at Dunton, Dolores County. 

S~amp mills and two samplers active in Gilpin County. 

Southwestern lead smelter "blown in" at Whitepine, Gunnison County, and operates for a short time. 

The small Hoffman smelter, at Marble, in operation that year. 

The Arkansas Valley smelter only smelter in operation at 

Leadville. 

Home pyritic smelter at Ouray fails. 

Cyanidation added to Camp Bird mill, Ouray County. 

Silver Lakes group of mines, comprising 175 claims, mill 

sites, and placer claims, San Juan County, sold to American 

Smelting & Refining Co. by E. G. Stoiber. 

Kendrick-Gelder smelter in operation at Silverton part of 

the year. 

Smuggler-Union, Liberty Bell, and Tom Boy mines continue 

to operate at Telluride. 

Smuggler-Union introduces cyanidation of tailings.· 

Semipyritic smelter built at Golden. Small smelter built at 

Rico. 

Semipyritic smelter at Robinson, Summit County. 

1902 

Zinc mining assuming considerable importance in the State. 

Picking and washing belts and machines enter Cripple 

Creek district metallurgy. Chlorination process treats most 

of the ore from Cripple Creek, at the Union mill of the United 

States Reduction & Refining Co., at the Economic mill at the 

portal of the United Mines Transportation Co.'s tunnel on the 

west slope of Squaw Mountain, at the Standard and Colorado 

mills of the United States Reduction & Refining Co., at Colorado City, and at the Portland, completed in early fall. Near 

Colorado City another mill, the Telluride, is completed at 

C<:>lorado City to use bromine instead of chlorine as the solvent 

for the gold. 

Fryer Hill Mines Co. unwaters Fryer Hill mines, Leadville; 

idle since 1896. 

Improvements are made at Arkansas Valley smelter, Leadville. 

Cyanide mill built at Leadville, to treat ore from the Ballard 

mine. 

New zinc concentrating mills built at Leadville. 

Smuggler-Union, Liberty Bell, and Tom Boy mines active at 

Telluride. 

Kendrick & Gelder semipyritic smelter operated during the 

summer at $ilverton. 

Silver Lake, Gold King, Sunnyside, and other mines active 

in San Juan County. 

Camp Bird and Revenue mines active in Ouray County. 

Durango smelter is active. 

Salida lead-bullion smelter built. 

Consolidation of min~s at Rico. 

Good Hope, at Vulcan, Gunnison County, ships copper ore. 

Ohio City district, Gunnison County, active. 

The Smuggler Leasing Co. acquires by lease nearly all the 

well-known properties at Aspen. 

Milling active at Kokomo, Summit County. 

1903 

. Severe labor troubles in nearly all the mining camps. Chlorination plants at Florence and Colorado City in operation 

only part of the year. The Omaha & Grant smelter, at Denver 

permanently closed and the Globe smelter., near Denver, idle 

part of the year. Nearly the entire militia of the State was 

stationed for months at Cripple Creek and Telluride. Nevertheless, production continues fairly well under the conditions. 

United States Zinc Co.'s retort furnaces completed at 

Pueblo. 

1903-4 

El Paso drainage adit, at Cripple Creek, is completed. About 

6,000 feet long; starting a mile below the El Paso mine, tapping 

shaft of that mine at 600 feet, and continuing northeastward. 

Operators planning a longer adit to drain 7 40 feet below the 

El Paso adit. · 1904: 

The Midas Mining & Leasing Co. sinks the Penrose, Coronado, and oth~r shafts in the down-town part of the district; 

that is, within the town of Leadville. 

San Miguel County one of the most prominent milling centers 

in the s.tate. . 

Ouray semipyritic smelter runs for six weeks. 

In this year 578 producing mines in Colorado. 

Eight lead plants, two zinc smelters, and eight semipyritic 

plants operating. New semi pyritic plants were erected at 

Grand Junction and at PearL 
14 MINING IN COLORADO 

Denver, Northwestern & Pacific Railway (Moffat Road) 

constructed over main range to a point 70 miles west of Denver. 

Colorado & Northwestern Railroad (beginning at Boulder) 

builds an extension to Eldora and Sunset. 

Mineral County (Creede) ships large quantity of concen 

trates. 

Mining in San Juan County very active. 

Five companies operating through the Cowenhoven adit, at 

Aspen. A zinc concentrating mill erected at Aspen. Carbonaceous shale in Smuggler mine still burns. 

Reliance Gold Dredging Co. constructing dredge at Breckenridge. 

Twenty stamp mills, aggregating 780 stamps, in operation in 

Gilpin County most of the year. 

The May Day, La Plata County, ships ore. 

1905 

Active smelters are lead-smelting plants at Globe, Pueblo, 

Eilers, Arkansas Valley, Durango, Salida; there is a copper 

smelter at Argo; zinc retorts at Pueblo; zinc oxide-copper matte 

plant at Canon City; semi pyritic plants at Silverton, Grand 

Junction, and Pearl. 

Iron-manganese ore shipped from Red Cliff to the steel 

works at Pueblo. 

·Two electrically driven Bucyrus dredges in operation during 

a part of 1905 near Golden, in the Clear Creek gravel beds 

below Table Mountain. The gold is fine and difficult to save. 

Operations not resumed in 1906 nor later. 

Zinc industry at Leadville growing. Zinc ores shipped to 

zinc retort plants return precious metal content in residues· 

shipped back. to Colorado. Midas Co., at Leadville, sinks 

Penrose shaft to 920 feet. The Yak tunnel 10,800 feet in at 

the end of the year. 

Reliance Gold Dredging Co. completes a double-lift dredge· 

in French Creek, Summit County. 

Four concentrating mills, having a combined capacity of 

850 ·tons per 24 hours, including the Smuggler 400-ton mill, in 

operation on Hunter Creek and Roaring Fork Creek, at Aspen. 

Electric power available in San Juan County by building of 

. Animas Power Co.'s plant. 

Smelters receive about one-quarter of ore mined in the 

Cripple Creek district, the remainder going to the chlorination 

mills of the Portland Gold Mining Co. and the United States 

Reduction & Refining Co. at Colorado City and to the Economic 

mill at Victor. · 

1906. 

Thirty-three counties in Colorado produce metals. 

Active smelters are lead plants at Globe, near Denver;. 

Arkansas Valley, at LeadVille; the Puehlo and the Eilers,. at 

Pueblo; Durango; and Salida; a copper smelter at Argo, near 

Denver (plant for refining of copper destroyed hy :fire this year); 

, the zinc oxide and copper matte plant of the United States 

Smelting Co., at Canon City; and the zinc retort smelter at 

Pueblo. Grand Junction smelter made an unsuccessful run on 

ores from Eagle and Ouray counties. Kendrick & Gelder pyritic 

:;;melter at Silverton operated by the Ross Mining & Milling Co. 

on company and custom ore. Saratoga semipyritic smelter, in 

Ouray County, ran part of the summer. Small copper matte 

smelter at Pearl, Jackson County. 

Camp Bird mill, Ouray County, destroyed by snowslides 

and :fire March 17. 

Bull Domingo mine near Silver Cliff, Custer County, flooded 

since 1899, unwatered. Bassick mine, near Querida, developed 

by an 1,800-foot shaft, working. 

Australian flotation process tried out at Rico. 

Fulford district, Eagle County, produciug from 10-stamp 

amalgamation mill. 

Blevin dredg~, 8 miles north of Lay, Moffat County, pro 

duces most of gold credited to the county (then Routt). 

Silver Lake mill near Silverton burned but repla~ed by a 

300-ton concentration plant. · 

Zinc carbonate discovered at Madonna mine, Chaffee County. 

Dorcas chlorination and cyanide mill, at Florence, destroyed 

by fire in·March. · 

Construction of Golden Cycle roast-amalgamation-cyanidation mill started at Colorado Springs. 

1907 

Roosevelt drainage tunnel started May 11 at Cripple Creek 

to gain 7 40 feet of drainage. 

Golden Cycle mill destroyed by fire in July. Reconstruction 

begun. 

Portland Gold Mining Co. erects cyanidation annex to 

chlorination mill at Colorado Springs. 

Reliance Gold Dredging Co. reports a successful season at 

Breckenridge. 

The Colorado Gold Dredging Co. acquires extensive holdings 

of stream and bench gravels and begins the installation of two 

dredges near Breckenridge. 

Increased building and extension of electric power plants. 

Decline in prices of zinc and lead in July affects lead and 

zinc production heavily. 

Money stringency of 1907 affects mine operations. Miners 

turn to gold mining. 

Active smelters are lead smelters at Globe, near Denver; 

Pueblo and Eilers, at Pueblo; Arkansas Valley, at Leadville; 

Durango; Salida; a copper plant at Argo, near Denver; the 

zinc oxide and copper matte plant of the United States Smelting 

Co., at Canon City; the zinc retort smelter of the United States . 

Zinc Co., at Pueblo, and the Kendrick & Gelder semipyritic 

smelter at Silverton (Ross Mining & Milling Co.). Rico smelter 

idle. 

Production of lead-zinc ores from Leadville dropped from 

250,734 tons in 1906 to 199,573 tons in 1907. 

A small shipment of ore from Halls Valley district, Park 

County, where little work had been done for 25 years . 

Three dredges at work near Breckenridge, and another moved 

there from Golden, Colo. Electric power made available by 

Central Colorado Power Co. and Summit County Power Co. 

A dredge operates at Hahns Peak, Routt County. 

Wellington mine completes new 100-ton concentration mill 

at Breckenridge. 

Ratification of contracts between Gilpin County mine operators and Newhouse Tunnel Co. 

Laterals being driven to Clear Creek County and Gilpin 

County mines from Newhouse tunnel. 

Large quantity of iron-manganese ore shipped from R'ed 

Cliff, Eagle County, to steel mill at Pueblo. 

1908 

Ore of Mary Murphy mine, Chalk Creek, Chaffee County, 

being treated by amalgamation and concentration in 20-stamp 

Pawnee mill. 

In Clear Creek County 104 mines in operation. 

Active smelters are lead smelting plants at Globe, near 

Denver; Pueblo and Eilers, at Pueblo; Arkansas Valley, at 

Leadville; Durango; and Salida; a copper plant at Argo, near 

Denver; zinc retort smelter (United States Zinc Co.) at Pueblo; 

and the zinc oxide and copper matte plant at Canon City (United 

States Smelting Co.). Several magnetic separating plants operating on lead-zinc-iron ores. 

Milling rates are so low that $8 ore can be shipped from 

Cripple Creek at a profit. Some of the Cripple Creek local 

cyanide plants treat profitably dum~ ore (already mined) con-

• 
CHRONOLOGIC RECORD 15 

taining $2 to $4 in gold per ton. Smelters receive only about 

8 per cent of the ore mined in the Cripple Creek district. 

At the close of 1908 the Roosevelt drainage adit at Cripple 

Creek has 4,872 feet completed in three headings. 

Golden Cycle roast-amalgamation-cyanidation plant, with 

eight Edwards roasters, again in operation, early in 1908. 

From October 1, 1907, to March 1, 1908, the freight and 

"treatment charges on Cripple Creek ores at Colorado Springs 

up to $10 gold content per ton reduced from $6.25 to $3.50 per 

ton. 

Completion and extension of electric power facilities in Boulder, Clear Creek, Gilpin, Lake, and Summit counties. 

1909 

Stratton's Independence ·mill at Victor, started i~ April with 

a capacity of 4,500 tons a month; enlarged in Dec~mber, 190!l, 

to 7,000 tons, and in November, 1910, to 9,000 tons. 

Eilers smelter, Pueblo, dismantled. 

So-called Modern smelter at Utah Junction, near Denver, 

starts October 22. 

United States Smelting Co. (formerly American Zinc-Lead 

?o., or Bartlett zinc oxide process) plant, at Canon City, closes 

m September. 

Dump of old Bassick mill, at Querida, reworked by cyanidation. 

Burleigh tunnel drains Seven-Thirty mine, Silver Plume, in 

July. 

In Gilpin County 110 companies or individuals operating 

mines or groups of mines. . 

Placer gold produced at Radium, Grand County. 

Large quantities of zinc mill dumps from A. Y. & Minnie and 

Colonel Sellers mines, at Leadville, shipped to magnetic separating plants and zinc retort smelters. 

Yak tunnel, at Leadville, 3.32 miles long at end of year.· 

New camp of Goldstone, on East Elk Creek, 9 miles from Newcastle, Garfield County, opened. Shipments made from Gray 

Eagle mine 1910. 

1910 

A Hammond dredge, of close-connected type of 54 buckets 

of 4 cubic feet capacity each, or 2,000 cubic yards a day, in operation from July to Oc~ober at Russell, on Placer and Sangre de 

Cristo creeks, Costilla County. Operated again. in 1911, when 

overturned and never righted again. 

Furnaces of Boston & Colorado Smelting Co.'s reverberatory 

copper matting plant, at Argo, near Denver, were "out" on 

March 17. This plant had been started in Denver in 1878, being moved from Blackhawk, where started in 1868 as the first 

successful smelter in Colorado. · 

Modern smelter, Utah.Junction, near Denver, closes April 9. 

North American Co.'s semipyritic smelter at Golden starts 

old Carpenter smelter April9. 

New semipyritic smelter operates for a short time at Alma. 

Five lead smelters-Globe, Pueblo, Arkansas Valley (at Leadville), Durango, and Salida-and one zinc retort smelter, at 

Pueblo, in operation throughout the year. 

Zinc carbonate ore discovered at Leadville. 

In June Portland Gold Mining Co. completes victor nonroast 

concentration-cyanidation mill. 

In December Roosevelt drainage tunnel, Cripple Creek, 

pierces Pike Peak granite and enters breccia, but no heavy flow 

of water ensues. Work at tunnel continued. 

1911 

Semi pyritic smelter (North American Smelter & Mines Co.) 

at Golden operated until November. Five lead smelters and 

one zinc smelter in operation in the State. 

Rawley tunnel, Saguache County, started May 27, 1911. 

Completed 6,235 feet in October, 1912. 

Three of four dredges in operation at Breckenridge. · 

Chlorination process of Cripple Creek ores ceases for all time. 

The United States Reduction & Refining Co.'s chlorination and 

cyanid~ plants at Colorado City close permanently. 

1911-1913 

New 500-ton cyanidation mill worked tailings at Old Union 

chlorination mill at Florence. 

1912 

Roosevelt tunnel 16,857 feet long in March, 1912, but drainage unsatisfactory. 

New mill built at Mary Murphy mine, Chalk Creek district, 

Chaffee County. · 

Argo amalgamation-concentration-cyanidation mill completed at mouth of the Argo (Newhouse) tunnel, Idaho Springs. 

Three of four dredges in operation at Breckenridge. 

Roasting and magnetic separation plant added to Wellington 

·mill, at Breckenridge. 

Shipments of ore from the Equity mine, 10 miles northwest 

of Creede, Mineral County, show that there are ore deposits in 

the county outside of Creede. 

Revival of mining at Bonanza, Kerber Creek, Saguache 

County. 

Zinc carbonate ore from Leadville amounted to 142,.782 tons 

of 29.2 per cent zinc in 1912. 

Year shows increase of 15 per cent in value of gold, silver, copper, lead, and zinc produced in Colorado. 

1912-1914 

Australian process of flotation first successfully used in Colorado, chiefly as accessory to other methods of concentration. 

1913 

Gold Links mine, at Ohio City, Gunnison County, clo.ses after 

long period of production. 

Argo amalgamation-concentration-cyanidation mill at mouth 

of Argo (Newhouse) tunnel, Idaho Springs, discards amalgamation. 

Terrible mine, Ilse, Custer County, unwatered but allowed to 

refill. 

Only three of the four dredges in the Breckenridge district 

operated. 

New silver district found on Brush Creek, west of Eagle, 

Eagle County. 

During the year five lead smelters in the State treated ore 

from British Columbia and Canada as well as from Colorado 

Idaho, South Dakota, Utah, and other States and a con~ siderable quantity of zinc residues from Kansas-Oklahoma zinc 

retort smelters but, as for several years, these smelters (all occa- ~ 

sionally making leady copper matte as well) were not operated 

at full capacity. Ouray copper matting plant operated during 

year. 

1914 

Small quantity of copper ore shipped from Blair Athol, 

6 miles north of Colorado City, El Paso County. 

Four dredges in operation at Breckenridge, Summit County. 

Preparations made to unwater Penrose shaft, at Leadville. 

A 50-ton zinc oxide plant to handle low-grade zinc carbonate 

ore built at Leadville. 

Cripple Creek gold district made largest output since 1908. 

Work resumed on Roosevelt tunnel August 4 but stopped 

November 4. . 

Decrease in value of metals produced in the State in 1914 

amounted to 6 per cent. Production of gold, however, increased 

$1,736,189. 
16 MINING IN COLORADO 

_Five lead smelters in the State, one zinc retort smelter with 

1,920 retorts at Pueblo, and 1 copper matting plant at Ouray 

in operation. 

1915 

Dredge removed from York, Mont., installed on Box Creek, 

west of Arkansas River, 12 miles below Leadville, ran 70 days, 

and produced gold bullion valued at $69,292. 

Black Bear mine, at Telluride, begins to mine large quantities 

of complex lead-zinc-copper-iron-silv.er-gold ore. 

·Leadville ships 15,956 long tons of iron-manganese ore ·to 

steel plants. 

Portland Gold Mining Co. buys Stratton Independence mine 

and mill. · · 

Vindicator Consolidated Gold Mining Co. buys Golden· Cycle 

mine, at Victor, Cripple Creek district. 

Copper ore shipped from Parkdale, Fremont County. 

Largest production in Clear Creek County since 1907. 

Iron Mask mine and mill at Belden, Eagle County, purchased 

by Empire Zinc Co. ·in March. 

Work resumed March 2 in driving Roosevelt tunnel, then 

17,127 feet long. . 

Five lead smelters active in the State, treating much zinc 

residues from Oklahoma. 

Production at Leadville in 1915 largest since 1883. 

Increase in value of metals produced in 1915 is 30 per cent, 

due almost entirely to increase in production of zinc. Silver 

falls off 1,768,093 ounces. Number of producing mines decreases 45. 

('. 1916 

Globe, Leadville, Pueblo, Durango, and Salida smelters were 

operated continuously on ore from Colorado and other States, 

including a considerable and increased quantity of. zinc residues 

from Kansas and Oklahoma zinc retort smelters. The quantity 

of zinc residues sent to Colorado has been incre~sing for several 

years. 

Copper matte smelter at Ouray revived and newly c<;>nstructed· copper matte plant at Vulcan operated for a short 

time. 

Gold production of Cripple Creek decreases. Roo.sevelt 

tunnel 22,100 feet long. 

San Juan, San Miguel, and Ouray counties combined increase production, but Camp Bird mine closes· July 1, final 

clean-up being made August 1. 'l'he old base of operations at 

the Camp Bird mine was at the mouth of No. 3 tunnel, at an 

elevation of 11,300 feet. A new base was established at 9, 700 

feet, from which a crosscut tunnel is being driven to intersect 

the Camp Bird vein 11,000 feet away. The new crosscut was 

in 329 feet by March 31. 

Four dredges in operation at Breckenridge. 

Increased production of silver at Aspen and at Creede. 

Lake County makes total gross production of $16,082,059 of 

gold, silver, copper, lead, and zinc-largest in history of mining 

in that county. · 

Leadville ships 90,600 long tons of iron-manganese ores to 

steel plants. Derry Ranch dreage, in Box Creek below. Malta, 

produced $119,169 in 1916. Largest production (in value) at 

Red. Cliff in history of the district. High price of copper caused 

considerable activity in Fremont County and revival at Pearl, 

Jackson County. 

Increase in value of metals produced in 1916 is 13.per cent, 

due almost entirely to increase in production of zinc. 

1917 

Powder River Dredging Co. built new dredge in Breckenridge district; five dredges at work in that district. 

. Five lead-silver plants, 2 zinc oxide plants, 1 zinc retort 

smelter, ·two custom magnetic separation plants in operation in 

Colorado. 

Gold production at Cripple Creek decreased. Roosevelt 

tunnel extended to 24,000 feet. 

Gross production at Leadville decreased. Heavy shipments 

from Down. Town Co.'s mines, unwatered in 1916. Dredge 

operated at Box Creek, below Malta. Leadville also ships 

104,169 long tons of iron-manganese ore to steel mills. 

Zinc output increased heavily at Breckenridge, but dredge 

gold output fell off. 

San Juan and San Miguel counties maintained production; 

Ouray County showed effect of idleness of Camp Bird mine; 

Georgetown-Silver Plume district shows increased production. 

Metal production decreased 14 per cent in value in 1917. 

1918 

Five lead-copper plants in operation-Salida, Globe, Pueblo, 

Durango, a~d Leadville. Quantity of zinc residues from KansasOklahoma fell off heavily. 

·Zinc plants in operation are United States Zinc Co. at Pueblo, 

River Smelting & Refining Co. at Florence, Western Zinc Concentrating Co. at Leadville, and new Ohio Zinc Oxide Co. at 

Canon City. 

Empire Zinc Co.'s magnetic separation plant, Canon City, 

active, but Western Chemical & Manufacturing Co.'s plant at 

Denver idle part of the year. 

Cripple · Creek gold decreases. Portland cyanide mill at 

Colorado Springs and Portland cyanide-concentration mill at, 

Victor close. Portland Independence mill operated. Golden 

Cycle roast cyanidation-amalgamation· mill continues. Roosevelt tunnel connected with Portland No. 2 shaft. 

Fryer Hill, Leadville, unwatered in 1916, closed in June. 

Moyer-Tucson mines of Iron Silver Co., at Leadville, closed 

Company purchases mines in Graham Park, Leadville. 

Western Mining Co.'s properties (Wolftone shaft) closed. 

Leadville also ships 99,100 long tons of iron-manganese ore 

on war contracts to steel mills. 

Arduous situation in San Juan County owing to influenza 

and high cost of labor and mining, but production maintained 

fairly well. · 

San Miguel County maintains production. 

Camp Bird treats no ore but does development. 

Eagle County zinc mines very productive. 

Summit County dredges and zinc mine· active. 

Chamberlain-Dillingham Ore Sampling Co. closes Blackhawk, Georgetown, and Idaho Springs samplers and dismantles 

them. 

Clear Creek-Gilpin Ore Co. opens a sampler at Idaho Springs 

in November. Custom mills at Idaho Springs active. 

Climax Molybdenum 400-ton mill starts at Climax, Lake 

County, in February. 

Decrease in quantity of all metals produced and decrease in 

value of combined metals amounts to 19 per cent. Silver alone 

shows increase in value for the year due to increase in price. 

1919 

Graham Park mines, Leadville, closed in April. 

Globe plant ceases in April to accept regular consignments of 

ore, but some special ores, flue dust, and other material received 

in order to continue plant as a producer of arsenic. 

Wellington mill, Breckenridge, closes early in 1919 because 

of lack of market for zinc. 

Leadville, Pueblo, Durango, and 8alida lead plants operated 

at reduced capacity. Leadville ships 11,055 long tons of ironmanganese ore on unexpired war contracts to steel mills. 

United States Zinc Co.'s retort furnaces at Pueblo operated 

at reduced capacity. 

Zinc oxide plants of Western Zinc Concentrating Co., at 

Leadville, and of Ohio Zinc Co., at Canon City, operated at 

increased capacity on zinc carbonate ores. 
LOCATION, ABEA, AND ORGANIZATION OF THE MINING COUNTIES 17 

Empire Zinc Co.'s magnetic separation plant at Canon City · 

operated steadily. 

Western Chemical & Manufacturing Co., of· Denver, drops 

purchase of Leadville zinc-lead sulphide ores but. continues 

using pyrite ores from Leadville and Kokomo. 

Shipments of iron manganese ore from Leadville to steel mills 

cease July 1. 

Cripple Creek gold production decreases heavily. 

Down Town Mines Co. (Penrose shaft) continues operations. 

Zinc mines at Red Cliff reduced to development only, after 

producing during early part of year. 

Climax Molybdenum mill closes April 1. 

New Colorado Central mill, Georgetown, makes large production of silver from old Equator dump. 

Decrease in production of all metals for the year. 

1920 

Continuous operation to December of Sunnyside new 500-ton 

mill at Eureka. 

Salida smelter closed in February, principally because .of 

falling off of receipts of Montana zinc residues from Oklahoma 

zinc retort .smelters, leaving three lead smelters in operation in 

the State--at Leadville, Durango, and Pueblo. 

Empire Zinc Co. completes modern zinc oxide plant at Canon 

City but does ·not operate it. 

. Empire Zinc Co.'s rp.agnetic separating plant, successfully 

operated since 1902, closes in November. 

River Smelting & Refining Co.'s matting and fuming plant 

at Florence closed in December. 

Cripple Creek gold production falls. 

Leadville production increases after bad year of 1919 

Arkansas Valley blows in fourth furnace. Derry Ranch dredge 

operates May to December. 

Leadville also ships 11,056 long tons of iron-manganese ore 

to steel mills. 

San Miguel County product is as usual. Tom Boy early in 

year set in motion its new oil-flotation mill. Smuggler Union 

new flotation mill burns but replaced by a concrete mill. 

Liberty Bell resumes after short idleness. · 

Camp Bird mine continues small development. 

Colorado Central mill, Georgetown, closed in May. 

1921 

Bm:leigh mill, Silver Plume, makes good silver concentrates 

from old Dives-Pelican dump until destroyed by fire in l)ecember. . 

Pueblo flood of June 3, .combined with decreased receipts of 

Colorado ores and Montana residues from Oklahoma zinc retort 

smelters, closed Pueblo lead smelter. San Juan mines made 

smallest production since 1882. 

Almost complete cessation in marketing of zinc ores throughout year and decrease in production of lead. 

Liberty Bell mine, T~llu.ride, abandoned all operation i11 

August. Active since 1898. · 

Leadville ships 924 long tons of iron-manganese ore to steel 

mil1s. 

Gold production continued to fall. Three dredges idle at 

Breckenridge, at least two permanently. 

1922 

Pittman act maintained price of silver at $1 per ounce · 

Remodeled Nashotah mill makes lare:e production of silver 

concentrates from Dives-Pelican dump, at Silver Plume, from 

May throughout year. · 

South Park Dredging Co. commenced operating a 70-bucket 

dredge of 8 cubic feet capacity, capable of handling 4,680 cubic 

yards per 24 hours, below Fair Play, in May. 

Only two dredges operate at Breckenridge. 

Empire Zinc Co. OP.ens iarge zinc oxide plant at Canon City 

in August. · 

Pueblo lead smelter sold and torn down. 

Leadville ships no iron-manganese ore to steel mills. 

Some zinc mines reopen in November and December. 

1923 

Production of gold at Cripple Creek inc~eased during the· 

year. Portland mine finds at 2,600-foot level. some of the best 

ore found in the mine below: the 1,600-foot level. Cresson 

produces 10,000 tons a month ~rom above 1,700-foot level; 

completes installation of hoist capable of sinking to 3,000 feet. 

Stratton Estate mines optioned. 

Sunnyside 500-ton lead-zinc concentration mill at Eureka 

reopened in January. 

Pittman Act expires in June. 

In July lead-silver concentrate at rate of 2,500 tons per 

month began from Rawley mill, Bonanza, Saguache County 

(closed in December). 

Reed-Coolbaugh sulphating plant at Durango completed in 

August. · 

Unwatering begun at Pyrenees and Greenback shafts, Leadville, in August. Arsenic shipped from Madera, Gunnison 

County. Zinc ore in quantity shipped from Whitepine, Gunnison County. · 

Eagle mines, Red Cliff, shipped large quantity of zinc ore to 

Canon City. 

Pumps pulled at Penrose mine, Leadville, in November. 

Leadville again finds market for iron-manganese ore to steel 

mills. 

Only two dredges in bperationat Breckenridge. 

Smelting and milling ore shipped from Gold Belt tunnel, 

above Silver Plume, making a new mine for this district. 

Zinc concentrates shipped steadily from Wellington mine at 

Breckenridge. 

At end of year it is found that total production of metal 

mines gained 21 per cent; gold increased, silver decreased, copper increased, lead nearly doubled, zinc more than doubled. 

LOCATION, AREA, AND ORGANIZATION OF THE MINING 

COUNTIES OF COLORADO 

When the first Territorial legislature of Colorado 

met, on September 9, 1861, it created 17 counties and 

fixed the county seats. These 17 counties have now 

expanded to 63 by the addition of the Arapahoe and 

Cheyenne Indian reservations and by the subdivision 

of counties, some of which were originally larger than· 

several of the Eastern States. The area considered 

under each county name· given here is the area comprised within the present county boundary. 

The following details of ·the location, area, and 

organization of the mining counties in Colorado are. 

transcribed, with slight modifications, from the Year 

Book ·of the State of Colorado for 1920, pu1:>1ished by 

the State B.oard of Immigration. 

ADAMS COUNTY 

Adams CQunty lies .in the north-central part of the 

State. The city of Denver forms a part of its western 

boundary. It is an irregular rectangle, with an extreme length, from east· to west, of 72 miles and a 

width of 18 miles. Its area is 807,680 acres, about 

125,000 acres more than the area of Rhode Island. 
18 MINING IN COLORADO 

Adams County was organized in 1902 from a part 

of. Arapahoe County. Parts of it were annexed to 

Washington and Yuma counties in 1903, and a part 

of Denver County was added in 1909. Long's expedition crossed the northwestern corner of what is 

now Adams County in 1820. Other exploring and 

prospecting expeditions followed the same route 

along the South Platte prior to the discovery of gold, 

in 1859. The". early gold seekers wasted little time 

in Adams County, though they did some prospecting 

for placer gold in the sands of the Platte north of the 

0 50 

Blanca, which stand on the boundary line between 

Alamosa and Costilla counties. 

Early in 1807, after making unsuccessful attempts to 

scale Pikes Peak, Capt. Zebulon M. Pike's expedition 

crossed the Sangre de Cristo Range, skirted the base 

of Sierra :Blanca, and camped on the banks of the Rio 

Grande, near the present site of the city of Alamosa. 

Captain Pike's diary contains the first authentic 

record made by any American traveler in this territory. 

Numerous exploring parties, including that led by 

John C. Fremont, followed the Rio Grande through 

100 150MILES 

·FIGURE 1.-Map showing original 17 counties created in 1861 by first Territorial legislature of Colorado. Colorado City wns the first capital, in 1861; Golden was 

the capital in 1862-1867; Denver has been.the capital since 1868 

site of Denver. A few temporary camps were established by gold seekers south of the site of Brighton in 

the early sixties, but no permanent settlements were 

made. 

ALAMOSA COUNTY 

Alamosa County lies in the south-central part of the 

State, in the heart of the San Luis Valley.· In outline 

it is an irregular pentagon having an extreme length, 

from east to west, of 30 miles, and ari ex~reme width, 

from north to south, of 27 miles. Its area is 465,280 

acres. The surface is generally level except in the 

northeast part, where it rises into broken hills, which 

culminate in two massive peaks, Old Baldy and Sierra 

this country. The town of Alamosa was 1ounded in 

1878. Alamosa County is the youngest in the State; 

it was created by the &tate legislature in 1913 from 

parts of Conejos and Costilla counties. 

ARAPAHOE COUNTY 

Arapahoe County lies in the north-central part of 

the State, a part of its western boundary being formed 

by the city of Denver. It is an irregular rectangle, 

72 miles long and 12 miles wide. Its area is 538,880 

acres. 

Arapahoe was one of the original 17 counties in 

Colorado Territory as organized in 1861. It was 
LOCATION, AREA, AND ORGANIZATION OF THE MINING COUNTIES 19 

originally much larger than it is now, having at one 

time extended to the Kansas line. Parts of it were 

taken to form Adams and Denver counties in 1902 

and Washington and Yuma counties in 1903. 

ARCHULETA COUNTY 

Archuleta. County is in the southwestern part of the 

State. Its southern boundary is formed by the 

State of New Mexico, and its eastern boundary by the 

main range of the Rocky Mountains. It is rectangular in outline. Its extreme length, from east to 

west, is about 60 miles, and its extreme width is 33 

miles. Its area is· 780,800 acres, or about 100,000 

acres greater than that of the State of Rhode Island. 

When Colorado Territory was organized in 1861, 

the area that now forms Archuleta County wa:s included in Conejos County. Archuleta County was 

organized in 1885 and was named in honor of J. M· 

Archuleta, then a prominent citizen of old Conejos 

·County. 

BACA COUNTY 

Baca County lies in the extreme southeast corner of 

the State. It is bounded on the east by Kansas, and 

on the south by Oklahoma and New Mexico. It is a 

regular rectangle, 55 miles long from east to west, and 

44 miles wide. Its area is 1,633,280 acres, or about 

400.,000 acres more than that of the State of Delaware. 

Its surface is a comparatively level plateau, broken 

by a low range of hills in the southwest. The altitude 

ranges from about 3,800 feet in the extreme east to 

5, 700 feet in the southwest. 

It has long been believed that Coronado, in his 

explorations of the Southwest in 1540 (see p. 1), 

crossed the corner of what is now Baca County. He 

appears to have gone up Cimarron River over a part 

of what later became the Santa Fe Trail. Early in the 

last century there was considerable travel through 

this part of Colorado between Missouri River and 

Santa Fe. The mountain division of the Santa Fe 

Trail crossed what is now Baca County, along the 

north side of Cimarron River. Three granite markers 

now show the course of this historic trail through Baca 

County. Although the travel there was considerable 

no settlements were made until the early sixties. For 

about 20 years isolated ranchers made their homes in 

the valleys of streams in this territory. The actual 

settlement of the county, however, did not begin until 

1887, when there was a considerable influx of stockmen 

and some farmers to this part of Colorado. 

The county was created in 1889 from a part of Las 

Animas County. · 

BOULDER COUNTY 

Boulder County lies in the north-central part of the 

State. The Continental Divide forms its western 

boundary. It is of somewhat rectangular outline, is 

33 miles long east to west, and is 24 miles wide. · Its 

area is 488,960 acres. The surface is extremely 

varied, being a rolling or broken valley in the east and 

rising to the summit of the Continental,Divide on the 

west. 

Boulder County was one of the original 17 counties 

included in Colorado Territory when it was organized 

in 1861. Its boundaries have never been changed. 

CHAFFEE COUNTY 

Chaffee County lies near the central part of the 

State. Its western boundary is formed by the Saguache Mountains, which here constitute the Continental Divide, and its eastern boundary by the 

Park Range. It has an extremely irregular outline, 

is about 45 miles long from north to south and about 

.25 miles wide near its central part. Its area is 693,120 

acres, about 10,000 acres more than that of the State 

of Rhode Island. Its surface is principally mountainous and its altitude ranges from about 7,000 feet 

at the point where Arkansas River crosses its southern 

boundary to more than 14,000 feet at the summits 

of some of the peaks in the Saguache Range. 

In 1879 Chaffee County was organized from a 

part of Lake County and was named in honor of 

Jero!Jle B. Chaffee, one of Colorado's first United 

States Senators. 

CLEAR CREEK COUNTY 

Clear Creek County lies in the north-c~ntral part 

of the State. Its western boundary is formed by 

the Continental Divide. It is of irregular outline 

and has an extreme length, from east to west, . of 

about 25 miles, near the central part, and an extreme 

width of about 20 miles. Its area is 249,600 acres. 

The surface is principally mountainous, and the altitude ranges from 6,880 feet, at the northeast· corner, 

to more than 14,000 feet at the summits of some of 

the peaks in the western part. 

The county was organized in 1861, soon after Colorado Territory had been formed.· lt was named for 

the stream along the course of which most of the 

early prospecting was done. 

CONEJOS COUNTY 

Conejos County lies in the south-central part of 

the State and contains a portion of the southern end 

of the San Luis Valley. The Rio Grande forms the 

· eastern boundary and the main range of the Rocky 

Mountains forms the western. It is of rectangular 

outline and has an extreme length, from east to west, 

of 45 miles and an extreme width, from north to 

south,of 30 miles. Its area is 801,280 acres, or about 

119,000 acres greater than the area of Rhode Island. 

The surface is level in the east but rises rather 

steeply in the west to the Continental Divide. The 

altitude ranges from 7,000 feet in the extreme south-
20 MINING IN COLORADO 

east to more than 13,000 feet at the summits o~ 

some of the mountain peaks nAar the western border. 

Conejos wa$ one of the original 17 counties .in 

Colorado Territory and was, when first organized, 

much larger than it is to-day. 

COSTILLA COUNTY 

Costilla County is in the south-central part of the 

State and includes a .part of the south end of the San 

Luis Valley. The Rio Grande forms a part of its 

western boundary, the Sangre de Cristo Range its 

northern and eastern boundary, and the State of 

New Mexico its southern boundary. Its area is 

758,400 acres, about 32,000 acres more than the 

combined areas of Rhode Island and the District of 

Columbia. The county is of irregularly rectangular. 

shape and· has an extreme length, from north to 

south, of about 54 miles and an extreme width, from 

east to west, of about 32 miles. .The surface. in the 

southwest is a level valley, which rises rather steeply 

toward the east and northeast, culminating in the 

high peaks of the Sangre de Cristo Range. The 

altitude ranges from about 7,500 feet in the south~ 

west to more than 14,000 feet at the summit of Old 

Baldy and other peaks of the Sangre de Cristo Rl}nge .. 

Costilla County was organized as one of the original 

17 counties of Colorado Territory in 1861 and was at 

that time considerably larger than now. A large part 

of it was included in'old Spanish land grants. 

CUSTER COUNTY 

Custer/ County lies in the south-central part of the 

State, the Sangre de Cristo Range forming its western 

boundary. It is of irregularly triangular shape and 

has an extreme length at the base, which is the north 

boundary, of 38 miles and a width of 25 miles. Its 

area is 478,080 acres. Its surface forms a plateau 

that rises into a rugged range of hills near the eastern 

boundary and that culminates in the Sangre de 

Cristo Range ·on the west. The altitude ranges from 

about 6, 700 feet at the northern boundary to more 

than 14,000 feet at the summits of some of the peaks 

of the Sangre de Cristo Range. . 

The county was organized in 1877 from a part of 

Fremont County. 

DENVER COtrNTY 

Denver County is identical in its boundaries with 

the city of Denver. It lies near the foothills on the 

eastern side of the Rocky Mountains, in the northcentral part of the State. It is the smallest county 

·in Colorado, having an area of 37,120 acres. · South 

Platte River flows. north through the central part of 

the county, and Cherry Creek, which comes in from 

the southeast, enters the Platte near the center of 

the business part of the city. The valleys of these 

streams contain the lowest altitudes in the county, 

and the surface rises gradually to the east and west 

of these streams, being generally level or gently 

sloping. The altitude ranges from 5,180 feet to 

about 5,350 feet. 

The area was originally included ill Arapahoe 

County. Denver County was not organized until 

1902. Arapahoe County was then much larger than 

it is at present, including all of what is now Adams 

County and extending east to the Kansas line. 

Denver County was larger ·when first created than it 

is now. In 1909 a part of its original territory was 

added to Adams County, leaving the boundaries of 

Denver County as they are at present. 

DOLORES COUNTY 

Dolores County, in the southwestern part of the 

State, is bounded on the south by Montezuma County. 

and on the west by Utah. It is of rectangular outline and has an extreme length, from east to west, of 

65 miles and an extreme width of 24 miles. Its area is 

667,520 acres, slightly less than the area of the State 

of Rhode Island. The surface consists of broken 

table-land in the west, which rises to the summits of 

the La Plata and San Miguel mountains on "the 

eastern border. The altitude ranges from about 

5,900 feet in the extreme southwest to about 13,000 

feet at the summits of some of the peaks on the 

eastern boundary. 

The area now included in Dolores County was at 

first a part of La Plata County and was made a part 

of Ouray County in 1877. Dolores County as it now 

exists was created in 1881. 

DOUGLAS COUNTY 

Douglas County lies in the nort.h-central'part of the 

State. Its western boundary is formed by Platte 

River and the South Fork of the Platte. In outline 

it is a truncated tr!angle, the southern boundary 

forming the base. It is 30 miles long and is 30 miles 

. wide at its southern boundary and about 20 miles at 

its northern boundary. Its area is 540,800 acres. 

The surface varies from level or gently rolling plains 

in the west and north to a rugged foothill district in 

the southwest. The altitude ranges from 5,400 feet 

in the northwest to about 7,600 feet in the extreme 

southwest. 

The county was one of the original 17 counties of 

Colorado Territory as it was organized by the act of 

the first Colorado territorial legislature, in · 1861. 

It was named for Stephen A. Douglas. At that time 

the county extended eastward to the Kansas line. 

A part of it was taken to form Elbert County in 1874. 
LOCATION, AlmA, AND ORGANIZATION OF THE MINING COUNTIES 21 

EAGLE COUNTY 

Eagle County lies in the west-central part of the 

State. Its surface is principally mountainous and 

its eastern boundary is formed by the Gore Range 

of mountains. Its area is 1,036~800 acres. It is 

rectangular in outline and has an extreme length, from 

east to west, of 48 miles and an extreme width of 38 

miles. The altitude ranges from about 6,150 ·feet 

where Colorado River cross~s the western boundary 

to over 13,000 feet at the s.ummits of the mountain 

peaks in the east and southeast. 

The county was· organized in 1883 from a part of 

Summit County. 

EL PASO COUNTY 

El Paso· County lies in the east-central part of the 

State and is, as its name implies, a- sort of open door 

or "pass" between the Great Plains region of eastern 

Colorado and the picturesque mountain region beyond. 

It is an almost perfect rectangle, though i't has some 

slight irregularities on the western boundary. Its ex-. 

treme length from east to west is 55 miles, and "its width 

is 42 miles. Its area is 1,357,440 acres, or a little more. 

than one-third that of the State of New Je:rSey. The 

surface is principally a level or somewhat broken plain, 

but it rises steeply in the extreme west to the summit 

of Pikes Peak and other high mountains in the district 

immediately west of Colorado Springs. The altitude 

ranges from about 5,000feet in the southwest to 14,110 

feet at the summit of Pikes Peak, near the western 

boundary. 

El Paso County was one of the original17 counties 

included· in Colorado Territory. A part of it was 

taken in 1899 to form Teller County. . 

FREMONT COUNTY 

Fremont County lies· in the south-central part of 

the State on the eastern boundary of the mineralized 

belt. A part of the western boundary is formed by 

the Sangre de Cristo mountain range. It is of rectangular outline and is about 60 miles long from east to 

west and about 30 miles wide.· Its area is 996,480 

acres, a little less than two-thirds that of the State 

of Connecticut. The surface is principally rolling 

or mountainous. The altitude ranges from about 

5,000 feet at· the point where Arkan.sas River crosses 

the eastern boundary to more than 12,000 feet at the 

summits of some of the peaks in the southwestern 

part. 

Fremont is one of the original 17 counties in Colorado Territory, organized in 1861, and was named in 

honor of John C. Fremont, who crossed this territory 

several times in his efforts to discover a feasible railway route across the Rocky Mountains. 

GARFIELD COUNTY 

Garfield County lies in the western part of Colorado 

and includes a part of the Grand Valley, which is one 

of the best known agricultural and fruit-raising districts 

in the State. It forms an extremely irregular rectangle 

which is 110 miles longfrom east to west and about 50 

miles wide at the eastern end. Its width at the west 

end, where it touches the State of Uta4, is about 20 

miles. Its area is 1,988,480 acres, a little more than 

the combined areas of the States of Delaware and 

Rhode Island. The surface is extremely irregular, 

ranging in altitude from about 4, 700 feet at the western 

boundary to over 13,000 feet at the summits of some 

of the peaks in the northeastern part. 

The territory now included in Garfield County was 

originally occupied by the Ute Indians. There was 

·. no development worthy of note until after 1881, when 

the Indi~ns were by treaty removed from-this part of 

Colorado to western Utah. Small prospecting parties · 

explored the mountainous areas, both north and 

south of Colorado River, about 1879 and built a fort 

not far from the site of Glenwood Springs, which they 

called Fort Defiance. The county was organized·in 

1883 from a part of Summit County"·and was named 

in honor of President James A. Garfield. A part of it 

was taken to form Rio Blanco County in 1889. 

GILPIN COUNTY 

Gilpin County lies in the north-central part of the 

State. A part of its western boundary is formed by 

the Continental Divide. It is an irregular triangle, 

having an extreme length of about 16 miles near the 

center and an extreme width on the eastern boundary 

of 13 miles. It is the smallest county in Colorado 

except Denver, which includes only the city of Denver. · 

Its area is 84,480 acres. The surface is almost all 

mountainous, and the altitude ranges from 6,880 feet 

at the southeast corner to about 14,000 feet at the 

summits of some of the peaks on the western boundary. 

The county was one of the original 17 counties included in Colorado Territory as organized in 1861. It. 

was named in honor of William Gilpin, the first governor of 'the Territory. 

GRAND COUNTY 

Grand County lies in the north-central part of the 

State. Its eastern boundary is formed by the Con-: 

tinental Divide, the northern boundary by the Rabbit 

Ears mountain range, and part of the southern boundary by the Williams Fork Mountains. It is made up 

principally of a mountain park known as Middle 

Park, which is surrounded· by mountain ranges. Its 

outline is irregular. The greatest length,. from north 

to south, is about_ 55 miles, and the greatest width is 
22 MINING IN COLORADO 

about 52 miles. Its area is 1,194,240 acres. The 

altitude ranges from about 7,800 feet in the extreme 

southwest to more than 13,000 feet at the summits of 

some of the peaks on the eastern boundary. 

The county was organized in 1874 from a part of 

Summit County. 

GUNNISON COUNTY 

Gunnison County lies in the north-centr:al part of 

the State. Its eastern boundary is formed principally 

by the Continental Divide. It is of very irregular 

triangular outline and has an extreme length from 

north to south of about 90 miles and an extreme width 

of 65 miles. Its area is 2,034,560 acres, or a little more 

than the combined areas of the States of Delaware and 

Rhode Island. The surface is extremely irregular and 

in most parts mountainous. The altitude ranges from 

about 6,875 feet at the place where the Gunnison 

crosses the western boundary to about 14,000 feet at 

the summits of some of the peaks in the north and 

east. 

The county was organized in 1877 from a part of 

Lake County. 

. · IDNSDALE COUNTY 

Hinsdale . County lies in the southwestern part of 

the State, in what is known as the ·san Juan mining, 

district. It is of irregularly rectangular outline, 

broadened at the north _end. Its extreme length from 

north to south is about 52 miles and its extreme width 

from east to west is 26 miles. Its area is 621,440 

acres. The surface is nearly all mountainous, the 

altitude ranging. from about 8,500 feet where Lake 

Fork branch of Gunnison River crosses the north 

boundary to more than 14,000 feet at the summits of 

some of the peaks in the San Juan Range near the 

central part. 

The county was organized in 187 4 from parts of · 

Conejos, Costilla, and Lake counties. 

HUERFANO COUNTY 

Huerfano County lies in the south-Gentral part of 

the State. Its western boundary is formed by the 

Sangre de Cristo and Culebra mountain ranges., which 

are really but one range, though known by different 

names in different places. It has a more irregular 

outline than any. other county in the State. Its 

extreme length, from east to west, is about 48 miles, 

.and its width, from north to south, near the central 

part, is about 40 miles,. Its .area is 960,000 acres, or 

300,000 acres more than that of the State of Rhode 

Island. The surface is an irregular plateau broken 

by many narrow valleys in the east and rising into a 

rugged mountainous area in the west. The altitude 

ranges from about 5,690 feet at the north boundary 

to more than 13,000 feet at the summits of the 

mountains on the west. 

The county was organized in 1861 as one of the 

original 17 counties in Colorado Territory but was 

much larger at that time than it is at present. 

JACKSON COUNTY 

Jackson County lies in the north-.central part of 

the State and includes the mountain valley known 

as North Park. The State of Wyoming forms its 

northern boundary. · Mountain ranges bound it on 

the other sides-the Medicine Bow Range on the 

east, the Rabbit Ears Range on the south, and the 

Park Range on the west. It is very irregular· in 

outline and has an extreme length, from north to 

south, of about 45 miles and an extreme width of 

42 miles. . Its area is 1,044,480 acres. The surf ape 

is principally rolling or level mountain valley, which 

rises gradually to mountain ranges on all sides except the north. The altitude ranges from about 

7,800 feet at the point where the North Platte crosses 

the north boundary to more than 12,000 feet at the 

summits of the peaks in the bordering ranges. 

The county was organized in 1909 from a part of 

Larimer County and named in honor of President 

Andrew Jackson . 

JEFFERSON COUNTY 

Jefferson County lies in the north-central part of 

the State, the city of Denver forming a part of its 

eastern boundary. It is an irregular triangle, with 

an extreme length of 72 miles from north to south. 

Its width is about 20 miles at the north boundary 

and a little more than 1 mile in the extreme south. 

Its area is 517,120 acres. Its surface is principally 

mountainous, though some level or rolling valley 

land 'lies along the courses of the streams. The 

altitude ranges from about 5,300 feet in the east to 

nearly 10,000 feet in the extreme west. 

The early history of this county is closely linked 

with that of the city of Denver. The first settlements within the present limits of the county were 

made by gold seekers about the time the foundations 

of tlie city of Denver were being laid, in 1859. The city 

of Golden was founded in 1859 and was first called 

Golden City. For a number of years it rivaled 

Denver for the honor of being the first city in the 

State. It was made the capital of Colorado Territory in 1862 and retained the honor until 1867; when 

the seat of government was transferred to Denver. 

The Colorado School of Mines was opened at Golden 

in 1874. Jefferson County was one of the original 17 

counties in Colorado and was named in honor of 

Thomas Jefferson. The Territory itself was first 

called Jefferson, but the name was afterward changed 

to Colorado, from the Spanish adjective meaning red, 

· suggested by the abundance of red rock outcrops. A 

part of the territory of the county was added to that 

of Park County in 1908. 
LOCATION, AREA, AND ORGANIZATION OF THE MINING COUNTIES 23 

LAKE COUNTY 

Lake County is an extremely rugged, mountainous 

area near the center of the State, ail the very crest of 

the main range of the Rocky Mountains. It is relatively small but is famous the world over as one of 

the richest known .mineral-producing districts. It is 

of an irregular rectangular shape, is 24 miles long 

from north to south, and is about 22 miles wide at its 

southern boundary. It is bounded on the east by the 

Park Range and on the west by the Saguache Range, 

which here forms the Continental Divide. Its area 

is 237,440 acres. The surface is nearly all mountainous. The altitude ranges from about 8,935 feet at 

the point where Arkansas River crosses the south 

bolltldary to 14,420 feet at the summit of Mount 

Elbert, the highest point in Colorado. 

Lake County was organized in 1861 as one of the 

original17 counties of Colorado, but at that time was 

much larger than it is at present. 

LA PLATA COUNTY 

La Plata County is in the southwestern part of the 

St·ate and includes a considerable portion of the agri- . 

cultural territory popularly known as the San Juan 

Basin. Its southern boundary is formed by the State 

of New Mexico. Its shape is that of a truncated triangle. It has an extreme length of about 40 miles,. 

from north to south, and an extreme width of 38 miles 

near its southern end. Its area is 1,184,640 acres, or 

about 73,000 acres les$ than that of the State of 

Delaware. In its southern part its surface is divided 

into level table-lands interspersed with small timbered 

hills, but it rises steeply into a rugged mountainous 

region in its northern part. Its altitude ranges from 

.about 5,900 feet at its southern boundary to more 

than 14,000 feet at the summits of some of the peaks 

in the north. 

The county was organized in 1874, then comprising 

a terri.tory nearly four times as large as the pre'sent 

county. 

LARIMER COUNTY 

Larimer County lies in the north-central part of 

the State. Its northern boundary is formed by the 

State of Wyoming and its western boundary by the 

Medicine Bow mountain range. It is of irregularly 

rectangular outline except along its western boundary. 

Its extreme length from east to west, along the northern boundary, is 64 miles and its width is about 50 

miles. Its area is 1,682,560 acres. The surface ranges 

from level plains. in the eastern part to an extremely 

rugged mountainous area in the west. The altitude 

ranges from about· 4,800 feet in the east to more than 

14,000 feet at the summits of some of the peaks near 

the western boundary. · 

Larimer County, one of the original counties of 

Colorado Territory, was named in honor of Gen. 

William Larimer, a well-known Colorado pioneer and 

one of the founders of the city of Denver. A part of 

its original territory was taken to form Jackson County 

in 1909. 

LAS ANIMAS COUNTY 

Las Animas County lies in the southeastern part of 

the State. Its southern boundary is formed by the 

State of New Mexico, and part of its eastern boundary 

by the Culebra Mountains. It is of irregularly rectangular outline and has an extreme length, from east to 

west, of 116 miles, and an extreme width, near its central part, of about 55 miles. It is the largest county 

in Colorado. Its area is 3,077,760 acres, or' about 

7,000 acres less than that of the State of Connecticut. 

The surface in the. east is broken prairie and in the 

west a plateau, which rises into a mountainous district west of Trinidad: Its altitude ranges from about 

5,300 feet in its northeastern part to more than 14,000 

feet at the summits of the highest peaks in the Culebra 

Range. 

The county was organized in 1866 from a part of 

Huerfano County. 

MESA COUNTY 

Mesa County is the center of the tier of western 

counties that border on the State of Utah. It is of 

irregularly triangular shape and has an extreme 

length, on the north, of about 84 miles from east to ·west 

and a width of 62 miles on the western boundary 

and of about 10 miles·in the extreme northeast corner. 

Its area is 2,024,320 acres, or a little. less than twothirds that of the State of Connecticut. Its surface 

is extremely varied, and its altitude ranges from about 

4,360 feet at the point where Colorado River crosses 

the· western boundary to over 9,000 feet on the 

Uncompahgre Plateau, on the south, and about 10,000 

feet on the Battlement Mesa, on the northeast. 

The county was organized in 1883 from a part of 

Gunnison County and received its. name from the 

great table-land on its eastern side called Battlement 

Mesa. · 

MINERAL COUNTY 

Mineral County lies in the south-central part of 

the State, just west of the San Luis Valley and near 

the crest of the continent. It is of rectangular out- · 

line and has an extreme length, from north to south, 

of 40 miles and an extreme width of 24 miles. Its 

area is 554,240 acres. The surface is generally rugged 

and mountainous, and the altitude ranges from 8,250 

feet where the Rio Grande crosses the eastern boundary to more than 13,000 feet at the summits of peaks 

in the San Juan Range. " 

The county was created in 1893 froni parts of 0 Hinsdale, Rio Grande, and Saguache counties. 
24 MINING IN COLORADO 

MOFFAT COUNTY 

Moffat County is in the extreme northwest corner 

of the State, the northern boundary being formed by 

the State of Wyoming and the western boundary by 

the State of Utah. It is a perfect rectangle except 

for slight irregularities on its eastern boundary. Its 

extreme length, from east to west, is about 91 miles, 

and its width is about 55 miles. Its area is 2,981,120 

acres, or about 100,000 acres less than that of the 

State of Connecticut. It is the second county in size 

in Colorado, being surpassed only by Las Animas 

County. Its surface is a broken plateau, which 

becomes slightly mountainous in the northeast and 

in the extreme northwest.· The altitude ranges from 

about 5,400 feet at the point wpere Yampa River 

crosses the wester~ boundary to about 7,600 feet in 

the extreme northeast part. The county was organized in 1911 from the western part of Routt County 

and named in honor of David H. Moffat, builder of 

the "Moffat" railroad and one of the best known of 

Colorado's pioneers. . 

MO.NTEZUMA COUNTY 

Montezuma County is in the extreme southwest 

corner . of Colorado, the southern boundary being 

formed by New Mexico and the western boundary by 

Utah. It is of irregularly rectangular outline and has 

an extreme length, from east to west, of about 50 miles 

and an extreme width, from north to south, of about 

38 .miles. Its area is 1,312,640· acres, or about twice 

that of .the State of' Rhode Island. It is a broken 

table-land in the south and west and rises rather 

abruptly to the summits of the La Plata Mountains 

in the northeast. The altitude ranges from about 

5,600 feet in the southeast to nearly 13,000 feet at the 

summits of some of the peaks in the northeast. The 

county, which was organized in 1889, was formed from 

the western part of La Plata County and was named 

for the famous ruler of the Aztecs. 

MONTROSE COUNTY 

Montrose County lies somewhat south of the westcentral part of the State .. Its western boundary is 

formed by the State of Utah. Its outline is that of a 

• double rectangle having an extreme length, from east· 

to west, of about 86 miles and an extreme width of 35 

miles. Its area is 1,448,960 acres, or about one-fourth 

that of the State of New Hampshire. Its surface in 

general is a broken table-land crossed by numerous 

valleys that extend generally from the southeast to 

the northwest. The Uncompahgre Plateau extends 

northwest from the San Juan Mountains across its 

central part. Its altitude ranges from about 5,150. 

o feet on the western boundary to about 9,600 feet in the 

most elevated po~nts of the Uncompahgre Plat~au. 

The county was organized in 1883 from a part of 

. Gunnison County. 

• OURAY COUNTY 

Ouray County li'es in the south~estern part of the 

State and includes a part of the rich mineral belt 

known as the San Juan district~ It is of irregularly 

triangular outline, with the base to the north. Its 

ex_treme length, from north to south, is 33 miles, and 

its extreme width is about 29 miies. Its area is 332,160 

acres, or about half that of the State of Rhode Island. 

Its southern part is mountainous, and its northern 

part is level or broken, including a portion. of the 

Uncompahgre Valley. The altitude ranges from 6,300 

feet at the north boundary to over 14,000 feet at the 

summits of some of the mountains in the southern part. 

The terri tory was included in the tract of land ceded 

by the Southern Ute Indians to the United States in 

1873. It had been but little explored prior to this 

time, but settlers and prospectors flocked into the 

entire territory immediately after the treaty was 

ratified, and rich mineral deposits were soon found in 

the district now included in Ouray Co\lllty. In the 

summer of 18T5 a permanent mining camp grew up in 

the heart of the mountains near the southern erid of 

the Cimarron Range. This camp formed the 

nucleus of the town of Ouray, which was named in 

honor of a well-known Ute chief, whose services to the 

whites in this section were very great. Rich deposits 

of gold and silver were found in the Mount Sneffels 

district in 1875, and two years later the Virginius mine 

was opened. The county was organized in 1877. 

At that time it extended west to the State line and 

included the territory now embraced in Dolores and 

San Miguel counties. 

PARK COUNTY 

Bark County lies almost exactly in the center of the 

State and includes the beautiful mountain-rimmed 

meadow known as South Park. Its western boundary 

is at the summit of the Park Range, which at some 

places forms the Continental Divide. The county is 

extremely irregular in outline. It is about 60 miles 

long from north to south and has an extreme width of 

about 45 miles. Its area is 1,434,880 acres. Its surface is principally hilly or mountainous except in South 

Park, which lies near its center and which is nearly 

50 miles long and from 11 to 40 miles wide. In altitude the county ra~ges from about 7,200 feet at the 

point where Platte River crosses its eastern boundary 

to more than 14,000 feet at the summits of some of the 

peaks in its western part. 

Park County was organized as one of the original 

17 ·counties in· Colorado Territory. It was named in 

honor of the beautiful valley, on the rim of which most 

of the prospect camps were located. 
LOCATION, AREA, AND ORGANIZATION OF THE MiNING COUNTIES 25 

PITKIN COUNTY 

Pitkin County is in the central part of ·the State, 

just west of the main range of the Rockies. It is of 

extremely irregular outline, is about 54 miles in length 

along its north boundary and about 30 miles in width 

north and south through its central part. Its area is 

652, 160 acres. The surf ace varies greatly, ranging from 

rugged mountains resplendent with natural grandeur to 

broad valleys in which agriculture is practiced profitably. Several n1esas scattered through the county" 

provide a considerable area of level, fertile, and productive farm land. The altitude ranges from about 

6,625 feet in its northwestern ·part to more than 14,200 

feet at the sun:units of some of the peaks in the east 

and south. 

The county was organized in 1881 from a part of 

Gunnison County. 

PUEBLO COUNTY 

P.ueblo County lies in the south-central part of the 

State and includes a portion of the .Arkansas Valley, 

one of the best known agricultural areas in Colorado. 

It is of irregular outline and has an extremelength, 

from north to south, of 54 miles on its eastern boundary 

and an extreme width of 54 miles. Its area is 1,557,120 

acres, a little more than half that of the State of 

Connecticut.· The surface is principa:Uy a· broken 

plain, through the central part of which passes the 

valley of Arkansas River. Toward the southwest it 

rises gradually into a rugged foothill district,· its 

altitude ranging from about 4,350 feet at the point 

where Arkansas River crosses its eastern boundary 

to a little over 8,000 feet in the extreme southwest. 

Pueblo County was one of the original,17 counties 

in Colorado Territory. 

RIO BLANCO COUNTY 

Rio Blanc~ County lies in the ·northwestern part 

of the State. Its western boundary is formed by the 

State of Utah, and it includes the northern part of 

the old Uinta Indian Reservation. It is of irregularly 

rectangular shape, and its area is 2,062, 720 acres, 

about two-thirds of that of the State of Connecticut. 

It is the fourth county in Colorado. in· size, being surpassed only by Las Animas, Moffat, and Weld counties. 

Its extre~e length, from east to west, is about 110 miles. 

and its extreme width, along its western·boundary, is 

about 40 miles. The .surface in' the west is a high, 

broken. pJateau, which rises rather steeply to the 

mountainous district known as · the White River 

Plateau. The altitude ranges from about 5,800 feet at 

its western boundary to more than 12,000 feet at the 

summits of some of the peaks in the eastern part. 

This region played a prominent part in the early 

history of Colorado, as it was the scene of encounters 

with the Ute Indians, which finally led to the removal 

of all the members of this tribe in Colorado to western 

Utah. In the spring of 1878 Nathan C. Meeker, for 

whom the town of Meeker, the county seat of Rio 

Blanco County, was named, was appointed Indian 

agent in this territory. · He had trouble with the 

Indians from the first, and in the fall of 1879 he 

·asked for troops to protect him and his associates. 

Major T. T. Thornburgh, with a company of 160 men, 

was ordered to assist Meeker, and started for the 

White River Agency in September, 1879". On the 

morning of September 29 Major Thornburgh and 

his men were ambushed in Red Canyon, a narrow 

ravine ·in the northern part of Rio Blanco County, 

where 15 soldiers were killed and 35 wounded. Major 

Thornburgh himself was killed and scalped. Meanwhile a party of Utes attacked Meeker and the em- . 

ployees at the Indian agency, killed most of them, and 

took the women prisoners. Immediately after these 

outrages there was a general demand for the removal 

of the Indians from this region, and in 1881 about 

17,000 of them were placed on the Uinta Reservation 

in Utah. Rio Blanco County was organized in 1889 

from the northern part of Garfield county. 

RIO GRANDE COUNTY 

Rio Grande County lies in the south-central part 

of the State and includes most of the western extension 

of the San Luis Valley. It is of irregularly rectangular 

outline and has an extreme length, from east to west, 

of 30 miles and an extreme width of 25 miles. The 

surface is generally level except in t~e southwest, 

where it rises steeply to form the San Juan Mountains. 

Its area is 574,720 acres. The. altitude ranges from 

about 7,600 feet where the Rio Grande crosses the 

eastern boundary to about 13,000 feet at the summits 

of peaks of the San Juan Mountains in the southwest. 

Early explorers frequently followed the Rio Grande 

across the territory now included in this co1:1nty. 

John C. Fremont's fourth Rocky Mountain expedition crossed the area in 1848 and came to grief 

in the bleak San Juan Range, farther west. In 1860 

a colony of Mexicans settled in the valley of the 

Rio Grande not far from the present site of Monte 

Vista. In 1870 gold was discovered in the western 

part of the county, and for se:veral years mining 

development was rapid. For a short tiine in the early 

eighties this county ranked th~d in the State in 

production of gold. The county was organized in 

1874 from parts of Conejos and Costilla counties and 

was named from the principal stream of the San Luis 

Valley. 

ROUTT COUNTY 

Routt County lies in the northwestern par.t of the 

State. Its northern boundary is formed by the State 

of Wyoming -and a part of its eastern bo1,1ndary by 

the Continental Divide. It is of extremely irregular 
26 MINING IN COLORADO 

rectangular shape, 75 miles long from north to south 

and about 42 miles wide. Its area is 1,477,760 ·acres, 

about 220,000 acres more. than that of the State of 

Delaware. The surface is generally rough or mountainous, except in the valleys of Yampa River and its 

tributaries. The altitude ranges- from about 6,230 

feet at the point where Yampa River crosses the 

western boundary to about 12,000 feet at the summits of some of the peaks on the eastern boundary. 

This part of Colorado was frequently visited by 

trappers, explorers, and prospectors before 1860, but 

no settlement was made until about 1866. In 1864 a 

prospector named Way discovered placer gold at the 

base of Hahns Peak while returning to Clear Creek 

County, from which he had started on his prospecting 

tour. He told the story of his discovery to Joseph 

Hahn, for whom the peak was later named. The 

two organized a party of miners and went to the Territory in 1866, establishing a small settlement near the 

present site of the town of Hahns Peak. They encountered many hardships in the severe w~nter that 

followed and finally gave up further efforts to develop 

the deposits they discovered. The county was organized in 1877 from a part of Grand County and 

was named in honor of John L. Routt, twice governor 

of Colorado. 

SAGUACHE COUNTY. 

Saguache County is in the south-central part of 

the State and includes the north end of the San Luis. 

Valley. It is of irregular shape and has an extreme 

length, from east to west, of about 85 miles and an 

extreme width, from north to south, of about 48 

miles. Its area is 2,005,120 acres, or about 65,000 

acres greater than the combined areas of the States of 

Rhode Island and Delaware. Its eastern boundary 

is formed by the Sangre de Cristo mountain range, 

and the Continental Divide passes across its northwest~rn corner. The San Luis Valley extends northward about 30 miles into the central part of the county. 

The surface here is level, forming a plain, which rises 

gradually to the Sangre de Cristo Range on the east. 

The altitude ranges from 7,500 feet ·in the southern 

part of the county to more than 14,000 feet at the 

summit of peaks of the Sangre de Cristo Range. For 

a distance of more than 50 miles every peak in this 

range rises to a height of 13,500 feet or more. 

The first settlement was made in 1865 on Saguache 

River, near the present site of Saguache, by soldiers 

of the First Regiment of Colorado Volunteers. In 

1867 Otto Mears, whose name is woven into the 

history of every county. in southwestern Colorado, 

began his work of opening up wagon roads into the 

San Juan district, and. for several years he did considerable work in Sagl_lache County. The cou:t;1-ty 

itself was organized in 1867 from a part of Costilla 

County. The name is of Indian origin and is said 

to be abridged from a Ute expression meaning "blue 

earth." The first settlers were chiefly miners, prospectors, and cattlemen. 

SAN JUAN COUNTY 

San Juan ·County is in the southwestern part of 

the State, in the heart of what is known as the San 

Juan mining district. This district takes its name 

from the San Juan Mountains, the principal range 

in this part of Colorado, whereas the agricultural 

district to the south, popularly known as the San 

Juan Basin, takes its name from San Juan River, 

which drains southwestern Colorado and northwestern 

New Mexico. The county is of triangular shape and 

has an extreme length, from north to south, of 30 miles 

and an extreme width, at the base of the triangle, of 

25 miles. Its area is 289,920 acres. There are but 

four smaller counties in Colorado-Denver, Gilpin, 

Clear Creek, and Lake counties. The surface is extremely rugged, but there are a· few small mountain 

valleys. The altitude ranges from about 8,500 feet 

at the ·point where Animas River crosses the southern 

boundary to more than 14,000 feet at the summits of 

some of. the peaks in the north. 

The early Spanish explorers penetrated the rugged 

area now included in San Juan County, where Spanish 

names have been given to numerous rivers and mountains. John C. Fremont's fourth expedition is supposed 

to have reached a point in this county late in 1848 before 

the severe winter forced the few remaining members 

of his party to make a painful journey back over the 

mountains into the San Luis Valley. John Baker's 

expedition passed through this region in 1860. Prospectors found pay ore here about 1870, but it was not 

until after ·the region had been bought from the 

Southern Ute Indians in 1873 that settlers began to 

come in. Mining development was rapid, for this is 

one of the richest gold and silver bearin~ areas in the 

State. The Durango & Southern Railroad, now a 

part of the Denver & Rio Grande Western system, 

was completed in 1882, and from that time on an 

immense store of ~ealth was poured out from the 

mines in the narrow canyons above Silverton. The 

county, which was organized in 1876, was taken from 

the northern part of La Plata County. 

SAN MIGUEL COUNTY 

San Miguel County lies in the southwestern part 

of the State. Its western boundary is formed by the 

State of Utah. It is of rectangular form, and its 

boundary lines are regular, except in its eastern and· 

southeastern parts, where they lie along "the summits 

of mountain ranges. Its extreme length, from east 

to west, is about 7 5 miles, and its extreme width is 

about 25 miles. The area of the county is 824,320 

acres, or about 433,000 acres less than the area of 

the State· of. Delaware. The altitude ranges fr()m 
DEVELOPMENT BY COUlifTIES 2.7 

about 5,000 feet in the west to nearly 14,000 feet at 

the sllinmits of some of the peaks on the eastern 

boundary. · 

The county was organized in 1883 from a part of 

Ouray County. 

SUMMIT COUNTY 

Summit County is in the north-central part of the 

State. The Gore Range forms most of its western 

boundary, and its eastern boundary is formed by the 

Williams Fork Mountains and the Continental 

Divide, here called the Snowy Range. The county 

is very irregular in outline. It has an extreme length, 

from north to south, of about 48 miles and an extreme 

width of 38 miles. Its area is 415,360 acres. Most 

of its surface is mountainous. The altitude ranges 

from about 8,500 feet in the north to more than 

14,000 feet at the summits of some of the peaks along 

the eastern and southern boundaries. · 

Summit County is one of the original 17 counties 

in Colorado Territory, organized in 1861. It was 

much larger then than now, including most of the 

area now divided into Eagle, Garfield, Grand, and 

Routt counties. · 

TELLER COUNTY 

Teller County lies in the central part of the State 

directly west of Colorado Springs, and Pikes Peak, the 

best known mountain in Colorado, lies near its eastern 

boundary. It is an irregular rectangle in outline, 

about 27 ~les long from north to south and 21 miles 

wide in its southern part. Its area is 550,080 acres, 

or a little less than half that of the State of Rhode 

Island. Most of its surface is mountainous, though 

there are a few tracts of rolling land in the mountain 

valleys. The altitude ranges from 7,600 feet, in the 

north, to about 13,000 feet at the summits of some of 

the mountain peaks in the southeast. 

Teller County was organized in 1899 from parts of 

El Paso and Fremont counties and was named in 

honor of Henry M. Teller, for thirty years United 

States Senator from Colorado. 

DEVELOPMENT BY COUNTIES 

ARAPAHOE, DENVER, AND JEFFERSON COUNTIES 

The city and county of Denver was separated in 

1902 from Arapahoe County,. one of the original 17 

counties of the State, in 1861. Arapahoe County 

originally included Cherry Creek and the "dry" 

creeks flowing from the Cherry Creek divide to the 

· Platte:-the streams on which the gold was found that 

brought the miners to Colorado in 1858. The bars on 

these creeks yielded fine gold· that had been reconcentrated from gold-bearing channels in the beds of 

the Tertiary Dawson arkose and of the Castle Rock 

conglomerate, tile latest sediments that were deposited 

along the flanks of the· Rocky Mountains from Colorado Springs to Denver and that extended over the 

Arkansas-Platte .divide, but the work of mining was 

not highly remunerative, although it was continued 

throughout 1859. In the geologically younger grave.ls 

of Clear Creek, which empties into the Platte north 

of Denver, the prospectors had better success at 

Arapahoe and Golden City, and from those places 

they followed Clear Creek to Jackson diggings and to 

Gregory diggings. 

GILPIN COUNTY 14 

John H. Gregory, the discoverer of Gregory diggings, 

was allowed two claims, Nos. 5 and 6, in the newly 

formed Gregory district, but he very soon gave an 

option on his claims to E. W. Henderson and A. Gridley. 

Henderson and Gridley apparently paid Gregory for 

claims Nos. 5 and 6 out of the gold won from these 

claims during the season of 1859. Several groups of 

men leased parts of the mine and worke~ with varying 

failure and success until the property.had been opened 

on the surface for a considerable length and to a 

depth of 130 feet at one. end and 180 feet at the other, 

where the vein pinched-that is, "the cap was 

reached.'' 

In 1860, according to Hollister, the east half of 

Gregory's Discovery claim was leased to an association called the American ·Mining Co. The leaf)ing 

system was therefore introduced by Americans and 

not, as has been supposed, by Welshmen, who carrie · 

later. Forty feet below the surface, as Hollister says/5 

the miners passed through "decomposed pyrites, 

quartz, dirt, and gossan and reached the undecomposed quartz, iron and copper pyrites, called the cap." 

This early local use of the term "cap" shows an 

interesting contrast with the present generally accepted use to indicate the decomposed vein matter or 

"gossan" near the surface. Instead of sinking a shaft 

they continued to work out the deposit through its 

whole length. The· mixed decomposed quartz and 

"cap" paid them tolerably well for a few weeks, but 

they found that the amalgam would unite with only 

a small proportion of the gold in the "cap," and the 

mine soon ceased to pay, so that they were unable to 

make their payments. The original owners therefore 

took the property back and leased it successively to 

several others on the same terms, with the same · 

result. All this time the mine was "in the cap," 

which was worked for its entire length. 

Gridley finally sold his interest to Henderson. In 

June, 1862, Henderson put on a force that worked 

night and day up to February, 1863, when the vein· 

was found to widen again. During these seven or . 

eight months the· ore taken out paid a little more than 

expenses, yielding $8 to $10 a ton. From February 

H See also Bastin, E. S., Henderson, C. W., and Hill, J. M., Ore treatment, labor 

and royalties, freight rates: U.S. Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 94, pp. 153-170, 1917. 

u Hollister, 0. J., op. cit., p. 64. 
28 MINING IN. COLORADO 

to August, 1863, when work was stopped to permit a 

hoisting apparatus to be erected, ore yielding $60,000 

was taken out. ·A ·30-horsepower engine was set up,. 

40 hands were employed, and by the end of 1863- ore 

yielding $20,000 additional had been taken out. 

Negotiations had then been begun for the sale· of the 

property, together with others on the Gregory vein, 

to persons in the East, and in the following spring it 

passed into the hands of the Consolidated Gregory 

Co. for the cash price of $1,000 a linear foot and a 

heavy consideration in the stock of the company. It 

lay idle for a year. In the beginning of 1865 work 

w~s begun in cutting down and timbering a working 

shaft, putting in a pump, and opening levels for stopes. 

The sketch thus given is fairly typical of the general . 

history of the gold quartz veins in Colorado. At 

first they yielded enormously in a simple sluice. It· 

was not unusual 'for four or five men to wash out $150 

a day for weeks at a time from such a lode as the 

Gregory, Bates,· Bobtail, Mammoth, or Hunter. 

Single pans of "dirt" that would yield $5 could be 

taken up carefully from any of a dozen lodes. One 

group of men ran a sluice three weeks on the Gregory 

and cleaned up 3,000 pennyweights, a pennyweight 

being worth about 80 cents. Their highest day's 

work yielded $495, their lowest $21. Another group of 

four men that worked for four months on the Fisk lode 

made an average of $100 a day. 

By July 1, 1859, a hundred of these sluices were 

running within a short distance of Gregory Point. A 

year later their owners were vainly trying to make a 

profit from "cap" and sulphides, but nearly all their 

gold was running off in the water used on the plates, 

leaving them a mixture that was worthless. 

A sketch by Hollister of the developments on a 

claim on the Bobtail lode from its discovery to the 

beginning of 1863 should be of interest to.the geologist. 

The first pay material was decomposed quartz, which 

. was struck in a crevice 6 feet below the surface and 

which extended downward for 39 feet. The crevice 

was 4 feet wide and the ore averaged $41 a ton. Here 

a" cap"-an obstacle-was struck. The vein widened, 

its content of gold decreased, and its content of sul-: 

phide increased. It proved to be 26 feet thick and 

yielded an average of $20 a ton. A crevice then struck 

was found to be 3~ feet wide and to extend downward 

for 70 feet. The material in it yielded an average of 

$38 a ton. A second "cap" was here struck, which 

proved to be 35 feet thick and averaged $15 a ton. 

Next came a 3-foot crevice that extended downward 

for 40 feet and yielded $60 a ton. A third cap, which 

extended downward for 40 feet,. yielded ore paying 

$42 a ton. The claim was the Bobtail No. 2 East. 

To a depth of 260 feet and a length of 100 feet along 

the vein it produced $204,000. 

Meanwhile other diggings had been begun and hundreds of men were at work. Four or five months after 

gold was discovered in Deadwood Gulch, on South 

Boulder Creek, 300 men were employed there. Later 

in the season South Boulder Creek itself was flumed 

at several places to permit its bed to be worked out. 

The ·-prospectors scattered, and mining was done in 

Twelvemile diggings (at the head of North Clear 

Creek), on Lefthand Creek, and on the smaller tributaries of North and South Boulder creeks. Very rich 

quartz veins were struck at Gold Hill, 12. miles west · 

of Boulder City, and about October 1, 1859, a rude 

quartz mill was started there. All the Boulder diggings paid from $3 to $5 a day per hand. 

Bar mining was also carried on energetically on the 

Platte above Denver, on Clear Creek near Arapahoe 

and Golden City, and on Ralston Creek near its mouth. 

Various contrivances were us·ed to bring water to the 

mines. Wheels were put into the creeks to raise it out 

on the banks_, and ditches from 3 to 10 miles long were 

dug. Towne & Patterson washed out $117 on the 

Platte in 15 days with a rocker. The Georgia Co., 

having brought water in a ditch 3 miles to the same 

diggings, washed out $54 in four days with a tom. 

Mining· on the streams in the valley, however, was 

eclipsed by that in the mountains before the end of 

the season of 1859, and work on the valleygravels 

was abandoned and not resumed until 1904-5, when 

one futile attempt was made to dredge the gravels 

below Golden near the old workings ·at the town of 

,-Arapahoe. 

In the first days of June, 1859, William Green Russell had found gold and had begun mining in the gulch 

that bears his name, a tributary of North Clear Creek, 

a little south of Gregory Gulch and parallel with it. 

A week's work with six men brought 76 ounces of gold 

worth $16 to $18 an ounce, according to its purity 

and fineness. Others had taken up claims above and 

below his, and toward the end of September 891 men 

were at work in the gulch, producing an average of 

$35,000 a week. At the same time 213 men were 

working in Nevada Gulch, in Illinois Gulch, on Missouri Flats, and along the upper tributaries of Gregory 

and Russell gulches, producing an average of $9,000 

a week. As water became scarce for the gulches and 

lodes two large ditches were projected to bring it from 

the head of Fall River. These eventually became the 

Consolidated Ditch, which was 10 or 12 miles long 

and took in at its head .300 inches of water and delivered 150 inches on Quartz Hill. This ditch was completed during the fall, winter, and spring of 1859-60 

at a cost of $100,000. . 

In the Gregory district several rude quartz mills 

and some arrastres, worked by water or teams, were 

in operation and returned handsome profits. Water 

soon began to be scarce, however, and work was 

stopped on many paying claims. 

The pattern after which the ·mining districts and 

miners' laws were fashioned had been roughly outlined 
DEVELOPMENT BY COUNTIES 29 

and adopted at a 1niners' meeting held in Gregory 

diggings June 8, 1859. The Gregory lode was discovered in May, 1859. For a few days the sn1all party 

that went to the spot with Gregory on his second visit 

had a Inonopoly of the discovery and working of lodes. 

Many of the best lodes in the Gregory diggings were 

found and claimed before the end of May. The Gregory lode was divided into claims of 100 feet each, 

Gregory, as the discoverer, receiving two claims. This 

mode of division allotted the entire lode satisfactorily 

to all the In en in the party. 

By June Gregory Gulch from North Clear Creek to 

the confluence of Eureka, Nevada, and Spring g:ulches 

was crowded with canvas tents, log shanties, and 

bough houses, as thick as they could stand. William 

N. Byers had pitched his. tent near what is now the 

corner of Main and Lawrence streets, Central City, 

and had suggested that naine for the future city. It 

was estimated that there were 5,000 people in the 

gulch. The lower part of the gulch was swampy and 

overgrown with alders and willows. 

The newc01ners soon began to murmur about the 

privileges clain1ed by those who came first; none of 

the first con1ers had been there a month, yet they 

monopolized everything, so the newcomers contended 

that the Gregory, Mammoth, I-Iunter, Bates, Bobtail, 

Gregory Second, and other claims should be cut down 

to 25 feet each and redistributed. In consequence of 

this contention a great n1eeting, numbering some 3,000 

men, was convened at Gregory Point. At this meeting 

resolutions were adopted defining the boundaries of 

the district and the conditions under which claims 

could be taken and held. One of the resolutions provided that lode claims were to be 100 feet long and 

50 feet wide and that "creek" or placer claims were 

to extend 100 feet up or clown the gulch from wall to 

wall-proYisions that remained in force until .the enactment of the Federal mining act of May 10, 1872. 

Subsequent meetings, held July 9 and 16, 1859, organized a provisional local government. 

As early as the middle of July, 1859, Lehmer. 

Laughton & Peck started a Spanish arrastre 16 for 

grinding quartz near the mouth of Gregory Gulch. 

On September 17, .1859, Prosser, Conklin & Co. 

began to build the first. steam quartz mill erected in 

Colorado. This mill, which was small, was soon in 

successful operation. 

By October 1, 1859, five arrastres and two small 

wooden stamp mills were running on North Clear 

Creek, aU driven by water, and four arrastres were 

being built. Each of these was making about $200 

a week by treating the headings of the sluices-that is; 

the quartz that was too coarse to pass through the 

10 An arrastre is a circular trough, generally 10 or 12 feet in diameter, made of 

stone, in which other heavier stones, called "muliers," are dragged around continuously, thus grinding up the quartz. They were generally run by water. The 

firm named above set up the first ~me run in Colorado. 

5653-26t-3 

screens used, which were pierced with about half-inch 

holes. 

On October 7, 1859, Colema.n, LeFevre & Co.'s 

steam mill was started, but it soon broke down. By 

N OYember 4 it had been repaired and started again, 

and in the first seven days' run on quartz of the 

Gunnell lode it produced 1,442 pennyweights of gold. 

At this time the miners were 56 feet down on the 

..Gunnell lode, and the decomposed pyrites or gossan 

of the surface was giving place to more solid material, 

which yielded $60 a ton and grew richer the deeper 

they went. At 76 feet from the surface 15 tons 

yielded $1,700. On the morning of September 29, 

1859, the hills and gulches were covere~ by a foot of 

snow. The 0limate of the region was then unknown, 

and there was only a small stock of proYisions in the 

country, especially in the mountains; so it is no wonder 

that, seeing so heavy a fall of snow early in the autumn, 

the miners, afraid of being snowed in and starved, left 

the place in a stampede. Probably not more than 

1,500 men wintered in the mining region in 1859-60, 

but these were agreeably surprised at the mildness of 

the weather. The first snow melted and ran off in a 

few days, and the cold spell was followed by as loYely 

an Indian summer as was ever enjoyed anywhere. 

Good weather may almost be said to haYr lagtecl 

th~oughout the winter, as there were only three or 

four falls of snow that were accompanied by severe 

cold, and the cold spells were comparatively short. 

A few men stuck to their toms or to their hand rockers, 

burrowing on rich pay streaks in the gulches all winter. 

In the three months ending January 31, 1860, one n1an 

took out $2,400 in Nevada Gulch with a rockcrY 

A rude quartz mill had been in operation for seYeral 

n1onths in 1859 at Gold Hill, between Le:fthancl and 

North Boulder creeks, and in the autun1n a large water 

1nill was being built. The owners of lodes in the 

Gregory district were busy during the winter getting 

out ore to supply the projectEJd mills in the spring. 

From each of the lodes-the Cotton, Fisk, Bobtail, 

11 A miner's rocker or cralile is a rectangular box provi<led with rockers and separated into an upper and lower part by a coarse iron screen. The miner sets it in 

an inclined position beside a spring or stream where a steady supply of water can be 

had and brings to it his" pay dirt." He places the dirt in shovelfuls on the screen 

and pours water on it with a pan or other vessel while he rocks the cradle. By this 

washing and rocking the finer material in the "pay dirt" is carried through the 

screen into the lower part of the rocker: the coarse material remains on the screen 

and after it is thoroughly washed is removed from time to time by the miner. The 

finer material includes mud and fine sand, which is washed out uf the rocker over a 

lip at its lower end, as well as the particles of gold, which, being heavier, are not 

washed over the lip but are held in the rocker. 

A "tom" is a long box or trolJgh. containing a screen like that in a cradle, but 

having no rockers. It is placed ncar a creek. so set as to slope downstream. rrhc 

"pay dirt" is shoveled on the screen, and the w:tter of the creek is le-i to and over it 

in a continuous stream. To the lower end of the tom are attached i~ sequence two 

or three sluice boxes-troughs having square cross scctior.s, open at the t<.-p and at 

both ends-in which cross slats ("riffles") are n::tiled at interv;Jls. A bovc the slats 

(that is, on their upstream sides) quicksilver is placed to catch and hold the particles 

of gold washed out of the pay dirt. A dozen or a score of men shovel the dirt into 

the tom and keep it loose, so that the water will flow freely through it, and another 

man keP.ps it free from large stones with a sluice fork. As the tine dirt passes along 

the tom the gold is stopped at the riffies, where it unites with the quicksilver, forming an amalgam. At some places the bedrock may be used as a sluice. 
30 MINING IN COLORADO 

Clay County, Gunnell, Maryland, Casto, Kansas, 

Burroughs, and others-there had been piled up 300 

or 400 tons of ore, the success of the Coleman & Le 

Fevre mill with rock from the Gunnell lode· greatly 

encouraging the miners. 

Very fair roads had been made into the mountainsone by way of Golden Gate (built by Tom Golden), 

2 miles north of Golden, and one by way of Bradford 

(almost identical with the site of the houses of the 

present Ken-Caryl ranch), south of the mouth o·i Turkey Creek. A road from Denver to South Park by 

way of Mount Vernon and Bergen's ranch had been, 

proje!::ted, and work on it was vigorously pushed during 

the winter. So also was work on the St. Vrain, Golden 

City, and Colorado 0) wagon road, which avoided 

Denver entirely. Fair wagon roads ran from Canon 

City and from Colorado City to South Park. There 

were trails from South Park to Middle Park, which 

was reached also by a trail from G!egory. On March 4 

1860, Kehler & Montgomery's express coach-the first. 

coach ever run on the Denver-Golden Gate-Dory Hill 

line-arrived at the mines of the Gregory district from 

Denver. 

A second rush .to Colorado, larger than the first, 

took place in 1860. By the first of May immigrants 

were arriving from the States at the rate of a hundred 

a day. It was estimated that up to that time 11,000 

wagons had passed Plum Creek, counted perhaps at 

some spot on·Plum Creek between the present Palmer 

Lake and Littleton, bound for "the Pikes Peak region." The Platte River route may be said to have 

contained for a full month but a single train, which 

extended from the mountains to Missouri River. A 

great many came up the Arkansas and went directly 

into South Park. The Gregory district was the destination of most of the newcomers, but it soon became 

overcrowded, so that there were many hardships. 

During 1860 "the mining laws for the Gregory dis- . 

trict were codified and amplified. The integrity of 

the local laws was upheld by one of the first acts of 

the Territorial Legislature of Colorado, in 1861, and 

was further supported by the act of the Congress of 

the United States approved July 26, 1866. This act 

contained the first statement of the famous "Apex 

law." On February 26, 1861, the region, which had 

up to this time formed a part of the Territory of 

Kansas, was organized by an act of Congress as the 

Territory of Colorado, and William Gilpin was appointed governor. 

There was only slight immigration in 1861, but 

work went ahead. The lode mines were aJtive, and 

the mills were generally successful. There was a 

great deal of experimentation in the treatment of ores 

by different forms of crushers, by the use of steam, 

fire,· and chemi~als. Doctor Burdsl.\11, of Nevadaville, had for son1e time been experimenting with 

smelting and seemed to be getting encouraging results, 

but his furnace was destroyed in the .fire of November 

4, 1861, when N evadaville was almost destroyed. · 

During 1862 and 1863 the mills of Gilpin County 

had much the same experiences with sulphides. but 

did very well. As the mines reached greater depth 

the problem of removing the water became serious. 

Toward the end of 1863 more mines were bought by 

New York and Boston investors. Gulch, bar, and 

placer mining had nearly ceased as an attractivebusiness in the original Arapahoe County in 1859, in 

Boulder and Clear Creek counties in 1860, in South 

Park in 1861, and in Gilpin County in 1863. 

Much of the oxidized free-milling·gold ore had been 

exhausted in 1859, but during the next four years 

some had been found, and the difficulties of amalgamation of the sulphides 4ad been overcome with 

varying success. In 1864 mining came to a standstill. 

The Civil War had drained much of the source of 

immigration from- the East and had also taken two 

regiments from Colorado. The stamp mills were saving only about one-fourth of the gold and wasting all 

the other metals. The history of 1865 and 1866 was 

but a repetition of that of 1864. At the end of theCivil War, with a reduction in price of food and thereturn of labor to its pursuits, there was some improvement in the conditions at the mines. The completion 

of the Union Pacific Railroad from Omaha, Nebr., to 

Cheyenne, Wyo., in 1867 also stimulated mining, but 

the most effective stimulus was the successful smelting· of the ores. 

In 1864 James E. Lyon took some selected ore from 

the Gregory lode to furnaces near New York City 

and, finding that he could recover not only the gold 

but much of the silver and copper, devoted his attention entirely to the introduction of smelting in Colorado. In 1865 he erected at Blackhawk small furnaces that were operated with partial success for 

nearly a year. At first the gold and silver were obtained by making a lead bullion from which the lead 

was driven off by cupellation, but this process was 

abandoned for the matting process, with copper as 

the vehicle. By October, 1866, necessary alterations 

in the furnace of Lyon & Co. had been made. Therewere then three roasting and three smelting furnaces, 

each set having a capacity of. 20 to 25 tons a day .. 

Besides these there was a patent roaster, three American hearths for lead ores, and one cupel furnace. 

Later, in 1866, these works were sold to the Consolidated Gregory Co. In 1867 there was 100 to 200 

tons of matte on hand from these works. 

In 1867 Nathaniel P. Hill began to construct at 

Blackhawk a matting s1nelter consisting of a calcining furnace and a small reverberatory. The Hill 

smelter, or Boston & Colorado Smelting Co. was organized in 1867; the first experimental plant was 

erected at Blackhawk in June, 1867; the establishment was opene~ for business January, 1868; the first 
DEVELOPMENT BY COUNTIES 31 

shipment of n1atte was made in June, 1868. The fire 

brick for this plant were shipped by rail from St. 

Louis to the terminus of the Kansas Pacific Railroad, 

and thence to Blackhawk by ·wagon, 600 miles. The 

matte was hauled. to Missouri River and shipped by 

way of New York to Swansea, Wales, for resmelting 

and refining. This plant was successfully operated, 

and its capacity was enlarged fron1 time to tim@ until 

in 1878 it was removed to Argo, near Denver, where 

it was operated continuously until 1910. Associated 

with Mr. Hill from 1873 was Mr. Richard Pearce, 

who had experience in smelting ore from Gilpin and 

Clear Creek counties at the Swansea smelter near 

Empire in 1872-73. 

In 1875 Mr. Pearce invented a process for the separation of the gold, silver, and copper at Blackhawk. 18 

This process 19 was not made public until after the 

decision in 1908 to close and dismantle the smelter at 

Argo. 

In 1860 the Independent or Gold Dirt district, the 

source of the placer gold of Rollinsville and perhaps of 

that of the Deadwood diggings as well, with its 10 or 12 

stamp mills and its town of log houses along Gamble 

gulch, was a co1npetitor with the Gregory district. In 

1867 only four or five companies were operating her~. 

After 1868 the camp seems to have been nearly 

deserted until 1879, when ore from the Perigo mine 

yielded well in an old 16-stamp mill at the town of 

Gold Dirt. Work was continued at the Perigo mine 

until 1888 and perhaps later, and some work has 

been done there in a desultory way every year since. 

In 1880 a larg·e amount of capital was expended in 

the construction of a ditch and flume, 4Y2 miles in 

length, along the valley of South Boulder Creek and 

across Moon and Gambie gulches, preparatory to 

working the placer ground in the valley of South 

Boulder Creek near Rollinsville. There ·is a record of 

placer mining near Rollinsville in 1897. The Smuggler mine of Moon gulch has been an irregular producer from 1908 to 1924. 

From 1875 to 1908 Gilpin County continued to 

make a steady output of gold. Fron1 1909 to 1924 

the output showed a slow decrease. 

OLEAR CREEK COUNTY 

As a result of Jackson's discovery in 1859 exploration and placer mining were begun immediately on 

South Clear Creek and extended, according to Spurr 

and Garrey,t 9a from the junction of Fall River and 

ts For description of the Blackhawk plant and process, smelting charges, capa. 

city, etc., sec Egleston, Thomas, The Boston & Colorado smelting works, in Raymond, R. W., Statistics of mines and mining in the t5tates and Territories west of 

the Rocky Mountains for 1875, pp. 294-295, 379-394, 1877; Am. Inst. Min. Eng. 

Trans., vol. .4, pp. 276-298, 1876. 

t9 Anonymous, Tho revelation of a metallurgical secret: Eng. and Min. Jour., 

vol. 87, pp. 464, 963, 1909. Pearce, H. V. (son of Richard), The Pearce gold-separation process: Am. Inst. Min. Eng. Trans., vol. 39, pp. 722-734, 1908. 

. t9a Spurr, J. E., and Garrey, G. H., Geology of the Georgetown quadrangle, Colo.: 

U.S. Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 63, pp. 312-314, 1908. 

Clear Creek to the forks of North Clear Creek and 

South Clear Creek, on river bars, str~am placers, and 

bench placers. The principal deposits were in the 

vicinity of Idaho Springs. The exact site of Jackson's discovery is said to be beneath one of the large 

willow trees along the road o.n the north side of 

Chicago Creek about halfway between the Jackson and 

Waltham concentrating mills. The Jackson diggings 

consisted of bars or flats in or adjacent to the streams 

and of deposits for1ning the stream bed itself. The 

low benches that occur along the sides and in places on 

the top of the low ridge that separates Chicago Oreek 

from Clear Creek just above their union were also 

worked extensively. The three old river terraces 

from 25 to 180 feet above the present Clear Creek 

were operated profitably, particularly the higher 

bench southeast of the junction of Soda and Clear 

creeks. Spanish Bar, as the creek and bars from the 

mouth of Fall River to a point below the Stanley 

mine were called, produced much gold, although 

Hollister says that the boulders were so numerous and 

so heavy and the water so troublesome that little of 

the bedrock was uncovered. 

Very rich quartz veins were early discovered on the 

bordering hills, and in 1861 a 20-stamp water mill 

was started. This mill was run pretty steadily for 

two years on surface material from the Whale (now 

known as the Stanley), Lincoln, and other lodes in 

the vicinity. . 

After 1859 both gulch and lode mine development 

was active from Idaho Springs (then Idaho City) to 

Dumont (then Mill City, at the mouth of Mill Creek, 

7 miles above Idaho Springs) and beyond. About 

August 1, 1859, George Griffith discovered the Griffith 

lode, near the presep.t town of Georgetown, from which 

he sluiced out $100 in two days. Other deposits were 

discovered in this vicinity, but richer diggings elsewhere drew the miners away from this locality. 

Placer mining in this county continued until 1913~ 

although the greatest output from this source was. 

made in 1859-1863. Spurr and Garrey estimate that 

South Clear Creek and its branches, including Chicago 

Creek, yielded $750,000 in gold dust from 1859 to 

1880. 

From 1860 to 1865 Empire was very prosperous,. 

owing to the ease with which gold could be slUiced 

from decomposed quartz lodes treated in the same way 

as placer gravel. This superficial, oxidized portion of 

the lodes e~tended down to a depth of 40 feet or more,. 

where sulphides were encountered, containing gold iu 

a free state. The sulphides were not amenable to the· 

same simple treatment as the oxidized deposits; but. 

amalgamation in sluices an<:! in stamp mills at Empire· 

continued until 1875, and desultory production was. 

made there until 1924. From 1859 to 1865 the· 

Empire sluicing operations produced ab_out $1,.500,0001 

in gold. 
32 MINING IN COLORADO 

In H363 a small stamp mill at Georgetown made 

a few good runs. ·During the next winter, nearly 

all the lodes in this district passed into the hands 

of eastern men, and a great deal of work was done 

on the Griffith and .other lodes. A 40-stamp mill 

and a reverbatory furnace were erected. In September, 1864, prospectors from Empire started out 

in search of silver, which they expected to find in 

and around the range near the headwaters of the southwestern branches of Clear Creek, where these branches 

interlock with the headwaters of Snake River. The 

Coaley claim, on Glacier Mountain, near Montezuma, Summit County, the deposit on which was discovered early in 1864, was the first silver-bearing 

claim in Colorado but never produced much, only 

leading the way for the discoveries in Clear Creek 

County. On September 14, 1864, the Belmont lode, 

on McClellan. Mountain 8 miles above Georgetown, 

was discovered. In 1865 there was a rush to this 

district, then known as the Argentine. In 1866 some 

prospecting and clevelop1nent work was done. At 

that time there were in the Griffith district, at the 

forks of Clear Creek, two towns half a mile apartGeorgetown, just below the forks, and Elizabethtown, 

in a small park just above them. These towns were 

soon after merged into one, called Georgetown. The 

Argentine companies put up mills and smelters at 

Georgetown and Elizabethtown. In 1867 the active· 

development of some of the richer lodes of both the 

Griffith and Argentine districts was begun, including 

the Equator, Terrible, Baker, Brown, Coin, Griffith, 

and others. In 1868 the lodes worked by the Dives 

and Pelican mines, on Republican Mountain, were 

discovered, but active production from them was not 

begun until 1871. From 1870 to 1880 the silvermining industry of upper Clear Creek grew in nlagnitude. 

In 1866 most of the lode mines at Idaho Springs were 

idle, although some development work was done and 

some ore was produced, particularly at the Seaton 

and Crystal mines; at Spanish Bar, where the Whale, 

Lincoln, and Edgar mines were active; and in the 

Trail district, where the Freeland and others were 

being worked. Up Fall River and between Fall 

River and Mill Creek prospecting and development 

was in progress, and there was considerable activity 

also at Empire. . 

In the Lamartine-Trail Creek district the Freeland 

mine, on a deposit discovered in 1861, yielded handsomely to 1888 but irregularly thereafter to 1924, 

and the Lamartine, located in 1867, produced reguhtrly from 1898 to 1905, when it was turned over to 

lessees. 

In 1871 operations were begun at the IIukill mine. 

The mines of Virginia Canyon were brought to notice 

by the opening of the Specie Payment in 1876. In 

1871 gulch mining on the Chambers claim, on South 

Clear Creek about 200 yards from the junction of 

North and South Clear creeks, in Jefferson County, 

was reported to yield $5 a clay per hand, and several 

other claims half a m:ile to a mile above the forks were 

then producing and had been producing for five years. 

In 187 5 the greater part of the activity of the 

county was concentrated at Georgetown, where there 

was a con1petitive 1narket for silver ores through several outside purchasers for eastern smelters and for 

smelters in Germany. The 1nines at E1npire were 

not producing largely. Those near Idaho Springs 

yielded about $90,000, n1ost of it in smelting ore from 

the I-Iukill, Victor, Veto, Queen, and Seaton mines, 

sold to the Boston & Colorado works, at Blackhawk. 

Frmn 1876 to 1880 the Georgetown district continued 

to be the principal producer, and a little work was 

done at E1npire, but the Idaho Springs and Freeland 

districts gradually increased their production of gold, 

and Dumont and Lawson each made a small output. 

The activity of the mines in the vicinity of La-w-son 

dates back to the discovery of the Free America vein 

on Reel Elephant Hill, in 1876. The Commodore and 

others produced rich silver ores to 1889. On the 

south side of Clear Creek the J o Reynolds was discovered in 1865 and was operated almost continuously 

from 1877 to 1907. South of Dumont the well-known 

properties are the Senator, Blue Ridge, and Syndicate; 

on the north, the Albro. 

By Septen1ber 24, 1870, the Colorado Central (now 

Colorado & Southern) Railway had been built between 

Denver and Golden, and in 1872 it was extended frmn 

Golden to Blackhawk and a branch was run up Clear 

Creek from the forks to Floyd Hill. In 1877 the 

railroad was cmnpleted from Floyd Hill to Georgetown. 

The year 1880 held the county record for the production of silver until1894, when, despite the gradually 

lowering price, the output of silver for the county was 

the highest ever made. In· 1883 the most extensive 

placer operations were in the vicinity of Alice, on 

Silver Creek, a branch of Fall River. From 1904 

through 1918 the silver mines on upper Clear Creek 

gave way to the gold-silver mines on lower Clear 

Creek, although after 1903 the mines on upper Clear 

Creek became large producers of zinc, in addition to 

lead and silver, and from 1919 through 1924 surpassed 

the lower creek mines in value of output. Clear 

Creek County ores have always carried much zinc, 

of which relatively little of the total content has 

been saved. Metallurgy that would save the zinc 

should prove an impetus to the revival of mining in 

this county. 

SUMMIT COUNTY 

In the summer of 1859 prospectors from South 

Park . ascended Michigan Creek, a tributary of the 

Tarryall, and pushed over the Continental Divide at 

what is now known as Georgia Pass. On the north 

side of Farncomb Hill, in Georgia Gulch, a tributary 
DEVELOPMENT BY COUNTIES 33 

of the Swan, east of the site of Breckenridge, they discovered rich placer ground. From 1859 to 1862 

Georgia Gulch alone is said to have yielded $3,000,000. · 

Soon after gold was discovered in Georgia Gulch it 

was found in paying quantity on Swan River-in 

Gold Run Gulch, Galena Gulch, American Gulch, 

IIumbug Gulch, and Delaware Flats-and on Blue 

River, in French Gulch and its tributaries, Gibson, 

Nigger, Corkscrew, Illinois, and Hoosier gulches. 

All these gulches were worked more or less for two or 

three years after 1860, and at Gold Run Gulch and · 

one or two other localities extensive operations were 

carried on for years. Munson, the assayer in charge 

of the Denver Mint in 1887, estimated the yield of 

placer gold in Summit County from 1860 to 1869 as 

$5,500,000. In 1870 the most productive localities 

were Illinois, Iowa, French, Gold Run, Galena, and 

Georgia gulches and Buffalo and Delaware flats. 

ls early as 1860 a ditch was constructed to carry 

water from Blue River to Gold Run Gulch, a distance 

of 6 miles. Two years later another ditch, 9 miles 

long, which brought 500 inches of water from Blue 

River, was constructed. Other ditches and bedrock 

flumes were constructed later. A creek claim in Gold 

Run embraced 100 feet of the stream and 75 feet on 

3ach side of it. A bank claim 'vas 100 feet square. 

Anybody was entitled to hold a creek claim and a 

bank claim in each tier of claims on either or both 

sides of the creek. Buffalo Flats, to which water was 

brought in ditches from French Gulch, is said to have 

yielded more gold than Gold Run. In 1870 there were 

t 00 miles of· ditches and flumes in the Breckenridge 

region. At this time hand washing had generally 

given place to hydraulic methods, and booming-

:lainming and flushing-afterward extensively practiced, was being introduced. The bed of French 

Gulch, especially in the neighborhood of Lincoln, was 

laboriously explored by drifting in those early days. 

Silver-bearing lodes were opened on Glacier Mountain, near Montezuma, as early as 1864; and in 1866-67 

about twenty lodes of gold and silver quartz, seamed 

with galena and pyrite, were recorded in Buffalo Flats. 

In French Gulch a good deal of work had been done. 

In 1865 a stamp mill was set up in French Gulch, but 

it was merely started and was then apparently idle 

for some time. In 1869 some argentiferous lead ore 

was taken from the Old Reliable vein, at Lincoln, and 

abou.t the same time the Laurium (or Blue Flag), in 

Illinois Gulch, appears to have shipped argentiferous 

lead ore by wagon to Denver and Golden. The Cincinnati (Robley claim), on Mineral Hill, near Lincoln, 

was developed in the early seventies and for 10 years 

made shipments of high-grade galena and cerusite ore. 

As early as 1873 a reverberatory furnace was erected 

in French Gulch to treat this ore. Other lead-silver 

mines operated prior to 1880 were the Union, Lucky, 

and Minnie. Late in the seventies an unusually rich 

mass of silver ore carrying both lead and copper was 

uncovered in the reddish sandstones northwest of 

Breckenridge Pass, at the Warriors Mark, but later 

developments there were disappointing until 1922-23, 

when the mine was reopened and shipments of ore 

made. 

Raymond reports that as early as 1870 more than 

4,000 lodes were listed on the records of Summit 

County, but very few of them were developed, as the 

owners of most of them were working placer mines. 

Most of the lodes then under development were at 

Montezuma and Sts. John, in the Snake River mining 

district. 11ontezuma was at that time reached by 

stage from Como to Breckenridge and thence by trail, 

or from Georgetown by way of the road crossing the 

range near Grays Peak. From 1870 to 1875 there 

appears to have been much development in this district and in the adjoining Peru district on the Conlstock, Coaley, Sukey, Silver Wing, Napoleon, Chautauqua, and other lodes, and many mills and smelting 

plants of different kinds were erected, but little ore 

seems to have been treated and little shipped because 

of the difficulties of transportation and the consequent 

high cost. Neither the mills nor the smelters in this 

district appear to have been successful, owing, no 

doubt, to the heavy content of zinc in the ore, and in 

187 5 the St. Lawrence mill was moved to the Pelicari 

lode, at Georgetown. In 1883 the district seems to 

have reawakened, for the railroad furnished better 

transportation than could be had before, and many 

shipments of silver-lead and silver-copper ores were 

made. In 1890 and 1891 some shipments were made, 

and in 1892, according to the report of the Director of 

the Mint, the Decatur Mines Syndicate produced 

~$319,275 worth of silver (coinage value), and again in 

1899 some work was evidently done. Production was 

resumed in 1906, but it fell off again until 1909, when 

there was a slight revival. In 1910 some fairly modern mills were erected and some mine and dump ore 

was treated. From 1911 to 1924 milling operation~ 

were spasmodic. 

The following paragraphs are quoted from Ran-

' some/0 whose sketch of .the history of mining at 

Breckenridge is here freely drawn upon: 

Notwithstanding the fact that rich placers had been washed 

on the slopes of Farncomb Hill since 1860, it was not until the 

end of 1879 or the beginning ·or 1880 that gold was found in 

place on the Ontario claim; this event was rapidly followed by 

discoveries on the Elephant, Boss, Key West, Bondholder, 

Gold Flake, and other now well-known claims on the hill. In 

view of the extreme narrowness of these veins and their failure 

to outcrop above their covering of soil the comparatively late 

date at which they were discovered is not altogether surprising. 

For about 10 years these wonderful little veins were actively 

exploited, chiefly by lessees, who riddled the northeast si~e of 

Farncomb Hill with tunnels and drifts and broke into pocket 

after pocket of the beautifully crystallized wire and flake gold 

20 Ransome, F. L., Geology and ore deposits of the Breckenridge district, Colo.: 

U.S. Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 75, pp. 17-20, 1911 . 

. . 
34 MINING IN COLORADO 

for which this locality is justly famous. In 1885 there were 

over 100 men working on the hill; but by 1890 the search had 

lost some of its zest. * * * There was a period, between 

1889 and 1898, when considerable work was done by the companies that successively controlled what was originally known 

as the Ware property, after Col. A. J. Ware, one of the first to 

operate in the district on an extensive scale. Thus late in 1888 

the Victoria Mining Co. built a mill in American Gulch and this 

was run for a few years on such low-grade ore as could be 

gathered from the workings and dumps on the north slope of 

Farncomb Hill. Another mill, [later] known as the Gold Dust 

mill, was built by the same company in 1889 on the west side 

of the Blue near Breckenridge, and for a time 9 or 10 teams were 

kept busy hauling ore to it from the company's mines, in which 

numerous lessees were at work. The total capacity of the two 

mills was 120 tons, but they were not long in operation. * * * 

About the year 1894 the Victoria Mining Co. was succeeded 

by the Wapiti Mining Co., which built many miles of flume, 

bringing the water from the Middle Swan,. and which hydraulicked many of the old dumps and much of the surface material 

on the north side of the hill. 

Another part of the district that for a time rivaled Farncomb 

Hill as a source of gold, although never noted for such beautiful 

specimens, is Gibson Hill. Here the first event of note was the 

discovery of the Jumbo lode by E. C. Moody in the summer of 

1884, this being followed by active prospecting all over the hill. 

A settlement known as Preston was established on the north 

slope, and for several years the Jumbo, Buffalo, Extension, and 

Little Corporal mines produced a large quantity of comparatively low-grade free-gold ore that was milled in part at Preston 

and in part at what was known as the Eureka mill, at the mouth 

of Cucumber Gulch, below Breckenridge. About the year 1886 

Moody began work on the Seminole and other claims north of 

Gold Run, afterward developed into the Jessie mine. Before 

1890 production had begun also from the Hamilton and Cashier 

mines. 

Meantime, while the gold deposits were being developed, the 

silver-lead mines were not idle. In 1883 the Cincinnati was the 

largest mine on Mineral Hill, but it was soon surpassed by the 

Lucky ... In the middle eighties Lincoln was a thriving town in 

which three small mills were active, treating about 60 tons of 

ore a day. In one of these was concentrated tlie first ore taken 

from the Oro mine in 1887. In the following year the owners of 

the Oro built their own mill at the mine, which soon became one 

of the most productive in the district. Another mine that came 

into prominence about this time is the Iron Mask, situated on 

the west side of the Blue, in Shock Hill. From this mine shipments of high-grade silver-lead ore began in 1888 and continued with few interruptions for about 10 years. Other mines 

shipping in 1889 or 1890 were the Ohio, on Shock Hill; the 

Kellogg and Sultana, on Gibson Hill; the Washington, Dunkin, 

and Juniata, on Nigger Hill; the Mountain Pride, at the head 

of Illinois Gulch; the Oro and Lucky, on Mineral Hill; the Victoria (Wapiti) group, on Farncomb Hill;/and the I. X. L., on the 

Swan. Just beginning noteworthy development and production 

at this time were the Puzzle, Ouray, Country Boy, and Wellington mines. In 1891 the Boss and Gold Flake mines, on Farncomb Hill, yielded some rich masses of crystalline gold. Among 

the events of 1892 was the organization of the Jessie Gold Mining 

& Milling Co., which took over the property of the Gold Run 

Mining Co. and began the building of a new mill at the Jessie 

mine. The Extension Gold Mining & Milling Co. undertook 

in the same year the thorough development of what had hitherto 

been generally known as the "Fair property," near the Jumbo 

.mine. 

About the year 1896 shipments were resumed from the 

Mountain Pride, and this mine shortly afterward began extensive development and in 1898 was the leading producer in the 

district. This preeminence, however, was not long maintained, 

and the mine had been idle for a number of years when visited 

in 1909. The Cashier and Jessie mines were actively worked 

and produced large quantities of milling gold ore in the late 

nineties. In 1909 the only mines producing were the Welling.: 

ton, Country Boy, and Sallie Barber. The Hamilton mine, 

after being productive for many years, was abandoned about 

the year 1902. * * * During [1909] also work was resumed in the Puzzle and Gold Dust workings, from which and 

from the Ouray mine large quantities of high-grade silver-lead 

ore with some gold were stoped during the 20 years following 

1885. . 

In 1908 a new 100-ton wet concentration mill was 

completed for the lead-zinc ores of. the Wellington, 

and beginning in 1909, the yield of zinc from this 

property has been large except during a period of 

idleness from December, 1920, to December, 1922. 

Early in 1912 a 50-ton roaster and magnetic separating mill was built to remove the iron from the zinc 

middlings. In 1913-1915 considerable quantities of 

metallic gold were found in pockets of the Dunkin 

mine on Nigger Hill. 

The ordinary modes of placer mining, particularly hydraulic 

washing, booming, and bedrock drifting, continued to be 

actively practiced up to about the year 1900 and then gradually 

fell into disuse. In 1909 none of this work was in progress, 

except at one place o~ the upper Swan, where an attempt was 

being made to convert a bedrock drift into a sluice connected 

with an open pit; attention had been diverted from the highlevel and superficial placers to those amenable to the modern 

method of dredging. 

It was in 1895 that Mr. Ben Stanley Revett, recognizing 

the possibility of working the deep gravels along the main 

streams, began by attempting to sink a shaft to bedrock on 

the Swan, near the mouth of Galena Gulch. This shaft, owing 

to the large quantity of water present, was not successful. 

He then undertook to test the gravels with an oil drill, this 

probably being the first application of such an implement to 

prospecting in Colorado. 

In 1898 the American Gold Dredging Co., organized in 

Boston under the laws of Michigan, built two dredges on the 

Swan, but these, planned in accordance with New Zealand 

experience, proved unable to excavate the deep and coarse 

gravel near the mouth of Galena Gulch. In this year also the 

same company set up two Evans hydraulic elevators on the 

same stream. On the Blue, near the mouth of Cucumber 

Gulch, Pence & Miller were trying to sink a placer pit, using 

first hydraulic elevators and then steam pumps. At 30 feet 

in depth the pit had not reached bedrock. In 1899 the Blue 

River Gold Excavating Co. began work on the Blue, about 

2 miles north of Breckenridge, with two dredges of the orangepeel type. These were failures. Toward the end of the year 

the North American Gold Dredging Co. built one Risdon and 

one Bucyrus dredge on the Swan and dismantled the two first 

constructed. The new boats, the larger having a capacity of 

2,500 cubic yards a day, were operated for a few years but 

were never fully successful and were finally abandoned. The 

gravels having been found difficult to handle with the lightly 

constructed dredges then in use, the Gold Pan Mining Co., 

organized in December, 1899, with a capital of $1,750,000, 

acquired 1,700 acres of placer ground and undertook to work 

the bed of the Blue, at the south end of the town of Breckenridge, by using hydraulic elevators. This company spent 

$750,000 in cash and gave 400,000 shares of stock, par value 

$1 each, to pay for the construction of 3 miles of 8-foot ditch 
DEVELOPMENT BY COUNTIES 35 

and a connecting pipe line having a capacity of 6,000 miner's 

inches, the erection of machine shops, and actual excavation. 

Bedrock was reached in October, 1902, at 73 feet. But this 

ambitious project, like its lesser predecessors, failed to wrest 

riches from the river channel, although it has left an enduring 

monument to itself as well as an instructive warning to others 

in the huge pile of boulders, many of them over 6 feet in diameter, that now overlooks the town. In the prospectus issued 

by the company the productive life of the ground had been. 

estimated at 40 years, the average value of the gravel at 60 

cents a yard, the cost of working at 10 cents a yard, and the 

total profits at $80,000,000. The plant has not proved entirely 

useless; part of the capacity of the ditch and pipe line has been 

utilized for lighting the town, and the machine shops have 

proved a valuable adjunct to the gold-dredging industry. 

In 1905 the American Gold Dredging Co. was operating one dredge on the Swan, but in 1906 it sold its 

property to Lewisohn Bros., of New York, who spent 

the year 1906 drilling and testing placer claims from 

Browns Gulch on Swan River down to the junction 

of the Swan with the Blue and ground between 

these two streams. In 1907 this company started 

building two 9 cubic foot open-connected Bucyrus 

dredges, to be operated by electricity. Under the 

name Colorado Dredging Co. these two dredges were 

operated for six months in 1908. In 1905 l\1r. Revett, 

acting as trustee for the Reliance Gold Dredging Co., 

unincorporated, began the construction of a doublelift dredge of his own design on French Gulch. In 

'~ 1908-9 the Reliance dredge was operated during -the 

winter, work that had been thought impossible. In 

the summer of 1909 the Reliance dredge was overhauled and adapted to the use of electricity for power, 

the steap,1 equipment being abandoned. The overhauling also included the change from an openconnected type with buckets of 9 cubic foot capacity 

to a close-connected type with buckets of 5 cubic foot 

capacity. The hull for a fourth dredge, known as 

the Reiling, operated under the name French Gulch 

Dredging Co., was built in 1908 in French Gulch. 

The machinery for this dredge was that removed from 

·one of the two Reiling dredges that operated below 

Holden in 1905-6. All four dredges were operated 

in 1909 and 1910. One of the two dredges of the 

Colorado Gold Dredging Co. was idle in 1911, 1912, 

:and 1913; in 1912 it dredged 1,270,476 cubic yards 

·of gravel, with a yield of $208,248, an average of 

16.39 cents a yard, at an operating cost of 5.296 

cents, a general expense of 0.263 cent, and a profit 

of 10.83 cents. 

In 1914 the Tonopah Placers Co. took over the two 

dredges of the Colorado Gold Dredging Co., and the 

dreqge of the Reliance Co., and until 1918 operated 

all three steadily. To the. end of 1915 this company 

had dredged 300 acres, and there remained 4,783 

acres under company ownership to be dredged. The· 

average value per yard dredged was $0.147 in 1916, 

$0.1344 in 1917, and $0.086 in 1918. At the end of 

1918 Tonopah dredge No. 1 on the Magnum Bonum 

placer, on Blue River,had good ground ahead and gave 

encouraging promise of future earnings. In 1918 

Tonopah dredge No. 2 was operating on Swan River 

on ground belonging to the Farncomb Hill Gold Dredging Co. under a contract by which the Tonopah Placers 

Co. received half the net profits. This ground proved 

to contain less gold than the ground dredged earlier. 

In 1918 Tonopah dredge No. 3, in French Gulch, 

reached the end of the property in the direction it 

was going and was turned back. In 1919 this dredge 

started work on ground that showed a fair content 

of gold and had at least two years' work ahead. The 

Powder River Dredging Co. installed a fifth dredge in 

the district on Blue River in 1917 and operated it 8 

months in 1918 and 10 months in 1919. The dredge 

was then taken over by the Blue River Dredging Co., 

which operated it almost continuously in 1920, 1921, 

1922, 1923, and 1924. 

Dredge No. 1 of the Tonopah Placers Co.'s dredges 

continued work during 1919 on the Magnum Bonum 

placer; No.2 continued on the ground of the Farncomb Hill Gold Dredging Co., but this land proved 

unprofitable, and the dredge was closed do_wn in 

December; No. 3 was in continuous operation on 

ground that had been left by other dredging operations ·some years ago. In 1920 dredge No. 1 continued operations on the Magnum Bonum placer 

and had work ahead for probably four or five years 

more; No. 2 was idle; and No. 3 was operated on 

ground of the Long Island Mining Co. but was closed 

in December because it had reached a point where 

further operations ·became unprofitable. In 1921 

dredge No. 1 only was operated; No. 2 was floated 

and dismantled; No. 3 stood where left in 1920. In 

1922 and 1923 only dredge No. 1 was operated. In 

1924 the Tonopah Dredging Co. sought unsuccessfuily 

to obtain permission to dredge a passageway between 

the railway and rear of the town of Breckenridge to 

reach the ground of Illinois Gulch and the upper Blue. 
36 MINING IN COLOltADO 

Production of Tonopah Placers Co., Breckenridge, Summit County, Colo., 1911,.-1923 

Year I Cubic yards 

dredged 

Gold 

produced 

Ounces 

Silver 

produced 

Ounces 

Gross value or bullion Value per shipped to yard Denver Mint 

Cost or op- erations at dredges 

Fineness 

or gold Fineness 

or silver 

1914 .. -----------------------------------·-- ------------------ 2, 995,256 22,542.00 4, 782 $467, 204. 00 $0. 156 $290, 527.00 0.807 0.174 

1915 ... ------------------------------------------------------ 3, 242,247 23,034.30 5, 416 479,017.56 . 148 267,324.57 . 803 .189 1916 _________________________________________________________ 3, 199, 962 19, 557. 68 4, 748 406,367. 68 .127 257, 138.76 . 798 .194 

1917--------------------------------------------------------- 3, 351,821 21,745. 65 5, 210 451,743. 20 . 135 285, 104. 75 . 793 .194 1918 _________________________________________________________ 3, 267,307 13, 564. 99 3, 345 282,973.83 . 087 332,902.26 . 788 .194 

1919.----------------------------------------------------.---- 3, 122, 571 14, 776. 48 3, 852 309,509.22 . 099 293,255.27 . 738 . 193 

1920.-------------------------------------------------------- 1, 791, 143 11,008.96 3,026 233, 661.96 .130 181, 007. 61 . 624 .169 

1921 .. ------------------------------------------------------- 1, 541,454 9, 299.73 2, 445 194, 689. 03 . 126 174, 012.44 . 725 .196 

1922.-------------------------------------------------------- 1, 393, 148 7, 428.09 1, 958 155, 512. 19 .112 140,888.07 • 762 . 201 

1923 .. ------------------------ -~- ---------------------------- 1, 228, 555 5, 716. 14 1, 443 119, 175.37 . 097 117,333. 68 . 757 . 191 

25, 133, 464 148, 675. 02 I 36,225 3, 099, 854. 04 . 123 2, 339, 494. 41 ------------1------------

Improved facilities for handling ore and concentrates were afforded by the completion, in 1883, of 

the narrow-gage Denver, South Park & Pacific Railroad (now part of the Colorado & Southern) from 

.Como to Leadville by way of Breckenridge, and in 

1906 and 1907 advantage was given to all kinds of 

mining through the introduction into the district of 

electric power by the Central Colorado Power Co. 

and the Sun1mit County Power Co. 

According to S. F. Emmons .. 21 gold-bearing placers 

were discovered in the Ten1nile region in the early 

sixties by prospectors who came fron1 the placer 

diggings around Breckenridge, and it was probably 

. by them that. the name Tenmile was given to the 

stream, this being about its distance from Breckenridge. A few vein deposits in the Archean rocks. were 

afterward opened, but no important mining development took place until 1879-80, after the discovery in 

1877-78 of rich silver deposits in stratified limestone 

around Leadville, which directed the attention of prospectors to this then . somewhat novel class of ore 

deposits. A very considerable number of more or 

less oxidized bodies of pyrite, blende, and galena 

were opened along the eastern slopes of the Ten-

~ile Valley, but the most productive ore bodies 

were found on the west side of the valley, from 

Robinson northward to J'acque, Mounta1n. Most of 

the richer oxidized ores were exhausted during the 

decade from 1880 to 1890, and many of the mines 

were closed, the enormous quantities of unaltered 

pyritous ores being then too poor for profitable exploitation . 

. Since 1890 there have been in this district intermittent periods of activity of mining, each period 

being characterized by son1e single outstanding 

operation, stimulated by an increased demand by the 

smelters for pyritous ores, or by the attempts to treat 

the lead-zinc sulphide ores by magnetic separation, 

or by the sale of the iron-zinc sulphide ores to American zinc retort plants. It was in this district, at 

Kokomo, that A. R. Wilfley began to develop the 

Wi1fley table, which was put into successful operation 

in 1895. McNulty Gulch, near Robinson, was the 

21 U.S. Geol. Survey Geol. Atlas, Tenmile district special folio (No. 48), p. 1, 1898. 

scene of placering in 1860, shortly after the discovery 

of gold in California Gulch, in Lake County, and some 

·gold was recovered in 11cNulty Gulch in 1920-21. 

The molybdenum deposits of Bartlett Mountain, 

near Climax (Fremont Pass) were successfully operated in 1918-19 and again in 1924-25. The greater 

part of these deposits were decided in 1918 to be in 

Lake County. 

PAR l{ COUNTY 

In 1859 some prospectors who ascended the North 

Fork of the Platte and others who arrived from the 

East by way of Arkansas River, passing by the sites 

of Canon City and Colorado City, found gold in the 

streams of South Park and later rich lodes at the 

headwaters of the tributaries of the Platte. The 

exploration of these placers and lodes in 1859-1861 

caused settlements to rise overnight. Among these 

settlements were Montgomery, at the base of Mount. 

Lincoln, on the headwaters of the Platte; Buckskin, 

6 or 7 miles south of Montgomery; Fairplay, on 

Beaver Creek; and Tarryall and Hamilton, near the 

head and in the western edge of the park, on Tarryall 

Creek, at the point where it breaks away from the 

range. The richer placers were worked out feverishly, 

and by 1867 1nany of the settlements were deserted. 

Only Tarryall and Fairplay remained. From August, 

1859,. to 1872, the placers in the vicinity of Fairplay 

yielded about '$1 ,000,000 and those in the vicinity 

of Hamilton and Tarryall yielded about $1,000,000. 

After 1867 the placer ground became too poor to 

pay by washing in small claims, and the companies. 

acquired sufficient territory to justify the construction 

of flumes and the purchase of hydraulic machinery. 

Hydraulicking and sluicing, including for many years 

the operations of Chinese, have been carried on more 

or less continuously since then, and the output from 

1868 to 1918, inclusive, a period of 51 years,.amounted 

to $1,518,924, or $29,783 a year; and as the output 

from 1859 to 1867, inclusive, was $1,780,000, the total 

output of the placers to 1919 was $3,298,924. In 

1919-1921 the placer ground near Fairplay was drilled 

and smnpled, and construction of a dredge was 

started in 1922 by the South Park Dredging Co. 
DEVELOPMENT BY COUNTIES 37 

This dredge was built by the Yuba Construction Co. 

·of California and has 70 buckets of 9 cubic feet each, 

·capable of handling 4,680 yards in 24 hours. It 

was set in operation in May, 1922, in the flood plain 

-of the South Platte, between the high morainal bnnks 

below the town of Fairplay. Dredging was success-

·fully continued in 1923-24, and two huger dredges 

may be installed later to dredge the deep 1norainal 

gravels. The gold that was received at the Denver 

Mint in 1923 showed an average fineness of 0.774 

. and 0.160 fineness silver. 

One of the most valuable gold lodes found was the 

Phillips, in Buckskin Gulch, discovered in 1860 by 

.Joseph Higginbothan1, known as "Buckskin Joe." 

In June, 1861, twelve persons were working on this 

lode. In September, 1861, the town of Buckskin contained a thousand inhabitants. From June 18 to 

·October 19 about $50,000 was taken out. The process employed was simple. The top quartz and dirt. 

·was run through sluices, and the headings were re-

·worked in arrastres. The ground worked yielded 

.about $350 per cord of ore, ~ cord of ore being equal 

in size to a cord of wood, measuring 128 cubic feet 

.and weighing 8 to 9 tons. The retorted-gold sold for 

$16 in coin an ounce. 

Du;ring the same season $25,.000 was taken out of 

the Phillips lode by other miners. The lode was 

worked until1863, when the miners reached sulphides, 

·which could not be treated by ordinary milling meth-

·ods. The total output, according to Raymond, was 

. about $250,000. The history of the work on this lode 

is identical with that of the work on-all the gold lodes 

.about Hamilton, Montgomery, and Mosquito. The 

top quartz was mined easily and was treated readily 

by amalgamation. Large companies were formed and 

-extensive mills were built, but as soon as the sulphides 

were reached the mills were closed and operations 

were stopped, for the sulphides could not be treated 

'by amalgamation. 

The gold obtained from the lodes of Park. County 

from 1859 to 1867, according to Raymond, amounted 

to about $710,000. In 1868 and 1869 probably only 

. a little gold lode mining was done in Park County. 

In 1870 the Pioneer mine produced $40,000 in four 

months. In July or August, 1871, silver ore was 

discovered on Mount Bross and Mount Lincoln. The 

·ore of the Moose 1nine is said to have averaged $460 

a ton. During 1871 about 30 tons was shipped to 

Swansea, Wales. In 1872 prospecting was done from 

Ute Pass (at the head of Michigan Creek) to Buffalo 

Peaks. In that year about 1,500 tons of silver ore 

·was sold for about $150,000. Most of this ore was 

purchased by a branch· of the Boston & Colorado 

:Smelting Co. (the Blackhawk smelter) and by the 

Mount Lincoln Smelting Works, a company that had 

·built a 10-ton blast furnace and had begun operations 

5653-26t---4 

on December 1, 1872, producing lead bullion and copper matte. 

In 1873 there was an increase in production, due 

chiefly to the operation of the smelters. The Mount 

Lincoln Smelting Works had been erected by E. D. 

Peters, who at first believed that large quantities of 

lead ores could be obtained in the vicinity, especially 

from the Horseshoe deposit, which had been discovered 

as early as 1867. As the rich silver ores from Mount 

Lincoln and Mount Bross contained a great deal of 

lime and heavy spar and considerable galena, Mr . 

Peters erected a blast furnace, but after operating it 

as a lead plant from December 1, 1872, to August, 

1873, and finding that an adequate supply of lead 

could not be obtained, he decided to erect a reverberatory furnace to produce copper matte. The reverberatory furnace was completed September 10, 1873, 

and was operated for the rest of the year but was 

idle in 1874 and 1875. The branch of the Hill [Blackhawk] smelter at Alma was operated in 1873-74 but 

was idle in 1875, and no record has been found that 

either smelter was ever revived, for Hill no doubt consolidated his operations at Argo, near Denver, after 

he left Blackhawk in 1878. In 1909 the Colorado 

Gold Mining & Smelting Co. built a semipyritic mat-: 

ting plant, which was operated for a short time and 

then closed. 

By 1881 the Moose mine is said to have produced 

in all $3,000,000, and the Fanny Barrett mine, on 

Loveland Mountain, was making a notable output . 

During that year some very rich free gold was taken 

from the London mine, on the ridge between Mosquito 

Creek and Leadville. In 1882 little work was done 

at the Moose mine, but the Dolly Varden mine, south 

of the Moose, was productive. This mine had been 

worked steadily since the deposit there was discovered. 

The output of the mine from 1872 to 1882 was 15,000 

to 20,000 tons of ore, which averaged 150 ounces of 

silver per ton. In 1882 probably 1,000 tons was 

taken· out of the Fanny Barrett mine, but only 200 

tons was treated, the rest being kept for treat1nent at 

a smelter which the company had erected at Alma . 

The London mine in that year built 7 miles of railroad 

from the foot of London Mountain to the South Park 

Railroad near Alma. The U. P. and K. P. 1nines 

were actively operated, and the milling ore was 

treated in the 20-stamp amalgamation-concentration 

1nill. The Last Chance mine, in the Horseshoe district, was also operated. 

In 1883 the Montgomery district showed signs of 

new life, work having be~n done on the Nova Zembla 

vein and on the Harrington vein, which is said to 

have yielded $500,000 in 1863. Some ore produced 

in development was shipped from the Fanny Barrett 

mine. The new mill of the London mine (near Mosquito Pass) was in operation and produced $124.000 
38 MINING IN COLORADO 

in gold bullion in seven months and 420 tons of concentrates worth $60 a ton. The mine also shipped 210 

tons of high-grade ore, worth at least $21,000, and 

600 tons averaging $18 a ton, to mills in Idaho Springs 

and Central City. In 1883 the Whale mine, in Hall 

Gulch, shipped silver-lead ore worth $24,516. The 

London mine has been worked almost continuously 

since 1875, although from 1911 to 1914 it made only· 

a small output. The Moose, Dolly Varden, and Fanny 

Barrett mines have made but small output since 1884. 

The Hilltop made a large output in 1888 and 1889 

and has been worked intermittently ever since. Each 

year from 1908 to 1915 it produced considerable zinc 

carbonate. TheN ew York, Orphan Boy, and Atlantic 

& Pacific mines were formerly well-known producers. 

BOULDER COUNTY 

In 1858 a party of prospectors went up what is now 

known as Sunshine Canyon, followed the main ridge 

between Fourmile Creek and Lefthand Creek, and in 

December, 1858, camped on the west slope of qold 

Hill, Boulder County. They found gold in a gulch 

called Gold Run, and the next spring they returned 

and discovered many veins. The Horsfal property 

in particular yielded much free gold on the surfa'ce 

that could be recovered in sluice boxes. Soon other 

veins were supplying surface ores to the stamp mills 

and arrastres on Lefthand Creek. When the oxidized 

. ores failed mining was nearly stopped until the Black- · 

hawk smelter was erected, in 1868. The few remaining miners continued to work until 1872, when gold 

telluride was found in the Red Cloud vein. 

As early as 1860 placer gold was mined on Fourmile 

Creek from its mouth upstream, but active placer 

mining lasted only about a year in Boulder County, 

although a little gold was taken out every year for 

many years. According to reports, $6,000 was taken 

out in 1872 on Fourmile Creek at a point 8 miles west 

of Boulder, and from 1887 to 1889 placer mining was 

active near Sugar Loaf. 

In 1859-60 prospectors from Gilpin County roamed 

over the hills near Caribou, but they did not recognize 

the silver ore there. It is said that a prospector named 

Conger saw some silver ore from Nevada in a railroad 

car and carrie -back to Caribou and located the Poorman mine in 1869. In the same year William Martin 

and George Lythe located the Caribou mine. 

According to Raymond, 22 26 tons of ore from the 

Caribou mine containing $3,217 in silver were sold in 

1869 to Professor Hill at Blackhawk; in 1870 about 

425 tons of ore, worth about $175 a ton, were extracted. 

According to the report of H. C. Burchard, Director of 

the Mint/3 Conger discovered the Poorman lode in 

22 Raymond, R. W., Statistics of mines and mining in the States and Territories 

west of the Rocky Mountains for 1870, p. 326, 1872. 

23 Report of the Director of the Mint upon the production of the precious metals 

in the United States during the calendar year 1882, p. 398, 1883. 

1869 and took out $15,000 at 70 feet and $100,000 in 

opening the mine, but Raymond, in his detailed reports from 1869 to 1875, does not mention the Poorman mine as producing; in fact, he does not mention 

it at all until 1875 and then as a small shipper only. 

Burchard reports that the Poorman was developed in 

1882 by. a 370-foot shaft and four levels aggregating 

1,000 feet and in 1883 by a shaft 550 feet deep and 

says that it was producing regularly. In addition he 

reports that the Poorman had been from the first a 

steady and profitable producer. In his report for 

1870 Raymond speaks of the Conger mine as one 

"concerning which the general opinion is favorable," 

but in his report for 1871 he says that the Caribou mine 

was the only mine developed and that the other 

deepest workings were on the Idaho and Boulder 

County, the. shafts of which reached depths respectively of 45 and 50 feet. In 1871 the Caribou mine 

was opened by two shafts, one 205 feet, and the other, 

·which was 110 feet east of the first, 115 feet deep. 

The two shafts were connected by drifts. In estimating the production of silver for 1869 to 187 5 Raymonel's figures (not Burchard's ) have been used. 

The deposits at the Idaho and Boulder County mines 

were discovered soon after the Caribou. In 1871 

Raymond reports that the Caribou mine was either 

producing daily or was capable of producing 1 ton of 

high-grade ore, worth $500 to $700 a ton; 30 tons of 

second-grade ore, worth $150 to $200 per ton; and 

some third-grade ore, worth about $60 a ton. For 

the third-grade ore a mill for chloridizing, roasting in 

four Bruckner furnaces, and amalgamating in pans 

was being erected in 1871 on Middle Boulder Creek 

and was in operation in 1872, when it made large 

shipments of bullion. From September 21, 18.70, to 

October 1, 1872, the Caribou mine produced 3,651 

tons of both smelting and milling ore, on which the 

net profit was $90 a ton. At the end of 1872 the 

main working shaft was 329 feet deep, and 34,082 

tons of ore was exposed. Other mines in the district 

were the Idaho, Perigo, Boulder County, Sherman, 

Seven-Thirty, Grand View, Bullion, No N arne, 

Sovereign People, and Arlington. In -1872, at the 

town of Middle Boulder, Hetzer & McKenzie had a 

7-ton 15-stamp mill, with stamps weighing 500 

pounds each. In 1873 the bulk of the Caribou district 

ores was treated at the mills in the district, and in that 

year the Caribou mine was sold. In 1874 Caribou 

was perhaps the most prosperous mining camp in 

northern Colorado. The output from the Caribou 

mine alone in that year was 1,800 tons, which when . 

milled produced $130,000 in silver builion, and the 

ore shipped from the Sherman mine amounted to 220 

tons and was said to have been worth $40,000. In 

that year work was begun on a mill to treat ore from 

the Sherman and No Name mines. In 1875 the 

Caribo~ district produced $450,000. At the end of 
DEVELOPMENT BY COUNTIES 39 

that year the shaft in the Ca.ribou ·mine was 500 feet 

deep and the output of that mine alone was $204,000. 

There are no detailed records of mining at Caribou 

during the next four years, but in 1881 the silvee 

bricks shipped from Caribou through the express 

office, at Boulder were worth $227,983, and the bricks 

shipped in 1882 were worth $192,881. In 1883 the 

Caribou mine was not worked, the pumps were taken 

out, and the mill was closed, but the Poorman mine 

was operated. In 1884 the Caribou was still closed, 

but the Poorman was worked to a depth of 600 feet, 

and indications favored the continuance of production 

at that mine. 

From 1887 to 1890, inclusive, the Caribou mine 

was again worked, and from 1888 to 1893 the Poorman 

mine was worked, but the drop in the price of silver 

practically closed the silver mines of Caribou, although 

an output was made intermittently from the Boulder 

County, St. Louis, and other mines. In 1914 a 

100-ton cyaniclation mill was completed at Caribou 

to treat ores from the clumps of the Poorman and 

Ca~ibou mines, and the old Boulder County mill was 

remodeled into an amalgamation-concentration mill 

and operated for six months on ore from the Boulder 

County mine. The new Caribou mill was started to 

work in 1915, the Boulder County mill continued in 

. operation, and· both mills were operated during the 

greater part of the year. The Caribou mill was· 

changed to a flotation-concentration mill in 1916 and 

operated only in that year ·and then closed. Considerable smelting ore was shipped from the district 

from 1917 to 1923. The Boulder County mill was 

remodeled in 1920 with the addition of oil-flotation 

equipment and was operated for short periods in 

1920 and 1921. In 1923, the Boulder County mill 

was completely overhauled and remodeled and was 

operated for a short period. 

In 1896 the discovery of gold on Spencer Mountain 

led to the founding of Eldora, 2 miles south of Caribou. 

This camp, which has produced gold tellurides, was 

fairly active until 1904. 

Free gold was found on the Columbia vein, at Ward, 

in the late SL"(ties. After gold was discovered on the 

Columbia vein a stamp mill was freighted across the 

plains and installed on Niwot Hill to treat the oxidized 

surface ores, and for some time it was operated with 

success. The oxidized ores disappeared, however, 

as the depth of the workings increased, and the mill 

would no longer save the gold. In 1871 Raymond 24 

reported that about 20 per cent of the assay is saved 

by the stamp mills, that the Columbia lode had 

yielded, to that date, not far from $250,000, and that 

while this amount was being saved probably not less 

than $750,000 had run down the creek and been lost. 

During 1871 Mitchell & Williams were repairing their 

24 Raymond, R. W., Statistics of mines and mining in the States and Territories 

west of the Rocky Mountains for 18il, p. 361, 18i3. 

20-stamp mill, which was also equipped with ''percussion" concentrating tables that were said to work 

well; Smith & Davidson were running their 50-stamp. 

mill; and Richardson was constructing a chlorination mill, with four Bruckner cylinders for roasting. 

In 1872, owing to the lack of success in recovering 

gold in stamp mills and the failure of the chlorination 

works, comparatively little work was done at Ward. 

In 1873 it appeared that the chlorination works would 

be successful, but in 1874 the mines seem to have been 

generally idle. In 1875 the Niwot was worked with 

some success after an idleness of several years. Some 

interesting experiments were made with the Pomeroy 

percussion concentration tables. 

In 1871 the only mine operating at Gold Hill seems 

to have been the White Rock lode, the ore of which 

is said to have returned 14 ounces a cord (8 or 9 tons) 

in a stamp mill. At that time the bed of Fourmile 

Creek was being worked for gold with fair success, 

and some of the operators had worked well up toward 

the head of that creek. Their work resulted in the 

discovery of silver-lead ore at Garden Gulch and 

Williamsburgh in 1872 and in the establishment of 

the gold camp of Sunnyside in 1873. 

In May, 1872, petzite, a gold-silver telluride, was 

discovered at the Red Cloud mine, at Gold Hill. 

Raymond reports that from August 1 to December 31, 

1872, this mine yielded 40 tons of $900 ore and 250 tons 

of $100 ore. During the next two years this mine 

was sunk to a depth of 430 feet and 1,000 feet of: 

levels were run. Ore was found almost continuously 

in all parts of the mine, but the wonderfully rich 

pocket of tellurides near the surface wa;s never duplicated~ In September, 1874, the mine was shut down. 

During 1873 and 1874 only one other mine, the Cold 

Spring, was found to contain tellurides, but the record 

of this mine equaled if it did not surpass that of the 

Red Cloud, and the two mines yielded in that time 

about $600,000 from about 400 tons of ore, which thus 

averaged $1,500 a ton. During this time the old workings at Gold Hill were yielding ali ttle gold under.stamps. 

In March, 1874, gold was first discovered at Sunshine, only 2 miles east of Gold Hill, in a region frequently traversed by prospectors on their way to 

other camps. The first discovery did not cause much 

excitement, but later in the season; when the American 

mine was located and considerable quantities of free 

gold were found on the outcrop, prospectors hurried 

to the camp from every neighboring point, particularly 

from Gold Hill, so that with the closing down of the 

Red Cloud mine in September, the future of Gold 

Hill seemed dark. About 300 lodes were located at 

Sunshine, of which a few were profitable. Probably 

$20,000 to $30,000 was taken out at Sunshine that 

year, the largest part of which was produced from 

surface ores carrying free gold that were treated inthe .small works of J. Alden Smith, at Sunshine. 
40 MINING IN COLORADO 

Early in 1875 prospectors set out in every direction 

from Sunshine, and during that year there was a 

succession of notable discoveries. The first of these 

discoveries was made in the vicinity of Fourmile 

Creek, at Salina, Camp Tellurium, and along Gold 

Run Gulch. Then came reports from a new camp 

on South Boulder Creek, later called Magnolia, after 

which the Slide lode, on Gold Hill, was found. Prospectors also found ores in the valley of Jim Creek, a 

tributary of Lefthand Creek, where, in 1872, iron and 

copper sulphides, argentiferous galena, and antimonial silver ores had been discovered but not worked. 

Glendale, Springdale, and Providence were camps in 

1874. The output from all these camps in 1874, in 

small lots of ore that assayed from $500 to $5,000 a 

ton, Raymond estimates as "telluride ore worth not 

less than $200,000." One lot of ore from the Malvina 

mine, amounting to 1,500 pounds, sold for $8,300. 

In 1875 at Magnolia, the Keystone lode, which was 

discovered in August, 187 5, yielded more than $20,000 

worth of telluride ore from a 75-foot shaft, the Little 

Dorrit yielded $4,000, and the Mountain Lion more 

than paid expenses from the surface to a depth of 50 

feet. The Malvina lode, at Gold Hill, was discovered 

in June, and in sinking the first 25 feet ore worth 

nearly $20,000 was taken out, and from the time of 

discovery to the end of the year more than $37,000 

worth of ore was taken out in development only, 

without stoping, from a shaft 100 feet deep. The 

·. Slide lode, which was discovered in July, yielded a 

combination of tellurides and native gold; the 

Cash, an old discovery, did not carry tellurium. ores, 

but its ore yielded $20 a ton in a stamp mill; some remarkably rich telluride ores were found in the Sterling; the Red Cloud was idle; the Cold Spring continued to ship regularly as it had done for two years; 

the Horsfal and Alamakee (original discoveries at 

Gold Hill) were idle; the Washington A venue, west of 

Gold Hill at Williamsburgh, developed deposits of 

galena, . pyrites, chalcopyrite, and zinc' blende. In 

Gold Run Gulch stood the camps of Salina and Camp 

Tellurium. The American mine, at Sunshine, produced about $125,000, and many others made a fair 

output. At Springdale a considerable quantity of 

telluride ore was taken out, and at Providence some 

exceedingly rich ore of the same kind. 

From 1876 to 1881, inclusive, the gold mines of 

Boulder County made an average yearly output of 

about $340,000. The Ward district had by this time 

partly solved the problem of treating its sulphide gold 

ores by mills; Jamestown had been founded between 

Providence and Balarat; and some work had been 

done on the argentiferous lead mines of Albion, north · 

of Caribou. 

In 1882 many former producing mines were idlethe Niwot, at Ward; the John Jay, at Jamestown; the 

Malvina and Cold Spring, at Gold Hill; the Crater, at 

Magnolia; the Poorman, at Caribou; and the mines at 

Albion. During the year, however, new producing 

mines were brought in-the Senator Hill, at Magnolia; the Ingram, near Salina; and the Golden King, 

at James town. The Golden Age free gold mine at 

Jamestown, however, surpassed any record of former 

years. Most of the high-grade ores of Boulder County 

were sent to the Argo or to the Golden smelter, but 

some were sent to the Grant smelter at Denver, and 

to Omaha. In 1882 very little seems to have been 

done at Ward, and Jamestown was the principal 

district, with the Golden Age mill operating 25 stamps 

and the Pell 6 stamps. At Balarat the Smuggler 

mine was developed only, and its output from 1877 to 

1882 was said to be from $400,000 to $600,000 of 

tellurium ores. During 1882 placer mining was still 

continued in a small way at several places, particularly 

at Sugar Loaf. 

From 1883 to 1912 Boulder County continued to 

produce gold, principally from Gold Hill, Jamestown, 

and Ward, and reached the height of its production in 

1892 with a total value of $1,141,852, of wl,lich 

$982,988 was gold. In 1913 and 1914 the output o 

silver exceeded that of gold; in 1915 gold again took 

the lead; but from 1916 to 1924 the shipments of silver ore from the Yell ow . Pine, at Sugar Loaf; from 

the White Raven, at Ward (until it closed in 1921); 

and from the mines at Caribou placed silver in the 

lead. 

The Colorado & Northwestern Railroad, later 

called the Denver, Boulder & Western Railroad, 

starting from Boulder, reached Sunset in 1897, Ward 

in 1898, and Eldor,a in 1902, but was dismantled 

in 1918. 

LAKE COUNTY 

In 1859 prospectors who had followed Arkansas 

River found gold along its course, particularly at 

Georgia Bar, 8 miles above the mouth of Clear Creek, 

in Lake County; at Kellys Bar and at Cache Creek, 

3 miles above Clear Creek, both in Chaffee County; 

and at other places along Arkansas River for about 

30 miles below Lake Creek. 

Late in 1859 Slater & Co. discovered gold at the 

junction of California Gulch and the Arkansas, but 

not until April 6, 1860, were encouraging deposits 

found, and those were in a valley leading fron1 Iowa 

Gulch. Upper California Gulch was soon found to 

contain the most plentiful supply of gold and was 

preempted in 100-foot clai1ns for 7 miles. The town 

that grew up from the influx of miners was called Oro 

and stood near the head of California Gulch, just 

south of Iron Hill. In 1860 the Discovery claim, 

which was just above the site of the A. Y. and Minnie 

mine, produced $60,000; claims Nos. 5 and 6 produced 

$65,000, and other claims made about the same 

output. A quartz vein running through the Discovery 
DEVELOPMENT BY COUNTIES 41 

daim and clain1 No. 1 below yielded $216 in half a outcrop of th~ lode across California Gulch, up Iron 

day by sluicing by three men. For the first three Hill. Raymond received reports that silver-leadyears mining was carried on by sluices, long toms, copper ore worth $25,000 was produced from mines 

Georgia and hand rockers, and pans. Then followed in California Gulch in 1875. He suspected, however, 

consolidation and mining by ground-sluicing and that these figures represent the value of ore which had 

hydraulicking. been hoisted but not treated and which then lay at 

The most productive years of placer n1ining in Cali- the smelting works of the Cincinnati Co., at Malta, at 

·fornia Gulch were fron1 1860 to 1867, the population the 1nouth of California Gulch. These works, which 

n1eanwhile dwindling from 5,000 or 6,000 to a very had been erected but not put in operation that year, 

small number. In the late sixties the Printer Boy, consisted of a long reverberatory furnace, for roasting,. 

Pilot, and Five-Twenty lodes were producing gold a shaft furnace, and a cupelling furnace. There was 

found in nests of lead carbonate. Other less procluc- still no near market for silver ores, but Breece was. 

tive placer districts in the county have been Colorado building chlorination works in California Gulch for 

Gulch (which opens into the Arkansas opposite the treating. gold ores taken from the Berry tunnel, 

n1outh of California Gulch), Iowa Gulch, and the Little and in addition to the smelter at Malta a plant of 

Fryingpan, a tributary of Colorado Gulch. Other 10 tons capacity, comprising two roasting furnaces· 

placer and lode districts located in the sixties but and one blast furnace, was under construction in 

never very productive include the Westphalian, Pine Chalk Creek, in Chaffee County. The Homestak€l 

Creek, La Plata, Hope, Lake Falls, and Red Mountain mine was idle in 1875. The gold lodes of California 

districts, of Chaffee and Lake counties. In 1871 Gulch were worked in a small way, and some work 

placer mining was being continued in California Gulch was clone at the Yankee Blade, near Granite. The 

with a decreased yield, and there was a 5-stamp mill production of the placer mines decreased heavily. 

on the Five-Twenty property at which ores from the In _1876 the series of outcrop claims running from 

Printer Boy, An1erican Flag, Pilot, and Berry tunnel Rock claim were located on the supposed vein. 

were treated. The total yield of the California Gulch Ore from the Rock claim was taken in 1877 to the 

placers to 1872 is· estimated by Rayn1ond at $3,000,000, smelter at Malta. In 1877 Stevens persuaded the 

but other estimates are higher than this. Burchard's Harrison Reduction Co., of St. Louis, to erect smeltfigures in the report of the Director of the Mint for ing works (completed in 1878), and in 1878 Ja1nes B. 

1882, give the placer output of Lake County (including Grant put up the smelter which grew into the Omaha & 

Chaffee County) for 1860-1869, as $5,812,000. The Grant Smelting & Refining Co. In 1879 Anton Eilers 

output of Chaffee and Lake counties has been sepa- and Gustav Billing erected the smelter which in later 

rated by Ineans of data furnished by Hollister. The years beca1ne the pr9perty of the Arkansas Valley 

fiomestake mine, near Tennessee Pass, was worked Smelting Co. In 1877-78 the greatest rush to. any 

extensively in 1872. In that year a ditch 14 miles can1p in the history of the State occurred, resulting in 

long and 6 feet wide was under construction in Iowa the building of a new town, called Leadville, 7 miles 

Gulc~. -l~ ... J$73. only .a . .few. placers,_.-.we:r(}-- w-orked. · ;~helow .the old t_own of Oro. 

Se~;:f'rich gold· strikes were made on lodes in Cali- In 1878 Ge6i:geFryer sunk a hole on a hill· north of 

· ~ia ylJ.lch, and the Homestake mine was reported Stray Horse Gulch and found a deposit of carbonate 

to be sh1ppfng ··to Golden· ore that carried 30 to 60 ore that proved to be one of the most remarkable ore 

per cent lead -tmd 200 to 500 ounces of silver. In bodies ever discovered. A month later Rische & 

1874 there was little placer mining, and most of the Hook happened to sink a hole where the "contact". 

old, lower ground was regarded as worked out, but or the mass of the ore approached the surface and 

many new ditches were being built to carry water to found the ore body on which was developed the Little 

higher ground. The Homestake n1ine shipped some Pittsburgh mine, the foundation of the fortune of. 

argentiferous galena containing nickel, but there was H. A. W. Tabor. That year Leadville's output was 

no n1arket near at hand for silyer ores. $2,490,000. In 1879 it was $11,285,276. In 1880 

In 1874 W. H. Stevens and A. B. Wood came over there were at Leadville several ore-buying firms, 11 

the range from Fairplay, where they were mining, to or 12 smelters yielding bullion, and 4 stamp mills. 

build the Oro ditch. In examining California Gulch· Production increased materially in 1882, when the· 

Wood found float consisting of carbonate of lead and output was valued at $15,256,375. 

began digging on the south side of the gulch on Dome In 1882 considerable attention was paid to Sugar· 

Ridge, now known as Rock Hill, on what was after- Loaf Mountain, one of the foothills of Mount Massive, 

ward called Rock claim. In the fall of 1875 he sank at the head of Little Fryingpan Gulch. In Little 

a little shaft through the drift that covered the out- Fryingp~n Gulch, the Shields, Venture, and Welsh. 

crop, at a point subsequently worked by an open cut. mines had already been producers, but this new· 

He made arrangements to have some work done that discovery on Sugar Loaf included the deposits worked1

• 

winter, and in 1876 this led to the uncovering of the by the Dinero, Birdie R., and other mines. A 10--
42 MINING I~ COLORADO 

stamp mill was erected on the Shields property and 10-year period named, although from 1899 to 1901, 

operated on ore from the Shields and other mines. inclusive, the output increased heavily. 

In 1883 six large smelters were in operation at In 1890, a large deposit of copper ore was found in 

Leadville. The Breece Iron mine was the only pay- the Henriette and Maid of Erin properties. In 1S93 

ing mine on Breece Hill, although the St. Louis mine Lake County began to produce considerable gold and 

was worked and a concentrator was projected, and has continued to do so ever since, chiefly from properthe Little Jonny shaft was down about 120 feet. In ties on Breece Hill. .J 

18~4, as formerly, the Leadville smelters obtained the The Yak Mining, Milling & Tunnel Co. was inlargest part of the product of the camp, but the corporated in May, 1894, for the purpose of acqui:dng 

smelters at Denver and Pueblo were beginning to mines and constructing a drainage and transportation 

increase their purchases of Leadville ore. The Oro tunnel from California Gulch toward Breece Hill. 

and Antioch stamp n1ills were in operation, a mill Work was started in March, 1895, with a single-track 

was erected on the Lilian property, a small concen- tunnel about 4,000 feet long, originally driven by one 

trating mill was built for mine ore and operaied sue- of the older companies-the Silver Cord. The Yak 

cessfully, and an amalgamation mill was leased to company enlarged the first 3,000 feet to a double 

work the dumps of the Chrysolite mine. Iron Hill track, left the next 1,842 feet as a single track, and 

continued to be the largest producing district, from from there on drove a double track. By 1911 this 

the Iron Silver; A. Y., Minnie, Colonel Sellers, and drainage tunnel had been driven about 3,Y2 miles in 

other mines. The Little ,Jonny mine was actively a general eastward direction toward the amphitheater 

worked, the product being silver-lead ores carrying of Big Evans Gulch and toward the Mosquito Range, 

some gold. . and laterals were run to many of the large mines along 

In 1885 there was conaiderable competition between its course. Very little additional work was done at 

the Leadville and the valley smelters, and the Iron the heading after 1911, the extremities of the tunnel 

Hill mines shipped ore on a schedule providing for a and its laterals being marked by the Vega, Diamond, 

penalty of 50 cents for every unit of zinc above 12 and Resurrection No. 2 mines. 

per cent, although on one contract a content above In 1896-97 the effects of the labor strike are seen 

20 per cent was accepted without penalty. It was in in the output. 

this year that F. L. Bartlett commenced his experi- In 1898-99 the driving of a drainage tunnel from 

ments in the East on Leadville zinc-lead sulphides, Malta was debated but without res.ults. 

which in 1890-91 resulted in the erection of the zinc In 1899 the An1erican Smelting & Refining Co. was 

oxide plant at Canon City. In 1889, Messrs. Argall, organized, and took over nearly all the lead smelters 

Ingalls & Wood seriously considered the building of of the Rocky Mountain States. The downtown 

a plant for the recovery of zinc. In 1885 there was mines, which had filled with water at the time of the 

a concentrating plant at the mines of the Iron Silver miners' strike in 1896, were unwatered .in May, 1899. 

Co. and at the Colonel Sellers mine for the treatment In 1901 the Colorado Zinc Ore Co.,, at Denver, 

of zinc-lead sulphides. These n1ills a.nd later mills and the Empire Zinc Co., at Canon City, were erect-.. 

were designed -chiefly to treat the low-grade zinc-lead ing magnetic separating plants, and the United· 

sulphide and to make a high-grade lead concentrate, States Zinc Co. was organized to build a zinc plant 

the zinc concentrate or middling being discardeci. , J~~ Pueblo. During this year new zinc concentrating 

Fortunately, a large part of these zinc ·b<Jtib.eritrates · .. mills (the Minnie and the Resurrection) were built 

was allowed to accumulate in piles, and large quan- at Leadville, and Leadville's first and perhaps last 

tities were shipped in 1899-1901 to Belgium. In cyanide mill was erected at the Ballard mine, unless 

1907-1914 large quantities were re-treated by mag- the financial difficulties connected with the building 

netic separation at Canon City and Pueblo. In 1886 of a cyanide plant for the treatment of the Garbuttmore concentrating plants for treating low-grade zinc- Little Jonny ore can be overcome. 

lead sulphides were built, and in .1887 concentrating In 1903 the shipments of zinc sulphide became· 

equipment was further increased. ·large and continued so until 1908, when they. were 

In 1886, lead· bullion aggregating 25,963 tons was very small, because of the low price of zinc. In 1905 

produced by smelters at Leadville, and 138,335 tons the Rho magnetic separation mill was erected at the 

<>f ore containing 22,526-tons of lead was shipped from mouth of the Yak tunnel, replacing the old Yak conLeadville to outside smelters. Part of the product centration mill. In 1906 the Damascus, A. Y. & 

<>f the Leadville smelters, however, was derived from Minnie, Adams, and Rho mills were in operation at 

.ores shipped from Red Cliff and Kokomov From Leadville .. In 1907 the Adams and Rho mills were 

1880 to 1889 the production of lead at Leadville was the only ones in operation, and in 190.8 the Adams, 

-enormous, but after 1~89 the average. annual output Rho, and Leadville District (new in 1907). in 1909 

was only about half the average reached during the the Adams mill closed, and in 1911 the Rho mill closed. 
DEVELOPMENT BY COUNTIES 43' 

In 1910 large bodies of ·zinc carbonate ore were 

found at Leadville, and shipments were made. The 

next year the shipments increased heavily. The ore 

was first found in the Madonna mine, at Monarch, 

Chaffee County, and later at the Chance-Hilltop 

mines, in the Horseshoe district, Park County. It 

w&s first discovered at Leadville in the Robert E. 

Lee mine, but its grade was very low, and no attempt 

was made to search for more of it. · In 1910 Mr. 

Howard E. Burton, associated with Messrs. H. K. 

White and Alfred Thielen, leasing on the Hayden 

shaft of the May Queen mine, was the first to find 

and ship high-grade zinc carbonate. The Western 

Mining Co. soon afterward found large bodies of 

zinc carbonate and silicate in the ~ld workings of 

the Maid of Erin, Henriette, Waterloo, Adams, 

Mahala, Big Chief, and other mines. Mter this 

discovery, zinc carbonate was found in nearly all. 

parts of the Leadville district, and the shipments of 

it were heavy until 1915, by which time the grade 

of ore remaining in some of the large properties had 

decreased ma-terially. 

During 1915 the output of lead and silver continued 

to decrease, but the output of gold from Breece Hill 

mines increased greatly, and the _placer industry was 

revived, after years of nonexistence, by the installation of a dredge on Arkansas River at the mouth of 

Box Creek, 12 miles below Leadville. In June, 1916, 

the downtown mines, which had been allowed to 

fill_ with water in 1907, were again unwatered and 

from 1917 to 1923, when they were again closed, 

they produced large quantities of lead oxide, zinc 

carbonate, iron-manganese, and other ores. In August, 1923, unwatering by electric pumps was begun 

' in the Carbonate Hill mines that had been closed in 

1918-19. The water was not con1pletely removed 

·'until the spring of 1925. 

In 1910 interest was aroused by the development of 

gold ore in Lackawanna Gulch, and a ·smal~ shipment 

was made that year from the Miller mine. A 30-

stamp amalgamation mill was also in course of construction at this property· and a 100-ton amalgamation-concentration mill at the Mount Champion mine, 

which ·became a rather large producer in 1913 and 

increased its production in 1914, 1915, and 1916. 

This mill was idle after 1917, but smelting ore was 

shipped in 1917. The mill was torn down in 1923, 

and parts of it were used in the new Griffin mill, in 

the St. Kevin district. 

CHAFFEE COUNTY 

The placer deposits in Chaffee County were worked 

contemporaneously with those of Lake County, and 

the gold-lode deposits at Granite· were discovered 

and worked almost contemporaneously with the early 

work at the California Gulch gold deposits in Lake 

County. 

According to Crawford/5 ore was discovered in 

1878 on the Great Monarch claim, at Monarch, and 

in 1878 or 1879 the Madonna deposit was discovered. 

Very little work was done until1883, when the railroad was extended from Maysville to Monarch, and 

for 10 years the production was large. From 1893 

until 1906 little was done in the district, but in 1906 

shipments of zinc carbonate ore in considerable quantity were made and have been made ever since. The 

shipments of zinc carbonate from the Madonna mine 

in 1906 were made by Howard E. Burton, of Leadville, who in 1910 discovered zinc carbonate on the 

May Queen lode at Leadville. 

In 1870 the lode mines at Granite, particularly the 

Yankee Blade,. which was equipped with a 20-stamp 

mill, . alone produced $60,000 in gold, but aince that 

time they seem to have made little or no output. 

According to Burchard,26 the ore above the water 

·level in the veins of the Granite district carried free 

gold but became refractory when water was reached, 

so that the mines one after the othet suspended 

operations. In 1879 one of the old stamp mills was 

remodeled without success. In 1889-1892, in 1900, 

and again in 1917, there was a small output of gold 

from the Belle of Granite mine, which is in Lake 

County, very near the line between Chaffee and Lake 

counties. The placer mines near Granite n1ade a 

continuous output" from 1860 until hydraulicking was 

discontinued, in 1911. The chief placer mine near 

Granite was that in Cache Creek, on a deposit discovered in 1860. ·around-sluicing by individuals was 

continuous from 1860 to 1883, when the Twin Lakes 

Hydraulic Gold Mining Syndicate (Ltd.), of London, 

began sluicing operations. In 1889 sluicing gave place 

to hydraulicking. The company owned what was 

known as the Cache Creek ditch, which brought water 

from Clear Creek by ditch and tunnels. 

In 1875 a lead smelter plant was under construction at the Mary Murphy mine, on Chalk Creek. 

In 1881 about 30 tons a day was being mined from 

the Mary Murphy mine. In 1882 a shipment of 500 

tons was made from drifts run for development on 

the Mary Murphy and 150 tons from the Iron Chest 

mine. In 1883 shipments were made from eight 

mines in this district, and in 1884 the ore shipped 

amounted to 3,010 tons, valued at $113,524. From 

1887 to 1908 considerable qua~tities of gold-silverlead ore were shipped from the Mary Murphy n1ine. · 

A mill was built there in 1886, and at different times 

1 the property was leased with varying success. Lessees. 

built mills at Romley and St. Elmo and a smelter at 

Buena Vista, all now destroyed or dismantled. In 

1909 and 1910 the Chalk Creek district 1nade very 

little output, but development was started and ship25 Crawford, R. D., Geology and ore deposits of the Monarch and Tomichi dis· 

tricts, Colo.: Colorado Geol. Survey Bull. 4, pp. 195-196, 1913.-

26 Burchard, H. C., Report of tfie Director of the Mint on the production of the 

precious metals in the United States during the calendar year 1882, p. 407, 1883. 
44 MINING IN COLORADO 

ments were increased in 1911 and 1912, and in 1913 

a new mill was in operation. The output increased 

greatly from that year until 1918, when the ore 

reserves were reported as nearly exhausted. Lessees 

continued to ship smelting ore from 1918 to 1924. 

The Sedalia mine, 4 miles north of Salida, is one 

of the few large copper mines in Colorado, having 

shipped from 1884 to 1908 probably 60,000 to 70,000 

tons of ore containing 5 per cent or more of copper 

and $1 to $2.50 to the ton in gold and silver. In 

recent years it has also been a producer of zinc carbonate and lead-zinc sulphide ores. In 1900 the 

Buena Vista Smelting & Refining Co. wa.s operating 

a matte smelter (short-lived) at Buena Vista and in 

1902 the Ohio and Colorado plant was built at Salida 

(closed February, 1920). Some of the sted in this 

plant was used to build the Rawley mill at Bonanza, 

Saguache County, in 1923, and the stack and other 

parts of the smelter were purchased in 1924 for use 

in a plant employing the Gordon ammoniacal procesa 

for the treatn1ent of complex lead-zinc ores. 

GUNNISON COUNTY 

In 1867 the route used by the Ute Indians fro.m 

Arkansas River to the Gunnison went up Lake Creek, 

which empties into Twin Lakes, in Lake County. 

At that time placer deposits had been discovered and 

worked in Taylor, I\:ent, Union, . vVashington, and 

German gulches, in Gunnison County. Lodes also 

were known to exist, but the district was far from 

civilization. Gold was discovered in 1861 on Taylor 

River, in what has since been kn~wn as Tin Cup 

district, and almost simultaneously gold was discovered in Washington Gulch, in the northern part 

of Gunnison County. Little work was done until 

1872, when notable discoveries of silver-bearing rock 

were made in the Elk Mountains. During the next 

five years there was a small increase in the number 

of settlers, but in 1878 Leadville drew off many of 

thmn, though others came in. In that year a smelte~ 

. . '~~ ~f:fireifigpl.lt-upa=tCfesfe<rBlitte, and in the -fall 

_ <- _ __ _!:nines _were opened in the eastern part of the _counjiy 

~-~-p~~--::l:.ncr:: .. R~eit?n/~-yJrg~a . 0-ty.J. ~io ~~ity, "-~iiKI:B;· - .. -. · ~~-~-Gothic,· and IrWin were laid out ·and In process of 

building. During this tim~ the town of Gunnison 

was growing. In 1879 the gold-bearing veins of the 

Independence district were discovered and also the 

·deposits of the Aspen silver-lead district on Roaring 

Fork River. B~th districts were then in Gunnison 

County. In 1880 the Cochetopa, Ruby, Ohio City, 

and Elk Mountain districts were in existence. 

In the fall of 1881 the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad 

was completed to Gunnison and later to Crested 

Butte, a few miles from Ruby Camp. Beyond Ruby 

in 1881 lay a vast unexplored region which until then 

had been occupied by the Ute Indians. Tin Cup 

was the most productive camp in the county. Two 

smelters had been erected, the Virginia City and theWillow Creek. Gothic had a 15-ton smelter but had 

not attained any importance. In the Quartz Creek 

district there, were several valuable properties. From 

1,200 to 1,500 locations had been made at Ruby, but 

less than 50 were paying. In 1882 the Virginia City 

smelter, at Tin Cup, was being operated, and ore had 

been shipped from the Eureka mine, on Treasury 

Mountain, in the Gothic district, to the Argo works, 

ne~r Denver, and to Kansas City. In 1883 high-grade· 

lead-silver ore was shipped from the North Star mine, 

in the Tomichi district. The smelter in the Tin Cup 

district hacl·not been operated, but a large quantity 

of gold-silver ore had been shipped from the Gold 

Cup mine. About $100,000 in gold and silver had 

been produced at Ruby, and concentrating mills had 

been er~cted there. Very little ore had been produced 

in the Elk Mountain district because the concentrating· 

mills had not been started. In the Gothic district 

(including Washington Gulch) the Eureka mine continued to make shipments, and a concentrating mill 

was erected in Rock Creek. Some development work 

had been done in the Cochetopa district. 

In 1884 little was clone in the Ruby district. Most 

of the shipments were made from the Forest Queen 

mine, where a concentrating mill had been erected. 

In the Tomichi Clist.rict considerable ore had been 

shipped from the North Star 1nine; Quartz Creek had 

not been very active; and the Tin Cup district had 

showed little activity outside of the placers. In 1885 

in the Tomichi (White Pine) district the Eureka-· 

Nest Egg wa.s the n1ost productive property,· shipping 

lead carbonate to the Royal Gorge smelter at Canon 

City. Zinc carbonate appears to have been an undesirable constituent of the ores of this ca1np at this time. 

Fron1 1885 to 1893 the Tomichi district was fairly 

prosperous, but from 1893 to 1913 only a few mines 

produced much ore. In 1914 and 1915 a considerable 

quantity of lead-zinc-silver ore was shipped from the· 

Morning Star mine. During 1916-1918 the Akron 

- :ines -Co._, sbipped~letttt-'Zine'"snlphide ..o~ t. ftf 11 .. 

sm~lte_!'s and milled in the 60-ton concentration plant. 

:.ON: 'Jiitt(· pl!P~fty~-eofisiderable ore from the Akron 

gro-up ·and from the Eureka-Nest Egg group of mines. 

There was much development and experimenting 

with the milling problem at the Akron mines, but not 

much ore was marketed until 1922, when a favorable 

contract allowed large monthly shipments to be made 

on a basis of the sum of the lead and zinc assay. 

From 1914 to 1918, inclusive, a large quantity of 

zinc carbonate ore was shipped from the Doctor mine,. 

on Spring Creek, in the Elk Mountain district. 

Ohio City and Pitkin were towns in 1879. Both 

have survived to the present clay, and much of the 

output of gold of Gunnison County has been mined 

in those two districts, particularly from the Ohio City 

or Gold Brick district, where the Gold Links mine was 
DEVELOPME·NT BY COUNTIES 45 

a notable producer of gold ore until1913. The Carter 

mine has made intermittently considerable production 

up to and including 1924. 

South of lola, in the Domingo district, the Vulcan 

and Good Hope mines have produced 1,000 tons of 

ore earrying 10 ounces of silver to the ton and 6 per 

c·ent of copper. 

PITKIN COUNTY 

the Express mine, whose deposits lie at the Leadville 

horizon, and the Montezuma group, on Castle Peak, 

in the Maroon formation and diorite, about 13,500 

feet above sea level. The rich deposits near Aspen 

itself made but little show upon the surface. On 

Smuggler Mountain and along the base of Aspen 

Mountain their outcrops are buried beneath glacial 

gravels; moreover, the ore contained much less iron 

and manganese than the Leadville deposits, and the 

According to Rickard, ore was first discovered in outcrops of the ore bodies were therefore not so readily 

the Roaring Fork district, of which Aspen is the center, distinguishable from ordinary altered limestone or 

on July 3, 1879, when Philip W. Pratt and Smith dolomite. 

Steel, coming from Gothic by way of Maroon Pass, Thus, in 1881 and 1882, the prospects on the Castle 

found the Galena lode on West Aspen Mountain. Creek slope of Aspen Mountain were .considered the 

On the following day they located the Spar Claim on more promising, and it was not until 1884 that the 

Aspen Mountain, and on ·July 5 Allbright and Fuller existence of the very rich ore bodies on Spar Ridge 

located, at the foot of Smuggler Mountain, the Little was disclosed by the workings of the Emma and Aspen 

Rock claim, which covered a part of the property of mines. As a result of these discoveries the town of 

the present Sn1uggler mine. The Smuggler clain1 it- Ashcroft was moved almost bodily to Aspen, many 

self was located August 30 by Charles Bennett. The houses having been dragged over the 12 miles that 

first n1ineral survey was, made on the Monarch mine separate the two towns .. 

on October 12, 1879, by John Christian, of Leadville. In the meantime, fro~ January, 1881, to August, 

The report of Spurr 27 on the Aspen district has been 1882, there had been running at Independence or 

drawn upon freely in the following pages. Sparkill, at the headwaters of the Roaring Fork, in 

Though it is doubtful whether the early prospectors the eastern part of Pitkin County, a 15-stamp 1nill 

possessed a sufficiently broad knowledge of geology and later an additional 30-stamp mill on the gold ores 

to have observed the geologic conditions in the region, of this district, which prod~ned from beginning to 

it is tolerably certain that those who first came to end about $190:000. The mines were again operated 

Aspen in 1879-nlen who had been working in Lead- in 1891, again in 1897-1899, and possibly for a short 

ville-had observed on the maps of the Geological period in 1900 but not since 1900. In 1906-7 some 

Atlas of Colorado that the Paleozoic rocks which work was done and some ore produced fron1 silvercarry the silver at Leadville nearly encircle the Sa- bearing copper-lead ores in the adjoining Lincoln 

watch uplift and that, with the keen observation of district. The Montezum~ mine, in the Ashcroft dismen of their profession, they selected limestone beds trict, was worked from time to time until 1915. 

at the s1une horizon as the ore-bearing zone at Lead- For the first six years of its existence the great 

ville in which to n1ake their investigations. drawback to the development· of the Aspen district 

In the SUlllmer of 1879 the . Durant, Iron,· Spar, was its inaccessibility. It could be reached from 

Monarch, Late Acquisition, and S1nuggler clain1s at existing railroads only by crossing the summits of 

Aspen were located. Work was suspended during lofty ranges of mountains. The shor~est and most 

th~ winter, chiefly.:!: pf OW Tn~ipp ~evolt in the genera~ly traveled li~e of app~oach from the e~st le!t 

nClghborhoo:-~l:_ Jn th~ spnn~ -~1' 11§rr, fw"t?bVei';~e--1~the· rmlroad. at Granl~~'·~·~?w~Jes J:>~!o'[ Leadv!]~~'- 1~ En1ma,_ Aspen,_ ValleJcr,--MOll~~iiw,_, Argeptum.:::~ ,._the valley of the ArKansas,'!fti{lffKltlf 'll!~e---~~ · "~----.c------~-

Juniata, Della S., J. ·c. Johnston, Park-Regent, and Lake Fork passed Twin Lakes, crossed the summit of 

other clailUS were located. The town, which had at the Sawatch by Hunter Pass and descended to Indefirst been called Ute, was rechristened Aspen, prob- pendence, and thence went down the Roaring Fork to 

ably because the tree so named grew in _abundance on Aspen, a distance of about 40 miles. A second line, 

the neighboring hills. Exploration along the strike 72 miles in length, left the railroad at Buena Vista, 

of the limestone belt was continued, and claims were lower down the Arkansas Valley, crossed the Sawatch 

lo~ated along it for 30 to 45 miles-from the valley by Cottonwood Pass or Chalk Creek Pass, each 

of Fryingpan Creek on the northeast to that of Taylor about 11,000 feet high, into the valley of Taylor 

River on the south. Ashcroft, at the head of Castle River, and after ascending that river crossed Taylor 

Creek, was at first the largest town, but, although the Pass to Ashcroft and thence followed Castle Creek 

geologic conditions around it are most promising, few down to Aspen. 

considerable bodies of rich ore have been· discovered The first lot of ore shipped from Aspen was taken 

in that region, the only mines producing in 1896 being from the Spar and Chloride mines, on Aspen Moun27 Spurr, J. E., Geology of the Aspen mining district, Colo.: U. S. Geol. Survey 

Mon. 31, pp. xix-xx, 1898. 

tain. The ore was transpor-ted on the backs of burros 

or jackasses to Granite or Lead ville to be smelted. 
46 MINING IN COLORADO 

The cost of such transportation was at first $50 to 

$100 a ton, but as competition increased these rates 

were reduced, until near the time of the advent of the 

railroads they were $25 a ton. · 

In 1886 the Colorado Midland Railroad, which bad· 

built its line from Colorado Springs to Leadville in 

order to get part of the profitable ore-carrying business of Leadville, was induced by the promising 

developments of ore at Aspen to project a line to 

that point. This work bad hardly been undertaken 

when the Denver & Rio Grande Ra.ilroad Co., whose 

line wa.s already built down Eagle Rh er to Red Cliff, 

felt obliged to enter into competition for the Aspen 

trade, and a r.ailroad-building contest ensued, each 

road striving to reach the objective point first. The 

line of the Colorado Midland, which was a broad-gage 

road, ascended the Sawatch Range directly opposite 

Leadville, passed through its crest by a tunnel at 

Hagerman Pass, and descended Fryingpan Creek to 

the Roaring Fork. The route of the Denver & Rio 

Grande Railroad was longer, but it was then a narrowgage line, and it followed valleys all the way, descending Eagle and Grand rivers to Glenwood Springs, and 

thence ascending the valley of the Roaring Fork. In 

spite of the difficult engineering and the many tunnels 

in the magnificent canyon of Colorado River above 

Glenwood, the· Denver & Rio Grande reached Aspen 

first, in October, 1887, and the trains of the Colorado 

Midland did not actually reach the town limits until 

February, 1888. By the advent of the railroads the 

expense of transportation of ore to the smelters at 

Leadville, Pueblo, or Denver, was reduced to $10 or 

$15 a ton, and in later years this rate has been still 

further reduced, the charges being in a measure proportioned to the value of the ore. 

Another cause besides the difficulty of transportation that retarded the development of the mines at 

Aspen was the many lawsuits in regard to the ownership of the most valuable ore bodies, which sprang up 

as a natural consequence of the peculiar unfitness of 

the .United States mining laws to give a clear title, or 

even any title at all, to deposits of this kino. 

In the. exploitation of its mines and the reduction 

of its ores Aspen was unusually enterprising and led 

the way in many improvements in both these branches 

of mining. As early as 1882 smelting works were 

built at the north edge of the town and were run more 

or less continuously until 1887. That they should be 

financially successful when obliged to depend on the 

ores from a single district was hardly to be expected, 

and· when by the advent of the railroad they were 

brought into competition with centrally situated · 

works at Denver and Pueblo, which drew their ore 

supplies from all parts of the mountains, they were 

naturally closed down. ]!xtensive lixiviation works, 

designed by C. A. Stetefeldt, were erected in 1891 on 

the north bank of Castle Creek and were operated 

until the financial crash of 1893. They employed a 

modification of the Russell process. The financial 

success of these works is also said to have been doubtful. There have been many sampling works in the 

district, the first of which was opened in 1883. 

In 1897 there were at Aspen four concentrating 

plants, whose total capacity was 500 tons a day. In 

1898 about 10 per cent of the shipments from the 

district was concentrate. The Smuggler mills have 

been the most active plants in the district, and one 

of them, the only one operated for many years, still 

~urvives. The equipment used in the mills has been 

a combination of Hallett tables, Wilfley tables, and 

Frue vanners. Hartz jigs were also used in the 

Smuggler mill. For severt;tl years after 1901 the 

Smuggler mill settled its zinc slimes in a reservoir, 

and in 1904-1908 these slimes were· shipped to the 

Canon City lead-zinc oxide plant and to other zinc 

plants. In 1906 more than half of the crude ore 

mined was milled. In 1915 nearly 80 per cent was 

milled, and more than half of the quantity shipped 

from the district was concentrate, most of it lead 

concentrate. In recent years the zinc output has 

been derived mainly from lead-zinc carbonate ores 

taken from the Durant mine. In 1910 the Smuggler 

Leasing Co. unwatered the Mollie Gibson and other 

mines and kept them unwatered from 1910 to 1918 

at great expense, but in 1919 it allowed the two lower 

levels to fill with water. Lessees continued to work 

in the district, and the 360-ton concentration mill continued to be operated, so that there was an increase in 

the production of silver in 191~ but a decrease in 

that of lead. About the usual production was maintained in 1920, and a considerable production of 

lead-zinc ores was made from a deposit found at 

Lenado, near Aspen. The Smu.ggler mill was idle 

in 1921, but there was much new development work 

in the district; the output decreased. The Smuggler 

mill was in operation again in May, 1922, and there 

was increased production of silver for the year. The 

mill closed again in 1923. 

Many adits have been driven in this district, the 

principal one being the Cowenhoven, which has penetrated Smuggler Mountain 2V2 miles. 

EAGLE COUNTY 

Hollister relates that in July, 1860, a party of 100 

persons left Breckenridge to explore White River and 

its tributaries for mineral deposits. They went up 

Tenmile Creek for 10 miles, crossed over the divide 

southwestward to "Piney Creek" (now known as 

Eagle River), went down that creek to its canyon, 

and then over to the Roaring Fork, which they followed to its junction with the Colorado. Here they 

found the hot and cold springs of Glenwood Springs. 

The party crossed Colorado River and struck for the 

head of the South Fork of White River, which they 
DEVELOPMENT BY COUNTIES 47 

followed down to its junction with the Green. Turning to the southeast they. traveled "over ashy and 

sandy deserts and sedimentary rocks" to the sources 

of the Animas and the Rio Grande, in the San Juan 

Mountains. They went down the Rio Grande and 

returned by way of Fort Garland to Denver, where 

they finished their tour, and after that time the 

;greater part of northwest Colorado, then within the 

bounds of Summit County, was regarded as destitute 

-of minerals. Hollister fails to comment on the effect 

.of the reports of this trip in regard to the thought of 

:mineral deposits at the sources of the Animas and 

Rio Grande, but the impression of that region, then 

jn Lake and Conejos counties, was probably likewise 

·unfavorable. 

This party obviously turned away from Eagle 

·River Canyon and Battle Mountain, in Eagle County, 

·where deposits of silver-lead carbonates were not dis-

-covered until 18'79, the first claim being the Belden. 

In 1880 several promising deposits were found, nota-

-bly on the Belden claim, and silver valued at $50,000 

·was produced. In 1881 the Belden furnished large 

.quantities of lead-silver ore for the Battle Mountain smelter. In 1883 properties at Red Cliff pro-

.duced 19,859 tons of ore carrying 232,031 ounces of 

:silver and 8,000 tons of lead, the largest output of 

:lead ever made in one year at that place. During the 

:next two years the production fell off, but in 1886, 

,owing to an extraordinary increase in the production 

.of go\d and silver, the total value for the year was 

.$1,079,458, which was not again equaled until the 

.high price of zinc in 1915 gave a value of $1,643,056. 

After 1886 the production at Red Cliff rose and fell, 

·but apparently never again did the shipments show 

·so high a tenor of lead as in that year. The large 

.quantities of zinc in the ores were troublesome until 

1905, when the Pittsburg Gold Zinc Co., which was 

:succeeded by the Eagle Mining & Milling Co., erected 

:a magnetic separation mill to handle the ores of the 

Iron Mask mine. In 1917-the Empire Zinc Co. ac-

·quired much of the territory. Except in 1907 and 

1908 the output of zinc from this district to 1918 

gradually increased, reaching in 1915 more than 

.11,000,000 pounds. In 1916 it was 28,438,052 pounds, 

.and in 1917 it was 23,715,412 pounds. But in 1918 

it was only 14,845,341 pounds, and in 1919 only 

3,387,548 pounds. In 1920 it rose to 6,653,235 

pounds, and 517,109 pounds of copper also were pro-

-duced. In 1921 no zinc ores were marketed, but the 

.output of copper amounted to 1,833,078 pounds. In 

1922 the output of zinc was 11,000,000 pounds and 

that of copper was 1,330,29fl pounds. In 1923 zinc 

reached 23,600,000 pounds. The Black Iron mine at 

Red Cliff has produced much iron-n1anganese ore, 

and shipments. of ore of this class were made again 

in 1923-24. · 

In 1881 a large stamp mill was erected in the Holy 

Cross district to crush the surface gold ores, but the 

activity there did not continue long. 

In 1913 silver ores were found in steeply dipping 

sedimentary rocks on Brush Creek, and 200,000 

ounces of silver were produced from s·urface and 

shallow workings up to 1918, but work was at first 

handicapped by the fact that the principal property 

fell into litigation soon after its discovery, and later 

·development has turned toward driving a long crosscut adit, with the object of striking the sedimentary 

beds at depth, a project not yet completed. 

CUSTER COUNTY 

In 1872 galena and ~ich silver glance had been discovered at Rosita, in Custer County, but the ore 

seemed to pinch out, and the deposit first discovered 

was for a time abandoned. In. April, 187 4, a thin 

seam of carbonate of copper, which was accompanied 

by native silver, was discovered on the south slopes · 

of the hills back of Rosita. This seam was the outcrop of the famous Humboldt-Pocahontas vein, which 

was worked more or less continuously for 15 years 

and produced more than $900,000 worth of ore. In 

1877 the Bassick deposit was discovered 2 miles north 

of Rosita and is said to have yielded ore worth $500,000 

in gold and silver in the first year and a half. The 

Bassick mine was then sold and is said to have produced $1,500,000 more up to 1885. Since then it has 

had a checkered career, but it made an intermittent 

output up to and including 1923. · 

In 1878 Silver Cliff sprang into existenc·e with the 

discovery of horn silver at the south end. of the White 

Mountains. Soon afterward, in the Blue Mountains, 

about 2 miles north of Silver Cliff, the remarkable 

deposit was discovered that became known as the 

Bull Domingo mine, which by 1881 had produced 

$290,000 in silver in coinage value at $1.29 an ounce 

and. considerable lead. In 1881 the Denver & Rio 

Grande Railroacl, in order to reach the iron mines on 

Grape Creek as well as to serve the· Wet Mountain 

Valley, built a narrow-gage line from Canon City up 

the winding valley of Grape Creek to Westcliffe, but 

the tri\ck was continually being washed out, and after 

a particularly extensive washout in 1888 the railroad 

was . abandoned and the remaining tracks were removed. For 12 years the region was without railroad 

communication, but in 1900 the Denver & Rio Grande 

built a standard-gage road from Texas Creek to Westcliffe: The year 1885 saw the end of active production 

at Silver Cliff, although mining has been continued 

there intermittently to the present time, with a large 

output in 1917, 1918, and 1919, chiefly from the 

Passiflora mine. Outside of this area, at Ilse, on 

Oak Creek, the Terrible mine, which was located in 

1879, produced, from 1884 to 1889, $500,000 to 
48 MINING IN COLORADO 

$800,000 in lead. No output was made here again 

until 1897-1900, when about a thousand tons of ore 

carrying about 5 per cent of lead was taken out. The 

mine was idle until1921-1924, when the ore was successfully concentrated. 

RIO GRANDE COUNTY 

In 1870 prospectors went south fron1 Del Norte 

and in June of that year discovered gold in Wightmans Gulch, Summitville district (now Rio Grande· 

County), which led to the opening, in 1872-73, of 

the Little Annie and other lodes, the erection of 

stamp mills, an output of $2,063,964 in gold and silver 

from 1873 to 1887, and a small yearly output to 1917, 

with a record value of $112,11 i for 1909. From 1873 

to 1923 a total gross calculated value of gold, silver, 

lead, and copper of $2,556,909 is recorded. 

SAN JUAN COUNTY 

The town of Del Norte was the natural prov1s1on 

point and gateway to the watershed of the Rio Grande. 

In 1860 Baker made his expedition from Del Norte into 

Bakers Park, where Silverton now stands, but found 

no profitable gulch n1ining. He was overtaken by 

the heavy winter snows and harassed by the Ute 

Indians, and many of his party perished miserably, 

a ren1nant escaping over the mountains only after 

suffering great hardships. 

The following historical sketch of the Silverton 

district is taken without essential n1odification from 

Ranson1e. 28 

For several years the memory of [Baker's] unfortunate 

expedition seems to have discouraged further attempts at 

prospecting in the neighborhood of Bakers Park. 

It was not until the early seventies that reports of mineral 

wealth again began to draw the more adventurous miners into 

the San Juan region. Some gold was early obtained by washing 

in Arrastra Gulch [near Silverton], and this led, in 1870, to 

the discover-y:- by a· party: of ·prosp.ectors serit~ettt:-by-Governot 

~-~~~~ __ , -~;1,. .of.N_e.w __ -~-·--· ·' -ot:---th€Iirsnmne· 'vhich \vas. successfully . tiJ¥2?~~· -~-- ~ 

· operated, the Little Giant, on the north side of Arrastra Gt\lch. 

This produced a gold ore, of-whlGh-s9me-27.tortS·'W'ere· treated i:narrastres, yielding $150 a ton. The first shipment of ore frOII! 

the district is said t9 have been from this mine. In 1872 troops 

were sent into the region to keep out the miners, as their presence 

constituted a violation of the treaty of 1868, by which the Utes 

were secured in sole possession. In the same year a commission 

was appointed by Congress to negotiate a new treaty with the 

Indians to reduce the extent of their reservation. The Little 

Giant Co. was organized in Chicago in 1872, and in 1873 the 

arrastres were replaced by an amalgamating mill equipped with 

a Dodge crusher, a ball pulverizer, and five stamps. Power 

was·furnished by a 12-horsepower engine. The mill was built 

1,000 feet below the mine, and the ore was brought down on the 

first wire-rope tramway built in the region. This year the 

mine produced $12,000 out of a total of about $15,000 for the 

entire region. The pay shoot, however, began to diminish, and 

after the milling of a few hundred tons of ore mine and mill were 

abandoned. Several lodes had by this time been opened in the 

region and some small amounts of rich ore had been taken out, 

but it was not until1874 that the main rush to the country began. 

In September of the previous year a treaty, known as the Brunot 

treaty, had been drawn up with the Utes, whereby the San Juan 

Mountains were thrown open to settlement. The ratification 

of this treaty by the Senate in April, 1874, was followed by a 

sudden influx of miners, chiefly from the northern camps of 

Colorado, but including also a few from the south, and some 

even from the far West. It is e3timated that about 2,000 men 

came into the district during the summer of 1874, and Endlich 29 

reports that more than this number of lodes were then staked 

out.30 

At that time La Plata, Hinsdale, and Rio Grande were the only 

counties into which the former reservation had been divided. 

The chief settlement and the county seat of La Plata County 

was Howardsville; but in the autumn of 1874 the county seat 

was moved to Silverton, then a growing town of some dozen 

houses, admirably situated in Bakers Park. The nearest post 

office at this time was Del Norte, about 125 miles distant. In 

1876 San J nan County was formed from a portion of La Plata 

County, with Silverton as the county seat. At this time the 

town is said to have had a population of about 500 voters. 

Ouray, San Miguel, and Dolores counties were subsequently 

formed by legislative enactment from the te·rritory originally 

included in La Plata County. 

In 1874 real mining began, principally on Hazelton Mountain, and several hundred tons of gray copper and galena ore 

were taken out from the Aspen, Prospector, Susquehanna, and 

neighboring claims during this and the immediately succeeding 

years. This ore was treated chiefly in Greene & Co.'s smelter, 

which was erected just north of Silverton in 1874 but which 

was not successfully blown in until the following year. The 

machinery was brought in on burros from [Pueblo], then the 

terminus of the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad. The product 

of the entire quadrangle [the area shown on the U~ S. Geol. 

Survey's Silverton map] for 1875 was about $35,000, and an 

estimate made in 1877 places the total product from the beginning of mining to the close of 1876 at a little over $1,000,000. 

The Greene smelter was in intermittent operation until 1879 

and was the first successful water-jacket furnace in the State. 

Its daily capacity was about 12 tons, and it is said to have 

smelted nearly $400,000 worth of silver-lead bullion. The 

bullion was shipped by pack train and wagon to Pueblo. 

_ '_l'he cost of.1_ransp_ortwg i,t. 1jg,theiaiJW*rffi·wwyr 't''dfu~:-.- . ':f)er ton ill-:ffi-<m;-wtiJPer,.on lll l§7r, ana'$m'Per ton lll ~- The average price for treatment was not far from $100 per ton . 

During the seventies the_ chief_ rouji~_i:Q.to the Animas mining 

disti:1ct\vas bytnetra(Cfrom WN orte, on the Rio Grande, by 

way of Antelope Park and Cunningham Gulch. Over this 

route the first ore sold from the Pride of the West mine, in 

Cunningham Gulch, was taken out in 187 4. It was not until 

1879 that the wagon road from Antelope Park was completed 

by way of Stony Gulch, and ore could be hauled out to Del 

Norte by teams at $30 a ton. 

The founding of Lake City, about the year 1875, and the 

establishment there by Crooke & Co. of a smelting plant, 

afforded a market for the ores ·of the northeastern portion of the 

quadrangle. The first ore shipped out from this part of the 

district was from the Mountain Queen mine, at the head of 

California Gulch, in 1877. It amounted to 370 tons, and con-

. tained 64 per cent of lead and 30 ounces of silver per ton. It 

was carried by pack animals to the end of the road at Rose's 

cabin, at a cost of $3 per ton. · Crooke & Co., of Lake City, 

2g U.S. Geol. and Geog. Survey Terr. Ann. Rept. for 1874, pp. 12o-121, 1876. 

2s Ransome, F. L., A report on the economic geology of the Silverton quadrangle, ao According to 13ancroft, "more than 1,000 lodes claimed." History of Nevada, 

Colo.: U. S. Geol. Survey Bull. 182, pp. 19-25, 1901. Colorado, and Wyoming, p. 501, San Francisco, 1890. 
DEVELOPMENT BY COUNTIES 49 

and Mather & Geist, of Pueblo, both had ore-buying agencies 

in Silverton in 1879. During this year about 500 tons of ore, 

worth about $60,000, were sent to the Lake City smelter, and 

about 185 tons went to Pueblo. The value of the latter was 

probably about $25,000. 

In 1879 a road was completed from Silverton up Cement 

Creek to the head of Poughkeepsie Gtilch, where prospecting 

and mining was going on with great activity on the Old Lout, 

Alabama, Poughkeepsie, Red Roger, Saxon, Alaska, Bonanza 

and other claims. Chlorination and lixiviation works wer~ 

erected at Gladstone about this time, to treat these ores by the 

Augustin process. Their capacity was about 6 tons per day. 

During the seventies the eastern and northeastern portions 

of the Silverton quadrangle were actively prospected, and nearly 

every lode which has subsequently proved valuable was then 

located. In some cases paying ore was taken out in large 

quantities, as from the North Star mine on Sultan Mountain 

and others. But this activity was in great part feverish and 

unwholesome. The success of a few encouraged extravagance 

in the incompetent, and opened a rich field to unscrupulous 

and dishonest promoters. Smelting plants and mills were 

erected before the presence of ore was ascertained. Reduction 

processes were installed without any pains having been taken 

to ascertain their applicability to the particular ores to be 

treated. Thus in 1876 Animas Forks was a lively town of 

some 30 houses and 2 mills and in 1883 boasted of a population 

of 450. * * * Built upon hopes never· realized, its decline 

was almost as rapid as its rise, and the town is now ruined and 

desolate. Its principal mill wa·s put up in 1875 or 1876 to 

treat ore from the Red Cloud mine but was never successful. 

The Eclipse smelter, erected by James Cherry as late as 1880, at 

the mouth of Grouse Gulch, ostensibly to run on lead ores from 

the Mountain Queen and other claims, was also a costly failure. 

The Bonanza tunnel, a mile and a half west of the town, was 

run 1,000 feet at the extravagant cost of $300,000 or $400,000, 

and then abandoned. Around Mineral Point probably 

$2,000,000 or $3,000,000 were squandered in mining operations 

which resulted in no permanent improvements or actual 

development. * * * 

In 1881 the ret:narkable deposits between Red Mountain and 

Ironton were discovered, and in 1882 and 1883 prospectors 

swarmed into this new field * * * [See Ouray County, 

p. 182.] 

Previous to the advent of the railroad in Silverton, ores 

running less than $100 per ton could seldom be handled with 

profit, but with the completion of the Silverton branch of the 

Denver & Rio Grande narrow-gage railroad in July, 1882, the 

;rate of transportation on low-grade ores was much reduced, 

and many mines hitherto unavailable became productive. 

Freight charges, at first $16 per ton to Denver or Pueblo, were 

soon dropped to $12, at which high figure they stood for some 

time. Over 6,000 tons of ore were shipped from Silverton 

during the first six months after the advent of the railroad. 

The Greene smelter had some years previously (about 1880) 

-come into the possession of the New York & San Juan 

Smelting Co., which in 1881 moved the Silverton plant to 

Durango and in 1882 started the present smelter in that town. 

In September, 1887, the name was changed to the Durango 

Smelting Co., which operated until April 1, 1888. From that 

date. until May 1, 1895, business was carried on under the 

name of the San Juan Smelting & Mining Co., a corporation 

organized through the consolidation of the Durango Smelting 

Co., of Durango, and the Hazelton Mountain Mining Co., of 

Silverton, owners of the Aspen group of mines. The Martha 

Rose smelter, with a capacity of about 20 tons, began operations in Silverton in 1882, but after smelting about 11 tons 

of bullion shut down and was never successfully reopened. 

The year 1883 was a busy one in Silverton, and the population of the town rose to over 1,500 inhabitants. Sampling 

works had previously been erected by E. T. Sweet and T. B. 

Comstock & Co. Late in the season a third plant was opened 

by Stoiber Brothers. The North Star on Sultan [Mountain], 

the Belcher, Aspen, Gray Eagle, North Star on Solomon 

[Mountain], the Green Mountain, as well as the Red Mountain mines were an· actively producing, while great strikes 

were announced in the Ben Franklin and Sampson mines. The 

Silver Lake mine also came into prominence and shipped that 

year 72 tons of ore to Sweet's sampling works. 

It was not until about 1890 that any real attempt was made 

to concentrate low-grade ores. The credit of thus initiating a 

procedure upon which largely depends the future of the whole 

district must be divided between J. H. Terry, of the Sunnyside 

mine, and E. G. Stoiber, of the Silver Lake mine. Both men 

have been successful, and Mr. Stoiber in particular has shown 

how low-grade veins may be worked successfully on a large 

scale with a modern plant. About this time the North Star 

mine, on Sultan Mountain, put up the present mill, run by 

water power, and in 1894 Thomas Walsh and others erected the 

matte smelter just west of Silverton. Walsh treated by the 

Austin process the low-grade Guston ore, and bought siliceous 

ores wherever he could obtain them. This smelter ran pretty 

steadily for three years and finally shut down. Its capacity 

was about 100 tons of ore a day for ten months in the year. 

In all, about 100,000 tons of low-grade siliceous and pyritiferous ores were treated. There was no further attempt made 

to smelt ores in Silverton until the construction in 1900 of the 

pyritic smelter, near the mouth of Cement Creek. The smelter 

at Durango, which was leased in 1895 by the Omaha & Grant 

Co., and which on May 1, 1899, became the property of the 

American Smelting & Refining Co., has continued to handle 

the bulk of the ore and concentrates from the Silverton region. 

With a few notable exceptions, the mines of the Silverton 

quadrangle produced ores in which silver .and lead are the 

predominant metals. Naturally the rapid decline in the value 

of silver in 1892 and succeeding years resulted in the closing 

of many mines hitherto productive and in a general decrease 

of mining activity. * * * The success of Messrs. Stoiber 

and Terry in handling low-grade ores has demonstrated that 

when wasteful and inadequate methods are replaced by modern 

appliances and shrewd management mines carrying abundant 

low-grade ore may be made profitable. * * * 

Placer mining has never been extensively practiced within 

the· Silverton quadrangle. In former years a little washing 

was done on the east side of California Mountain, in Picayune 

Gulch, and in Arrastra Gulch, but there are no extensive 

deposits of auriferous gravels in the district, and the total 

output from placer mining is probably insignificant. 

In the sun1mer of 1899 the 9-mile Gladstone, 

Silverton & Northern Railroad was completed from 

Silverton to the Gold Kjng 1nine, near Gladstone. In 

the same year the Gold King mine was equipped with 

a new 100-ton amalgamation-concentration mill, and 

the Sunnyside mine, near Eureka, with a 100-ton 

an1algamation-concentration mill, and the American 

Smelting & Refining Co. acquired the lead-bullion 

copper-matte Durango smelter, which is still serving 

the San Juan region. In 1900 the Kendrick-Gelder 

pyritic smelter was built at saverton, but like all other 

"pyritic" smelters of the United States it sought 

copper ore to make a matte. It operated part of each 

year fron1 1900 to 1905. In 1906 and 1907 this stnelter 

was operated as a matting plant by the Ross Mining & 

Milling Co., chiefly on copper ores from its Champion, 

Silver Wing, St. Paul, and Galta Boy mines. 
50 MINING IN COLORADO 

In 1901 the Silver Lake group of 17 5 claims was 

sold to the American Smelting & Refining Co. In 

1901 the amalgamation and concentration mills reported in the county had a daily capacity of 1,470 tons. 

From 1902 to 1 90'6 the 80-s tamp 200-ton amalgamation-concentration mill of the Gold King mine, the 

combined 130-ton amalgamation-concentration mills 

of the Sunnyside mine, the combined 400-ton concentration mills of the Silver Lake mines, and many 

other mills contributed a heavy stream of amalgam 

bullion and concentrates to the output of the State. 

In 1904 magnetic separating machines were added to 

the Silver Ledge miH, at Chattanooga, to separate the 

iron from the lead-zinc-iron ore, making this n1ill the 

first in San Juan County in which zinc was recovered 

as a marketable product. As early as 1883 the 

Sunnyside ore was known by the smelters as one of 

the n1ost desirable dry ores in the State, except for 

the large percentage of zinc contained. It then, 

as now, carried considerable gold and only about 5 to 

) 10 per cent of lead. In 1905 there was a new mill on 

the Old Hundred mine, which was productive through 

1910. In 1906 the Animas Power Co. completed its 

hydroelectric plant at Rockwood, and since that year 

it has furnished electric power to the mines. In 1906, 

at the Gold Prince mine, near the Gold King, was 

built a 500-ton stamp-amalgamation, wet-concentration, and magnetic-separation mill, which was operated from 1907 through 1910. In 1906 the Dives and 

Shenandoah mines are mentioned as producing. 

These mines have made a very creditable production 

to 1923. In 1907 the Iowa-Gold Tiger 150-ton concentration mill was added to the list of operating n1ills. 

Fire and snowslides cut the production for 1908. The 

Hercules mine became a producer in 1908 and operated until 1911. In 1909 a severe spring and no 

railroad service for 46 days in July and August and 

for 40 days in September and October, owing to 

washouts, cut the production in San Juan County 

again. In 1910 'the production recovered wi.th the 

addition of several new mills, although the Gold King 

n1ine was turned over· to lessees and the Silver Lake 

mines showed signs of exhaustion. The renewed 

efforts made in 1910 to separate and n1arket the zinc 

in the ores of the· county resulted iri a considerable 

production of that metal that year. In 1911 production again decreased. In 1912 an electrostatic mill 

was built at the Sunnyside mine to treat the zinc-iron 

middlings from the amalgamation-concentration· mill. 

In 1913 the production increased over that in 1912, 

although the Silver Lake mines were turned over to 

lessees. Production fell off in 1914. The Silver Lake 

mines continued to be operated by lessees. The 

Silver Lake 300-ton concentration mill was opened as 

a custom mill in May, and a 100-ton flotation unit 

wa.s added to the mill. A flotation unit was added to 

the Gold King mill to treat the slimes. Flotation cells 

were also added to the Iowa-Gold Tiger mill. In 19 15· 

there was an increase for ·all the metals except silver .. 

The Iowa-Gold Tiger, Silver Lake, Intersection, Gold 

King, and Sunnyside mines were the chief producers~ 

The years 1916 and 1917 showed further increases in 

production, but in· 1918 the Gold King mine was. 

closed down and the Sunnyside's new 600-ton flotation 

plant, built in 1917-18, was operated for only eight. 

months. The Gold King was not reopened until1924 .. 

In 1918 the Dives, Highland Mary, Mayflower, and 

Pride of the West mines, in addition to those mentioned~ 

in previovs years, made a notable production. In. 

1919 the regular operations at the Sunnyside mine ancf. 

mill were carried on for only four months, for a fire on 

April 26 made it necessary to rebuild the boarding~ 

house, bunk house, compressor plant, emergency 

hospital, and snowsheds. The production of San Juan: 

County for 1920 was the largest in gross value in: 

the history of the county, because of the continuous; 

operations of the Sunnyside 500-ton gravity-concentration and selective-flotation mill, but in 1921, as a 

-result of the low prices (beginning in November, 1920} 

for lead and zinc, the Sunnyside mill was idle all the: 

year, as were nearly all the other mines, and the production of the county was the smallest since 1882~ 

In 1922 most of the mines continued idle or were not. 

reopened until late in the summer, but in 1923, with_ 

increased prices for lead and zinc, mining was resumed 

and continued, with the operation of the Sunnyside· 

mill, for the full year. The Sunnyside mill increased. 

its output of lead concentrate and zinc concentrate 

in 1924. 

HINSDALE COUNTY 

The following account of the Lake City district is: 

taken, with slight changes, from Irving and Ban-· 

croft: 31 

Precious metal was probably first discovered in the· 

Lake City area in 1848 by a member of the Fremont. 

party, but the discovery apparently was not followed 

by any search for mineral deposits. On August 27 ,. 

1871, the Ute and Ulay veins were discovered. At 

that time all the land of the San Juan region belongedJ 

to .the Ute Indians. The reports of mineral wealth. 

brought many prospectors into the region, but the 

encroachment on their lands was resented by the· 

Indians. In 1874, by the Brunot treaty, the San 

Juan Mountains were thrown open to settlement. In 

August, 1874, Hotchkiss/2 the leader of the expedition 

that built a wagon road from Saguache to Lake Gity~ 

discovered the rich vein now known as the Golden. 

Fleece and named it the "Hotchkiss." News of the 

strike spread rapidly, and Lake City soon became the 

center of activity. In 1874 Hinsdale County, with 

31 Irving, J.D., and Bancroft, Howland, Geology and ore deposits near Lake City. 

Colo.: U.S. Geol. Survey Bull. 478, 1911. 

a2 Raymond says Hotchkiss Finley; Rickard says Hotchkiss. 
DEVELOPMENT BY COUNTIES 51 

Lake City as the county seat, was established by 

Territorial legislation, but later legislative enactments have materially cut down the original area. 

During the same year reduction works were built at 

Lake City. In 1875 ore aggregating 18 tons, worth 

$1,319, was shipped from the Hotchkiss mine, and new 

discoveries were made almost daily. The continued 

production of the Hotchkiss and the Ute and Ulay 

mines and the opening up of the Ocean Wave group 

made the year 1876 seem very promising. During 

that year the Ute and' Ulay mines were purchased by 

the Crooke Mining & Smelting Co., which erected a 

lead smelter, the Ocean Wave mine was opened, and 

in April, 1878, the Excelsior mine was located. By 

1880 the Ocean Wave had yi~lded 110,000 ounces of 

silver at the Ocean Wave Works, but both mill and 

mine became idle in that year. The Hotchkiss, or 

Golden Fleece, did little between 1876 and 1878, and 

was then idle until 1883 and again until 1889, but 

from that time on it was very profitable until 1897 33 

and from 1900 until1902 was worked with a 60-stamp 

mill. In 1880 a great deal of work ·was done on the 

Palmetto group, which lies at the head of_ Henson 

Creek, on ~ngineer Mountain, west of Capitol City, 

and a 15-stamp mill was built on this property. The 

St. Louis, Capitol, Czar, Silver Chord, Young America, 

Yell ow Medicine, Pride of America, Vermont, Red 

Rover, and many other properties near Capitol City 

were also being worked. In 1881 the Crooke smelter 

was operating on ore from the Ute and Ulay mines 

and from the Polar Star, and 400 tons of ore from the 

Palmetto mine yielded $28,000 worth of silver in the 

stamp . amalgamation mill. In January, 1881, the 

Frank Hough mine, on Engineer Mountain, was started, 

and late in the year shipped 60 tons of high-grade 

copper-silver ore having an average value of $125 a 

ton. In 1882 concentration works having a capacity 

of 150 tons a day were erected at the Ute mine, and 

the PalmP.tto mill was actively operated. In April, 

1884, the Crooke smelter closed, but a large quantity 

of copper ore was shipped from the Frank Hough 

mine. The years 1885 and 1886 were dull in this 

district. 

In 1887 considerable ore was shipped from the 

Ulay, Vermont, and Yellow Medicine properties. 

The shipments from the Yellow Medicine fell off 

perceptibly in 1888, but the Ulay · and Vermont 

continued to ship. · 

In 1889 there was only a small output, but in that 

year the branch railroad to Lake City was completed, 

and soon afterward very rich ore was reported from 

the Golden Fleece. A single car of petzite ore from 

this mine is said to have yielded $50,000. 

There was a revival in the district in 1891, and 

the period from that year to 1902, inclusive, was 

aa See Rickard, T. A., Across the San Juan Mountains: Eng. and Min. Jour., vol. 

76, pp. 307-308, 1903. 

the most productive in the history of the county. 

The principal producing mines were the Golden 

Fleece, Ute, Ulay, Hidden Treasure, and Czar. The 

total output of the Golden Fleece was $1,400,000. 

From 1903 to 1915 little was done in the district. 

The Ute and Ulay mines were reopened and were 

productive for a short time in 1918 and were then 

again abandoned. There is much low-grade ore in 

this district, and associated with the low-grade ore 

is an enormous quantity of zinc blende, which should 

be amenable to proper treatment. 

DOLORES COUNTY 

The following account of the history of the Rico 

district. up to 1900 is taken with slight modifications 

from Ransome, 34 who in turn has acknowledged his 

indebtedness to an article entitled "The early trail 

blazers," which was published in the Rico News of 

June, 1892. 

In 1861 Lieutenant Howard and other members 

of John Baker's expedition into the San Juan region 

made their way over the mountains from the east 

and prospected Dolores Riv~r.- ·In 1866 a party 

from Arizona reached the bend of Dolores River, 

where the town of Dolores now stands, and explored 

the river to its source. Thence they crossed the 

divide to Trout Lake and went down San Miguel 

River. 

In 1869 two prospectors on their way to Montana 

from Santa Fe prospected at Rico and located the 

Pioneer claim, a name that afterward became the 

official designation of the district. 

In 1870 R. C. Darling, a surveyor of the boundaries 

of the Ute Indian Reservation, passed up the Dolores 

on his way to Mount Sneffels. He located some 

claims at Rico and passed on his way. During the 

same year Gus Begole, John Echols, Dempsey Reese, 

and "Pony" Whittemore came into the district from 

New Mexico and discovered the Aztec and Yellow 

Jacket lodes. On the approach of winter all the 

prospectors left the district. Apparently none of the 

prospectors came back the following summer, but in 

1872 Darling led a large party into th~ Pioneer district from Santa Fe, erected a Mexican smelting 

furnace, and produced three bars of bullion. The 

results were not encouraging, and the party returned 

to Santa Fe. In 1875 members of the Hayden survey 

mapped the region. 

Prospecting was again resumed in 1877, and in 1878 

it became active through the energy of John Glasgow, 

"Sandy" Campbell, David Swickhimer, and others, 

who located the Atlantic Cable, Grand View, and 

other claims but abandoned work in the winter. In 

the spring of 1879 rich oxidized silver ore was discovered, and in the summer there was a rush to the 

u Ransome, F. L., The deposits of the Rico I\1ountains, Colo.: U.S. Geol. Survey 

Twenty-second Ann. Rept., pt. 2, pp. 24Q-242, 1902 .. 
52 MINING IN COLORADO 

.. 

district from neighboring camps. Ore was also 

found in the Chestnut vein, on Newman Hill, and a 

small shipment was made to Swansea, Wales. A 

settlement was begun, a town site was surveyed, anrl 

a post office called Rico was opened. 

In the fall of 1880 the Grand View smelter began 

operations, the machinery coming from the railway 

terminus at Alamosa by wagons to Mancos and thence 

by Bear Creek to Rico. In 1882 a second smelter was 

built, which was purchased by the Pasadena Co. iiJ. 

1884 and operated for nearly two years as a custom 

plant. In 1887 Swickhimer struck ore in the Enterprise claim, infusing new life into the camp, and large 

bodies of ore were found in the Rico-Aspen and other 

claims. In 1890 the Rio Grande Southern Railroad 

reached Rico. From 1889 to 1894 the largest annual 

production of the district was made, particularly in 

1893, ·when 2,675,238 ounces of silver, 4,500,000 

pounds of lead, and $442,105 in gold were produced. 

After 1894 the production decreased heavily, though 

it recovered slightly in 1897-98. The district produced a large quantity of zinc in 1898. In 1901 a 

magnetic separator and wet concentration mill was 

erected at the Atlantic Cable mine for the treatment 

of lead-zinc sulphide ores, and test runs were made 

during that year and the next. In 1902 the Pro 

Patria magnetic-separation and jig-concentration mill 

was set in operation and produced a lead and a zinc 

concentrate. The milling results were not satisfactory, and production of zinc fell off until1905 and 1906~ 

The year 1907 was a dull one for the district but . ' In 1908 the Pro Patria mill was again set in motion 

and made a considerable output of zinc and lead concentra_tes. This mill was destroyed by fire in October, 

1908, and no milling was done again until 1913, when 

the mill was remodeled into a straight wet-concentration plant and operated during that year only. In 

1912 the district took on new life from shipments of 

copper and lead-zinc smelting ore, and in 1913 the 

value of the silver, copper, lead, and zinc produced 

was larger than in 1894. In 1914 and 1915 the leadzinc shipments decreased, and in 1914 the copper shipments, but in}915 the largest output of copper in the 

history of the camp was made. In 1916 the production of copper declined, but in 1917· the production of 

~ead and zinc increased heavily and that of copper also 

Increased. In 1918 the production of copper increased 

somewhat but that of lead and zinc decreased. There 

are large reserves of lead, zinc, and pyrite ores in the 

district. 

During 1900. the Emma mine, at Dunton, became a 

producer, and in 1901 an amalgamation-concentration 

mill was erected. The mine continued as an intermittent producer to 1924. 

LA PLATA COUNTY 

According to Cross, 35 it was not until 1878 that 

prospecting was begun in La Platlit County. In that 

year the Comstock mine was opened, and work was 

begun at the Cumberland and Snowstorm properties, 

near the head of the La Plata Valley. By the end of 

1881 many locations· had been made,_ and the nature 

of the richest ores, tellurides of gold and silver, had 

become well known. In 1881 in addition to the activity in the La Plata district, there was some in the 

Needle Mountains and Vallecito districts, but neither 

of these two districts has since developed much ore. 

The La Plata (or California) district, in La Plata and 

Montezuma counties, embracing the La Plata Mountains and including the watersheds of La Plata River, 

Mancos River, Bear Creek, and Junction Creek, has 

been practically the sole producing district in La Plata 

County. The output was very small until 1894, 

for which year the report of the Director of the Mint 

shows a heavy increase in the output of gold and an 

amazing increase in that of silver, for which no explanation can be given. It would appear that the 

figures for silver are wrong. For 1895 and 1896 the 

production was nominal, but in 1897 there seems to 

have been more activity, and in 1902, owing to the 

output from the Neglected mine, at the head of Junction Creek, of $117,041 in gold and $1,682 in silver, 

the production took a very considerable leap forward, 

and afterward gradually increased year by year-in 

1903 from the Neglected, in 1904 from the Neglected 

and May Day, in 1905 from the May Day-until in 

1907 the total output, chiefly from the May Day and 

Valley View, exceeded $500,000. The production declined in 1908 and 1909, but in 1910 and 1911 the 

record for 1907 was again approached. Another decline followed in 1912, but an increase was made in 

1913. The output decreased again in 1914 and still 

farther in 1915, 1916, 1917, and 1918. The total production of the La Plata district from 1878 to 1923 was 

$4,775,699. 

SAN MIGUEL COUNTY 

In 1870 Darling, the Government surveyor, on his 

way up Dolores River, passed through the area on 

which Rico now stands on his way to Mount Sneffels, 

but if he went as far as the mountains he apparentlv 

did not discover any valuable mineral deposits. I~ 

1872 he returned to prospect at Rico. In 1874 prospectors who probably crossed the head of Dolores 

River from Baker Park into Marshall Basin were led 

by the placers of the San Miguel to search for lodes in 

35 Cross, Whitman, U. S. Geol. Survey Gcol. Atlas, La Plata folio (No. 60), p. 

12, 18!J9. 
DEVELOPMENT BY COUNTIES 53' 

the mountains. In 1875 they made locations on 

what is now the Smuggler vein and shipped a ton of 

ore worth $2,000 to the smelter at Alamosa. Other 

claims were located, and in 1877 small shipments were 

made, principally to Silverton, the ores being mined 

for silver. In 1878 Marshall Basin produced 200 tons, 

and s1nalllots were sent to the Silverton smelter from 

the mines about Ophir. In 1879 milling was first 

attempted by arrastres. In 1881 the Virginius mine, 

at the head of Canyon Creek (in Ouray County), 

was worked by three levels and two shafts, and in 

1882 produced $75,000 in silver. In 1883 a small 

smelter was built at the old town of Ames, but apparently it did not prove successful, as it ran only a year. 

In 1883 a shipment of 4 tons of ore from the Smuggler 

vein gave a return of 800 ounces of silver and 18 

ounces of gold to the ton. 

Placer 1niningin San Miguel County has never been 

very successful, and by 1896, according to estimates, 

only $100,000 had been taken out. The auriferous 

gravels were not generally found at the level of the 

present streams but occur in small areas at a greater 

or less distance a.bove them, and operations have been 

hampered because of the heavy weight of the 

gravel and because of the great size of the boulders 

that have to be handled. The total placer production 

for San Mig~el County from 1878 to 1924 has been 

only $188,635. 

The lode mines in the county continued to increase 

in production steadily from year to year. In 1881 

the principal shipping mines were the Smuggler, 

Mendota, Cimarron, and Argentine. Among others 

developed were the Alta, Palmyra, and Silver Chief. 

According to Rickard, 36 the Pandora mill was 

erected and the Pandora and Oriental mines were 

operated during 1877 and succeeding years. Among 

the early locations were the Belmont and the Tomboy, 

on the trail ·which crosses the range from Silverton 

and Red Mountain, but the value of the lode was not 

shown in the first workings, and the company organized · 

in 1892 was unsuccessful. Later developments after 

a reorganization in 1894 resulted two years later in 

making the lode a large producer. In 1899 the Tomboy Gold Mines Co. was organized to take over the 

Tomboy mine. In 1901 the ore showed signs of 

approaching exhaustion, so the Argentine property, 

near by, was acquired. In 1911 the Argentine began 

to give poor results, and the· Montana group·of claims 

on the opposite side of the basin was pui_"chased from 

the Revenue Tunnel Co. In 1915 the extension of 

the Montana group, as covered by the SydneyWhite Cloud group of claims, was purchased. 

During all this period the operations of the 

company have been successful by the use of amalgamation and concentration, with the addition of cyanidation in December, 1914, processes used until Janso Op. cit., p. 843. 

uary, 1920, when a new oil-flotation plant superseded 

all other plants, except that subsidiary amalgamation 

was installed in the new plant in 1921. 

In 1882 the Pandora and Oriental had a 40-stamp 

mill in operation and a mill on the Gold King had been 

completed. Reports published in 1882 show that 

ores from the upper San Miguel district were shipped 

in 1881 by way of Gunnison, then the nearest railroad 

point. In 1882 there was a 10-stamp Frue vanner 

amalgamation-concentration mill on the N. W. H., 

jr., claim. In 1883· San Miguel County was created 

from a part of Ouray County. In 1884 the Smuggler 

Mendota, Sheridan, Union, Cleveland, Bullion, Hidden Treasure, Cimarron, and other mines in Marshall 

Basin were working, and the Ophir district was also 

active. During the next six years the Smuggler, 

Mendota, Sheridan, and Union continued to be large 

producers. In 1891, the Smuggler-Union Mining Co. 

was formed, including also the Sheridan-Mendota 

claims. That year the Carribeau, at Ophir, yielded 

large quantities of silver. The operations of the 

Smuggler Union Co., have been continuous. 

In the five years from 1893· to 1898, according to 

Purington, 37 the increased facilities for the transportation of ore from the mines to the mills by means of wirerope trams and the widespread use of electricity for 

power contributed greatly to the increase of production. 

Since 1898 the large output of the Telluride district 

has come chiefly from the mines of three large companies-the Liberty Bell, the Smuggler Union, and the 

Tomboy. The last two have been already mentioned. 

According to Chase, 38 the Liberty Bell mine is on the 

western front of the San Juan Mountains, 2 miles 

north of Telluride. The vein was discovered in 1876 

by W. L. Cornett, who, with subsequent locators, 

took up claims along the apex. A few hundred feet 

of development work was done and a few tons of ore 

were smelted or milled, but profitable working proved 

impossible, and the property lay idle until1897, when 

Arthur Winslow acquired it for the United States & 

·British Columbia Mining Co. After due investigation 

preliminary development, and the initial construction 

of mine buildings, tramway, and 10-stamp section of 

the proposed SO-stamp mill, the Liberty Bell Gold 

Mining Co., was organized and began operations in 

December, 1898. Since then, until 1920, there have 

been only two complete suspensions aggregating 10 

months, for extensive additions and alterations to the 

mill; a suspension of three months in 1902 for reconstruction, following disastrous snowslides; and ·one for 

-four months in 1903, by reason of labor troubles-a 

total of about a year and a half; otherwise, the mine 

37 Purington, C. W., Preliminary report on the mining industries of the Telluridequadrangle, Colo.: U. S. Geol. Survey Eighteenth Ann. Rept., pp. 755-756, 1898. 

38 Chase, C. A., Notes on the Liberty Bell mine: Am. Inst. Min. Eng. Trans., 

vol. 42, pp. 694-741, 1911. See also Winslow, Arthur, Am. Inst. Min. Eng. Trans., . 

vol. 29, pp. 285-307, 1900. 
54 MINING IN COLORADO 

has been worked continuously and its output has 

expanded to 500 tons of ore daily. 

Mr. Winslow revived the enterprise at the time when 

the treatment of raw mill-tailings by direct cyanidation 

was first shown to be profitable, within a year or two 

after the first successful long-distance transmission of 

electric power. Experiments in the cyaniding of 

tailings from amalgamation and concentration were 

begun almost immediately. In September, 1899, an 

experimental 7-ton leaching plant was installed, and in 

May, 1900, a 250-ton leaching ·plant of the South 

African type was ready for operation. It was evident 

from the outset that the mine could be made profitable, 

although this plant treated probably the lowest grade 

·of material then handled in this country by this 

process. The mill was idle for four months in 1920. 

·In September, 1920, the cyanide treatment was dis-

-continued, and for the rest of the year concentration 

only was applied to the ore, the reserves of which were 

seen to be small. In 1921 the mill was operated in a 

final clean-up until August, 1921, when operations 

were discontinued and the company was dissolved. 

From 1897 onward San Miguel County has been one 

<>f the p:r:incipal milling centers of Colorado. Very 

little crude ore was shipped to smelters, and practi-

-cally the entire output of ore was milled by amalgamation, concentration, cyanidation, and flotation, 

producing refined gold-silver bars and high-grade con-

-centrates. From 1913 to 1918 the concentrates in the 

Liberty Bell mill were also given a rough treatment by 

cyanidation, thus recovering an additional percentage 

as bullion and reducing the freight charges on the 

concentrates by reducing their value. The county 

averaged annually over $2,000,000 in gold from 1897 

to 1919 and over $1,000,000 from 1920 to 1924. From 

1897 to 1924 it averaged more than 1,000,000 ounces 

of silver, and in 1923 it reached 1,982,007 ounces. The 

lead output averaged more than 5,000,000.pounds from 

1897 to 1924 and reached 9,360,637 pounds in 1923. 

From 1908 zinc middlings were shipped from the 

Tomboy mill until 1914, when, because of the change 

in the ore milled, the zinc content was not saved. 

From 1915 to 1920 the zinc output of the county was 

· obtained from concentrates from the Smuggler-Union 

mill, which were derived from ore taken from the 

Black Bear mine. The zinc concentrates from the 

Black Bear ore were of low grade, however, and the 

price received for that part of the mill product was 

nominal, so development only was done until August, 

1923, when the Reed-Coolbaugh sulphating plant, 

which was built at Durango to remove the zinc, allowed 

large quantities of the complex Black Bear ore to be 

milled, first making a high lead concentrate on the 

tables and then floating all remaining sulphides 3.s a 

lead-zinc-iron-copper concentrate. 

OURAY COUNTY 

In 1874 prospectors were at work at the headwaters 

of the Uncompahgre and in Poughkeepsie Gulch, 

within the present boundaries of Ouray County, and 

also just over the present county line, in what is now 

San Juan County. In 1875 the Grand View claim 

was located just below the town of Ouray, and in 1879 

it was patented. . In 1881 work was being done at the 

Belle of Ouray and Union mines, on Bear Creek, 3 

miles from the town of Ouray; at the Silver Link and 

Silver Point mines, on the Uncompahgre, within a 

mile of Ouray; at the Mineral Farm mine, near the 

mouth of Canyon Creek, 2 miles from Ouray;· and at 

the Virginius, Yankee Boy, Revenue, Governor, and 

other mines at the head of Canyon Creek, over the 

divide from the San Miguel drainage basin. 

In 1882 miners from Silverton went across the range 

and found the Yankee Girl, National Belle, and other 

deposits at the headwaters of Red Mountain Creek, a 

tributary of the Uncompahgre. In September, 1882, 

the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad r·eached a· point 

within 30 miles of Ouray. It is not positively known 

whether the Virginius deposit was discovered by 

prospectors who came from New Mexico by way of 

Dolores River, by prospectors who came from Silverton, or by prospectors who came from the Gunnison by 

way of Ouray. 

At first the mines at the head of Canyon Creek were 

worked vigorously. Red Mountain and Ironton were 

very active from 1882 to 1893, when the fall in the 

price of silver and the exhaustion of the phenomenally 

rich portions of the ore body caused the boom to 

collapse. The railroad from Silverton to Ironton was 

completed in 1888. The Yankee Girl and Guston 

mines were worked until 1896, but the low price of 

silver, the increase in cost as the. workings became 

deeper, the expensive trouble in handling the corrosive waters of the mines, and the low grade of the ore 

taken from tp.e deep workings caused the mines to 

close down .. These two mines alone have produced 

between $6,000,000 and $7;ooo,ooo. From 1896 to 

1915 these camps were practically idle. Owing to the 

increase in the price of copper and lead, a revival began 

in 1915, but it continued only until1918. 

The Virginius mine was first worked at the upper 

level, at 12,500 feet, in the Vi:rginius Basin, and all 

ore was taken out through this opening. About 1893 

the Revenue adit was completed. This adit started at 

an altitude of 10,800feet in the bed of Canyon Creek and 

ran 7_,500 feet to cut the Virginius v:ein at a depth of 2,000 

feet vertically below the surface. The Revenue tunnel 

is about 1,000 feet above the lower limit of the San 

Juan formation. Owing to the desultory manner in 

which the Virginius had been worked, it is impossible 
DEVELOPMENT BY COUNTIES 55 

to estimate the output of the mine up to 1896. The . the profit at the mines a.nd mill, exclusive of rlepreore is said to have carried about $14 in silver to the ciation, was $17,731,788, or 65 per cent. 

ton and varying quantities of gold. The value of SAGUACHE couNTY 

the output of the mines of the Virginius Basin up to 

1896 is estimated at $4,000,000, which includes the 

-output of practicall:)r all the productive part. of Ouray 

County that lies in the Telluride quadrangle as 

mapped by the United States Geological-Survey. 

Ransome, 39 writing in 1901, says of the Camp Bird 

mine: 

Altl~ough the first mine to be worked in the district was a 

·gold producer, yet it is an interesting fact that for many years 

prospecting was restricted to a search for silver and lead ores. 

It was apparently owing to this adherence to an established 

:routine that the Una and Gertrude claims, in Imogene Basin, 

worked 20 years ago for silver and lead, were subse-

•quently abandoned, with no knowledge of the remarkable 

gold ore which lay alongside the argentiferous streak and which 

was thrown out as waste. Masses of this rich ore were discov-

·.ered by Thomas F. Walsh on the Camp Bird claim and subse-

•quently on the dump of the Una and Gertrude and he pur-

'Chased the latter in 1896 for $10,000. 

In an article published in 1911 Rickard 40 agrees in 

the main with Ransome; An article 41 entitled "The 

true story of the Camp Bird discovery" describes the 

journey. of William Weston in October, 1877, by railroad to La Veta, by wagon to pel Norte, by pack 

outfit over C~nninghan1 Gulch to Silverton, thence 

up l\1ineral Creek and over the divide by Commodore 

Gulch into Imogene Basin, in the Sneffels district. 

Weston and his partner staked the Gertrude, Una, 

:and other cln,ims and worked then1 single-handed for 

four years. Weston assa}red his own ores and obtained 

$12 to $20 worth of gold per ton from tl;le outcrop of 

ithe Gertrude and Una, but at that time the smelters 

would not pay for less than 1 ouncP. of gold a ton, 

.anrl it cost $35 a ton to pack the ore to the Greene 

smelter, at Silverton, and $4.5 a ton for treatment; so 

it would not pay to extract ore running less. than $100 

.a ton. In 1881 the Weston & Barber group was sold 

for $50,000 and a n1ill was erected, but. the company 

failed, and it was 14 years later, in September, 1896, 

when Thomas F. Walsh, in looking for siliceous ores 

to flux the basic ores of Red Mountain in his pyritic 

-smelter at Silverton, sampled the Gertrude dump aud 

found rich gold ore in the face of the Gertrude drift. 

The Camp Bird mine was worked actively from 

1896 to June 30, 1916, when it was closed to await 

the results of the new ad it~ which at 11,000 feet in June, 

1918, cut the vein. 450 feet below the lowest old workings. Development work on the vein failed to find 

sufficient ore to operate the 60-ton mill. From 1896 

to June 30, 1916, tbis mine yielded $27,269,768 in 

value of recovered gold, silver, lead, and copper, and 

39 Ransome, F. L., A report on the economic geology of the Silverton quadrangle, 

Colo.: U.S. Geol. Survey Bull. 182, p. 24, 1901. 

•o Min. and Sci. Press, vol. 103, p. 827, 1911. 

41 Denver correspondence, Eng. and Min. Jour., vol. 89, p. 1266, 1910. 

The town of Saguache, the county seat of Saguache 

County, had gained considerable prominence as a 

distributing point in 1867 and 1868, but the history 

of mining there practically begins with 1879-80, during the rush to the Gunnison country. The silverl~ad-manganese veins of Kerber Creek attracted many 

prospectors, and Bonanza had grown rather large 

before the fall of 1880. Free gold in quartz was found 

on the western slopes of. the Cochetopa Mountains, 

and the camp of Willard was established on Cochetopa 

Creek. From 1880 to 1923 the county produced 

$2,776,554, of which $1,626,385 represents the output 

of silver. The greater part of the output came fron1 

the Rawley, Antoro, Michigan, Paragon, Cocomongo, 

and Eagle mines, in the Kerber Creek district. 

In July, 1923, n1onthly shipments of 2,500 tons of 

lead-silver concentrate to the Leadville smelter were 

begun as the result of a reorganization of the Rawley 

Co., with help from the Metals Exploration Co. and 

the American Srnelting & Refining Co., whereby a 

300-ton mill was erected at Bonanza and connected 

with a 7,Y2-mile aerial tram to Shirley, on the Marshall Pass branch of the Denver & Rio Grande Western 

Railroad. Unfortunately the mine closed in December, 1923, b~cause of certain financial and other 

difficulties. 

The Bonanza district is interesting because of its 

zonal ore bodies, manganese-silver oxidized outcrops, 

silver-lead-iron zone, silver-iron-zinc zone, and silveriron-copper zone. The rnanganese surface deposits 

are thought to be rich enough to ship as manganese 

ores. 

On the eastern side of t4e San Luis Valley is the 

Orient mine, once a large producer of iron ores, which, 

with new development in 1923-24, promises to equal 

its former output. 

. The Crystal Hill and Embargo districts have produced good ore fron1 time to tirne. 

MINERAL COUN'i'Y -THE CREEDE DIS' ... 'RICT 42 

In the eighties a wagon route in the upper part of 

the valley of the Rio Grande extended between Wagonwheel Gap, Silverton, and Lake City. This route 

passed very near the present site of· Creede and still 

nearer Sunnyside, a small camp about 2 miles west of 

Creede. Some of the prospectors on this route halted 

long enough to prospect the steep mountain slopes 

along the valley, and after finding encouraging indications they located several claims. J. C. McKenzie 

and ·H. M. Bennett located the Alpha, at Sunnyside, 

•2 Emmons, W. H., and Larsen, E. S., Geology and ore deposits of the Creede 

district, Colo.: U.S. Geol. Survey Bull. 718, 1923. 
56 MINING IN COLORADO · 

April 24, 1883, and with James A. Wilson 'staked out 

the Bachelor Claim, near the present site of Creede, 

July 1, 1884. Some prospecting was ·clone in the 

middle eighties, principally at Sunnyside, and futile 

attempts were made to .work the ores in arrastres. 

There is no record of any further discoveries· from 

1886 until August, 1889, when N. C. Creede, E. R.. 

Naylor, and G. L. Smith located the Holy Moses 

mine on Campbell Mountain. The following summer 

Creede located the Ethel claim and C. F. N elsdn 

located the Solomon claim. The mining district thus 

formed, which lies just east of the Sunnyside district, 

was called the King Solomon district. No valuable 

deposits were found until June, 1891, when D. H. 

Moffat and Capt. L. E. Campbell came to Wagonwheel Gap to visit the Holy Moses mine, on which 

they had obtained an option, and employed Creede 

to prospect for them. Soon afterward Theodore 

R.enniger found rich float on Bachelor Mountain but 

could not find its source until Creede· discovered the 

outcrop of a large lode at a point 200 feet above it on 

the hill slope. Creede accordingly located the lode 

as the An1ethyst and informed Renniger, who on 

August 8, 1891, took up another claim, which he 

called the Last Chance, on tl}e same lode. Three 

years earlier J. C. MciCenzie had located several 

. claims on a large vein of quartz about 150 feet above 

the Amethyst lode. These claims were, however, 

abandoned until the fall of 1891, when the Del Monte 

location covered them. Debris from the upper part 

of the mountain had so deeply covered the Amethyst 

lode as to prevent its recognition earlier. After 

Creede's discovery but little work was necessary to 

prove that the Amethyst lode was an immensely 

valuable deposit, and it was accordingly staked for a 

distance of nearly 2 miles along its strike. 

The railroad was extended from Wagonwheel Gap 

to the Creede district on December 16, 1891. The 

district has been producing almost continuo11;sly since 

the advent of the railroad. Mining there was pushed 

actively in 1892 a.nd culminated in the largest recorded 

annual production of the district-4,897,684 ounces 

of silver and quantities of lead and gold, all having a 

value of $4,150,946. The continued drop in the price 

of silver caused a collapse in 1894, but there was a 

recovery from 1898 to 1900, and a fairly steady output 

until the end of 1907. From 1901 to 1911, inclusive, 

the production of lead and zin.c was large, though that 

of silver steadily declined. From 1912 to 1914 the 

production of silver increased, but it decreased greatly 

in 1915, 1916, and 1917. There was a large increase, 

however, in both quantity and value in 1918. From 

1919 to 1923, inclusive, the output of silver steadily 

decreased. 

TELLER COUNTY-THE CRIPPLE CREEK DISTRICT 

GENERAL FEATURES 

Creede and Cripple Creek were rivals in attracting 

attention in 1891. According to Lindgren and Ransome/3 the historic rush of prospectors to the Pikes. 

Peak region in 1859 did not result 'in discoveries in that. 

immediate neighborhood. ' 

It was not until 1874 that the region adjacent to CrippleCreek began to attract the attention of prospectors. Thereport that H. T. Wood, while connected with the Hayden 

Survey, had found gold ore near Mount Pisgah (west of thetown of Cripple Creek) drew a number of men to that locality~ 

A few loose fragments of ore were found on the surface and theMount Pisgah mining district was organized, but no valuabledeposits were uncovered, though in 1878 Henry Cocking is. 

said to have driven a tunnel in Poverty Gulch near the point. 

where the Gold King and C. 0. D. mines were afterward' 

developed, and openings were made by B. F. Requa and others: 

in what is now the productive part of the district. 

The district was then gradually deserted. There was a brief 

renewal of activity in 1884, caused by the reported rich placer 

deposits near Mount Pisgah. The alleged discovery, howeverr 

appears to have been fraudulent, and the grassy hills of theCripple Creek region, now thoroughly discredited in the eyes of 

mining men, were given over to the grazing of cattle. 

Rickard 44 writes: 

Among the earliest .of the gold seekers was Robert Womackr 

who once owned a small ranch in the district. He sold it to· 

Bennett & . Myers, the proprietors at that time of the cattle· 

range, which covered a large part of the area now forming the· 

environs of the town of Cripple Creek. For many years,. 

between 1880 and 1890, Bob Womack lived in the district,. 

doing occasional work for Bennett & Myers and spending his: 

spare time in prospecting. He had previously had someexperience in qilpin County and knew gold ore when he saw it .. 

In the course of desultory diggings he found several veins, and 

when he would turn up at intervals, at Colorado Springs, he· 

exhibited pieces of float as evidence of his discovery; but * * *' 

his statements made little impression. For many years he· 

worked on a hole in Poverty Gulch without staking a claim in 

proper form. * * * In December, 1890, E. M. de laVergne· 

and F. F. Frisbee came up from Colorado Springs to prospect. 

* * * On Guyot Hill, in Eclipse and Poverty gulches [they] 

found evidences of gold veins, and samples were taken away~ 

These averaged about 2 ounces of gold per ton. * * * 

[They] returned early in February, 1891. They found BobWomack at work in Poverty Gulch. * * * [Frisbee] sent 

1,100 pounds of surface ore by wagon to the Pueblo Smelting & 

Refining Co., who gave returns at the rate of $200 per ton~ 

This was in August, 1891. * * * In May, 1891, Frisbee 

and De la Vergne happened to be at Colorado Springs and 

met W. S. Stratton, to whom they showed certain assays of 

ores brought down by them from Cripple Creek. * * * 

After the meeting with De la Vergne and Frisbee [Stratton 

went to] Cripple Creek and camped there * * * [and on 

the. 4th of July, 1891] he made two locations, the Washington 

and the Independence .. 

43 Lindgren, Waldemar, and Ransome, F. L., Geology and ore deposits of the 

Cripple Creek district, Colo.: U. S. Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 54, pp.l30-134, 1906. 

H Quoted by Lindgren, Waldemar, and Ransome, F. L., op. cit., pp. 13Q-132. 
DEVELOPMENT BY COUNTIES 57 

The following account of the development of the 

-district from 1892 to 1905 is taken without modification from Lindgren and Ransome: 45 

The development of the district, notwithstanding the fact 

-that many mining men of capital and experience looked askance 

at what they regarded as another Cripple Creek bubble, was 

extraordinarily rapid. Before the opening of spring in 1892 

the hills swarmed with prospectors, and on February 26 the 

town of Cripple Creek was incorporated. Adjoining it on the 

southwest sprang up the town of Fremont, afterward absorbed 

by Cripple Creek. The main route into the district at this 

time was by wagon road from Florissant. 

In October the Anaconda, Arequa, Blue Bell, Buena Vista, 

Deerhorn, Eclipse, Gold King, Matoa, Mountain Boy, Ophir, 

Pharmacist, Plymouth, Strong, Summit, Sweet, Victor, and 

Work mines were shipping ore, and railroads were under construction from Canon City on the south and from Divide on the 

north. 

In the autumn of 1893 the list of producing mines had become 

a long one and included the Blue Bird, C. 0. D., Dead Pine, 

Doctor, Eclipse, Elkton, Gold Dollar, Granite, Ingham, Logan, 

Mary McKinney, Moose, Morning Glory, Portland, Raven, 

Stratton's Independence, Strong, Tornado, Zenobia, and many 

other well-known properties. 

The Midland Terminal Railroad, connecting Cripple Creek 

with Colorado Springs by way of Divide, was completed 

December 16, 1893, and the Florence & Cripple Creek Railroad 

was opened to traffic July 2 of the following year. 

The year 1894 is memorable on account of a strike during 

which the miners resorted to arms, property was destroyed, and 

lives were lost. A large force of deputy sheriffs was finally 

enrolled to restore order, but at this stage the governor of 

Colorado called out the militia and put a stop to what threatened 

to become a miniature war. The mine owners, by the "Waite 

agreement," consented to the establishment of a minimum 'vage, 

to the eight-hour day, and to the avoidance of all discrimination 

between union and nonunion men. In spite of these ·disturbances the development of the district made notable strides, 

and the Independence mine at this time was only 70 feet deep 

and was worked with a horse whim. It shipped in August 800 

tons, of which the poorest carload averaged 3% ounces of gold 

per ton. The Portland mine at this time was shipping about 60 

tons of smelting ore daily. About 100 men were employed, and 

the mine produced more ore than any other property in the 

district. It was in the latter part of this year that Cross and 

Penrose investigated the district for the United States Geological 

Survey. 

In 1895 the Portland mine had reached a depth of 600 feet 

and the Independence 470 feet. The latter was the most 

profitable mine in the district, and Stratton, now a rich man, 

began the purchase of outlying property. The Logan and 

American Eagle mines were bought by him this year and were 

consolidated as the American Eagle group. He acquired a 

number of other mines in succeeding years. The Vindicator, 60 feet deep; the Mary McKinney, 146 feet deep; 

the Anna Lee, 760 feet deep; and the Elkton, Pharmacist, 

Isabella, Victor, Last Dollar, Strong, Anchoria-Leland, Abe 

Lincoln, C. 0. D., and Gold King were all shipping ore in this 

year, and considerable excitement was caused by the remarkably 

rich ore shoots in the Moose, Raven, and Doctor mines on Raven 

Hill. Several of the mines encountered water about this time 

and had to begin pumping. 

During the next few years the number of producing mines 

continued to increase, and in 1900 the maximum output of 

$18,000,000 was obtained. Beacon Hill attracted much 

attention in consequence of rich ore found in the Prince Albert 

45 Op. cit., pp. 132-134. 

and adjacent mines. The Victor and Isabella mines were 

highly productive up to 1898 and 1900, respectively, and 

shipped large quantities of very rich ore. Four long tunnelsthe Chicago, Good Will, Ophelia, and Standard-were begun 

about this time. In 1899 the Standard tunnel encountered a 

flow of water 2,800 feet from the portal, which compelled a 

suspension of operatiEms. Teller County, with Cripple Creek 

as its county seat, was formed from a portion of El Paso County. 

Another notable event of the year was the sale of Stratton's 

Independence, the most famous and profitable mine in the 

district, to the Venture Corporation (Ltd.), of London, for 

$10,000,000. 

In 1901, the Colorado Springs & Cripple Creek District Railway was completed into the district. About this time many 

of the larger mines, having worked down to the water surface 

determined by the outflow through the Standard tunnel, were. 

again compelled to face the question of deeper drainage. A 

drainage commission was formed, subscriptions were collected, 

and the El Paso tunnel was begun in 1903. Connection was 

·made with the El Paso mine, under Beacon Hill, in the autumn 

of the same year. 

The year 1902 is noteworthy chiefly on account of the discovery of remarkably rich ore in the recently opened C. K. & N. 

mine on Beacon Hill and the coming into prominence of the El 

Paso and Golden Cycle mines as large prodt~cers. 

Early in 1903 a strike was ordered by the Western Federation 

of Miners in all mines shipping ore to certain reduction works 

in Colorado City. The difficulty was adjusted for the time, but 

after some months of agitation and uncertainty another strike 

was called, on August 10, which resulted in the closing of nearly 

all the mines in the district except the Portland. The mine 

owners organized and took active steps to reopen the mines 

with nonunion labor. \Vork was first resumed at the El Paso 

under strong guard, and some of the other mines were soon 

afterward· reopened under similar conditions. It soon became 

evident, however, that any general attempt on the part of the 

mine owners to work the mines would be the signal for violence. 

Governor Peabody accordingly ordered the militia into the 

district, and under their protection all of the mines gradually 

resumed operations with nonunion miners. A number of dastardly outrages, such as the murder of the superintendent of 

the Vindicator mine and the blowing up of a station platform 

at Independence at a time when it was crowded with nonunion 

miners, were perpetrated about this time, and, being generally 

charged to the union men, led to coercion and deportations. 

The general depression caused by the labor difficulties of 1903 

and 1904 was partly relieved by a number of discoveries of new 

pay shoots, particularly of a body of remarkably rich ore in 

the W. P. H. claim, on Ironclad Hill. Ore of very high grade 

was found also in the El Paso mine and new pay shoots opened 

in the Gold Coin and Granite mines. In the Portland mine a 

number of new ore bodies were discovered, indicating that the 

ore reserves on several of the levels were larger than had been 

generally supposed. 

THE ROOSEVELT OR CRIPPLE CREEK DRAINAGE TUNNEL 

During 1905 and 1906 deeper drainage to remove the 

water -from the Cripple Creek volcanic vent was seriously considered. The result was the choice of the 

Gatch Park plan, according to which a tunnel was to be 

started at a distance of 14,550 feet from the El Paso 

shaft, at an elevation of 8,020 feet, at a point 770 feet 

below the El Paso tunnel. The depth gained was 7 40 

feet. After much desultory work had been done by 

the tunnel company and by contractors in 1907, when 

the tunnel had been driven 1,500 feet, the contract 
58 MINING IN COLORADO 

for its completion was awarded, in January, ·1908, to 

A. E. Carlton. From that time the work progressed 

steadily from the portal and from headings that lay 

north and south of a shaft at a point 7,975 feet from 

the portal. The elevation of the collar of this shaft was 

8,743 feet and its depth to the grade of the tunnel was 

685 feet. This shaft was started August 16, 1907, and 

was finished September 16, 1908. At the end of 1908 

three headings in all had been completed for a distance 

of 4,872 feet, all in Pikes Peak granite. In 1909 the 

tunnel had been advanced steadily and was in over 

12,000 feet at the end of the year but had struck no 

heavy flow of water. One small watercourse giving 

off about 100 gallons a minute had been encountered. 

In December, 1910, the tunnel, which was then 15,640 

feet long, had entered the breccia and had passed 1,190 

feet beyond the El Paso shaft, the first to be reached 

on the line of the tunnel. The contractors were then 

authorized to drive 200 feet more, unless a flow of 2,000 

gallons a minute should be encountered within that 

distance. The cost of the tunnel wal::l $28 a foot, and 

the total amount subscribed for it was $550,000. Early 

in 1911 a 540-foot crosscut was driven from the tunnel 

to cut the C. K. & N. vein, and later subscriptions 

were raised to drive the tunnel 1,200 feet farther into 

Beacon Hill. Although the tunnel had been driven far 

beyond the distance originally planned, the flow of 

water through it and the subsidence of the water in 

the mines, when work was stopped in April, 1911, 

were so slow that it was not possible to begin development work at lower depth. 

Work on the tunnel was resumed in October, 1911, 

and early in 1912 the El Paso mine was dry to tunnel 

level; the Gold Dollar and Mary McKinney mines 

were practically drained to the lowest workings; the 

Portland mine was able to open its 1,500-foot level 

and the Independence its 1,000-foot level; the water in 

the Elkton, Strong, and Granite mines was subsiding 

steadily; and the Cresson shaft was lowered 100 feet. 

The Vindicator and Golden Cycle mines did not benefit from the increased drainage. Work was continued 

until March, 1912, when the tunnel was 16,857 feet 

long. 

No more work was then done on the tunnel in 1912 

or in 1913, but the drainage was not satisfactory. 

The recession in 1913 at the Elkton. was 84 feet and 

that at the Portland 102 feet, and no results were 

obtained at the Golden Cycle-Vindicator.· New subscriptions were accordingly made in 1913 to resume 

work, and drilling was started again on August 3, 1914. 

Work progressed until November 4, 1914, when the 

El Paso plant was completely destroyed by fire and 

work in the tunnel had to· be stopped, for the waste 

had been hoisted through the El Paso shaft. During 

1914 the recession of the water at the Elkton was 99 

feet and the recession in the Portland was 132 feet, or 

30 per cent more than in 1913. 

On March 2, 1915, work was resumed on the tunnel 

and progressed steadily. At this time the tunnel was. 

17,127 feet long. It was proposed to drive it to the· 

Golden Cycle-Vindicator mines, a distance of 10,250· 

feet farther. In 10 months of 1915 the tunnel was. 

driven 1,920 feet. The total recession of water that, 

year was 149 feet. At the end of 1915 the Elkton shaft 

was 1,460 feet deep, and in February, 1916, the reces--

sion at the Elkton shaft had enabled the company to·. 

sink the main shaft 125 feet below the sixteenth level; 

and the tunnel had reached a heading under the· 

Elkton about 150 feet below the bottom of the shaft .. 

During 1915 also the Portland No. 2 shaft was sunk 

154 feet and the eighteenth level (1,870 feet below the. 

surface) was reached. 

In April, 1915, two large electric pumps, which had. 

been in use on the sixteenth level of the Golden Cycle· 

mine, together with an additional unit of the same· 

size, were installed on the eighteenth level, where thepumps were to remain and pump water from the· 

eighteenth level to the level of the La Bella tunnel,. 

300 feet below the surface. Three new centrifugal 

pumps were ordered at the end of 1915 to raise the· 

water from the twentieth level into the pumps on theeighteenth. Thi~ installation indicated that theGolden Cycle mine was not materially benefited bythe drainage and that the tunnel would not be driven 

to that mine. 

During 1916 the tunnel was driven 2,311 feet, and 

its total length from portal to breast at the end of theyear was 22,100 feet. In addition considerable work 

was done in the vicinity of the Elkton main shaftL 

The Portland No. 2 shaft was completed to the 1,900-

foot level, 1, 972.73 feet vertically below the surface. 

In 1917 the tunnel was driven 1,746 feet, making its. 

total length nearly 24,000 feet. The discharge of 

water at the portal was 8,500 gallons a minute on 

January 1, 1917, and it steadily diminished to 4,000 

gallons at the end of 1917. The tunnel had by this. 

time lowered the general underground water level of' 

the district 700 feet. In 1918 the tunnel was com~ 

pleted. The end of the tunnel is about at the middleof the northern part of the Portland Gold Mining Co.'s 

property, 24,255 feet from its portal. On January 1,. 

1919, a branch tunnel was completed from the main 

tunnel to the Portland No. 2 shaft at a depth of 2,131 

feet from the surface. In 1918, at the VindicatorGolden Cycle, after work had been discontinued on 

the bottom levels of the mine, the nineteenth and 

twentieth levels were cleared up, all pipe, track, and 

other materials were removed, and the work of dis~ 

mantling and removing the pun1ps from the bottom 

level was commenced. This work was completed and 

pumping was stopped on June 27, 1918. The lower 

workings of the 1nine filled rapidly, but it was hoped 

that when the water rose to the level of the tunnel the 

volume of water to be handled would decrease and 
DEVELOPMENT BY COUNTIES 59 

that pump1ng would be u1mecessary. This hope 

proved futile, however, and on July 27, 1918, the 

Vindicator Co. had to resume pumping from the 

eighteenth level of the mine. 

No work has been done on the Roosevelt tunnel 

since January 1, 1919. 

MILLING IN THE CRIPPLE CREEK DISTRICT 

Lindgren and Ransome 46 trace the history of reduction processes up to 1904 as follows: 

The history of the development of the processes of reduction 

for the Cripple Creek gold ores is in many respects of great interest. Stamp milling, long the recognized mode of treatment 

of gold quartz, was first tried. During 1892 and 1893 ten 

stamp mills of the Gilpin County type with slow drop and light 

stamps were erected, aggregating 270 stamps, the largest being 

the Rosebud and the Gold and Globe mills, having, respectively, 

60 and 40 stamps, both situated along Cripple Creek below the 

town. A short trial sufficed to demonstrate their inefficiency 

to deal with the free gold, on account of difficulties of amalgamation due to a tarnish supposed to be tellurite of iron. 

Percussion tables and blankets were introduced to improve the 

gold saving, but even then the extraction was lamentably low. 

The matter was made worse by the appearance of unoxidized 

tellurides, and in a few years this process was entirely abandoned. 

Smelting was early recognized as a proper method of treatment for rich ores, and an increasing amount of such material 

soon found its way to the smelting works at Denver and Pueblo. 

The first chlorination plant was erected by Edward Holden in 

1893, and by January, 1895, the first well-designed mill, of 50 tons 

daily capacity, was completed at Gillett, a few miles northeast 

of Cripple Creek. The process employed was the barrel chlorination used in South Carolina and the Black Hills. 

About the same time experiments were made with the 

cyanide process, the first mill being erected at Brodie in 1892. 

In 1895 the Metallic Extraction Co.'s mill was built near 

Florence and gradually enlarged to a capacity of 170 tons per 

day. At that time began the struggle for supremacy between 

the chlorination and cyanide processes, from which the .former 

[emerged] victorious. 

Another change soon began to be apparent. With the 

advent of improved· railroad facilities the lower valleys were 

found to be better adapted for the location of great reduction 

works, Colorado Springs and Florence being the most favorable 

points selected. In 1899 there were still four plants in operation 

at Cripple Creek, but in 1903 only one mill was active, aside 

from two smaller plants, for direct cyanide work. 

In 1904 the different plants were located as follows: 

Location and capacity, in tons, of reduction plants in Cripple 

Creek district in 1904 

hri pple Creek: 

Economic mill (roast; barrel chlorination) ___________ 300 

Homestake mill (direct cyanide) ___________________ 200 

Sioux Falls mill (direct cyanide) ___________________ 100 

Colorado Springs: 

Portland mill (roast; barrel chlorination)____________ 300 

Telluride mill, General Metals Co. (roast; barrel 

chlorination) _______ ~__________________________ 300 

Standard mill, United States Reduction & Refining 

Co. (roast; barrel chlorination)__________________ 450 

Florence: 

Dorcas mill (roast; cyanide) _________________ .:. _____ 150 

United States Reduction & Refining Co. (roast; barrel 

chlorination)__________________________________ 400 

t6 Op. cit., pp. 138, 140, 142. 

In 1905 the small nonroasting cyanide plants for 

oxidized ore in the Cripple Creek district treated more 

ore than ever before. Of these plants the Wild Horse, 

Dexter, Anaconda-Homestake, Los Angeles, and 

Sioux Falls were operated, and small plants were 

erected on the Santa Rita and Home Run mines. 

About two-thirds of the ore was sent to the chlorination plants of the Portland Co. and the United States 

Reduction & Refining Co., at Colorado City, and the 

Economic mill, at Victor. In 1905 construction was 

started on the roast-cyanide Golden Cycle mill at 

Colorado Springs. This plant was set in motion in 

February, 1907, and was destroyed by fire in August, 

1907. Reconstruction was begun at once, and the 

plant was started again in December, 1907, and from 

that time on it has handled most of the ore mined in 

the Cripple Creek district as a roast-cyanide mill 

employing subsidiary amalgamation. In 1906 the 

Portland Co. erected a 300-ton cyanide plant at 

Colorado City to treat the tailings from its chlorination 

plant, and the United States Reduction & Refining 

Co. built a cyanide annex to their Standard plant at 

Colorado City for the treatment of tailings. In 

March, 1906, the Dorcas mill, at Florence, was destroyed by fire. The Economic chlorination mill was 

operated during part of 1906 but was de~troyed by 

fire early in 1907. In 1906 the Jo Dandy purchased 

the cyanide mill of the Cripple Creek Cyanide Co. at 

Gillett, dismantled and removed it to Raven Hill and 

remodeled it. Of the nonroast cyanide plants the 

Home Run, Santa Rita, and El Paso (which was built 

on the dump of the El Paso mine) were operated at 

intervals; the Dexter and Sioux Falls were idle; the 

Los Angeles was destroyed by fire; the Homes takeIronclad mill was run for a while; but the 200-ton 

Homestake mill was closed. The Little Giant cyanide, Wishbone roast cyanide, and Blue Flag cyanide 

mills were built in 190.6 but were not operated until 

1907. Tests on the ore of the Independence dump, 

at Victor, led to the decision to build a large wet 

concentration, nonroast cyanidation plant at this 

mine. This mill started operations in April, 1909,. 

and its capacity was gradually increased· until it 

reached 10,000 tons a month. It was operated successfully until July 1, 1915, when the Independence 

mine and mill were purchased by the Portland Co. 

During 1907 the Isabella, small Ironclad, large Irondad, Jo Dandy, Blue Flag, and Wishbone mills were 

operated. 

During 1908 the Golden· Cycle roast-cyanide miH 

and the Portland and Standard roast-chlorination 

mills, which employed cyanidation for the tailings,. 

divided the bulk of the ore. In the Cripple Creek 

district, the Isabella, Blue Flag, Jerry John~on, Iron-. 

clad, Jo Dandy (which was destroyed by fire in 

November), W. P. H., and Wild Horse plants were· 

operated periodically. · The 10-stamp experimental 
60 MINING IN COLORADO 

plant of the Portland Co., at Victor, demonstrated that 

the raw ores of. the Portland mine district could be 

successfully treated without roasting. In 1909 the 

Golden Cycle roast-cyanide plant handled 60 per cent 

of the milling ore and the Portland, Standard, and 

Union plants, by a combined process of chlorination 

and cyanidation, handled the rest. The small nonroast cyanidation mills in the district did little that 

year. 

The chlorination of Cripple Creek ores ceased in 

1911. ·At the end of that year both the chlorination 

and the cyanide plants of the United States Reduction & Refining Co. at Colorado City were stopped, 

never to be revived. During that year the Portland 

chlorination plant at Colorado City was gradually 

transformed into a roast-cyanide plant, a new 500-ton 

roast-cyanide plant was built at Florence to treat the 

tailings of the old Union chlorination plant there, the 

Stratton's Independence wet concentration, nonroast cyanide mill increased its capacity, the PortlandVictor ·300-ton concentration cyanide mill (completed 

June, 1910) was operating successfully, the AjaxClancy cyanide mill (later changed to a concentration 

cyanide mill) was built and put into operation, and 

several of the small cyanide mills in the Cripple 

Creek district were operated. The conditions remained much the same until 1915, except that the 

Florence cyanidation mill closed in 1913. 

In 1915 experiments led to the installation of flotation at a new mill of the Vindicator Co., at Victor. 

In that year the Portland Co. bought the Stratton's 

Independence cyanide mill, operated it for a while as 

a cyanide plant, later experimented with the flotation process, and finally enlarged it in 1918 to a 

capacity of 1,500 tons a day as a cyanidation concentration plant. Ores from other dumps and mines also 

were purchased for treatment. The Victor mill was 

·closed July 30, 1918, and was afterward dismantled. 

About 2,000,000 tons of low-grade ore were then on 

the Vindicator dump and about 15,000,000 tons of 

low-grade ore in the mines and dump of the Portland 

properties, all of it amenable to treatment by cyanidation or flotation. The small cyanide mills were 

idle in 1918 or were operated for only a short time, and 

some were dismantled. 

During 1918 the Golden Cycle mill, at Colorado 

Springs, was operated steadily, despite the high. cost 

of material and labor and the difficulty of getting labor. 

The Portland 400-ton roast-cyanide concentration 

mill at Colorado Springs stopped treating ore March 

31, 19.18. The production of high-grade ores in the 

Cripple Creek district had then fallen off so much by 

reason of the World War that it was impossible to 

operate at a profit both of the reduction plants at 

Colorado Springs. As the Portland was the smaller 

of the two it was decided to discontinue its operation 

and to have the Portland high-grade ores treated at 

the Golden Cycle plant. Fron1 1919 to 1924 the 

Golden Cycle n1ill and the Portland Independence 

mill served the district. 

Cripple Creek metallurgy is unique in its picking 

and washing houses, for 1nost of the gold content is in 

the small fragments and the dust that clings to rock 

as hoisted from the mine. By picking and washing 

and preserving the "fines" fron1 50 to 80 per cent 

of the rock as hoisted is discarded, obviating the 

paying of freight and treatment on worthless or verv 

low-grade rock. One of the most elaborate washing 

plants was installed at the Vindicator mine 47 in 1914. 

THE SULPHURIC ACID INDUSTRY 

The chemical industry of Colorado, particularly 

the manufacture of sulphuric acid, is closely linked to 

the mining of sulphide ores. According to Hosker, 48 

the first attempt at 1nanufacturing sulphuric acid in 

this State was made by Willian1 West, who erected 

a small plant at Blackhawk in 187 5 and produced 

about 2,000 pounds daily. He continued the business 

about three years, but the demand for his product was 

so slight and the expense of manufacturing it on a 

small scale so great that he wa.s compelled to suspend 

business. In 1879 Richard Pearce and others built 

a small plant at Golden, which proved to be a failure, 

running only about a year. The next attempt was 

made by the Denver Smelting & Chemical Co., ·which 

was organized in 1881, with William West as manager. 

This cmnpany purchased ground near Val verde and 

erected one chamber and other necessary apparatus 

for the manufacture of sulphuric acid. This venture 

also failed. 

In 1885 the Western Chemical Works Co. was 

organized and commenced to manufacture various 

chen1icals on the Vnlverde. site. Th.e history of this 

company is a record of many and varied struggles, 

but after 1892 the industry became one of the most 

successful in Denver. The company was reorganized 

in 1902 under the name of the Western Chemical & 

Manufacturing Co. The products manufactured embrace commercial sulphuric, muriatic 1 and nitric 

acids; liquid and anhydrous ammonia; chemically 

pure acids and ammonia; liquid carbonic acid gas; 

copperas; and other chemicals. 

IIi consequence of the decreasing demand for 

sulphuric acid because of the change from ch1orination to cyanidation at some of the mills treating 

Cripple Creek ores, the officers of the company 

decided to erect a mill and to engage in the zinc milling 

industry. At the same time they expected to produce 

an ore suitable for roasting in the Herreshoff furnaces 

and subsequently to separate the zinc and lead 

contenta as by-products. Their plant, ·which was 

H For description see U. S. Geol. Survey Mineral Resources, 1914, pt. 1, pp. 310-

311, 1916. 48 Hosker, R. B., History of chemical industry in Colorado: Mines and Mining, 

Jan. 3, 1908, pp. 5-8. 
RAILROAD BUILDING IN COLORADO 61 

put into operation in 1907, con1prised a sampling or 

coarse-crushing mill, driers, fine-crushing mill, roasters, 

magnetic separating mill, and wet-concentrating mill. 

Up to 1906 the Western Chemical Works Co_. and 

its successor, the Western Chemicar & Manufacturing 

Co., bought-most of its sulphur-bearing material in the 

form of pyrite, galena, and chalcopyrite ores and 

concentrates from Clear and Gilpin counties. The 

residues went to the Globe and Pueblo smelters. 

Beginning in 1906, the plant purchased mqst of its 

sulphur-bearing material in the form of pyritic gold 

and silver bearing ores from Leadville, also similar 

ores from Kokomo and Red Cliff. The company 

also competed for lead-zinc gold and silver bearing 

sulphides from Leadville ·(with small lots from Kokomo 

and Rico) whic~ were given a slight roast in preparation for the removal of the pyrite by magnetic separation. The separated pyrite was then roasted for its 

sulphur content, and some ')f the residue contained 

sufficient gold, silver, copper, lead, and. iron to be 

sold as a flux. The lead and zinc sulphides were 

separated in the wet concentrating mill, and the lead 

concent:rate (galena) and zi~c concentrate (sphalerite) 

were sold (without any attempt to remove the sulphur) 

to zinc retort furnace smelters and lead-bullion 

smelters. During 1919 electrolytic zinc was manufactured and ~orne zinc oxide. In 1920 the plant was 

sold to the General Chemical Co., and Texas sulphur 

replaced Colorado pyrite in the roasters. The milling 

of lead-zinc ores ceased in 1919. The products of this 

plant, which were first used in refining oil at Florence, 

Colo., were after 1910 used also by the several Wyoming •)il refiners. 

In 1917 and 1918 the E. I. Du Pont de Nemours 

powder plant at Louviers used much pyritic ore from 

Leadville and Red Cliff. 

RAILROAD BUILDING IN COLORADO 

A notable stimulus was given to the . development 

of mining by the completion of the Union Pacific 

Railroad as far as Cheyenne, Wyo., in 1867, and 

particularly by the completion, in the summer of 

1870, of the Denver P·aci:fic (now the Union Padfic) 

between Denver and Cheyenne. In August, 1870, 

the Kansas Pacific (now the Union Pacific) reached 

Denver, making two rail connections with the East. 

In 1870 a narrow-gage railroad was completed from 

Denver to Golden; in 1872 it was extended to Blackhawk, in 1873 to Floyd Hill, and in 1877 to George.,. 

town. It is now operated by the Colorado & Southern 

Railway. 

The building of the Denver & Rio Grande Western 

Railroad and many ')f its branches is intimately 

assoc~ated with the development of mining in Colorado. 

The following table, compiled from the official records 

of the Denver & Rio .Grande Western Railroad Co., 

shows the dates of completion of the various narrow5653-26t-5 . 

gage, three-rail, and standard gage lines as they 

existed in 1918. 

Dates of completion of lines of the Denver & Rio Grande Western . Railroad 

Denver, Colo., to Salt Lake City, Utah, by way or Tennessee Pass 

FromDenver----------

Pueblo __ -------- Do _________ _ 

Canon City _____ _ 

Do _________ _ 

Texas Creek 

Junction. 

Salida. ___ ---- __ _ 

Malta.---------- Leadville ____ ----

To- Narr~w- Thr.ee- s:;g.dgage rail gage 

Pueblo__________ 1872 

Florence._______ 1872 

Canon City_____ 1874 

1881 

1887 

1888 

1902 

Westcliffe by 1881 ---------- -------- way of Grape Creek. 

Salida ______ "·--- 1880 1890 -------- Westcliffe _______ ---------- ---------- 1900 

Malta___________ 1880 1890 · --------

Branch 

W estcli.fl'e. o 

Do. 

Leadville_______ 1880 1888-1890 -------- Leadville. 

Leadville June- 1887 ---------- 1890 Do. 

tion. 

~re::_~~~~==·~~==~ ~~~~~iiie-.-:~==== ~======~== ~= .. 1

.

90 

•. 

2 

__ _ Oro Junction ____ Iron Silver Co.'s 1880 1890 

Do. 

Do. 

Do. 

mines. 

Leadville ________ Ibex____________ 1898 •--------- -------- Do. 

Do._-------- Wheeler(by way 1881 ---------- -------- Blue· River.~ of Kokomo). Wheeler _________ Dillon__________ 1882 ---------- --

1

-

8

-

9

-

0

--- Malta ___________ Rock Creek_____ 1881 Do.• 

Rock Creek _____ Minturn________ 1887 1890 

Minturn _________ G I en wood 1887 1890 

Springs. Glenwood Springs Aspen__________ 1887 1890 Aspen. Minturn_________ Newcastle_______ 1889 1890 

Newcastle •. _____ Rifle ___ _. ___ ._____ 1890 ---------- --------

Do ___ ------- Grand Junction. ---------- ---------- 1890 

Denver, Colo., to Salt La.ke City, Utah, by way or Marshall Pass 

Salida.---------- Gunnison _______ 1881 ............................. Gunnison -------- ________ Sapinero ________ 1882 ---------- -------- ·Sapinero ___ ------ Montrose _______ 1882 Montrose ________ Grand ---iooa·-- --iooa·· Junction. 1882 

Poncha Junction Maysville _______ 1881 ---------- -------- Monarch. Monarch ________ 1883 Maysville.· __ ---- ---------- -------- Do. Gunnison ________ Crested Butte ___ 1881 ............................ ....................... Crested Butte. 

Crested Butte ___ Anthracite ______ 1882 .............................. -------- Do. 

Crested Butte by Floresta. ________ 1893 .............................. -------- Do. 

way of Irwin. 

Mears Junction __ Villagrove _______ 1881 Villagrove. 

Villagrove •. ----- Orient._-------- 1881 --------.-- -------- Do. Do __________ Alamosa ________ 1890 Moffat ---------- -------- Do. ___________ Crestone to Cot- 1902 ---------- -------- Do. 

tonwood. Sapinero _________ Lake City------ 1889• ---------- -------- Lake City. Montrose ________ Ouray by way 1887 -·-------- -------- Ouray. of Ridgway. 

Vance Junction 1890 Ouray to Tel· ---------- -------- Ridgway __ : _____ 

luride, Rico, 

Vance Junction __ Telluride ________ 1890 ---------- -------- and Durango. Do. 

Telluride •• ------ Pandora ________ 1891 ---------- -------- Do. 

Vance Junction __ Rico •• ---------- 1891 ---------- ..; .................... Do. Rico _____________ Durango ________ 1891 Do. 

Pueblo, Alamosa, and Durango, Colo •• and Santa Fe, N. Mex. 

Pueblo __________ La Veta_________ 1876 ---1

-

88

--i--- -------- Do __________ Minnequa ______ ---------· 

Minnequa _______ Walsenburg _____ ---------- 1888 ---·---- Do __________ La Veta _________ -------------------- 1890 

La Veta • -------- Wagon Creek 1877 ---------- -----·-- Junction ·by 

way of La Veta 

Pass. 

Wagon Creek Alamosa •. ------ 1878 ---------· -------- Junction. . La Veta ______________ do __________ -----·---- ------•--· 1899 

Alamosa _________ South Fork_____ 1881 ---------- -------- Creede. 

South Fork ______ Wagon wheel 1883 ---------- -·------ Do. 

Gap. Wagon wheel Creede._________ 1891 ---------- -------- Do. 

Gap. Alamosa ________ _ Del Norte _______ ---------- 1901 1902 Do. Del Norte ______ _ Alamosa ________ _ Do _________ _ Chama _________ _ Durango ________ _ 

Antonito._------

Espanola .. _-----

Creede __________ ---------- ---------- 1902 Do. 

~~to~~io=:==~=== --~~~--- ---iooi"-- -------- D~no~ • Durango________ 1881 ------·-·- -----·-- Do. 

Silverton________ 1882 ---------- ·------- Silverton. 

Espanola________ 1880 ----·----- --·-·--- Santa Fe, N. 1882-1886 -·--·----- -------- Mex. 

" Abandoned, 1888; rails removed, 1890. & Abandoned. 

• Abandoned, 1899. 
62 MINING IN COLORA.DQ 

MINING DISTRICTS IN_ CQLORADO 

The Gregory lode (Gilpin County) was discovered 

in May, 1859. It was taken in claims 100 feet long, 

and Gregory, the discoverer, was allowed two claims. 

On June 8, 1859, the pattern after which the mining_ 

districts and miners' laws were fashioned was roughly 

outlined and adopted at a tniners meeting in Gregory 

diggings. Some of the later arrivals demanded a 

redistribution of the claims on the Gregory, Hunter, 

Bates, Bobtail, Gregory Second, and other lodes and 

asked that the claims be cut down to 25 feet in length. 

The committee formed to consider this question 

brought in the following report: 

· 1. Resolved, That this mining district shall be bounded as 

follows: Commencing at the mouth of the North Fork of Clear 

Creek, following the divide between said stream an.d Ralston 

Creek, running 7 miles up the last named stream to a point 

known as "Miners' Camp"; thence southwest to the divide 

between the North Fork of Clear Creek and the South Fork of 

the same to the place of beginning. 

2. Resolved, That no miner shall hold more than one claim 

except by purchase or discovery; and in any case of purchase, 

the same shall be attested by at least two disinterested witnesses 

and shall be recorded by the secretary,_ who shall receive in 

compensation a fee of one dollar. 

3. Resolved, That no claim which has or may be made shall 

be good and valid unless it be staked off 'with the owner's 

name, giving the direction, length and breadth, also ·the date 

when said claim was made; and when held by a company the 

name of each member shall appear plainly. 

4. Resolved, That each miner shall be entitled to hold one 

mountain claim, one gulch claim, and one preek claim for the 

purpose of washing: the first to be 100 feet long and 50·~de; 

the second 100 feet up and down the river or gulch, extending 

from bank to bank. 

5. Resolved, That . mountain claims shall be worked within 

ten days from the time they are staked off, otherwise forfeited. 

6. Resolved, That when members of a company, constituted 

of two or more, shall be at work on one claim of the company, 

the rest shall be considered as worked by putting a notice of 

the same on the claim. 

7. Resolved, That each discovery claim shall be marked as 

such and shall be safely held, whether worked or not. 

8. Resolved, That in all cases priority of claim, when honestly 

carried out, shall be respected. 

9. Resolved, That when two parties wish to use water on the 

same stream or ravine for quartz-washing, it shal be equally 

divided between them. 

10. Resolved, That when disputes shall arise between parties 

in regard to claims, the party aggrieved shall call upon the 

secretary, who shall designate nine miners, being disinterested 

persons, from which number the parties shall alter~ately 

strike out one until.the names of but three remain, who shall 

at once proceed to hear and try the case; and should any miner 

refuse to obey their decision, the secretary shall call a meeting 

of the miners, and if t.heir decision is the same, t}le party 

refusing to obey shall not be entitled to hold another claim in 

this district; and the party against whom the decision is given 

shall pay to the secretary and referees the sum of fifteen dollars 

each for their services. 

On July 9, 1859, another mass meeting was held 

at Gregory Point, at which it was 

Rerwlved, That for the settlement of difficulties and the purpose of preventing disputes, the miners of this district hereby 

enact:· That there snail be elected in this district, by ballot, 

a president, a recorder of claims, and a sheriff, for the term of 

one year from this date. That the president, secretary, and 

one assistant, to be chosen by the people, be tellers of said 

election, and that it take place im_mediately. 

On February 11, 1860, a meeting of the citizens 

of Gregory district was held at Mountain City, and a 

committee was appointed to codify and amend the 

laws of said district and report to an adjourned 

meeting to be held on February 18. 

The United States Mining- Laws of May 10, 1872, 

changed the size of claims as. follows: 0 

SEc. 2320. Mining claims upon veins or lodes of quartz 

or other rock in place bearing gold, silver, cinnabar, lead, tin, 

copper, or othP.r valuable deposits, heretofore located, shal' 

be governed as to length along the vein or lode by the 

customs, regulations, and laws in force at the date of their 

location. A mining claim located after the tenth day of Ma.y, 

eighteen hundred and seventy-two, whether located by one 

or more persons, may equal, but shall not exceed, one thousand 

five hundred feet in length along the vein or lode; but no location of a mining claim shall be made until the discovery of 

the vein or lode within the limits of the claim located. No 

claim shall extend more than three hundred feet on each side 

of the middle of the vein at the surface, nor shall any claim be 

limited by any mining regulation to less than twenty-five 

feet on each side of the middle of the vein at the surface, except 

where adverse rights existing on the tenth day of May·, eighteen hundred and seventy-two, render such limitation necessary.- The end lines of each claim shall be parallel to each 

other. 

Many new districts were .formed in 1859 and 1860 

out of Gregory district, the country adjoining, and 

throughout the mountains, wherever deposits were 

discovered, all Gf which copied their laws and custmns 

from those of the parent district, though often modifying the1n in important particulars. The n1ining 

districts and miners' courts lost their importance 

when the Territory was organized into counties. 

The claims were then recorded by the county recorder, 

but many of the district names were and are still 

used in the descriptions of locations and patents. 

Many of the names used represent nothing more 

than the guess or whim of. the locator, and many of 

the commonly used names of local districts are carried miles away and across county lines. Mining 

districts have no defined boundaries. 

All names that have ever been used to designate 

mining districts in Colorado up to June 1, 1924, as 

shown from the records of the United States Surveyor 

General ~t Denver, are given below: 
MINING DIS1."RIOTS IN COLORADO 

Mining districts in Colorado 

Name Other names used 

Alhambra____________ Freshwater, Guffey, Red Ruth. 

County 

Fremont _____ _ 

Approximate location 

Tps. 14 and 15 s.; R. 

73 W. of the sixth 

principal meridian. Alicante ___________ . _ Arkansas.......... Lake _________ _ Sees.13,14, 15, 16, 21, 22, 

23, 24, 25, 26, 27, and 

28, T. 8 S., R. 79 W.; sees. 18, lU, 30, T. 8 S., 

Allens Park:r _________ --------------------· Boulder ••••.•• R. 78 w. Sees. 23t... 24, 21i, 26, T. 

3 N., .tt. 73 W. 

Alpine_______________ Chalk Creek (over- Chaffee .• ----- laps Monarch). 

Alsace. ______ ------- _ -------------------- Eagle .• __ -----

T. 51 N., Rs. 80 and 

81 W. 

Sees. 3, 4, and 5, T. 6 

s., R. 82 w. Animas ______________ Putnam subdistrirtwithin Ani- mas. Argentine ( C 1 ear Queens, East ArCreek County). gent tne, and 

West Argentine;· 

Argentine (Summit 

County). 

Arkansas._----------

Atlantic._----------- Avalanche __________ _ 

overlaps Griffith. 

Peru (Montezuma). Alicante __________ _ 

Dailey_--,--------

Carpenter1 Bald 

Mountam, Lin· 

coin, Swan Riv- er. Badger Creek ________ -------------------- Bald Mountain ______ Avalanche _______ _ 

Banded Peak ________ -------------------- Banner_------------- Subdistrict Idaho 

Springs. Bare Hills ______ _. ____ South Cripple 

Creek. 

Barnard Creek _______ North Cripple 

Creek. 

Bath. ___ ------------ ------ ----·--------- Battle Mountain____ Red Cliff (Belden) 

Bay State ____________ --------------------

Bear Creek.--------- Jefferson. ------.r-- Beaver Creek ________ Fair Play ________ _ 

San Juan ••.••• Tps. 40, 41, and 42 N., 

Rs. 6, 7, and 8 W. 

Clear Creek •.. Tps. 4 and 5 S., R. 

75W. 

Summit •••.•.. T. 5 S., R. 75 W. 

Lake _________ _ 

Clear C'reek ••• T. 3 S., R. 75 W. 

Summit. ______ Tps. 6 and 7 S., R. 77 

w. 

Frj:lmont. _____ T.5 0 N., R. 76 W. 

Summit ______ _ 

Archuleta _____ T. 34 N., Rs. 2 and 3 E. 

Clear Creek ___ Sec. 38, T. 3 S., R. 73 W. 

Fremont. _____ T. 16 S., Rs. 70 and 

71 w. 

Teller _________ T. 15 S., R. 70 W. 

Park __________ T. 13 S., R. 76 W. 

Eagle _________ T. 6 S., Rs. 80 and 81 

Gilpin at cor- ner of Jeffer- son and 

Clear Creek. Jefferson _____ _ Park _________ _ 

w. 

Sec. 35, T. 3 S., R. 72W. 

T.5S.,R.71W. 

Tps. 8 and 9 S., R. 77 

w. 

Beaver Creek ________ Midland __________ Gunnison and T. 47 N., R. 1 W. 

Beaver Dam _________ Snake River 

(Montezuma). Beulah _______ ----- ____ ------------ _____ _ Bevan _______________ Utah, Miners, 

Minnesota, MeBarnes (Breck- enridge). 

Big Creek ___ -------- --------------------

Saguache. Summit ______ _ T. 5 S., Rs. 76 and 77 w. Pueblo ________ T. 22 S., R. 68 W. 

Summit_______ Tps. 6 and 7 S., R. 77 

w. 

Jackson _______ Sec. 6, T. 11 N., R. 

81 w. 

Dig Horn ... ---------------------------·_ ....• do _________ T. 11 N., R. 82 W. Birdseye _____________ OverlapsAlicante. Lake __________ Sees. 25, 26, 27, 34, 35, 

T. 8 S., R. 79 W. 

Black Mountain _____ -------------------- Parlc _________ 

1 

T. 15 S., Rs. 73 and 74 

w. 

Do _______________ -------------------- Fremont. _____ T. 16 S., R. 75 W. 

Blake ________________ -------------------- Saguache ______ Tps. 44, 45, 46, and 47 

Blanca _______________ Sierra Blanca ______ Huerfano _____ _ N., Rs. 10 and 11 E., 

T. 28 S., R. 72 W. 

Blue Ridge __________ -------------------- Grand _______ _ Bonanza _____________ Kerber Crook _____ Saguache _____ _ 

Boulder ______________ -------------------- Boulder ______ _ Bowman _____________ Needle.l\1ountain. La Plata _____ _ Box Canon __________ Tomichi_ _________ Gunnison ____ _ 

T.1 S., R. 79W. 

Tps. 47 and 48 N., 

Rs. 7 and 8 E. 

T. 1 N., R. 71 W .. T. 38 N., R. 8 W. 

Tps. 4!l and 50 N., Rs. 

4 and 5 E. 

Box Creek ___________ -------------------- Lake __________ Sees. 4, 5, and 6, T. 11, 

S., R. 80 W. 

Buckhorn ____________ -------------------- Larimer ______ _ Buckskin ____________ Buckskin Joe. ____ ---------------- T. 7 N., R. 71 W. 

Buckskin Joe ________ -------------------- Park __________ Tps. 8 and 9 S., R. 78, 

w. 

Buffalo Mountain ___ -------------------- Jackson and T. 4 N., ll. 78 W. 

Buffalo Peaks ________ -------------------- California ____ • _______ California Gulch, 

Iron Hill (local); 

overlaps Alicanto, Birdseye, Little Evans · Gulch, Iowa 

Gulch, Big Ev- ans Gulch. 

Grand. Park __________ T. 12 S., R. 78 W. 

Lake __________ 'l'ps. 8 and 9 S., Rs. 

79 and80 W. 

Do _______________ Junction Creek, La Plata and 'l'ps. 36 and 37 N., Rs. 

La Plata. Montezuma. 10 and 11 W. 

Calumet _____________ -------------------- Chaffee _______ T. 51 N., R. 77 W. 

Cameron. See Cleora. Cameron Moun- ---------------- tain. 

Camp San Diego _____ Sierra Blan<;a .••.. CampbelL ___________ ---------------- ___ _ 

Canon.----------- ______ ·-.------------ __ _ 

Huerfano _____ T. 27 S., R. 72 W. 

Grand ________ T. 5 N., R. 76 W. 

Clear Creek ••• Sees. 2 and 3, T. 4 S., R. 

72W. Carbonate ___________ Overlaps Black Fremont_ _____ T.16 S., R. 74 W. 

Mountain. . 

Do--------------------------------- Garfield_______ Sees. 34, 35, 36, T. 3 S., 

R.89W. 

Carpenter--- -------- Overlaps Lincoln .Summit _____ "_ Sees. 5 and 6, T. 7 S., R. 

and Georgi a 76 W.; sees. 1 and 12, 

Pass. T. 7 S., R. 77 W. 

Mining districts in Colorado-Continued 

Name Other names used County 

Carrizo •• _----------- -------------------- Baca. -------- _ Carson _______________ -------------------- Hinsdale. ____ _ 

Carter ____ ----------- -------------------- Larimer ______ _ 

Cascade ______________ Democrat, Ottawa Clear Creek ... Castle Creek _________ Columbia, Roar- Pitkin ______ -·-

ing Fork. Cebolla ______________ White Earth ______ Gunnison ____ _ 

. CentraL _____________ Utillah ____________ Boulder ______ _ 

Central City _________ -------------------· Gilpin _______ _ Chalk Creek _________ Alpine ____________ Chaffee ______ _ 

Chey&nne ____________ Pikes Peak, Chey- El Paso ______ _ 

enne Mountain. 

Chipeta .•. __ • ___ ----- ---------·---------- Montrose _____ _ 

g~~:~:n::::======== :::::::::::::::::::: M~~~f~~~::: Cleora. (See Carner- Overlaps Turret Chaffee ______ _ on). Mountain. 

Cleora. _ ------------- Cameron __________ Fremont. •• __ _ 

Cochetopa. ___ ------- -------------------- Gunnison ____ _ 

Do .•••• -------- Green Mountain __ Saguache _____ _ 

Columbia ___________ _ Buckskin Joe, 

Consolidated 

M on tgomilfY, and Beaver 

Creek 

Park _________ _ 

Approximate location 

T. 34 S., R. 50 W. 

Tps. 41 and 42 N., Rs. 

4and 5 W. 

Tps. 6 and 7 N., R. 

70W. 

T.4 S., Rs. 73and 74 W. 

Tps. 10 and 12 S., R. 

85W. 

T. 46 N., R. 2 W. of 

the New Mexico 

principal meridian. 

Tps. 1 and 2 N., Rs. 71 

and 72 W. 

T. 3 S., R. 73 W. 

T. 15 S., Rs. 80 and 81 

W. of the s i x t h 

principal meridian; 

T. 61 N., R. 6 E. of 

the New Mexico 

principal meridian. 

T. 14 S., R. 67 W. 

Tps. 47 and 49 N., R. 

16 W.; T. 46 N., R. 

15 W. 

T. 30 S., R. 64 W. 

T. 45 N., R. 5 W. 

T. 15 S., Rs. 76 and 77 

W: of the sixth prin- cipal meridian; T. 

51 N., Rs. 9 and 10 

E., T. 50 N., Rs. 8 

and 9 E.; aiid T. 49 

N., R. 9 E. of the 

New Mexico princi- pal meridian. 

T. 16 S., R. 76 W. 

T. 49 N., R. 2 E. of the 

New Mexico princi- pal meridian. 

Tps. 48 and 49 N., R. 

2E. 

Columbia ...•.. -.----- Roaring Fork, 

West Castle, 

Castle Creek. 

Pitkin ________ Tps. 11 and 12 S., Rs. 

Conejos. ____________ _ Congers _____________ _ 

Consolidated Montgomery. 

Ute.--------------

.Included in 

Breckenridge. 

Consolidated Ten- Tenmile Cons6limile. dated (includes Wilkinson), Kokomo-Robinson-Frisco. 

Consolidated Union Union Consolidated. 

Coon Park ---------- Cleora ___________ _ 

Copper Creek ________ -------------------- Copperdale. ______ --- ___________________ _ 

Conejos ______ _ Summit ______ _ 

Park _________ _ 

Summit ______ _ 

84and 85 W. 

T. 36 N., R. 4 E. 

Sees. 17 and 18, T 

S., R. 77 W. 

T. 8 S., Rs. 77 and 78 

w. T. 5-S., R. 78 W.; TJ1S. 7 and 8 S., Rs. 78 

and 79 w~. · 

____ do __ , ______ T. 6 S., Rs. 77 and 78 

w.· Chaffee _______ T. 15 S., R. 77 W. 

Mesa __________ T. 12 S., ll. 101 W. 

Jefferson ______ Sees. 8, 9, 10, 15, 16, 

and 17, T. 2 S., R. 71 

w.· 

Copper King·-------- Red Gorge ________ Grand ________ _ T 1 S., R. 82 W. 

Copper Ridge ________ -------------------- Jackson _______ _ T. \1 N., R. 78 W. CoraL Sees. 32, 33, T. 3 S., R.· _________ c _____ Cascade ________ . ___ Clear Creek __ _ 

73 W.;. sees. 4 and 5, 

T. 4 S.,:R. 73 W. 

Cotopaxi.. ___________ -------------------- Fremont ______ T. 48 N., R. 11 E. 

Cpttonwood _________ -------------------- Chaffee ________ T. 13 S., R. 79 W.; 

Tps. 14 and 15 S., . Rs. 79 and 80 W. 

Crater _______________ -------------------- Minera! ____ :_ __ T. 37 N., R. 2 E. of 

the New Mexico 

principal meridian. Crestone _____________ Eldorado ... ______ Saguache ______ Tps. 43 and 44 N., R. 

12E. 

CreswelL ____________ -------------------- Jefferson ______ Sec. 27, T. 4 S., R. 71 

·,W. Cripple Creek ________ Womack __________ Teller _________ Tps. 14, 15, and 16 S., 

Cross Mountain ______ -------------------- Gunnison ____ _ Rs. 68, 69, and 70 W. 

T. 15 S., R. 82 W. 

Sees. 30 and 31, T. 7 S., 

R. 71 W.; sees. 25and 

26, T. 7 S., R. 72 W: 

Crosson ______________ Princeton _________ Jefferson and 

Park. 

Saguache ______ T. 43 N., R. 6 E. 

Gunnison _____ T. 12 S., R. 87 W. 

Fremont ______ ! T. 16 S., R. 72 W. 

Clear Creek •.• 1 T. 3 S., Rs. 75 and 76 

Crystal HilL ________ -------------------- Crystal River .•. .: .... Rock Creek ______ _ 

Current Creek _______ -------------------- Dailey--------------- Atlantic __________ _ 

I W, Decatur ______________ Summit ___________ Rio Grande 

1

1 T. 37 N., Rs.4and5E.; 

and Conejos. T. 36 N., R. 3 E. 

Deer Creek ___________ --------------------

Defiance. ______ ------ __ ------------------ Democrat ____________ Democratic, Cascade, Ottawa. 

f 

of the New Mexico 

principal meridian. 

Jefferson ______ T. 6 S., R. 70 W. . Garfield _______ T. 5 S., R. 88 W. · • 

Clear Creek. __ Sees 11, 12, 13.z 14, 23, · and 24, T. 4 ~:;;., R: 74 w. De Sobe _____________ -------------------- Douglas _______ Sees. 29, 30, 31, and 32, 

T.7S.,R.69.W .. Dewey _______________ Hope, Granite •••• Lake •• ________ Sees. 29and 30, T.ll S., 

R.79W. 
64 MINING IN COLORADO 

Mining districts in Colorado-Continued Mining districts in Colorado-Continued 

Name Other names used County 

Difficult. ____________ Difficult Creek •• __ Pitkin_; _____ _ 

Domingo ____________ Vulcan, 

Creek. 

Willow Gunnison. ___ _ 

Douglas Mountain-- Escalante Hills •••• Moffat _______ _ 

Downieville _________ Morris, Lawson ••• Clear Creek __ _ 

Dry Pine ___________ _ 

Eagle River----------

Frying Pan ... ___ _ 

Eagle; Headwaters 

of Eagle River. 

Includes Fairview Hill. 

Pitkin-------- Eagle ••. _____ _ 

Approximate location 

Sees. 25, 26, ZT, 34, 35, 

and 36, T. 11 S., R. 84 w. T. 47 N., Rs. 1 and 2 

W. of the New Mexico principal meridian. 

T. 7 N., Rs. 100, 101, 

and 102 W. 

T. 3 S., Rs. 73 and 74 

w. 

T. 9 S., R. 84 W. 

Tps. 7 and 8 S., Rs. 79 

and 80 W. 

East Argentine _____ _ Argentine ________ _ Clear Creek. __ Sees. 35 and 36, T. 4 S., 

R.75W. 

East Beaver Creek-- East Beaver, East Teller and T. 16 S., R. 68 W. 

Cripple Creek. Fremont. 

Eightmile •.•• ------- McCourt.......... Fremont.. ___ _ ElDorado. __________ Crestone ••••...••. Saguache _____ _ 

Elk Mountain _______ -------------------- Gunnison. ___ _ 

El Paso .. ____________ Turkey Creek •.••• El Paso. _____ _ Empire ______________ Upper Union ______ Clear Creek __ _ 

Do ....• ---------- California.-------- Lake _________ _ Enterprise.---------- Central .•• _____ _.___ Boulder. _____ _ 

Do .•• -.. _ ... __ .. ------ ___ •. _ ---- _ __ _ Gilpin. __ .. __ _ 

Eureka .•. ____ ------- __ ---- __ ---------- __ .... do .... ------

Do ...••• ________ Includes part of 

Red Mountain. 

San Juan _____ _ 

Fairmount. .• -------- -------------------- Park _________ _ 

Fairfield.------.------ Fairview---------- Gilpin ..•. ___ _ 

Fairview------------- Fairfield.--------- ----------------

T. 17 S., R. 69 W. Tps. 43 and 44 N ., R. 

12 E. of the New 

Mexico principal meridian. 

Tps. 12 and 13 S., R. 

85 W.; Tps. 11 and 

12 S., Rs. SG and 87 w. T. 16 S., R. 67 W. 

T. 3 S., Rs. 74 and 75 

w. T. 10 S., R. 79 W. Sees. 10, 11, 14, 15, T. 

2 N., R. 72 W. 

Sees. 7, 8, 9, 'r. 3 S., R. 72W. 

Sees. 4 and 9, T. 3 S., 

R. 73 w. Tps. 41, 42, and 43 N., 

Hs. 6 and 7 W. of 

the New Mexico 

principal meridian. 

Sees. 13, 14, 23,. and 24, T. 10 S., R. 78 W. Sees. 26, Zl, 34, and 35, T. 2 S., R. 73 W. 

Fairview HilL ______ Eagle River •..••.. Eagle ••......• Sees. 25, 26, 35, and 36, T. 7 S., R. 80 W. 

Fall City •..•........ -------------------- Larimer .•. ____ Sees. 11, 12, 13, 14, T. 

8 N., R. 75 W. 

Fall River. __________ Lower Fall River.----------------

Farnsworth .• ___________ ----------------- Larimer--- ___ _ 0 

Ferrari. .••• ------~---· ------------ __ ------ Park •••••...•. 

Findley Gulch ______ -------------------- Saguache ...• __ 

Fish Creek________ Florissant. ________ Park _________ _ 

Florida .• ____________ Needle Mountain. La Plata .•.... 

Florissant.--------.-- -------------------- Park ••....••.. 

Ford Creek __________ -------------------- Saguache .... __ 

Forest HilL. ________ Taylor River .•.••• GUnnison. ___ _ 

Fountain Creek .••.• Pikes Peak .••••.•. Teller ••••.•••. 

Fourmile .•••••.••••• -------------------- Chaffee .. ----

Do .• ------------ ------- __ ; ____ .••••. Park •... _____ _ 

Do •• ------------ -------------------- Moffat .••••• __ 

Fraser ••• ------------ ••••.•••••••. ------- Grand .•• - ___ _ 

Free Gold ••••••••••• -------------------- Chaffee •.••.•. 

Fremont.----------- Cotopaxi..-------- Fremont .• ___ _ 

Fremont County •••• Fremont •••.•...•• ---------------- Freshwater •.••••.••• Red Ruth, Guffey, Park.~--------

Alhambra. 

Frisco.-------------- Part of Tenmile... Summit ... ___ _ 

Front Range ________ -------------------- El Paso •••••.. Frying Pan •••••••.• -------------------- Eagle ..••..•.. Do •• ------------ ·------------------•. Lake .••••••••• 

Do ••••••••••••••• -------------------- Pitkin ••• -----

Fulford •••••••••••••• Overlaps Mount Eagle •• ~-----­

Egley. 

Galena ••••••••••••••• -------------------- Hinsdale •••• _. 

.Gem ••••••••••••••••• Te1:as Creek •••••• Fremont •••••• 

Sees. 26, 27, 34, and 35, 

T. 7 N., R. 71 W. 

Sees. 13, 14, 23, and 24, T. 5 S., R. 72 W. Sees. 34 and 35, T. 47 

N., R. 7 E. of the 

New Mexico princi- pal meridian. 

Sees. 8, 9, 16, 17, T. 13 

S., R. 71 W. 

T.38N.,R.7W. 

Sees. 16, 17, 20, 21, T. 

13 S., R. 71 W. Sees. 15, 16, 17, 20, 21, 

and22,T.46N., R.7 

E. of theN ew Mexico 

principal meridian. 

Sees. 10, 11, 14, and 15, T. 13 S., R. 83 W. Sees. 13, 18, 19, and 24, T. 13 S., R. 69 W. Tps. 13 and 14 S., R. 78 

w. T. 15 S., R. 72 W. T. 12 N., Us. 91 and 

9ZW. 

Tps. 1, 2, and 3 S., Rs. 

75, 76, and 77 W. 

Sees. 15, 16, 21, and 22, 

T.·14 S., R. 78 W. 

Sees. 19 and 30, T. 48 

N., R. 12 E.; sees. 24 and 25, T. 48 N., R. 11 E. · 

Tps. 14 and 15 S., Rs. 

72 and 73 W. 

Sees. 16, 17, 20, and 21, T. 6 S., R. 78 W. T. 12 S., R. 67 W. 

T.7 S., R.83 W. 

Sees. 29, 30, 31, and 32, 

T. 9 S., R. SOW. 

Tps. 8 and 9 S., Rs. 83 

and84 W. 

Tps. 6 and 7 S., Rs. 82 

and83 W. . Tps. 43 and 44 N., Rs. 

4 5, and 6 E. of the 

New Mexico princi- pal meridian. 

Sees. 28, 29, 32, 33, T. 20 

S., R.73 W 

Name Other names used County 

Georgia Pass •••..• ~-- -------------------- Summit ••••••• 

Geneva ______________ Snake River, Summit and 

Montezuma. Clear Creek. 

Glenwood.".-------- -------------------- Garfield ••••.•• 

Gold Basin •••••••••. Adjoins Green Gunnison ____ _ Mountain. 

Gold Blossom ________ -------------------- Routt ........ . Gold Brick __________ ----------·---~----- Gunnison •••.. 

Gold Dirt ..•......... -------------------- Clear Creek •.. 

Gold HilL .•......... 0 v e ria p s Sun- ·Boulder ..... . shine, Ward, and 

Sugar Loaf. 

Golden City •..••.••• -------------------- Jefferson ...••. 

Goose Creek _________ White Earth .••... Gunnison ..... 

) 

Gordon .• __ ........ __ -------..••••. ·. ___ .. Fremont. ... __ 

G.othic .•.•••••••.• ___ .•••• ----------- ____ Gunnison-----

Grand Island ...•••.. -------------------- Boulder •.•••.• 

Grand Lake ••....... -------------------- Grand and 

Boulder line. 

Grand River ..•.•.•.. -------------------- Mesa _________ _ 

Granite ______________ Overlaps Hope •••• Chaffee ______ _ 

Do ____________________ do _____________ Lake ••........ 

Grape Creek_________ Overlaps Green- Fremont. ..... horn. 

Grass ValleY---c----- Idaho Springs ••.•• Clear C{eek •.. 

Greenhor.n ___________ Overlaps Grape Fremont. .••.. 

Creek. 

Green Mountain..... Cochetopa. ------- Gunnison and 

Saguache. 

\ 

Green Mountain ----------------~--- El Paso •...... Falls. 

Gregory ••.•.•••••.•• O{f~~g~ Lake Gilpin •••••••. 

Griffith·-------------- Queens ••••..•••••• Clear Creek ••. 

Guffey _______________ Freshwater, Red Park _________ _ 

· Ruth. 

GUJlnison .•• ___ • _. _ .• _. --- __ •••• ---•••• -- Gunnison---.-

Hahns Peak.---------------------------- Routt ________ _ 

Half Moon ___________ Lackawanna ______ Lake _________ _ 

Hall Gulch •• -------- Hall Valley.------ ---------------- Hall Valley---------- Overlaps Monte- Park and Clear zuma, Snake Creek. 

~iJJie lvJ:!~e, Hardscrabble ••••..•• -------------------- Custer.-------

Do _______________ -------------------- Fremont _____ _ 

Harmon.------------ -------------------- Grand ••• -----

Hartsel. ___ .---------·-------------------_ Park ....... _. ___ _ 

Hawkeye ____________ -------------------- Gilpin •• _____ _ 

Hayden Creek ••••••• -------------------- Fremont •••.•• 

Highland •• : ••••••••• -·······------------ Pitkin ••• -----

Approximate location 

Sees. 7, 12, and 13, T. 7 

S., R.76 W. 

Sees. 29, 30, 31, and 32, 

T. 5 S., R. 75 W.; sees. 25, 26, 35, 36, 

.T.5S.,R.76W. 

Sees. 2, 3, 10, and 11, T. 6 S.,;R. 89 W. Sees. 5, 6, 7, and 8, T. 

48 N., R.l E. 

T.11 N., R. 87 W. 

Tps. 50 and 51 N., R. 

83 W. of the New 

Mexico principal me- ridian. 

Sees. 10, 12, 13, and 14, T. 4 S.t...R. 73 W. T. 1 N., .KS. 71, 72, and 

73 w. 

Sees. 3, 4, 9, and 10 

T.4S.,R.70W. 

Corner of Tps. 47 and 

48 N., Rs. 2 and 3 

W. of the New Mexico principal meridian. 

Sees. 22 and 23, T. 16 

S., R. 69 W. 

Sees. 13, 14, 23, and 24, T. 14 S., R. 85 W. • T. 1 S., Rs. 72, 73, and 

74W. 

Sees .. 21, 22, 27, and 28, 

T.1 N., R. 74 W. 

Sees. 17, 18, 19, and 20, 

T. 10 S., R.103 W. 

Sees. 31, 32.1. 33, 34, and 

35, 'r.lll:l., R. 79 W.; 

Sees. 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6, 

T.12 8., R. 79 W. Sees. 19, 20, 21, 22, 28, 

29, and 30, T. 11 S., 

R. 79 w. 

Sees. 9, 10, 11, 14, 15, 

and 16,· T. 19 S., R. 71 w. 

Sees. 35 and 36, T. 3 S., 

R. 73 W.; sees. 1 and 

2, T. 4 S., R. 73 W. 

Sees. 7, 8, 9, 16, 17, 18, 

19, 20, and 21, T. 19 

S., R. 71 W. 

T. 48 N., Rs. 1 and 2 

E. of the New Mexico principal meridian. 

T. 13 S., R. 68 W. 

Sec. 18, T. 3 S., R. 72 

W.; sec. 13, T. 3 S., 

R.73W. · Sees. 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 

14, 15, and 16, T. 4 S., 

R. 75 W.; sees. 7, 8, 

9, 10, 15, 16, 17, 18, 

19, 20, and 21, T. 4 S., 

R.74W. 

T. 15 S., R. 73 W. 

T. 49 N., R. 1 E.; T. 

48N., R.1 W. of the 

New Mexico princi- pal meridian. 

Tps. 9, 10, and 11 N ., R.85W. 

Sees. 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 

31, 32,.33, 34, and 35, 

T. 10 S., R. 81 W.; sees. 25, 26, 27, 33, 34, 

35, and 36, T. 10 S., 

R.82W. 

T. 6 S.,· Rs. 75 and 76 

W. 

Tps. 21 and 22 S., Rs. 

70, 71, and 72 W. 

T. 20 S., R. 71 W. 

Sec. 6, T. 2 N., R. 

w. T. 12 S., R. 75 W.; 

Tps. 13 and 14 S., 

R.74W. · Sec. 23, T. 2 S., R. 73 w. Sees. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 

and 10, T. 47 N., R. 

11 E. of the New 

Mexico principal me- ridian. 

Sees. 35 and 36, T. 10 

S., R. 85 W .; sees. 1 

and 2, T. 11 S., R. 85 

w. 
MINING DISTRICTS IN COLORADO 65 

Mining districts in Colorado-Continued 

Name Other names used County Approximate location 

High Lonesome •••••. -------------------- Grand ________ Sees. 1, 2, 11, and 12, 

T. 1 N., R. 75 W 

High Park ___________ West Cripple Teller .•••••••• T.15 S., R. 71 W. 

Creek. 

Holy Cross •••••....• -------------------- Eagle .••....•. 

Homestake •••.•...•• -------------------- Lake _________ _ 

Hoosier Gulch....... Overlaps Pollock. Summit .••..•• 

Hope ••..••...•••••.. Dewey, Granite .•. Lake and 

Chaffee. _ 

Horn Silver •........• Red Cliff __________ Eagle.--------

Horseshoe ••• --------·-------------------- Park _________ _ 

Hotchkiss ____________ White Earth ••.... Gunnison ••••• 

Hot Springs •••••.••• Glenwood Hot ---------------- Springs. 

Howard ••• ---------- ----------------~--- Fremont •...•• 

Howes Gulch ••.••••. -------------------- Larimer ••...•• 

Huerfano. ----------- -------------------- Huerfano .•.••• 

Do _______________ Spanish Peaks, 

West Spanish Peaks. 

Huerfano and 

Las Animas. 

HulL.--------------- •••••••••••••••••••• Saguache----- Hunter Creek. _______ Woody ____________ Pitkin •••••••. 

Hydraulic._--------- -------.------------- Mesa _________ _ 

Ice Lake. ____________ --·----------------- San Juan •.•.•• 

Idaho or Virginia ..•. Included Idaho Clear Creek •.• Springs. 

Illinois CentraL.---- lllinois .•• "--·----- Gilpin ••• -----

Independent •.•....•. Overlaps Illinois, ...•. do ........ . Pine, Union. 

Independence. •••..•. Independent; over- Lake _________ _ 

laps St. Kevin. 

Indian Creek.-----·- Included in Ker- Saguache •••••• ber Creek 

Iowa ••••.•.••.....•. Included Idaho Clear Creek ••• Springs. Iowa Gulch ••••..•••• California .••.•••.• Lake _________ _ 

Iron __________ --------------------------- Eagle ..•.•...• Iron HilL ••.•••...•.. -------------------· Park .•••.....• 

Iron Hill (local). See ---~---------------- ---------------- California. 

Iron Mountain .•••.. --------~----------· Saguacne .••.•• 

Iron Spring~----------------------------- San MigueL •• 

jackson ••.•.•.••..•.. Idaho, Virginia, Clear Creek ••• Ohio. 

James Peak ••....••.. -------------------- Grand •••••••• 

Jet:Nlrson _____________ Bear Creek ••••••• Jefferson •••••• 

Jo Da~is _____________ Near ·Delaware ·Summit ______ _ 

Flats. 

Junction Creek...... Calirorula_________ La Plata. ____ _ 

Kansas •• ------------ -------------------- Gilpin ••• ·----

T. 7 S., Rs. 81 and 82 

w. 

Sees. 14, 15, 22, 23, 26, 

and 27, T. 8 S., R. 81 

w. 

Sees. 6 and 7, T. 8 S., 

R. 77 W.; sees. 1 and 

12, T. 8 S., R. 78 W. 

Sec. 30, T. 11 S., R. 79 

W .; sees. 25, 26, 27, 31, 

32, 33, 34, 35, 36, T. 

11 S., R. 80 W. 

Sees. 31, 32, and 33, T. 

6 S., R.SOW.; sees.4, 

5, and 6, T. 7 S., R. 

sow. 

Sees. 26, 27, 28, 30, 32, 

and 33, T. 9 S., R. 

78W. 

Sees. 4, 5, 8, and 9, T. 

46 N., R. 2 W. of the 

New Mexico prin- cipal meridian. 

T.49N., R.11 E. of the 

New Mexico princi- · pal meridian. 

Sees. 9, 10, 11, and 12, 

T. 7 N., R. 70 W. 

Sees. 29, 30, 31, and 32, 

T. 27 S., R. 70 W. 

Sees. 33, 34, 35, and 36, 

T. 30 S., R. 68 W.; sees. 1, 2, 3, 4, T. 31 

S .• R.68W. 

T.48N.,R.9E. 

Sees. 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, T. 10 

S., R. 84 W. 

Sees. 7, 8, 17, 18, 19, 20, 

21, 22, 27, 28, T. 48 

N., R. 17 W. of the 

New Mexico prin- cipal meridian. 

Sees. 18, 19, 30, T. 41 

N., R. 8 W.; sees. 13, 

23, 24, 25, 26, T. 41 

N., R. 9 W. of the 

New Mexico princi- pal meridian. 

Sees. 25 and 36, T. 3 S., 

R. 73 W .; sees. 30 and 

31, T. 3 S., R. 72 W. 

Sees. 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 

1'5, 16, and 17, T. 2 

S., R. 73 W. 

Sees. 8, 9, 10, and 11, T. 

2 S., R. 73 W. 

Sees. 7 to 23, inclusive, 

T. 9 S., R. 81 W.; sees. 5, 6, 7, and 8, T. 

9 S., R. 80 W. 

T. 47 N., R. 7 E., and 

T. 48 N., R. 6 E., of 

the New Mexico 

principal meridian. 

Sec. 28, T. 5 S., R. 73 

w. 

T. 9 S., R, 79 W. 

Sec. 1, T. 58., R.86W. 

Sees. 29, 30, 31, and 32, T~ 10 S., R. 78 W. 

Sec. 32, T. 45 N., R. 8 

E. of the New Mexico principal me- ridian. . Sees. 25 to 36, inclusive, 

T. 42 N., R. 9 W.; sees. 1, 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 

11, and 12, T. 41 N., 

R. 9 W. of the New 

Mexico principal me· ridian. 

Sees. 2, 3, 10, and 11, T. 

4 s.,· R. 73 w. 

Sees. 20 and 29, T. 2 S., 

R.74 W. 

Sec. 18, T. 4 S., R. 71 

W.; sec. 10, T. 5 S., 

R.71 W. 

Sees. If!, 1!t. 20, and 21, 

T. 61::1., .K. 77 W. · Sees. 24, 25t... and 26, T. 

37 N., .K. 11 W.; sees. 19, 20, 29, and 

30, T.37N., R.10W. 

of the New Mexico 

principal meridian. 

Sees. 35 and 36, T. 1 S., 

R 74W. 

Mining districts in Colorado-Continued 

Name Other names used County 

Kerber Creek ________ Bonanza ••.•• : ____ Saguache •••••. 

Kezar Basin.---------------------------- Gunnison. ___ _ 

King Solomon.------ Sunnyside ••• ·---- Mineral ______ _ 

Lackawanna _________ -------------------- Lake _________ _ 

Lake ••••• ___________ Lake Gulch; over- Gilpin •••••... laps Gregory. 

Do .• _.---------- -------------------- Hinsdale ••.... 

Do._ •. ---------- Lake Creek, Twin Lake _________ _ Lakes. 

Lake George ________ ~ Springer; includes Park _________ _ 

Pulver. 

La Plata _____________ -------------------- .Grand •••••••• 

Do .•• _______ · ____ -------------------- Chaffee •• -----

Larimer County _____ ------------.-------- Larimer ______ _ La SaL ______________ Paradox Valley ••. Montrose.----

Lead Mountain ______ -------------------- Grand ••••.••• 

Lincoln ______________ Upper Fall River .. Clear Creek ••• 

Do _______________ Lincoln Gulch ____ Pitkin _______ _ 

Do .•••. ---------- Overlaps South Summit ______ _ Swan River, 

Avalanche, 

Minnesota. 

Little Deer Creek .... North Bear Gulch. Jefferson •••••• 

Little Evans·------~- California _________ Lake ••••••.••. 

Lone Cone ___________ -------------------- Dolores ______ _ 

Long Gulch __________ -------·------------ Larimer.~-----

Las Animas. See 

Animas. 

Lower Fall River __ ._ Spanish Bar------- Clear Creek ••• 

Lower San MigueL •• -------------------- San MigueL •. 

Lower Tarryal}. _____ -------------------- Park •••••••••• Lower Uncompahgre -------------------- Ouray ________ _ 

Lower UI;lion ________ -------------------- Clear Creek .•• 

Magnolia •• ---------- Overlaps Sugar Boulder ••••••• Loaf. 

Mancos~--------_---- -------------------- Montezuma •. _ 

Manhattan-------- __ -----------·--·-···· Larimer--····· 

Manitou_____________ Pikes Peak........ El Paso ••••••• 

Do. _____________ Otfr'~:~~ Kerber Saguache ...... 

Approximate location 

Tps. 46 and 47 N ., Rs. 7 

and 8 E. of the New 

Mexico principal me- ridian. 

Sees. 4, 5, 8, and 9, T. 

48 N., R. 2 w. of the 

New Mexico princi- pal meridian. 

T. 42 N., R. 1 E. and 

R. 1 W. of the New 

Mexico principal me- ridian, and north· 

ward to county line. 

Sees: 1, 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, 

and 12, T. 11 S., R. 

82 W .; sees. 29, 30, 31, 

and 32, T. 10 S., R. 

81 w. 

Sec. 18, T. 3 S., R. 72 

W.; sec. 13, T. 3 S., 

R.73W. 

Tps. 43 and 44 N., R. 

4 W. of the New 

Mexico principal me- ridian. 

T. 11 S., Rs. 80 and 81 

W.; part ofT. 12 S., 

R.81 W. 

Tps. 12 and 13 S., R. 72 w. 

Sees. 27, 28, 33, and 34, 

T. 3 S., R. 76 W. 

T. 12 S., Rs. 80 and 81 

W .; north half of T. 

13 S., R. 81 W. 

T.ll N., R. 71 W. Tps. 47 and 48 N., R. 

19 W. of the New 

Mexico principal me- ridian. 

Tps. 5 and 6 N., R. 76 

W.;T.5N.,R.75W. 

Sees. 26, 27, 28, 29, 32, 33, 

34, 35, and 36, T. 2 S., 

R. 74 W.; secs.1, 2, 3, 

4, 5, 9, 10, 11, .12, T. 3 

S., R. 74 W.; sees. 5, 

6, 7, and 8, T. 3 S., 

R.73W. 

Sees. 1, 2, 3, 10, 11, 12, 

13, and 14, T. 12 S., 

R.83W. 

Sees. 1 and 2, T. 7 s., 

R. 77 w. 

Sees. 5 and 6, T. 7 8., 

R.69W. . Sees. 17, 18, 19, and 20, 

T. 9S., R. 79 W. 

Sees. 32 and 33, T. 41 

N., R. 11 W.; sees. 4 

and 5, T. 40 N., R. 11 w. 

T.8N.,R.70W. 

Sees. 15, 16, 17, 18, 21, 

and 22, T. 3 S., R. 73 

w. 

T. 44 N., R. U W. and 

T. 43 N., R. 10 W., 

of the New Mexico 

principal meridian. 

T. 12 S., R. 72 W. 

T. 46 N., R. 8 W. of 

the New Mexico 

principal meridian. 

Sees. 31,· 32, 33, and 34, 

T.5S., R. 72W. 

Sees. 25, 26, 35, and 36, 

T. 1 N., R. 72. W.; sees. 29, 30, 31, and 32, 

T. 1 N., R. 71 W . .f sees. 1, 12, 13, 24, ana 25, T.1 S., R. 72W.; sees. 7, 18, 19, 30,.and 

31, T. 1 S., R. 71 W. 

T. 37 N., Rs. 11 and 12 

W. of the New Mexico principal merid· 

ian. 

Sees. 24 and 25, T. 9 N ., R. 80 W.; sees. 19 

and 30, T. 9 N., R 

79W. 

T. 13 S., R. 67. W.; T. 

14 S., R. 68 W. Sees. 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 

and 33, T.48N.,R.8 

E., and sees. 4, 5, 6, 7, 

8, and 9, T. 47 N., R. 

8 E. of the New Mex· 

ico principal merid • ian. 
66 MINING IN COLORADO 

Mining districts in Colorado-Continued Mining districts in Colorado-Continued 

Name Other names used I County I Approximate locatiqn 

Marion ______________ Pagosa Springs ____ Archuleta ____ _ 

Maroon ______________ -------------------- Pitliin --------

Maysville ___________ _ Larimer·----~-

McBarnes __________ ·_ Miners (Bracken- Summit ______ _ 

ridge). McCourt.----------- Eightmile _________ Fremont_ ____ _ 

McDonough _________ HotchkisS _________ Gunnison ____ _ 

McKay ______________ Union _____________ Summit ______ _ 

Middle Swan ________ Rexford, Missouri_ _____ do ________ _ 

Midland _____________ Beaver Creek _____ Gunnison ____ _ 

Mill Creek .•••••. ; ___ -·-··--·····-·····-· Clear Creek ..• 

Miners ______________ McBarnes .•....••• Summit •...••• 

Sees. 15 and 24, T. 35 N ., R. 2 W., and sees. 18 

and 19, T. 35 N., R. 

1 E. of the New 

Mexico principal me- ridian. 

T. 11 S., Rs. 85 and 86 

W.;T.12S., R.85 W. 

Sees. 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9, 

T.8N., R. 73 W. 

Sees. 8, 9, 17, and 16, 

T.7S.,R.77W. 

Sees. 21, 22, 27, and 28, 

T.l7 S., R: 69 W. Sees. 33 and 34, T. 47 

N., R. 2 W., and sees. 2 and 3, T. 46 

N., R. 2 W. of the 

New Mexico princi- pal meridian. 

Sees. 18, 19, T. 6 S., R. 

77 w. 

Sees. 20, 21, 28, and -29, 

T.6S.,R.76W. 

Sees. 1, 2, 3, 10, 11, and 

12, T. 47 N., R. 1 W., 

of the New Mexico 

principal meridian. 

Sees. 10, 11, 14, and 15, '1'. 3 8., R. 74 W. 

Minnesota .•••.•.•... Utah, Bevan •••••• _____ do •..••.••• 

Missouri.. •••.••••••• ---·-···-·-·-·---··· Lake •••••..••• Sees. 13, 14, T. 8 S., R. 

Do _______________ Middle Swan •.••• Summit ..•••.• 

Monarch. __ -·----- ____ ----------·-···"-· Chaffee ..•••.. 

Montana._------·-·- Overlaps Morris... Clear Creek __ _ 

Montezuma ••.••.••• Snake River •••••. Summit •.••••. 

Montgomery. S e e ConsolLI1ted 

Montgomery. 

Morris............... Montana.......... Clear Creek ••. Mosquito ••••••••.•••••••••.••••••• _________ ..••••••••••• 

Mountaindalc. __ -··-- Adjoins Tarryall Park .•.•••••.• Springs. 

Mountain House .•. _ -----·--········---· Gilpin._-·-··-

Mount Egley···-···- --··--·--·----•••••• Eagle •• --···--

Mount Rosa......... Cripple:creek ..... Teller •.••••••. 

Mount Rose. See 

Mount Rosa. 

Mount Sneffels •.•••• Sneffels ___________ Ouray ••..••••. 

Mount Wilson. ______ -·····-.--·-·---·-··- San MigueL .. 

Mount Zion •• ·---·-- --·----··-·--·-··--- Lake •.••••.••. 

1.\-Iuddy ______________ -·-·····--··-······· Delta ••••.•••. 

Music •••.•••••.•••.• -·-··--···--····--·- Saguache •.•..• 

Myers Creek ..••.••• -···-···-··-···----- Saguache ••.•. 

Needle Mountain .•.• Needle Mountains La Plata. ____ _ 

Nevada .. ······-·---- -·-·--- __ ··--·----- _ Gilpin .• __ .••• 

Night Hawk •••• _____ -·---·-----·-------- Douglas •... ___ _ 

SOW. 

T. 49 N., Rs. 6, 7, and 

8 E. of the New 

Mexico principal me· ridian; T. 51 N., Rs. 

79 and 80 W ., and 

T. 50 N., R. 80 W. of 

the sixth princioal meridian. 

Sees. 25, 26, 34, 35, and 

36, T. 3 S., R. 74 W.; sees. 30 and 31, T. 3 

S., R. 73 W. 

T. 5 S., R. 76 W.; sees. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6, T. 

6 S., R. 76 W. 

Sees. 1, 12, 13, and 24, 

T. 9 S., R. 79 W.; sees. 6, 7, 18, nnd 19, 

T. 9 S., R. 78 W. 

Sees. 20, 21, and 22, T. 

11 S., R. 72 W. 

Sees. 19, 20, 29, and 30, '1'. 2 S., H. 72 W. 

Sees. 15, 16, 21, and 22, 

T. 6 S., H. 82 W. 

Sees. 1, 2, 11, 12, 13, 14, 

23, and 24, T. 15 S., 

R.68W. 

T. 43 N., R. 8 W., and 

sees.1and2, T. 42 N., 

R. 8 W. of the New 

Mexico principal me- ridian. 

T. 42 N., R. 10 W. of 

the New Mexico 

principal meridian. 

Sec. 10, T. 9 S., H. SO w. 

Sees. 36, T. 10 S., R.'91 

W.; sec. 1,.T. 11 S., 

R.91 W. Sees. 17, 18, 19, and 20, 

T. 25 S., R. 73 W. 

Sees. 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 

and 15, T. 41 N., R. 4 E. of. the New 

Mexico principal meridian. 

Tps. 38 and 39 N., R. 7 

W., and T. 37 N., R. 

8 W. of the New 

Mexico principal meridian. 

Sees. 10, 11, and 12, T. 

3 S., R. 73 W. 

Sec. 18, T. 8 S., R. 69 

W.; sec. 13, T. 8 S., 

R.70W. 

North Bear Gulch ••• Little Deer Creek. Jefferson .•.•.. North Cheyenne •.• __ -----~·------------- El Paso. ______ Sees. 27, 28, 29, 32, 33, 

and 34, T. 14 S., R. 67 

w. 

Name Other names used County 

North Cottonwood __ -------------------- Chaffee ... ___ _ 

North Cripple Creek.-------------------- Teller. _______ _ 

North Park __________ -------------------- Jackson. _____ _ 

North Swan ••. ______ Snake River .• ____ Summit ______ _ 

Ohio _________________ Jackson, Idaho, Clear Creek. __ 

Virginia. o 

Approximate location 

Sees. 29, 30, 31, and 32, 

T. 13 8., R. 79 W.; sees. 215, 26, 27, 34, 35, 

and 36, T. 13 S., R. 

80 W.; sees. 4, 5, 6, 7, 

8, and 9, T. 14 S., R. 

79W. 

Sees. 1, 2, and 3, T. 11 ·s., R. 69 w .. Sees. 13, 14,· 23, and 24, 

T. 11 N., R. 82 W. 

Sees. 7J. 8, 17, and 18, 

T. 6 1:5., R. 76 W. 

Oro __________________ -------------------- Montrose ..• __ T. 46 N., R. 14 W. of 

the New Mexico 

principal meridian. 

Oro Fino .• __________ -------------------- Jefferson .. ____ Sees. 1, 2, T. 10 S., R. 

Ottawa •. ____________ Cascade, Demo- Clear Creek •.. 

crat. Paquin .. ____________ Part of Uncom- OuraY--------

pahgre. 

Parachute._.-------- -·····-···-·-··--·-- Garfield. _____ _ 

Paradox Valley.:_···- ····-···-··--····-·· Montrose ..• __ 

Park •••••...•••...•.• ················-·-- Hinsdale _____ _ 

Paynes Bar •••.•••••• Part of Idaho Clear Creek __ _ Springs. 

Pearl Pass .••••.••••• ---·--··-----·------ Gunnison. ___ _ 

Pennsylvania •••••••. -·------------------ Park _________ _ 

Peru _______________ Includes Argentine and Snake 

River. 

Clear Creek, 

Park, and 

Summit. 

Phoenix .•• __________ Overlaps Pine .••.• Gilpin •.•.•.•. 

Pikes Peak __________ Fountain Creek ... Teller ________ _ 

Pine .................. Pine Creek •.•.•.•. Gilpin .. _____ _ 

Pine Creek •••• ______ Part of La Plata. __ Chaffee ••••.•• 

Pioneer ______________ Overlaps Lone 

Cone. 

Dolores •.. ___ _ 

Platoro .• ·-----~----- Ute. __ --·--·--·--- Conejos ...... .. Platte~-------·---·-- Included in Hall Summit and 

Valley. Park. 

Pleasant Park .•.•••. Overlaps Union. __ Summit .•••••. 

Pleasant Valley ______ Overlaps Wellsville. 

Fremont .• ___ _ 

Do .•••••••••••••••• Gilpin._-·----

Pollock •••. -~---····- Summit ••• ___ _ 

Princeton •••••••••••• Adjoins Crosson .•. Park and Jefferson. 

Puma ••• ·--·--·----- ---~---- ------------ Park _________ _ 

Pulver. See Lake 

George. Putnam ••. __ 

Quartz Creek _______ _ 

Included in Ani- mas. 

Quartz; overlaps Gold Brick and 

Tin Cup. 

San Juan .• ___ _ 

Gunnison. ___ _ 

71 w. 

Sees. 16, 17, 18, 19, 20. 

and 21, T. 44 N., R, 7 W. of the N~w 

Mexjco principal meridian. 

Sees. 15, 16, 17, 20, 21, 

and 22, T. 6 S., R. 91 w. 

T. 47 N., R. 19 W. of 

theN ew Mexico prin- cipal meridian. 

Sees. 19, 20, 21, 22, 27, 

28, 29, 30, 31, and 32, 

T. 43 N., R. 5 W.; sees. 34, 35, and 36, 

T. 43 N., R. 6 W.; 

and sees. 1, 2, and 3, 

T.42N., H. 6 W. 

Sees. 26, 34, and 35, T. 

3 S., R. 73 W. 

Sees. 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 

and 33, T. 12 S., R. 84 

w. 

Sees. 15, 16, 21, and 22, 

T. 9 S., R. 7S W. 

Tps. 5 and G S., R. 75 

w. 

Sees. 31, 32, and 33, T. 

1 S., R. 73 W. 

Sees. 12, 13, and 24, T. 

13 S., R. 69 W., sees. 7, 18, and 19, T. 13 

S., R. 68 W. 

Sees. 33 and 34, T. 1 S., R.73W. . Sees. 5, 6, 7, 8, T. 13 S., 

R.80W. 

Tps. 40 and 41 N., Rs. 

10 and 11 W. of the 

New Mexico princi· pal meridian. 

T. 36 N., R. 4 E. 

Sees. 14 and 15, T. 6 S, 

R.76W. 

Sees. 7, 8, 9, 16, and 17, 

T. 6 S., R. 77 W. 

Sec. 19, T. 49 N., R. 10 

.E.; sec. 24, T. 49 N., 

R.9E. 

Sees. 17, 19, and 20, T. 

3 S., R. 72 W.; sec. 24, T. 3 S., R. 73 W. 

Sees. 21 to 29 and 32 to 36, inclusive, T. 7 S., 

R. 78 W.; sees.19, 30, 

31, T. 7 S., R. 77 W.; sees. 1 and 2, T. 8 S., 

R.78W. 

Sees. 25, 26, 35, and 36, 

T. 7 S., R. 72 W. 

Sees. 34 and 35, T. 10 

S., R. 74 W. 

Sees. 27, 28dl3, 34, and 

35, T. 41 N., R. 8 W. 

of the New Mexico 

principal meridian. 

T. 51 N., Rs. 81 and 82 

w. 

Quartz Mountain ___ _ Overlaps Union 

and Spaulding. 

Summit. ______ Sees. 23, 24, 25, and 26, 

Quartz Valley ...... _ 

Queens.--_-~-. ____ ._ 

Overlaps Pine 

and Independ- ent. 

Overlaps Griffith 

and Argentine. 

T.6S.,R.78W. 

Gilpin •••••••. Sees.3,4,and5,T.2S., 

R.73W. 

Clear Creek ••• Sees. 10 to 16 and 22 t() 24, inclusive, T. 4 S.~ 

R.75W. 
MINING DISTRIOTS IN COLORADO 67 

Mining districts in Colorado-Continued 

Name Other names used County 

Reo Oliff •••••••••••• Includes 

Silver. 

Horn Eagle •.• -----· 

Red Gorge ••• -------- Copper King •• ____ Grand._------

Red Gulch •••.••••••• -------------------- Fremont. ••••• 

Red Mountain ••••••.. -------------- .••. Chaffee ..••••. 

Do •• , •••••••••••. -------------------- Lake _________ _ 

Do ••••••••••••••• Overlaps Mount Ouray. _______ _ Sneffels and Uncompahgre. 

Do ................ Overlaps Eureka •• San Juan •••••. 

' 

Red Ruth. See 

Freshwater. 

Rexford. See Mid· 

dle Swan. 

Reynolds Switch •••• Overlaps Lake 

George. 

Roaring Fork •••••••• ocei~!~~ndc~~~~ 

ter Creek and 

by some is con- sidered to over- lap Columbia. 

Rock Creek •••••..••. --------·-----------

Do ..••••••••• ~--- Overlaps Elk 

Mountain. 

Do ••••••••••.. 

Rocky. See Lake 

George. 

Summit.--.----

Park _________ _ 

Pitkin .••••••• 

Montrose-·---

Gunnison ••..• 

Pitkin ..••••••• 

Round Mountain •••• -------------------- Teller ________ _ 

Royal Arch .•••••••. ~-------···---------- MineraL .•.•• 

Ruby---············· •••••••••••••••••••• Gunnison ••••• 

Russell. See Russell 

Gulch. 

Approximate location 

Sees. 33 and 34, T. 6 S., 

R. 80 W.; sees. 3, 4, 

and 5, T. 7 S., R. 80 

W: 

Sees. 29, 30, 31, and 32, 

T.1 S., R.82W. 

Sees. 7, 8. 17, and 18, T. 

49 N., R. 12 E. of the 

New Mexico· princi- pal meridian. 

T. 12 S., R. 82 W.; sees. 32 to 36, inclusive, T. 11 S., R. 82 

w. 

Sees. 13 to 17 and 20 to 29, inclusive, T.ll S., 

R.82W. 

Sees. 19 to 22 and 28 to 33, inclusive, T. 43 

N., R. 7W., and sees. 7, 8, 9, 17, and 18, T. 42 N., R. 7 W. of the 

New Mexico princi- pal meridian. 

Sees. 14, 15, 22 to 28, 

and 32 to 36, inclusive, T .42N .,R. 8 W .; sees. 16 to 21 and 28 to 32, inclusive, T. 42 

N.,R.7W. 

Sees. 11 to 15, inclusive, 

T. 13 S., R. 72 W. 

Sees. 11, 12, 13, 14, 23, 

and 24, T. 10 S., R. 

85 W.; sees. 7, 8, 17, 

18, 19, 20, 29, and 30, 

T.lOS., R.84 W. 

Sees. 1 and 12, T. 48 

N.; R. 19 W.; sees. 6 

and 7, T. 48 N.; R. 

18 W. of the New 

Mexico principal me- ridian. 

Sees. 25, 26, 35, and 36, 

T. 11 S., R. 88 W.; sees. 31, 32, and 33, T. 

11 S., R. 87 W.; sees. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6, T. 

12S., R.87W. 

Sees. 32 and 33, T. 9 S., 

R.87W. 

Sees. 14, 15, 22, and 2 , 

T. 11 S., R. 70 W. 

Sees. 21, 22, 23, 26, Zl, 

and 28, T. 40 N., R. 1 w. 

T.13 S., R. 87 W.; area extends northwarll 

into T. 12 S. and 

southward into T. 

14 s. 

Russell Gulch _______ Overlaps Nevada 

and Pleasant 

Valley. 

Gilpin •.•••••• Sees. 14, 15, 23, and 24, 

T.3S., R. 73W. 

Sacramento •••••••••• ____ ---------------- Park •.••••••.. 

Saguache Big Park •• ------· ------------ Saguache _____ _ 

San MigueL ••••••••• -------············· San MigueL •. 

SentineL ••.••••.••.• OS~~m~. Mount 

Sheep Mountain •.•.. Overlaps Rock 

Creek and Elk 

Mountains. 

Ouray ..•••••... 

Gunnison. __ .. 

Sees. 29, 30, 31, and 32, 

T. 9 S., R. 78 )V.; sees. 2, 3, 4, 8, 10, 11, 

14, 15, and 16, T. 10 

S., R. 78 W. 

Sees. 4 to 9, inclusive, 

T. 43 N., R. 3 E. 

Sees. 28 to 33, inclusive, 

T. 42 N., R. 10 W. 

Sees.10, 11, 12, T. 43 N ., R.9W. 

Sees. 19, 20, 21, 28, 29, 

and 30, T. 11 S., R. 

87W. 

Sherman ••••• ~------- Overlaps Park and Hinsdale ••.••. T. 42N., Rs. 5 and6 W 

Carson. 

Sierra Blanca •••••••. Includes West Costilla and Tps. Zl and 28 S., Rs. 

B 1 a n"c a and Huerfano. 72 and 73 W. 

Blanca. 

Silver Creek _________ l Overlaps Bonanza. Saguache •••••• Sees.2,3,and4,T.47N., 

Silver Horn. See 

Horn Silver. 

Silver Lake .•••.••••• ! Lower Fall River •• Gilpin •••••••• 

Silverside ••••• __ • ___ ••• _ ••••••••••••••••• (Gunnison •.••• 

S :nbad .•••• ----------'---------· .••••••••• Mesa ••••••.••• 

I 

R. 7 E. of the New 

Mexico principal me- ridian. 

Sees. 20, 21, and 22, T. 2 

S.,R. 73W. 

Sees. 21, 22, Zl, and 28, 

T. 13 S., R. 81 W. 

Sees. 5, 6, 7, 8, 17, and 

18,T.49N.; R.19.W. 

of the New Mexico 

principal meridian. 

Mining districts in Colorado-Continued 

Name Other names used County 

Slide Mountain...... Overlaps Tenmile Summit ••••.•• and Wilkinson. 

Smiths Gulch ________ Overlaps Blake ..• Saguache •••••• 

Snake River--------- Includes Monte- Summit ..••••• zuma. 

Snowmass.---------- -------------------- Pitkin._.-----

Snowy Range ________ Overlaps Grand Boulder ••.•••• Island. 

South Boulder _______ -------------------- Gilpin _______ _ 

South Cottonwood .•. -------------------- Chaffee·-------

South Cripple ••.•.•. Overlaps Bare Fremont •••••. Hills. 

South Independence. ·------------------- Pitkin •••••..• 

South Swan River .. -------------------- Summit .•••.•• 

Spalding _____________ Stillson Patch .•.•. _____ do •••••••• 

Spanish Bar _________ Lower Fall River. Clear Creek. 

Spanish Peaks _______ -----------"·------- Las Animas ••• 

Spring Butte _____________ c ______________ Pitkin _______ _ 

Spring Creek ________ -------------------- Gunnison ••.•. 

Springer. See Lake 

George. 

. Spruce Creek ________ -------------------- Custer •• _____ _ 

St. Kevin ____________ Overlaps IndeStillson Patch. See 

Spalding. 

pendence. 

Stowes Gulch ________ Stowe; overlaps 

Kerber Creek. 

Sugar Loaf.. _________ Overlaps Ward, 

Grand Island, 

Magnolia. 

Lake _________ _ 

Saguache _____ _ 

Boulder ______ _ 

Summer Coon. ______ ----------~--------- Rio Grande ... 

Summit. __ ---------- -------------------- ____ .do ________ _ 

Sunshine.----------- .•••• !.............. Boulder ______ _ 

Sunnyside •••••.••••. King Solomon ..••• MineraL ••.•. 

Swan River __________ -------------------- Summit·---~--

Tarryall. ---- _ ----- __ -------------------- !Park ... _______ _ 

Tarryall Springs _____ -------------------- _____ do ________ _ 

Taylor River •• ------ Taylor Park, Tin Gunnison •.•.• Cup, Forest 

Hill. 

Telluride •. ---------- Frying Pan.------ Eagle:.-------

Tenmile. See Consolidated Tenmile. 

Texas Creek _________ -------------------- Fremont------

Three Forks 7 •• ------j-------------------- Routt ••.•••••. 

Tin Cup ••••••••••••• Taylor River ______ Gunnison ••••• ~ 

Approximat~ location 

Sees. 9 and 10, T. 6 S., 

R.78W. 

Sees. 23, 24, 25, 26, 35, 

and 36, T. 46 N., R. 

10 E.oftheNewMexico principal meridian. 

T. 5 S., R. 76 W.; sees. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6, T. 6S.,R.76W. ! 

Sees. 4, 5, 8, and , T. 

10 S., R. 86 W. 

Sees. 16 to 21, inclusive, 

T.1N.,R.73W. 

Sees. 35 and 36, T. 2 S., 

R. 73 W. 

Sees. 1, 2, 11, 12, 13, and 

14, T.15 S., R. 81 W.; sees. 1 to 18, inclusive, T. 15 S., R. 80 w. 

Sees. 12 and 13, T. 16 S., 

R. 71 W.; sees. 7 and 

18, T. 16 S., R. 70 W. 

Sees. 35 and 36, T.u S., 

R.83 W., sec. 31, T. 11 S., R. 82 W.; sees. 1 and 2, T.12 S., R. 

83W. 

Sees. 31, 32, and 33, T. 6 S., R. 76 W. 

Sec. 36, T. 6 S., R. 78 

W.; sec. 31, T. 6 S., 

R.77W. 

Sees. 1, 2, and 3, T. 31 

S., R.68W. 

Sees. 34, 35, and 36, T. 

9 S., R. 88 W. 

Sees. 23, 24, 25, and 26, 

T.14 S., R. 84 W. 

Sees. 17 to 20, inclusive, 

T. 46 N., R. 12 E. of 

the New Mexico 

principal meridian. 

Sees. 1, 2, 3, 10, 11, and 

12, T. 8 S., R. 81 W. 

Sec. 20, T. 46 N., R. 8 

E. of the New Mexi- co principal meridian. 

Sees. 13 to 16 and 18 to 30, inclusive, T.1 N., 

R. 72W.; sees.15 to23 

and 26 to 30, inclusive, 

T. 1 N., R. 71 W.; sees. 2, 3, li.nd 4, T. 1 

s., R. 72 w 

Sees. 17, 18, 19, and 20, 

.T. 41 N., R. 6 E. 

Sees. 25 to 29 and 32 to 36, inclusive, T. 37 

N ., R. 3 E.; sees. 19 to 21 and 28 to 33, in cu- sive, T. 37 N .. P...4E. 

Sees. 3 and 4, T. 1 N., 

R.71 W. 

T. 42 N., R.1 W., and 

southwestward into 

T. 41 N., R. 2 W. 

Sees. 13 to 15 and 22 to 24, inclusive, T: 6 8., 

R.77W .. Sees. 23 to Zl and 34 to 36, inclusive, T. 7 S., 

R. 77 W.; sees. 1 to 4 

and 9 to 17, inclusive, 

21, and 22, T. 8 S., 

R.77W. 

T. 11 8., R. 72 W. T. 12 8., Rs. 83 and'.84 W.; T. 13 S., R. 82 

W.; T. 14 S., Rs. 82, 

83, and 84 W. 

Sees. 23, 24, 25, and 26, 

T.7S.,R.82W. 

Sees. 26 to 29 and 32 to 34, inclusive, T. 20 S., 

R.73W. 

Sees. 23 and 24, T. 12 

N.,·R.86 W. 

T. 12 S., Rs. 83 and 84 W.; T. 13 S., Rs. 82 

and 83 W.; T. 14 S., 

Rs. 81, 82, and 83 W.; 

T. 15 S., Rs. 81, 82, 

and 83 W.; and into 

T. 51 N., R.12 W. 
68 MINING IN COLORADO 

Mining districts in Colorado-.Continued Mining districts in Colorado-Continued 

Name Other names used County 

Tomichi ------------- ------------------ __ Gunnison ••.•• 

Trail Run----------- Trail Creek _______ Clear Creek ..• 

Trout Creek. ________ -------------------- Chaffee .•• ___ _ 

Trout Lake __________ ----------------------------------~ 

Tungsten ____________ Wilbur ____________ Fremont. ____ _ 

Turkey Creek _______ -------------------- El Paso. _____ _ 

Turret Mountain ____ · Turret.----------- Chaffee.~-----

Tuttle Creek ________ Included in Ker- Saguache _____ _ 

ber Creek. 

Twelvemile ••• ----- __ ---------- _______ --- Park _________ _ 

Twin Lakes--------- Lake Creek _______ Lake _________ _ 

Two Bit. ____________ -------------------- ..••. do ________ _ 

Tyler ________________ West Creek. ______ Douglas ______ _ 

Unaweep. ----------- -------------- ___ --- Mesa _________ _ 

Uncompahgre________ Includes Paquin-_ Ouray ________ _ 

Union.-------------- ___ -------------- _ __ Gilpin. ______ _ 

Union. See Consoli- . dated Union. 

Union. See Upper Union. 

Union Consolidated. 

Summit ______ _ 

Clear Creek __ _ 

See Consolidated 

Union. Union Gulch •• _______ ·Union_____________ Lake _________ _ 

Upper Fall River •••• Lincoln ___________ Clear Creek •.• 

Upper San Miguel •.• -------------------- San MigueL .. 

Upper Union ________ Union __ ;-__________ Clear Creek~--

Ute.................. Platoro ••••••••• ___ Conejos ______ _ 

Utah................ Bevan._---------- Summit ______ _ Utlllah. See Central. 

Approximate location 

Sees. 13 to 16, 21 to 29, 

and 32 to 36, inclusi ve1 T. 50 N., R. 4 E., ana southward into T. 

49 N., Rs.4 and 5 E. 

of the New Mexico 

principal meridian. • Sees. 31 and 32, T. 3 S., 

R. 73 W.; sees. 5, 6, 

and 7, T. 4 S., R. 73 

w. 

T. 13 S., R. 77 W.; T. 

14 S., R. 78 W. 

Sees. 4 to 9, inclusive, 

T. 41 N., R. 9 W. of 

the New Mexico 

principal meridian. 

Sees. 3, 4, 9, and 10, T. 

17 S., R. 69 W. 

Sees. 19, 20, 29, and 30, 

T. 16 S., R. 67 W. 

Tps. 16 and 17 S., R. 

9E. 

Sees. 4 to 9, inclusive, 

T. 47 N., R. 7 E. 

Sees. 13 and 24, T. 10 

S., R. 79 W.; sees. 17 to 20, T. 10 S., R. 78 w. Sees. 7 to 30, inclusive, 

T.ll S., R. 81 W. 

Sees. 1, 2, 11, and 12, 

T.ll S., R. 80 W. 

Sees. 23. to 27, inclusive, 

T. 10 S., R. 70 W. 

Sees. 7, 8, 9, 16, 17, and 

18, T. 14 S., R. 100 

w. 

T. 44 N., Rs. 7 and 8 

W., and T. 43 N., R. 

7 W. of the New 

Mexico principal me- ridian. 

Sec. 6, T. 2 S., R. 72 

W.; sec. 1, T. 2 S., R. 

73 W.; sec. 31, T. 1 S., 

R.72W. 

Sees. 19, 21, 22, 23, T. 

10 S., R. 79 W. 

Sees. 26, 27t 28, 29, 31. 

32, 33, ana 34 T. 2 S., 

R. 74 W.; sees. 2, 3, 4, 

5, and 6, T. 3 S., R. 

74W. 

T. 43 N., R. 9 W.; sees. 29, 30, 31, 32, and 33, 

T. 43 N., R. 8 W.; sees. 1 to 18,inclusive, 

T. 42 N., R. 9 W.; sees. 3 to 10 and 16 to 21, inclusive, 29 and 

30, T. 42 N., R. 8 W. 

of the New Mexico 

principal meridian. 

Sees. 12 to 16, 21 to 28, 

and 33 to 36, inclusive, T. 3 S., R. 75 

W.; sees. 7, 8, 9, 16 to 21, and 28 to 32, inclusive, T. 3 S., R. 

74 W.; area extends 

into T. 4 S., R. 74 W. 

Sees. 13 to 29, inclusive, 

T. 36 N., R. 4 E. of 

theNewMexico prin- cipal meridian. 

Vez:de •••••••••••••••. ------------------"- Custer ________ Sees. 18 and 19, T. 22 

S., R. 73 W.; T. 45 

N., R.12 E. 

Vermflllon ••••••••••. Overlaps Pine _____ Gilpin ________ Sees. 29, 30, 31, and 32, 

T. 2 S., R. 73 W. 

Virginia. See Idaho. 

Vixen. ••••••••••••••• -.------------------ Montrose _____ ·sees. 22, 23, and 24, T. o 49 N., R. 18 W. 

Ward •••••••••••••••• OverlapsGoldHill. Boulder _______ Sees. 1, 2, 3, and 4, T. 

1 N., R. 73 W.; sees. 2 to 11, inclusive, T. 

1 N., R. 72 W .. 

Wellsvllle •••••••••••• -------------------- Fremont •••••• Sees. 13, 14, 23, and 24, T. 49 N., R. 9 E. of 

the New Mexico 

West Argentine. See 

Argentine. 

West Blanca. See 

·Sierra Blanca. 

principal meridian. 

Name Other names used County Approximate location 

West Castle Creek •.• West Castle ....... Pitkin •••••••• Sees. 15, 16, 17, 20, 21, , 22, 28, and 29, T. 11 

S., R.85 W. 

West Creek Douglas ______ _ Sees. 22 to 27, inclusive, 

T. 10 S., R. 70 W.; sees. 19 to 22 and 27 to 34, inclusive, T .10 S., 

R.69W. 

Do_·_._.------- __ • ______ . ---------- __ Teller ________ _ Sees. 1 to 12, inclusive, 

T. 11 S., R. 70 W.; .sees. 3 to 10, inclusive, T. 11 S., R. 69> 

West w. Maroon ___________ : ________________ Pitkin _______ _ Sees. 25 to 28 and 33 to 36, inclusive, T. 11 

S., R. 86 W: 

West Spanish Peaks.-------------------- Huerfano _____ _ Sees. 33 to 36, inclusive, 

T. 30 S., R. 68 W. 

Weston Pass __________ -------------- _____ ---------------- Sees. 35 and 36, T. 10 

S., R. 79 W.; sees.1, 2, 

and3,T.11S.,R.79W White Earth _________ Includes Cebolla, Tps.46 and47N., R .. Hotchkiss, McDonough, Goose 

Creek. 

Wilbur __ • __ ---- ___________ --------------

Gunnison •• __ 

W. of the New Mexi· co principal meridian. 

Fremont. •••.• ,,Sees. 22 to 26, inclusive, 

T. 16 S., R. 70 W.; sees. 27 to 34 inclusive, T.16 s.~,.R69 w. 

Wilkinson ___________ ---~---------------- Summit and Tps. 4 and 5 l::i., R. 79 

Eagle. W., T. 5 S., R. 78 W.; area extends southward into T. 6 S., R. 

78W. 

Willow Creek ________ -------------------- Grand ________ Sees. 13 to 16 and 21 t<> 24, inclusive, T. 4 

Do _______________ -------------------- Gunnison _____ Sees. 11, 12, 13, and 1 

I 

N., R.77 W. 

· T.47N.,R.2W. Wilson Creek ________ Cripple Creek _____ Teller _________ Sees. 3 to 10, inclusive, 

T. 16 S., R. 69 W. 

Wisconsin ___________ -------------------- Gilpin ________ Sees.1 to 5, 8 to 17, and 

21 to 25, inclusive, 

T. 2 8., R. 74 W.; sees. 7, 18, and 19, T. 

Womack. See Crip- ple Creek. 

Woodland Park ______ -------------------- Teller ________ _ 

Woody ___ ----------- ---- ___ ------------- Pitkin •• _-----

York. See Virginia. 

2 S., R. 73 W. 

Sees. 3 to 10 and 15 to 22, inclusive, T.13 S., 

R.69W. 

Sees. 19 to 30, T. 9 s .• 

R. 84 W., and south· 

ward into T. 10 S., 

R.84W. 

PRODUCTION OF THE STATE 

ACCURACY OF THE FIGURES GIVEN 

The figures given in the accompanying tables are 

deri'ved from the published repo~ts indicated. 

The accuracy of the State totals given by_ Raymond 

and by the Director. of the Mint is considered in a 

treatise on this subject by Preston. 49 

The reports of the Colorado State Bureau of Mines 

appear to be very accurate, though they may contain 

some errors as to the origin of ore or metal by counties, 

due to the fact that the shipping point of a mine was 

not invariably in the same county as the mine itself. 

The accuracy of the mine reports is considered in a 

statement by McCaskey 50 on Mineral Resources for 

1914, in which he compares the results of the mint 

and mine returns for 1905 to 1914, inclusive. 

In determining the totals for the counties the figures 

for the State have been so prorated among the several 

producing counties as to make their sum equal to the 

f9 Preston, R. E., Report of the Director of ·the Mint upon the production of 

precious metals in the United States in 1896, pp. 18-43, 1897. · 

60 McCaskey, H. D., Method of collecting statistics: U.S. Geol. Survey Mineral 

Resources, 1914, pt. 1, pp. 835-836, 1916. 
01 

0) 

01 

·i 

l\:1 

0') 

I 

TABLE !.-Production of gold, silver, copper, lead, and zinc in Colorado, 1858-1923, by years, in·terms of recovered metals 4 

Gold Silver Copper Lead Zinc 

Ore sqld or 

Year treated Aver- Aver- Aver- Aver- Total value (short age val- age val- age val- Value Pounds age val- tons) Placer Lode Total value Fine ounces ueper Value Pound!l ueper Value Pounds ueper ueper Value 

ounce pou.ild pound pound 

1858-1867-- $14, 923, 918 $10, 097, 866 $25, 021, 784 302,829 $406, 139 I 

------------ -------- ------------- ---... ----------- ........................ $25, 427, 923 1868 _______ ------00~000- $0~72--- ----$ii~5oo- --------------- -------- ------------- ------------ 320,000 1,690,000 2,010,000 200,716 $1.326 266,150 -------i5o;ooo· -~o~o6-- ------$9~000- --------------- ------------- 2, 287,650 

1869_ ------ ----·------- 380,000 2,800,000 3,180,000 475,472 1.325 630,000 102,000 . 2425 24,735 --------------- ------------- 3,843, 735 1870. -----·- ------------ 695,000 2,320, 000 3,015,000 496,988 1.328 660,000 182,500 .2118 38,654 250,000 . 06 15,000 --------------- ------------- 3, 728,654 

1871_ ------ ------------ 190,000 3,443, 951 3,633, 951 776,648 1.325 1,029,059 183,000 • 2412 44,140 555,000 • 06 33,300 --------------- ------------- 4, 740,450 

1872_ ------ ------------ 271,500 2, 374, 963 2, 646,463 1, 524,206 1.322 2, 015,000 204,000 • 3556 72,542 1, 150, 000 . 064 73,600 ............................................ ------------- 4, 807,605 

1873_ ------ ------------ 285,000 1, 733,931 2, 018,931 1,543,047 1.297. 2,001,331 379,493 .280 106,258 1, 236, 400 • 06 74,184 --------------- ------------- 4, 200,704 

1874_ ------ ------------ 258,997 1,893,490 2,152,487 2,348,174 1. 278 3,000, 966 475,541 • 220 104,619 1, 277, 933 • 06 76,676 --------------- -$o~o7-- ------------- 5,334, 748 1875 _______ ------------ 263,260 1, 961,308 . 2, 224,568 2,330, 291 1. 24 2,889, 560 280,815 • 227 63,745 1, 636, 000 • 058 . 94,888 --------------- ------------- 5,272, 761 1876 _______ ------------ 285,000 2,441,311 2, 726,311 2,564, 403 1.16 2, 974,707 333,333 .21 70,000 1, 334, 020 • 061 81,375 --------------- .072 ------------- 5,852,393 1877 _______ ------------ 265,000 2, 883,708 3,148, 708 2, 882, 121 1. 20 3, 458,546 493,664 .19 93,796 4, 286, 364 . 055 235,750 --------------- .06 ------------- 6, 936,800 

1878_ ------ ------------ 275,774 2, 964,574 3, 240,348 4, 672,961 1.15 5,373, 904 536,145 .166 89,000 13, 722, 222 • 036 494,000 ------------... -.... .049 ------------- 9, 197,252 

1879_ ------ ------------ 187,000 3,006, 500 3, 193,500 11,899,335 1.12 13,327,257 704,301 •• 186 131,000 47, 348, 000 • 041 1, 941,268 ---.. --.. ------.. - .05 .............................. 18,593,025 1880 _______ ------------ 179,000 3,073, 514 .3, 252,514 14,397,539 1.15 16,557,170 859,000 • 214 183,826 71,348,000 • 05 3, 567,400 --------------- .055 ------------- 23,560,910 1881_ ______ ------------ 175,500 3, 124,500 3,300,000 13,272,188 1.-13 14,997,572 884,000 .182 160,888 81, 094, 000 • 048 3,892, 512 --------------- .052 -----------·- 22,350,972 1882 _______ .............................. 192,500 3, 167,500 3, 360.000 12,761,719 1.14 14,548,359 1,494,000 .191 285,354 110, 000, 000 • 049 5,390, 000 --------·------ .053 -----·------- 23,583,713 1883 _______ -----·------ 132,000 3, 968,000 4,100,000 13,434,610 1.11 14,912,417 1, 152,652 .165 190,188 141,114,000 • 043 6,067, 902 --------------- .045 ------------- 25,270,507 1884 •••. c •• ------------ 123,551 4,176,449 4,300,000 12,375,000 1.11 13,736,251 2,013,125 .13 261,706 126, 330, 000 • 037 4, 674,209 -------ioo~oo<> .044 ------u;aoo- 22,972,166 1885 _______ .............................. 124,035 4,079,390 4,203, 425 12,220,982 1.07 13,076,451 .1, 146,460 .108 123,818 106, 692, 000 • 039 4, 160,989 .043 21,568,983 1886 _______ ---·-------- 163,328 4, 286,672 4,450,000 12,375,000 .911 12,251,250 1,146,460 .111 127,257 118, 000, 000 • 046 5,428,000 100,000 .044 4,400 22,260,907 1887 _______ ·----------- 280,933 3. 719,067 4,000,000 11,601,563 . 98 11,369,534 2,012,027. .138 277,660 126, 000, 000 . 045 5, 670,000 100,000 .046 4,600 21,321,794 1888 _____ • __ -----------· 104,500 3,653, 599 3, 758,099 14,695,313 .94 13,813,596 1, 621,100 .168 272,345 128, 404, 000 • 044 5,649, 777 300,000 .049 14,700 23,508,517 1889 _______ -----------.. 135,870 3, 747,989 3, 883,859 18,375,136 .84 17,272,629 1,170,053 .135 157,956 133, 940, 000 • 039 5, 223,660 300,000 .05 15,000 26,553,104 1890 _______ .............................. 126,380 . 4,024, 752 4, 151, 132 18,800,000 1.05 19,740,000 3, 585,691 .156 559,368 109, 192, 000 • 045 4, 913,639 300,000 .055 16,500 29,380,639 189L ______ .............................. 125,663 4,474,337 4,600,000 21,160,000 .99 20,948,401 6,336,878 .128 811,121 126, 256, 000 • 043 5, 429,009 300,000 .05 15,000 31,803,531 1892 _______ ................................. 71,900 5, 228,100 5,300,000 24,000,000 .87 20,880,000 7,593, 674 .116 880,866 120, 000, 000 . 04 4,800,001 1,125,000 .046 51,750 31,912,617 1893 _______ ------------ 98,216 7,428, 784 7, 527,000 25,838,600 . 78 20,154,107 7, 695,826 .108 831,149 110, 000, 000 • 037 4,070,000 1,650,000 .04 66,000 32,648,256 1894.--...... -- ------------ 108,747 9, 382,767 9,491,.514 23,281,398 .63 !4, 667,281 6,481,413 .095 615,734 101, 226, 000 • 033 3,340,458 1,500,000 .035 52,500 28,167,487 

1895_ ------ ------------ 95,499 13,209,601 13,305, 100 23,398,500 .65 15,209,024 6, 079,243 .107 650,479 93, 968, 000 • 032 3,006, 976 1, 671,000 .036 60,156 32,231,735 1896 _______ ------------ 90,419 14,820,581 14,911,000 22,573,000 .68 15,349,642 6,022,176 .108 650,395 89, 606, 000 • 03 2,688,178 1, 292,000 .039 50,388 33,649,603 1897------- -~---------- 130,646 19, 448, 787· 19,579,433 21,278,202 .60 12,766,919 9, 149,967 .12 1,097,995 80, 794, 286 • 036 2,908,592 2,683, 989 .041 110,044 36,462,983 

1898_ ------ ------------ 83,428 23,451,104 23,534,532 23,502,601 .59 13,866,532 10,870,701 .124 1,347, 965 113, 416, 138 • 038 4,309,813 3,900,656 .046 179,430 . 43, 238, 272 1899 _______ ------------ 73,589 26,435,086 26,508,675 23,114,688 .60 13,868,811 7, 356,970 .171 1,258,041 138, 048, 446 • 045 6, 212,178 11,300,656 .058 655,438 48,503,143 1900 _______ ------------ 77,966 28,684,070 28,762,036 20,336,512 .62 12,608,637 7,826,815 .166 1,299,251. 164, 274, 762 • 044 7, 228,090 16,282,055 .044 716,410 50,614,424 1901_ ______ ------------ 87,324 27,592,119 27,679,443 18,492,563 .60 11,095,538 7,·872, 529 .167 1, 314,712 148, 111,020 • 043 6,368, 772 26,843,731 .041 1, 100,593 47,559,058 

1902_ ------ ------------ 118,774 28,398,140 28,516,914 15,941,523 .53 8,449,008 8, 463,938 .122 1, 132,·601 106, 296, 827 • 041 4,358,169 52,582,510 .048 2,523, 963 44,980,655 1903 _______ ---·-------- 129,049 21,476,308 21,605,357 13, 245,·438 .54 7, 152,536 7, 809,920 .137 1,069, 958 101,513,414 . 042 4, 263,566 80,616,000 .054 4,353, 263 38,444,680 1904 _______ 2,333,881 193,068 24,049,417 24,242,485 12,960,792 .58 7, 517,260 9,412, 707 .128 1,204,828' 107,498,854 . 043 4,622,453 66,771,590 • 051 3,405,353 40,992,379 1905 _______ 2,504,087 99,984 25,195,238 25,295,222 12,339,435 .61 7, 527,056 9,661, 546 .156 1, 507,201 115,746,777 • 047 5,440,098 83,561,396 .059 4, 930,123 44,699,700 1906 _______ 2, 648,923 106,019 22, 799;652 22,905,671 12,339,052 .68 8,390, 553 6, 618,332 .193 1, 277,338 106, 646, 506 • 057 6,078,850 86,012,903 . 061 5, 246,787 43,899,199 1907_ ______ 2, 383,128 97,219 "20, 210, 429 20,307,648 11,599,514 .66 7,655, 679 8,826,254 .20 1, 765,251 89, 065, 232 . 053 4, 720,457 . 85, 048, 564 .059 5,017,865 39,466,900 1908 _______ 2, 242,969 184,457 22,411,114 22,595,571 . 9, 002,316 .53 4, 771,227 10,201,123 .132 1, 346,547 61, 645, 671 • 042 2, 589,118 30,130,002 .047 1, 416,110 32,718,573 1909 ___ ~--- 2, 219,644 457,085 21,526,923 21,984,008 8, 904,701 .52 4, 630,444 10,916,191 .13 1,419,105 72, 162, 326 • 043 3,102,980 51,210,260 .054 2, 765,354 33,901,891 1910 _______ 2,434,664 389,828 20,115,786 20,505,614 8, 508,942 .54 4,594,829 8,359,307 .127 1,061,632 76, 058, 775 • 044 3,346,586 77,089,648 .054 4, 162,841 33,671,502 1911_ ______ 2,377, 936 319,038 18,682,937 19,001,975 7,330,168 .53 3,884, 989 8,024,488 .125 1,003,061 69, 679, 289 • 045 3,135,568 94,607,456 .057 5,392, 625 32,418,218 1912 _______ 2,576,626 423,865 18,164,697 18,588,562 8, 212,070 .615 5,050, 423 7,107,303 .165 1, 172,705 75,242,267 • 045 3, 385,902 132, 222, 812 .069 9,123,374 37,320,966 1913.------ 2, 734,866 408,007 17, 738,909 18, 146,916 9, 325,255 .604 5, 632,454 7, 227,826 .155 1, 120,313 87, 897, 773 • 044 3, 867,502 119, 346, 429 • 056 6, 683,400 35,450,585 1914 _______ 2, 677,526 642,360 19,240,745 19,883,105 8, 796,065 .553 4,864, 224 6,639,173 .133 883,010 74, 211,898 • 039 2,894, 264 96,774,960 .051 4, 935,523 33,460,126 1915.------ 2, 737,020 693,310 21,721,634 22,414,944 7, 027,972 .507 3, 563,182 7,112,537 .175 1,244,694 68, 810, 597 • 047 3, 234,098 104, 594, 994 .124 12,969,779 43,426,697 1916 _______ 2,697,333 712,924 18,440,897 19,153,821 7, 656,544 .658 5,038,006 8,624,081 .246 2,121,524 . 70,914,087 . 069 4,893,072 134, 285, 463 .13( 17,994,252 49,200,675 1917 _______ 2,688, 706 661,028 15,068,196 15,729,224 7,304,353 .824 6,018, 787 8,122,004 .273 2, 217,307 67,990,012 • 086 5,847,141 120, 315, 775 .102 12,272,209 42,084,668 1918 _______ 2, 314,890 526,202 12,225,516 12,751,718 7, 063,554 1.00 7, 063,554 6, 277,332 • 247 1, 550,501 65, 960, 760 • 071 4, 683, 214 89, 133,901 .091 8, 111,185 34, 160, 172 1919 __ ----- 1, 919,768 550,562 9,336,065 9,886, 627 5, 758,010 1.12 6, 448,971 3,560, 207 .186 662,198 37,070,241 • 053 1, 964,722 37,220,493 .073 2, 717,096 21,679,614 1920 _______ 1, 571,293 514,588 7,061, 731 7, 576,319 5,409,335 1.09 5, 896,175 4,043, 734 .184 . 744,047 46, 629, 788 • 08 3, 730,383 48,790,742 .081 3, 952,050 21,898,974 192L ______ 1, 281,381 344,640 6,490, 688 6,835,328 5, 631,657 1.00 5, 631,657 4,153,442 .129 535,794 19, 660, 466 • 045 884,721 2,360, 000 .05 118,000 14,005,500 1922: ______ 1, 412,100 356,403 . 6,017,016 6,373,419 5,855, 911 1.00 5,855, 911 3,373,454 .135 455,416 23, 477, 200 . 055 1, 291,246 23,258,000 .057 1,325, 706 15,301,698 

1923 ----~-- 1, 569,100 364,429 6, 227,200 6,591,629 5,334,488 .82 4,374,280 4,248,109 .147 624,472 45, 698, 185 • 070 3,198,873 54,152,000 .068 3, 682,336 18,471,590 

------------ .29, 674, 282 643, 733, 608 673, 061, 890 628, 849, 400 -------- 501, 733, 945 263, 078, 559 -------- 40,327,566 4, 200, 6p7, 536 -------- 189, 662, 179 1, 739, 834, 985 -------- 126, 216, 403 1, 531, 001, 9~ 

'"From 1858 to 1895 the figures for gold and silver represent chiefly United States Mint estimates of recovered metals; figures for copper,lead, and zinc, as far as possible, represent refined metals (some of them estimates 

from assay content of ores treated, with allowance made for losses). The figures for 1896 to 1905 differ only in that they are based on actual receipts at the mints and smelters. The figures for 1906 to 1923 also represent actual receipts at mints and smelters, supplemented by reports from mining companies. For ore and concentrates to smelters, the figures represent assay content of gold and silver but &low for losses of the base metals in treatment. · 

.· .. I'-._ 

\. ·~ 

·. 

~ 1-4 

z 

1-4 

z 

Cj.) 

1-4 

z 

a 

0 

t-t 

0 

~ 0 

0) 

co 
.. 

70 MINING IN COLORADO 

total for the State. Anyone who should attempt to 

correct these tables by adding together other published county totals to obtain the total for the State 

would have a sum that would much more than equal 

the recorded total for the State, t1,nd if he should 

attempt to determine the total for the United States 

from such county totals for Colorado and other States 

he would find that his total for the United States 

would be anywhere from one and one-half to two 

times the recorded totaL 

It should be remembered that from time to time 

new ·counties have been created, some of them by 

dividing old ones, and that the figures here given for 

any county in Colorado represent the output of the 

area now included in that county. It is impossible to 

calculate district totals. Fortunately the yearly output for some mines from the time they were first 

worked to their abandonment, or to 1923, has been 

obtainable. . 

The quantity and value of the gold, silver, copper, 

lead, and zinc produced in Colorado from 1858 to 1922 

are shown in Table 1. The "alue of the gold, silver, 

copper, and lead produced in the State from 1868 to 

1875, a?cording to Rapnond, is shown in Table 2. 

SOURCES OF FIGURES BY METALS AND YEARS 

The principal sources of the figures given in Table 

1 showing the production of gold, silver, copper, lead, 

f!,nd zinc in Colorado by years from 1858 to 1923, 

inclusive, are stated below. 

Gold and silver.-For 1868 to . 1875 Raymond's 

reports on the statistics of mines and mining in the 

States and Territories west of the Rocky Mountains; 

for 1876 to 1879 the reports of the Director of the 

Mint, which for these years show for Colorado only 

the State total; for 1879 to 1896 the reports of the 

Director of the Mint (final prorated figures); for 1897 . 

to 1904 the. reports of the Colorado State Bureau of 

Mines, which check very well with the reports of 

the Director of the Mint and are in hetter form by 

counties, particularly for copper and lead; for 1905 

to 1922 the volumes entitled Mineral Resources of 

the United States (mines reports), published by the 

United States Geological Survey, hereinafter called 

simply Mineral Resources. · 

Oopper.-For the early years Raympnd 's reports 

and some estimates made by others showing copper 

not heretofore credited to Colorado; for 1874 to 1896 

Kirchhoff's table showing the value of copper produced 

in Colorado from the beginning of mining to 1882, 

given in the general report on copper in Mineral 

Resources for 1882 (p. 228), and B.S. Butler's general 

report on copper, -showing smelter production in 

Colorado from 1874 to 1910, in Mineral Resources 

for 1910 (pt. 1, pp. 171-173); for 1897 to 1904 the 

receipts of smelter ore as shown by the Colorado 

State Bureau of Mines; for 1905 to 1923 Mineral 

Resources (mines report). . 

Lead.-For the early years Raymond's reports 

mainly, but as these do not show invariably the total 

content of lead in ore shipped or produced, they are 

supplemented by estimates made from Raymond's 

data showing the quantity and grade of ore shipped, 

thus crediting, for the first time, to certain counties 

and districts, and especially to Georgetown, Clear 

Creek County, large quantities of lead in ore shipped 

to smelters in the eastern United States and in Wales 

and Germany; for 1873 to 1882 a table given by 

Kirchhoff in a general report on the lead industry 

of the United States in Mineral Resources for· 188 

(p. 310), though for the earlier years this table appears 

to show only the output of lead from lead smelters in 

Colorado· and not to include the lead in the ore 

shipped; from 1882 to 1896 Kirchhoff's annual 

general reports on lead in Mineral Resources; for 

1897 to 1904 the reports of the Colorado State Bureau 

of Mines; and froni 1905 to 1923 Mineral Resources 

(mines report). 

Zinc.-For 1885 to 1891 estimates based on an 

oral statement by F. L. Bartlett of quantities recovered 

by experiments made in one of the Eastern States; 

for 1891 to 1901 the annual reviews in the Denver 

Republic.an and the Leadville Herald-Democrat and 

the annual volumes of Mineral Industry; for 1902 to 

1907 reports of the Colorado State Bureau of Mines; 

for 1908 to 1923 Mineral Resources (mines report). 

The production of zinc from ore mined in Colorado 

"9egan in 1885, when low-grade zinc ore was treated 

by Bartlett in a plant in Portland, Maine. In 1891 

Bartlett erected a zinc oxide plant at Canon City, 

and from 1891 to 1897 this was the only plant that 

recovered zinc from Colorado ores, but in 1898 a small 

quantity of Colorado ore was marketed in the United 

States, and in 1899 ore was shipped to Belgium, 

and soon thereafter zinc plants in the United States 

· began to handle the ferruginous zinc blende ores of 

Colorado. 

SOURCES OF FIG.URES BY YEARS AND COUNTIES 

GOLD AND SILVER 

For 1858-1867 preference is given to county figures, 

which include the output of the producing areas of 

the State that are now represented by the present 

Boulder, Chaffee, Clear Creek, Gilpin, Lake, Park, 

and Sum~it counties, and the State total is made the 

sum of the county totals. The county figure's are the 

totals for the areas now within the counties named, 

and the ·data for each county are derived from many 
SOURCES OF FIGURES BY YEARS AND COUNTIES. 71 

sources. Raymond's reports for States and counties 

and for some districts do not begin until 1868. ·a. C. 

Munson, 51 assayer in charge of the United States Mint, 

Denver, Colo., gives the coinage value of the gold and 

silver produced in Colorado from 1859 to 1886. His 

combined figures for the years from 1859 to 1869, 

inclusive, are, for gold, $27,213,081; for silver, $330,000, 

a total of $27,543,081. The sum of the county 

figures here given .for the years 1859-1869, inclusive, 

shows a total for gold of $30,211,784 and for silver 

(co1nmercial value) of $1,302,289. Hollister 52 gives 

the following .table showing the value of the bullion, 

chiefly gold, obtained from mines in Colorado and 

deposited at the United States Mint in Philadelphia . 

and its branches and at the United States Assay 

Office at New York City during the fiscal years from 

June 30, 1859, to June 30, 1866: 

1859_____________ $4~ 172 1864 __ '------:---- $2, 136, 685 

1860_____________ 599,846 186·5____________ 1, 622,249 

1861_ ____________ 2, 091, 197 1866 _________ ! __ 1, 018, 472 

1862 _____________ 2,035,416 

1863 _____________ 2, 893, 337 12,401, 374 

On the theory that "by as near an approximation 

as practicable, the amount of deposits at the mint 

and branches of United States embraces only onethird of the total product of the mines," Hollister 

estimates the bullion yield of Colorado to June 30, 

1866, at $37,204,123. Preston 53 gives the yearly 

production of the precious metals from 1868 to 1875, 

accor,ding to Raymond, for Colorado and Wyoming 

combined (in part for Colorado alone) as follows: 

figures giv-en by Burchard 55 for the placer gold output 

of Lake County in 1860-1869, namely, $5,812,000, 

are used, the output of Chaffee and Lake counties 

being separated by means of data taken from Hollister. 

For the production of placer and lode gold from 1859 

to 1872 in Park County, Raymond 56 gives $2,750,000. 

For Boulder pounty use is made of the Boulder County 

Metal Mining Asso~iation's pamphlet issued in 1910, 

the figures in which are supplemented by some estimates. 

For 1868, for Boulder,· Chaffee, Clear Creek, Gilpin, 

Lake, Park, and Summit counties, use is n1ade of 

Raymond's report, 57 particularly of his statement 

sh,owing bullion produced in 1868, of Munson's 

figures for counties, 5

8 and of figures given by Holliste.r. 

The total is made to conform as nearly as possible to 

Raymond's total of gold and silver for these years, 

the division into gold and silver being estimated from 

d~ta given in later reports of Raymond. 

For 1869, for the same counties, particular use is 

made of Raymond's report,S9

. in which he gives the 

quantity of bullion sent out of Colorado during the 

year ended June 30, 1869, according to Wells, Fargo 

& Co.'s books, and of Raymond's estimate for the six 

months between July 1 and December 31, 1869. 

For 1870, for the same counties, use is made particularly of Raymond's reports 60 and of Munson's 

figures. 61 

For 1871, for the same counties, use is made of 

Raymond'.s reports 62 and of Munson's figures. 63 

TABLE 2.-Value of gold! silver, copper, and lead produced in Colorado, 1868-1875, according to Raymon~ 

Year 

1868.- --------------------·- ------------------------------------------ 1869.- -------------------------------------------------------------.-- 1870.----------------------------------------------------------------

1871_------------------------ ~---- ----------------------------------- 1872_- --------------------------------------------------------------- 1873_---------------------------------------------------------------- 1874.----------------------------------------------------------------

1875.- ---------------------------------------------------------------

Preston 

(from Ray- mond) a 

Gold. and 

silver 

$3,250,000 

4, 000,000 

3, 775,000 

4, 763,000 

4, 761,465 

4, 070,263 

5, 188,510 

5, 302,810 

Gold 

$1,909,491 

(?) 

(?) 

(?) 

(?) 

1, 404, 000(?) 

2, 102, 487(?) 

2, 224,568 

Silver 

$197,744 

(?) 

(?) 

(?) 

(?) 

2, 616, 263(?) 

3, 086, 023(?) . 3, 012,902 

Raymond 

Gold and Copper Lead silver 

$2, 107,235 ------------ ------------ 3,800,000 ------------------------ 3,675,000 ------------ ------------ 4,663,000 ------------ ------------ 4,661,465 ------------ ------------ 4,020,263 ------------ $28,000 5, 188,510 $100, 197 173,873 

5, 237,470 64,650 689 

Total 

$2,107,235 

3,800, 000 

3, 675,000 

4,663,000 

4, 661,465 

4, 048,263 

5, 362,383 

5, 302,810 

a Credited to Colorado and Wyoming combined, but some of the figures at least are for Colorado alone, as is shown for 1874 and 1875. For 1870, 1871, and 1872 Ray- . mond hAS given $100,000 to Wyoming and for 1873 $50,000. 

For 1858 to 1867 for Gilpin, Summit, and Clear 

Creek counties, the figures given by G. C. Munson,54 

assayer in charge of the Denver mint, are used, but 

for the production of Lake and Chaffee counties the 

61 Kimball, J. P., Report of the Director of the Mint upon the production of the 

precious metals in the United States during the calendar year 1886, p. 178, 1887. 

n Hollister, 0. J., The mines of Colorado, p. 434, 1867. 

aa Preston, R. E., History of the methods followed in the collection of the statistics 

of the production of the precious metals in the United States:· Report of the Director 

of the Mint upon the production of the precious metals in the United States during 

the calendar year 1896, p. 35, 1897. 

61 Munson, G. C., in Kimball, J P., op. cit. for 1887, pp. 151, 153, 1888. 

For· 1872, for the same counties, use is made of 

Raymond's report. 64 

6& Burchard, H. C., Report of the Director o! the Mint upon the production of tht 

precious metals in the United States during the calendar year 1882, p. 505, 1883. 

56 Raymond, R. W ., Statistics of mines and mining in the States and Territories 

west of the Rocky Mountains for 1872,' pp. 298-299, 1873. 

67 Raymond, R. W., op. cit. for 1869, p. 339, 1870. 

68 Munson, G. C., in Kimball, J.P., op. cit. for.1887, pp. 151, 153, 1888. 

69 Raymond, R. W ., op. cit. for 1869, p. 351, 1870. 

&o R-aymond, R. W., op. cit. for 1870, p. 290, 1872; op. cit. for 1872, p. 265, 1873. 

61 Munson, G. C., in Kimball, J.P., op. cit. for 1887, p. 178, 1888. • 

63 Raymond, R. W., op. cit. for 1871, p. 340, 1873; op. cit. for 1872, p. 265, 1873. 

63 Munson, G. C., in Kimball, J.P., op. cit. for 1887, pp. 151, 153, 1888. 

6f Raymond. R, W., op cit. for 1872, p. 266, 1873. 
72 MINING IN COLORADO 

For 1873, for'Boulder, Chaffee, Clear Creek, Gilpin, 

Lake, Park, Summit, Custer, Gunnison, Rio Grande, 

Routt, Moffat~ and San Juan counties, use is made of 

Raymond's report, 65 of Munson's figures,06 and of a 

paper by S. F. Emmons. 67 

For 1874, for Boulder, Chaffe'e, Clear Creek, Gilpin, 

Lake, Park, Summit, Uuster, Rio Grande, and San 

Juan counties, use is made of Raymond's report,68 of 

Munson's figures, 69 and of Emmons's paper. 70 

For,1875, for Boulder, Chaffee, Clear Creek, Gilpin, 

Lake, Park, Summit, Custer, Gunnison, Rio Grande, 

Routt, Moffat, Hinsdale, and San~ Miguel counties, 

use was made of Raymond's report.71 

For 1876 to 1878, inclusive, the figures given are 

ba~ed on the reports of Munson 72 and of Burchard. 73 

For 1879 the figures are based on those given in 

Burchard's report.74 

For 1880 the figures are based on those given in the 

table in Burchard's ·report/5 except for gold in Lake 

County, for which tJ:lat report elsewhere 76 gives 

$34,014 lode gold and $70,000 placer gold, which 

seems more reasonable than the $58,000 of this table. 

For the years since 1880 in particular, but in general 

throughout this report, the coinage value of silver 

given in the reports of the Director of the Mint is 

reduced to fine ounces and the value of the silver 

recalculated at the average yearly market price. 

The factor used for tra.nsforming coinage value into 

fine ounces is the reciprocal of 1.2929292929 +, or 

0. 7734375000. 

For 1881 to 1884 the figures are based on Burchard's 

reports.77 · 

For 1885 Kimball 78 gives no detailed figures for 

counties but gives gold as $4,200,000 and silver as 

$15,824,557 (coinage value) for the State. From data 

derived from different sources but chiefly by interpolation, the production of gold and silver in each countY 

bas been estimated for 1885 to make the total given 

in the table. For several small counties added after 

the $4,200,000 was pror~;t.t"ed to the larger counties, 

the amount of the deposits from these small counties 

at the Denver Mint, $3,425~ was added, making·the 

State total for gold $4,203,425. 

65 Raymond, R. W., op. cit. for 1873, pp. 284 and following, 1874. 

66 Munson, G. C., in Kimball, J.P., op. cit. for 1887, pp. 151, 153, 1888. 

67 Emmons, S. F., The mines of Custer County, Colo.: U.S. Geol.~Survey Seventeenth Ann. Rept., p. 420, 1896. 

68 Raymond, R. W ., op. cit. for 1874, p. 358, 1875. 

6g Munson, G. C., in Kimball, J. P., op. cit. for 1887, pp. 151, 153, 1888. 

10 Emmons, S. F., op. cit. 

11 Raymond, R. W., op cit. for 1875, p. 282,1877. 

12 Munson, G. C., in Kimball, J.P., op. cit. for 1886, p. 178, 1887; op. cit. for !1877 

pp. 151, 153, 1888. 

73 Burchard, H. C., Report of the Director of the Mint upon the produgtion of 

the p:t;ecious metals in the United States during the calendar year 1880, pp.156-157, 

1881; op. cit. for 1881, p. 354, 1882; op. cit. for 1882, pp. 394-395, 1883. 

1t Burchard, H. C., op. cit. for 1880, p. 156, 1881. 

1a Burchard,- H. C., op. cit. for 1880, p. 157, 1e~1. 

10 Burchard, H. C., op. cit., for 1880, p. 135. 

77 Burchard, H. C., op. cit. for 1881, p. 354, 1~2; op. cit. for 1882, pp. 394-395, 1883; 

op. cit. for 1883, p. 240, 1884; op. cit. for 1884, p. 177, 1885. · 

78 Kimball,·J. P., op. cit. for 1885, p. 137,1886. 

For 1886 to 1896, inclusive, the reports of the Director of the Mint give two sets of figures for gold and 

silver for all States. One of these sets is the report of 

the agents of the Mint, which was used by the Director 

of the Mint (after computing the production of the 

entire United States) to determine the figures showing 

the estimated production by States. The Director's 

figures are here taken as the more accurate, and those 

of the Colorado agent's report are prorated by counties to make the total agree with the Director's figures 

for ·gold and silver. 

For 1897 to 1904 the figures of the Colorado State 

Bureau of Mines, showing the smelter and mint receipts are taken, with small readjustments as to origin 

by counties. 

For 1904 the figures for gold and silver from Jefferson and aMineral counties are those of the United 

States Geological Survey Mineral Resources, and the 

figures for all the rest of the State are those of the 

State Bureau of Mines. 

For 1905 to 1908, inclusive, the figures used are chiefly 

those of the United States Geological Survey Mineral 

Resources, which are taken from reports received directly from the mines, checked against the mint receipts, and balanced against the figures of the State 

Bureau of Mines. For some counties the figures of 

. the Bureau of Mines are used instead of those of the 

United States Geological Survey· Mineral Resources. 

· For 1905, for instance, the figures for gold and silver 

from Mineral County and Ouray County are taken 

. from the State Bureau of Mines and those for other 

counties from the United States Geological Survey Mineral Resour~es. For 1906, 19o"7, and 1908 the figures 

for Mineral County are taken from the report ef 

the State Bureau of Mines. For 1909 to 1923, inclusive, the figures are taken from Mineral Resources 

·(mines reports). 

COPPER 

For 1868 to 1881, inclusive, the figures are based 

on data in United States Geological Survey ·Mineral 

Resources 79 and in Raymond's report. 80 Raymond 

states that his figures for 1868 to 1870 represent estimates, which he himself thinks high. Raymond's 

figures for 1874 and 1875 are said to be obtained from 

a statement of the Blackhawk smelter, but the small 

plant of 1868-1870 could not have produced more 

than the enlarged plant of 1874-1875. For 1868 to 

1870 Raymond estimates that the matte from the 

Blackhawk smelter contained an average of 40 per 

cent of copper. For 1875 Egleston81 gives more authentic data and estimates the average content of the 

matte at 25 to 30 per c~nt of copper. 

7g U. S. Geol. Survey Mineral Resources, 1882, p. 228, 1883. Also subsequent 

volumes. 

so Raymond, R. W ., op. cit. for 1870, p. 372, 1872. . 

81 Egleston, Thomas, The Boston & Colorado smelting works: Am. Inst. Min. 

Eng. Trans., vol. 4, pp. 276-298, 1876. 
SOURCES OF FIGURES BY YEARS AND COUNTIES 73 

For 1882-1885, inclusive, the figures are those 

given by Butler. 82 

For 1886 the figures are obtained by estimates 

made on the theory that in Colorado, where copper 

is a by-product, the rate of its production in 1882-1885 

. was at least maintained, in view of the fact that the 

r~te of production of the other metals increased .. 

For 1887 to 1896, inclusive, the figures are those of 

Butler. 

For 1896 to 1904, inclusive, the figures are those of 

the Colorado State Bureau of Mines, representing 

smelter receipts. 

For 1905 to 1908,·inclusive, the figures are those of 

the Colorado State Bureau of Mines and the United 

States Geological Survey Mineral ·Resources (mines 

reports) combined. . 

. For 1909 to 1923, inclusive, the figures are those of 

the United States Geological Survey Mineral Resources (mines reports). 

LEAD 

For 1869 the figures are those for Clear Creek and 

Su.mmit counties only. The lead for Clear Creek 

County is the estimated quantity and value of lead in 

ores shipped to the Eastern States, to England, and to 

Germany, none of which has heretofore been credited 

to Colorado. For Sununit County the estimate is 

made from the quantity of lead-silver ore shipped. 

For 1870 the figures represent ore shipped out of 

the State from Georgetown, Clear Creek County, and 

from Summit County. 

For 1871 the figures represent ore shipped out of 

the State from Georgetown, Clear Creek County, and 

ore shipped to Swansea, England, from Park County. 

For 1872.the figures represent shipments of lead. ore 

from Georgetown and: from Park and Summit counties. 

For 1873 the figures represent shipments from Clear 

Creek, Gilpin, Park, and Summit counties. Raymond 83 gives the value of lead shipped in the form of 

pig lead as $28,000, and t'o this ~s added the value of 

the estimated content· of lead in ore shipped out of 

the State from Georgetown. 

For 187 4 the figures represent ore ship peg from Clear 

Creek and 216 tons of work lead (not pure lead) produced at Breckenridge, Summit County. 

For 1875-1884 the figures are taken from Kirchhoff.84 

For 187 5 the figures show the estimated lead content of ·shipments out of Georgetown, Clear Creek 

• County, and the estimated production of other counties as given by Raymond, 85 the total being made to 

equal the production of lead in Colorado as given in 

Mineral Resources. 86 

ea Butler, B.S., Copper: U.S. Geol. Survey Miner~ Resources, 1910, pt. l, pp. 

172-173, 1911. 

sa Raymond, R. W., op. cit. for 1873, p. 284, 1874. 

" Kirchhoff, Charles, Copper: U. S. Geol. Survey Mineral Resources, 1882, p. 310, 

1883; op. cit. for 1883-84, pp. 416, 419, 1885; op. cit. for 1885, p. 250, 1886. 

u Raymond, R. W ~. op. cit. for 1875, p. 282, 1877 •. 

80 U. S. Geol. Survey Mineral Resources, 1882, p. 310, 1883. 

For 1876 and 1877 the total is that given by Kirchhoff 

in Mineral Resources. &7 

For 1878 the figures are the sum of county figures, 

nearly those given by Kirchhoff.88 · 

For 1879-1884, inclusive, the figures are taken from 

Kirchhoff's ·reports.89 

For 1885-1892 the figures are those given by 

Kirchhoff 90 in Mineral Resources, those for 1885 being 

correctly i'educed 15 per cent. 

For 1893 the figures are estimates by Henderson. 

For 1894 to 1896 the figures are those given by 

Siebenthal.01 

For 1886 to 1896 the :f;igures represent the output of 

lead given by counties in the annual reports of agents of 

the Director of the Mint in reports of the· Director of 

the Mint, prorated 'to correspond to total production 

of lead. 

For 1897 to 1904 the figures represent the smelter 

receipts as given by• the Colorado . State Bureau of 

Mines. 

For 1905 to 1908 the figures are those in the United 

States Geological Survey Mineral Resources (mines 

reports), combined with those of the Colorado Bureau 

of Mines. 

For 1909 to 1915 the figures are those in the United 

States Geological Survey Mineral Resources (mines 

reports); 

ZINC 

For 1885-1891, inclusive, the figures represent esti-

.mates from statements of F. L. Bartlett, formerly 

manager of the American Zinc-Lead Co., at Canon 

City, who reports that betweeri 1885 and 1891 he. 

treated in Portland, Maine, about 3,000 tons of zinclead ores from Colorado. 

For 1892 the figures represent the production of the 

American Zinc-Lead Co. at Canon City. 

For 1893 and 1894 the figures are estimates by 

Henderson of the production of the American ZincLead Co. 

For 1895 to 1898, · inclusive, the figures are taken 

from the report of the American Zinc-Lead Co. in the 

annual review number of the Denver Republican, 92 

showing the beginning of zinc shipme:p.ts to zinc plants 

in Kansas. 

For 1899 the figures are those given in the HeraldDemocrat, of Leadville, Colo., in its annual review· 

number, January 1,· 1900, showing the production of 

the American Zinc-Lead Co. and the shipments to 

Belgium and elsewhere. 

87 U.S. Geol. Survey Mineral Resources, 1882, p. 310, 1883. 

88Idem. 

80 U. S. Geol. Survey Mineral Resources, 1882, p. 310, 1883; op. cit. for 1883-84, 

pp, 416, 419, 1885; op. cit. for 1885, p. 250, 1886. 

oo U.S. Geol. Survey Mineral Resources, 1885, pp. 251, 257, 1886; op. cit. for 1886, 

pp. 144-146, 1887; op. cit. for 1887, pp. 105-107, 1888; op. cit. for 1888, pp. 87-88, .~s.oo; 

op. cit. for 1892, p. 124, 1893: 

ot Siebenthal, C. E., U.S. Geol. Survey Mineral Resources, ~911, pt.1, p. 319, 1912 

02 Also in Mineral Industry for 1898, pp. 724, 727, 1899. 
74 MINING IN COLORADO 

For 1900 the figures represent the production of the 

American Zinc-Lead Co., a~ published in the annual 

review number of the Denver Republican, January 1, 

1901, in the Leadville Herald-Democrat, and other 

publications. Conflicting statements are given as to 

the quantity of zinc-lead ore shipped from Leadville. 

Mineral Industry reports that 14,000 tons of zinc ore 

was shipped from Leadville ifl1900. The zinc exports 

in 1900 from Galveston and New Orleans, 4 including 

both the Joplin-Galena district and Colorado, 

amounted to 11,425 tons. H. A. Lee, 93 commissioner 

of mines for the State of Colorado, says that the production of zinc iri Colorado in 1900 amounted to 77,984 

tons of material, averaging 42 per cent of metallic 

zinc, equivalent to 65,506,650 pounds of zinc. The 

Leadville Herald-Democrat gives' for Leadville. only 

45,270,920 pounds, 41,948,200 pounds of which was 

shipped to outside smelters. The figures of the commissioner seem high and have not been incorporated in 

the reports of the Colorado State Bureau of Mines. 

Later information would seem to show that a great part 

of the 77,984 tons represented ore concentrated, not 

concentrates shipped. Further, the production in 

1901 (which was probably larger than in 1900), as 

given by both .the Leadville Herald-Democrat and 

Lee, was only 13,427 tons of zinc, which appears not 

unreasonable in view of the exports of zinc ore amounting to 13,294 tons (of possibly 42 per cent grade) from 

Gulf ports in 1901 and the increased shipments to 

domestic smelters. ·Lee says that 70 per cent of the 

output in 1901 was exported and 30 per cent was. 

treated by domestic smelters, this percentage including 

ore used for making zinc oxide at Canon City and possibly some ore shipped to. Mineral Point, V\'~'is., for 

making zinc white. The figures given for 1900 in this 

report are 3,682,055 pounds produced from Colorado 

ores by the American Zinc-Lead smelter at Canon 

City, and 12,600,000 pounds in ore shipped, the latter 

item represented by 15,000 tons of ore, averaging 42 

per cent of zinc. 

For 1901 the commissioner of mines for Colorado 

gives the production of zinc fr.om the ores of the State 

as 13,427 short tons, or 26,854,000 pounds, determined 

from the metallic content of the ores. The sum of the 

detailed figures by counties is 26,843,731 pounds. The 

Leadville Herald-Democrat gives for 1901 a production of 21,476,000 pob.nds of zinc for Leadville alone. 

In 1901 the American Zinc-Lead Smelting Co. produced 

5, 712,323 pounds of zinc. 

For 1902 to 1903 the figures are those given by the 

Colorado State Bureau of Mines, representing smelter 

receipts, from which loss in smelting has been deducted. 

For 1904 to 1~07, inclusive, the figures are those of 

the Colorado State Bureau of Mines and the United 

States Geological Survey Mineral Resources (mines 

reports) combined, both representing smelter receipts 

.u Eng. and Min. Jour •• vol. 71, p. 490, 1901. 

or mine shipments, from which loss in smelting has 

been deducted. 

For 1908 to 1923, inclusive, the figures are those of 

the United States Geological Surovey Mineral Resources (mines reports). 

CONTENT OF ORE AND CONCENTRATES 

The following tables show the classification and 

content of gold, silver, copper, leJ!.d, and zinc in the 

ore sold or treated in Colorado from 1909 to 1923 in 

tern1s of recovered metals. 93a 

Ore treated at gold and silver mills and concentration mills and 

quantity of gold and silver contained -in bullion produced in 

Colorado from 1909 to 1923, by years 

Year 

1909-------------------------

1910_ ----------------------- 1911_------------------------ 1912_------------------------ 1913------------------------- 1914 ________________________ _ 

1915_------------------------ 1916-------------------------

~~}~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~: ~ ~= ~=·:: :::~= === ::1 

-~~~~= ~; ;; ; ; ~ i ~ ii ~ ~=; :~m = ~~1 

Ore to gold and silver mills 

Ore 

Short tons 1, 320, 111 1, 455,983 

1, 373,879 

1, 435,837 

1,610,335 

1, 630,640 

1, 611,335 

1, 442,139 

1,487, 304 1, 345,451 

1, 195,986 

626,900 

884,763 

849,261 

817,328 

Gold in I Silver in 

buUion bullion 

Fine ounces \Fine ounces 679, 882. 55 I 289, 782 0 627, 879. 83 ! 396, 381 b 598, 820. 48 : b 401, 603 C 544, 750. 93 I C 3601 490 554, 122. 35 1

· 443, 444 612, 143. 58 676, 231 662, 304. 68 I 608, 072 581, 177. 76 536, 75il 553, 553. 59 400, 109 455, 276. 18 I 345, 280 346, 035. 56 : 242, 269 223, 362. 80 . 138, 307 218, 732. 83 : 15, 571 217,548.64 41,405 

221, 022. 18 I 44, 257 I 

Ore to concentrating 

mills 

:----

Short tons 357,658 

464,673 

465,283 

523,063 

459,533 

378,743 

557,267 

702,200 

699,094 

555,262 

439,373 

677,113 

206,270 

302,232 

549,522 

a In addition 13,051.46 ounces of gold in Teller County from old tailings re-treated. b In addition 6,116.80 ounces of gold and 3,275 ounces of silver in Teller County from old tailings re-treated. • In addition 7,123.30 ounces of gold and 5,594 ounces of silver in Teller County from old tailings re-treated. 

Mine production of gold, silver, coppe1·, lead, and zinc from con- centrates produced in Colorado from 1909 to 1923, by years 

I 

I 

Year Concen- Gold Silver Copper Lead I Zinc trates 

- -- ---· 

Short tons Fine ounces Fine ounces Pounds Pounds Pounds 1909 ____ 154,091 107,355.64 2,453, 274 2, 529,378 36,851,766 27,036,073 

1910_ --- 237,342 122,162.99 2,192,315 2,419, 045 46,560,748 57,683,333 1911_ ___ 201,010 109,817. 43 1, 967,545 2, 611,779 44,863,551 41,262,830 

1912_- -- 224,722 133,828.61 2,415, 514 2, 657,882 46,092,955 46,053,954 

1913_ --- 218,291 123, 177.64 2,320, 781 2, 366,458 47,027,901 41,692,027 

1914_ --- 188,770 116,263,06 ·2, 058,557 1, 914,797 35,583,330 31,419,916 

1915_ --- 233,965 128,015.39 2, 214,689 2, 270,790 43,565,115 53,954,312 1916 ____ 288,211 106,596.20 2,409, 006 2,348, 220 43,939,994 78,731,912 

1917---- 280,563 87,650.41 2, 600,743 2, 686,546 41,122,473 76,381,990 

1918_ --- 226,292 81,3!15. 40 2, 330,637 2, 514,564 34,010,088 65,914, 868· 1919 ____ 100,775 60,258.60 2, 123,721 1, 626,272 19,014,621 20,704,184 

1920_ --- 119,233 72,306.27 2,406, 336 2,316, 572 29,043,127 28,422,325 1921_ ___ 49,140 67,432.37 2, 568,500 972,552 10,424,411 217,000 1922 ____ 60,290 42,667.42 3, 136,236 . 767,083 12,227,439 1,100,000 1923 ___ - 150,566 62,780.92 3, 222,670 2, 911,624 32,777,209 41,164,400 

Mine production of gold, silver, copper, lead, and zinc from crude ore produced in Colorado and shipped to smelters from 1909 

to 1923, by years 

Year Crude ore Gold Silver Copper I Lead Zinc 

Short tons Fine ounces Fine ounces Pounds Pounds Pounds 1909 ____ 541,972 254,316.39 6, 153,777 8,392,668 35,316,024 24,174,187 1910 ____ 514,008 209,734.19 5, 915,2921 5, 940,262 29,498,027 19,406,315 

1911_ --- 538,774 188,997.49 4, 954,076 5,412, 709 24,815,738 53,344,626 

1912_ --- 617,726 193,013.43 5,425,366 4,449, 421 29,149,312 86,168,858 

1913_ --- 664,998 180,193.95 6,556,467 4,861,368 40,869,872 77,654,402 

1914_ --- 668,143 202,364.40 6, 053,956 4, 724,376 38,628,568 65,355,044 

1915_ --- 568,418 260,463.98 4, 196,542 4,841, 747 25,245,482 50,640,682 

1916_ --- 552,904 204,304.43 . 4, 701,596 6, 275,861 26,974,093 55,553,551 1917_ ___ 502,308 87,719.98 4, 295,199 5,435,458 26,867,539 43,933,785 1918 ____ 414,177 54,737.76 4,380, 987 3, 762,768 31,950,672 23,219,033 

1919_ --- 284,409 45,337.98 3,384,877 1, 933,935 18,055,620 16,516,309 

1920_ --- 267,280 45,942.16 2,857,976 1, 727,162 17,586,661 20,368,417 192L ___ 190,348 27,821.84 3, 006,144 3, 180,890 9, 236,055 2, 143,000 1922 ____ 260,607 . 30,857,09 2, 674,042 2, 606,371 11,249,761 22,158,000 1923 ___ - 202,250 17,437.70 2,063,439 1,336,485 12,920,976 12,987,600 

Gao For explanation see footnote to TRble 1, p. 69 . 
SOURCES OF FIGURES BY YEARS AND COUNTIES 

Content .of ore sold or treated in Colorado, 1910-1923; in terms of recovered metals 

Dry and siliceous ore 

Year Ore 

Short tons 1, 957,379 

1, 874,103 

1, 966,300 

2, 161,458 

2, 157,762 

2, 183,431 

2,057, 452 

1, 996,590 

1, 760,222 

1, 111,640 

111,961 

443,475 

505,885 

366,297 

351,899 

495,853 

269,087 

465,232 

449,658 

397,191 

449,652 

410,468 

480,340 

275,662 

24, 698, 997. 

Lead ore 

1910.----------------------------------_·_--------.-----.-----------------.----•• ---. 191L. ___ ••• _ --.-- _ •• __ .------.--------•• ---•••• -••••••• _-. __ .--_.------------------

1912 .• -------------------------------------------.----.-----.---.----.---.-----.---· 1913 .• -.-•• ----.---.---•• --.--.--------•• ---.----.-.--.-------.--.-----.---.---.---- 1914.------------------------.---------.----.---------------------------------.-----

1915.----------------------------------.--------------.--.-----.:-----------------••• 1916 .• -••• ----.--.---.-.-----.---.---.-.----•• ---.-.--•• -----.---.-------.-.-------- 1917---------------------------.------------··-··· ----.----------------------------- 1918.-.-.---.--------------------------------------------- ~------------------------. 

1919.--.-----------------------------------------~--- _·_----------------------------- 1920.- 192L. .. 

_ ------------.---------.----.----.----:.---.---------------------------------- •• ___ • __________________________ • ____ • ____ • __________ • ______________________ _ 

1922.--------------------.----------------------------------------------------------

1923.--------------.-----.---.----•• -.-.-••• -.---.-•••• --•• ----.-------------------

133,323 

158,984 

182,745 

205,774 

193,087 

142,969 

159,247 

103,081 

183,274 

74,918 

61,254 

18,289 

48,381 

90,410 

1, 755, 736 

Copper-lead ore 

1910.------------------------.----.----.------:--------------------------.----.----. 191L __ •• __________________ • _. __ ._ •• ______________________________________ • ____ • ____ • 

1912.---.----------------.---•• ---.----.---------------------.----.------.----.----- 1913.-------------------~---------.------- -------------------------------.---•• ----- 1914.----------.-------------.---------.----.-------------------.-------------. ~----

1915.---.--------------------.----•• ------------------------------------------.----. 1916 •• --------------- _._------.----.--------------------------------------·----. ----. 1917--------------------•• --------.---------------------------------.--------------. 1918.---.-----.-----------.--------------------------------.------.-----------------

1919.-------------------.---------.----------.------.---------------.----.----.-----

1920.-----------------------------.-~-------------- --------------------------------- 192L ____ • ______ • _____ ---. _ ••• ___ •• ___ • ____ • ___ --- ____ • _____________ •• ___ ••• __ •• _ •.• 

1922.--------------.----.;---.----.----.-------------:-------.-.----.----.---------. 1923.~-------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------

Copper ore 

1910.---------.--------------------------------------.---•• -------------------------

1911 .•• --------------------------------------~-------------------------------------- 1912. -------.-----------' • ---------.------------------------------------------------

~~~!:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 1915·---------------------·----------------"----------------------··--------·------- 1916. ______________________________________________ ~--------------------------------

1917.--------------------·-----.----------------------------------·----------------- 1918.---------------------------------.----------------------------------------------

1919 •. -------------------.---------------------------.------------------------------

~~~::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::.::~::::::::::::::: 1922.--------------------·---.------------------·-----------------•• ---------------- 1923 ••.• -· --------------------------------------------------------------------· -· --

2,219 

1,398 

6,810 

6,417 

1,192 

2,674 

3,129 

2,976 

1, 760 

1, 690 

453 

820 

627 

380 

32,545 

15,078 

18,221 

13,718 

16,555 

12,196 

23,573 

34,429 

33,233 

18,088 

9,417 

3,835 

22,195 

863 

4,655 

226,056 

Gold 

Fine ounces 943,220.53 

866,252.76 • 841, 295. 84 

817,065. 19 

893,819.64 

1, 012, 897. 34 

847,876.76 

692,605.92 

566,274.64 

396,354.31 

21,984,11 

10,958.46 

246,061.02 

62,173.38 

6,893. 30 

221,292.06 

53,991.30 

31,733.60 

217,606.90 

58,192.31 

10,421.10 

209,867.04 

67,260.95 

6, 247.87 

9, 1 02, 346. 33 

11,719.25 

17,765.42 

19,766.81 

26,845.88 

30,525.24 

26,068.24 

22,687.40 

19,220.68 

17,036.60 

10,205.10 

11,459.90 

5,089. 73 

3, 906.13 

3, 339.22 

225,635. 60 

181.96 

882.05 

1, 936.59 

1, 709.99 

288.91 

2, 098.50 

I, 724.04 

1,239. 89 

198.17 

339.40 

173.47 

24.60 

84.47 

122.57 

11,004.61 

8,961:27 

. 8, 472.08 

8, 759.86 

7, 615.92 

3, 243.88 

6, 204.17 

15,220.87 

7,455.00 

1,968. 68 

4, 992.49 

2, 150.54 

1, 811.24 

556.47 

2, 139.88 

79, ~52. 35 

Silver 'Copper 

Fine ounces Pounds 

6, 117.719 6, 044,125 

5, 614,076 

4,196,096 

5,096,026 

5,397, 439 

4,110,475 

4, 395,772 

6, 270,758 

6, 584,493 

4, 370,439 

4, 943,797 

5, 195,593 

5, 562,217 

4,867, 628 3, 630,445 

4, 753,627 3, 590,901 

724,260 905,068 

527,072 266,154 

2, 979,721 510,108 

187,181 358,034 

1,055,118 

831,728 

952,257 

2,497,880 

81,157 54,359 

589,284 891,660 . 3, 991,193 1, 882,519 

73, 191 57,478 

1, 053,975 

1, 917,436 

1, 756,858 

3,418, 709 

56,837 30,152 

1, 567,091 1,375, 938 

2, 330,396 1, 386,215 

71,578,587 53,472,068 

1, 050,611 434,630 

1, 265,594 492,422 

1,470, 930 539,216 

1, 645, 186 56& 401 

1, 532,943 74 '212 964,224 338,041 

1, 159,615 356,620 

'1, 167,167 . 784,684 

1,456,023 600,038 

I, 068,360 427,618 

841,783 235,177 

524,023 81,260 

493,691 141,082 

625,974 143,791 

15,266, 130 . 5, 887,192 

188,146 148,049 

90,311 93,025 

389,449 531,227 

491,058 640,795 

82,119 97,672 

98,210 212,678 

110,531 299,239 

133,128 204,563 

35,260 138, 132 

34,749 193,197 

7,566 30,865 

40,949 78,448 

37,418 60,299 

16,680 23,502 

1, 755,574 2, 751,691 

436,358 1,489, 664 

342,550 1,652, 247 

224,327 1,622,605 

223,108 1, 701,666 . 173,845 1,330,056 

204,317 2,169,383 

199,824 2, 977,285 

182,791 3,133,437 

166,296 1,668,087 

104,381 774,435 

100,643 383,427 

382,521 1, 164,248 

31,463 105,864 

110,552 302,685 

2,882, 976 20,475,089 

75 

Lead Zinc 

Pounds Pounds 

25,898,094 4,496,219 

18,724,095 4, 994,219 

20,162,526 4, 554,875 

24,056,425 6, 686,586 

19, 150,122 2, 948,759 

21,811,059 6, 219,566 ~,335,444 7, 399,120 

18,673,295 3, 098,598 

16,598,612 2, 249,506 

4,11~. 337 -------------- 3,181, 276 -------------- 7, 593,286 --------------

715,357 77,635 

8, 981,473 -------------- 7,002, 932 --------------

119,140 --·----------- 3, 409,026 -------------- 10,561,401 --------------

176,202 -------------- 7, 223,125 --------·----- 7,162, 729 -------------- 113,264 ------------ 10,202,564 ·------------- 8, 382,956 -------------- 267, 347, 740 42,725,083 

23,914,921 --·----------- 26,466,369 -------------- 29,640,633 -------------- 39,397,770 -------------· 41,239,726 ................................... 27,482,225 -------------- 27,427,529 -·------------ 20,688,207 -------------- 33, 155,889 -------------- 15,085,420 -------------- 11,892,212 -------------- 4, 851,872 -------------- 7,062, 288 -------------- 10,675,407 -------------- 318, 980, 468 .................................. 

774,433 -------------- 326,521- -------------- 1, 260,482 -------------- 812,071 -------------- 371,161 -------------- 641,982 -------------- 449,961 -------------- 428,115 -------------- 309,041 -------------- 342,847 -------------· 184,011 -------------- 184,221 -------------- 162,646 -------------- 76,492 -------------- 6, 323,984 --------------

144,796 -------------- 67,.700 --------·----- 102,321 -------------- 173,746 -------------- 96,930 -------------- 244,667 -------------- 718,569 -------------- 455,698 -------------· 169,957 -------------- 58,466 -------------- 41,937 -------------- 10,522 -------------- 18,575 ----------··--- 71,194 --------·----- ~. 375,078 --------------
76 MINING IN COLORADO 

Content of ore sold or treated in Colorado, 1910-1923, in terms of recovered metals~Continued 

Zinc ore 

Year 

1910 ___ ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1911 __________ -------------- _. ___ ---------------------------------------------------- 1912 __________ ---------------------------------------------------------"- ------------ 1913 •• _________________ : ____ --------------------------------------------------------

1914 ___ ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1915 _______ -------------------------------------------------------------------------

1916 ___ ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1917--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1918 _______ -------------------------------------------------------------------------

1919_-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

}g~:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 1922 __ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1923 _____________ ------------------------------------------------------------------

Ore 

Short tons 

82,251 

110,845 

177,946 

141,295 

145,656 

100,222 

151,497 

140,455 

60,350 

50,547 

96,232 

5, 727 43,615 

93,000 

1, 399,638 

Gold 

Fine ounces 

" 591.30 

164.54 

532.51 

73.92 

2.24 

28.01 

330.62 

522.63 

1,098. 26 80.40 

554.91 

13.91 

1.20 296.65 

4, 291.10 

Silver 

Fine ounces 

32,310 - 55,969 

130,392 

21,950 

1,046 

24,802 

58,722 

19,525 

75,568 

Copper 

Pounds 

21,710 

11,883 

67,012 

1, 556 

435 

412 

6,349 

20,496 

11,490 

:: ~ -------4o;004-

3, 237 -------------- 291 s1, 211 -------is;iisa5!12, 449 . . 200, 330 

Lead Zinc 

Pounds Pounds 

1, 733,700 26,987,488 

407,007 51, 388,86~ 

1, 235,019 84,989, 65Z 

140,426 66,305,374 

12,491 56,294, 7()6. 

279,154 39,168, 19S. 589,991 52,873,099 

1,000,413 47,582,031 

1, 723,508 22,166,061 

857,754 16,141,424 

1, 705,979 33,456,257 

67,564 1, 877,000 

11,500 15,731,000 

657,247 33,130, 600' 

10,421,753 548, 091, 755 

Lead-zinc ore 

1910 __ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1911 __ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1912 ____ ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1913 _______ ----------------------- ~ -- _. __ -------------------- ~ -----------------------

1914 __ ----------!------------------------------------------------------------------- 1915 __ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1916 ____ ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1917--------------------------------------------- ~- --------------------------------- . 1918 __ ------------------------------------------------------------- _·_- -------------- 1919 ____ ------------------------------------------------------------------------- _._- 1920-------------------------~------------------------------------------------------

1921 _________ :. ____ ------------------------------------------------------------------

1922 _____ --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1923 __ ----------------------------------------- -- ----------------------------------

SUMMARY OF FEATURES OF PRODUCTION SHOWN BY 

CURVES 

GOLD 

[Figures 2 and 3] 

1859-1863. Rapid rise in the production of gold due to placer 

mining and the treatment of material from the oxidized and decomposed portions of veins by amalgamation. Production principally in Clear Creek, Gilpin, Park, Lake, and Summit counties. 

1863-1867. D.ecline in production due to the exhaustion of 

sluicing ground.and of the oxidized or free-milling parts of veins. 

1859-1867. The only period in the history of mining in 

Colorado when the value of placer gold produced e~ceeded that 

of the lode gold. · · 

1869-1871. Rise in production due to increase in lode mining 

in Gilpin County. 

187~1876. Decline in the production· of Gilpin County. 

1869-1888. The part of the curve for this period represents 

practically th~ history of lode mining in Gilpin County. 

1889. San Juan region began to produce gold on a large scale. 

1890. Gold discovered at Cripple Creek. 

1892-1900. Remarkable rise in the production of gold in Colorado due to the rapid growth of mining in Cripple· Creek. 

1900. Peak of production in the Cripple Creek district and 

in the State. 

1902. Rise in production due to the increased outputfrom 

San Juan region. 

· 1903. Decrease in production of the Cripple Creek district 

due to labor strike. 

1903-1919. Thitil part of the curve represents the history of 

mining in the Cripple Creek· district. 

· · 1915. Rise in production due to the discovery of high-grade 

or.e ·in the Cresson mine, at Cripple Creek. 

. 1902-1922. General downward trend of the oproduction of 

gold in all districts in Colorado. 

"1923. Slight rise in production due to recovery at "Cripple Creek. 

244,414 8, 224.00 679,500 221,357 23,605,329 45,605,941 

214,385 10,215.35 476,049 1~0,835 23,687,597 38,224,372' 

229,107 6,424. 64 594,427 1 1,147 22,841,286 42,678,~ 

203,367 4, 783.04 668,632 206,933 23,317,335 46,354,469 

167,633 2,891.13 414,298 69,026 13,341,468 37,531,495 

284,151 3,487. 79 532,157 21,584 18,351,510 59,207, 23() 

291,489 4, 238.70 556,446 40,791 18,392,593 74,013,244 

412,371 7, 879.86 925,812 348,"379 26,744,284 69,635, 14& 291,196 4, 832.99 570,130 268,684 14,003,753 64,718,334 

116,120 6, 717.87 283,741 483,627 5,837,855 21,079,069 

185,438 12,144.71 726,472 1, 109,381 16,105,887 15,256,850 

4,178 30.60 14,851 948 456,720 483,000 

22,113 304.57 40,056 37,320 1, 660,135 7, 527,000 

214, 185 11,966:62 571,619 966,843 15,519,061 21,021,400 

2,880,147 84, 141.87 7, 054, 190 . 4,086,855 223, 864, 813 543, 335, 835 

SILVER 

[Figures 4 and 5) 

1859-1867. Small outp.ut of silver, recovered in connection 

with gold-placer mining in Clear Creek and Gilpin counties. 

1868-1871. Production of silver by lode mining in Clear 

Creek, Gilpin, and Boulder counties. 

1871. Park County began to produce silver in considerable 

quantity. 

1875. Production of silver in Summit County began· to in_. 

crease. 

1877. Leadville, Lake County, started to produce silver in 

large quantities. · · 

1877-1880. Rise due to the rapid development of silver mining in Lake County. · 

1880-1887. Decline in production of silver in Lake County. 

' 1887-1892. Rapid development of silver mining at Aspen, 

Pitkin County·, which reached the peak of its production in 

1892. 

1888-1893. Increase in production from the San Juan region. 

Creede began producing in 1891 and reached its peak in 

1893. . 

1893. Peak of production f9r the State, due principally to 

the peak of production in the San Juan region. Influenced 

largely by the output of 5,000,000 ounces at Creede. Peak of 

silver production at Leadville was not reached until "1895. 

1894. Decline in production in Pitkin County and the San 

Juan region. 

1895. Increase in production at Leadville. 

1895-:1897. Decrease in production in Lake, Pitkin, Boulder, 

Clear Creek, and Gilpin counties. Increase in production in 

San Juan region. . 

1898. Increase due to production in Lake County and the 

San Juan region. 

1898-1923. General decline in the production of silver in all 

districts in Colorado. 
185 

18, 

18, 0 18 

186 

186 

1865 

1866 

1867 

1868 

~ 186 

l5 187 Q 187 

= 187 

~ 187 

< 187 

a- 187 (D 187 

a 187' 

~ 187 

c: 187 

'5l 188 

8. 188 

= 188 & 1883 

C' 1884 

~ 188fi 

~ 188 

g· 188 

oO 1888 

e. 1889 

~ ~~~ ~ 189 

i 189 

~ 189 

~ 189 s· 189 

g 189 

S" 189 

a 189 

2.. 1900 

; 190 

§' 190 

:::;- 190 a 190 

... 190 

~ 1906 

~ 1907 

~ 1908 

Q 1909 

.t3 1910 

~ 1911 

'<I 1912 

~ 1913 

"' 1914 

191G 

1916 

1917 

1918 

1~19 

1920 

1921 

1922 

1923 

VALUE IN MILLIONS OF DOLLARS 

0 1\:) c:l> 00 

-

0 1'0 - 0 

ISS 

185 ~~ 

18' 

18 

18, 

18' 

18 

18 

18 

18 

18 

18 

18 

-) ,_ 

3= 

!; 

,_ 7- ( :-

1-

~ 18 

l:l 18 

~ 18 L\11 187 

I 

1~ :,.-- ( 

'-

~-

'= \ ~ 187 

~ 187 

e. 187 

s 187 

~-

::1-

. S" 188 

o.188 

~188 

~ 188 

I 

-

:I-

:-

~ 1884-

II-

;7-

:-

1-

~ 

( 

.-vALUE IN MILLIONS OF DOLLARS 

c:ro ~ s: ~ s; 

I 

1-

- 1885 I§ 188 

0:188 

~ 1888 

8. 188 

§ 189 

~ 189 

-· 189 ::s 189 

\ :-· 

:-

'4 

1>-

~ 189 

~ 189 

~ 189 0 189 

§' 189 

s 189 

~ 190 

g; 190 

g 190 

... 190 

7-

,_ 

liI 

1-

:-

:,..._ 

.~ 190 

C' 190 ~ 190 

~· 190 

~ 190 

:-

' 1-

7-

:-

·- 190 

191 

191 

191 

1-91 

1914 

1915 

1916 

1917 

1918 

1919 

1920 

1921 

1922 

1928 

I 

l-

:-

:----

i--

>---

i-

~ 

__.....,.. 

( 

-- .......... 

-----

-----~ 

I ~ 

> (] .........._ 

~ ~ ---

.() 

co 

Ul 

c:: 

a:: 

~ 

> :;:d 

~ 

0 

bj 

bj 

t;! 

~ d 

t:d 

tzj 

Ul 

0 

bj 

1-d 

t:d 

·o 

g 

0 

~ 

·o 

z 

Ul 

~ 

0 

:El 

z 

C:l 

~ 

0 

c:: 

l:d 

~ 

tzj 

Ul 

-l 

-l 
78 

.-"0 

24 

en22 

t3 

~:20 0 

~18 

~ 

13Q "' 016 

en 

120. 814 

:::5 en ..... 

~llQ 5912 r.l 

u ~ 

3100 z1o 

0 r.l E: ~90 g 8 Q.. Q 

~ 80 

0 

g: 6 

-~ 

r.l 

~ 70 4 

60 2 

n 

12 

0 

MINING IN COLORADO 

A 26 

n1 \.. ~~ 

Pr ::>ductio 1'\/\ "" f,, v ' lww 

1 \ ~v 

A I 

18 

-..._....- /,' I \ llalue \ " ,/ 

"'\ I ' t' \ 16 

I '-....,.."'\ \.' "'\ 

\ 14 

~ ~ ~J' 'vr\ ~ ~ " 12 

~ " .., \ \ 1\ . Jl\ ·; 1\ 10. 

"J \ \ 

\ /'~ /\ I \ 

'y-Pr ' v ''riA.~ \ 8 

ice \..-- \ 

J \ 

t1 \ \ /I ' ~ 6' 

\.._ !,..'- ~"-~ \. ' 4 

~ l-'\ h / r 

/-

~ k-ru - ,\-(; 1 Jl.1.1 1 L;.....r- Ilk -(, 11 I/J J I I I I I I I I I l l ·II II I 0

11 I llll J I '•' 

FIGURE 4.-Quantity and value of silver produced in Colorado from 1859 to 1923, by years, and average price for each~year 

A 

/\ II 

I I ~ 

I V\ ! \ I \ ,..../ ~San Juar 

region 

Lake/ \ /I y ,\ ~ \'.. 1/YI v\ / :\ V:~ ul .,v.. v I \ t v \ \\ 

Pit ·' v ", \ \ /'"' kin_.....' 1 ' \ f I \ - \ 

I I \ \ ...... V\~ ,A I I I ' I L• ' 

: / 6.oulder; ', y 

\/ ~~< ,.,' 

_/ '\ I'< .... Clearer e_ek, ', , .. ~' I ir-~ and Gi pin ,, ', 

/ _.....,/ y ---FI ""' ~ ... \ \ 

I \ 

~Ill .J.+-~- -r{·~, .... ( 1', ; ............ ', I I I I I ll..vl l'J l l J I I I l I I I I I I I I I II ~"Yi~i·'l .. .. i·~ ~ ~ii~~~~~~!~E~EE~E;E~E~i~~~~~l!!~illil~&l~§§~;§§~ill~ia~~~~~!;li~~ ~~~~"~~~~"~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

FIGURE 5.-Production of silver by principal counties or regions in Colorado from 1859 to 1923, by years 

COPPER 

[Figures 6, 7] 

1892-1895. Decline in production of copper at Leadville. 

1896-1898. Rise in production at Lea:dville and in the San 

Juan region. 

1868-1873. Copper recovered as a by-product from the 

complex ores of Gilpin and Clear Creek counties. 

1898-1919. Fluctuations in the production of the State due 

to fluctuations in the production at Leadville and in the San 

1873. First output of copper from Park County. Juan region. 

1876; Beginning of production of copper from the ores of the 

San Juan region. 

1889-1892. Rise due to production at Leadville. 

1909. Peak of production for the State. 

19Qg_,1923. General decline in production of copper in all 

districts in Colorado, with a slight recovery in 1923. 
PRODUCTION IN MILLIONS OF POUNDS ~ l\:) ~ .c;.. Q1 0>. 

:3l J.OI4!r-l I . 0 

c: 

Ill 

t;l 

:'I 

I 

1-d 

Cl 

0. 

s:: 

g. 

0 

I:S 

&.. 

c:> 

0 

'C 

'C 

~ - ---·I I / .J'l 

(j) 

Ill 

j 

i:i' !O::IV~ 

(' 

4

f _____ I ...,(._ 5- 1891 ag_c a 1892 _.Ill .::. 

0 

~ l'D 

Cll 

Sl 

(il 

1!9. 

0 

I:S 

Cll 

= 0 

g. 

Sl 

II> 

0. 

0 

::;-

0 

a 

.... 

00 

0> 

00 

0 

~ 

co 

~ 

~ 

C' 

'< 

'< 

(I) 

~. Cll 

~ 

i5 

d 

Ill 

·11;1 

? 

I 

.0 

s:: 

::::> 

~ 

-< 

"' t:l 

0. 

< 

~ 

s:: 

(I) 

&.. 

.g 

'C 

'C 

·~ 

'51 

0 

0. 

s:: 

<'> (I) 

0. 

s· 

0 

g. 

~ 

"' 0. 

0 

:::;-

0 

a 

.... 

00 

0> 

00 

.,.. 

0 -

<0 

~ 

0" 

'< 

'< (I) 

~ 

"' t:l 

0. 

< "' (I) 

., 

"' (IQ 

C> 

'51 

(')' 

0 

g 

(I) 

~ :::' 

~ 

~ 

AVERAGE PRICE IN CENTS 

0 0 ·~ ~ ~ 

r--

~ 

0 

9 

g. 

0 

PRODUCTION IN MILLIONS OF POUNDS 

g 

§ 

~ ~ 8 8 

0 0 0 0 0 0 

VALUE IN DOLLARS 

l-.:1 

0 

8 

§ 

~ 

-''" 

~ 

~ 

8 

. 

Ul 

c: 

is: 

== > 

:::;l 

r< 

0 

l:j 

~ 

~ !-3 

c:: 

, 

tr.:l 

rn 

0 

~ 

;g 

0 

~ 

c 

0 

~ 

0 

z 

~ .... 

O· 

~. 

z 

~ 

'< 

C"::: 

!::0 

< 

~ 

VJ 

-:t 

<::> 
80 MINING IN COLORADO 

r--r-17v 

160 

150 

Prod 

140 

1\ J\ 130 

I \ ~\ 1\ r:nl20 

Q [/\ \ /,., \ z I \ guo 

t \ ( \ A '\ c.. 

~ I I ' \ I \ 0100 I \ \ en I \ z \ I \ §oo 

c \ \ 

....::1 \ 

; 80 \ 

f \ -~ \ 

\ ~ 70 

J 

\ 

u 

E=: Value~ 

90 60 ·Q t 0 

~88:: l 50 z 

ff r.:l 

,u 

~7 40 

'~6 /'... If 30 "' /\It ll:: 

Q., 

§s 20 

~ 0 v:; ~ l.I:::\.J 

"""" 

t\ 

uction'l \ ' /" I \ 

1/ I 

I 

I 

/: I ,, I /~I 

1: ~V, \~ 

' 1: I I 

I I ~ \J: l.,,' j I. \·; I 

I 

' v/ \ ) ' I, >/ v 

!/\ Prrce~ \___ r-.._ / 

~ 

I " 1 

I I 

I ' ' \ 

A I 

I I 

I l 

J.,~,\ IY\ I 

I 

/ \ 

v '\'1 '• . \ I I . : I v 

A \~: :\ 

· I_\ VJ ~ ~ I \VI I J I l 

.. I v v ~/ v 

8,500,000 

8,000,000' 

7,500,000 

7,000,000 

6,500,000 

6,000,000 

5,500,000 

5,~,000~ 

4,500,000 8 

z 4,000,000_;:; 

3 

3,500,000 ~ 

3,000,000 

2,500,000 

2,000.000 

1,500,000 

1,000,000 

~4 10 0'i1 v ... 

I~ ~I - ... 

< 

--,-3 n I i .1 .Li I I I I 11 I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I · I I 

500,000 

FIGURE 8.-Quantity and value·of lead produced in Colorado from 1869 to 1923, by years, and average price for each year 

LEAD 

[Figures 8, 9j 

1869-1871. Production in Clear Creek and Summit counties. 

1872. Park County began to produce lead. 

1873. Gilpin County began to produce lead. 

~877-1883. Rapid rise due to the production of lead carbonates at Leadville. 

1882. The·San Juan region began to produce lead in quantity. 

1883. Peak of production at Leadville. 

1888. Production of lead at Aspen began in quantity. 

1889-1897. Decline in production at Leadville. 

1897-1900. Increase in production at Leadville and Aspen 

and in the San Juan region. • 

190<>--:1903. Decline in production at Leadville and in the 

San Juan region. 

1903-1905. Increase in pl'Oducti0n at Leadville and in the 

San Juan region.. o 

1905--1922. General decline in the production of lead in all 

districts in Colorado. 

1923. Appreciable rise in production of lead, chiefly from 

the San Juan region. 
0 

1869 

1870 

1871 

1872 

1873 

:; ·1874 

~ 1875 

l;d 1876 

: 1877 ., 1878 

1-d 1879 

8 1880 

§' 1sS1 

&. 1882 

§ 1883 

0 1884 

= 1885 ~ 1886 ~ 1887 

~ 1888 

Sl 1889 

s· 1890 

.g. 1891 

e. 'l892 

g 1893 

§ 1894 

e 1895 

m 1896 

~ 1897 

~ 1898 

'!1 1899 

8 1900' c. 1901 

Ei 1902 

~ 1903 

[ ~~~; 0 1906 

~ 1907 

a 1908 

~ 1909 

g 1910 

s: 1911 

~ 1912 

~ 1913 

~ 1914 '<1 1915 

~ 1916 

~ 1917 rD 1918 

1919 

1920 

1921 

1922 

1923 

~ 

0 !:5 g .... 

0 

PRODUCTION IN MILLIONS OF POUNDS ~ ~ ~ 00 0 0 0 0 :8 § .... 

0 ~ 

rn 

d 

~ 

Is: 

~· 

~ 

0 

1:1;1 

= 

~ ~· t;l 

f/J 

0 

1:1;1 

I'd 

~· 

8 

a· 

s 

~· 

Ul 

t:Q 

0 

~ 

z 

~ 

~ 

.c 

c:: 

~ 

-<:1 

l:a:J 

rn 

00 

I-" 
82 MINING IN COLORADO 

l9v~.-------.-------.------.-------.-------r------.-------.---~ 

180~------4-----~------4-----~~----~------~.-----+--~ 

,, 170~-------+------~------+-------~----~~-----4~-----+--~ ,, 

I I 160~-------+------~------+-------~----~~-----4~,~,-----+--~ 

~ I 150~-------+------~------+-------+-------~-----4~L----+--~ 

Val u e'rt I 

. 

I 

~ 

'\;1/ 

I // 

V'~ 

140~-------+------~------~-------+-------~-----4~-i-'---+--~ I 

~ • I A~ ~13o~-------+------~------+-------+-o------~-,~\.---4r(/~~~----+---~ 

~ 120 1--1-----l--1-----l---l---I----,71----\-\--JI.' ~-1---\lliL-J-----! 

14511o~--------+------~------~------+-------~~-~~--~--~--~ 

. j . \) A 

13· ::S 1oo t---t.-------+--------+--------+-------+-------+-r-t-1--.-lVI-J,cn 11-tlT~-+---+------1 

z Prpductior ~ 1 \ 

. 12.~ 90 1--1------+------1----l---------lh~-. --111-1--tl ~ \----l+, --t\--t---l-----1 

~::1 : t-+--=-----~-----i----4---/-/---\1\/,_· ~-+-'--1+--J.!_...L\ I ---j!l+!-----\- \+-\-+--~ 0.. I v I I \ I z I \ ~ s 01-+-------+------~-------+---~;---+--~-~~~,--~,~,+----,~-+--~ 

C2 " I '·· o..g 0~~~~~1~/~'~~,h!J~ 

~ o.\ I I t/ ~ 7 Ol-+-----1-----~----4-~,~~~,-,~~~v~+-~~-~---~~~~~--H 

> IV \ I /\ lt ~ 6 Wl--l----+-----1------~-r-~~~,~,~~-+-+\i-+4----~~~--~ 

20 /r'\ 1\ I i~ i r '\J 

._V "\ J )'JlPri9e Y ot-+-----1---~-~~~~~---~------+-----~-------+~~ 

I I I I I ' 1Y~~- I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I 

19 

18 

17 

16 

15 

14 

13 

12 iQ 

<: 

....J 

11;3 0 

lOf:; (f) 

z 90 

~ ....J 

si 

~ 

7 c:LI 

:::::> 

....J 

~ 

6 > 

5 

o~~~~db~~~~~~-L~-LLi_L~~~~~~~~~~- 0 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~gg~~g~~~g~~~~~~**~~~~~~~ ~~~~~-~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~-~~~~~ 

3 

FIGURE 10.-Quantity and value of zinc 'produced in Colorado from 1885 to 1923, by years and average price for each year 

ZINC 

[Figures 10, 11) 

1885-1891. Small production of zinc from Clear Creek, 

Lake, and Summit counties. 

1910. Discovery of zinc carbonate ores at Leadville. 

1910-1912. Rapid strides made in the production of zinc 

carbonates at Leadville brought production of the State up 

to the peak of 1912. 

1912-1914. Decline in production at Leadville and in SumL 1890-1891. Erection of a zinc oxide plant at Canon City 

caused a slight increase in the production of zinc at Leadville. 

1891-1907. Steady increase in production of zinc due to the 

development and exploitation of zinc sulphide ores at Leadville·. 

1892. Chaffee County began to produce zinc. 

1904. Eagle County began to produce zinc. 

1908. Decline in production due to the low price of zinc. 

1908-1910. Increase in production at Leadville and in 

Summit and Eagle counties. 

mit County due to low price of zinc. 

1912-1919. Steady decline in production at Leadville. 

1914-1916. Rise in production in Eagle and Summit counties. 

1916-1919. Decline in production in ·Eagle and Summit 

counties. 

1920. Increase in Eagle and San Juan counties. 

1921. Almost complete cessation of zinc mining. 

1922-1923. Resumption of zinc mining late in 1922, carried 

through 1923, in Eagle, Lake, Summit, Gunnison, and San 

Juan counties. 
SUM~ARY OF FEATURES OF PRODUCTION SHOWN BY CURVES 83 

llOr------.-------r------,------,-------.------.-------~--, 

80 

I'll 

Cl s7o 

0 

0.. 

r... 

0 

I'll 

860 

:3 

= ~ 

z 

;; 50 -f0 

E=: 

u 

::::> 

0.. 

g40 

0.. 

30 

I 

I 

FIGURE 1L-Production of zinc by principal counties or regions in Colorado from 1885 to 1923, by years 

TOTAL VALUES OF GOLD, SILVER, COPPER, LEAD, AND 

ZINC 

[Figures 12, 13] 

1859-1868. Production of gold. 

1868-1876. Production of gold and. silver. 

1876-1880. Rise in production of silver and lead. 

1880-1888. Increase in production of lead; decrease in production of silver. 

1888-1893: Increase in production of gold and silver; decrease in production of lead. 

1897. Increase in production of silver. 

1897-1900. Increase in production of gold, lead, and zinc, 

1900. Peak of production of lead and gold. 

1900-1921. General decline in production of all metals except 

zinc; production of zinc fluctuating. 

1922-1923. Slight increase owing to increases in lead and 

zinc. 
84 MINING IN COLORADO 

65 

( \ 0 If\ 

I \! ~ ~ 

c J 

y \ 1\ II 

50 

45 

40 

r\1 / v v \J 

-

I v 

I 

}J\ h/ .... 

I 1\ J 

I .v 15 

5 

1 

) 0 

v ~ 

y----v - .-. 

0 _/ l I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I 11 I I J II J I I 

10 

0 

....... 

~~iili~li!I~&E;~~E~~E~i~~~~~~~~~i~~i~~i~lli§li*~§~~~ia;~~;5~!~~~~ .-I ......t' .......... 1"""'1 T"""4 l"-4 1""""'1 ........... ~ ........................... - ......................................................... ....t .......... .-1 1"""'1 ......................................... ...-4 .......... ~ ............ .-4 .............. ...-4 ~ ..................................................................... -

FIGURE 12.-Total value of gold, silver, copper, lead, and zinc produced in Colorado from 1859 to 1923, by years 

CURVES OF PRODUCTION OF GOLD, SILVER, COPPER, 

LEA_D, AND ZINC 

·[Figure 14] 

A comparison of the. curves shows, in general, a lack of 

parallelism which indicates the lack of dependence of the 

production of one metal upon the production of any . other 

metal. 

These curves also illustrate the relative insignificance of the 

production of copper in Colorado. 

PRODUCTION BY YEARS AND COUNTIES 

[Figures 15-20] 

The value of the gold, silver, copper, lead, and zinc 

produced in Colorado from 1858 to 1922, inclusive, 

except that of the small unknown output made during the last few months of 1858, is $1,512,530,393, 

of which $666,470,261, or 44 per cent, was gold; 

$497,359,666, or 33 per cent, was silver;.$39,703,094, or 

3 per cent, was copper; $186,463,306, or 12 per cent, 

was lead; and· $122,534,066, or 8 per cent, was zinc. 

The production in 1923, which is shown ino the table 

on page 103, made no appreciable change in the percentages. ·· 

In 66 years, therefore, tlie average production per 

year was $22,9i7,127, which according to the percentages stated above would amount annually to 

$10,083,536 gold; $7,562,652 silver; $687,514 copper; 

$2,750,055 lead; and $1,833,370 zinc. Zinc, however, 

was produced only in small quantities prior to 1892 

and not in considerable quantity until 1897. Its 

production as spelter began in 1899. 

In 1900 the value of the metallic output of Colorado· 

reached its inaximum-$50,614,424-of which gold 

amounted to $28,762,036; silver, $12,608,637; copper, 

. $1,299,251; lead, $7,228,090; and zinc, $716,410. 

The output of gold in that year was the greatest ever 

made. The output of silver having the greatest 

value was made in 1891, when 21,160,000 ounces was 

produced, worth 99 ce~ts an ounce, having a total 

value of $20,948,401. In 1893 the quantity of silver 

produced was the largest-25,838,600 ounces, worth 
SUMMARY OF FEATURES OF PRODUCTION SHOW..N BY CURVES 85 

\ 

' .. .. , 

' \Tell ~r lAke I 

L~e I ' ~ I\ I 

/\/ \ : I I 

\ !/\ ~ 

' I I \ ' I 

' I I I 

I t I I c I II I 1: !I\ I . T \ : " ~\ ,, I 

\~ :/··, I 

,\ --1Y I 1\ .... -"\ ) ~ ', A 1/ l\ !I J 1\ \ 

~ I\ 

~ (j 'I' v/~ f ~-~ /~' ·V /V v \ ': \ .... \ 

I \ I 

~ L/\ I I \_I I 

vv v "'J u ~-~ v~ ~ lder, '\ ---- .. 

(' I ClearC( eek, 1\ ·" / ...... _, I 

I 1'-..........and ilpion .-... 

~ ~I I /Sa , , f1 Jua.n I ""' vv. ~ \A 

,.../reg on I 

~~ I I I ..1..- 17T -1 -, VI I I I 0 I I I I J/( I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I i'n---

FIGURE 13.-Total value of gold, silver, copper, lead, and zinc produced by principal counties or regions in Colorado from 1859 to 1923, by years 

171'. ~.ooo...--.-----,-------..:...--.-----..----..-----..-----,-----.-----.----..------,---~----,----, 

lG\.1,000.000 l---1-----l---~----l----+----l---~--+----+----l•f"+----+----+----+----l---l: 

I \ 150 .. 000,0(ll)I-_J_ __ _j _ _:__...j ___ -.f..---+----l----+----ll---1-r, +1,----l-----+---~1-----+---f 

14o,ooo;ooo'---+----f----l----i----+---i-"·-+__,..--+----t----T-.---t..l.-\----11-----+----+---~-:-----l 

f\, I • 

130,000,000 1-~---+---~---~----~-~~~-~~/·1~-~~~-~~+'~''rA~-4--~-~~4-1~~"~---~--4 I \ / \ A . I ' 'V I .• ' • \ 

I \ I \ /'J \ I,' \ ~ / \ ! \ I I 

120,000,000I--+-----+---+----1---+--,,I-+-',1-,t....:---rt-:\J~--¥- f,\_-\\....-+-,--;. J....., '---+-+-+,,-,.:-4-l-\ -~:....____;1~\ --1-/+---tl--t-----f 

II I . . '\. fit \ \ \ ,' i~ .. ... ,· ~ I i 

uo,ooo,ooo l---1----+----+----+----+-,,__--=:t-!-----'~-1---',.--~to.--v~t:.t~'r+--;T,."T.:,;....-../4-\'-4-'-,..L, ~,-4--Tt--+~-,-+rrr-.._, --+---4 

I \ /1 ' \ v ' '..: \ : \ ,' \ I 100,000,000 1--l-----1-----1----+--L-e-a-.d-1-1----il J~--1-----+1----l\-,,~--'-,,/L----l~\---+----4....:_ _ _....._+-,-~i'ot+-T-,-!-,----!----I 

(pounds/· / I'-. 'I '. \ i 1

1 

\ I 9o,ooo,oooi---1---+---+---~:..._::.--4-...L,J-~---I---1/...-I-::-S--:-=i 1-v-er-~')wl:..__--+--\-\--+-,-,......,+,\--f-!,r.i.-... _-.t,-rL, -t---=,;-, ..-1-+----+ 

r OUnCeS) f"' I r '7"\ I 1 so,ooo,oool--l-----1----+----+----1-1---+--/-+----+=--__:-+--,i-!----I--1\Ir-'l\-t---.l--...L~r~-+-~~'--...j.:.=-\.--+--,--~--+--~ 

I ,' . ~ \ / ~, /~'v J \ /\ ~~ 70,000,000 1---1----+----+----+.---),-1.1'\.....---A.---l--~-1---+----+~,___,G_o_l d--+---I'C'J~I-+-----41·;.-\ ~.~,JI--..X---'__;ll,f---1'-,...!;•'lr---+---l 

[ ......, '\....~ • (dollars I ""-~ 1

• •/ j ~ 60,000,000 l--o-1----+---+----+---,/.l-l-!-----==~...,.....,.,__+----4-~-~~---i----t==-.~,.....~+-=-.:_y----+---tl'~ 11-+---l 

,f ! ! ~· j : \'. . 50,000,000 l--+----t---+----_+---f1

1-+,-----'+---+----<1*---l--1....;-....,z""lr.-+c-. --..--\;r;T-]...;.......Jr-----l. _-.J\H,-+,-l---1 

I ,' ;(pounds)\~ /\. \\~ 1 

4o,ooo.oool--+----+-----+---~--4,i!.......+---r----+--/~/~,__--+-,+-.1 ..:.!.----lf---!......+v+,, ---llv~;____.:~,~--....~,,.~.,Ll,!lt~-,-,.;-/tHj 

30;000.000 ~----=-+----+----~--~-------4 ),~~-----+-----+--,...L, --+----=-+; --4,:..__--~----~:___+---+---·~~c-. ++u~ 

2o.ooo.oool---+--~~~~~,----+----+-~--+~-~-----~--,~~~~-~-~----+----4+---+----~c--~~---+~~ ' " ,., 1 - opper , , ,' '\. /- ',, ~ -- I (pounds' If 

lO,OOO,OOO!-r---t-.!:.-.---tl-~--:;~f--f-,--t-----l[----t--_--j~--.:~~'-~::::::::::::;::__,~;:::-::;;::--..:=t:r-.:...~_.tf--4~:::;:::::;:_--iJ)j~'~ 

o~~~db~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~=L~~~~~~-L~-L~~~~~~-L~~~ ./II II I I LJ-~Ll-L.. .1/f II Ill..!. l.l..l 1/~_I.J.I= .1..-f-11 II II I Ill II~~ I I f'r' Tl 

~~illilliiiEiE~~~EEEEiillillilliilli~lil!~§§l~~~~~§*~~~~*;~~~~i~~ 

FIGURE ----------------------------------------------------------------- H.-Production or gold, in dollars, of silver, in ounces, and of copper, lead, and zinc, in potmds, ln Colorado from 1859 to 11l23, by years 
86 MINING IN COLORADO 

78 cents an ounce, having a :total value of $20,154,107. 

In 1917 the output of copper reached its greatest 

value-$2,217,307. The average price was then 

27.3 cents a pound, and the output was 8,122,004 

Per County' cent. 

Teller $319 803,837 47.98 

Gilpin .84,085,193 12.62 

San Miguel 58,076,623 8.71 

Lal<e 50,908,069 7.64 

Ouray· ~ 35,108,556 5;27 

Clear- Creek 

- 22!.515,268 3.38 

San Juan - 22,469,127 3.37 

Summit 

- 18,886,941 2.83 

Boulder 

- :15,927,853 2.39 

· Park • 10,274;359 1.54 

Chaffee • 7,3&4,281 1.11 

~~~~:I 3,572,749 .54 

Eagle I 2,963,704 .45 

Mineral I 2,72Q,583 .41 

Rio Grande I .2,363,077 .35 

Gunnison 2,205,917 .33 

Custer _2,183,472 .32 

Dolores 1,974,760 .30 

Hinsdale 1,451,189 .22 

All otherS 1,594,703 .24 

666,470,261 100.00 

FIGURE)5.-Production of gold in Colorado, 1859 to 1922, by counties 

pounds. In 1909 the largest annual output of copper 

was made-10,916,191 pounds. The ·maximum for 

lead in both quantity and value was reached in 1900, 

when the output was 164,274,762 pounds, which at 

-the price then paid, 4.4 cents a pound, was worth 

$7,228,090. Since 1900 the trend of the production 

Per 

County Fine ounces cent. 

229 826 649 36.86 Lake 

Pitkin 97,178,641 15.59 

Clear Creek 57,625,615 9.24 

Mineral 44,338,172 7.11 

San Miguel 41,076,379 6.59 

Ouray 40,895,385 6.57 

:San Juan 

- 28,179,827 4.52 

Summit -· 13,430,922 2.15 

Dolores 

- 11,634,519 1.86 

Gilpin 

- 10,477,600 1.68 

Boulder 

- 7,955,216 1.28 

Eagle 

- 7,320,722 1.17 

Park 

- G,936,144 1.11 

Hinsdale • 5,648,647 . 91 

Gunnison • 5,412,777. .. 87 

Chaffee • 5,201,131 -~ 

Custer • '4,513,093 • 72 

Saguache I 1,805,778 • 29 

Teller~ I 1,739,989 .28 

La Plata and· 1 Montezuma 1 737,625 .28 

All others I 580,081 .09 

623,514, 9J2 100.00 

FIGURE 16.-Production of silver in Colorado, 1859 to 1922, by counties 

<>f lead in Colorado.has been downward, that for 1921 

being the lowest recorded from 1879 to 1923. The 

maximum for zinc in quantity and value was reached 

in l9ln, when the- output was -134,285,463 pounds, 

which, at the price then paid, 13.4 cents a pound, was 

worth $17,994,252. . · 

Lake County (Leadville) holds the record for total 

value, its production being valued at $423,860,061 

for 63 years; Teller County (Cripple Creek) IS 

County 

Lak~ 

San J~tan 

Gilpin 

Ouray 

San Mi¥'uel 

Clear Creek -

Chaff£•e -

Eagle -

Dolon~s -

Hinsdale • 

Park • 

Pitkin I 

Summit 

Gunnison 

Boulder 

Saguache 

Fremont 

All others • 

Per Pounds. cent. 

99,588,056 38.48 

49,019,057 18.94 

25,361,375 9.80 

22.883,253 8.84 

15;272, 733 5.90. 

11,865,861 4.58 

9,624,306 3.72 

6,215,873 2 40 

6,187,058 2.39 

2,853,998 1.10 

2,038,700 .79 

1,128,463, .44 

1,047,303 .40 

985,319 .38 

967,627 .37 

962,540 .37 

667,154 .26 

2,116,775 .84 

258,830,451 100.00 

FIGURE 17.-Production of copper in Colorado, 1868 to 1922, by counties 

second, with $320,932,424 for 31 years; San Miguel 

County is third, with $100,511,284 for47 years; Pitkin 

County fourth, with $100,365,748 in 42 years; Gilpin 

County fifth, with $98,325,802 in 63 years; Clear Creek 

County sixth, with $86,894,724 in 63 years; Ouray 

County seventh, with $77,070,903 in 48 years; San 

Juan County eighth, with $68,204,824 in 49 years; 

Per County Pounds. cent. 

Lake 1 919,663 167 46.20 

Pitkin 562,582,702 13.54 

San Juan 305,687,350 7.36 

Mineral 

- 197,739,744 4.76 

Clear Creek - 177,040,319 4.26 

SanMiguel~ 166,117,375 3.99 

01f!ay 

- 160,156,027 3.85; 

Summit 

- -149,813,394 3.61 

Chaffee 

- 129,955,089 3.13 

Hinsqale 

- 97,257,388 2.34 

Eagle 

- 87,191,309 2.10 

Park • 41,160,955 .99 

Gunnison • 41,073,529 .99 

Dolores • 36,959,730 .89 

Gilpin • 35,262,678 .85 

Custer • 31,674;690 .76 

Saguache 7,920,549 .19 

Boulder 6,487,432 .1~ 

All others I 1,195,814 .03 

4, 154,939,351 100.00 

FIGURE 18.-Production oflead in Colorado, 1869 to 1922, by counties 

Summit County ninth, with $47,894,768 in 63 years; 

Mineral County tenth, with $42,019,417 in 33 years. 

The three principal counties of the San Juan 

region-Ouray, San Juan, and San Miguel··-ha~e 
PRODUCTION BY YEARS AND COUNTIES 87 

produced $245,787,012 in 49 years, and the entire 

San Juan region, which includes Dolores, Hinsdale, 

La Plata, Mineral, Montezuma, Ouray, Rio Grande, 

San Juan, and San Miguel counties, has produced 

$320,259,686 in 52 years. · 

Teller County outranks all others in its production 

of gold, which amounted to $319,803,837, and Gilpin County comes next with $84,085,193, and is followed by San Miguel County · with $58,076,623, 

Lake County with $50,908,069, Ouray County with 

$35,108,556, Clear Creek County with $22,515,268, San 

Juan County with $22,469,127, Summit County .with 

$18,886,941) and Boulder County with $15,927,853. 

The three principal counties of the San .Juan regionOuray, San Juan, and San Miguel-have produced 

Per 

County Pounds cent. 

1,225,503 034 72.70 Lake 

Eagle 

- 131,493,129 7.80 

Summit 

- 129,810,560 7.70 

San Juan 

- 42,814,684 2.54 

Clear Creek • 30,399,821 1.80 

Chaffee • 28,449,505 1.69 

Mineral • 27,572,407 1.64 

San Miguel • 18,141,182 1.08 

Pitkin I 16,377,002 .97 

Gunnison • 16,124,550 .96 

Dolores 10,648;316 .63 

All others I 8,348,795 .49 

1,685,682,985 100.00 

FIGURE 19.-Production of zinc in Colorado, 1865 to 1922, by counties 

$115,654,306 in gold. The entire San Juan region 

has produced $126,285,475 in gold.· Boulder, Clear 

Creek, and Gilpin counties combined have produced 

$122,528,314 in gold. 

Lake County outranks all others in the production 

of silver, which amounts to 229,826,649 ounces, 

valued at $188,872,146; Pitkin County is second, 

with 97,178,641 ounces, valued at $72,988,357; Clear 

Creek County is third, with 57,625,615 ounces, valued 

at $52,222,478; in quantity Mineral County is fourth 

with 44,338,172 ounces, San Miguel is fifth with 

41,076,379 ounces, and Ouray County is sixth with 

40,895,385 ounces. In value, Ouray is fourth, San 

Miguel is fifth, and Mineral is sixth. Then follows 

San Juan County, 28,179,827 ounces; Summit County, 

13,430,922 ounces; Dolores County, 11,634,519 

ounces; and Gilpin County, 10,477,600 ounces. 

Lake County holds first rank in the production of 

copper, its local output being 99,588,056 pounds, 

valued at $14,254,235. It is followed by San Juan, 

49,019,057 pounds, valued at $7,578,249; Gilpin 

25,361,375 pounds, valued at $4,161,058; Ouray, 

22,883,253 pounds, valued at $3,300,733; San Miguel, 

15,272,733 pounds, valued at $2,535,263; and Clear 

Creek, 11,865,860 pounds, valued at $1,919,926. 

. Lake County holds first rank in the production of 

lead, 1,919,663,167 pounds, valued at $85,061,553; 

Pitkin County comes next, with 562,982,702 pounds, 

valued at ·$25,573,729; and is followed by San Juan 

County, 305,687,350 pounds, valued at $14,621,297; 

Mineral County, 197,739,744 pounds, valued at 

$8,738,960; Clear Creek County, 177,040,319 pounds, 

valued at $8,026,391; San Miguel County, 166,117,375 

pounds, valued at· $8,313,259, this value exceeding 

that of Clear Creek; Ouray County, 160,156,027 

pounds, valued at $7,003,622; Summit County, 

149,813,394 pounds, valued at $6,541,048; Chaffee 

County, 129,955,089 pounds, valued at $5,710,328; 

Hinsdale County, . 97,257,388 pounds, valued at 

$3,993,171_; Eagle County, 87,191,309 pounds, valued 

at $3,871,605. 

Per 

County cent. 

$423,860 061 28.02 Lake 

Teller 320,932 424 21.22 

San Miguel 100,511,284 6.65 

Pitkin 100,365,748 6.64 

Gilpin 98,325,802 6.50 

Clear Creek 86,894,724 5.74 

Ouray 77,070,903 5.09 

San Juan 68,204,824 4.51 

Summit 

- 47,894,768 3.17 

Mineral 

- 42,019,417 2. 78 

Eagle 

- 26,299,337 1.74 

Boulder 

- 23,963,989 1.58 

Chaffee 

- 21,518,296 1.42 

Park - 19,582,068 1.30 

Dolores - 14,663,071 .97 

Gunnison • 10.~0.400 .70 

Hinsdale • 10,486,673 .69 

Custer • 8,212,057 .54 

La Plata and Montezuma• 4,745,495 .31 

Rio Grande I 2,555,018 .17 

Saguach(.> 2,372,745 .16 

All others I 1,465,289 .10 

1,512,530,393 100.00 

FIGURE 20.-Total value of gold, silver, copper, lead, and zinc produced in Colorado from 1859 to 1922, by counties 

Lake County also ranks first in the production of 

zinc-1,225,503,034 pounds, valued at $84,770,058; 

Eagle County is :p.ext, with 131,493,129 pounds, 

valued at $12,225,773; followed by Summit County, 

129,810,560 pounds, valued at $10,724,763; San Juan 

County, 42,814,684 pounds, valued at $3,490,764; 

Clear Creek County, 30,399,821 pounds, valued at 

$2,210,661; Chaffee County, 28,449,505 pounds, 

valued at $2,482,051, this· val~e exceeding that of 

Clear· Creek; Mineral County, 27,&72,407 pounds, 

valued at $1,511,944; San Miguel County, 18,141,182 

pounds, valued at $1,323,787; Pitkin County, 

16,377,002 pounds, valued at $1,028,289; and Gunnison County, 16,124,550 pounds, valued at $1,477,204, · 

this value exceeding that of Pitkin. 
88 MINING IN COLORADO 

Gold, silver, copper, lead, and zinc p~oduced in Colorado, 1858-1923, by counties, in terms of recovered metals a 

County 

Gold Silver Copper Lead Zinc Ore sold ortroowdl--------------.------l--------------1-------.------l-------~------l----~~------l 

(short 

tons) Placer Lode Total Fine 

ounces Value Pounds Value Pounds Value Pounds Value 

Total 

value 

----------------------1------ ------ ------ -------------------1-------1--------1------1------ ------

1858-1867 

Boulder ____ ._------------_------- ____ ------ ~-- ___ ---- $195,·000 Chaffee __________________________ ---------- $380,000 ---------- Clear Creek _____________________ ---------- 2, 100,000---------- Gilpin ___________________________ ---------- 241,91.8 9, 192,866 Lake ••• : ________________________ ---------- 5, 212, ooo. _________ _ 

~~i:mff=:::::::.::::::::::::::::: :::::::::: ~: i~8: ggg ___ :~~~~~ 

$195,000---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ----------- __ " _______ ---------- ----------

380,000 ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ----------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 2,100,000 30,349 $40,501 ---------- ---------- ----------- -----·---- ---------- ----------

~: ~~: ~~ 2gi: ~~ aM: ~~g :::::::::: :::::::::: ::::::::::: :::::::::: :::=:::::: :::::::::: 

2,490,000---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

5,150,000---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ----------- ---------- ---------- ----------

$195,00(} 

380, 00() 

2, 140,501 

9, 750, 00(} 

5,322,422 

2, 490, 00(} 

5, 150, 00(} 

---------~ 14,923,91810,097,866 25,021,784 302,829 406, 139 ---------- ---------- ----------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 25,427,923-

~g~ee::_:::::;;;;::::::::::::::: :::::::::: ----io;ooo ----~~~~~ 5

5

1go:, go0 Clear Creek _____ ------------ ______ ----- _ __ 50, 000 ---------- oogo :::·1_0:6=,=~~3: :::·1_4::1,=8=~o= ~-=-=_=_:::::: ---=-======== =-========== :_: __ ::_: __ ::_:_:: :_:_: __ ::_:_: ___ -: __ :::::::::::1 191, 1:::~ 82(} 

GLakilpein __ --_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_· -_-_-_· -_-_-_-_-_-_ -_-_-___ -_-_ -_-_-_-_-_ -_-_-_ -__ .

6

.

0 

.•. . _1_,_6_4_o_,_o_o_o_ 1, 640, ooo 93, 311 123, 730 50, ooo $11, 500 _______________________________ ---------- 1, 775, 230 60,000 . 452 600---------- ---------- ----------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 60,600 

Park--------------------------------------- 50,000---------- 50,000 ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ----------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 50, 00(} Summit. ________________________ ---------- 150,000---------- 150,000---------- ____ " _____ ------------------------------------------------------------- 150,00() 

320,000 1, 690,000 2, 010,000 200,716 266, 150 50, OOOI 11,500 ----------- ---------- "--------- ---------- 2, 287, 65(} 

Boulder_-----~~~~--------------- ---------- ----------1 100,000 100,000 3, 547 4, 700 ---------- ---------- ----------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 104, 70() Chaffee _____ 10, ooo 1

__________ 10,000---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ----------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ~g: ~~~ 

~:rJmm~~~~~~~~~~mm~~ ~~m~~m --iii;~;:~ 2

: ~ m --·~~~ ---:: ===~~~m ====~=: ====~m: ====:: mmm~ ~~~=~~~m 2

• ~a === 38o,oooj2,8oo,ooo a,18o,ooo 475,472 63o,ooo 102,000 24,735 150,ooo 9,ooo __________ === 3,843,73& ==========================================1======:1======!======1=======1:=======1====== 1870 

Boulder __ ----------------------- ---------- ---------- 100,000 Chaffee·-------------------------~---------- 10,000 60,000 Clear Creek _____________________ ---------- 80,000----------

Gilpin ___________ ·.--------------- ---------- ---------- 2, 120,000 Lake. ________ -------------- _____ ------- ___ 65, ooo --------- _ 

Park--------------------------------------- 40,000 40,000 Summit _______ ----------_------_ ------- ___ 500, 000 ----------

100,000 60,241 80,000 ---------- ---------- ----------- ---------- ------~--- ---------- 70,000---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ----------- ---------- ---------- ---'------- 80, 000 362,465 481,354 2, 500 530 200,000 12,000 ---------- ---------- 2, 120,000 65,910 87,528 180,000 38, 124 ----------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 65,000 465 618 ---------- ---------- ----------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 80,000---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ----------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 500, ooo 7, 907 10, 5oo __________ __________ 50, ooo a, ooo· ___________________ _ 

180, 00() 

70,00() 

573,884 

2, 245,652 

65,618 

80,000 

513, 50() 

695, .ooo 2, 320, 000 3, 015, 000 496, 988 660, 000 182, 500 38,654 250,000 15,000 ---------- ---------- 3, 728,654 

1871 

Boulder ________ _: ________________ ---------- ---------- 156,605 Chaffee __________________________ ---------- 10,000 ----------

Clear Creek------------------------------- 20,000----------

£~~~=::::::::::::.::::::::::~::: :::::::::: ----so:ooo 3

' ~~: ~~~ Park-----------------------·--------------- 40,000---------- Summit_ ________________________ ---------- 70,000 ----------

156,605 60,377 80,000 ----·------ ---------- ___ : _______ ---------- ---------- ----------

10,000---------- ---------- ---------- ~--------- ----------- ---~------ ---------- ---------- 20,000 640,790 849,047 3, 000 724 550,000 33,000 ---------- ---------- 3,237,346 59,229 78,478 180,000 43,416 ___________ ------------------------------

100,000 1,158 1, 534 ----·------ ---------- ----------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 40, ooo 15,094 20, ooo __________ __________ 5, opo aoo ---------- ----,-----

70,000 ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ----------- --~------- ---------- ----------

236, 60& 10,00() 

902,771 

3, 359, 24() 

101,534 

60,30() 

70,00() 

190, 000 3, 443, 951 3, 633, 951 776, 648 1, 029, 059 183, 000 44,140 555,000 33,300 ---------~ ---------- 4, 740, 45() 

~ i . 

~g~Jee::.:::::::::::::::::::::::: :::::::::: ----io;ooo ---~==·-~~= ~: ~g~l---~~~·-=~= ---~~~·-~=~ :::::::::: :::::::::: ::::::::::: :::::::::: :::::::::: :::::::::: Clear Creek _____________________ ---------- 25,009 ______ 0

____ 25,000 1, 118,299 1, 478,391 4, 000 1, 422 1, 000,000 64,000---------- ----------

~f~~~= Summit. ________________________ ~=~~~= ~~= ~;~~~~~~= ~~~ ~= .:.:.=..:.:..:. =~~ ~== ~~ = = = == 

120,000----------

= ~~ ~ :~:~~~ -~-~: 120,0001 ~~ .l 

3, 

m 

782 .~ 5, 

m 

000---------- ; ;; ~; ~ ;; ----------

;; ~~~~~ == === 

100,000 

;~~~ == = == ~~~ 6, 400---------- =~~ ~~ =~= ~~ ----------=~~ ~~~ ==~ ~ ---------- 271,500 2, 374,963 2, 646,463 1, 524,206 2, 015,000 204,000 72,542 1, 150,000 73,600 ---------- ----------

1873 I 

~~3ee::_:::::::::::::::::::::::: :::::::::: ----io;ooo ---~~~~~~ ~_g;gggi---~:~~=~ ---~~~~~:: :::::::::: ::::::::::'::::::::::: :::::::::: :::::::::: :::::::::: 

Clear Creek.------------------------------ 34,000 ---------- 3~, 000 902,668 1, 170,760 10,000 2, 800 1, 000,000 60,000 ---------- ---------- Custer ___________________________ ---------- _______ : __ ---------- ----------1 7, 721 10,014 ---------- ---------- ----------- ---------- ---------- ----------

~~~~~~~-~-~~~==::::::::::::::::: :::::::::: ----;fg~ -~~~~~;~~~ 1

, :i: g~!----~~;~~~ ----=:;:~~ ===~~~:~~~ ====~~·=~~~ =====~·=;: :::::~:~~~ ========== :::::::::: Park._-------------------------- ---------- 60,000 20,000 80,000 307,633 399,000 169,493 47,458 111, 4vv 6, 684 ---------- ---------- Rio Grande _____________________ -------------------- 2,000 2,000---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Routt and Moffat _______________ ---------- 26,000 ----~----- 26,000---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ----------- ---------- ---------- ----------

~~~if.:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ----75;ooo ----~~~~~~ ~~: ~gg -----3;855 ----·s:ooo ====~===== :::::::::: ----ioo;ooo -----ii;ooo :::::::::: :::::::::: 

488,477 

10,00() 

1, 568,813 

8,000 

2, 224, 67~ 

135, 03& 241,200 

131,400 

4, 807, 60& 

521, 177 10,000 

1, 267,56() 

10,014 

1,498, 002 5,000 

228,809 

533,142 

2,000 

26,000 

13,000 

86,000 

285, 000 1, 733, 931 2, 018, 931 1, 543, 047 2, 001, 331 379, 493 106, 258 1, 236, 400 74, 184 ---------- ---------- 4, 200,704 ======l=======l=======f=======l======l=======l=======l:======ll========l======l======= 

187' 

Boulder __ ----------------------- ------ ____ _ ___ ___ ___ 160, 000 160, 000 293, 806 375, 484 __________ ---------- -~ --------- -------- __ ---------- ---------- Chaffee __________________________ ---------- 10,000 ---------- 10,000 ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ----------- ---------- ---------- ---------- Clear Creek _____________________ ---------- 42,500---------- 42,500 1, 634,434 2, 088,807 15,000 3, 300 803,983 48,239---------- ---------- Custer ___________________________ ---------------------------------------- 17,005 21,732 5, 100 1,122 ----------- ---------- ---------- ---------- Gilpin ___________________________ -------------------- 1, 525,447 1, 525,447 39,418 50,376 · 252,050 55,451 50,000 3, 000 ---------- ----------

Lake._-------------------------- _____ _____ 70, 000 143, 503 213, 503 2, 797 3, 575 ---------- ---------- ____ ------- ---------- ---------- ---------- Park-------------------------------------- 66,497 50,000 116,497 333,764 426,550 203,391 44,746-----------------------------------------

Rio Grande----------------------------------------- 5, 000 5, 000---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- _________ .:_ ---------- ---------- ----------

r~~~:::::::::::::::::::::::: ~~~~~~~~ ===;~~;;; -::~;~~~----::~: :::::::::: :::::::::: 

o For explanation see footnote to Table 1, p. 69. 

535,484 

10,000 

2, 182,846 

22,854 

1, 634,274 

217,078 

587,793 

5,000 

13,586 

125,833 

5,334, 748 
PRODUCTION BY YEARS AND COUNTIES 89 

Gold,. silver, copper, lead, and zinc produced in Colorado, 1858-1923, by counties, in terms of recovered metals-Continued 

County 

_Gold Silver Copper Lead Zinc Ore sold ortreatedl-------.------~-------1-------~------ll-------.~-----l-------~--------------.-------l 

(short 

tons) Placer Lode Total Fine 

ounces Value Pounds Value Pounds Value Pounds Value 

'fotal 

value 

-----------------------·1------''"--- ------------------- -------------------- ----1-----1----- ------------------

1875 

~g~Je~_:::::::::::::::::::::::: :::::::::: ---$2i;55i __ !~~~:~~~ ~~; g~~ ---~~~:~~ __ !~~~:~:~ :::::::::: :::::::::: ::::::::::: :::::::::: :::::::::: :::::::::: 

Clear Creek •• ------------------- 12,000 68,960 3, 448 72,408 ·1, 343,610 1, 666,076 15,000 .$3, 405 1, 300,000 $75,400 ---------- ---------- Ouster ___________________________ ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 156,142 193,616 ---------- ---------- ----------- ---------- ---------- ---------- Gilpin ___ _. _______________________ --------•- ---------- 1, 395,566 1, 395,566 62,670 77,711 193,665 43,962 50,000 2, 900 ---------- ----------

Hinsdale _________________________ ---------- ---------- 12,000 12,000 47,953 59,462 ---------- ----·------ ----------- ---------- ---------- ---------- Lake. __ ------------------------- -------- __ 17, 237 25, 862 43, 099 16, 668 20, 668 __ ------- ________________________________ ---------- ---------- Park _____________________________ ---------- 80,000 24,302 104,302 412,022 510,907 72, 150 16,378 25,000 1, 450 ---------- ----------

Rio Grande------------------------------------------ 272,044 272,044 7, 734 9, 590 ---------- ---------- ------~---- ---------- ---------- ---------- Routt and Moffat _______________ ---------- 3, 500---------- 3, 500---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- --------------------- ---------- ---------- San Juan ________________________ -------------------- 10,000 10,000 68,547 84,998 ---------- ---------- 120,"000 6, 960 ---------- ----------

San MigueL.------------------------------------------------------------. 3,867 4, 795---------- ---------- ----------- ---------- ---------- ---------- Summit.---------------------------------- 72,012---------- 72,012 7, 734 9, 590 ---------- ---------- 141,000 8, 178 ---------- ----------

$470,233 

21,551 

1, 817,289 

193,616 

1, 520,139 

71,462 

63,767 

633,037 

281,634 

3, 500 

101,958 

4, 795 

89,780 . 

~~~~~~-~~~m~~~ ~m 63,745 1, 636,000 . 94,888 ---------- ---------- 5, 272,761 

================ 1876 

Boulder ___ ---------------------- ---------- __ ___ __ __ _ 200, 000 200, 000 232, 031 269, 156 --"-- __________________________ ----- ______ --------- --------- _ ·. ·Ohafiee __________________________ ---------- 25,000 ______ .____ 25,000 3, 867 4, 486 ---------- ---------- _______ : ___ ---------- ---------- ----------

Olear Creek.-------------------- ---------- 40,000 55, 161 95, 161 1, 421, 104 1, 648,481 15,000 3, 150 819,672 50,000 ---------- ---------- ·Custer ___________________________ ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 38,672 44,860 ---------- ---------- ----------- ---------- ---------- ---------- Gilpin ___________________________ ---------- ---------- 1, 990,002 1, 990,002 89,365 103,663 250,000 52,500 50,000 3, 050---------- ----------

Hinsdale _______ ~------------------------------------ 20,000 20,000 154,688 179,438-------------------- 50,000 3,050--------------------

Lake .. ------------------------------------ 30,000 30,000 60,000 23,203 26,915 ---------- ---------- 15,000 · 915 ----~----- ---------- Park ____________________________ ---------- 40,000 20,000 60,000 386,719 448,594 68,333 - 14,350 50,000 3,050 __________ ----------

Rio Grande ______________________ ----------____ ____ 121, 148 121, 148 7, 734 8, 971 ---------- -------~-~ ----------- ---------- ---------- ---------- San Juan ________________________ ---------- ---------- 5, 000 5, 000 48,465 56,219 ---------- ---------- ~9, 348 15,210 ---------- ----------

San MigueL _____________________ ---------------------------------------- 3' 867 1749', 448368 -_-_-_-_-_ .. _-_-_-_-_ -__ --_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_ ----1·o·o·,-o·o·o- -----6·,--10_0 __ --_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_ -_-_-_-_-_.-__ -_--_-_ Summit_---------------------------------- 150,000 ---------- 150,000 154,688 

469,156 

29,486 

1, 796,792 

44,860 

2, 149,215 

202,488 

87,830 

525,994 

130, 119 

76,429 

4,486 

335,538 

------ 285, 000 2, 441, 311 -2-,-72_6_, -31_1_1_2_, 5-6-4,-4-0-3 11 _2_,-9-74-,-70_7_1 __ 3_3_3_, 3-3-31----70-,-0-00-l--1-, 3-3-4,_0_2_011---81-,-3-75+_-_-_-__ -_-__ -_-_1 _____ -_-_-__ -_-_- 5, 852, 393 

=======================1======:1======:~=====1======1=======1====== 1877 

Boulder _________________________ --~----------------- 400,000 400,000 232,031 278,437---------- --~-~----- ----------------------------------------- Chaffee ___________ ---------·-------------- 25,000---------- 25,000 7, 734 9, ;281 ---------- ---------- 50,000 2, 750 --•------- ---------- Clear Creek.------------------------------ 20,000 76,500 96,500 1, 534,560 1, 841,472 ·15, 000 2, 850 2, 236,364 123,000 ---------- ---------- Custer ___________________________ -------------------- 50,000 50,000 77,344 92,813 ---------- ---------- ----------- ---------- ---------- ---------- Gilpin ___________________________ ---------- ---------- 2, 086,871 2, 086,8711 93,714 112,457 300,000 57,000 50,000 2, 750 ---------- ---------- Hinsdale ___ --------------------- __ -------- ------- _ _ _ 25, 000 25, 000 92, 814 111, 377 ---------- _ __ __ _____ 100, 000 5, 500 --------~- ------ ___ _ 

Lake-------------~------------------------ 30, ooo 25, ooo 55,000 458, ooo 549,600 ---------- ---------- 1, 200,000 66,000 ---------- ---------- Park __ -------------------------- ---------- 40,000 20,000 60,000

1 

309,375 371,250 170,000 32;300 150,900 8, 250 ---------- ---------- Rio Grande ______________________ ---------- ---------- 195,337 195,337 7, 734 9, 281 ---------- ---------- ----------- ---------- ---------- ----------

~:~ {'if~ec:::::::::::::::::::: :::::::::: :::::::::: -----~:~~~ ----~~·-~~~ ~: ~~~ ~: ~!~ -----~:~~ -----~:~:~ __ · __ :~~:~~~ ____ :~:~~~ :::::::::: :::::::::: 

Summit.------------------------ -------- __ 150, 000 ---------- 150, 000 30, 938 37, 126 ---------- ____ _____ _ 100, 000 5, 500 __ -------- ---------- ------------------------------

678,437 

37,031 

2, 063,822 

142,813 

2, 259,078 

141,877 

670,600 

471,800 

204,618 

69,458 

4,640 

192,626 

BoWd~ • • • • --~~~~-- ••••••• -•.•.....••........ :: = ~ :: : a,:: ~: :: a;: : ... ~:: •• _. ": '96 .. 

4

:::1. :·. 7

: :· ::::·:::: :::::::::: ~ :::: : 

Chaffee __________________________ ---------- 25,000 ---------- 25,000 7, 734 8, 894 ---------- ---------- 50,000 1, 800 ---------- ---------- 35,694 

Clear Creek.---------"---------- ---------- 10,000 124, ooo 134,000 1, 759,652 2, 023, 600 25,000 4, 150 2, 722,222 98,000 ---------- ---------- 2, 259,750 Custer·-------------------------- -------- __ ------ ___ _ JOO, 000 100, 000 77, 344 88, 946 --- _________________ --- ________ -------- ________ ·--- ---------- 188, 946 

GHi1_1

08

pidnal-·e·.-_-_-_--_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_ -_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_.-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_ 2, 1

2

5

0

5,,70

0

0

8

0 2, 155,708 96, 8<16 111,327 300,000 49,800 50,000 1, 800---------- ---------- 2, 318,635 20,000 154,688 177,891 ---------- ---------- 200,000 7, 200 ---------- ---------- 205,091 Lake.--------------------------- ---------- 30, ooo 30, ooo 60

1

,. 0ooo

0

.

0 

1, 800, ooo 2, 010, ooo --'-------- __________ 10, ooo, ooo 360, ooo ---------- -----·----- 2, 490, ooo 

La Plata and Montezuma_------ ---------- ---------- I, 000 1, 934 2, 224 ---------- ---------- ----------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 3, 224 Ouray--------------------------- ---------- ---------- 5, 000 5, 000 38, 672 44, 473 ---------- ____________ -------- _ ------ ____ ---------- ---------- 49, 473 

K~~kdi-ande.~:::::::::::::::::::: :::::::::: ____ :~:~~~ 1~~ ~gg 18g: ~gg 30~; ~~~ 35~; ~~ ---~~~:~~~ ____ :~:~~~ ----~~~:~~ -----~::~~ :::::::::: :::::::::: i~ i, ~~~ 

i~~rE~~::::::~:::::::::::::: ::::::::::·---~~~:~~~ =====~~~~~ ~6~: m 1~JH lj; ~iL:.==~~=~~~ =====~=~~~ :88: ~8 1!: m :::::::::: :::::::::: 3!!: ~1 275,774 2, 964,574 3, 240,348 4, 672,961 5, 373,904 536, 145 89, ooo!13, 722,222 494, ooo ____________________ 9, 197,252 

1879 

Boulder·-------------------------------------------- 400,000 400,000 348,047 389,813-------------------- -----------·---------- -----~---- ---------- 789,813 Chaffee __________________________ ---------- 25,000 3, 500 28,500 30,938 34,651 ---------- ---------- 50,000 2, 050 ---------· ---------- 65,201 

Clear Creek.-------------------- ---------- 10,000 110,000 120,000 1, 546,875 1, 732,500 100,000 18,600 1, 951,219 80,000 ---------- ---------- 1, 951, 100 

g~~~~s:::::::::::::::::::::::::: :::::::::: :::::::::: ~: g&8~ ~: ggg 54i; ~g~ 60~: ~~~ -~--Taiii -----·-siiii -----iii;iiiiii -------4iii :::::::::: :::::::::: ~~: ~~~ Gilpin. _____ : ____________________ -------------------- 2, 260,000 2, 260,000 232,031 259,875 300,000 • 551 800 100,000 4, 100 ---------- ---------- 2, 579,775 

f!i~~~?_-_--_-:-_-_::_-_-=_-_.:_:_-__ :_:_:_-_:_._:·_-_:·_-_:-_.:_ :_:_:_:_:_:_:_:_:_:_ ::::3

:

0

:.:

000

::: ----6

-6

0

-•• -oo

00

--o

0

- ----9

-6

0

• •• -o

0

-o

00

"ii 1~~; ~~g 2i~; ~~g :::::::::: :::::::::: ----5iiii;iiiiii ---·2ii;5iiii :::::::::: ::::::::::: J~; g~g 8, 411, 132 9, 420,468 ---------- ---------- 43, 288,000 1, 774,808 ---------- ---------- 11,285,276 

La Plata and Montezuma _______ -------------------- 2, 500 2, 500 3, 867 · 4, 331 ---------- ---------- ----------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 6, 831 . {)uraY--------------------------- ---------- ---------- 8, 500 8, 500 38,672 43,313---------- ---------- 198,781 81 150---------- ---------- 59,963 Park.--------------------------- ---------- 40,000 20,000 60,000 324, 1*4 363,825 200,000 37,200 300,000 12,300 ---------- ---------- 473,325 Rio Grande ______________________ -------------------- 28,500 28,500 7, 734 8, 662 ---------- ---------- ----------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 37, 162 

~~m~~:::~O::::::::::::::: ::::::=:\·-~~= :;~~~ 3, .:~ ~ 11, :~ ~ 13, :~ ~! <~:: :::;;I:~ 47, ~:! 1, ~ ~ ::::::=::: :::::::::: 1~! ~ 

Boulder·-------------------------------------------- 30~:~~ 3g~:g~ 4~~:~~~ . ~~:igg :::::::::::::::::::: ----iiiii;iiiiii -----s;iiiiii ========== ========== rg~:~~~ 2~:a:~~~~~:::::::::::::::=_=_=_=_=_=_ =_=_=_=_:_:_:_:_:_: _____ _~_:_8_8_8_ 191,000 196,000 1, 902,656 2, 188,054 200,000 42,800 517,500 25,875 ---------- ---------- 2, 452,729 

100,000 100,000 665,156 764,929 ---------- ---------- ----------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 864,929 Dolores __________________________ -------------------- 3, 500 3, 500 30,938 35,579 29,000 6, 206 100,000 5) 000 ---------- ---------- . 50,285 

Eagle •• __________________________ 1, 000 ---·------ 2, 000 2, 000 38,672 44,473 ---------- ---------- 800,000 40,000 ---------- ---------- 86,473 

:g~~~soii.~==· .... -::::::::::::·_-_-_-_-_-_ -_-_-_-__ --_-_-__ --_ :::·_-_-_-_-_-_-__ 2_,_,3_8_o_,_o_o_o __ 2_,_3_8_o_,_o_oo__ 232,031 266,836 3oo, ooo 64,200 100, ooo 5, ooo ____________________ 2, 716,036 

222,031 255,336 ---------- ---------- 100,000 5, 000 ---------- ---------- 260,336 Hinsdale ________________________ -------------------- 6, 000 6, 000 116,016 133,418 30,000 6, 420 1, 000,000 50,000 ---------- ---------- 195,838 

.Lake--·------------------------- 140,623 70,000 · 34,014 104,014 9, 977,34411,473,946 ---------- ---------- 66,658,000 3, 332,900 ---------- _,_ __ . ______ 14,910,860 

La Plata and Montezum11o------- ---------- ---------- 5, 000 5, 000 7, 734 8, 894 ---------- ---------- ----------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 13,894 'Ouray----------------------------------------------- 8, 500 8, 500 69,610 80,052 ---------- ---------- 200,000 10,000 ---------- ---------- 98,552 .!Park.------------------------- 30,000 20,000 50,000 293,906 337,992 200,000 42,800 300,000 15,000 ---------- ---------- 445,792 
90 MIXING IX COLORADO 

Gold, silver, copper, lead, and zinc produced in Colorado, 1858-1923, by counties, in terms of recovered metals-Continued 

County 

Ore sold Gold Silver Copper Lead · Zinc 

or treatedl----;------.------l-------.-------ll----.----1------.------l-------l Total 

Fine I value (short 

tons) Placer Lode Total ounces Value Pounds Value Pounds Value Pounds Value 

---------~-- --,----

f~~~~:;~~~;~~~~:::::::: ::::;::::: :::::::::: ::::~··:~~ ::::$·:~ ----~~;~~ ---~~~: :::::::::: :::::::::: :::::~:~ ::::~~:~~ :::::::::1:::::::: $U·l 

San Juan------------------------ __ -------- ---------- 6, 000 6, 000 11,602 13,342 100,000 $21,400 430,000 21,500 ----------/---------- 62,242 

San MigueL.----------------------------- $5,000---------- 5, 000 7, 734 8, 894---------- ---------- 482,500 24,125---------- ---------- 38,019 Summit. ____________ ------------ ---------- 44,000 5, 000 49,000 317, 109 364, 675 ------- ___ ---------- 500,000 25,000 ----------1---------: 438, 675 

----------------.--------,...·---------;--------

---------- 179, ooo a, 073,514 a, 252,51414, a97, 53916,557, 110 859, ooo 183,826 · 71,348, ooo a, 567,400 ----------1---------- 23,560,910 

1881 1 1 

g~~Je~---======================== =========·= ·---25;iiiiii ~g; ggg zgg; ggg i~~; ~~~ ~~~; ~5~ :::::::::: :::::::::: ----5iiii,-iiiiiij"·-·u;iiiio ::::::::::~:::::::::: g~g; ~5~ 

g~~~~~~~~~==================== ========== -----~~~~~ ~5g; ggg i88; ggg l, ~!~; ~b~ l, ~if;~~~ ___ :~~~~~~----~~~~~~----~~~·-~~~~----~:~~:~==========!========== 2

' ~rt; i~~ Dolores---------------------------------------------- 5, 000 5, 000 69,610 78,659 44,000 8, 008 200,000 9, 600---------- ---------- 101,267 

Eagle ___________ ----------------- 2; 000 ---------- 4, 000 4, 000 79, 344 89,659 ---------- ---------- 1, 600,000\ 76,800 ----------~---------- 170,459 

Fremont _________________________ ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- zM; gg~ 324~397'.· 15z9~o46 -_-_-_3_o_o_:_o_o_o_,-_-_-_-_5_4_;_ii_o_ii_ ----aio6-oo,:oooiioiil,-----147-,:28siioii -_- -_-=_-_- -_- -_-=_-_-=_=_!=-=_-_- -_- -_-=_-_- -_- -_-=_ z, 317~a66· •• 8M7o4& 

~?!~:~~--~~~===~==:::::::::::::: :::::::::: .:::::::::: l,S~8; 888 l, ~&; 888 ~~: ng 139,838 40,000 7, 280 1, 200, ooo, 57,600 __________ __________ 214,718 

Lake. _____ ---------------------- ---------- 69,000 231, ooo 300,000 7, 966,406 9, 002, 039 ---------- ---------- 58,464,000 2, 806,272 ----------~---------- 12, 108,311 La Plata and Montezuma.------ ---------- ---------- 5, 000 5, OOB 7, 734 8, 739 ---------- ---------- ----------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 13, 739 

P

oaurrkay __ --__ --_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_·-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_·-_-_ -_-_-_-_-__ --_-__ --_ ----25--,-o·o·o- 2555,'000000 55,000 85, 078 96, 138 100,000 18, 200 230,000 11,040 ----------,---------- 180,378 50,000 270,703 305,894 100,000 18,200 312,'000 14,976 ---------- ---------- 389,070 Pitkin----------------------------~------------------ 100,000 100,000 23,203 26, 219

1 

__________ ---------- 200,000 9, 600---------- ---------- 135,819 

San :~~:i~~~~~~~~=============== Juan ________________________ ========== ---------- ~~~:~~~~~·===~~~·=~~~ ---------- 5, 000 ---~~~:-~~~ 5, 000 ----3~:~:: 19,336 ----3~:~~~~========== 21,850 100, 000 ========== 18, 200 =========== 140,000 ========== 6, 720 ----------

=====~~~==!'========== ------- ___ 1~Jgg 51,770 

San MigueL.------------------- ---------- 5, 500 9, 500 15, 000 19,336 21,850 ---------- ---------- 200,000 9, 600 -------- __ ---------- 46,450 Summit.------------------------~~~~ 1, 560,344 1, 763, 189

1 

__________ ---------- 16,773,000 805,104---------- ---------- 2,599,293 

---------- 175,500 3, 124,500 3, 300,000113,272, 18814,997,572 884,000 160,888 81,094,000 3, 892,512 ----------1---------- 22,350,972 

~g::'ft~'.::: :::;~;::::::::::::::: :::.:::::: --·u;oooo '!::!:::::: 'l1;::: ",!!;ill . ~ m :::::::::: :::::::::: --;;ooo;ooo .... ;.;ooo ::::::::::1:::::::::: i~: m 

Clear Creek._------------------- ---------- 6, 000 214,000 220,000 1, 299,375 1,481, 288 300,000 57,300 815,000 39,935 ---------T··-------- 1, 798,523 

Custer----------------------------------------------- 200,000 200,000 232,031 264,515---------- ---------- ··---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 464,515 Dolores ___________ --------------- ---------- ---------- 10,000 10,000 85,078 96,989 54,000 10,314 200, 000 9, 800 ----------~~---------- 127, 103 

Eagle.--------------------------- ---------- ---------- 5, 000 5, 000 98,680 112,495 ---------- ---------- 2, 000,000 98,000 ---------- J_________ 215,495 Fremont _______ --_--------------- ____ -- _ _ _ _ __ ------- _ --------- _ -- _- _ ---- 15, 469 17, 635 --------- __ --- _ -- _ -- --- ________ -- _ ---- ____________ ., _ _ _ _ __ _ _ __ 17, 635 

GGlu'lpnln'n1.s-o--n·_-_-_-_-__ -_-_-_-_-_-_-_·:=:::::-_::: -__ --__ --__ -_--__ --_ -__ --__ --_-_-_-_.--_ 1, 6

1

o

0

o

0

,, 0

o

0

oo0 1, 600,000 201,094 229,247 400,000 76,400 100, 000 4, 900 --------- _, ---------- 1, 910, 547 100,000 386,719 440,860---------- ---------- 360,000 17,640 __________ !__________ 558,500 

Hinsdale._---------------------- ---------- ---------- 20,000 20,000 61,875 70, 538 40,000 7, 640 600,000 . 29,400 ----------1---------- 127,578 

Lake. ___________ ---------------- _ --------- 63, 500 256, 500 320,000 8, 894, 53110, 139, 765 ---------- ---------- 97,890,000 4, 796, 610 ----------~---------- 15,256,375 La Plata and Montezuma.------ : _________ ---------- 10,000 10, 000 23, 203 26,451 ---------- ---------- ------ _____ ---------- ---------- ---------- 36,451 

P

oaurrkay __ --_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_::·.--==--======~==== -_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_ ----2

-

5 .•. 0

.

0

.

0

• 7

7

o

5

,, o

00oo0 70, ooo 77,344 88, 172 500, ooo 95, 500 230, ooo 11, 270 ---------- __________ 264,942 100,000 193,359 220,429 100,0001 19, 100 312,000 15,288 ----------!---------- 354,817 

Pitkin __________ --------'--------- ---------- ---------- 90,000 90,000 23,203 26,451 ---------- ---------- 200,000 9, 800 ----------~---------- 126, 251 

~~~gr:~g~oiiaf~============== ========== ----i5;iiiio ___ :~~~~~~ 2}8; ggg ----~~;:~~ ----~~;~;~ ========== ========== ~========== ========== ====::::::1:::::::::: !~; ~~g ~!~u;~~~======================== ========== ==:======= ~8; ggg 10, 000 46,406 52,903 100,000 19, 100 320,000 15, 680 -------~-- ______ ____ 97, 683 

San MigueL.------------------- ---------- 8, 000 2, 000 10,000 38,672 44,086 ---------- _____ o ____ _l 200,000 9, 800 ----------~---------- 63,886 

Summit. ______ ------------------ ---------- 50,000 5, 000 55,000 674, 757 769, 223 ---------- ----------1 5, 773,000 282,877 ----------,---------- 1, 107, 100 

---------------,--- ' 

.:=.:.:.::..:.: 192,500 a, 167,500 a, 360, ooo 12,761,719114,548,359 1,494, ooo 285, 354:no, ooo, ooo 5,390, ooo ----------'----------,23, 583,713 

1883 ----·----~--· I I 

Boulder. _____ ------------------- _ ___ _ _ _ _ __ _____ _____ 300, 000 300, ooo1 123, 7501 137, 363 ____ --- _____________ . _______________ ----- ----- _____ ~- ___ _ _ _ _ __ 437, 363m 

Chaffee. ____ ------------------"- ---------- 25,000 25,000 50,0001 204, 961J 227, 507 ---------- ----------! 4, 300,000 184,900 ----------!__________ 462,407 

Clear Creek._------------------- ---------- 10,000 240,000 250,000 1, 222,0311 1, 356,454 300,000 49,500 1 815,000 35,045 ----------;---------- 1,690, 999 

Custer _____ --------------------- ---------- ---------- 620,000 620,000 154, 6881 171,704 ---------- -·--------·------ _____ ---------- ---------- ------ ____ 791, 704 

Dolores. _____ --------------------------------------- 5, 000 5. 000 193,3601 214,630 100,000 16, 500 200,000 8, 600 ---------- ---------- 244,730 

~~;~ant======================== ========== ========== ----~~~~~~ ----~~~~~~ 21;; ~g~: r~: f?t ======~=== ========== !-~~~~~~~~~ ---~~~~ ~==·=======:·========== 1

' ~?: f?1 

Gilpin.--------------------------------------------- 1,650,000 1,650,000 154,688' 171,704 200,000· 33,000 100,000 4,300 _________ _1 __________ 1,859,004 

Gunnison. ___ ----------------------------- ---------- 100,000 100,000 502,734 558,035 30,000 4,950. 500,000 21,500 ----------.---------- 684,485 

Hinsdale. __ ------------~------------------ ---------- 20,000 20,000 193,359 214,628. 22,652 3, 738: 1, 000,000 43,000 ----------:----------, 281,366 Lake._-------.------------------- ---------- 25,000 375,000 400,000 9, 049,219 10,044,633:-------- __ ---------- Ill, 575,000 4, 797, 725 __________ ! __________ 15, 242,358 

La Plata and 1viontezuma. ------ ---------- ·---------~ 13,000 13,000 3, 867 . 4, 292 ---------- ---------- ----------- ---------- ---------- ----------, 17,292 Ouray--------------------------- ---------- ---------- , 20,000 20,000 386, 719 429, 258' 4{)0, 000 66,000 1, 170,000 50,310 __________ ! __________ ; 565, 568 

Park ___ ------------------------- ---------- 20,000 180,000 200,000 135, 352 150,2411---------- ---------- 312,000 13,416 ----------:----------1 363, 657 

~~~f~i~~i~i ~~~ ~ ~~~ ~~=~ ~~~ ~ = ::: ~ ~~ = ~= ::: :;&:&~ ---~:: ·~ m ----~:: ---::~ ~:~~= ~== ~ ~~ =~ ~:: ~ =~ ~:~ ~ :::: ~= ~ == ==~~:~~ = ::~ ~~~ ~ ~~ :~~~ == ~ !J ·m m 

San Juan________________________ 7, 400 ---------- 35,000 35,000 270,703 300,480' 100,000 16,500 1, 137,000 48,891 ----------1----------1 400,871 

San MigueL------------------------------ 2, 000 123,000 125,000 193,359 214,628'---------- ---------- 782,000 33,626 ---------- ·----------~ 373,254 

Summit. ____ -------------------- ---------- 10,000 5, 000 15,000 270, 703 300,480,---------- ---------- 2, 773,000 119,239 ---------- ---------- 434, 719 ------------ . ' ---;----~----

= 132,000 ,3,968, 000 4, 100,000 13,434,610 14, 912,417i 1, 152,652 190, 188141, 114,000 6, 067,902 ----------~----------:25, 270,507 

Boulder------~~~~--------------- _ --------- _____ ----- 350, 000 350, 000 100, 547 111, 6071-- _ ------- _____________________ ----~--- __ ----- ___ --'---- __ __ _ _ 461, 607 

Chaffee •. ----------------------- _________ : 25,000 55,000 80,000 146,953 163, 118 ---------- ---------- 12,000,000 444,000 ----------1---------- 687, 118 

Clear Creek _____________________ ---------- 12,551 587,449 600,000 1,314,844 1,459,477 300,000 39,000 1,038,273 38,416 _________ T _________ 2,136,893 

Custer.--------------------------------------------- 350,000 350,000 185,625 206,044---------- ---------- 500,000 18,500---------- ---------- 574,544 

Dolores--------------------------------------------- 1,500 1,500 54,141 60,097-------------------- 152,000 5,624-------------------- 67,221 

Eagle .• ------------------------- 10,000 ---------- 30,000 30b000 154, 687 171,703 ---------- ---------- 6, 600,000 244,200 ---------- ---------- 445,903 

Gilpin.------------------------- ---------- ---------- 1, 950,000 1, 950,000 · 278,438 309,066 600,000 78,000 128,411 4, 751 ---------- ---------- 2, 341,817 

Gunnison.---------------------- ---------- ---------- 60,000 60,000 386,719 429,258 --~------- ---------- 2, 000,000 74,000 ---------- ---------- 563,258 Hinsdale._--------------------.-- 2, 184 ---------- 2,500 2, 500 154,687 171,703 350,000 45,500 1, 000,000 37,000 ---------- _____ ____ 256,703 

t~~iata-aiict-:Moiiteziima======= ~--=~=~~= ----~~~~. 470• ~gg 500• ggg 7

• 

27

~: ~1 8

• 

07

g: ~~~---~~~~~~~ ----~~~~~ -~~~~:~:~~~ -~:~~~=~~ ==========!========== 12, ~~: ~~ OuraY------------------------------------- ---------- 10,500 10,500 572,344 635,302 363,125 47,206 3, 000,000 111,000 ----------~---------- 804,008 • Park ____________________________ ---------- 30,000 30,000 60,000 193,359 214,628---------- ---------- 398,066 14,728 ---------- _____ '!,____ 289,356 

Pitkin.--------------------------------------------- 1,000 1,000 464,062 515,109---------- ---------- 1,200,000 44,400---------- ---------- 560,509 

Rio Grande---~--~--------------------------------- 130,000. 30,000 10,828 12,019 __________ --------------------------------------------------- 142.019 
PRODUCTION BY YEARS AND COUNTIES 91 

Gold, silver, copper, lead, and zinc produced in Colorado, 1858-1923, by counties,·in terms of reco11ered metals-Continued 

County 

Gold Silver Copper Lead Zinc Ore sold ortreatedl-------.----~-----l-------.------1----~-------t-------~-----i-------.------l 

(short 

tons) Placer Lode Total Fine 

ounces Value Pounds Value Pounds Value Pounds Value 

Total 

value 

---------------------1-----------------------------1--------1-------

1884-Continued 

:a~~ct~~-~~~~~::::::::::::::: =========='---~~~~~~ -···si.~ooo ~; ggg ----77,-344 ---$85;852 :::::::::: :::::::::: ::::::::::: :::::::::: :::::::::: :::::::::: $~~: g~g · San Juan. _________________ .______ 8, 000~----·--·-- 40,000 40,000 464,062 515, 109 300,000 $39,000 3, 400,000 . $125,800 ---------- ---------- 719,909 

San MigueL ____ .--------------- ----------1 3, 000 97,000 100,000 309,375 343,406 ---------- ---------· 300,000 11, 100 ---------- ---------- 454, 506 

Summit_-------··---------------:..::..::=:.:.=~~~ 20,000 232,031 257,554 ---------- ---------- 985,250 36,454 ---------+-----·--- 314, 008• 

. ---------- 123, 551 4, 176, 449 4, 300, 000 12, 375, 000 13, 736, 251 2, 013, 125 261, 706 126, 330, 000 4, 674, 209 • ---------~~ 22, 972, 166 

~~~~~~-e_-::::: ;;;::::::::::::::: ::::::::==1-------~~~ -·-aoo:ooo 3oo, ~~~ : ___ s4;6iii ·-·-iio;6iiij:::::::::: :::::::::: ::::::::::: :::::::::: ::::::::::1:::::::::: 39o, ~I~ Chaffee·------------------------- ----------~ 25,000 75,000 100,000 200,000 214, 000, ___ ------- ---------- 18,700,000 729,300 ----------.---------- 1, 043, 300 

g~~~l~~~~~=========::::::::::::c::::::::i ____ ~~~~~~ 490, g~~ 5oo, g~~ -~~~~~~~~~ -~~:~~~~=~~·---=~~~~~~ ----=~~~~~ --~~~~~~=~~ ----~~~~~~ ----=~~~~~~ ___ -~~~~~~ 2, 014, g~~ Costilla __________________________ ~----------~ 216 ---------- 216 ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ----------- ---------- ----------~.---------- 216 

Custer ___________________________ -------------------- 30,000 30,000 61,295 65,5861---------- ---------- 5, 440,000 212, 160 ----------'---------- 307,746 

Bg~:l~s-::::::::::::::::::::::::: :::::::::: -----i;42o _____ :~~~~ i: ~gg 70, ~g 74, 9~~~:::::::::: :::::::::: ----=~~~~~ -----~~~~ ::::::::::1:::::::::: 8i: ~g~ Eagle ____________________________ ------··------------ 33,000 33,000 170, 156 182,0671---------- ----•-----·~ 5, 950,0001 232, 050~----------j---------- 447, 117 

Garfield.·------------------------·------------------ 113 · 113 45 48 ---------- ---------- ----------- ---------- --------·- ~--------- 161 Gilpi~--------··--·-------------- ___ : ______ ---------- 2, 051,000 2, 051,000 300,000 321,0001 300,000 32,400

1 

128,411 5, 008 ---------- ----------: 2, 409,408 

Gp.nmson. ___ ------------------- ---------- ---------- 4g, 000 40,000 144,323 154,426 ---------- ---------- 2, 380,000 92,820 ---------+----·----~ 287, 246 

Hmsdale •.. --------------------- ---------- ---------- , 000 2, 000 16,320 17,1162 46,460 5, 018) 100,000 3, 900~---------- ---------- 28,380 

Lele:~~~::::::::::::::::::::::::: :::::::::: 15, g56 ~-·.s.s.s:ooo 57o, g56 6, 441, 69g 6, 892, 61~ ---ioo;666 ----i6;s6ii ·.s.s;522;6oii -2;i65;358 ---·.so;o661----Ti5ol 9, 640, ~g5 La Plata and Montezuma.------·---------- ---------- 5, 000 5, 000 5, 000 5, 350 ---------- ----------1----------- ----------~----------1----------1 10,350 Mesa-----------~-------------------------- 431---------- 431 3 3---------- ---------- ----------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 434 

Ouray·-·------------------------ ---------- ---------- 10, ooo 10, ooo 900, ooo 963, ooo 400, ooo 43,200 4, AOO, ooo • 171, 6oo1 ____________________ 

1

1, 187,800 

Park._-------------------------· ---------- 30,000 30,000 60,000 71,310 76,302 ---------- ---------- 398,066 15, 5251 __________ 

1

1__________ 151,827 

Pi.tkin ___________________________ ---------- ---------- 1, 000 1, 000 1, 000,000 1, 070,000 ---------- _______ :__ 5, 950,000 232, 050~---------- -----·---- 1, 303,050 

~a~~~:~~-~~~~~~~~==~~=~=~~~~==~=========~~~~~~~~~~~---~~~:~~~ San Juan ________________________ -------------------- 40,000 1~: 40,000 g~ ----5~::~ 700,000 ----~~:::~ . 749,000 ====~~~~~~ 100,000 ~~=~~~==== 10,800 ::·::::::::: 

5, 300,000 ==~=~~~~=~~==~=~~~~~=~~~~=~====== 206,700 ---------- ---------- 1, 006,500 

1~~;g~~ San MigueL-------------------- ---------- 3, 000 97,000 100,000 400,000 428,000 ---------- ---------- 300,000 11,700 ---------- ---------- 539,700 Summit_ ________________________ ---------- 15,000 185,000 200,000 234,351 250,756-------------------- 985,250 38,425 25,000. 1,075! 490,256 

~~~:;•:::::;;~::::::::::::::: ::::::::': ___ :~:;~ _:~::;:: <, ::;, 1:~:;: ~~w~;:; :1~: .. ~·~ •:::~~·;·~;;;~:~= :;~;~~:: :::1:~o~;::::::~;~~21. :::; 

Chaffee __________________________ ---------- 80,000 233,917 313,917 332,965 329, 635 ---------- ---------- 13,000,000 598,000 __________ ! ----------11, 241,552 

ClearCreek------------------------------- 10,000 599,070 609,070 1,396,364 1,382,400 200,000 22,200 1,630,000 74,980

1 

25,000 1,1001 2,089,750 Custer ______________ ------_------ __________ ------- ___ 21, 600 21, 600 61, 295 60, 682 -------- __ ------ __ __ 4, 500, 000 207, 000 _________ _! __________ , 289, 282 

Dolores·---------------------------------------~----- 8, 561 8, 561 -75,836 75,078---------- ---------- ·792, 000 36,432 ----------l----------1 120,071 Eagle .•.• __ ----- ____________________ ------ _ -----. ____ 423, 5171 423, 517 569, 637 563, 941 __________ --- _ __ ____ 2, ooo, ooo 92, ooo:. ________ _t _______ • __ If 1, 079, 458 

GG1u'lpnln·n1.s.0 __ n __ -_-_-_--_-_-__ --__ --__ --_-_-_-_-__ --__ -.-_-_-_ -_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_ -_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_ 1, 337,06111, 337,061 101, 784 100, 766 300,000 33,300 200,000 9, 200~----------~---------- 1, 480,327 18,226 . 18,226 144,323 142,880 ---------- ---------- 500,000 23,000 ---------- ----------i 184, 106 

Hinsdale. __ ----·----------- _____ ---------- ---------- 2, 060 2, 060 16,320 16, 157 46,460 5, 157 100,000 4, 600 ----------' __________ , 27,974 

~~~i~~~o----~~:::::::::::::::::::: :::::::::: -----2;864 _______ ::~ 2J~~ --------43 --------42 :::::::::: :::::::::: ::::::::::: :::::::::: ::::::::::i::::::::::j 2J!g Lake-------------------------------------- 5,000 428,691 433,691 6,486,047 6,421,187 100,000 11,100 84,400,000 3,88~,400 50,000 2,20010,750,578 La Plata and Montezuma _______ -------------------- 10,225 10,225 4, 671 4, 624---------- ~--------- 100,000 4, 600 ---------+---------1 19,449 

~~~~rosa::======================:::::::::: Ouray--------------------------- ---------- ----------- ~~~ ========== 26, 241 26,241 M~ ---------3 993,867 ---------3 983,928 ========== 400,000 ========== 44,400 =========== 3, 208,000 ========== 147, 568 ----------==========r========== ---------- 1, 202, M~ 137 

Park. __ -------------------------~---------- 30,000 118, 284') 148,284 71,310 70, 597 ---------- ---------- 624,000 28, 704 __________ ,

1

' ---------- 247, 585 

Pi.tkin___________________________ 5, 500 ---------- 17, 125 17, 125 399,094 395, 103 ---------- ---------- 800,000 36,800 ---------- ---------- . 449,028 

~~~:~~~~-~~~~=~~============' ========== ~~~~~~~~~~ ---=~::~:~! 11i: t~ 5:J~~ 5:J~~ ========== ========== =========== =======~== ==========\========== ~~: ~~ San Ju~n·----------------------- ---------- ---------- 142, 799i 142,799 718,523 711,338 100,000 11,100 4, 300,000 197,800----------1---------- 1, 063,037 

San MigueL ____________ -------- ------- ___ 3, 000 214, 570! 217,570 430,805 426,497 ---------- ---------- 300,000 13;800 ----------,---------- 6&7, 867 

Summit.------------------------~~ 149,2221 164,222 422,298 418, 075!:..::..::=:.:.= ---------- 1, 546,000 71, 1161~~~~ 654,513 

__________ 163,328 4, 286,672\ 4, 450, ooo 12,375, ooo 12,251,250 1, 146,460 121,257118, ooo, ooo 5, 428, ooo! 100, ooo! 4, 4001

22,260,907 

~~~~~~.'::::::~: :::::::::::::/::::::::: _______ ~ ---;;a;;;al ""· :;: ----;o;oot ----68;68o

1 

:::::::::: ::::::::::1--------.,, --------}:::::::::1::::::::::1 322, ~~£ Chaffee __________________________ ---------- 45,000 364,050 409,050 423,738 415,263-------------------- 14,954,155 672,937--------------------11,497,250 

ClearCreek_______________________________ 15,000 302,214 317,214 1,284,083 1,258,401 .200,000 $27,600, 1,847,930 83,157 25,000 1,150! 1,687,522 

Custer---------------------------------------------- 507 507 117,970 115,611 __________ ----------' 5,367,459 241,536-------------------- 357,654 Dolores __________________________ -------------------- 9, 743 9, 743 118,262 · 115,897 34,000. 4,6921 1,000,000 45,000---------- ----------i 175,332 Eagle ___________ ------___________ _ _____ ____ ___ __ _____ 219, 594 219, 594 254, 078 248, 996 ___ ------- • ____ __ ___ 1, 1~2, 905 50, 081 ---------- _________ . 1 518, 671 • 

Fremont ________________________ -------------------- 186 186 474 465--------------------1 5,930 267--------------------1 918 

Gilpjn_ -------------------------- ---------- -------- __ 1, 134,476 1, 134,476 266,281 260,955 600,000 • 82, 800! 228,622 10,288 ---------- ----------' 1, 488,519 

Gunnison __ --------------------- ---------- ---------- 50,506 50,506 172,616 169,164 ---------- ---------- 451,351 20,311 ---------- ---------- 239,981 

Hinsdale.------------------------------------------- 4, 308 4, 308 90,355 88,548 12,027 1, 660

1

' 547,503 24,638 ---------- ---------- 119,154 

L~~C:~~~::::::::::::::::::::::::: ========== -------~~ ---243;694 243, ~~ 5, 994, 32~ 5, s74, 43~ ---2oo;ooo ----27;6oo -92;3.s9;i63 -4;i56;i66 --··oo:ooo~-----2;366 10,304, ~~~ La Pla~a and Montezuma _______ ---------- ---------- 12,473 12,473 7, p6 6, 983 ---------- ---------- 42,210 1, 899 ---------- ___ :______ 21,355 

~~n1~i!~~~::::::::::::::::::::: ========== ------·.sao-----~~::: 1, ~~~ g ~ :::::::::: ::::::::::1::::::::::: :::::::::: :::::::::: :::::::::: 1, ~gg Ouray------------------·--------- -------- __ ---------- 22,853 22,853 952,255 933,210 666,000 91,908 2, 668,135 120,066 ---------- ---------- 1, 168,037 Park ____________________________ ---------- 190,000 458,462 648,462 107,513 10.5,363---------- -·-------- 708,7131 31,892-------------------- 785,717 

Pitkin ___________________________ -------------------- 9, 336 9, 336 612,368 600,121 ---------- ---------- 361,388 16,262 ---------- ---------- 625,719 

:a~:~!:i~~~~~~~~======~======= ========== -----~:~~ ---~:~~~~~ 12~: ~~ :: ~~~ :: ~g ========== ==·======== :::::i~;~~~ ::::;::~~~ =~======== ========== 13g; ~~~ San Juan ________________________ -------------------- 121,245 121,245 401,760 393,725 300,000 41,400 2, 040,145 91,806 ---------- ----·----- 648,176 

San MigueL----------·------------------- 2, 600 167,096 169,696 492,725 482,871 ---------- ---------- 537,144 24,171 ---------- ----·----- 676,738 ~:;urn mit.------------------------ ---------- 15,000 225,520 240,520 220, 120 215,718 ---------- ---------- 1, 754, 132 78,936 . 25,000 1, 150 536,324 

== 2s0,933 3.719.067\4,000,000 ~ 1l.3ii9,534 2,012,027 277,660,126,000,000 5, 670,000 100,000, 4, 600,21,321,794 
92 MINING IN COLORADO 

Gold, silver, copper, lead, and zinc produced in Colorado, 1858-1923, by counties, in terms of recovered metals-Continued 

County 

Gold Zinc Ore sold ortreatedl-------.-------.-------1-------.-------l-------.-------l·-------.~-----l·------~-------l Silver Copper Lead 

(short 

tons) Placer Lode Total Fine 

ounces Value Pounds Value Pounds Value Pounds Value 

Total 

value 

---------------------- ------- ------- --------------------------- --------------·1--------1..------ -------·-------------

1888 

Boulder __ ----------------------- ---------- ___ ------- $189, 241 $189, 241 230, 205 $216, 393 ---------- ------ ____ 246, 282 $10, 836 ---------- -----~---- $416, 470 

Chaffee •• ------------------------ ---------- $25, 000 368,457 393, 457 292, 349 274, 808 • --------- ---------- 8, 743, 053 384, 694. _____________ ------ 1, 052, 959 

cculesatrerc_r_e_e_k_._::::===========--==== -__ -_--_-_-_-__ -_-._- ____ 2_o_,_o_oo__ 399,821 419,821 1, 148,190 1, 079,299 200,000 $33,600 3, 761,246 165,4951 . 75,000 $3,675 1, 701,890 120 120 3, 463 3, 255 ---------- ---------- 4, 821,143 212, 130, __________ ---------- 215,505 e Dolores·--··-"--------------------------------------- 17,470 17,470 123,852 116,421. _ 1,000,000 44,000, 177 891 

Eagle.-------------------------·· ---------- __ -------- 142, 002 142, 002 193,489 181, 880 _:::::_ ::: :::::::::: 2, 370,090 104,284 :::::::::: :::::::::: 428: 166 

Gilpin.·------------------------- ---------- ---------- 1, 250,756 1, 250,756 174,364 163,902 400,000 67,200 1, 288,825 56,708 --------·- -------·-· 1, 538,566 

Gunnison __ ----------------------------------------- 18,642 18,642 60,166 56,556 ---------- ---------- 1, 011,792 44,519/---------- ---------- 119,717 

Hinsdale---------------------------------- ---------- 2, 667 2, 667 86,248 81,073 2, 000 336 1, 205,973 53,063 ···------- ---------- 137,139 Lake ____________________________ ---------- ---------- 310,891 310,891 5, 486,064 5, 156,900 200,000 o 33,600 73,378,149 3, 228,639 1 

150,000 7, 350 8, 737,380 

La Plata and Montezuma ______ -------------------- 3, 574 3, 574 2, 294 2,156---------- ---------- ----------- ---------- ---------+--------- 5, 730 

-~~~~~~======================== :::::::::: ----~::~~ ---·24;289 ~~: g~ ---789;396 ·--742;o32 ---579;ioo ----97;289 ··3;259;904 ---i43;436i========== !========== 1, ~~: ~g Park.--------------------------- ---------- 23,000 10,945 33,945 450,457 423,430 ---------- ---------- 7, 641, 720 336,236 ------·-·T·-------- 793,611 

Pitkin. •• ---------------------------------- ---------- 12,716 12,716 4, 333,787 4, 073,760 ---------- ---------- 14,349,792 631,391 ---------- ---------- 4, 717,867 Rio Grande _______ --------------- ----- _____ 2, 000 14, 260 16, 260 2, 923 2, 748 ______________________ --------- ----------j·-----·- __ !__________ 19, 008 

Saguache ________________________ ---------- ---------- 4, 220 4, 220 36,101 33,935 ---------- __________ 180,272 7, 932~----------'---------- 46,087 

San Juan ___________ ------------- ---------- ------ ~--- 190, 328

1 

190, 328 223, 339 209, 939 240, 000 40, 320 2, 382, 358 104, 824 ----------1---------- 545, 411 

San MigueL-----------------------------· 7, 5tlO 417,206 424,706 663,354 623,553 ---------- ---------- 636,514 28, 0071 __________ ---------- 1, 076,266 

Su!Ilmit ______________________ ::_ ---------- 10,000 272,209 282,209 394,058 370,415 ---·------- ---------- 2, 126,887 93, 583j 75, OOOj 3, 675 749,882 

Mrncenaneous ___________________ :::::::::: ~~: 3 • ..:: : 3• ,; ;: ~ ~ -;:~;:;~ ---~~~;~;~~:~ -;:~;:;~r--;;;;:;.;.;r----;;:;~ ... ...:: : 

1889 ---------------- . 1 : 

Boulder-.----------------------- ___ ------ _ --- __ ----- 344, 503 344, 503 174, 471 164, 0031 2, 748 371 51, 215 1, 9971----------~- --------- 510, 874 

8fe~e~reek":::::::::::::::::::~: :::::::::: ~;: ~~~ ~~~: ~g~ ~~~: ~g~ 1, ~~~: ~~~ 1, ~:: ~~~----9i;73i --.--12;384 g; ~g~; ~~g ~g~; ~ggr----75;iiiiii -----3;75o 2, ~~: gi~ Custer ___________________________ -------------------- 1, 281 1, 281 72,576 68, 221~---------- ---------- 63,086 2, 460 __________ !__________ 71,962 

Dolores __________________________ -------···---------- 77,825 77,825 618,615 581,498 ---------- ---------- 2, 000,000 78,000 ---------- ---------- 737,323 

Eagle ____________________________ ---------- _____ _..____ 92,220 92,220 170,551 160,318 ---------- ---------- 2, 112,280 82,3791---------- -------~-- 334,917 Fremont _________________________ -------------------- 10,841 10,841 21,683 20,382, 5, 317 718 466,538 18,195---------- ---------- 50,136 

GGilu' pnmn· is-o-ri.·_-_:::::::::::::~::::::: -_-_-_-_-_-_-_-__ --_ :::-_:-_:-_-_-_ I, 054,065 1, 054,065 313,071 294,2871 250, 110 33,765 1, 411,926 55,065 ---------- ---------- 1, 437,182 39,710 39,710 48, 106 45,220 556 75 485,355 18, 9291 

__________ ---------- 103,934 

Hinsdale.-------------------------------------------- 1, 794 1, 794 16,665 15,665/ 17,359 2, 343 240,812 9, 392---------- ---------- 29,194 

Lake------------------------------------------------ 189,397 189,397 6, 150,839 5, 781,789 266,489 35,976 83,785,918 3, 267,651 150,000

1 

7, 500 9, 282,313 

La Plata and Montezuma _______ -------------------- 4

' 465 4' 465 

0 91~: ~~ 85~: ~~~,,---397;804 ----53;7o4 --4;704;261 ---183;466,:::::::::: :::::::::: 1, 1:A: g~~ 

PP ur

1

!ltrk:1.:n_-_-_-___ :-__ -_-=_=_·_.:_:_-__ :_-_- ·_.:_-_- -_- ·_- -_- -_- -_- -_- -_- -_- -_-_: -_~ ·_- -_- -_-_=-_- -_-_=-_-_: -_-_-_-_42_-_._-o_ii_ii_l ____ ~_g_:_i_~_ _5 ---~-~_:_i_~-~- 224,743 211,258 855 115 4, 640,682 I80, 9871__________ __________ 517, I05 

5, 982,238 5, 623, 304~---------- ---------- 15,100,807 588, 931, __________ ---------- 6, 212,235 

~~~;~~~~~~~~~~=~~ ~~~~= ~=~= =:~ ::: ;;: ;:~~~~ :::;~iii ---.~ :~ ---,~~;~ ---.,;~ ;~i: ==i~~ iii =: ::;~:~:: :;~ ~~ :: j~~!==~= :::·~J: ~=~ =~= :~ ,,l ~ San MigueL------------------------------- • 7, 000 425,588 432,588 726,456 682, 869 1 

__________ ---------- 1, 166,346 45,488 I 1, 160,945 

Summit.------------------------=:.::.:=.:.:. 16,000 206,724 222,724 519,842 488,651: 2, 066 278 3, 055,981 ' 119, 183 1 75,000 3, 750 834, 586 

====== 

---------- 135; 870 3, 747,989 3, 883,85918,375,13617,272, 629Jl, 17Q, 053 157,956133,940,000 5, 223, 660~ 300,000 15,000 26,553, 104 

I 1890 

~g~~e~.:~=====:::::::::::::::::: :::::::::: ----45;3oo ~gg: g~g ~~~: g~g Clear Creek.·------------------- ---------- 24,336 418,032 442,368 

Custer ••• -------------------------------------------- 114,212 114,212 

Dolores.------------------······--------------------- 156,297 156,297 Eagle ____________________________ ---------- ---------- 68,862 68,862 

Gilpin ___________________________ -------------------- 805,236 805,236 

fl~~oe~=::::::::::::::::::::::: :::::::::: ::::::::·:: 2~: ~~ zg; ~~ Lake. __ ---------·---------------- 342, 163 ---------- 295, 063 295, 063 

La'jPlata and Montezuma •• ---·· ---------- ---------- 3, 729 3, 729 

~:::::..~=========::::::::::::::::: :::::::::: ---·23;6ii f~: ~~g g~: M~ Pitkin •. _---_ •• --------_--_-- __ -. ---- __ ---- -- _ -----•• _ ---- _---- __ -- ___ • __ Rio Grande ______________________ ---------- ---------- 25, 716 25, 716 Routt and Moffat _______________ ---------- 8,133---------- 8,133 

Saguache_----------------------- ---------- ---------- 1, 745 1, 745 San Juan ________________________ -----·-------------- 187,357 187,357 

San MigueL-------------------- ---------- 18,000 737,380 755,380 

.Summit. •••• ---~-------------------------- 7,000 222,830 229,~0 

118,898 

145,674 

1,819, 682 

119,684 

848,785 

75,265 

292,495 

354,393 

57,387 

5,313, 930 

2,011 

2, 791,626 

156,975 

4, 944,898 

1,287 

176 

11,988 

321,340 

907,148 

"516,358 

124,843 90,691 14,148 45,894 1028', 000065,,'-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_ -_-_-_·_· __ --_-__ -_- 521, 115 

152,958---------- ---------- 2, 400,000 515,208 1, 910,666 124, 102 19,360 12,029,217 541, 315t 75,000 4,125 2, 917,834 

125,668 -·-·····-- --·------- I, 708,729 76, 8931 __________ ---------- 316,773 

891,224 ---------- __________ 2, ooo, ooo 4

90

5

, oo

00o

0

J---------- ---------- 1, 137,521 

3~~: ~~ ---626;927 ----96;865 ~: ~~~: ~~ so: 870'==========1========== 1, ~~~: g~~ 372, 113 105,954 16,529 6, 945,972 312, 5691---------- ---------- 729,995 

60,256 60,584 9, 451 660,708 29,732 ---------- ---------- 103, 136 ~~m~~~ ~~~~m~~~~ ~ooo ~~~~m 

2, 93i: M~ ---665;754 --·iro;s5s --4;228;803 ---i9o;29ii1:::::::::: :::::::::: 3, 57~:~~~ 164,824---------- ---------- 1, 886,504 84, 893, __________ ---------- 286,998 

5, 192, 143 ---------- ---------- 19,703,605 886, 662; __________ ---------- 6, 078,805 1,351 __________ --------------------- __________ I __________ ---------- 27,067 

185,---------- ---------- ----------- ----------'---------- ---------- 8, 318 

12,587 4, 290 669 176,193 7, 929 ---------- ---------- 22,930 

337,407 147,354 22,987 3, 462, 158 155,797 ---------- ---------- 703,548 

952,505 ---------- ---------- 414,522 18, 6531 __________ ---------- 1, 726,538 

542, 176 ---------- ---------- 7, 775,765 349,909 75,000 4, 125,1, 126,040 ----,---- ---------- 126,380, 4, 024,752 4, 151, 132 =18='=80=0=, =000=1=1=9=, 7=4=0,=00=0:1==3='=5=85='=6=91=1==55=9=, 3=68=1=1=09='=1=92='=00=0=1=4=, 9=1=3=, 63=9:1==3=0=0,=000=1==16='=500=:'=29=, 3=80=, 63=9 

1891 

o Boulder_ •••••••• ------------ ____ ---------- ---------- 683, 941 Chaffee __________________________ ---------- 37,000 242,060 

Clear Creek.·---------------------------·- 22,875 415,,692 Custer ___________________________ ---·------- ----·····- 49,204 

Dolores __________________________ -------------------- 122,631 

Eagle ____________________________ --------··-"-------- 153,453 

Gilpin ___________________________ ---------- ---------- 938,016 

Gunnison _______ ·----------------- -------··· ---------- 7, 402 

Hinsdale._---------------------- _____________ ------- 19, 869 

Lake. ____ ---------------------_ 403, 135 2, 894 345, 525 La Plataand Montezuma ________ ------------------·-· 23,054. 

Mineral._---------------~------- ---------- ···-·····- 10, 055 Ouray ___________________________ -------------------- 478,750 

~f{~:========================== Rio Grande ______________________ :::::::::: 

-------------------- ----~::~~ 38,592 ~~:~ Routt and Moffat _______________ ---------- 13,561 ---------- Saguache ________________________ -------------------- 1, 422 

San Juan _________________ , ______ -------------------- 192,109 

San MigueL ____________________ ----·-··-· 5, 000 .641, 993 

~~We~!~==========::::::::=:::::·::::::::::----~~:~~ ~; ~g~ 

683,941 41,690 41,273 ---------- ________ . __ ----------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 279,060 64,830 64,182 ---------- ---------- 1, 100,000 47,300 ---------- ---------- ~~~m~~~~ ~m ~-~~m ~~ ~ooo ~~ 

49,204 48,469 47,984 ---------- ---------- 838,874 36,072 ---------- ---------- 122,631 699,888 692,889 ---------- ---------- 931,326 40,047 ---------- ---------- 153,453 280,168 277,366---------- ---------- 3, 776,230 162,378 ---------- --.-------- 938,016 232,001 229,681 558,298 71,462 779,837 33,533 ---------- ---------- 7,402 489,268 484, 375_ _________ ---------- 10,340,332 444,634 ---------- ---------'- '19,869 186,850· 184,982 8,248 1,056 8,308,048 .357,246 ___________________ _ 

348, 419 4, 793, 015 4, 745, 085 4, 544, 202 581, 658 53, 444, 973 2, 298, 134 150, 000 7, 500 

23,054 3, 207 3,175 ---------- ---------- ----------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 10,055 378,899 374,382 ---------- ---------- 354,-854 15,259---------- ---------- 478,750 2,·273, 054 2, 250,323 865,044 110,726 4, 168,887 179,262 ---------- -·-------- 50, 333 185,200 183,348 ---------- ---------- 19,656 845 ---------- ---"------ 13, 507 6, 979,263 6, 909; 470 ---------- ---------- 16,396,580 705,053 ---------- ---------- 38,592 7, 752 7, 674 ---------- ---------- ----------- ---------- ---------- -------.R--

13, 561 ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ----------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 1,422 21,285 21,072 68,047 8, 710 260,577 11,205 ---------- ---------- 192, 109 769,545 761,850 235,467 30, 140 6, 857,544 294,874 ---------- ---------- 646,993 1, 410,903 1, 397,525 ---------- ---------- 139,344 . 5, 992 ---------- ---------- 89,132 523,658. 518,421 ---------- --~------- 10,591,152 455,420 75,000 3, 750 

1, 930 ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- -----.------ ---------- ---------- ----------

725,214 

390,542 

2,544, 785 

133,260 

855,567 

593,197 

1,272,692 

936,411 

563,153 

7, 980,796 

26,229 

399,696 

3,019,061 

~,526 

7,628,030 

46,266 

13,561 

42,409 1,27~973 

2,050,510 

1,066, 723 

1,930 

-------------------l-------·l-------l-------l-------·l-------l--------l------4-------·l-------l-------

---------- 125,663 4, 474,337 4, 600, (100121, 160,000 20,948,401 6, 336,878 811, 121126,256, ()()() 5, 429,009 300, ()()() 15, ()()() 31, 803, 531 

=.==.===== 

) 
PRODUCTION BY YEARS AND COUNTIES 93 

Gold, silver, copper, lead, and zinc produced in Colorado, 1858-1923, by counties, in terms of recover~d metals-Continued 

County 

Ore sold Gold Silver Copper Lead Zinc 

or (short treatedl-----:----....----1----:-----l---~-----l-----:-----l-----.---l 

tons) Placer Lode Total Fine 

ounces Value Pounds Value Pounds Value Pounds Value 

Total value 

------------1--------------------------1-----1----------------

1892 Boulder __ ----------------------- ---------- ---------- $982,988 $982,988 182, 156 $158,476 ---------- ---------- 9, 697 $388 -----"\·-- ------- ___ $1, 141,852 

~~~~'~":~:::-:~=~~~~~=~=:~~=== =~~===~~~: :::~~m : m ::: m ::~ ~~ :j lli ::::~~~~ ::::~~::: :: ~J~ :::: m )~:~ ::::~:~ :: ::1~ m Eagle ____________________________ ---------- ---------- 139,299 139,299 347,954 302,720 __________ ---------- 5, 259,280 210,371 ---------- ____ ____ __ 652,390 GilPin ___________________________ ---------- ---------- 1, 358, 157 1, 358, 157 134,462 • 116,982 538,988 62, 523 2, 232, 158 89,286 ---------- ____ ------ 1, 626, 948 Gu nison __________________________ -------- ______ ____ 6, 004 6, 004 146,891 127, 795 ---------- ---------- 525, 574 21,023 __________ ---------- 154,822 Hinsdale. _____ ---------------- ____________ ---------- 22,514 22,514 411,758 358,229 29,914 3, 470 4, 753,783 190, 151 __________ ---- ___ _ __ 574,364 Lake ___________________________ 323,187 9,000 242,296 251,296 5,898,020 5,131,277 5,928,863

1

1 687,748 44,009,114 1,760,365 562,5()0 25,875 7,856,561 La Plata and Montezuma ________ --------- ---------- 34,881 34,881 3, 335 2, 901 ---------- ---------- ----------- ---------- _______ ___ __ __ _ ___ __ 37, 782 

"tfui~aeyral __ -_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-__ --_ -_-_-_-_-_-_-_-__ -__ 1

_--_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_ g~.· ~~ 138

8

7,, 6

2

8

1

8

9 2, 391,514 2, 080,617 ---------- ---------- 3, 000,000 120,000 ---------- ---------- 2, 287,836 

I 754,114 656,079 638,875 74, 109 8, 012,729 320,509 ---------- ---------- 1, 189,385 

Park_--------------------------- ---------- 10,000 29,687 39,687 43,792 38,099 ---------- ---------- 25,698 1, 028 ---------- ---------- 78,814 

i~Zffr:~ge-~~~~~i=============== ========== =======i~6 ~~~~~~~~~~ ----i ;i~~ -~~~!~~~~ -~~~!~~~~~ ========== ========== =~~=~~~=~~~ ===~~=~~~ ========== ========== 

7

, ~~: i!g Saguache ________________________ ------------------------------------.-------------------------------------------- 250,000 10,000---------- __________ 10,000 San Juan _________________ ------_ ---------- ---------- 148,908 148,908 397, 589 34.5, 903 136, 768 15,865 6, 406,665 256,267 ---------- -------- __ 766, r-43 San MigueL ____________________ ---------- 5,000 689,177 694,177 1,501,898 1,306,651 100,000 11,600 815,842 32,634-------------------- 2,045,062 Summit ___________________________________ 10,000 116,046 126,046 563,417 490,173 166,799 19,349 6,371,637 254,865 212,500 9,775 900,208 

Teller ___________________________ ~~~~~~~~~~----;~.-;~~ 5

' :::::: 5

' :;::: ;~.-~~.-~ ~.-~~:~ -;.-~~~.-~;~~---~~~.-~~~ ~;~.-~.-~~ -~.-~~~~~~ -~.-~;~.-~~ ----~~.-;~ 31,:::: ::~ ==:================== ========= 1893 Boulder __ ----------------------- ---------- ---------- 479,665 479,665 257,462 200,820 50,000 5, 400 10,000 370 ___ _ ______ _____ _____ 686,255 

g&l1:~~~~~~==================== Dolores __________________________ ========== 

----~--------------- ----~~~~ 442,105 M~: !rr 442,105 ~~: J~r 2. 2,675,238 2I~: ~! 2,086,686 1. 7~~: ~~L---~~~~~ 10,000 -----~~~ 1,080 4;500,000 ~: ~gg; 8 166,500-------------------- ~~~J~ ---~~~~~~~ ----~~~~~~ 2,696,371 2. ~!~: ~~~ Eagle ___ ------------------------- ---------- ---------- 168,867 168,867 187,658 H6, 373 ---------- ---------- 5, 000,000 185,000 __________ ---------- 500,240 Gilpin ___ ------------------------ -------- __ ---------- 1, 218,626 1, 218,626 135,850 105, 9!)3 600,000 64,800 2, 000,000 74,000 __ -------- ---------- 1, 463, 389 Gunnison ________________________ ---------- ---------- 7, 728 7, 728 144,577 112,770 ---------- ---------- 500,000 18,500 ---------- ---------- 138,998 Hinsdale. __ --------------------- ---------- -------- __ 88,750 88,750 385,653 300,809 10,000 1, 080 3, 808, 111 140,900 ---------- ---------- 531, 539 Lake ____________________________ 351,794. _________ 902,244 902,244 6,795,454 5,300,455 5,000,000 540,000 36,274,889 1,342,171 735,000 29,400 8,114,270 

La Plata and Montezuma _______ ---------- ---------- 37,872 37,872 4, 928 3, 844 ---------- ---------- ----------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 41,716 Mineral_------------------------ ---------- ---------- 53,252 53,252 4, 897,684 3, 820, 194 __________ ---------- 7, 500,000 277, 500 -------- ______ ------ 4, 150, 946 ·Ouray ___________________________ -------------------- 188,854 188,854 1,221,155 952,501 600,000 64,800 8,000,000 296,000. _________ ---------·- 1,502,155 Park ____________________________ ---------- 30,000 79,845 109,845 62,350 48,633 10,000 1,080 30,000 ·1, 110---------- ---------- .160,668 Pitkin ___________________________ ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 5, 039,799 3, 931,043 ---------- ----------· 15, OCO, 000 555,000 ____ ______ __ __ __ ____ 4, 486,043 Rio Grande ______________________ ---------------------------------------- 796 621---------- ---------- ----------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 621 

N'ao;:;~c~~~ San Juan ________________________ -~~~~~= ==== =~===== == = ----------= == == == = = = ---------------~~ ~~~ = = = 260,668 == === == ____ 260,668 -~~ ~~~ == ===== = = = = = == = = ==== = === = = == == == == = === = = ----25o; ooo -----9; 25o == = ~= = = = == === == = = = = = g; ~~g 

1 

327, 153 255, 179 1, 125,826 121, 589 8, 000,000 296,000 ---------- ______ ____ 933,436 San MigueL ____________________ ---------- 5, 000 677,680 682,680 932,568 727,403 200,000 21, eoo 700,000 25,900 ---------- ---------- 1, 457,583 Summit_ ________________________ ---------- 10,000 106, 168 116,Hi8 421, 566 328,821 ---------- ____ ______ 6, 277,000 232,249 415,000 16,600 · 693,838 

Teller_-_------------------------ ---------- ---------- 2, 021,088 2, 021,088 5, 680 4, 430 __________ 1 __________ ----.------- ---------- ---------- __ -------- 2, 025,518 

---~ ~ 7,527,0o0:25,838,600 20,154,107 7, 695, 826 831, 149 110, 000, 000 4, 070, 000 1, 650, 000 C6, 000 32, 648, 256 

189~ Arapahoe ____________ ------------ ---------- 86 ---------- 86 _________ .. __________ ---------- _____________________ ---------- _____ _ ____ ______ ____ 86 

Boulder------------------------- ---------- ---------- 489, 592 489, 592 75,730 47,710 50,000 4, 750 10,000 330 _____ _____ _____ _____ 542,332 ·Chaffee 35 000 85, 565 120,565 25, 527 16,082 50,000 4, 750 1, 100,000 36,300 100,000 3, 500 181, 197 

g~~~j£~~~~~==================== =======~== -----~~~~~ 657, ¥i~ 662, ¥i~ 2, 228, 84~ 1, 404, 17~ ----~~~~~ -----~~~~~ --~~ ~~~~~~~ ---~~~~~~~ ---~~~~~~~ -----~~~~~ 2, 341,-¥~~ Custer Delta ______________________ ~---- ---------- ------·--- 148 148 1, 137 . 716 ---------- ---------- 150,000 4, 950 ---------- ---------- 5, 814 ______ --____________________ _ __ _ __ _ _ __ __ _ __ _ __ __ 172 172 3 2 ___ _ ___ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ____ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 174 

Dolores __________________________ ---------- ---------- 192,626 192,626 1, 153,325 726,595 30,000 2, 850 2, 000,000 66,000 ___ ------- ______ ____ 988,071 Eagle ____________________________ ---------- ---------- 55,521 55,521 62,543 39,402 ---------- ---------- 2, 000,000 66,000 __________ ---------- 160,923 Fremont_ ________________________ -------------------- 76 76 323 203 ---------- ---------- _____________________ ---------- ---------- 279 

Gunnison 8ft~~:-~==~===========~=====~==== ________________________ ----------

======~=== ----------========== 1, 915, 8, 052 s~~ 1, 915, 8, 052 s~~ ---228;927 104,938 ---i44;224 66, 111 -------------4oo;ooo ________ ----38~oool--2,- __ 4CO, zoo; ooo 000 ----72;6oo 13,200 ----------========== ----------========== 2, 110, 87,363 6~~ Hinsdale_----------------------- ---------- ---------- 85, 196 85, 196 395,899 249,416 10,000 950 3, 322, 170 109, 632 ---------- ---------- 445, 194 Huerfano ________________________ ---------- ---------- 304 304 1 1 ---------- __________ ----------- ---------- __________ __________ 305 

i~~O:~~~~~======================= ======~=== -----~:~~~ ·1;499;314 1, 49~: ~~~ 1, 605, 1~g 4, 847, 91g -4;ooo;ooo ---38o;ooo ·44; 733;ooo -i;476;i89 -i;ooo;ooo ----35;ooo 8, 23~: ~g~ La Plata and Montezuma _______ ---------- ---------- 114, 264 114, 264 417,465 263,003 ---------- ---------- ___________ ---------- ---------- ---------- 377,267 

Mesa·------------------~------------------ Mineral 318---------- 318 1 1 ---------- ---------- ----------- -------------------- ---------- 319 _________________________ ---------- ---------- 40,336 40,336 1, 866,927 1, 176,164 ---------- ---------- 6, 500,000 214,500 ---------- ---------- 1, 431,000 

f~eib.~o~_I_~-_:=---~-~-~--==_= --=-~--= -_= -_= -_= -_= --=-~--= --=-~=-=-~;_-=_- =-- -_= -_= --=~-~-=-= --=~---=~- ---~----~-~:-~_;_~_;_ - ---i~r~ ·~Jfi 296 .. :tun 3 2 '· :~~LTo:~ ---------- ---------- ::::;';~ -------::::~:~ ----- -------------::::tr~:::::~: ---------- ---------- ~=~~;=~~~=· ::m~~ 298 

San :a~~~:i~~~~~~~=============== Ju!\n·----------------------- -------;,-- ========== ----------

~~~~~~~~~~ ----340,023 ~~:~~~ 340,023 ~;JH 351, 60~: 114 :~ 383, 221,202 :i! ========== 1, 118,222 ==========i====~i~;666 106,231 4, 000,000 =====~;~i6 132, 000' ========== 

__________ ----------

========== 4~iJ~~ 799,456 San M!gueL ____________________ -------~ __ 5, 000 789,218 794,218 570,023 359,115 173,191 16,453 858,830 28, 341'---------- ____ ____ __ 1, 198, 127 

Summit.------------------------ ---------- 10,000 214, 791 224,791 432, 794 272,660 ---------- ---------- 5, 500,000 181, 500

1 

200,000 7, 000 685,951 Teller--------.-----·-------------- ---------- ---------- 2, 618,388 2, 618,388 25,335 15, 961 ---------- ---------- ___________ ---------- ·---------- ---------- 2, 634,349 

---loS, 747 9, 382,767 9, 491,514 23,281,39814,667,281 6, 481,413 615,734101,226,000 3, 340,45811, 500;000 52,500 28,167,487 

1895 =============== 1 

~g~J~~:====================== ========== ---3~;~~- --1~~:~~r t~t ~~~ ~8: ~gg i~: ~g ---~~:g~f ---"f}~r ---J~:i~r -----~]gg ~==i~6;~66= :===~:i~6= Clear Creek--------------------- ---------- 5, 000 669,210 674,210 1, 585,483 1, 030,564 44, 168 4, 726 6, 415,936 205,310 200,000 7, 200 Costilla ________________________ ---------- 126 126 ---------- ---------- .. _________ ---------- ----------- __________ 1 

___________________ _ 

Custer--------------------------------------------- 68 68 88,632 57,611 4,099 439 139,768 4,4731 Delta ___________________ _ ___________________________ -------------------- 77 77 1 1 

Dolores.--_------------- __ ------ _____ __ _ _ _ _______ __ _ 52, 552 52, 552 399, 283 259, 534 ---64;i5i- ----6; 864- ---3i3; 824- ----io;o42 = = === = == = = : == = = = = = = = Eagle.-------------------------- ---------- ---------- 30,900 30, 900 53,421 34, 724 · 1, 770,215 56, 647 

Fremont_ _____________________ -------------------- 18 18 --------i- --------i- ========== ========== =========== ==========~========== ========== 

~~~L~~~~~~~~~~~=~~~:J:~::::~:~~ ~~~:~:~~~: ·· ~1.· !i! 1

• :~i:. !i! ~~~: ~fg ~~: g~g --~~~~~~~- ---~~~~~- ~~: g~~ ~: ~~~ ========== ========== 483,565 314,317 10,000 1, 070 5, 251,014 168,032 ---------- ----------

5653-26t-7 

1,119 

434,928 

194,471 

1, 922,010 126 62, 591 

78 328,992 

122,271 18 

154 1, 369,401 

117,437 

726,614 
94 MINING IN COLORADO 

Gold, silver, copper, lead, and zinc produced in Colorado, 1858-1923, by counties, in terms of recovered metals--Continued 

County 

Ore sold Gold Silver Copper Lead Zinc 

or treatedl------~------~-------1-------~------l------~~-----l·------~~------------~------l 

(short 

tons) Placer Lode Total Fine 

ounces Value Pounds Value Pounds Value Pounds Value 

Total 

value 

-----------------------1----- ------------------------1-----1------:--------------

1895--Continued 

Huerfano _____________________ ---------- ---------- $87 $87---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ___________ ---------- ---------- ---------- $87 

[e~e:~~~~---~=~---~=========~====== :::::::::: ----~~~~~~ I, 386, ~~~ I, 38~: ~~~ 9, 435, 1~~ 6, I33, Mg -2;8o3;55o --$299;9so-33;922;572 $i;245;522 -i;265;ooo ---$45; 54o 9, 11~: ~?~ La Plata and Montezuma.----- ______ ____ __________ 3, 682 3, 682 99 64 ______________ ------ ___________ ---------- ---------- __________ .. 3, 746 

Larimer and Jackson ___________ ---------- 320---------- 320 I I __________ --------------------------------------------------- 321 Mineral.------------------------ ______ -------- _ _ 114,482 114,482 I, 423, ~38 924, 975 ---------- _ _________ 8, 220,870 263,068 ---------- _____ _____ 1, 302, 525 

~r~~~~~-_-_-_-_-_-~=~---~=========== ========== -----~~~~~ ---172;697 11k ~~~ 1, 515, 6M 985, 2oh ---6oo:ooo ----ii4;2oo --~;747;oo3 ---i83;9o4 :::::::::: :::::::::: 1, 1o~: ~g~ 

~f[~in~=~---~==~---~=~-----========== ========== ----~~~~~~ 10t~~~ 13~: ~~~ 5, 1~~: ~~~ 3, 3~g: ~~ 2

' ~r~ 3

M 11, 1~~: ~~ 35~: ~~~ ----21;<ioo -------756 3, ~g~: ~~i Rio Grande._----------------- ---------- ________ __ 15, 795 15,795 3, 359 2, I83 ---------- ____________ --------- ---------- ---------- _____ _____ 17,978 

r;guut!ctne~ -~0-~~t~ ~ ~---~========= _--__ --__ -_--_-__ --______ 5_,_~3-~ _______ 5_3_4 5, 930 86 56---------- ---------- ----------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 5, 986 534 3, 939 2, 560 ---------- ---------- 249, 166 7, 973 ---------- ---------- 11,067 SanJuan------------------------------------------ 849,411 849,411 1,894,453 1,231,394 2,ll57,588 220,I62 8,098,800 259,162 __________ ----------- 2,560,I29 San MigueL-------------------- ---------- 5, 000 I, 421, 159 1, 426, 159 602,039 39I, 325 I47, 727 15, 807 756,809 24, 218 _________ : ------ ____ I, 857; 509 

Summit_ _______________________ ---------- 10,000 225,591 235,591 288,242 I87,357 1,058 - 113 5,477,117-- 175,268 65,000 2,340 600,669 Teller ______ ------------------ ----------,---------- 6, I66, 144, 6, 166, 144 68,428 44; 478 ---------- -~-:" _____________ : ___ 1 

__________ ----------, _ ___ ______ 6, 2IO, 622 

~~~ 13, 209, 6oi13,3o5,10o ~ 15,209,024 6, 079,243 650,479 93,968, oool 3, oo6, 976 1, 671, oool 60, 156 32,231, 735 

Arapahoe------~~~~-------------- --------~- .. I, 894 ___ _______ 1, 894 19 13 ---------- ------ _____________ __! ___________ --------- ____ ______ 1, 907 Boulder __ ----------------------- ---------- __ ______ __ 385, 653 385,653 79,047 53,752 63,252 6, 83I 4, 216 126 __ ________ _____ _____ 446,362 

Chaffee-------------------------__________ 35,000 158,465 193,465 151,738 103,182 559 60 1,047,310 31,419 -120,000 4,680 332,806 

ClearCreek ... ---------------------------- 5,000 787,631 792,631 1,626,828 I,106,243 204,519 22,088 6,438,672 193,160 400,000 15,600 2,I29,722 Conejos._--------------------- _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ __ _ __ _ _ _ _ 639 639 17 12 _ __ _ _ _ _ ___ _ ___ __ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ __ _ ___ __ _ __ _ _ _ __ __ _ __ _ _ _ ___ _ _ _ _ _ _ 651 Costilla ___ --------------------- _ ___ _ _ _ _ _ _ 139 _ _ _ _ __ ___ _ 139 ___________________________________________________ .. _________ ---------- _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ 139 

£~T{:~::: =~_-_-_:::::::::::::::::: :::::::::-: :::::::::: ~~ ~~ 6o, 12i 10, s~ -----~~~~~ -------~~~ -----~=~~~~ ---~-=~~~~ ::::::::::J::::::: ::: 43, ~~g Dolores.------------------------ ---------- ---------- 10,659 10,659 240,393 163,467 ---------- ---------- I, 100,000 33,000 30, 000 1, 170 208, 296 

Eagle. ___ ----------------------- ---------- ---------- I6, 472 I6, 472 65,824 44,760 2, 044 22I 210,717 6, 322 ---------- _____ ___ __ 67, 775 Fremont ______________________ -------------------- 9I5 9I5 I5 IO ---------- ---------- ----------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 92.5 

g~lf~~=========================== ========== ========== 1, 534, ~~g I, 534, ~gg ---=~~~~~= ---=~~~~=~ ---~~~~~~~ ----~~~~~~ --~~~~~~~~~ ----~~~~~= ========== ========== 1, 840, g~g Gmmison _____________________ ---------- ---------- 26,757 26,757 93,273 63,426 8, 5I5 920 164,370 4, 931 __________ ---------- 96,034 

Hinsdale. _____ --------------- ---------- ---------- 212,794 2I2, 794 510,883 347,400 13,202 1, 426 5, 468,856 164,066 ---------- ---------- 725, 686 Huerfano. _------------------- _ _ _ _ _ __ ___ _ _ _ _ _ ___ __ I09 109 __ _ _ _ _ ___ _ _ __ _ _ _ __ _ _ __ _ __ ___ __ _ ___ _ _ _ ___ _ _ ____ _ __ __ ____ ____ __ __ __ ______ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 109 

J efierson. _--------------------- _ __ _ ____ __ I, 963 I6, 523 18, 486 4, 590 3, 121 ________________________________ ------- _ _ ___ _ ____ _ _ _ ___ _ _ _ _ _ _ 21, 607 

Lake---------------------------- ---------- ---------- I, 453,458 1, 453,458 6, 623,764 4, 504, 160 4, 071,761 439,750 31,993,777 959,813 642,000 25,038 7, 382,219 La Plata and Montezuma.----_ ---------- __ -------- 10, 74I 10, 74I 41 28 ---------- ---------- ___ ·_: ______ ---------- ---------- ______ ____ 10, 769 Larimer and Jackson _____ . ______ ---------- 13---------- I3 3 2---------- ---------- ----------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 15 MineraL------------------------ ---------- ---------- 52, 238 52, 238 I, 560,865 1, 061,388 ---------- ---------- 6, 021, 109 180,633 ---------- ---------- 1, 294, 259 Montrose--------------------------------- 1, 720 225 I, 945 17 12---------- ---------- --------------------- ---------- ---------- 1, 957 

Ouray _______ ---._------------ ---------- ---------- 14I, 046 141,046 2, 371,912 1, 612,900 217,310 23,469 6, 599, 143 197,974 ---------- -------- __ 1, 975, 389 Park _________________________ ----------- 25,000 112,109 137,109 117,095 79,625 28,593 3,088 297,714 8, 931 ---------- ---------- 228,753 Pitkin ___________________________ ---------- ---------- 1, 523 1, 523 4, 922,360 3, 347,205 52,991 5, 723 16, 272,411 488, 172 ---------- -------- _ _ 3, 842, 623 

KY:~~ande~---~ ==---~ = ==·--==== = === = = == = = = === = === == = = = = 1, 8~6 1, sro 1, 3;g 9~~ -----i; 369 ----- ""i48 --------45i --------i4 = === == === :1::: =======I 2, ~~~ Routt and Moffat. _____ -------- ---------- 4, 690 169 4, 859 2, 214 1, 506 ---------- ---------- 22, 111 663 ---------- ---------- 7, 02& Saguache .. ---------------------------------------- 331 33I 2,447 1,664 241 26 65,465 1,964 ____________________ 3,985 San Juan. _____ -- ______ ------__ _ ____ ___ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 908, 707 908, 707 2, 228, 03I 1, 515, 06I 845, 094 91, 270 5, 634, 586 169, 038 ___ _ __ _____ __ ___ __ _ __ 2, 684, 076 

SanMigueL------------------------------ 5,000 1,372,829 1,377,829 I,I09,875 754,715 2I,698 2,343 2,284,19I 68,526 __________ ----------~2,203,4I3 

~~ile~i~:::::::·:~::·.-~::::::::: :::::::::: ----~~~~~~ 7.~~~:~g~ 1,~~~:~g~ ~~:~~ ~~J~L---~~~~~ -----~~~~ --~~=~~~~~ ---~~~~~~~ ---~~~~~~ -----~~~~~ 1J~~:~;~ 

90,41914,820, 58I14, 911,000 22,573,000 15,349,642 6, 02:?, 176 650,395 8~, 606,000 2, 688, 178 1,-292,000 50,388133,649,603 

1897 

Arapahoe ________________________ ---------- 2,108---------- 2,108 14 8---------- ---------- ----------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 2,116 Archuleta. ___ ---- _______ ------__ __ _ _ __ _ _ __ _ _ __ __ ____ 703 703 348 209 _____________________ . _________ .. __ _____ __ _ ___ __ ____ _ __ _ _ __ __ _ 912 

Boulder ___ ---------------------- ---------- ---------- 512,657 512,657 138,715 83,229 58,474 7, 017 309,115 11,128---------- ---------- 614,031 Chaffee __________________________ ---------- 35,000 I9I,936 226,936 53,859 32,3I5 172,89I 20,747 1,686,39I - 60,710 ·100,000 4,100 344,808 

g~~~i~~~;~=-===================== ========== ----~~~~~~ 73!: ~i! 78!: ~E 1, 442, :~~ 865, :~~ ---~~~~~~~ ----~~~~~~ --~~~~~~~~~ ---~~;;;~~ ==:~~~=~~ ====~~=~~~~1, 91t:!~~ Custer ______________ : ____________ -------------------- 2,129 2,129 26,842 16,105 874 105 2, 10I, 041 75,637---------- ---------- 93,976 

g~l~~es::: ======================: :::::::::: :::: = === :: 43, ~~g 43, ~g ---i79;9oi ---io7: 94i ----39; 654 -----4;758 --i;o93; 84o ----39;378 ::: === :::: ::::::::: = j 195, ~~ Douglas.-----------------"·--------------- · 475---------- 475 10 6---------- ---------- ----------- ----------1---------- ---------- 481 Eagle ____________________________ ---------- ---------- 34,767 34,767 46,046 27, 628 2, 200 264 1, 144,013 4I, 184 ---------- ______ _ _ _ _ I03, 843 

Fremont _________________________ -------------------- I2, 877 12,877 I, 525 915---------- ---------- ----------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 13,792 Garfield. _______ ------- ______ ---- _ -------- _ __ __ _ ___ _ _ 310 3IO 42 25 '-------- ______________________ . _ __ __ __ __ _ _ _ _ ____ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 335 

8~f~t===========:============== ========== ========== 2, OS~:~~~ 2, 08~: ~~~ 374, 4~~ 224, 6~~~-~:~~~~~:~ ---~==~=~~ . __::~~~~~=~ ----~=~:~~ ========== =========:= 2, 50f: g~~ Gunnison ________________________ ---------- ---------- 40, 76I · 40, 761 I03, 94I 62,3651 2, 770 332 1, OI3, 114 36,472 ---------- --------. _ I39, 930 Hinsdale ______ ------------------- ---------- ---------- 168, I71 HiS, I7I 243,437 146,062 8, 085 970 5, 550,058 I99, 802 ---------- ___ __ _ _ _ __ 5I5, 005 

Huerfano. ----------------------- ---------- ---------- 723 723 167 100 92 11 I, 067 38 ---------- ------~--- 872 Jefferson _____ -------------------- ---------- 586 7, 661 8, 247 1, 6I4 968 I, 602 I92 IO, 093 363 __________ ---------- 9, 770 Lake ____________________________ 4I3,552 --------- 2,063,858 2,063,858 5,451,317 3,270,7901 3,146,802 377,6I6 23,700,908 853,233 2,201,500 90,262 6,655,759 La Plata and Montezuma _________________ ---------- - 36,944 36,944 I, 5I4 908l 420 50 857 3I __________ ---------- 37,933 

Larimer and Jackson._---------- __ __ ______ 805 2, I71 2, 976 97 58---------- ---------- ----------- ---------- ---------- ____ 3, 034 Las Animas _____________________ -------------------- 64I · 64I 9 5---------- ---------- ----------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 646 MineraL __ ---------------------- ---------- ---------- 61,328 61,328 3, 070, 576 1, 842,346 1, 500 180 6, 080, 673 218,904 ---------- ____ ______ 2, 122, 758 Montrose ________________________ ---------- 1, 571 4, 981 6, 552 851 511 ---------- ----~----- ----------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 7, 063 Ouray------- ____ ---------------- ---------- __________ 552,840 552,840 2, 776, 394 I, 665,836 2, I85, 081 262,210 7, 784, 2I2 280,232 ---------- ---------- 2, 76I, 118 Park _____________________________ ---------- I9, 000 I34, 619 J53, 619 199,945 119,967 58,002 6, 962 4, 5I7, 6I4 I62, 634 ---------- ______ __ __ 443, 182 

Pitkin _________ ------------------ ---------- __ ________ 164,430 I64, 430 4, 599,946 2, 759,968 8, 360 1, 003 4, 456,478 I60, 433 ---------- __________ 3, 085, 834 Rio Grande ____ ------------------ ---------- ---------- 22,592 22, 592 8, I68 4, 90I 627 75 I2, 006 432 ---------- ______ ____ 28,000 RouttandMoffat. _____________________ ~-- 5,45I 4,326 9,777 7,805 4,683 958 115 88,736 3,I94 ____________________ 17,769 

Saguache.----------------------- -------- __ ---------- I3, 746 I3, 746 2, 482 I, 489 2, 975 357 9, 266 334 ---------- ------- ___ 15,926 San Juan.----------------------- ___________ -------- _ 694,326 694, 326 1, 101, 907 661, 144 1, 435, 203 172,224 8, 021, 4I4 · 288, 771 ---------- ____ ______ 1, 816,465 San MigueL.~---------------------------- 5,000 I,453, 144 1,458, I44 869,079 52I,447 354,781 42,574 4,143, 767 149,176---------- __________ 2,·171, 341 Summit_ ________________________ ---------- 10,000 263,650 273,650 5I4, 107 308,464 I33,482 I6,0I8 I, 748,761 62,955 82,489 3,382 664,469 Teller _______ .. ____ .• __________________________________ 10, I31, 855 10, I31, 855 59, 879 35, 9271

.----- _______________________________________________________ IO, 167, 782 

~::.=------- 130,646 ::!48,787 I9, 579~~12I, 2~:.:~.~· 766, 9I9~,!· 149,967 1, 097,995 80,794,286 2, 908,592 2, 683, ggg! 110,044 36,462,983 
PRODUCTION BY YEARS AND COUNTIES 95 

Gold, silver, copper, lead, and zinc produced in Colorado, 1858-1923, by counties, in term.s of recovered metals-Continued 

County 

1898 

Ore sold 

Gold Silver Copper Lead Zinc 

or treatedl------:-----:----·l----;-----l-----:-----l---------1------:-----l 

(short 

tons) Placer Lode Total Fine 

ounces Value Pounds Value Pounds Value Pounds Value 

Total 

value 

----------------------1-----1----------------

!~~g~~~~:::======·=============== ========== ------~~~~ ------$i45 $r~~ 4b ~ ========== ========== ===========c======== ========== ========== $r~~ Boulder ___ ---------------------- ---------- ---------- 581,302 581,302 91,432 53, 945 22,452 $2, 784 8, 967 $341 ---------- ---------- 638,372 Chaffee __________________________ ---------- 35,000 192,535 227,535 85,273 50,311 114,202 14, 161 2, 522,554 95,857 100,000 $4,600 392,464 

Clear Creek. __ ------------------ ---------- 5, 000 600,528 605,528 1, 569,012 925,717 317,423 39,360 5, 843,767 222,063 300,000 13,800 1, 806,468 

Conejos-----~---------------------------------------- 18,355 18,355 29,777 17,568---------- ---------- ----------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 35,923 Costilla __________________________ ---------- 1, 000 4, 519 5, 519 993 586 983 122 ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 6, 227 

Custer ___________________________ -------------------- 723 723 24,319 14,348 1, 475 183 996,877 37,881 ---------- ---------- 53, 135 

Delta __ ·-------------------------- ---------- ---------- 579 579 16 9 ---------- ---------- ----------- -------~-- ---------- ---------- 588 Dolores __________________________ ---------- ---------- 88,282 88,282 463,346 273,374 149,647 18,556 686,597 26,091 400,000 18,400 424,703 

Douglas _________________________ ---------- 124---------- 124---------- -------------------- ---------- ----------- ---------- ---------- ·---------- 124 Eagle ____________________________ -------------------- 30,571 30,571 70,783 41,762 71,049 8, 810 1, 851; 512 70,357 ---------- ---------- 151,500 Fremont _________________________ ---------- ---------- 8, 702 8, 702 1, 270 749 ---------- ---------- 2, 101 80 ---------- ---------- 9, 531 

Gilpin ___________________________ ---------- ---------- 1, 983,514 1, 983,514 305,687 180,355 633,707 78,580 1, 216,338 46,221 ---·------- ---------- 2, 288,670 

Grand __________ ·-----------------·-------------------- 806 806 11 6---------- ---------- ----------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 812 

Gunnison ________________________ ---------- ---------- 81,006 81,006 152,800 90, 152 119,072 14,765 1, 996,560 75,869 ____ :_~--- ---------- 261,792 

Hinsdale ____ -------------------- ---------- ---------- 51, 282 51,282 186,456 110, 009 104,038 12,901 9, 828,482 373,482 ---------- ---------· 547, 674 

Huerfano ________________________ ---------- -·--------- 145 · 145 40 24 ---------- ---------- ----------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 169 

Jefferson _________________________ ---------- 117 1, 723 1,840 102 60---------- ---------- ----------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 1, 900 

Lake____________________________ 517,992------·---- 2,073,036 2,073,036 7,068,727 4,170,550 5,543,954 687,450 35,945,006

1

1,365,910 2,673,500 122,981 8,419,927· 

La Plata and Montezuma_------ ---------- ---------- 38,653 38,653 5, 219 3, 079 2, 568 318 8, 407 319 ---------- ---------- 42,369 

Larimer and Jackson __ ---------- ---------- 10,456 706 11, 162 60 35 24,484 3, 036 ------~---- ---------- ---------- ---------- 14,233 

goasu!r~aty;_~:-~_~_I_:_·=-~--~-~-~~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-;--~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~- ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~- =_=_=_=_=_=-~--~-~-~- 8

4

5g2:, ~5~~5;5 1 . 852,555 •;; IH -;:;;i:-~ 1,420,330 -~';~~~ 837,995 ::::i.~ili 1,035,562 :::::i~i~ 128,410 :~;;;i~;;~~~~~~;:~ji 2,799,936 106,398 __________ :~~~~ ----------~:~:~~;~ '· 

1,925,358 

';g; t~ Park _____________________________ ---------- 7, 000 152,490 159,490 198,711 117,239 20,957 2, 599 1, 953,001 74,214 ---------- ---------- 353,542 

Pitkin___________________________ 165,000 ______ .____ 71,001 71,001 3, 977,270 2, 346,589 4, 553 565 15,903,682 604,340 ---------- -.--------- 3, 022,495 

Rio Grande ______________________ ---------- ---------- 3, 720 3, 720 1, 568 925 9, 794 1, 214 2, 393 91 ---------- ---------- · 5, 950 Routt and Moffat_ ______________ ---------- 11,728 1, 025 12,753 2,173 1, 282 . 600 74 15,477 588---------- ---------- 14,697 Saguache ________________________ -------------------- 19,678 19,678 2, 618 1, 545 21,711 2, 692 132,462 5, 034. _________ ---------- 28,949 

San Juan ________________________ -------------------- 1, 132,592 1, 132,592 1, 048,499 618,614 2, 252,421 279,300 14,659,999 557,080 ___ " ______ ---------- 2, 587,586 

Summit_ ________________________ ---------- 10,000 333,825 343,825 415,687 245,255 9,825 1,218 4,889,204 185,790 227,156 10,449 786,537 

San MigueL-------------------- ---------- 2, 000 1, 570,677 1, 572,677 2, 129,082 1, 256, 158 360,831 44,743 6, 699,712

1 

254,589 -·--------- ---------- 3, 128, 167 

1'eller ____________________________ ~~~~~~~~~~ ----~~:~~~ ~:::::: ;; ~::·:::: ~:: 23 ::: :; ~ ~ ~~ ~~:~~~ ~~::: ::: :~ 

--1~~g~re~;~===;;;;::::::::::::::: :::::::::: -------~~~ -------i93 ig~ J 4s,8226a

1 

::::7:8:,:8:_1-6: :::::Ia=.=4==78: :::::28==.=o=4=a=

1

Boulder __ ----------------------- __________ ---------- 547,858 547,858 76,371 i======I-.-2:6:2:1:_:_:_:_:_:_:_:_:_:_ :_:_:_:_:_:_:_:_:_:_ 608,421 i~& 8P.!~~;o;;k::::::::::::::::::::: :::::::::: ':::: ill:~~ ll!:~ d~::lx1 oo"l:~ g:g:~ lg,~ i:ln:~ .~:ml i:::i:l::: I;;~ l,i!&l:l: 

~~~:=;==:~~~~:~~~~~:~~:~~~==~~ ~~:~~~~~~= ;;;;;;;~ :: m ~ m ~: ~, ~:: :ij ==~~~~~~ :::::::~~ :::=~;:;~ =:::;;~~;~~=~=~~=~~~ ~~~=~:;::~ : m Dolores----------------~--------- ---------- ---------- 66,847 66,847 257,052 154,231 44,509 7, 611 2, 046,232 92, oso1 100,000 5, 800 326,569 

Douglas_------------------------ ---------- 83 ---------- 83 24 26,63146 -----5-,_8_7_6_ -----1-.-00--5- ---1,--18_7_,_9_3_0_ ----53--,-4--57-~--------------------· ------------------.-- 97 Eagle ____________________________ ---------- _______ ___ 46,094 46,094 44,393 127, 192 

~~~wcld~~---~ ~==================== ========== ========== 9, ~~ 9, ~g~ 3, 9r~ 2, 384 6, 698 1, 145 11,443 515

1

__________ __________ 13, ~~~ 

g~~~d========================---_-_ ========== ========== 1, 996, ~g! 1, 996,061 . 34o, 652 204, a~~ -i;oo7;42i ---i77;399 --i;3i2;3i2 ----59;o54 ========== ========== 2, 436,905 124 13 8---------- ---------- ----------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 132 Gunnison ________________________ ·-------------------- 70,112 70,112 132,983 79,790 46,186 7, 898 1, 399,336 62, 9701 

__________ ---------- 220,770 

Hinsdale _________________________ ---------- ---------- 38,343 38,343 155,902 93,541 49,676 8, 495 10,572,353 475,756---------- ---------- 616,135 

~fi:~~~~~:::::::::~::::::=::::::: :::::::::: -------542 ~~~ 1J~! a5f 21~ -------254--------43 --------77o --------351:::::::::: :::::::::: 1, ~;~ Lake _________________ ib:i ________ 525,728 ---------- 2,196,498 2,196,498 7,230,118 4,338,071 3,202,828 547,684 48,598,720 2,186,94210,575,240 613,364 9,882,559 

La Plata and Montozu a.------ ---------- ---------- 41,092 41,092 3, 389 2, 033 211 36 3, 176 143 ---------- ---------- 43,304 

Larimer and Jackson_----------- ---------- 1, 599 468 2, 067 135 81 2, 474 423 __ --------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 2, 571 Las Animas ______________________ ---~---------------- 207 207 3 2---------- ---------- ----------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 209 Mesa ________________ --------____ __ __ __ __ __ _ ___ __ _ _ __ 124 124 4, 120 2, 472 4, 650 795 __ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ __ _ __ _ __ _ __ _ __ _ _ _ ___ ___ ___ 3, 391 

~~~~~~se:::::::::::::::::::::::: :::::::::: -------i~3 91, ~~ 91,671 a, 796,899 2, 278, 139 20,223 a, 458 5, 677,162 255,472 100, ooo 5, soo 2, 634, 54o 723 46,119 27,671 75,006 12,826 ___________ ------------------------------ 41,220 

~~{::.::===========~============= ========== ----20,-000 1, ~~j·, ~~ 1, 694,940 2, 346, 194 1, 407, 716 305, 177 52, 185 7, 556,386 340, 037_ _________ ---------- 3, 494,878 153,041 72,137 43,282 7, 903 1, 351 540,849 24,338 ---------- ---------- 222,012 Pitkin ___________________________ ----~-- ___ ---------- 52,233 52,233 4, 158, 708 2, 495, 225 19,351 3, 309 25,458,380 1, 145, 627~---~----- _ -------- __ 3, 696,394 

Rio Grande ______________________ -------------------- 19,202 19,202 2, 718 1,631 336 57 1,635 . 74---------- ---------- 20,964 

Routt and Moffat._------------- ---------- 10,693 862 11,555 1, 271 763 ---------- ---------- 3, 405 153 ---------- ---------- 12,471 

~:~u;~~~:::::::::::-_:_-:-_:-_-__ -_--__ -_- =-_:::::::: =::::::_-:-_ 99~,, ~~~ 3, 886 14,306 8, 584 35,319 6, 040 441,095 19,849 ---------- ---------- 38,359 996,273 1,191,857 715,114 1,197,661 204,800 16,011,677 720,5251 _______________ . _____ 2;636,712 

San MigueL ______ -------------- ---------- ---------- 1, 376,705 1, 376,705 1, 208,395 725,037 160,239 27,401 3, 918,883 176,350 ---------- ---------- 2, 305,493 

Summit_ ___ ·-----·-------------------------- 10,000 250,566 260,566 264,872 158,923 65,531 11,205 4,032,431 181 459 125 416 7 274 619 427 

Toller.--_--_----- _____ --- __ ----_ --------- _ --- _ ;---- _ 16, 058, 564 16, 058, 564 82, 299 49, 379 __ ------ ___________________________ --~--- ____ --~ _________ ~ ___ 16, 101: 943 

----~ 26,435,086 26,508,675 23, 114,68813,868,811 7, 356,970 1, 258,041138,048,446 6, 212, 1781

=·===== 11,300,656 655, 438 48, 503,143 I --------

Arapahoe·----~~~~--------------- ---------- 248 ---------- 248 ---------- ----------1-----~---- I 1 

Archuleta _______________________ -------------------- 145 145 30 18---------- :::::::::: =======:::: :::::::::: :::::::::: :::::::::: 

---~-163 Baca _____________________________ -------------------- . 103 103 102 63 8,900 1,477 _ _: _________ ---------- ________ _:_ ---------- 1,643 

Boulder_ ________________________ -------------------- 607,016 607,016 90,327 56,003 20,371 3,382 76,076 3,347-------------------- 669,748 Chaffee __________________________ ---------- 25,000 147,677 172,677 125,330 77,705 753,677 125,110 833,462 36,672 100,000 4, 400 416,564 

g~e::J-~~~~===================== ========== -----~~~~ 460,447 465,447 1, 358,143 842,049 244,092 40,519 4, 994,263 219,748 300,000 13,200 1, 580,963 2,832 2,832 1,014 629 4,527 752 2,200 97____________________ ·4,310 

Costilla __________________________ ---------- 200 '1,867 2,067 314 195 107 18 ___________ ------------------------------ 2,280 

Custer ___________________________ ---------- ---------- 20,835 20,835 82,605 51,215 2, 301 382 709,349 31,211 20,000 880 104,523 

Delta ____________________________ -------------------- 971 971 97 60,---------- ---------- ----------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 1,031 

Eg~~:~~s-~======================== ========== --------62 ----~~~~~~ 5o, 125 159,318 98,1111 - 36, oo9 5, 978 210, a8o 9, 257 220, ooo 9, 68o 11a, 817 

Eagle 10a 598 103, 5g~ 234, 6~! 145, 4~~~---359;o54 ----59,"6o3 --3;679;828 ---i6i;9i2 _ _: __ 2o,"ooo -------sso 471, 4~i 

oGF~a-rr: 11inel~d~t-~-~--~-- --=~_-=_-_==_- :_-_=--~=_-_>_>_~=-=---~=---~=---~_==_- --~ : ___ ==_-_==_- =--=---~=-=_- __ =:_- :_- :_- __ =: ___ ==_- __ ==_- 1, 65~; 7 1, 65~: ~g~ 23~: !66 14~; ~~ 79g: l~~ 1a~; ~~~ 73~: ~~~ 32, ~~~ :::::::::: :::::::::: 1, 9M: ~~~ 517 13 8---------- ----------· ----------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 525 

Jefferson 

gtt~:::~~~~~~~::~~~::~~~~~ _________ -----___________ ~~~~~~:~~~ __ __ ___ __ _ ~~:~~~:~~: 78 • ~: ffi 

625 

:!: ffi 

703 l:g: :i 51 :g; :ft::~~;~ 32:. ______________________________ :::::;:~ ::~:~:~~l:::;t~~ .- _ __ _ __ _ _ _ _ ::::~:~ __ _____ _ _ _ ::::;:::~ __ _ __ __ _ _ ll!: 735 

~~ 
96 MeHNG IX COLORADO 

Gold, silver, copper, lead, and zinc produced in Colorado: 1858-1923, by counties, in terms of recovered metals-Continued 

Ore sold Gold Silver Copper Lead I or treatedl----.,-----.,..--~-l----,----l----.,.-----1------:-~-- -----,.------1 Total 

(short I value 

------------l--to_n_s_) _ --P-la-ce_r ___ L_o_d_e ___ T_o_ta_l ___ o~-~-~~_s ___ v_a_lu_e __ P_o_u_n_d_s_

1 

__ v_a_lu_e_

1

_P_ou_n_d_s_

1 

__ v_a_lu_e_ Pounds Value __ _ 

I 

6, 967,279$4,319,713 2, 728, 553 $452,940 62, 599,654 $2,754,38514,441,000 $635,404 $10,691,954 

7,187 4, 456 350 .58 14,500 6381 __________ ---------- 30,079 

~i~ 1~~ 1~: ~~g 2, ~;~ =========== ==========!========== ========== 4, g~: 2, 280,038 1, 413,623 2, 614 434 14,951,956 657,8861 450,000 19,800 2, 301, 130 

19,652 12, 184 32,026 5, 316 ----------- ----------~---------- -------~-- 19,133 1,985,267 1,230,866 352,368 --58,49~ 9,478,657 417,061 20,000 880 3,145,209 

43,138 26,746 15,000 2,490 682,107 30,013_ _________ ---------- 175,807 

4, 119, 11~ 2, 553, 85~ -----~~~~ -----~~~~~ _:~~~~:~:~~ -~~:~~~~~~ --~-:~~~ ---~---~~~ 3, 777, g;~ 3,075 1,006 8,599 1,427 26,260 1,155 __________ ---------- 112,117 

477 296 5, 765 957----------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 4, 540 

15,793 9,,792 16,129 2, 677 316,061 13,907 ---------- ---------- 34,355 

681,317 422,416 1,972,087 327,367 17,579,177 773,484----------·---------- 2,280,471 1,136,692 704,749 311,045 51,633 3,353,425 147,551. ___________________ 2,731,285 

403,330 250, 065 53, 030 8, 803 5, 610, 710 246, 871 491, 055 21, 606 865, 527 

80,792 50,091 ---------- ---------- ----------- ---------- ---------- ---·------- 18, 199,736 

County 

Zinc 

1900-Continued 

Lake ___ ------------------------- 808, C71 _ --------- $2, 529,512$2, 529,512 La Plata and Montezuma.------ ---------- ---------- 24,927 24,927 Larimer and Jackson ____________ ---------- $1,078 555 1, 633 Mesa.------------------- __ ------ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ 124 124 MineraL ________________________ --------------~----- 209,387 209,387 Montrose ________________ -------- ---------- 300 1, 333 1, 633 

OuraY----------------------------------------------- 1,437,909 1,437,909 Park _____________________________ ---------- 18,000 98,558 116,558 

Pitkin _______ -- _____ -----_------- __ _ __ _ __ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 13, 456 13, 456 

Pueblo ______ ---_----------------- _ __ __ __ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ 248 248 

Rio Grande __________________ ---- ------ ____ -·----- ____ 107,629 107,629 

Routt and Moffat.-------------- ________ __ 3, 000 287 3, 287 Saguache.-------~--------------- _____ _____ ______ ____ 7, 979 7, 979 

San Juan _________ --------------- ---------- ______ ____ 757,204 757,204 ·san MigueL-------------------- ---------- ______ ____ 1, 827,352 1, 827,352 

Summit----------------------------------- 25,000 313,182 338,182 Teller._--~ ______ ---- ___ --------- ____________________ 18, 149, 645 18, 149, 645 

-------------------------l-----1----;-----l----

1901 

77,966 28,684,070 28,762,036 20,336, 51212,608,637 7, 826,815 1, 299,251164,274, 762 7, 228,090 16,282,055 716,410 50, 614,424 

==========1====1====1====1=== 

Arapahoe •• --------------------•- ---------- 331 ----------- 331 ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ----------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 331 

Archuleta.------------------------------------------ 124 124 18 11 ---------- ---------- ----------- ---------- -------------------- 135 Baca •. -------------------------- ---------- ---------- 83 83 SO 48 590 99----------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 230 

Boulder.-------------------------------------------- 774,298 774,298 113,782 68,269 22,186 3, 705 191,987 8, 255---------- ---------- 854,527 Chaffee 25 000 133 684 158, 684 76, 286 45, 772 576, 251 96, 234 209, 768 9, 020 100, 000 4, 100 313, 81() 

clear ci:iie!C::::::::::::::::::::: :::::::::: 5: ooo 535:975 540,975 1, 211,221 762,736 374,534 62,547 · 3, 89o, 216 167,279 3oo, ooo 12, 3oo 1, 545,837 

Conejos--------------------------------------------- 1,178 1,178 102 61 210 35 1, 200 52-------------------- 1, 326 

Costilla •• --------------------------------- 200 7711 971 153 92 235 39 --~-------- ---------- -------------------- 1,102 

Custer •• -------------------------------------------- 11,120 11120 50 394 30 236 40 528 6 768 400 481 17 221 I 65,345 

Delta ____________________________ -------------------- 517 22: 

3 m: 6~0 66: 97~6 -_-_-_-_i_a_;_i_o_6_'1

·_-_-_-_-_2_;_i_8_9_ -_-_-_-_3_6_7_;_o_5_7_ -_-_-_-_1_5_;_7_8_3_ =_= __ =~_-i_o_=;_6_o_=o_- -_-=_=_-_-i_o_=:_-~_i_~_ 111, ~5~ Bg~~i:s========================= ========== -------ioa ____ ::~~~~ 1o9 

Eagle •. -------------------------- ---------- ---------- 97,376 97,376 175,181 105,109 157,914 26,372 2, 775,291 119,338 ---------- ---------- 348, 195 Fremont __ ---------------------- ---------- ---------- 6, 449 6, 449 933 560 15,907 2, 656 33,945 1, 460 ---------- ---------- 11, 125 

Garfield.-------------------------------------------- 351 351 13 8---------- ---------- ----------- ---------- ---------- --------·-- 359 

Gilpin •. --------------------------------------------- 1, 638,966 1, 638,966 271,638 162,983 731,194 122,109 670,018 28,811 ---------- ---------- 1, 952,869 

Grand.---------------------------------------------- 1,034 1,034 30 18------------------------------------------------------------- 1,052 

Gunnison.------------------------------------------ 83,445 83,445 93,243 55,946 53,396 8,917 656,631 28,235 100,000 4,100 180,643 

Hinsdale-------------------------------------------- 76,148 76,148 152,122 91,273 12,532 2, 093 7, 588,675 326,313 126,591 5,190 501,017 

HuerfanO------------------------ ---------- ---------- 83 83. 10 6 ---------- ---------- ----------- ---------- -------~-- ---------- 89 

Jefferson-------------------------------------------- 310 310 20 12---------- ---------- ----------- ---------- -··-------- ---------- 322 

Lake.--------------------------- 793,014 __________ 1,776,132 1,776,132 6,830,084 4,098,050 1,930,556 322,403 56,359,708 2,423,467 23,167,140 949,853 9,569,905 La Plata and Montezuma _______ ---------- ---------- 30,819 30,819 5, 588 3, 353 132 22 6,197 266 ---------T·-------- 34,460 

Larimer and Jackson ____________ ---------- 522 408 930 73 44 18,140 3,029----------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 4,003 

Mesa---------------------------- ---------- 1, 940 106 2, 046 155 93 7, 795 1, 302 ----------- ---------- --··------- ---------- 3, 441 Mineral.----------------------------------·---------- 102,813 102,813 1, 816,023 1, 089,614 1, 007 168 10,519,895 452,355 1, ROO, 000 73,800 1, 718,750 Montrose .. ------~--------------- ---------- 301 1, 249 1, 550 101,359 60,815 55,944 9, 343 ----------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 71, 708 

Ouray------------------------------------- ---------- 1, 546,323 1, 546,323 1, 633,725 980,235 652,937 109,040 7, 904,724 339,903 ---------- ---------- 2, 97.5, 501' 

Park.------------------------------------- 18,000 78,322 96,322 69,175 41,505 9, 657 1, 613 421,955 18,144 ---------- ---------- 157,584 

Pitkin.-------------------------- ---------- ---------- 4, 692 4, 692 3, 532,863 2, 119,718 50,786 8, 481 32,749,511 1, 408,229 ---------- ---------- 3, 541, 120 

PueblO---------------------------------------------- 165 165 52 31 210 35----------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 231 

Rio Grande· __ -_----------------- ------- ___ ---------- 32,927 32,927 6, 926 4, 156 65,603 10,956 677 29 ---------- ---------- 48,068 RouttandMoffat_ ________________________ 927 3,517 4,444 239 143 500 84 '2,193 94-------------------- 4,765 

Saguache ________________________ ---------- ------- _ 79,972 79,972 20,507 12,304 15,253 2, 547 235,750 10,137 ---------- ··--------- 104,960 

SSaann MJu1!lgun_e_l _____________ --__ --__ -_--__ --__ --_-_-_-_-__ - ___ 24 __ 2_,_s_5_o_ -_-__ --_-_-_-__ ==_-_ 2

' 9

04

6

9

2,,94

7

7

4

2 962,974 784,218 470,531 2, 740,042 457,587 15,473, 187 665,347 ---------- ---------- 2, 556,439 2, 049,472 916,245 549,747 308,322 51,490 3, 309,517 142,309 ---------- ---------- 2, 793,018 Summit_ ________________________ ---------- 35,000 303,719 338,719 368,887 221,332 17,062 2, 849 4, 342,437 186,725 1, 000,000 41,000 790,625 

Teller ___ ------------------------ ---------- ---------- 17,234,294 17,234,294 89, 560 53, 736 ---------- ---------- ___________ ··--------- _____ ----- ---------- 17, 288,030 

87,324 27,592,119 27,679,443118,492,563 .11,095,538 7, 872,529 l, 314,7121148,111,020 6, 368,772 26,843,731 1, 100,593 47,559,058 

1902 I I 

Arapahoe---------------------------------- 227 ---------- 2

8

213 ________ 10. _________ 5

_ -_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_ -_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_!-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_: -_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_: :::::::::: -_-_-_-_-_-_:::: 227 

Archuleta------------------------------------------- 83 88 Baca.--------------------------- ---------- ---------- 103 103 59 31 1, 929 235----------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 369 

Boulder_------------------------ ---------- _.._________ 538,702 538,702 82,710 43,836 11,090 1, 353 13,493 553 ---------- ---------- 584,444 

Chaffee •• ------------------------ ---------- 40,000 377,513 417,513 114,155 60,502 173,538 21, 172 456,889 18,732 220,500 10,584 528,503 

Clear Creek._------------------- ---------- 5, 000 925,481 930,481 1, 279,050 677,897 473, 754 57,798 3, 282, 270 134,573 317,705 15,250 1, 815,999 

Ccoosnteilljoas_-_-_-_-_--_-__ --_-_:·_-__ --_-_-_-_-__ --_-_-_-_-_ -_. -_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-________ 2

_

00

__ 1, 261 1, 261 81 43 78 10----------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 1, 314 - 978 1, 178 205 109 ---------- ---------- ----------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 1, 287 

Custer .• -----------------------"-------------------- 23,708 23,708 28,189 14,940 32,945 4,019 94,662 3,881 40,500 1,944 48,492 

Delta •• ----------------------~----------------------- 413 413 12 6---------- ---------- ----------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 419 

Dolores-------------------------- ---------- ---------- 47,458 47,458 121,311 64,295 15,054 1, 837 388,806 15,941 248,680 11,937 141,468 

Douglas 62 62 10 5 ---------·- _. _________ ----------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 67 

~::~oni=_=::===================== ·========== ========== ---·ar~~g 3~: ~~~ 45, ~~~ 24, g~ 1~g: ~~ 1~: ~~~ 83~: ~~ 34, ~1~ ----22;825 -----i;oo6 1~~: ~~r Garfield---------------------------~----------------- 165 165 5 3---------- ---------- ----------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 16S 

g~lJ'~t-------~~==================== ========== ========== 1, 55~:~~~ 1, 55~:~~~ 303, 63J 160, gig---~~~~~~~---~~~~~~~----~~~~~~~ ____ :~~~~:==================== 1, 92~: ~1~ Gunnison.------------------------------------------ 103,536 103,536 . 123,138 65,263 28,686 3, 500 728,935 29,886 131,975 6, 335 208,520 

Hinsdale. __ --------------------- ---------- ---------- 98,348 98,348 117, 177 62, 104 8, 314 1, 014 6, 213,763 254,764 319,000 15,312 431,542 

Huerfano.----------------------- ---------- ---------- 847 847 260 138 ---------- ---------- ----------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 985 

Jefferson ________________________ -------------------- 517 517 3 2 2, 978 363----------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 882 

Lake._-------------------------- 748,946 ---------- 1, 203,924 1, 203,924 5, 641,857 2, 990, 184 2, 611, 167 318,562 39,450, 178 1, 617,457 47,637,490 2, 286,600 8, 416, 727 La Plata and Montezuma _______ -------------------- 127, 182 127,182 7, 416 · 3, 930 3,143 383 . 2, 156 88 ---------- ---------- 131,583 

Larbiler and Jackson ____________ ---------- 488 318 806 49 26 24,S88 3,036----------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 3,868 

·Mes·a---------------------------- ---------- 84 453 537 32 17 15,000 1, 830 ----------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 2, 384m 

Mineral.------------------------ ________ c_ ---------- 112.838 112,838 1, 923,973 1, 019,706 ---------- ---------- 9, 291,358 380,946 2, 047, 555 98, 283 1, 611,773 Montrose.--------------------------------- 1, 868 4, 085 5, 953 3,149 1, 669 2, 505 306 64 3 ---------- ---------- 7, 931 

OParurkay __ -_--_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_·_= -_-_-_-__ --_-_-_-_-_ ----1

-

4 

.•. 00 .• 

0

. 2, 4

1

20

28,, 4

72

58

6 2, 420,726 789,855 418,623 526,541 64,238 4, 262,063 174, 745. ________ T_________ 3, 078,332 - 142,458 49,968 26,483 8, 113 990 261,046 10,703 ---------- ---------- 180,634 Pitkin ___________________________ ---------- ---------- 4, 899 4, 899 3, 063,450 1, 623,629 10,654 1, 300 24,973,816 1, 023,926 ----------!__________ 2, 653, 754 

Rio Grande. __ -------------------------------------- 14,262 14,262 3,171 1, 681 1, 260 154 166 7 ----------~---------- 16, 104 Routt and Moffat_ ______________ ---------- 13,845 1,306 15,151 136 72----------------------------------------- __________ I__________ 15,223 

Saguache ________________________ ---------- ---------- 5, 023 5, 023 10,486 5, 558 13,669 1; 668 454,995 18,655 267,1001 12,821 43,725 

San Juan________________________ 230,000 ---------- 1, 524,226 1, 524,226 838, 102 444, 194 3, 012,283 367,499 7, 699,883 315,695 ---------- ---------- 2, 651,614 

San MigueL ____________________ ---------- ---------- 2, 007,656 2, 007,656 1, 056,640 560,019 454,790 55,484 4, 296,849 176,171 ----------'---------- 2, 799,330 

Summit.------------------------ ---------- 43,000 · 199,583 242,583 274,571 145,523 93,609 11,420 3, 092,387 126,788 1, 329, 180I 63,801 590, 115 

'Teller----------------------------------------------- 16,932,416 16,932,416 62,780 33,273 ---------- ---------- -----------,---------- ---------"1"--------- 16,965,689 

=== 118,774 28,398,i4o 28,5i6,9141l5,941,523 8, 449, 008 8, 463, 938 1, 132, 6()1 106,296,827\ 4, 358, 169 52,582,510: 2, 523, 963 44,980,655 
PRODUCTION BY· YEARS AND COUNTIES 97 

Gold, silver, copper, lead, and zinc prod1tced in Colorado, 1858--1923, by counties, in terms of recovered metals-Continued 

Ore sold Gold Silver Copper Lead Zinc 

County ortreated-------.------~-------1-------.-------l------~~-----l--------.-------l-------~~----l Total 

(short F' I · value 

------------------------·l--to_n_s_) __ ~lacer ~ Total ou~~:s Value Pounds _. _v_al_u_e_

1

--P--ou_n_d_s __ 

1

_v_al __ u_e __ P_o_u_n_d_s _v_a_l_u_e_ ----

1903 

Arapahoe ________________________ ---------- $165 ---------- $165 ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ----------- ----------- ---------- ---------- $165 Archuleta._ •••... ____ •.... ___ ... _____ ..... ----.. .. .• $62 62 6 $3 _ .• _ ...•.••••..• ____ ••. __________ ••••••.• ---------- . --- _ __ _ __ 65 

Boulder •• ----------------------- ---------- ---------- 431, 569 431,569 61,833 33,390 6, 154 . $843 115, 100 $4, 834.. ________ -------- __ 470,636 Chaffee .• _______________________ ---------- 28,000 141,329 169,329 129,900 70,146 79,581 10,903 249,308 10,471 3,000 $162 261,011 

Clear Creek .•• ---------------------------- 5,000 467,061 472,061 851,638 41i9,885 289,876 39,713 3,451,849 144,978 656,000 35,424 1,152,061 

Conejos _________________________ -------------------- 1,220 1,220 46 25------------------------------------------------------------- 1,245 

Costilla ...•... ---------------------------- 200 792 992 179 97-------------------- ----------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 1,089 Custer. _________________________ -------------------- 82,804 82,804 ~60,175 86,495 52,242 7,157 387,301 16,267-------------------- 192,723 

Delta ____________________________ ~--------- ---------- 248 248 8 4---------- ---------- ----------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 252 

g~~:f:s·_-_-_~~==================== ::::::::=: -----... 41 ----~~~~~~ 43, 2~i 103, 09~ 55, 67i ---~~~~~~ ----~~~~~ ----~~~~~~~ -----~~~~~ =====::::: :::::::=== 125, 1~~ Eagle ___________________________ -------------------- 16,040 16,040 27,054 14,609 32,863 4,502 677,730 28,465 ..•.•.•••. ---------- 63,6111 

F

0 raermfieolndt_._-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-__ --_-_-_-_-_·_-_-_ -_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_ -_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_ 6,31

4

0

6

3 6,346 223 120 20,777 2,846 2,091 88~---------- ---------- 9,_400 

1, 346, ~~3 375,2338 2 ---------- ---------- ----------~ ---------- ---------- ---------- 105 

GGir.lapnind __ ._-_-_-_-_-_--_-_-_-_-_·_-_-_-_-_-_-_·_-_-_-_-_-_ -_ -_-_-_-_-_-_·_·_-_-_ -_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_·_= 1, 3461,, 4

1

2

136 1, 426 12 202,629 611,988 83,842

1 

945,975 39, 731 ---------- ---------- 1, 672,315 

Gunnison.______________________ __ _ _ __ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ 48, 533 48, 533 65, 447 3

1

5

7

,. 

8

3

9

4 6

5

1 --· "

1

is

1

·,: oo

2

·

6

-

3

o • ·-·-2

1

·,;

54

o5

3

5 ----

4

i

5

27

9

·,:

4

ii

6

ii

2

i ----

1

-

9

5,; ii2-~ ·-- 5,; 000 ooo ··-- "

5

3,; oo

7

·

2

-

4

2 

6

94

0

1

,: 

74i Hinsdale. __ --------------------- ---------- ---------- 16, 515· 16,515 33, 139 

iea~e:~~~~======================== ---77o;ooo ========-== 1, 339, ~~~ 1, 339, ~~~~4, 973, o3~ 2, 685, 43~ 2, 556, ~~ 35o, 2~g; -3ii;353;239 ·i;526;836'76;56ii;ooo ·4;i34;564 10, o37, ~~l La Plata and Montezuma •..•.•. -------------------- 145,331 145,331 7, 716 4,167 810 l11 3,017 1271---------- ---------- 149,736 

Larimer and Jackson ____________ ---------- 603 1, 030 1, 633 10 5 56,700 7, 768----------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 9, 406 

M~~rai~======================== ========== -------~~: ---i7s;9iii 178, ~g~ 1, 608, 78~ 868, 74~ -------i33 ------·-is ··s:iioo;64ii ---3iii;227j-2;ii34;ooo ---i42;23ii 1, 551, ~~ Montrose •• ------------------------------- 300 2,511 2,811 2,061 1,113 10,920 1,496----------------------------------------- 5,420 OuraY----------------------------------------------- 2,171,508 2,171,508 417,343 225,365 380,409 52,116 3,350,569 140,724. _________ ---------- 2,589,713 

Park .. _------------------------- ---------- 12,000 124,277 136,277 52, 128 28, 149 5, 895 808 802,489 33, 705 ---------- ---------- 198,939 Pitkin ___________________________ ---------- ---------- 4, 754 4, 754 2, 569,862 1, 387,725 11,683 1, 601 33,269,852 1, 397,334 ---------- ---------- 2, 791,414 

Rio Grande _____________________ -------------------- 12,939 12,939 3,410 1,841 5,098 698----------------------------------------- 15,478 

Routt and Moffat _______________ ---------- 19,289 1,546 20,835 117 63------------------------------------------------------------- 20,898 Saguache __________________________________ ---- ---~-- 2, 956 2, 956 22,424 12, 109 67,410 9, 235 376, 711 15,822 44,600 2, 408 42, 530 

San Juan. _________________________________ ---·------ 1, 710,608 1, 710,608 781,358 421,933 2, 939,018 402,645 6, 969,093 292,702 ---------- ---------- 2, 827,888 

San MigueL-------------------- ----------~ 3,100 1, 173,705 1, 176,805 737,028 397,995 466,264 63,878 3, 704,201 155,576 ---------- ---------- 1, 794,254 

Teller ___ ------------------------ ---------- ---------- 11,840,27211,840,272 41,605 22,467 ---------- ---------- ----------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 11,862,139 

Summit.------------------------ ---------- 60,000 162,265 222,265

1 

220,543 119,093 41,447 5, 678 1, 523,703 63,996 550,800 29,743 440,775 

==~~ 21,476,3o8 ~ 13, 245,438 7, 152, 536 7, 809,920 1, 069,958101, 513,414 4, 263,566 80, 616,000 4, 353,263 38,444,680 

£;~~~~~·::::~~;::::=::=:·::::: ::::~;~1::: :~~~ ··;;;::~ 4ll.rl···;;:;~ ····;~;,:::::~~iii :::::~iii :::::;~iii :::::i:iii ::=::::::: ::::=::::: 400, !~ Chaffee ___________________________ 12,777' 15,000 49,346 64,346 69,045 40,046 263,239 33,695 652,238 28,046 294,440 15,016 181,149 

ClcarCreek_____________________ 62,661 2,398 634,217 636,615 873,949 506,890 401,180 51,351 3,913,976 168,301 906,705 46,242 1,409,399 

Conejos _________________________ -----------------·--- 827 827 52 30 ----------· ---------- '"--------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 857 Costilla __________________________ ---------- 368 300 -668 151 88---------- ---------- ----------- ---------- --------~- ---------- 756 Custer_ •• __ --------------------- 10, 170 ---------- 53,453 53,453 87,373 50,676 15,068 1, 929 126, 593 5, 444 ---------- ---------- 111, 502 Delta ____________________________ ---------- ---------- 351 351 9 6 ---------- ---------- ----------- ---------- ---------- .__________ 357 Dolores__________________________ 7, 727 ---------- 53,783 53,783 108,301 62,815 25,392 3, 250 181,229 7, 793 18,196 928 128,569 

Douglas.------------------------ ---------· 289 ---------- · 289 . 5 3 ---------- ---------- ----------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 292 Eagle____________________________ 1, 866 ---------- 30,075 · 30,075 27,348 15,862 32,409 4,148 375,207 16, 134 ---------- ---------- 66,219 

Fremont..------------------------------------------ 4, 671 4, 671 208 121 1, 024 131 1, 071 46 ---------- ---------- 4, 969 Garfield. ________________________ -------------------- 517 517 14 8------------------------------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 525 Gilpin___________________________ W9, 557---------- 1, 403,865 1, 403,865 318,406 184,675 638,945 81,785 859,293 36,950---------- ---------- 1, 707,275 

Grand .... _______________________ -------------------- 641 641 13 8 1,114 143----------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 792 

Gunnison_______________________ 2,067---------- 26,024 26,024 115,153 66,789 16,233 2,078 200,462 8,620 20,010 1,021 104,532 

Hinsdale________________________ 5,591._________ 10,521 10,521 46,585 27,019 13,187 1,688 1,041,222 44,773 59,089 3,014 87,015 

Jefferson _________________________ ---------- 2, 894 351 3, 245 37 21 538 69 ----------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 3, 335 Lake ____________________________ 663,487. _________ 1,186,851 1,186,851 5,085,151 2,949,388 3,734,593 478,028 47,180,865 2,028,77758,254,353 2,970,972 9,614,016 

La Plata and Montezuma_______ 3, 792 ---------- 130,200 130,200 31,086 18,030 1, 473 189 2,177 94 ---------- ---------- 148,513 

Larimer and Jackson.___________ 6 .141 1, 037 1, 178 11 6 23,028 2, 948 ----------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 4, 132 Mesa ___________________________ : 9 248 ---------- 248 9 5 ---------- ---------- ----------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 253 Mineral _________ "--------------- 124,278__________ 222,864 222,864 1,664,633 965,487 1,337 171 13,346,436 573,897 4,402,697 224,538 1,986,957 

Montrose _______________________ ---------- 121 1,367 1,488 1,067 619 7,476 957------------------------------- ---------- 3,064 

OuraY--------------------------- 91,244. _________ 2,174,361 2,174,361 294,028 170,536 431,048 55,174 2,044,525 87,915 5,016 256 2,488,242 Park ____________________________ 4,202 10,000 184,980 194,980 50,013 29,008 5,920 758 757,703 32,581 ____________________ 257,327 

Pitkin___________________________ 109,770 ---------- 2, 336 2, 336 2, 129,618 1, 235,178 9, 862 1, 262 18, 882;901 811,965 593,661 30,277 2, 081,018 

:~~gr:~3~ofiaf=~===~==~====== ~========~ ----22;i64 ~: g~~ 2!: g~g 2

' ~~ 1

Saguache________________________ 499 ---------- 5, 519 5, 519 60,506 35,093 ' ~~ -------~~~ 48,722 --------~ 6, 236 ===~======= 699,312 ~====~~~== 30,070 ==~=====~= 15,585 ======~~== 795 . 77,713 ~: :~g SanJuan ________________________ 233,663. _________ 1,396,651 1,396,651 1,042,044 604,386 3,467,124 443,792 9,288,643 399,412 317,254 16,180 2,860,421 

SanMigueL-------------------- 233,316 44,9571,486,111 1,531,068 667,710 387,272 239,520 30,659 5,704,708 245,302 ____________________ 2,194,301 

Summit.------------------------ 35,475 94, 240 113,886 208, 126 180, 554 104,721 7, 510 961 2, 178, 182 93,662 1, 884,584 96, 114 503, 584 Teller _________________________ .. 597, 819 _____ ... __ 14, 456, 536 14, 456, 536 47, 817 27, 734 _____________________________________________________________ 14, 484, 270 

2, 333, 881j 193, 068 24, 049, 417 ~. 242, 485 12, 960, 792 7, 517, 260 9, 412, 707 1, 204, 828 107, 498, 854 4, 622, 453 66, 771, 590 3, 405, 353 40, 992, 379 

1905 Boulder __ ----------------------- 9, 577 ____ ______ 261,601 Chaffee__________________________ 13,408 15,009 17,369 

Clear Creek_____________________ 58,775 1,881 501,817 

Conejos__________________________ 12 ---------- 2, 894 

Custer .. ------------------------ 4, 555---------- 24,918 Dolores__________________________ 3, 826 ---------- 34,766 Eagle •. --------- ________ .________ 12, 049 ~ ______ .. _ 46, 891 

Gilpin___________________________ 182,873 ---------- 1, 450,033 

Grand___________________________ 12 ---------- 31 

~~i~~~:~~ ~ ~~~~~~=~~~~: ~:::= :: ..... ~: ~:1:::: i~ ~; .. --~ ~ Lake____________________________ 648, 464~---------- 1, 180,401 

La Plata and Montezuma_______ 5, 662---------- 254,007 

~J~;~=====~~================== Park____________________________ ~k~~~ 6, 745 ========== 2, 786 2J~~J~ 318,081 

[~li!.~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~=~~=~: ::: ~~ :: ::::: ;;~ ••••• ':: 

San Juan________________________ .204, 1391 __________ 1, 050,971 

San MigueL-------------------- 291,3381 21,587 1, 690,266 

261,601 

32,378 

503,698 

2,894 

24,918 

34,766 

46,891 

1,450, 033 

31 28,156 

11,991 

269 

18,088 

1, 180,401 

254,007 

216,994 

2, 333,282 

320,867 248 4,051 

6,905 

699 1, 050,971 

1, 711,853 

70,921 

75,265 

692,437 

900 

32,159 

76,526 

46,487 

340,901 22 53,649 

54,419 617 

125 4, 033,762 

93,258 

1, 193,442 

758,107 

49,202 

2,469, 520 1, 055 

30 4, 401 750,844 

1, 275,079 

43,262 2,227 347 -----~----- ------------------------------ 305,210 45, 912 869, 507 135, 643 1, 250, 302 58, 764 849, 963 50, 148 322, 845 422, 387 235, 669 36, 764 3, 2i0, 211 153, 700 I, 102, 301 65, 036 1, 181, 585 

549---------- ---------- ----------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 3,443 

19,617 2, 500 390----------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 44,925 46,681 119,821 18,692 840,319 39,495 556,266 32,820 172,454 

28, 357 29, 331 4, 576 156, 723 7, 366 605, 612 35, 731 122, 921 

207,950 512, 276 79, 91~ 519,841 24,433 33,090 1, 952 1, 764,283 

13 1, 680 262----------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 306 32,726 50,500 7,878 219,809 10,331 17,905 1,056 80,147 

33, 196 84,485 13,180 767,681 36,081 235,178 13,876 lOS, 324 

376---------- ---------- ----------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 645 76 9,000 1,404----------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 19,568 2, 460,595 4, 486, 115 699,834 51, 162,040 2, 404,616 70,238,634 4, 144,07910,889,525 

56,887 . 2, 923 456 610 29 ---------- ---------- 311,379 728, 000 107 17 11, 880, 797 558, 397 2, 515, 628 148, 422 1, 651, 830 462,445 524, 199 81, 775 5, 348, 264 251, 368 48, 267 2, 848 3, 131, 718 

30,013 12,199 1, 903 543,303 25,535 ---------- ---------- 378,318 

1, 506,407 127,094 19,827 22,386, 142 1, 052, 149 3, 854,339 227,406 2, 806,037 

644 123 19 ----------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 4, 714 18---------- ---------- ----------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 6, 923 2,685 1,135 177 203,797 9,578 2,917 172 13,311 

458, 015 2, 274, 109 354, 761. 8, 045, 126 378, 121 163, 845 9, 667 2, 251, 535 777,798 272,513 42,512 6,970,152 327,597 17,214 1.016 2,860,776 
98 MINING IN COLORADO 

Gold, silver, copper, lead, and zinc produced in Colorado, 1858-1923, by counties, in terms of recovered metals-Continued 

County 

Gold Silver Copper Lead Zinc Ore sold ortreatedl------~------~-------1-------.-------l---------------l·------~-------l-------~-------l 

(short 

tons) Placer Lode Total Fine 

ounces Value Pounds Value Pounds Value Pounds Value 

Total 

value 

------------------------1------- ----------- ----------- ------------ ------1--~---1----- ----------------

1905--Continued Summit_________________________ 36,930 $33,728 $123,748 $157,476 209,356 $127,707 44,033 $6,869 2,181,660 $102,538 3,320,237 $195,894 $590,484 

Teller___________________________ 716,358 __________ 15,641, 75415,641,754 56,951 34,740---------- ---------- ----------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 15,676,494 

2, 504, 087 99, 984 25, 195, 238 25, 295, 222 12, 339, 435 7, 527, 056 9, 661, 546 1, 507, 201115, 746, 777 5, 440, 098 83, 561, 396 4, 930, 123 44, 699, 700 

==========1====1====1====1===1=== 

1906 Boulder _________________________ 5,528 __________ 188,769 188,769 21,923 14,908 3,539 683 47,491 2,"707 ____________________ 207,067 

Chaffee__________________________ 14,134 31,596 27,340 58,936 54,609 37,134 349,466 67,447 1,227,019 69,940 623,955 38,061 271,518 

ClearCreek_____________________ 64,774 1,568 528,185 529,753 652,796 443,901 235,375 45,427 3,307,001 188,499 1,733,477 105,742 1,313,322 

Conejos__________________________ 85---------- 1,474 1,474 748 509---------- ---------~ ----------------------------------------- 1,983 

Costilla__________________________ 28---------- 426 426---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ----------- ---------- ---------- __________ 426 Custer___________________________ 3, 543 ---------- 16,318 16,318 79,480 54,046 2, 725 526 115,960 6, 610 971 59 77,559 

Dolores__________________________ 2, 242---------- 9, 398 9, 398 34,290 23,317

1

199,379 38,480 118,229 6, 739 883,533 53,896 131,830 

~~~~~~========================= ----15;986 ---------~ ----5i;56i 51, 561----94;912 ---.-64;54ii ---13ii;233 ----25;135 ----3ii7;755 ----17;542 -i;426;ii29 ----86;988 245, 76~ 

b~~~dt_-~~====================== -----~~~~~ ========== ~~ ~~ 7~ ~ ========== ========== =========== ========== ---~~~~~~~ ----~~~~:~ 34, 8~~ Gilpin·-----------------------~-- 114,662 ---------- 1, 115,902 1, 115,902 242,478 164,885 638,002 123,134 510,791 29,115 46,000 2, 806 1, 435,842 

Gunnison________________________ 31, 103 ---------- 87,505 87,505. 70,798 48, 143 ---------- ---------- 248,737 14, 178 158,198 9, 650 159,476 Hinsdale ________________________ 7,086 __________ 24,510 24,510 87,940 59,799 63,621 12,279 753,950 42,975 38,387 2,342 141,905 

Huerfano ________________________ ---------- ---------- 475 475 56 38 ---------- ---------- ----------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 513 

Jefferson_________________________ 5---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 3,150 608 -~--------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 608 Lake __ -------------------------- 672,055 264 1, 508, 146 1, 508,410 3, 890,338 2, 645,430 2, 092, 735 403,898 47,456,964 2, 705,047 70, 198,462 4, 282, 10611,.544,891 La Plata and Montezuma_-----· 7, 757 ---------- 304,633 304,633 121,721 82, 770 445 86 2, 228 127 ---------- _ ____ _____ 387, 616 

Larimer and Jackson____________ 460---------- 904 904 1,136 772 41,331 7, 977----------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 9, 653 Mesa ____________________________ ---------- 473 ---------- 473 15 10---------- ---------- ----------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 483 

Mineral._----------------------- 126, 164 ---------- 176, 150 176, 150 1, 254, 05S 852,759 ---------- ------ ·--- 14,886,356 848,522 2, 892,061 176,416 2, 053,847 

Montrose.-------------------------------- 114 ---------- 114 3 2 ---------- ---------- ----------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 116 Ouray___________________________ 48,468 ---------- 992, 179 992,179 916,256 623,0.54 662, 111 127,787 5, 721,599 326,131 10,377 633 2, 069,784 

Park_--------------------------- 10,072 10,084 384,966 395,050 144,815 98,474 14,399 2, 779 966,193 55,073 ---------- ---------- 551,376 

Pi.tkin___________________________ 203,400 ---------- 1, 172 1,172 2, 131,374 l, 449,334 28.5, 346 li5, 072 17,951,674 1, 023,245 ;3, 276, 711 199, 879 2, 728, 702 

~~~gr:~3«,i\1oifat.=============== ________ :~ -----6;951 -----~~~~~ ~; ~~ ~~ g~ ========== ========== =========== ========== ========== ========== ~; ~~g Saguache________________________ 999 ---------- ·7, 628 7, 628 737 501 ---------- ---------- 49,141 2, 801 74,302 4, 532 15,462 San Juan __________ -------------- 196, 438 ------ ____ 900, 175 900, 175 690,076 469,252 1, 549, 663 299,085 4, 515,317 257,373 718, 192 43,810 1, 969,695 San MigueL____________________ 386,735 1, 766 2,446,024 2,447, 790 1,672,522 1,137,315 319,692 61,701 7,158,189 408,017.. _________ ---------- 4,054.823 

.Summit_________________________ 34,050 53,199 86,574 139,773! 107,752 73,271 27,120 5,234 1,301,912 74,209 3,363,740 20.'i,l88 497,fl75 

Teller_-------------------------- 702,069---------- 13,930,52613,930,526 67,943 46,201 ---------- ---------- ----------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 13,976,727 ------------------------------ ------·~-----ll------1·-------ll--'----l·------l-------l------

2, 648, 923 106, 019 22, 799, 652 22, 905, 67112, 339, 052 8, 390, 553 6, 618, 332 1, 277, 338 106, 646, .'i06 6, 078, 850 86, 012, 903 5, 246, 787 43, 899, 199 

1907 

Boulder.________________________ 8,000__________ 161,658 161,658 23,480 15,497 22,840 4,568 16,491 874. _________ ---------- 182,597 

Chaffee__________________________ 14,592 35,373 39,991 75,364 38,465 25,387 799,505 159,901 630,623 33,423 2,407,730 142,0561 436,131 

~~~~]~~:~~~~~:~:~~~~~:~::~~ __ j_ffi ::::~~·:~i~ ___ ::;[~ 'J: ~ _J:~ J!:~ ___ ::!!~ __ ):~ __ ~~: ~! ___ 1~ :~=~~=~~ :::~~:r::lr, '!!: ~ Eagle____________________________ 4, 191 53,641 53,641 53,641 70,586 46,587 14,270 2, 854 193,690 10,266 429,198 25,323 138,671 

Fremont_________________________ 162 ---------- 302 302 561 370 30,330 6, 066 ----------- __________ ---------- ---------- 6, 738 

g~f~d=========================== ----~:·-~~: ________ 18 ===:~~~=~ 938,4~ ___ :~~·-~=: ---~~~~-~~~ ---~:~·-~~~ ---~:~~~~: ----~~~~~~~ ----~=~~~~ ========== ========== 1,283,8~~ Gunnison________________________ 18,078 61,569 61,569 61,569 27,277 18,003 13,690 2, 738 120,226 6, 372 38,224 2, 255 90,937 

Hinsdale_________________________ 10, 740 ---------- 7, 520 7, 520 50,109 33,072 99,410 19,882 1, 204,628 63, 845._________ _____ _____ 124,319 

Huerfano________________________ 3 ---------- 68 68 ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ----------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 68 Jefferson _____ . ___________ ._______ 18 ________ . ___________________ . _ 73 48 1, 955 391 _ _ __ ___ ____ _ _ _ _ __ ____ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ 439 

Lake ____________________________ 631,273 510 1,064,180 1,064,690 4,154,913 2,742,243 2,679,510 535,902 32,519,796 1,723,54967,247,381 3,967,59510,033,979 

La Plata and Montezuma.~-----. 7,812---------- 413,034 413,034 217,579 143,602 708 142 340 18-------------------- 556,796 Mesa ____________________________ ---------- 76---------- 76 3 2---------- ---------- ----------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 78 MineraL________________________ 104,977---------- 142,803 142,803 1,246,961 822,994 12,711 2,542 12,980,288 687,955 2,691,216 158,782 1,815,076 

Montrose ________________________ ---------- · 314 ---------- 314 9 6 ---------- ---------- -C--------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 320 Ouray___________________________ 96,662 ---------- 2, 415,049 2, 415,049 352,519 232,663 908,675 181,735 3, 606,699 191,155 30,407 1, 794 3, 022,396 

Park_-.------------------------- 12,661 6, 953 · 506,263 513,216 111,215 73,402---------- ---------- 1, 062,732 56,325 ---------- --~------- 642,943 Pitkin___________________________ 183,836 ---------- 579 579 1, 719,446 1, 134,834 234,493 46,899 12,235,230 648,467 4, 688,693 · 276,633 2, 107,412 

Routt and Moffat_-------------- 3 4, 908 101 5, 009 429 283 ---------- ---------- ------ _____ ---------- ---------- ---------- 5, 292 Saguache __ ------~--------------- 170 ---------- 649 649 6, 194 4, 088 1, 260 252 22, 528 1, 194 ---------- ---------- 6, 183 San Juan________________________ 235,639 ---------- 967,732 967,732 1, 175, 176 775, 616 2, 450, 280 490,056 12,483, 507 661, 626 1, 772,764 104,593 2, 999,623 

San MigueL____________________ 407,491 293 2, 467,223 2, 467,516 1, 438,299 949,277 381,437 76,287 6, 499,957 344,498 ---------- ---------- 3, 837,578 

Summit.________________________ 25,127 37,214 ·69,376 106,590 127,847 84,379 21,865 4,373 1,915,133 101,502 2,970,991 175,288 472,132 

Teller.-------------------------- 451,082 ---------· 10,370,284 10,370,284 51,630 34,076 ---------- ·--------- ____ ------- ---------- ---------- ---------- .10, 404,360 

2,383,128 97,219 ~ 20,307,648 "i1,599,5i4 7, 655, 679,8, 826, 254 1, 765, 251 89, 065, 232 4, 720, 4571R5, 048, 564 5, 017, 865:39, 466, 900 

1908 I Boulder.------------------------ 10,296 ---------- 147,234 147, 234 21,498 11,394 28,955 -3,822 96, 503 4, 053 ---------- ---------- 166, 503 Chaffee__________________________ 8, 772 16,530 32,527 49,057 35,745 18,945 337,804 44,590 1, 040,238 43,690 703,706 33,074 189,356 ClearCreek _____________________ 109,672 2,610 656,506 659,116 503,551 266,882 264,994 34,979 2,015,010 84,630 836,411 39,311 1,084,918 

Custer___________________________ 3, 700 ---------- 7,183 7,183 13,156 6, 973 243 32 120,330 5, 054 ---------- ---------- 19,242 

~~~:r:s-~======================== ----~~~~== -------131 ----~:~:~~ 37, ~~~ ---~~~~~~~ ----~~~~~ ----~=~~:~ -----~~~~\ ___ :~:~~~= ----~~~~~~ ---~~::~~ ____ :~~:~: 193, ~~ ~:;~one~====================== 3, o~ ========== 5s, ~~~ 58,~~~ 86, 71~ 45, 95~· ----~~~~=~ -----~·-:~~ -----~~~-~~~ -------=~~c======== ========== 113, 2~~ g~f~~t==========--=--=----------=------== 120, 7~!=--=--===---_-_ 1, 075, ~g86 1, 075, so8 187, o3o 99,126 636,371 84, oo1 538, 143 22,602 ____________________ 1, 2s1, 537 556 72 38 1, 561 206 690 29 ---------- ---------- 829 

HLGaYnsknned_i~-o-en ___ --_--_--_-=_=_=_=_=_=_=_=_=_=_=_=_=_=_=_=_=_=_=_=_ 40148,, :7~1~1 =_=_= __ == __ :__ ~= __ =-_- I, 2Io28g,: 444o~492 log;~~~ ~; ~: ~~; ~~~ Is~; ~g~ 24, ~~~ ~~; ~~~ H; ~ro ---~=:~~~ -----~~~~~ 1~~; ~~~ 1, 228,449 2, 893,496 1, 533,553 4, 674,502 617,034 19, 646. 007 825, 132 23, 188,080 1, 089,840 5, 294,008 La Plata and Montezuma.------ 2, 416 ---------- 101,584 101,584 71,592 37,944 458 60 748 31_ _________ ---------- 139,619 

Mineral_________________________ 61,131 __________ 127,549 127,549 830,951 440,404 41 5 8,238,025 345,997 1,10,107 51,705 965,660 

Ouray--------------------------- 96, 493. _________ 2, 028,698 2, 028,698 415,070 219,987 1, 019,574 134,584 3, 033,352 127,401 ------"--- ---------- 2, 510,670 

Park_____________________________ 11,372 12,066 418,742 430,808 12,047 6, 385 37, 106 4, 898 495,985 20,831 728,000 34,216 497, 138 

~\~k~ra~de--~==================== 133, 4og ========== ~J . ~~ -~~~~~:~~ ---~~:~~~~ ____ ::~~:~ _____ :~~~: __ :~~~~~~~~ ---~~::~~~ ___ :::~~~: ----~~~~~~ 907, i~ Routt and Moffat.______________ 4 4, 858 349 5, 207 1, 242 658---------- ---------- ----------·- ---------- ---------- ---------- 5, 865 Saguache________________________ 76 ---------- 610 610 953 505 76 10 27,715 1, 164 ---------- ---------- 2, 289 San Juan________________________ 202,643 --------~- 997,824 997,824 1, 004,287 532,272 2, 282,738 301,321 8, 402,569 352,908 10,131 476 2, 184,801 

San MigueL---_.--------------- 428,231 2, 892 2, 314,759 2, 317,651 1, 543, 187 817,889 562,888 74,301 7, 135,863 299,706 952,872 44,785 3, 554,332 

Summit_________________________ 14,631 145,370 41,571 186,941 66,025 34,993 28,523 3,765 1,719,190 72,206 1,232,149 57,911 355,816 Teller ____ ----___________________ 601, 173 __________ 13, 031, 917 13, 031, 917 52, 270 27, 703 ___________________________________________________ -------- __ 13, 059, 620 

------------------------------------------------1----1---------------- 2, 242, 969 184, 457 22, 411, 114 22, 595, 571 9, 002, 316 4, 771, 227 10, 201, 123 1, 346, 547 61, 645, 671 2, 589, 118 30, 130, 002 1, 416, 110 32, 718, 573 

====,==.===:====:===='====:====:=== 
PRODUCTION BY YEARS AND COUNTIES 99. 

Gold, silver, copper, lead, and zinc produced in Colorado, 1858-1923, by counties, in terms of recovered metals-Continued 

Ore sold Gold. Silver Copper Lead Zinc 

County or treatedl-----=---------- -------1--------1-------,-----1-----,----1 

(short I . Fine I Val 

Total 

value 

tons) Placer Lode Total ounces ue Pounds Value Pounds Value Pounds Value 

E-ou_l_d-er _____ -_-_ -----~-~--~----_-_-__ -_-__ -_-_ ---·l--13-, -188- -= $163, 273 $163, 273 --::1 $25, 055 16, 485 $2, 143 425, 605 $18, 301 = == $208, 772 

Chaffee .. ------------------------ 10,214 · $19,480 11,005 30,485 35,477 18,448 568,868 73,953 584,492 25,133 947,741 $51,178 199,197 

ClearCreek_____________________ 116,753 3,846 532,561 536,407 448,535 233,238 299,546 38,941 3,254,675 139,951 758,074 40,936 989,473 

Custer___________________________ 5,871._________ 12,774 12,774 14,7961 7,694 700 91 41,721 1,794 89,593 4,838 27,191 

Dolores .. ------------------------ 4, 787 ---------~ 22,266 22,266 103,646 53,896 43,538 5, 660 462,373 19,882 167,574 9, 049 110,753 

Eagle ____ ------------------------ 11, 526 ---------- 53,308 53,308 125,214 65, 111 286,885 37,295 152, 280 6, 548 740,408 39,982 202,244 

Fremont.~.----------------------- 5 ---------· 85 85 ---------- ---------- 677 88 ----------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 173 Gilpin •...• -----~---------------- 111,118---------- 887,311 . S87, 311 172,010 89,445 . 4!19, 146 64,889 664,581 28,577---------- ---------- 1, 070,222 

Grand ...•• ---------------·-·-------------- 1,183 ------·--· 1,183 9 . 5-------------------- -····------ ---------· ---------- ---------- 1,188 Gunnison________________________ 9,07L_________ 108,493 108,493 37,423 19,460 51,815 6,736 493,070 21,202 212,093 11,453 167,344 

Hinsdale.----------------------- 1,697---------- 7,587 7,587 75,731 39,380 714,569 92,894 106,327 4,572 ---------· ---------- 144,433 Jefferson ..• ---------------------· 1__________ 16 16---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ----------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 16 Lake____________________________ 417,297---------- 1,435,431 1,435,431 3,423,642 1,780,294 5,182,608 673,739 21,073,992 906,18238,637,315 2,086,415 6,882,061 

~if~air~~~~~~~~~~~:~~~======= ~:~!~ ========== ---~~:~~~ ---~~~;~~~ ---s~;;~:~~---4:;;~~: ----i7;~~ -----2:2:~ --9;o3~;:~~ --·3ss;~~ -~:~~~;~~~ -·--;f~~~ 1.~:r;ggg Ouray _____ ---------------------- 103,864 ---------- 3, 044,825 3, 044,825 345,815 179,824 984,269 127,955 2, 813,932 120,999 19, 148 1, 034 3, 474,637 

.Park____________________________ 15,046 24,358 527,563 551,921 102,3751 53,235 61,0231 7,933 2,237,093 96,195 366,574 19,795 729,079 

~~~lfanci._iiofiai~~===~========= 112' ~ -----2;418 ~!~ · 3, ~~f 70g: ~~~~ 36i; ~~g ____ :~~~~: -----~~~~: -~~~~~~~:~~ ---~~~~~~~ ----~~~~~~ -----~~~~~ 93~: ~~~ Saguache •. ---------------------- 192 ---------- 1, 196 1,-196 2, 260 1, 175 3, 769 490 83,463 3, 589 ---·------ ---------- 6, 450 San Juan________________________ 187,041 ---------- 683,267 683,267 793,637 412,691 1, 653,192 214,915 9, 085,068 390,658 786,518 42,472 1, 744,003 San MigueL.___________________ 423,609 440 2, 284,611 2, 285,051 1, 344, 152 698,959 501,2851 65, 167 4, 941,370 212,479 804,296 43,432 3, 305,088 

Summit_________________________ 31,098 405,360 47,406 452,766 99,763 51,877 3,839 499 3,559,278 153,049 5,798,167 313,101 971,292 

Teller ________ ------------------- 575,670 ---------- 11,466,227 11,466,227 63,204 32,866 -"-------- ____ ------ ----------- ---------- ---------- ______ _., __ 11,499,093 

2, 219, 644 457,085 21, 526,923 21,984,008 8, 904, 701 4, 630,444 10,916, 191 1, 419, 105 72, 162,326 3, 102,980 51,210, 260 2, 765,354 33,901,891 

1910 

:Boulder._----------------------- 14,083 ---------- 139,911 139,911 46,517 25, 119 16,772 2,130 53,250 2, 343 ---------- ---------- 169,503 Chaffee __________________________ 12,496 17,010 60,142 77,152 182,003 98,282 226,772 28,800 970,523 42,703 438,539 23,681 270,618 

ClearCreek _____________________ 109,954 3,678 518,846 522,524 475,174 256,594 595,795 75,666 2,434,476 107,117 1,247,389 67,359 1,029,260 

Costilla __________________________ ---------- 2, 318 ---------· 2, 318 9 5---------- ---------- ----------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 2, 323 Custer ••. ------------------------ 7,052 __________ 9,839 9,839 7,'767 4,194 3,882 493 14,796 651 6,796 367 15,544 

Delta •. -------------------------- 2---------- 110 110 139 75---------- ---------- ----------- ---------- ---------- -----·---- 185 Dolores .• ------------------------ 2, 933._________ 15,327 15,327 88,309 47,687 97,063 12,327 127,909 5, 628 87,000 4, 698 85,667 

Douglas.-------------------------·-------- 83---------- 83---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ----------- ---------- ---------- -----.----- 83 Eagle ..• ------------------------- 27,761._________ 25,231. 25,231 88,313 47,689 209,551 26,613 397,409 17,486 4,147,945 223,989 341,008 

Fremont_________________________ 29------------------------------ ---------- ---------- -------------------- --------------------- 18,072 9Z6 976 Garfield._----------------------- 92 ---------- 3, 603 3, 603 113 61 425 54 _ ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 3, 718 Gilpin___________________________ 83,631 ---------- 687,902 687,902 132,635 71,623 534,244 67,849 575,477 25,321---------- ---------- 852,695 

Grand___________________________ 1 __________ ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 56 7----------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 7 Gunnison________________________ 25,203 ---------- 233,972 233,972 49,189 26,562 21,024 2, 670 581,841 25,601 176,815 9, 548 298,353 

Hinsdale. __ --------------------- 3, 468 ---------- 6, 320 6, 320 54,422 29,388 465,472 59, 115 296, 182 13,032 ---------- ---------- 107,855 Lake ____ . ___ .___________________ 462, 033. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 1, 213, 134 1, 213, 134 3, 322, 015 1, 793, 888 3, 645, 157 462, 935 19, 249, 503 846, 978 56, 367, 445 3, 043, 842 7, 360, 777 

La Plata and Montezuma_______ 6, 798---------- 399,608 399,608 141,752 76,546 362 46 273 12---------- ---------- 476,212 

MineraL.----------------------· 62,956 __________ 121,181 121,181 773,722 417,810 29,031 3,687 8,246,000 362,824 2,421,926 130,784 1,036,286 

OuraY--------------------------- 111,245---------- 2, 195,847 2, 195,847 414,250 223,695 620,236 78,770 4, 004,728 176,208 --------~- ---------- 2, 674,520 Park .•• ------------------------- 12,329 12,846 252,701 265,547 117,037 63,200 88,748 11,271 2,041,204 89,813 659,796 35,629 465,460 

J>itkin___________________________ 89,037 ---------· 646 646 477,813 258,019 24,843 3,155 13,408,250 589,963 ---------- ---------- 851,783 Rio Grande______________________ 12 ---------· 1, 306 1, 306 61 33 87 11 250 11 ---------- ---------- 1, 361 

Routt and Moffat_-------------.--------__ 6, 689 ---------- 6, 689 48 26 ---------- ---------- ----------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 6, 715 :Saguache------------------------ 296---------- 1, 025 1, 025 4, 841 2, 614 5, 362 681 161,068 7, 087---------- ---------- 11,407 .San Juan________________________ 206,272 ---------- 710,527 710,527 782,250 422,415 1, 208,496 153,479 10,688,386 470,289 ·3, 781,259 204, 188 1, 960,898 

SanMigueL ____________________ 481,000 __________ 2,494,793 2,494,793 1,144,050 617,787 544,189 69,112 7,791,841 342,841 2,193,981 118,475 3,643,008 

Summit_________________________ 47,040 347,204 21,562 368,766 152,250 82,215 21,740 2,761 5,015,409 220,678 5,542,685 299,305 973,725 

Teller_. ___ ---------------------- 686,941 ---------- 11,002, 253 11,002, 253 54,263 29,302 ---------- ---------- ----------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 11,031, 555 

2, 434, 664 389, 828 20, 115, 786 20, 505, 614 8, 508, 942 4, 594, 829 8, 359, 307 1, 061, 632 76, 058, 775 3, 346, 586 77, 089, 648 4, 162, 841133, 671, 502 =========1====1====1===1===1,===:=== 

1911 Boulder __ ----------------------- 15,816 ---------- 163,174 163,174 53,753 28,489 27,752 3, 469 145,955 6, 568 ---------- ---------- 201,700 

·Chaffee •• ------------------------ 7,459 5,893 59,821 65,714 92,098 48,812 88,448 11,056 1,001,651 45,074 200,509 11,429 182,085 ClearCreek _____________________ 105,774 1,754 517,453 519,207 437,841 232,056 650,368 81,296 3,325,222 149,635 1,417,544 80,800 1,062,994 

Costilla __________________________ ---------- 21,832---------- 21,832 96 51 __________ --------------------------------------------------- 21,883 

·Custer .••. ----------------------- 3, 670 ---------- 5, 560 5, 560 13,179 6, 985 1, 640 205 17,511 788 ---------- ---------- 13,538 Dolores .•• ----------------------- 3, 276._________ 7, 565 7, 565 56,202 29,787 3, 288 411 701,244 31,556 525,333 29,944 99,263 

~;;~~~t~-=-~~~~~~:==:~==========~= ----33;~~~ ====~==~~~ ----41;~~g 41, ~~g ~--11~:~~~ --··61;~~~ ----~g;~~~ ----T~~~ ----s~~:r~ ----38;~~~ ·5;~~i:~~~ ---2~;g~ ~: t~~ -Gilpin _______ -------------------- 103,038 ---------- 778,774 778,774 292,659 155, 109 950,240 118,780 1, 239,356 55,771 23,088 1, 316 1, 109,750 

·Gunnison •.•• -------------------- 11,926 1, 417 143,622 145,039 32,541 17,247 9, 928 1, 241 631,933 28,437 557,456 31,775 223,739 Hinsdale .• ---------------------- 723---------- 3,830 3,830 7, 753 4,109 21,696 2, 712 ll8, 645 5,339 36,439 2,077 18,067 

Lake._ •.. ___ -------------------- 438,419 ---------- 1, 133,442 1, 133,442 3, 007,296 1, 593,867 4, 017,504 502, 188 18,499,089 832,459 71, 610,456 4, 081,796 8, 143,752 La Plata and Montezuma_______ 10,059 ---------- 286,953 286,953 69,444 36,805 73,911 9, 239 1, 511 68 ---------- ---------- 333,065 Mesa. ___________________________ ---------- 28---------- 28---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ----------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 28 MineraL •. ---------------------- 65,932._________ 179,196 179,196 545,319 289,019 33,384 4,173 7,674,556 345,355 1,258,561 71,738 889,481 

<Ouray--------------------------- 133,252 ---------- 1, 952,958 1, 952,958 512,800 271, 784 564,273 70,534 3, 949,822 177,742 ---------- ---------- 2, 473,018 Park____________________________ 5,780 24,411 34,421 58,832 69,072 36,608 24,216 3,027 923,089 41,539 407,772 23,243! 163,249 J>itkin _________ ------------------ 88, 823._________ 542 542 450,772 238,909 7, 408 926 ll, 084,334 498,795.--------- ---------- 739, 172 

Routt and Moffat. ______________ ---------- 6, ll5 ---------- 6,115 47 25---------- ---------- ----------- ---------- ---------- ----------· 6,140 

:Saguache 184 512 512 4, 664 2, 472 4, 984 623 74, 556 3, 355 46, 561 2, 654 9, 616 :San Juan======================== 108,088 ========== 336,463 336,463 325,604 172,570 470,912 58,864 6, 933,822 312,022 2, 224,351 126,788 1, 006,707 SanMigueL ____________________ 429,354 __________ 2,447,841 2,447,841 1,000,834 530,442 971,064 121,383 6,456,333 290,535 3,386,088 193,007 3,583,208 

:Summit.________________________ 55,904 257,422 26,819 284,241 182,957 96,967 22,888 2,861 6,024,867 271,119 7,675,175 437,485 1,092,673 

'Teller •. _-----------------------· 756,900 ---------- 10,562,65310,562,653 57,783 30,625 ---------- ---------- ----------- --~------- ---------- ---------- 10,593,278 

2, 377,936 . 319,038 18,682,937 19,001,975 7, 330, 168 3, 884,989 8, 024,488 1, 003,061 69,679,289 3, 135,568 94,607,456 5, 392, 625 32,418,218 

1912 

13oulder •• ____ ------------------- 9, 838 ---------- ll9, 426 <Chaffee ..•.... ------------------- 10,287 4, 619 92,870 .Clear Creek •• ___________________ 102,894 331 445,463 

.Costilla __________________________ ---------- 470---------- ·Custer _________ • ______ ------_____ 4, 330 __ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ 16, 898 

119,426 72,335 44,486 22,176 $3,659 305,822 13,762---------- ---------- 181,333 

97, 489 104, 686 64, 382 133, 570 22, 039 992, 578 44, 666 736, 392 50, 8lll 279, 387 445, 794 373, 940 229, 973 449, 401 74, 151 3, 523, 733 158, 568 1, 734, 493 119, 680 1, 028, 166 

470 3 2 ---------- ---------- ----------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 472 16,898 25,426 15,637 2,006 331 10,444 470 __________ ---------- 33,336 Dolores ... __ • _______ ------_______ 8, 485 ___ .. __ _ _ _ 7, 556 7, 556 100, 288 61, 677 689, 915 113, 837 1, 212, 400 54, 558 812, 029 56, 030 293, 658 

:Douglas •• --------------------------------- 75----------

~~;~oiiC.~~::======~========~:== 3i:5n ========== 

49

' ~~ -Gilpin___________________________ 118,652 ---------- 904,505 

<Gunnison________________________ 14,046 651 124,676 .Hinsdale_ ..... ______ . ______ .• ___ 9, 554 _ _ _ _ _ ___ __ 6, 811 

49, ~~---163;735 ---ioo;697 ---i47;176 ----24;284 --i;24o;156 ----55;so7 -5;659;261 ---39o;489 620, 5~f 253 3, 439 2, 115 35, 903 5, 924 55, 956 2, 518 447, 507 30, 878 41, 688 904,505 316,205 194,466 1, 025,770 169,252 1, 351,600 60,822 25,377 1, 751 1, 330,796 

125, 327 29, 035 17, 857 8, 097 1, 336 306, 867 13, 809 483, 884 33, 38S 191, 717 6, 811' 34, 722 21,354 53,739 8, 867 1, 257,800 5!), 601 11.926 823 94,456 
100 MINING IN COLORADO 

Gold, silver, copper, lead, and zinc produced in Colorado, 1858-1923, by counties, in terms of recovered metals-Continued 

Ore sold Gold Silver Copper Lead Zinc 

County 

1912-Continued 

or treatedl-----.,.--------1--------

(short 

tons) Placer Lode Total Fine 

ounces Value Po 

Lake __ -------------------------- 507,591 ---------- $1, 103,230$1, 103,230 3, 000,397$1,845,244 2, 0 La Plata and Montezuma_______ 2, 761 ---------- 135,391 135,391 47,948 29,488 Mesa____________________________ 22---------- 9 9 25Z 158 

MineraL----------------------__ 66,488 _______ ___ 86,002 86,002 714,909 439, 669 Montrose ________________________ ---------- $687 __________ 687 10 6 ___ _ 

Ouray--------------------------- 89,975 ---------- 1, 049, 590 1, 049,590 545, 177 335,284 4 Park ___ ------------------------- 2, 686 19, 223 48, 758 67,981 31, 234 19,209 Pitkin___________________________ 91, 791 ____ ______ 165 lfi5 528, 504 325,030 

Rio Grande______________________ 133---------- 5, 549 5, 549 896 551 Routt and Moffat_______________ 64J 5,070---------- 5,070 150 92 

San Juan________________________ 140,917---------- 523,574 523,574 714,974 439,709 1, 0 

unds 

65,800 918 

5, 685 23,885 

iiii;552 

10,321 

22,952 

29,673 

25,085 

29,479 

63,291 San MigueL____________________ 455,696---------- 2, 399,234 2, 399,234 1,153, 709 709,531 8 

Saguache________________________ 9, 459

1

__________ 3, 805 3, 805 19,309

1 

11,875 

Summit_________________________ 46, 606( 392,739 33,276 426,015 164,665 101,269 

45,497 

16,412 

Teller __ ------------------------- 849, 172 ~ 11,008,36211,008, 3~2 ~~ _--_-_-__ ------

2, 576, 626 423, 865 18, 164, 697 18, 588, 562 8, 212, 070; 5, 050, 423 7, 1 07,303 

==-============ 1913 

Boulder __ ----------------------- 5, 719 _____ _____ 69,274 69,274 162,384 98,080 Chaffee__________________________ 49, 135 1, 266 311,626 312,892 168,985 102,067 ·3 

g~;~~l~~~~~~=========~========== ---~~~~~~: --------95 ---~~:~~~~ 432, 4~~ 408, 52~ 246, 75~ ---~ 

25,535 

15,011 

26,393 

------

~~~~~~========================== 1~:~8~ :::::::::: ~~:~~ ~t~~ 1~~:~~~ 10~:~~ . 8 Douglas _________________________ ---------. 547---------- 547 2 1 ___ _ 

4,052 

01,819 

------ Eagle____________________________ 47,488---------- 41,220 41,220 301,380 182,034 

El Paso__________________________ 298---------- ---------·· ---------- ---------- ----------

41,368 

10,632 Fremont_________________________ 53---------- 92 92 78 47 Garfield_________________________ 25---------- 890 890 35 21 4,677 200 Gilpin ________________ ----------- 94,156 ---------- 687,101. 687, 101 273,207 165,017 83 7, 974 Gunnison________________________ 4, 301 601 9, 588 10,189 87,488 52,843 

Hinsdale ___ --------------------- 4, 329 ______ ____ 5, 2801 5, 280 30,477 18,408 Lake ________ -------------------- 528,311 -------- __ 1, 023,631 1, 023,631 3, 400,318 2, 053,792 1, 9 La Plata and Montezuma_______ 7,403---------- 312,891 312,891 121,122 73,158 1 

Mineral._----------------------- 56, 763 ---------- 50, 282 50, 282 805, 343 486,427 Montrose________________________ 49 935 5 940 434 262 

Ouray--------------------------- 97,336 -------- __ 959,3771 959,377 537,634 324,731 Park ___ ------------------------- 6, 598 14,758 35,283 50,041 94,293 56,953 Pitkin___________________________ 114,264 ---------- 29 29 562,308 339,634 Rio Grande______________________ 6 ---------- 243 243 109 66 

21,864 

76,304 

23,987 

13,897 

31,647 

24,058 

00,329 

29, 161 48,852 568 RouttandMoffat_ ______________ 12 3,609 231 3,840 1,962 1,185 

Saguache________________________ 980 ---------- 4, 243 4, 243 8, 694 5, 251 San Juan________________________ 123,343 ---------- 657,612 657,612 880,409 !i31, 767 1, 2 San MigueL____________________ 509,175---------- 2,129,371 2, 129,371! 1,051,096 634,862 7 Summit_________________________ 40,360 386,196 76,032 462,228 167,490 101,164 

Teller·----------------~---------- 917,406 ---------- 10,905,00310,905,003 71,349 43,095 ___ _ 

161 13, _277 

21, 516 36,374 

18, 170 

2, 734, 866 408, 007 17, 738, 909 18, 146, 916 9, 325, 255 5, 632, 454 7, 2 27,826 

==:========== 19U 

24,316 

19,496 

67,790 

------

Boulder_________________________ 14,591__________ 98,710 98,710 312,217 172,656 Chaffee _________________________ . 61,698 626 331,604 332,230 272,242 150,550 

Clear Creek_____________________ 101,366---------- 495,275 495,275 345,387 190,999 3 Costilla __________________________ ---------- 177---------- 177 2 1 ___ _ 

3,481 

50,278 

------

Custer--------------------------- 870 ---------- 3, 365 3, 365 15,975 8, 834 Dolores__________________________ 6, 905 ---------- 7, 973 7, 973 86,526 47,849 3 Douglas___________________________________ 140---------- 140---------- ---------- ___ _ 

28,105 

2,644 

91,917 128 

?6, 579 

ii;iss 

17,098 

82,910 

26,038 

32,586 

32,414 

54,038 

8,023 

67,737 

..................... 

Eagle____________________________ 49, 377 ---------- 47, 194 47, 194 127,080 70, 275 El Paso _______________________ .___ 25---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- Fremont_________________________ 706 ·---------- 1,476 1,4761 1,066 589 Garfield_________________________ 73 ---------- 2, 403 2, 403 80 44 Gilpin___________________________ 52,839 ---------- 573,553 573,553 145,237 80,316 7 Grand___________________________ 10 ---------- 3 3 1, 747 966 ___ _ Gunnison________________________ 6,018 4,384 8,649 13,033 59,036 32,647 Hinsdale_________________________ 118 ---------- 170 170 5, 987 3, 311 

Lake_·-------------------------- 547,463---------- 1,571,451 1,571,451 3,810,830 2,107,389 2,3 LaPlataandMontezuma_______ 5,083__________ 126,498 126,498 60,244 33,315 Mineral_________________________ 27,952 -------~-- 19,304 19,304 615,734 340,&01 Montrose________________________ 66 435 11 446 517 286 

Ouray___________________________ 105,560 ---------- 1, 211,993 1, 211,993 594,289 328,642 Park_____________________________ 1,958 23,334 44,151 67,485 20,215 11,179 Pitkin___________________________ 118,000 ---------- 423 423 372,886 206,206 Rio Grande______________________ 8---------- 474 474 16 9 __ _ 

"35;783 

25,180 

24,105 

• 7, 339 

639, 173 

514 86,680 

348,046 

530,949 

12,640 

032,480 

-------

Routt and Moffat. ______________ ---------- 4,697---------- 4, 697 16 9 __ _ 

Saguache_----------------------- 1, 488 ---------- 16,513 16,513 18,293 10, 116 San Juan _______ ----------------- 117,988 ---------- 508,477 508,477 493,917 273, 136 8 San MigueL____________________ 495,742 ---------- 2, 114,916 2, 114,916 1, 280,461 708,095 3 Summit_________________________ 22,199 608,567 60,043 668,610 67,009 37,056 

Teller ____ ----------------------- 939,423 -.--------- 11,996, 116 11,996, 116 89,056 49,248 __ _ 

1 

~ 677, '" 64~ aoo\•~ 240, 74519,883,lo5 ~ "~ 065 4, 864, m · 6, 

~~;~cier ~=====;;;;::::::::::::::: 39, 11~ ==========l---i6o;433 ---i6o;433 211, 29~ · 137, 54g Chaffee__________________________ 68,240 1, 463 314,683 316, 146 226,996 115,087 Clear Creek______________________ 121,993 859 525,724 526,583 393, 108 199,306 · Custer___________________________ 1, 719 ---------- 4, 098 4, 098 31,633 16,038 Dolores__________________________ 14, 192 ---------- 11,932 11,932 127,933 64,862 1, Douglas _________________________ ---------- 596---------- 596 4 2 __ _ 

60,086 

127,303 291 476,383 

-------

Eagle____________________________ 74,197 ---------- 95,426 95,426 177,550 90,018 Fremont_________________________ 1, 600 ---------- 674 674 3,168 1, 606 

Garfield.------------------------ 123 ---------- 5, 309 5, 309 112 57 Gilpin___________________________ 54,052 ---------- 562,878 562,878 125,665 63,712 

Grand------------------------------------- 153---------- 153 2 1 __ _ 9, 091 9,114 

803,423 

4,114 

Gunnison________________________ 6, 446---------- 60,197 60,197 24,892 12,620 

Hinsdale. __ --------------------- 488 ------- ___ 737 . 737 9, 621 4, 878 Lake____________________________ 481,620 69,009 2, 177,143 2, 246,152 2, 571,002 1, 303,498 1, La Plata_________________________ 2, 952 ---------- 71,530 71,530 46,369 23,509 

8,943 

Total 

value 

Value Pounds Value Pounds Value 

--- ------------

$340,857 26,234,244 $1, 180, 541 105,945,783 $7,310,259 $11,780,131 151 6, 756 304 165,334 938 20 1 ---------- ---------- 1,106 

3, 941 5, 730,222 257,860 308,681 21,299 808,771 

----66;091 --2; 989; 044 ---i34;5ii7 ---i4o;iiii7 -----9;7oii 693 1, 595,17S 

1, 703 167,756 7,549 132,275 9,127 105,569 

3, 787 8, 405,333 378,240 484,507 33,431 740,653 

4,896 313 14 ---------- ---------- 11, 01() 

4, 139. ----------- ---------- .. ......................... ---------- 9,301 

4,864 504,845 22,718 534,928 36,910 80,172 

175,443 9, 114,334 410, 145 2, 478,594 171,023 1, 719,894 

139,507 7, 429,622 334,333 2, 943,783 203,121 3, 785,726 

2, 708 4,402, 422 198,109 9, 342,725 644,648 1, 372,749 

---------- ......................... ---------- ---------- ---------- 11,049,024 

1,172, 705 75,242,267 3, 385,902 132,222,8121 9, 123, 374 37,320,960. 

= 3, 958 409,500 18,018 -2;i2i;947 ---iis;~9 189, 330> 48,827 3, 196, 545 140,648 723, 263' 66,091 3, 999,614 175, 98.'3 1, 489,518 83,413 1,004, 726; 

---------- ----------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 96 628 5,273 232 ---------- ---------- 22,377 

124,282 3, 079,341 135,491 2, 596,232 145,389 525,599· 

---------- ----------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 54& 6, 412 1, 351,205 59,453 6, 683,643 374,284 663,403-

1, 648 ------4;591 -------262 -----7;i6i 1, 648: 725 401 1,467 

31 ----------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 942: 129,886 1, 210,341 53,255 8,589 481 1,035, 740• 3,389 196,728 8,656 292,875 16,401 91,478 

]) , 827 782,318 34,422 54,732 3,065 73, ooz 

298,218 29,286,183 1, 288,592 93,842,857 5, 25ii,200 9, 919,433 

17,654 4,455 196 403,899 

4,905 3, 398,364 149,528 454,875 25,473 716.615- 3, 729 --2,-i8o;59i ----95;946 ---206;429 ----ii;224 4,931 

77, 551 1, 468, 829' 4, 520 506,046 22,266 98,623 5,523 139,303. 

7, 572 17,528,386 771,249 460,161 25,769 1, 144,253. 88 ----------- 397 25 1,023 45 ---------- ---------- 5,095-

2,0.58 336,886 14, 823 32,964 1, 846 28,221 

189,335 9, 508,979 418,395 1, 664,999 93,240 1, 890,349-

114,138 6, 967,136 306,554 2,405, 750 134,722 3,319, 647 2, 816 3, 944,268 173,548 6, 931,074 388,140 1, 127,896-

----------- 10,948,098: ------------ 1, 120,313 87,897,773 3, 867,502 119,346,429 6, 683,400 35,450,585-

3,234 523,821 20,429 ----·----- ---------- 295,029• 

42,493 3, 690,359 143,924 2, 173,177 110,832 780, 029> 48,916 2,435, 692 94,992 1, 067,314 54,433 884,615-

---------- ----------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 178- 463 9,692 378 4,470 228 13,268-

46,587 492,023 19, 189 366,549 18,694 140,292' 

---------- ----------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 140• 3, 738 1, 177,385 45,918 7, 522,098 383,627 550,752 352 ----------- 352" 25,525 308 12 ---------- ---------- 27,602' 

17 ----------- ---------- ---------- ----·----- 2,464: 

96,635 499,718 19,489 12,980 662 770,655 

-----i,-488 1, 563 61 ---------- ---------- 1,03(} 

317,974 12,401 525,000 26,775 86,344-

2,274 5, 723 223 ---------- ---------- 5,978 

316,927 26, 784,615 1,044, 600 78,763,334 4, 016,930 9, 057,297 

3,463 11,410 445 ---------- ---------- 163,721 

4,334 1, 401,795. 54,670 ---------- ---------- 418,809: 

4,311 --2;ii9;5ii4 ----82;663 ----«:aos -----2;275 5,043-

113,587 1, 739, 11i() 

1,067 168, 154 6,558 57,940 2,955 89,244-

9,009 2, 323,230 906,096 145,431 7,417 1, 129, 151 

---------- ----------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 483 

-----4;759 ----534;872 ----20;8iio

1

---·-s;wi 4, 706- 456 52,704-

109,749 5,199,000 202, 761 971, 177 49,530 1, 143,653 

43,106 4,039, 769 157, 5511 __________ ---2iio;7o9 3,023, 668 976 1, 565,2.31 ----~~~~~~ -~~~~~~~~~ 1,028,395 

------------ 12,045,364-

883,010 74,211,898 2, 894, 264:96, 774, 960 4, 935,523 33,460,126-

90 ----------- I ---------- ........................... 94 ---------- 15, 169 890,042 41,832 ---------- ---------- 354,979-

60,908 3, 630,127 170, 616 4, 676,355 579,868 1, 242,625 

92,916 2, 527,575 118,796 1, 505,032 186,624 1, 124,225-

2, 212 89,808 4, 221 30,411 3, 771 30, 34()> 

180, 684 268,447 12, 617 35,936 4,456 274, 551 

---------- ----------- ........................... ---------- ---------- 59S 10,515 1, 394,043 65,520 11, 141, 750 1, 381,577 1, 643,056-

22,278 30,894 1,452 228,170 28,293 54,303-

51 ----------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 5,417 

83,367 591, 127 27,783 11,000 1, 364 739,104 

---------- ----------- ---------- -·-------- 154 1, 591 190,000 8, 930 1, 750,944 217, 117 300,455-

1, 595 266,128 12,508 ........................... ------·--- 19, 718- 315,599 20,957,404 720 23,362 9~; ~~~~:·-~=~·-~~~ -~·-=~=·-~~ya. 8~~: ~g~ 1, 565 2, 382, 128 .111,9601 85,984 10,6621 Mineral._---------------·-------- 28,071 ---------- 33, 039 33,039 291,807 147,946 305,17Z 

Moffat. __ --------------.--------- -·--------- 2, 613 ---------- 2, 613 6 3 ---------- ---------- ----------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 2, 610. 
PRODUCTION BY YEARS AND COUNTIES 101 

Gold, silver, copper·, lead, and zinc produced in Colorado, 1858-1923, by counties, in terms of recovered metals-Continued 

Gold Silver Copper Lead Zinc 

County 

Ore sold l or treated -----.-------l·----,-----ll------,-----l--------1-------l Total 

(short Fine I value 

------------l·-t-on_s_)_ --P-la-ce_r ___ L_o_d_e ___ T_o_ta_l __ o_u_n_ce_s ___ v_a_lu_e __ P_o_u_n_ds ___ v_a_lu_e_1_P_ou_n_d_s_ Value Pounds Value ---

1915-Continued 

Montezuma _____________________ . 14---------- $494 $494 

Montrose________________________ 169 $1,259 18 1, 277 

OuraY--------------------------- 103,258 --·-------- 1, 118, OI6 1, 118,016 Park ___ ------------------------- 2, 820 9, 792 149, 547 159,339 Pitkin___________________________ 108,579 ---------- 29 29 

Rio Grande______________________ 1, 500 ---------- 14,968 14,968 Routt_ __________________________ ---------- 371__________ 371 

Saguache________________________ 692 ---------- 5, 273 5, 273 

San Juan·--------------"-------- 147,878 ---------- 583,681 583,681 :San MigueL-------------------- 483,954 ---------- 2, 069,362 2, 069,362 

Summit.------------------------ 44,602 607, 195 72,949 680, 144 Teller ___ ------------------------ 948,082 ---------- I3, 683,494 13, 683,494 

103 1, 073 576,621. 

9, 227 448, 9I5 

325 6 11,266 

480,637 

1, 096,641 

64,223 

87,767 

I 

$52---------- ---------- 170i $8 ---------- --------~- $554 

292, ~!i 8g~; ~~? n?: ?~! --i;!i9o;6sil ____ 9a;562 _____ 1;2s2 ------$9oo 1, 6M: gg~ 4, 678 12, 303 2, 153 190, 830 8, 969 472, 992 58, 65I 233, 790 

227, 600 19,983 3, 497 19, 265, 213! 905,465 214,952 26, 654 1, 163,245 

165 ---------- ---------- -----------·---------- ---------- ---------- 15, 133 3---------- ---------- ___________ ! __________ ---------- ---------- 374 5, 712 23, 360 4, 088 174, 447/ 8, 199 44, 250 5, 487 28, 759 

218, 333 1, 054, 463 184, 531 6, 791, 596 319, 205 2, 259, 226 280, 144 1, 585, 894 

555, 997 562, 554 98, 447 5, 240, 277 246, 293 1, 040, 121 128, 975 3, 099, 074 32, 561 8, 646 1, 5I3 1, 9I6, 298 90, 066 8, 597, 411 1, 066, 079 1, 870, 363 

44, 498 ---------- ---------- ----------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 13, 727, 992 

Baca. _ -------!~- ~--------------- 2, 737,02: ---~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~: ~~~:~:~~: 7, 027,9: 3, 563, 1:: 7, 11::::: I, 244,:: _:~~~~~~~:~-~~~~:~~~: ~:~~~4:~~ ~~~~~~~:~~~43, 426,::: 

Boulder _________________________ 33,011 __________ 119,299 119,299 292,824 192,678 64,707 15,918 864,333 59,639-------------------- 387,534 

Chaffee__________________________ 69,358 573 184,477 I85,050 100,749 66,293 1,001,455 246,358 3,016,899 208,166 4,744,985 635,828 1,341,695 

Clear Creek._------------------- 94,220 250 428, 68I 428,931 462, 1411 304; 089 621,732 152,946 4, 295,725 296,405 2, 572, 575 344, 725 1, 527,096 Custer___________________________ 2,245__________ 6,309 6,309 36,971 24,327 44,004 10,825 123,536 8,524 I0,970 1,470 51,455 

Dolores__________________________ 6,398__________ 7,426 7,426 77,280 50,850 419,500 103,197 588,333 40,595 182,306 24,429 226,497 Eagle ____________________________ 105,149 186 95,850 96,036 222,1261 

i46,159 112,610 27,702 1,517,362 I04,69828,438,052 3,810,699 4,185,294 

Fremont_________________________ I, 734._________ 786 786 4, 529 2, 980 101,041 24,856 31,710 2, 188 ---------- ---------- 30,810 

Gilpin •. ------·-------"---------- 38,913 ---------- 453,259 453,259 126,553 83,272 557,317 137, 100 521,334 35,972 ---------- ---------- 709,603 Grand _____ ------ _______ ---_----_ 2 __________ -- ____ --- __ -------- _ 134 88 760 187 _______ -- ________________ ----- ______ ~- _ _ _ 275 

Gunnison________________________ 10,419 2,151 29,402 31,553 29,023 19,097 84,679 20,831 313,217 21,612 1,964,873 263,293 356,386 

Hinsdale.----------------------- 377 ---------- 1, 346 1, 346 10,030 6, 600 16,248 3, 997 75,638 5, 219 12,575 1, 685 18,847 . .Jackson and Larimer_----------- 61 ---------- 95 95 199 131 . 6, 752 1, 661 ----------- ------- _____________ ---------- 1, 887 Lake •• -------------------------- 477,240

1 

119, 169 1, 601, 271 1, 720,440 2, 931, 281 1, 928, 783 2, 621,675 644,932 21, 719,392 1, 498, 638 76, 785, 567 10,289,266 16,082,059 La Plata and Montezuma_______ 1, 688---------- 33,055 33,055 29,380 19,332 15,142 3, 725 6, 667 460---------- ______ .. ___ 56,572 

MineraL------------------------ 38, 103 ---------- 31,124. 3I, 124 373, 956! 246,063 13, 138 3, 232 2, 295,087 158,361 240,575 32,237 471,017 

Montrose________________________ 197 ---------- 10 10 1, 132 745 100,008 24,602 __ --------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 25,357 QuraY--------------------------- 111,192 __________ 491,175 491,175 803,461 528,677 444,081 109,244 2,339,029 I61,393 69,015 9,.2481,299,737 Park____________________________ 3,005 10,421 223,878 234,299 13,231 8,706 22,598 5,559 330,609 22,812 47,560 6,373 277,749 

Pitkin ____________________ ·_______ 114,330 ---------- ---------- ---------- 577,863 380,234 28,931 7,117 17,519,275 1, 208,830 162,574 21, 785 1, 617,966 

Routt and Moffat.-------------- 542 1, 124 18 1, 142 278 183 41, 175 10, 129 ----------- ---------- ---------- --------- _ 11,454 Saguache ________________________ 3,338 __________ 8,024 8,024 48,959 32,215 92,581 22,775 255,449 17,626-------------------- 80,640 

.San Juan________________________ 146, 128 ---------- 438,628 438,628 502,342 330,541 1, 615,167 397,331 7, 285,304 502,68614,014,403 537,930 2, 207,116 

.San MigueL-------------------- 428, 651..-----~-- 2, 072,393 2, 072,393 812,041 534,323 581,427 143,031 6, 126,551 422,732 1, 098,485 147, 197. 3, 3I9, 676 Summit_________________________ 65,117 579,050 94,841 673,891 120,207

1 

79,096 14,581 3,587 1,688,637 116,51613,940,948 1,868,087 2,741,177 

Teller-------------~------------- ~~5~~~ -~:~~~~~~ ·;:~~~:~~ -~~:;~~:~~; -~~~;~:~~~~~~~ 

1917 

Baca_____________________________ 9---------- 3 3 57 47 6,806 1,858------------------------------- ---------- 1,908 Boulder__________________________ 16,835---------- 66,841 66,841 294,375 242,565 29,513 8,057 575,582 49,500-------------------- 366,963 ·Chaffee__________________________ 55,652 183 133,441 133,624 146,535 120,745 807,883 220,552 2,150,523 184,945 2,181,932 222,557 882,423 

ClearCreek______________________ 84,449 435 303,549 303,984 526,750 434,042 570,091 155,635 4,836,617 415,949 3,153,030 321,609 1,631,219 

Custer___________________________ 5,881__________ 7,066 7.066 88,687 73,078 88,216 24,083 228,303 19,634-------------------- · 123,861 

~~i~==::::::::::::::==:::::: ,M:~ ;;;;;;;;;; .l:~~ .1:~ ~~:~ ,ii:~ _ -·~:~! _ __'!l:~ }~:~ :::~:~~~~:~1i:l~ :~:li!:~J '· 1l:i~ Qilpin ___________________________ 35,289 __________ 397,087 397,087 112,585 92,770 544,648 148,689 815,906 70,168 141,490 14,432 723,145 

Gunnison________________________ 12,671 .327 6,308 6,635 40,272 ·33,184 180,121 49,173 751,000 64,586,3,054,990 311,609 465,187 

Hinsdale.----------------------- 517 ---------- 1, 136 1, 136 7, 721 6, 362 6, 099 1, 665 209,616 18,027 4, 117 420 27,610 Lake ____________________________ 422,428 I10,325

1

1,064,894 1,175,219

1

2,184,000 1,799,616 2,182,623 595,856 18,301,802 1,573,955!60,254,333 6,145,94211,290,588 

La Plata and Montezuma_______ 1, 772---------- 27,952 27,952 · 15,521 12,782 28,333 7, 735 3, 745 · 3221 __________ ---------- 48,791 Larimer and Jackson____________ 279 ____ ______ 587 587 602 496 23,725 6, 477 ----------- ··--------- ---------- _____ _____ 7, 560 

MineraL------------------------ 32,755 ---------- 10,101 10,101 361,517 297,890 19,297 5, 268 1, 305,744 112,294 54,971 5, 607 431, 160 Montrose------------------------ 64 944 ---------- 944 666 549 21,275 5, 808 __ --------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 7, 301 ·Ouray--·------·------------------ 86,523 ---------- 92,831 92,831 868,097 715,312 179,553 49,018 2, 031,721 174,728 532,794 54,345 1, 086,234 Park_____________________________ 2, 693 5, 451 111,907 117,358 14,705 12,117 12,824 3, 501 278,709 23,969 ---------- ---------- 156,945 

Pitkin·-------------------------- 124,824---------- 105 105 662,045 545,525 27,403 7,481 14,352,523 1,234,317 571,794 58,32::1 1,845, 751 Rio Grande______________________ 16 ---------- ':!4 24 52 43 ---------- ---------- 1, 930 166 ---------- ---------- 233 Routt and Moffat_______________ 75 2,359 1,056 3,415 1,341 1,105 4,326 1,181 -----·------ ---------- ---------- ---------- 5, 701 ·saguache________________________ 4, 224 ---------- 10,350 10,350 76,016 62,6.17 144,978 39,579 310,686 26,719 ---------- ---------- 139,285 :SanJuan ________________________ 145,685 __________ 318,006 318,006 658,261 542,4071,665,923 454,797 10,1i15,535 904,336 3,270,500 333,591 2,553,137 

San MigueL____________________ 389,293 ---------- 2, 009,961 2, 009,961 779,364 642, 196 920,425 251,276 6, 205,326 533,658 1, 810,245 184,645 3, 621,736 Summit_________________________ 66,768 540,951 62,486 603,437 175,699 144,776 25,033 6,834 915,535 78,73619,868,814 2,026,619 2,860,402 

Teller.----------,,---------------- _1_,0_8_4,_65_6 _--_--_-_--_--_- _10_,3_9_4,_84_7 _10_,3_9_4,_84_7 __ 6_4,_56_8 __ 5_3,_20_4 ---------- ---------- ----------- ---------- _--_--_-_--_-_-- _--_--_-_--_--_- _10_,4_4_8,_05_1 

2, 688, 706 661,028 15, 068, 196 15, 729, 224 7, 304, 353 6, 018, 787 8, 122,004 2, 217, 307 67, 990, 012 5, 847, 141120,315,775 12, 272, 209 42,084, 668 

1918 

Boulder__________________________ 10,387---------- 52,265 52,265 156,731 156,731 17,887 4,418 262,310 18,624-------------------- 232,038 Chaffee__________________________ 39,598 ---------- 112,478 112,478 81, 187 81, 187 323,830 79,986 1, 885,761 133,889 2, 618,769 238,308 645,848 ClearCreek _____________________ 57,808 __________ 231,077 231.077 370,888 370,888 343,247 84,782 3,869,352 274,7241,812,846 164,9691,126,440 

Custer___________________________ 4, 326 ---------- 4, 341 4, 341 108,456 108,456 51,292 12,669 281,070 19,956 13,516 1, 230 146,652 

Dolores-------------------------- 9, 272 ---------- 3,136 3,136 54,249 54,249 618,012 152,649 517,394 36,735 661,253 60,174 306,943 Eagle____________________________ 89,675 ---------- 35,975 35,975 241,406 241,406 353,041 87,201 2, 927,099 207,824 14,845,341 1, 350,926 1, 923,332 

Fremont_________________________ 235---------- 312 312 639 639 22,377 5,527 1,11~ 79 .. ------------------- 6,557 

8m:\:~~~=::::::::::::::::::::: ~:~H ========;~ ~5J~ ~&J~i ~:= ~~:~ --- ~g;~r--i~~:~r---~~~:~~r---~~;g~ -~:~~~:~: ---~~~:~8~1 ~~g:8ig Hinsdale________________________ 5, 222 ---------- 6, 249 6, 249 22,245 22,245 18,308 4, .522 767,972 54,526 ---------- ---------- 87,542 

.Jefferson_________________________ 23---------- ---------- ---------- 9 9 1,000 247----------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 256 Lake_____________________________ 355,840 92,0E6 · 751,17::1 843,239 2,290,121 2,290,121 1,626,534 401,754 22,469,915 1,595,36446,715,736 4,251,132 9,381,610 

La Plata and Montezuma_______ 300---------- 7, 738 7,378 6,415 6,415 668 165 3,000 213---------- ---------- 14,171 MineraL-----------------=------ 28,372 ____ _,______ 13,943 · 13,943 640,959 640,959 3,490 862 989,620 70,263-------------------- 726,027 

.OuraY-------·------------------ 79,653__________ 107,645 107,645 801,359 801,359 153,117 37,820 2,587,915 183,742 39,297 3,576 1,134,142 Park_____________________________ 2, 304 ---------- 63,176 63,176 18,280 18,280 12,704 3,138 233,873 16,605 ---------- ---------- 101,199 Pitkin ___________________________ 98,413__________ ·2 2 558,722 558,722 9,684 2,3p2 11,666,592 828,328 145,286 13,221 1,402,665 

Routt and Moffat_______________ 161 3,040 698 3, 738 2,671 2,671 __________ ---------- 6,591 468-------------------- 6,877 

.Saguache________________________ 1, 716---------- 2,553 2,553 89,5101 89,510 96,866 23,926 108,253 7,686-------------------- 123,075 SanJuan________________________ 132,927---------- 257,011 257,011 477,322 477,322 1,120,178 276,684 9,485,775 673,490 3,410,308 310,338 1,994,845 .SanMigueL ____________________ 374,134 __________ 2,127,634 2,127,634 836,570 836,570 992,814 245,225 6,044,085 429,130 797,648 72,586 3,711,145 

.Summit_________________________ 58,185 431,023 36,116 467,139 117,326 117,326 13,206 3,262 777,338 55,19115,696,264 1,428,360 2,071,278 

Teller___________________________ 936;326 ~ 8, 119,747 8, 119,747 50,665 ~~.---------- ----------- ----------~~ 8,170,412 

2, 314,890 !i26, 20212,225,51612,751,718 7, 063,5541 7,063, 554 6, 277,332 1, 550,501 65,960,760 4, 683,214 89, 133,901 8, 111,185 34,160,172 

5653-26t--8 
102 MINING IN COLORADO 

Gold, silver, copper, lead, and zinc produced in Colorado, 1858-1923, by counties, in terms of recovered metals-Continued 

County 

Pro· 

ducing 

mines 

Ore 

sold or treated 

(short 

tons) 

Silver Copper Lead Zinc I 

Placer Lode Total ~~~~s Value Pounds Value Pounds Value Pounds Value 

Gold 

1----~------.------l------~-----l------.-------l-------~------l--------l------- ~~~~ 

-------1-9-19-------1------ --------- ---- ~----- ------ ----------1-------1----- ---,---. - ----

Boulder_______________ 46 6,143---------- $54,65::1 $54,653 225,484 $252,542 11,043 $2,054 206,605 $10,950---------- ---------- $320, 199> 

Chaffee_______________ 9 19,655__________ 58,167 58,167 40,55C 45,416 70,823 13,173 803,228 42,571 965,630!' $70,491 229,818· 

Clear Creek___________ 66 116,355 ---------- 91,127 91, 127 357,43£ 400,332 152,925 28,444 1, 517, 134 80,408 603,027 44,021 644,332: Custer_--------------- 8 4, 621 ______ ____ 4, 771 4, 771 97, 15!! 108,818 72,979 13, 574 155, 134 8, 222 __________ I__________ 135,385 

Dolores_______________ 7 4,461__________ 2,517 2,517 35,22[ 39,452 264,968 49,284 98,700 5,231 67,0271 4,893 101,377 

8r~lf~============== ~~ ~?: t========= ~~: ~~~ ~~: ~~~ ~~: i8~ : i~ ---~!!~~~ ----~~~~;~ ~~~:HI ~~: ~~ ~~=~~~=~~~ ~~~~~~=~~ ~~~: ~U· Gunnison_____________ 14 8,348---------- 31,556 31,556 18,425 20,636 5,124 953 117,454 6,225 2,456,·479 179,323 238,693- Hinsdale______________ 12 1, 219 ---·------ 8, 232 8, 232 22, 94~ 25,695 7, 705 1, 433 55,679 2, 951 _____ · I 38 311 Lake__________________ 62 217,667 $81,088 544,268 625,956 1,542,324 1,727,403 888,628 165,285 11,299,076 598,85123,i65;2i9-i;69i;oiii 4,808:556 

La Plata______________ 12 405 ---------- 5, 96fl 5, 966 6, 075 6, 804 167 31 2, 283 121 ---------- ---------- 12, 922' 

MineraL_____________ 13 16, il8 ---------- 9, 083 9, 083 369,575 413,924 355 66 934,113 49,508 96,2741 7, 028 479, 609• 

~~r~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~ 2~ ----64;465 ______ -~== 92,338 92, ~~~ 627, 65~ 102, 97~ ---ii2;iss ·---2o;s67 --i;782;868 ·---94;.492 ----23;3431 _____ i;7o4 912, ~~~. Park__________________ 9 11,210 4, 135 125,422 129,557 70,949 79,463 20,436 3, 801 305,908 16,213 _________ _j__________ 229,034 

~i;~tt~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1~ 12J,f~~ ~=~=====~= -------31? -------ai2 65I:g~ 73~:~~? ~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~=~~~ --~~~~~~~~~ ---=~~~~~= ----~~~~~~~-----~·-~~~~.o2~:~~. Saguache______________ 5 509 ---------- 817 817 37,767 42,299 36,344 6, 760 52,515 2, 783---------- ---------- 52, 659· 

SanJuan______________ 20 64,8991---------- 132,5601 132,560 279,667 313,227 661,667 123,070 5,443,906 288,527 1,833,768, 133,865 991,249• 

SanMigueL__________ 13 428,585~---------- 2,105,490

1

2,105,490 I,100,942 1,233,055 913,925 169,990 7,636,790 404,750 5I5,082J' 37,601 3,950,886· 

~~ne~i-t==~~~~~~=~~~~~~ ____!! 7~~; g~~ ---~~~~~~ 5, 8~; ~f~ 5, ~~~; ~i~ ~~; ~~~ ~~; ~~~ -----~~~~~ -----~~~~= ----~~~~~=~ ----=~~~~ -~~~~~~=~~---==~~~~~~5, ~~~; ~~i:. 464 1, 919, 768 550, 562 9, 336,0651 9, 886, 627 5, 758,010 6, 448,971 3, 560, 207 662, 198 37,070,241 1, 964, 722,37,220, 493! 2, 717,096 21, 679, 614, 

Boulder •• ~~--------- 37 19, 476

1

! __________ 11 42,428 42,428 148,83.4 162,2291 6, 685 1, 230 261,088 20,887 ----------~---------- 226, 7U Chaffee_______________ 6 3,900 __________ 31,302 31,302 39,211 42,740 28,195 5,188 396,250 31,700 283,235: 22,942 133,872" 

ClearCreek___________ 65 51,494_ _________ 48,540 48,540 219,900 239,691 61,978 11,404 2,457,100 196,568 372,420: 30,166 526,369• Custer________________ 8 1,500 __________ 798 798 34,256 37,339 28,033 5,158 171,562 13,725 __________ 1 __________ 57,020· 

Dolores_______________ 7 2,752._________ 2,350 2,350 32,167 35,062 6,804 1,252 772,588 61,807 229,865i I8,619 119,090• 

Eagle_________________ 9 32,635._________ 25,496 25,496 279,667 304,837 517,109 95,148 282,538 22,603 6,653,2351 538,912 986,996- Gilpin ________________ 29 10,820 __________ 91,469 91,469 42,000 45,780 86,603 15,935 435,012 34,801 ____________________ 187,985· 

Grand________________ 1 3---------- __________ 856 933---------- ---------- 525 42 ----------'---------- 975· 

Gunnison_____________ 7 8, 443 ---------- 24,070 24,070 20,555 22,405 ---------- ---------- 958,301 76,664 1, 530,691: I23, 986 247,125 Hinsdale______________ 9 568 ---------- 6,151 6, 151 21,522 23,459 2, 625 483 80,625 6, 450 __________ I__________ 36,543: 

Lake__________________ 60 172,988 138,864 629,501 768,365 1, 099,688 1, 198,660 799,744 147, I53 8, 590, I88 687,21518,754, 531; 1, 519, lli 4, 320,510 

La Plata_._____________ 9 717 ------~--- 11,020 11,020 10,578 11,530 ---------- ---------- 937 75 ---------- ---------- 22, 625· MineraL_____________ 12 12,597 ---------- 5, 710 5, 710 272,322 296,831 1, 120 206 531,537 42,523 ----------'---------- 345, 270• 

Moffat________________ 2---------- 118---------- 118---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ----------- ---------- ----------'---------- 118· Montrose_____________ I---------- 198---------- 198 2 2---------- ---------- ----------- ---------- ----------·---------- 200· Ouray_________________ 23 40, 195 ---------- 33, 777 33,777 465,577 507,479 86,881 15,986 1, 334,575 106, 766 ---------- -------- __ 664,008 

Park__________________ I2 5, 348 526 142,632 143,158 51,023 55,615 18,674 3, 436 1, 085,625 86,850 ---------- ---------- 289, 059' 

~~~t~-~~===~~~~~~~~==~ 1~ 125, 78g =~=~~~~~~= ________ 44 ________ 44 625, 1M 681, i~~ ~=~==~~~=~ ~~~~~~=~==.--~:~~~:~~~ ---~~~~~=~ ---~~~:~=~~----~~:~~ 1, o89, ~~~; Saguache______________ 7 9, 282._________ 5, 031 5, 031 94,655 103, 174 88,386 16,263 I 50,063 12,005 __________ I__________ 136,473: 

SanJuan______________ I9 201,671 __________ 266,766 266,766 746,100 813,249 1,361,391 250,496 I6,601,025 1,328,082U,837,395: 958,829 3,617,422" 

SanM!gueL__________ 14 374,169 __________ 11,340,226 1,340,226 1,064,667 1,160,487 948,696 174,560 7,571,875 605.,750 I75,617! 14,225 3,295,248-

Summit.._____________ 26 48,328 374,882 30,422 405,304 106,422 116,000 359 66 477,462 38,197 8,335,963[ 675,2I3 1,234,780' 

Teller----------------- 41 448,618 ---------- 4, 323,998 4, 323,998 33,789 36,830 451 83 612 49 ----------.---------- 4, 360, 96(}1 

1921 

Boulder _______ -------- Chaffee ______________ _ Clear Creek __________ _ 

Costilla __ ------------- Custer_-------- ______ _ Dolores ______________ _ 

Douglas •• ____________ _ 

Eagle __ --------------_ Gilpin ___ ------------- Gunnison ____________ _ Hinsdale ______ ----- __ _ Lake_----- ___________ _ La Plata _____________ _ Mineral •• ____________ _ Ouray __________ ----- __ Park _________ ---------

Pitkin ___ ------------- Saguache ___ ----------- San Juan _____________ _ San MigueL _________ _ Summit ______________ _ 

Teller------- _________ _ 

1922 

A dams.------- _______ _ Boulder ______________ _ 

Chaffee __ --------- ___ _ Clear Creek __________ _ Custer ___ ----~-- _____ _ 

Dolores __ ------------- Douglas ______________ _ 

Ea~le __ ------------ __ _ Fremont_ ____________ _ 

Gilpin ___ ------------- Gunnison _____ -------- Hinsdale _____________ _ 

Lake ___ --------------- La Plata _____________ _ 

MineraL."---------·-- Moffat_ ______________ _ Montrose. __________ .__ 

-m ~ 5t4,58s 7, 061, 7311 7, 576, 319 5, 409, 33 5, 896, I75 4, 043, 734 744, 047 46, 629, 788 3, 730, 383 48, 790, 742: 3, 952, 050121, 898, 974-

1 I 46 13,I76 __________ 34,042 34,042 112,957 112,957 302 39 140,336 6,315 ____________________ 153,353-

5 2,402__________ 32,034 32,034 27,641 27,641 8,357 1,078 318,666 14,340 39,000 1,9.50 77,043- 48 32,767---------- 38,851 38,85I 131,867 131,867 21,519 2, 776 1,200,931 54,042 217,000 10,850 238,386 ! __________ ---------- 52 52-------------------------------------------------------------- __________ I__________ 52: 

5 568 ---------- 184 184 19, 191 19, 19I 37,690 4, 862 106,022 4, 771 ----------~----- --- __ 29,008- 5 386__________ 1,8561 1,856 I4,499 14,499 744 96 18,624 838 __________ 1__________ 17,289-

2---------- 47---------- 47---------- ---------- --------~- ---------- ----------- ---------- ----------'---------- 4T 7 39,785 ---------- 64, 723 64, 723 682,550 682,550 I, 833,078 236,467 12,578 566 ----------'----- _ ---- 984,306 36 3, 553 ---------- 39,610 39,610 17,963 17,963 13, 186 1, 701 91,644 4, I24_ _________ , ________ -- 63,398-

6 498 ---------- 18,223 I8, 223 10,370 10,370 ---------- ---------- 51,955 2, 338 ----------·---------- 30,931 6 495---------- 3,425 3,425 32,039 32,039 9,357 1,207 65,756 2,959 ----------'---------- 39,630 41 80,501 6,184 302,960 309,144 1,043,497 1,043,497 1,107,295 142,841 3,537;889 159,205,1,821,0001 91,050 I,745,737 

17 1, 279 ---------- 45, 181 45,181 20,327 20,327 ---------- ---------- 3, 734 168.---------- ---------- 65,676 8 7,076__________ 3,816 . 3,816 192,468 192,468 1,899 245 156,778 7,055'----------'---------- 203,584, 11 69,232 _____ ._____ 73,229 73,229 730,970 730,970 85,039 10,970 1,208,399 54,378 __________ , __________ 869,547 10 4,929 42~ 40,82I 41,250 47,547 47,547 7,550 974 654,090 29,434 _________ _1 ____ , ______ 119,205· 

17 60,476____________________ 474,225 474,225 233 30 2,395,622 107,803 283,0001 14,150 596,20~ 

9 6,412 __________ 1,856 1,856 90,871 90,871 49,512 6,387 198,686 8,941 ________________ ~--- 108,055· 17 1,164__________ 8,272 8,272 €4,179 64,I79 28,558 3,684 557,555 25,090 __________ 1__________ 101,225 15 455,281 __________ 1,468,820 1,468,820 1, 776,963 1, 776,963 921,573 118,883 8,436,244 379,631 __________ 1 __________ 3, 744,29T 23 17,291 337,980 20,850 358,830 104,198 104,198 27,550 3,554 504,957 22,723 __________ 1__________ 489,305· 

47 484 110---------- 4, 291,883 4, 291,883 37,335 37,335 ---------- ---------- -- --·------ ---------- ----------!---------- 4, 329, 218· 

----a82 · 1, 281,381 344,640 6, 490,688 6, 835,328 5, 631,657 5, 6::11,657 4, 153,442 535, 794 19, e6o, 466 884,121 2, 360, ooo! 118, ooo 14, oo5, 500• 

===========!====!====,== 

1 ---------- 498 ---------- 60 3,415---------- 37,037 8 6,844---------- 19,936 54 69,42.'i ---------- 36,199 4 17,212 ---------- I67 5 678 ----~----- 1, 953 

1 ---------- . 12 ---------- 7 71, 892 ---------- 72,] 11 1 7 ---------- 21 43 13, 707 378 51, 342 

9 221 ---------- 9,180 10 1, 550 ---------- 1, 298 54 112,547 315 412,7431 16 791 ---------- 32,261 9 3, 978 ---------- I, 654 

2 ---------- 114 ---------- 2 25I 322 ----------

498 4 4 --·------- ---------- --------------------- __________ ! _________ _ 37,037 121,073 121,073---------- ---------- 68,470 3, 7fJ6 __________ ! _________ _ 

19,936 26,187 26,187 20,526 2, 771 66I, 728 36,395 178, 000! 10, 146 36,199 196,207 196,207 7,874 .1,063 1,042,491 57,337 800,000[ 45,600 

. 167 14,520 I4, 520 32, l4I 4, 339 660,618 36,334 ----------~----------

1, 9~~ ----~~~:~~ ----~~:=~~ ____ :~~~~= -----~:=~= -----~~::~~ -----~~~=~ =~==~~~~~~~==~~~=~=== 72, Ill 583, 737 583, 737 I, 330, 296 17~, 590 322, 818 17, 755 11, 000,0001 627, 000 

2I 174 174 348 47 4,273 235---------- ---------- 01,720 43,910 43,910 24,860 3, 356 246,945 13,582----------:---------- 9,180 3,803 3,803 526 71 13,382 736 ___________________ _ I,298 50,074 50,074 14,269 1,926 114,200 6,281 __________ 1 _________ _ 

413, 058 !).52, 048 952, 048 871, 370 117, 635 5, 521, 818 303, 700 9, 003, 0001 513, 171 

32,261 10,656 10,656-------------------------------------------------------------

I,654 106,903 106,903 3,422 462 153,455 8,440----------1----------

114---------- ---------- -------------------- ----------- ---------- -------------------- 322 17,968 I7,968 6I,119 8,251 -------------------- __________ ! _________ _ 

50~ 

161,876; 

91i,435· 

336,406 

55,360-

40,268. 12: 1,480, I9~ 

477 112, 568· 13, 790> 

59,57!). 

2, 299, 612' 42,917 

117, 459> 

114.- 26,54.£ 
PRODUCTION BY YEARS AND COUNTIEl: 103 

Gold, silver, copper, lead, and zinc produced in Colorado, 1858-1923, by counties, in terms of recovered metals-qontinued 

County Producing 

mines 

Ore 

sold or treated 

(short 

tons) 

Gold 

Placer Lode Total 

Silver 

Fine 

ounces Value 

Copper 

Pounds Value 

Lead 

Pounds Value 

Zinc 

Pounds Value 

Total 

value 

------------------------------- ----1-----1----·1------------

1922-Continued 

Ouray _______ ------.... Park ____ •.• __________ _ 18 123,096 .......... $125,960 $125,9601,226,670$1,226,670 58,149 $7,850 1,484,526 $81,649 ____________________ $1,442,129 

11 1,120 $99,466 42,G54 142,120 15,528 15,528 4,215 5G9 155,982 8,579 •. --------~---------· 166,796 Pitkin _______________ _ Routt_ _______________ _ 16 119,023 __________ -------------------- 525,169 525,169 __________ ---------- 3,555,309 195,542 __________ ---------- 720,711. 

1 1 .......... ---------- ---------- 82 82---------- ---------- ----------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 82 Saguache ••........... _ San Juan _____________ _ 4 9,671 .......... 4,849 4,849 63,542 63,542 41,622 5,G19 111,782 6,1481-------------------- 80,158 

San MigueL ......... . Summit_ _____________ _ 

'reller -----------------

26 8,808__________ 25,759 25,759 77,864 77,864 110,348 14,897 1,61i1,982 90,85911,300,000 $74,100 283,479 

~~ i~· :~ ---255-298 1

' o~~· ~~ 1' g~r· ~:g 1

' ~i~· ~~~ 1' ~i~· :~ ~~· ~~~ ig· ~I~ 7' ~~g. ~~6 3

gg. ~~~ ---977-ooo ----55-689 3

' ;~g.~~: 55 432:129------~--- 4,037:582 4,037:582 24:462 24:462·-----~--- ------~--- -------~--- ------~--- ------~--- ------~--- 4,062:044 --------------------------l----·1----l·----1·----:----1----:-----

480 1, 412, 100 356,403 6, 017,016 6, 373,419 5, 855,911 5, 855,911 3, 373,454 455,416 23,477,200 1, 291,246:23,258,000 1, 321i, 706115,301,698 

Adams ___ 

1

_

9

_

2

_

3

__________ 1 _________ .J 3411------~---· 341 3 · 21 _________ _1__ -------- ...... ~---- . _________ ! __________ ---------- 343 

~g~~e~_-_-:============ ~ ~: i~g~--- ·····7o7 i~: ~~~ i~: M~ ~~: ~~~ U: 5~~~~---- ·7:os9

1

1

-- ---i;o42 s~~: I~~ 3~: ~~~~---ia2:ooo -----8;976 ~~: i~~ Clear Creek___________ 51 23,464 ---------- 30,576 30,576 183,874 150,777 ·32, 218 4, 736 1, OW, 729 71,171 577,000 39,236 296,496 

Custer---------------- 8 51, 200~---------- 2, 536 2, 536 · 28,484 23,357 11,436 1, 681 2, 890,328 202,323---------- ----------~ 229,897 

Dolores.-------------- 10 1,393__________ 2,890 2,890 39,408 32,315 56,823 8,353 162,414 11,369' 138,000 9,384 64,311 

Eagle_________________ 8

1 

98,427.......... 41,734 41,734

1 

322,143 264,1571 632,565

1 

92,987 460,171 32,21223,600,000 1,604,800 2,035,890 

Fremont._____________ 1 44---------- 27 27 184 151 _________ : ---------- 1, 999 140i 20,000 1, 360

1

1 1, 678 

g~~n~= = ============== 3~ 5, 63~~-------~~~~- ___ ::·-~~~ ·---~~·-~~~ 44, ~~ 36, ~~;i ----~~·-~~~ ·----~·-~~~ 230, ~~I 16, 1~~~========== ========== 85, ~~ Gunnison_____________ 4 11, 019

1

1__________ 23,854 23,854 24,939 20, 450· 1, 7881 263 1, 690,430 ' 118,3301 2, 889,000 19tl, 452 359,349 

Hinsdale______________ 5

1

. 684 __________ 732 732

1

. 30,046 24,638 10,075 1,481 19,971 1,398~-------------------- 28,24.9 

Lake__________________ 69 115,975. 15,224 256,280 271,504 655,838 537,787 511,776 75, 231 5, 624,958 393,747 9, 415,000 640,220

1

1,918,489 La Plata______________ 8 838, .. -------- 15,905 15,905 17,138 14,053 816 120 1, 800 126---------- ---------- 30,204 

~~~e{r~se:::========== ~~ 6

' igif··-----i77 -----~~~~: 2

' ~~~~ ~; ~g£ 18

~; ~~~~ 1~: g~~ 2, ~~~ __ --~~·-~~~ ----~~·-~~~ ----~~~~~~ -----~~~~~~ ~i: ~~i Ouray ___ --------...... 11 87, 260

1 

________ -- 59, 207 59, 207 840,044 688,8361 44, 197 6, 497 1, 538,027 107,662 ---------- ---------- 862,202 

Park__________________ 11 471 144,463 16,974 161, 442l 18,701 15,335, 5, 558 817 19,401 1, 358 ---------- ---------- 178,952 

Pitkin________________ 17 58,641 ---------- ---------- ---------- 429,581 352,256---------- ---------- 2, 972,614 208,083 . 465,000 31,620

1 

591,959 Rio Grande........... 2, 171---------- 1, 662 1, 6621 161 132 218 32 929 651 __________ ---------- 1, 891 

Saguache ••• ------~---- 51 34,456 ---------- · 4, 229 4, 229 155,723 127,6931 459, 477 67,543 2, 919,200 204,3441---------- ---------- 403,809 

San M 1gueL. _ -------- 15 484,064 ---------- 1, 373; 968 1, 373,9681 1, 606,344 1, 317, 202

1

1,408,980 207, 120 10,695,814 748,707 ---------- ----------\ 3, 646,997 San Ju!ln______________ 16

1 

153, 114!__________ 241,986 241,986 471,750 386,835, 1, 005,441 147,800 ·10, 738,943 751,726 9, 540,000 648,720 2, 177,067 

Summit_______________ 27 48,965 203,379 32,663 236,042

1 

142,548 116,889 17,823 2,620 3,892,271 272,459 7,335,000 498,7801,126,790 

Teller_________________ 48 382, 739 __________ 4,047,00SI4,047,008 22,606 18,5371-------------------------------------------------------------14,065,545 

-m11, 569, 10ol 364,429 6, 227, 2ooj 6, .:;:;;_, 629: 5, 334,488 4, 374, 2so1 4, 248, 109j 624,472 45, 698, 185 3, 198, 873 54,152,ooo 3, 6&2, 336;18, 471, 5W 

1'otal gold, silver, copper, lead, and zinc produced in Colorado, 1858-1922, by counties and periods, in terms of recovered metals a 

[The total for each. county to the end of 1923 is given below, under "Production by counties"] 

Gold Silver Copper Lead Zinc 

Coullty Period 

Placer / Lode Total Fine Value Pounds Value Pounds Value I ounds Value ounces 

--1-------1-------

Adams __________ 1922_______ $49SI___________ $498 4 $1 ___________ ---------- ------------- ----------- ------------- -----------

Aragahoe ________ 1885-1904.. 8,101 ----------- 8,101 101 64 ___________ ---------- ------------- ----------- ------------- -----------

~~~a~~~t-~- ~~= ~= = l~~~l~?~~= = == =:====: $

1

, ~~~ 1

' ~~ ~g~ ~g~~-- ---2i; 5ii ----$4; 44i ===: ======= =~ ==== == == = = = = === == ===== == : = := :====== Boulder _________ 1859-1922 .. ---------- 15,927,853 15,927,853 7, 955,216 7, 540, 1781 967, 627 148,494 6, 487,432 $347,464 ------ ----~-- ----------- Chaffec ••••...... 1859-1922 .. 1,374,472 6,009,809 .7,384,281 5,201,131 4,217,359 9,624,306 1,724,277 129,955,089 5.710,328 28,449,505 $2,482,051 

Clear Creek. __ . _11859-1922.. 2, 852,683 19, 662; 585 22,515,268 57, 625, 615 52,222,478, 11,865,860 1, 919,926 177,040,319 8, 026,39.1 30,399,821 2, 210,661 

Conejos __________ 1861-1906 .. ---------- 38,445 38,445 55,823 33,278 4,815 797 3,400 149------------------------

Costilla ••••...... 1875-192L. 28,491 14,977 43,468 2,715 1,592 1,827 239 50,048 1,8021 _______________________ _ Custer ___________ 1872-1922 ____________ 2,183,472 2,183,472 4,513,093 4,522,409 553,308 104,947 31,674,690 1,386,442 217,227 14,787 

Delta ____________ 1894-1910 .. ---------- 4, 273 4, 273 306 176----------- ---------- ------------- ----------- ------------- ----------- Dolores ..•....... 1879-1922 ____________ 1,974,760 1,974,760 11,634,519 9,170,322 6,187,058 1,141,361 36,959,730 1,.657,902 10,648,316 718,726 

Douglas.-------- 1858-1922.. 4, 509 ----------- 4, 509 161 128 ___________ ---------- ------------- ----------- ---------- _____________ _ Eagle .. ---------- 1879-1922.. 239 2, 963,465 2, 963,704 7, 320,722 6, 292,986 6, 215,873 945,269 87, 191,309 3, 871,605 131,493, 129 12,225,773 

El Paso __________ 1913-1914 .. ------------------------------------------------------ 13,27G 2,000------------------------------------------------ FremonL ....... 1881-1922____________ 81,111 81,111 91,628 85,297 667,154 120,457 682,986 28,714 1,432,769 104,333 

Garfield ..•. -----11885-1918 .. ---------- 16,924 16,924 528 327 1,044 153------------------------------------------------ Gilpin •.......... 1859-1922.. 242,296 83,842,897 84,085,193 10,477,600 8,510,564 25,361,375 4,161,058 35,262,678 1,541,666 329,713 27,321 

Grand ___________ 1896-1920.. 1, 354 · 11,829 13, 183 3, 559 2, 736 5,171 805 3, 231 156 ------------- ----------- Gunnison ..... ___ 1861-1922.. 14, 604 2, 191, 313 2, 205,917 5, 412,777 4, 886, 120 985,319 180,570 41,073,529 1, 830,589 16, 124,550 1, 477,204 Hiosdalc ..•..... 1875-1922 •• ---------- 1,451,189 1,451,189 5,648,647 4,582,476 2,853,996 401,909 97,257,388 3,993,171 1,104,034 57,928 Huerfano ........ 1875-1907 .. ---------- 3,474 3,474 1,176 698 92 11 1,067 38------------- ----------- Jefferson ...•..... 1858-1918 •. 32,769 29,527 62,296 7,058 4,631 20,695 3,347 10,863 398------------------------ Lake ____________ 1859-1922. _ 6, 783, 525 44, 124, 544 50, 908, 069 229, 826, 649 188, 872, 146 99, 588, 056 14, 254, 235 1, 919, 663, 167 85, 061, 553 1, 225, 503, 034 84, 770, 058 

La Plata and 1878-1922 .. Montezuma ... Larimer and 1895-1917 __ Jackson ____ .... 16, 025 

Las Animas .. ___ 1887-1899 .. ---------- Mesa ____________ 1885-1912.. 4, 059 

MineraL ••...•.. 1891-1922 .. ---------- Montrose ________ 1886-1922.. 28,155 

Ouray ___________ 1878-1922 .. ---------- Park ____________ 1859-1922 .. 3,403,480 

Pitkin ••........• 188Q-1922 .. ---------- Pueblo •••.. _____ 1894-1901.. ---------- Rio Grande ______ 187Q-1917.. 7,000 

3, 572,749 

8,279 

2,094 

981 

2, 720,583 

18,823 

35, 108,556 

6,870,879 

577,930 

793 

2, 356,077 

3, 572,749 

24,304 

2,094 

5,040 

2, 720,583 

46,978 

35, 108,556 

10,274,359 

577,930 

793 

2, 363,077 

1, 737, 625 

2,502 20 4,934 

44,338, 172 202,420 

40,895,385 

6, 936, 144 97, 178, 641 

90 

176,040 

1, 115,815 277,675 44,903 257,906 12,028------------------------

1, 735 235, 328 38,647 ------------- ----------- 30,722 1, 659 

15----------- ---------- ------------- ----------- ------------- ----------- 2,970 35,280 . 5,222 20 } _____________ -----------

29, 003, 903 274, 000 44, 027 197, 739, 744 8, 738, 960 27, 572,407 1, 511, 944 

128,706 514,735 91,274 64 3------------- ----------- 31, 557,566 22,883,253 3, 300,733 160, 156,027 7, 003,622 1, 190, 650 100,426 

6, 895,474 2, 038,700 386,932 41,160,955 1, 829,791 2, 971,532 195, 512 72,988,357 1, 128,463 197,443 562,582,702.25,573,729 16,377,002 1, 028,289 

55 210 35------------- ----------- ------------- ----------- 170,122 123,787 19,826 46,081 1,993------------------------

Total value 

$502 

8,165 

1, 791 

4, 959 

23,963,989 

21,518,296 

86,894,724 

72,669 

47, 101 8, 212,057 

4,449 

14, 663,071 

4,637 

26,299,337 

2,000 

419,912 

17,404 

98,325,802 

16,880 

10,580,400 

10,486,673 

4, 221 70,672 

423,866,061 

4, 745,495 

66,345 

2,109 

13,233 

42,019,417 

266,961 

77,070,903 

19,582,068 

100, 365, 748 

883 2, 555,018 

Routt and 1866-1922 .. Moffat. ••. ____ 370,014 18,851 388,865 28,941 19,696 78,570 16,704 139,536 5,205------------------------ 430,470 

Saguache ... "----188Q-1922____________ 261,851 261,851 1,805,778 1,498,692 962,540 180,168 7,920,659 363,953 1,072,148. 68,081 2,372,745 San Juan ________ 1873-1922 .. ---------- 22,469,127 22,469,127 28,179, 82i 20,045,387 49,019,057 7, 578,249 305,687,350 14,621,297 42,814,684 3, 490,764 68,204,824 San MigueL •..• 1875-1922.. 188,635 57,887,988 58,076,623 41,076,379 30,262,352 15,272,733 2, 535,263 166, 117,375 8, 313,259 18,141, 182 1, 323,787 100,511,284 

Summit. ________ l859-1922 .. 13,770,944 5,115,997 18,886,941 13,430,922 11,592,727 1,047,303 149,289 149,813,394 6,541,048 129,810,560 10,724,763 47,894,768 Teller ___ -------- 1891-1922 .. ---------- 319,803,837 319,803,837 i., 739,989 1, 128,455 451 83 612 49 ------------- ____ ------- 320,932,424 

Miscellaneous.-- 1888_______ 5;000 3, 785 8, 785 1,214 1, 141 ___________ ---------------------------------------------------------- 9,926 

I 

I . ~9. 136,853 637,333,408 666,470,261 623, 514,912 497,359,665,258,830,449 39,703,09414, 154,939. 35~ 186,463,30611, 685,682,985 122,534,067 1, 512,530,393 

a For explanation see footnote to Table 1, p. 60 
104 MINING IN COLORADO 

. PRODUCTION BY COUNTIES 

ADAMS COUNTY 

Placer gold and silver produced in Adams County, 1922-1923 

Year 

Silver 

Produc- Total 

n!ifes Gold 1-o-~-!~-~.__..,s ~V-a-lu-e-1 value 

------------1·----------

1922 ________ -------------------- ---- ----

1923 •• -------------- --------------------

$498 

341 4 

3 $4 

2 $502 343 -·-------------- 839 6 845 

ARAPAHOE COUNTY 

Arapahoe County was organized in 1861 and named 

from the principal Indian tribe in the State at that 

time. It includes Cherry Creek from the point where 

the creek flows out of Douglas County to the point 

where it enters Denver County, which was· separated from Arapahoe County in 1902.. It includes Dry 

Creek, which rises on the ridge between Cherry Creek 

and the Platte and flows northwestward through 

Englewood and enters the South Platte just north of 

Petersburg. On Dry Creek and on the Platte between 

its mouth and the mouth of another dry creek, which 

enters the Platte at Alameda Avenu·e, Denver, placers 

were worked in 1858-59 and later. The county is 

credited with small quantities of placer gold from the 

earliest days of mining in Colorado. To the discovery 

of small quantities of gold within its boundaries in 

1858 is due the beginning of the in1migration that 

resulted. in the discoveries of gold in the districts 

around Denver. 

The figures given for 1885 in the following table are 

taken from the report of the Director of the Mint. 94 

The figures given for the years fron1 1886 to 1895, 

inclusive, are taken from reports of the agents of the 

mint in annual reports of the Director of the Mint, 

the gold and silver being prorated to correspond with 

the figures of the total production of the State as 

corrected by the Director of the Mint, the lead being 

prorated to correspond with the total production 

of lead in the State as given in Mineral Resources, 

and any "unknown production" in the State being 

distributed proportionately to the several counties. 

As with lead so with copper, but as the figures for 

copper given in Mineral Resources include copper from 

matte and ores treated in Colorado but mined in other 1 

States, the figures for copper are subject to revision.' 

The figures for 1891 are taken from the report of 

the agent of the Director of the Mint in the report on 

the production of the precious. metals in the United 

States in 1891. This report shows no production for 

Arapahoe County in the tahle of counties, but the 

o• Wilson, P. S., agent for Colorado, in Kimball, J. P., Report of the Director of 

the Mint upon the production of the precious metals in the United States during 

the calendar year 1885, p. 136, 1886 (Gold and silver deposited at the United States 

Mint at Denver). 

table showing gold and silver deposited at the United 

States Mint at Denver shows $212 in gold. 

The figures for 1896 to 1904, inclusive, which are 

those of the Colorado State Bureau of Mines, represent 

smelter and mint -receipts. 

The reports of the Colorado State Bureau of Mines 

show that Arapahoe County produced $455 gold in 

1905 and $248 gold in 1906, but the figures given in 

Mineral Resources for these years credit no production 

to Arapahoe County. 

Gold and silver produced in Arapahoe County, 1885-1904 a 

Year Placer 

gold Fine 

ounces 

Silver 

Average 

price per ounce Value 

Totai 

value 

---------1---------,------

1885 __________________________ _ 

1886 ____ ----------------------- 1887---------------------------

1894 _____ ---------------------·-

1895 ••.. ----------------------- 1896 __________________________ _ 1897 __________________________ _ 1898 __________________________ _ 1899 __________________________ _ 

1900 ____ ----------------------- 1901. _________________________ _ 

1902 _____ --------------- ~---- -- 1903 __________________________ _ 

1904 ____ -----------------------

$271 ---------- ---------- -------.--- 293 ---------- ---------- ---------- 177 ---------- ---------- ----------

1, 0~~ -------59" ----$ii~65- ------$38" 

1, 894 19 • 68 13 2, 108 14 . 60 8 703 7 . 59 4 269 2 . 60 1 

248 ---------- ---------- ---------- 331 ---------- ---------- ---------- . 227 ---------- ---------- ---------- 165 ---------- ---------- ---------- 248 ---------- ---------- ----------

8,101 101 ---------- 64 

$271 

293 

177 

86 1,119 

1,907 

2,116 

707 

270 

248 

331 

227 

165 

248 

8,165 

a Production began in 1858, but no records are available to show quantities or values before 1885 or between 1887 and 1893, inclusive. 

ARCHULETA COUNTY 

The report of the Colorado State Bureau of Mines 

for 1897 contains the following notes in regard to 

Archuleta County: 95 

This -is one of the south-central border counties, with an 

area of about 1,100 square miles. It is bounded on the east 

by Conejos County, from which 'it was segregated by an act 

of legislature, approved April 14, 1885, on the south by New 

Mexico, on the west J.)y La Plata, and on the "north by Hinsdale and Mineral counties. * * * 

Mining for the precious metals has been advanced little 

beyond the prospecting stage, and mere prospecting has been 

indulged in in desultory manner. Good values have been 

discovered in various sections, but the production has been 

practically nothing. The east and southeast section of the 

county is covered by one of the old Spanish land grants known 

as the Tierra Amarilla. Until comparatively recently the 

question of title has done much to retard prospecting. Sixty 

thousand acres of this grant have passed into the hands of a 

domestic corporation. This company has promulgated a set 

of mining rules, practically in accord with the State regulations 

and thrown their territory open to prospectors, and, under 

their regulations, .guarantees title. As a result, the past year 

has found a number of prospectors in the field, and, if reports 

can be credited, their finds are worthy of careful investigation. 

There were engaged in mining and prospecting an average of 

76 men during the past year. 

For 1898 to 1904 the figures in the table, which 

represent smelter and mint receipts, are taken fron1 

the reports of the Colorado State Bureau of Mines. 

g~ Colorado State Bur. Mines Rept. for 1897, pp. 9-10, 1898. 
BACA COUNTY 105 

.The Colorado State Bureau of Mines gives the 

output of Archuleta County as $83 in gold and 15 

ounces of silver for 1905 and $103 gold and 10 ounces 

silver for 1906. The mines report of the United 

States Geological Survey givea no record of any output in Archuleta County for these years. 

Gold and silver prod'uced in Archuleta County, 1897-1901,. 

Year Lode 

gold Fine 

ounces 

Silver 

Average 

price per ounce Value 

Total 

value 

---------1---------------

1897--------------------------- $703 348 $0.60 $209 $912 

1898 _____ ---------------------- 145 40 . 59 24 169 1899 _________ ------.------------ 103 43 . 60 26 129 

1900 ______ --------------------- 145 30 .62 18 163 

190L _______ ------------------- 124 18 . 60 11 135 

1902 ______ --------------------- 83 10 . 53 5 88 

1903 _____ ---------------------- 62 6 .54 3 65 

1904 ______ --------------------- 124 10 . 58 6 130 

BACA COUNTY 

The figures given in the table for Baca County for 

1900 to 1902, inclusive, are those given by the Colorado 

Bureau of Mines and represent smelter .and mint 

receipts. The report qf the agent of the Director of 

the Mint upon the production of the precious metals 

in the United States during the calendar year 1900 " 

gives $93 in gold as the output of Baca County. 

The production for 1915 to 1917 is taken from 

Mineral Resources (mines reports). The total output 

is credited to the Carrizo Creek district, southwest of 

Springfield. The ore shipped in 1915-1917 was 

chalcocite, partly altered to malachite and azurite. 

The deposits, which are in white sandstone, lie princ{pally in T. 34 N. (New Mexico base line), R. 50 W., 

in sees. 10, 15, 16, 21, 22, 23, 26, 28, and 35, although 

there are also indications of deposits to the east, west, 

and south, and in northwestern Oklahoma and northeast~rn New Mexico. 

Gold, silver, and copper produced in Baca County, 1900-19021 

and 1915-1917 

Silver Copper 

Ore Lode Aver- Aver- Total Year (short gold age age value tons) (value) Fine price Value Pounds price Value ounces per per ounce pound 

---------------- 1900 ________ ------... - $103 102 $0.62 $63 8, 900 $0. 166 $1,477 $1,643 190L ______ -----·-- 83 so . 60 48 590 .167 99 230 1902 ________ -----·-- 103 59 . 53 31 1, 929 . 122 235 369 1915 ________ -------- ----........ 8 . 507 4 514 . 175 90 94 1916 ________ 5 50 . 658 33 2, 772 . 246 682 715 1917 ________ 9 3 57 . 824 47 6,806 . 273 1, 858 1, 908 

------------------ -------- 292' 356 ------- 226 I 21, 5n -------- 4, 441 4,959 

BOULDER COUNTY 

A pamphlet entitled "Mining in Boulc;ler County," 

published by the Boulder County Mining Association 

at Boulder, Colo., in 1910, gives the following notes 

on prospecting and discoveries in this area: 

Charles Clouser and party pushed back from the foothills 

up what is now known as Sunshine Canyon, following the main 

ridge between Fourmile Creek and Left hand Canyon, until 

they camped * * * on the west slope of Gold Hill, December, 1858. Here they found good values in the head of the 

gulch they afterward named Gold Run. The word that gold 

had been found in paying quantities spread very quickly, and 

claim after claim was located upon the gulch. A ditch, 6 or 7 

miles long, was built to bring water from Lefthand Creek to 

the head of Gold Run, and during the next three or four years 

about $100,000 gold was produced. Many veins were discovered, and as the district laws of these days allowed only 100 

feet for a claim and an extra 100 feet for the discoverer, large 

numbers of claims were located. The Horsfal property yielded 

such free-gold surface ore that it was hauled down to Gold Run 

and washed in sluice boxes. The Twins, Alamakee, and other 

mines were soon supplying surface ores to the stamp mills 

erected on Lefthand Creek. Fair recovery was made by 

sluice, arrastre, and stamp mill until oxidized ores were gone. 

Enterprise after enterprise failed until the Blackhawk smelter 

(Boston & Colorado, or Hill) was built, in '1868. 

From 1860 to 1863 some placer mining seems to 

have been done above the town of Boulder at the 

mouth of Boulder Creek and above that point to the 

mouth of Fourmile Creek. One of these placers 

was at the site of the present railway bridge near the 

old tollhouse, above the town. Systematic placer 

mining was done from the mouth of Fourmile Creek 

upstream. In the town of Boulder and below it prospecting was done and attempts at placer mining 

were made, but the gravel was so heavy as to prevent 

systematic work of any kind. 

Raymond 96 describes the operations in the Caribou 

district in 1869 and 1870 as follows: 

This district was discovered, I believe, in 1869 or even earlier, 

but it was not until June, 1870, that the extraordinary value 

of its principal lode, the Caribou, caused it to become the 

object of special attention and public excitement. * * * 

The first work was done on this mine in-1869, when about 26 

tons, containing by assay $3,217 in silver, were sold to Professor Hill, at Blackhawk. During 1870 about 425 tons of 

shipping ore were extracted, worth $73,772, or about $173 

per ton. 

In 1871, according to Raymond, 97 mining at Ward 

was active. 

For 1872 the Georgetown Mining Review gives 

Boulder County $346,000 in gold and ailyer, but 

Raymond 98 says these figures are too low. He 

makes the· following statement under the heading 

"Gold Hill district": 99 

The Red Cloud lode was discovered in May, 1872. *. * * 

The mine contains both gold and silver and is remarkable ~m 

account of containing these metals in combination with tellu--

rium, the mineral f~:mnd being petzite. 

96 Raymond, R. W., Statistics of mines and mining in the States and Territories 

west of the Rocky Mountains for 1870, pp. 324-328, 1872. 

97 Idem for 1871, p. 360, 1873. · 

98 Idem for 1872, p. 266, 1873. 

99 Idem, p. 293. 
106 MINING IN COLORADO 

For 1873 the Georgetown Mining Review credits 

Boulder County with $390,000 in gold and silver, 

but Raymond's totals for the State that year inc.rease 

the estimate. 1 

For 1874 Raymond 2 reports as follows: 

Sunshine discovered. Red Cloud and Cold Spring mines at 

Gold Hill have produced since discovery $600,000 (400 tons at 

$1,500 per ton). 

Other information shows that the Logan and Yellow 

Pine deposits at Crisman were discovered in 1874. 

Salina was located. Raymond says that the output of 

gold and silver for 1874 amounted to $539,870 and for 

1875 to $480,996 (coin). 3 

For 1879 to 1884 the figures in the table are taken 

from reports of the Director of the Mint. 4 

For 1886 to 1896 the figures given in the table are· 

derived from reports of the agents of the mint in the 

annual reports of the Director of the Mint, the gold 

and silver being prorated to correspond with the 

figures showing the total production of the State as 

corrected by the Director of the Mint, the lead being 

prorated to correspond with the total production of 

the State as reported in the annual volumes of Mineral 

Resources, and any unknown production in the State 

being distributed proportionately to the counties. 

As with lead so with copper, but as figures for copper 

given in Mineral Resources include copper obtained 

from matte and ores treated in Colorado, although 

mined in other States, the figures for copper are subject 

to revision. 

I Idem for 1873, p. 284, 1874. 

2 Idem for 1874, p. 371, 1875. 

3 Idem for 1874, p. 358, 1875; idem for 1875, p. 282, I877. 

For 1897 to 1904 the figures, which represent smelter 

. and mint receipts, are taken from the reports of the 

Colorado State Bureau of Mines. • 4 Burchard, H. C., Report upon the production of the precious metals in the United 

States during the calendar year IS80, pp. I56, 157, 1881. (See the reports of this serie : 

or later years.) • 

For 1905 to 1923 the figures are taken from Mineral 

Resources (mines reports). 

Gold, silver, copper, and lead produced in Boulder County, 1859-1923 

)"ear Ore (short 

tons) Gold Fine 

ounces 

Silver 

Average 

price per ounce Value 

Copper 

Average Pounds price per pound 

Value 

Lead 

Average Pounds price per pound 

Value 

I859-1862 __________________ ------------ $100,000 ------------ ---------- ------------ -----·------ --------·- --------~--- -----------! ---------- -------·---- 1863----------------------- ------------ 25,000 ------------ ---------- ------------ -----·------ ---------- ------------ ------------ ---------- -·---------- 1864----------------------- ------------ 25,000 ------------ ---------- ----------r- ------------ ---------- ------------ ------------ ---------- ------------ 1865 _______________________ ------------ 20,000 ------------ ---------- ------------ ------------ ---------- ------------ -"---------- ---------- -·----------

1866----------------------- ------------ I5,000 ------------ ---------- ------------ ------------ ---------- ------------ ------------ ---------- ------------ I867. ______________________ ------------ IO,OOO ---------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------

~~======================= ============ I~g: ggg ------3;54T ---$i~325- -----$4;7oo- ============ ========== ============ ============ ========== ============ ISiO _______________________ ------------ IOO, 000 60,241 1. 328 80,000 ------------ ---------- ------------ ------------ ---------- ------------ 1871 _______________________ ------------ I56, 605 "60, 377 1. 325 80,000 ------------ ---------- ------------ ------------ ---------- ------------ 1872 _______________________ -----------· 224,852 199, 4I4 1. 322 263,625 ------------ ---------- ------------ ------------ ---------- ------------ 1873 _______________________ ------------ I55,000 282,326 1.297 366, I77 -------------------------------------------------------------------- 1874 _______________________ ------------ 160,000 293,806 1. 278 375,484 ------------ ---------- ------------ ------------ ---------- ------------ 1875 _______________________ ------------ 2I8, 086 203,344 1. 24 252, I47 ------------ ---------- ------------ ------------ ---------- ------------ 1876~---------------------- ------------ 200,000 "232, 03I 1. I6 21l9, I56 1877 _______________________ ------------ 400,000 "232,031 1 20 278,437 1878 _______________________ ------------ 400,000 "270, 703 I. I5 311,308 

1879 _______________________ ------------ 400,000 348,047 I.I2 389,8I3 1880 ___________________ . ____ ------------ 300,000 425, 39I 1. I5 489,200 

1881. ••. ---------------~--- ------------ 200,000 270,703 1. I3 305,894 1882 •••• ------------------- ------------ 260,000 239,766 1- 14 273,333 1883----------------------------------- 300,000 I23, 750 1.11 137,363 1884----------------------- ------------ 3!i0, 000 100,547 1. 11 Ill, 607 1885 _______________________ ------------ b 300,000 b 84, 69I 1. 07 90, 11I9 

~:~======================= ~=========== ~~~:~~~ ~~:g~~ :~~ ~~:~~ ============ ========== ============ --------593" ---$!>~045" ·--------$27" 1888 _______________________ ------------ 189, 24I 230,205 . 94 216,393 -----------·· ---------- ------------ 246,282 . 044 IO, 836 

I889·---------------------- ------------ 344,503 174, 47I . 94 164,003 2, 748 $O.I35 $371 51, 2I5 • 039 I, 997 1890-------~--------------- ------------ 380,059 118,898 1. 05 I24, 843 90, 69I . I56 14, I48 45,894 • 045 2, 065 I89L.--------------------- ------------ 683, 94I 4I, 690 . 99 4I, 273 1892 _______________________ ------------ 982,988 182, 156 . 87 158,476 

1893 _______________________ ------------ 479,1165 257,462 . 78 200,820 

1894 _______________________ ------------ 489,592 75,730 . 63 47,710 

------------ ---------- ------------ ------9;697" -----.-04-- --------388" 

-----5o;ooo· -----:ios- ------5;4oo- .. Io, ooo . o37 37o 

50, 000 . 095 4, 750 " IO, 000 • 033 330 I895 _______________________ ------------ 40I, 926 40,685 . 65 26,445 57,864 . 107 6, I9I 11,439 . 032 366 1896 _______________________ ------------ 385,653 79,047 . 68 53, 752 

I897-- ----------------- ~ --- ------------ 512, 657 138, 715 . 60 83, 229 1898 _______________________ ------------ 581,302 91,432 • 59 53,945 

1899----------------------- ------------ 547,858 76,371 . 60 45,823 

1900----------------------- ------------ 607, OI6 90,327 . 62 56, OO:l 

1901_ ______________________ ------------ 774,298 113,782 . 60 68,269 

63, 252 . I08 6, 831 4, 2I6 • 03 I26 58,474 .I2 7,0I7 309,115 . 036 11, I28 22, 452 . I24 2, 784 8, 967 • 038 34I 78,816 • I71 I3, 478 28, 043 . 045 1, 262 20, 371. . I66 3, 382 76, 076 . 044 3, 34 7 22, I86 . lfi7 3, 705 I91, 987 • 043 8, 255 1902__ _____________________ ------------ 538,702 82,710 . 53 43,836 

1903 ________ -_______________ ------------ 431,569 6I, 833 . 54 33,390 

1904----------------------- 23,905 ' 411,58 I 57,424 . 58 33,306 

11, 090 . I22 1, 353 I3, 493 • 04I 553 6, I 54 . 137 843 115, IOO • 042 4, 834 1 

26, 115 • I28 3, 343 62, 111 • 043 2, 671 1905_______________________ 9, 577 26I, 60I 70,921 . 6I 43,262 

1906_______________________ 5, 528 I88, 769 21,923 . 68 14,908 

2, 227 . I56 347 3, 539 . I93 683 1907_______________________ 8,000 161,658 . 23,480 .66 . 15,497 

1908_______________________ 10,296 147,234 2I, 498 • 53 11,394 

1909_______________________ 13, 188 I63, 273 48, I83 . 52 25,055 

1910_______________________ 14,083 I39, 911 411,517 • 54 25, 119 

19IL---------------------- 15, 8I6 I63, I74 53,753 . 53 28,489 1912_______________________ 9, 838 119,426 72,335 . 615 44,486 

1913_______________________ 5, 719 69,274 I62, 384 • 604 98,080 

1914.---------------------- 14,591 98,710 3I2, 217 . 553 I72, 656 19I5_______________________ 39,778 . 160,433 271,292 . 507 I37, 545 1916_______________________ 33,011 119,299 292,824 .658 192,678 

1911----------~------------ 16,835 66, 84I 294,375 • 824 242,565 1918 _______________________ 10,387 52,265 156,73I 1.00 156,731 

1919_______________________ 6, 143 54,653 225,484 l. 12 252,542 

1920_______________________ 19,476 42,428 I48,834 ]. 09 162, 229" 

192L---------------------~ 13,176 34,042 112,91\7 l. 00 112,957 

22, 840 . 20 4, 568 28, 955 • 132 3, 822 16,485 . I3 2, I43 I6, 772 . I27 2, 130 27,752 . 125 3, 469 

22, 176 • 165 3, 659 

25, 535 • I 55 3, 958 

24, 3I6 . I33 3, 234 86,680 . I75 15, 169 

64, 707 . 246 15, 9I8 

29, 513 . 273 8, 057 17,887 .247 4,418 

ll, 043 . I86 2, 01\4 

6, 685 . 184 1, 230 302 • 129 39 

1922_______________________ 3, 415 37,037 I21, 073 1. 00 I21. 073 ------------ ---------- ------------ l923 _______________________ 1 __ ....:.I,_96_0_1 ___ 27_;_, _14_6_1 __ 3_9'-, 5_56_1 ___ ._82_ 32,436 ------------ ---------- ------------

I5,954,999 7,994,772 7,572,6I41 961,627 ---------- 148,494 6, 514, 16I 349,335 

"Estimated by C. W. Henderson. & Interpolations by C. W. Henderson to agree with total for the State. 

Total 

value-
CHAI•'FEE COUNTY 107 

CHAFFEE COUNTY 

Burchard 5 summarizes the early developments in 

Chaffee County as follows: 

Chaffee County was organized from the southern portion of 

Lake County in 1879. In 1860 [more probably 1859.-C. 

W. H.] gold seekers first appeared along the Arkansas River, 

-the .result of, which was the prosperous camp at Granite. The 

;streams yielded considerable gold dust, especially Cache and 

Colorado creeks. [Colorado Creek as described by Hollister 

js the creek emptying into the Arkansas opposite the mouth 

of California Gulch, so it is therefore now in Lake County.-

C. W. H.] In 1867-68 there was some lode mining, but 

.subsequent to that time until 1880 the gold production was 

small. * * * Monarch mine, at Garfield, located in 1878. 

Burchard 6 gives the placer gold production in 

Lake · County from 1860 to 1869 as $5,812,000. 

In those years the production of Lake County included 

the production of placers in California Gulch, Colorado 

Gulch and its tributary, Little Fryingpan Gulch, 

6 Burchard, H. C., Report of the Director of the Mint upon the production of the 

precious metals in the United States during the calendar rear 1883, p. 249, 1884, 6 Burchard, H. C., op. cit. for 1882, p. 505, 1883 .. 

Georgia Bar, Iowa Gulch, and Lake Creek (all :p.ow 

in Lake County), and Arkansas River, Cache Creek, 

Lost Canyon Gulch, Chalk . Creek, Clear Creek, 

Cottonwood Creek, Pine Creek, Bertschey 's Gulch, 

Kelly's Bar, Gold Run Gulch, Gilson Gulch, Oregon 

Gulch, Ritchey's Patch (probably all now in Chaffee 

County). From data presented by Hollister, 7 the 

area now comprised in Chaffee County is arbitrarily 

credited with a production of placer gold amounting 

to $400,000 du'dng the years 1859-1869. 

Raymond 8 gives the placer yield of Lake County· 

in 1870 as a little more than $60,000. The lode mines 

included (Yankee Blade and others) are in Chaffee 

County. The production of the Yankee Blade for 

the year ending June 1, 1870, was about $60,000. 

Burchard 9 gives the placer and lode production of 

Lake County for 1870 as $125,000, quoting from the 

Rocky Mountain Review, of Georgetown. 

7 Hollister, 0. J ., The mines of Colorado, pp. 308-320, Springfield, Mass., 1867. 

s Raymond, R. W ., Statistics of mines and mining in the States and Territories 

west of the Rocky Mountains for 1870, p. 332, 1872. 

9 Burchard, H. C., op. cit. for 1882, p. 505, 1883. 

Gold, silver, copper, lead, and zinc produced in Chaffee County, 1859-1923 

Gold I Silver Copper Lead Zinc 

Ore Aver· 1 Aver- . Aver- AverYear (short age age age Total 

Fine age value tons) Placer Lode Total ounces price Value Pounds price Value Pounds price Value Pounds price Value 

per per per per ounce pound pound pound ------1-------------------------------------------------

1859-1867----- $380,000 --------- $380,000 --------- ------- _____ : ___ --------- ------- --------- ----------- ------- --------- ---------- ------- --------- $380,000 

1868.--------- -------- 10, 000 --------- 10, 000 --------- ------- --------- --------- ------- --------- ----------- ------- --------- ---------- ------- --------- 10, 000 1869 __________ -------- 10,000--------- 10,000---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------- 10,000 

1870.--------- a 10,000 $60,000 70,000 ------- __ ------- --------- --------- ------- ------'--- ----------- ------- --------- ---------- ------- --------- 70,000 

j~g:::::::::: a 1g.goo --------- 1g.ggg --------- -------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------- 1g,ooo 

l87L ___ ---- _ _ : ~o: o88 ::::::::: ~o: ooo ::~:::::: ::::::: ::::::::: ::::::::: ::::::: ::::::::: ::::::::::: ::::::: ::::::::: :::::::::: ::::::: ::::::::: ~o: ggg 1874.--------- a 10, 000 -------- _ 10, 000 _ ------- _ ------- ------ ________________ --- - _ -- _- _-- ______________ --- ____ ---- __ -- _____ --- ______ . ___ ------ 10, 000 

l~;~======~=== -_._--_-__ --_-__ - a21,551 (?) 21,551------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 21,51)1 a 25,000--------- 25,000 a3,867 $1.16 $4,486--------- ------- --------- ----------- ------- --------- ---------- ------- --------- 29,486 1877 ..• ___ ----- a 25,000 --------- 25,000 a 7, 734 1. 20 9, 281 --------- ------- --------- a 50,000 $0. 055 $2,750 ---------- ------- --------- 37,031 1878.--------- a 25,000 --------- 25,000 a 7, 734 1. 15 8, 894 --------- ------- --------- a 50.000 . 036 1, 800 ---------- ___ ---- --------- 35, 694 1879.--------- a 25,000 3, 500 28, 500 30,938 1. 12 34,651 --------- ------- --------- a 50,000 . 041 2, 050 ---------- ------- --------- 65, 201 1880.--------- -------- 25,000 6, 500 31,500 61,875 1. 15 71, 156 --------- ------- --------- a 100,000 • 05 5, 000 ---------- ------- --------- 107, 65G 

i~~~=::: :::::: _-_-_-_-_-_-_-_- a 25;ooo 25,000 ' 50,000 127,617 1. 13 144, 207 --------- ------- --------- a 500,000 . 048 24,000 ---------- ------- --------- 218,207 a25,000 20,000 45,000 77,344 1.14 88,172_ ________ -------~--------- a1,000,000 .049 49,000 __________ ---------------- 182,172 

i~~t::::::::: -------- a25,000 25,000 50,000 204,961 1.11 227,507------------------------- a4,300,000 .043 184,900 __________ ---------------- 462,407 ____ ---- a 25,000 55,000 80,000 146, 953 1. 11 163, 118 --------- ----- __ --------- a12, 000,000 . 037 444,000 ---------- ------- --------- 687, 118 

~~~t:: ::::::: -------- a 25,000 75,000 100,000 a 200,000 1. 07 214,000 --------- ··------ --------- a18, 700,000 . 039 729,300 --.-------- __ ----- --------- 1, 043,300 -------- a 80,000 233,917 313,917 332,965 . 99 329, 635~--------- ------- --------- 0 13,000,000 . 046 598,000 ---------- _ ------ _ -------- 1, 241, 552 1887---------- ___ . ___ _ a 45,000 364,050 409,050 423,738 . 98 415, 263 ________________ --------- "14, 9.54, 155 . 045 672,937 ---------- _______ --------- 1, 497, 250 

1888 ___________ -------- a 25,000 368,457 393,457 292,349 . 94 274,808--------- ------- --------- a 8, 743,053 . 044 384,694 ---------- ------- --------- 1, 052,959 1889 .......... -- __ ------ a 37,000 262,853 299,853 137,759 . 94' 129,493 ---· _____ ---· ___ --------- a 5, 000,000 , 039 195,000 ---------- ------- --------- 624,346 1890.--------- __ ------ 45,300 208,950 254,250 145,674 1. 05 152,958 --------- ------- --------- a 2, 400,000 , 045 108,000 ---------- ------- --------- 515,208 1891.--------- -------- a 37,000 242,060 279,060 64,830 . 99 64, 182 -------- _ ------- --------- a 1, 100,000 . 043 47,300 ---------- ------- --------- 390, 542 1892__________ "32,000 115,203 147,203 85,632 .87 74,500 _________ ---------------- 6,324,319 .04 252,973 °100,000 $0.046 $4,600 479,276 1893 __________ -------- ~>42,000 112,164 154,164 92,448 .78 72,109 a50,000 $0.108 $5,400 a4,000,000 .037 148,000 a100,000 .04 4,000 383,673 1894 __________ -------- a35,000 85,565 120,565 25,527 .63 16,082 a50,000 .095 4,750 °1,100,000 .033 36,300 alQO,OOO .035 3,500 181,197 1895 ..•....... -------- a35,000 118,629 153,629 29,630 .65 19,260 76,070 .107 8,140 285,056 ,032 9,122 120,000 .036 4,320 194,474 1896 __________ -------- a35,000 158,465 193,465 151,738 .68 103,182 559 .108 60 1,047,310 .03. 31,419 '120,000 .039 4,680 332,806 1897 __________ -------- a35,000 191,936 226,936 53,859 .60 32,315 172,891' .12 20,747 1,686,391 .036 60,710 awo,ooo .041 4,100 344,808 

l~~~--=----=--=---_-_:::::::: a35,000 192,535 227,535 82,273 .59 50,311 114,202 .124 1.4,161 2,522,554 .038 95,857 a100,000 .046 4,600 392,464 

a25,000 191,663 216,663 147,339 .60 88,403 696,736 .171 119,142 1,193,074 .045 53,688 awo,ooo .058 5,800 483,696 l~ooo1_-_-_-_-__ -_-_-_-_-_-:::::::: a25,000 147,677 172,677 125,330 .62 77,705 753,677 .166 125,110 833,462 .044 36,672 a100,000 .044 4,400 416,564 a 25,000 133,684 158,684 76, 286 . 60 45, 772 576,251 . 167 96, 234 209,768 . 043 9, 020 a 100,000 . 041 4, 100 313,810 i~o032 ___ --__ -_-_-:-__ --_:::::::: u40,000 377,513 417,513 114,155 .53 60,502 173,538 .122 21,172 456889 .041 18,732 220,500 .048 10,584 528,503 

a28,000 141,329 169,329 129,900 .54 70,146 79,581 .137 10,903 249,308 .042 10,471 3,000 .Oii4 162 261,011 1904 __________ --j2-777 a15,000 49,346 64,346 69,045 .58 40,046 263,239 .128 33,695 652,238 .043 28,046 294,440 .051 15,016 181,149 

l905 __________ 13:408 15,009 17,369 32,378 75,265 .. 61 45,912 869,507 .156 135,643 1,250,302 .047 58,764 849,963 .059 50,148 322,845 1906 __________ 14,134 31,596 27,340 58,936 54,609 .68 37,134 349,466 .193 67,447 1,227,019 .057 69,940 623,955 .061 38,061 271,518 1907 __________ 14,592 35,373 39,991 75,364 38,468 .66 25,387 799,505 .20 159,901 630,623 .053 33,423 2,407,730 .059 142,056 436,131 

1908__________ 8 772 16,530 32,527 49,057 35,745 .53 18,945 337,804 .132 44,590 1,040,238 .042 43,690 703,706 .047 33,074 189,356 1909 __________ 101

214 19,480 11,005' 30,4,85 35,477 .52 18,448 568,868 .13 73,953 584,492 .043 25,133 947,741 .054 51,178 199,197· .1910 __________ 12'496 17,010 60,142 77,152 182,003 .54 98,282 226,772 .127 28,800 970,523 .044 42,703 438,539 .054 23,681 270,618 

19ll __________ 7'459 5,893 59,821 65,714 92,098 .53 48,812 88,448 .125 11,056 1,001,651 .045 45,074 200,509 .057 11,429 182,085 

1912.--------- 10' 287 4, 619 92,870 97,489 104,686 . 615 64,382 133, 570 . 165 22, 039 992,578 . 045 44, 666 736, 392 . 069 50,811 279,387 1913 __________ 491

135 1,266 311,626 312,892 168,985 .604 102,067 315,011 .155 48,827 3,196,.545 .044 140,648 2,121,947 .056 118,829 723,263 1914 __________ 61 1

698 626 331,604 332,230 272,242 .553 150,550 319,496 .133 42,493 3,690,359 .039 143,924 2,173,177 .051 110,832 780,029 1915 ___________ 68:24C 1,463 314,683 316,146 226,996 .507 115,087 348,046 .175 60,908 3,630,127 .047 170,616 4,676,355 .124 579,868 1,242,625 19J6 __________ 69,358 573 184,477 185,050 100,749 .658 66,2931,001,4.15 .246 246,358 3,016,899 .069 208,166 4,744,985 .134 635,828 1,341,695 .

1917 __________ 55,652 183 133,441 133,624 146,535 .824 120,745 807,883 .273 220,552 2,150,523 .086 184,945 2,181,932 .102 222,557 882,423 J9!8 __________ 39 598 112,478 112,478 81,187 1.00 81,187 323,830 .247 79,986 1,885,761 .071 133,889 2,618,767 .091 238,308 645,848 

~~~%:::::::::: 193·,·965050=_-_-:_:_: ___ -=_· __ -= 58,167 58,167 40,550 1.12 45,416 70,823 .186 13,173 803,228 .053 42,571 965,630 .073 70,491 229,818 31, 302 31, 302 39, 211 1. 09 42, 740 28, 195 . 184 5, 188 396, 250 .. 08 31, 700 28:1, 235 . 081 22, 942 133, 872 J 92L--------- 2 402 32, 034 32, 034 21, 641 1. oo 21, 641 s, 357 . 129 1, o1s 318, 666 . 045 14, 340 39, ooo . os 1, 9so n, 043 1922 ---------- 6

1

844 _________ 19,936 19,936 26,187 1.00 26,187 20,526 .135 2,771 661,728 .055 36,395 178,000 .057 10,146 95,435 

1923__________ 2:173 ______ 7()7 16,366 17,073 20,762 .82 17,025) 7,089 .147 1,042 557,429 .07 39,020 132,000 .068 8,976 83,136 

---:---- 1, 548, 179 5, 8?3, 175 7, 401,354 5, 22), 893 ~ 4, 23_4, 38419, 6_31, 395 == 1, 72_5, 3191130, ~12, 5181-------- 5, J49, 348 28, ~81, 505 == 2, 491,027 21,601,432 

a Estimated by C. W. Henderson, with advice of Ben Stanley Revett, for.ner general man1ger of the Twin L~kes Hydraulic Cold Mining Syndicate. 
108 MINING IN COLORADO 

The mills in 1870 were the Yankee Blade io-stamp 

mill, in which the ore was treated by battery amalgamation, blanket sluices, and pans for tailings, and the 

Treasury Mining Co.'s 15-stamp water-power mill. 

IIayden & Son had a 9-stamp water-power mill. 

On the authority of T. F. Van Wagenen, of the 

Rocky Mountain Review, Raymond 10 credits $100,000 

in currency ($86,200 in coin) to Lake County for 1875 

but says that three-fourths of this was taken from 

California Gulch. The amount may be divided into 

$64,650 for Leadville and $21,550 for ·chaffee County. 

Raymond adds: 

In Chalk Creek, Chapman & Riggins are building works of 

10 tons capacity to treat ore from their own mines, * * * 

[claim names] Riggins, Naomi, Tecumseh, Black Hawk, Anna, 

Mary Murphy, and Mount· Yale. The plant of this establishment comprises two roasting furnaces and one blast furnace, not 

expected to be in operation before the summer of 1876. At the 

close of 1875 several hundred tons of ore was on the dumps. 

The figures for 1879 to 1884 are taken chiefly from 

the reports of the Director of the MintY In the 

report for 1880 Burchard 12 says: 

The gulch or placer mines along the Arkansas have yielded 

the usual amount-about $25,000 for the season .• * * * 

There are five small and apparently inefficient smelters in 

Chaffee County-one at Garfield, two at Maysville, one at 

Poncha Springs, and one at Forest City, on Chalk Creek. 

None of them has done much, most of the higher grades of ore 

being shipped to Pueblo and Argo. 

The figures for the production of the Madonna mine, 

in the Monarch district, from 1883 to 1911 are given 

by the Colorado Geological Survey .

13 

The figures for 1885 to 1896 given in the table are 

derived from reports of the agents of the mint, the 

annual reports of the Director of the Mint, the gold 

and silver being prorated to correspond with the figures for the total production of the State as corrected 

by the Director of the Mint, the lead being prorated 

to correspond with the total production of lead in the 

State as given in annual volumes of Mineral Resources, 

and any unknown production in the State being distributed proportionately among the counties. As 

with lead, so with copper, but as the figures given for 

copper in Mineral Resources include copper from 

matte and ores treated in Colorado, though produced 

in other States, these figures are subject to revision. 

The production of the Twin Lakes placer in 1890 is 

taken from the Denver News for January 1, 1891. 

The figure for the production of zinc in 1895 represents ore receipts of the American Zinc-Lead Co., of 

Canon City, as published in the Denver Republican. 

The figures for 1897-1904, which represent mint 

and smelter receipts, are taken from the reports of the 

Colorado State Bureau of Mines. 

1o Raymond, R. W., op. cit. for 1875, pp. 282, 314, 316, 1877. 

u Burchard, H. C., op. cit. for 1880, pp. 156, 157, 1881. 

2 Idem, p. 153. 

13 Crawford, R. D., Geology and ore deposits of the Monarch and Tomichi districts, Colo.: Colorado Geol. Survey Bull. 4, p. 239, 1913. 

The figures given in the table for 1905 to 1923 are 

taken from Mineral Resources (mines reports). 

The output of gold for 1904 includes a little silver 

from placer bullion;- for 1905 it includes 131 ounces 

of silver from placer bullion; for 1906, 279 ounces; 

for 1907, 238 ounces; for 1908, 158 ounces; for 1909t 

156 ounces; for 1910, 157 ounces; for 1911, 47 ounc·es; 

for 1912, 39 ounces; and for 1913, 15 ounces. In 1912 

the fineness of the gold in the Granite placer gold bullion, was 0.795 to 0.850 and of the silver 0.129 to 

0.138. In 1913 t~e average fineness of the gold was 

0.851 and of the silver 0.144. 

For 1906, the placer production is corrected by 

transferring a small quantity from Lake County. 

CLEAR CREEK COUNTY 

From 1859 to 1867 the output of gold from the 

. area now included in Clear Creek County was obtained from placers on South Clear Creek, chiefly in 

the vicinity of Idaho Springs, and from surface workings on lode d-eposits at Idaho Springs and Empire. 

The figures for gold and silver from 1859 to 1878 as 

given by Munson 14 have been prorated to _accord with 

figures compiled later or with figures given in Raymond's reports for 1870 to 187 5.15 

The figures given in the table for lead from 1869 to 

1876 represent lead in ores shipped to Eastern States, 

to England, and to Germany. 

For 1878 to 1884 the figures are taken from the reports of the Director of the Mint. 

The figures for 1886 to 1896 are taken from reports 

of the agents of the mint in annual reports of the Director of the Mint, the gold and silver being prorated 

to correspond with the figures showing the total production of the State as corrected by the Director of 

the Mint, those for lead being prorated to correspond 

with the total production of lead in the State as given 

. in Mineral Resources, and any unknown production 

in the State being distributed proportionately among 

the counties. As with lead, so with copper, but as the. 

figures given for copper in Mineral Resources include 

copper obtained from matte and ores treated in Colorado though produced in other States, the figures for 

copper are subject to revision. 

The value of the output of lead from 1877 to 1879 

is taken from Spurr and Garrey. 16 

The figures showing the output of zinc in 1895 represent the receipts of ore by the American Zinc-Lead 

Co. at Canon City. -

The figures for 1897-1904, which represent smelter 

and mint receipts, are taken from the reports of the 

Colorado State Bureau of Mines. 

14 Munson, G. C., agent for-Colorado, in Kimball, J.P., Report upon the production of the precious metals in the United States during the calendar year 1887, p. 

153, 1888. 

~~ Raymond, R. W ., op. cit. for 1870, p. 316, 1872; idem for 1872, pp. 277-278, 1873; 

idem for 1873, p. 287, 1874; idem for 1874, p. 365, 1875; idem for 1875, p. 295, 1877. 

16 Spurr, J. E., and Garrey, G. H., Economic geology of the Georgetown quadrangle, Colo.: U.S. Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 63, p. 175, 1908. 
CONEJOS. COUNTY 109 

'I'he figures for 1905-1923 are taken from Mineral 

Resources (mine reports). 

The ·figures for placer gold in 1907 include $7,628 in 

"unknown gold," probably stamp gold, not placer. 

The prices of silver, copper, lead and zinc from 1850 

to 1923, are those given by Loughlin. 17 

one of the original 17 counties organized by an act of Territorial legislature in November, 1861. On account of confusion 

liable to arise, the name of Guadalupe wa~ soon changed toConejos. The history of the hardships of the pioneers of this. 

section is filled with thrilling episodes, the settlement of the 

whites being bitterly resented by the Indians. After a consi~erable season of doubt as to who should gain supremacy the 

Gold, silver, copper, lead, and zinc prod1tced in Clear Cre~k County, 1859-1923 

Year 

Ore 

(short 

tons) 

Gold Silver I Copper Lead Zinc I 

----,------,-----1----------:--------···-·l----------l----------i 

Aver- Aver- \·Aver- AverF. age age age age me price Value Pounds price Value Pounds I price Value Pounds price Value ounces per per per per ounce pound pound pound 

Placer Lode Total 

Total 

value· 

Iff~=':: =~~~~~~~$2~·m =::=~~~~~~ $2.]. m : __ :ir~ -i::r~ -- ~m:~~~~=~~~~~ ~==~~=~ ~~=~~=~=~ ~~~==~~~~~t~~~~~ ~~~~=~~~~ ~=~~~~==== ~==~=~~ :::=~~~~~ $~ :!f: m 

1869.----- ------- a50, 000 ---------- a50, 000 377,359 1, 325 °500,000 °2,000$0. 2425 $485 ·aiOO, 000 $0.06 $6,000 ---------- ------- --------- 556, 48& 1870 ______ 2,000 aSO,OOO __________ aSO,OOO 362,465 1.328 481,354 b2,500 .2118 530 °200,000 .06 12,000 __________________________ 573,884 

1871. .••• -------- 20,000 __________ 20,000 640,790 1.325 849,047 °3,000.2412 724 °550,000 .06 33,000 .. ------------------------ 902,771 1872 ______ 5,888 25,000 __________ 25,0001,118,299 1.3221,478,391 °4,000 .3556 1,422 al,OOO,OOO .064 64,000 __________________________ 1,568,81~ 

1873. _ ---- 5, 421 34,000 ---------- 34,000 902,668 1. 297 1, 170,760 °10,000 . 28 2, 800 °1,000,000 . 06 60,000 ---------- ------- --------- 1, 267, 56(} 1874 .• ---- 9, 490 42, 500 _____ --- __ 42, 500 1, 634, 434 1. 278 2, 088, 807 °15, 000 . 22 3, 300 °803, 983 . 06 48, 239 __ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ __ _ __ _ _ _ ___ __ _ _ 2, 182, 846 

1875 ______ 12,000 68,960 $3,448 72,4081,343,610 1.24 1,666,076 °15,000 .227 3,405 °1,300,000 .058 75,400 .. ------------------------ 1,817,289 1876.----- ------- 40,000 55,161 95,161 1, 421, 104 1.16 1, 648,481 °15,000 . 21 3, 150 aS19, 672 . 061 50,000 ---------- ------- --------- 1, 796, 79Z 1877------ ------- 20, 000 76, 500 96, 500 1, 534, 560 1. 20 1, 841, 472, 0 15, 000 . 19 2, 850 2, 236, 364 . 055 123, 000 ----- ________ • --- _ _ __ _ __ _ _ 2, 063, 822 1878 _____________ 10,000 124,000 134,000 1,759,652 1.15 2,023,6001 °25,000 .166 4,150 2,722,222 .036 98,000 __________________________ 2,259,750 

1879 ______ ------- aJO,OOO 110,000 120,000 1,546,875 1.12 1,732,500 °100,000 .186 18,600 1,951,219 .041 80,000 __________ ---------------- 1,951,100 

1880_____________ 0 5,000 191,000 196,000 1,902,656 1.15 2,188,054 °200,000 .214 42,800 °517,500 .05 25,875 .. ------------------------ 2,452,729 

188L____________ 5,000 195,000 200,0001,546,875 1.13 1,747,969 °200,000 .182 36,400 °815,000 .048 39,120 .. ------------------------ 2,023,489- 1882 ___________ -c 6,000 214,000 220,000 1,299,375,1.14 1,481,288 °300,000 .191 57,300 °815,000 .049 39,935 •• ------------------------ 1,798,523 1883 _____________ 10,000 240,000 250,0001,222,031 1.11 1,356,454 °300,000 .165 49,500 °815,000 .043 35,045 •• ------------------------ 1,690,999 1884 _____________ 12,551 587,449 600,0001,314,844 1.11 1,459,477 °300,000 .13 39,000 °1,038,273 .037 38,416 .. ------------------------2,136,893 1885 .•.••• ------- 0 10,000 490,000 b500,000bl,356,000 1.07 1,450,920 °200,000 .108 21,600 1,038,273 .039 40,493 °25,000 $0.043 $1,075 2,014,088 1886. _____ ------- 0 10,000 599,070 609,070 1,396,364 .99 1,382,400 °200,000 .111 22,200 1,630,000 .046 74,980 °25,000 .044 1,100 2,089,750 1887 ______ ------- 0 15,000 302,214 317,214 1,284,083 .98 1,258,401 °200,000 .138 27,600 1,847,930 .045 83,157 °25,000 .046 1,150 1,687,522: 1888. ____________ a20,000 399,821 419,8211,148,190 .94 1,079,299 °200,000 .168 33,600 3,761,246 .044 165,495 a75,000 .049 3,6751,701,890 

1889 _____________ 25,000 496,909 521,9091,770,875 .94 1,664,623 91,731 .135 12,384 5,357,906 .039 208,958 °75,000 .05 3,750 2,411,624 

1890 ______ ------- 24,336 418,032 442,368 1,819,682 1.05 1,910,666 124,102 .156 19,360 12,029,217 .045 541,315 °75,000 .055 4,125 2,917,834 

189L ____________ 0 22,875 415,692 438,567 1,771,055 .99 1,753,344 57,572 .128 7,369 7,947,786 .043 341,755 °75,000 .05 3,75012,544,78& 

1892_____________ 5,340 308,701 314,041 1,691,579 .87 1,471,674. 40,424 .116 4,689 7,916,672 .04 316,667 a250,000 .046 11,500 2,118,571 

1893 _____________ 0 5,000 579,187 584,187 2,218,377 .78 1,730,334 °40,000 .108 4,320 as,ooo,ooo .037 296,000 °400,000 .04 16,000 2,630,841 

1894 ______ ------- 0 5,000 657,649 662,649 2,228,846 .63 1,404,173 °40,000 .095 3,800 aS,OOO,OOO .033 264,000 °200,000 .035 7,000 2,341,62Z 

1895 ______ ------- 5,000 669,210 674,210 1,585,483 .65 1,030,564 44,168 .107 4,726 6,415,936 .032 205,310 °200,000 .036 7,200 1,922,010 

1896.-.--- --.---- 5, 000 787, 631 792, 631 1, 626, 828 . 68 1, 106, 243 204, 519 . 108 22, 088 6, 438, 672 . 03 193, 160 °400, 000 . 039 15, 600 2, 129, 722 1897_ _____ ------- 50,000 732,649 782,649 1,442,583 .60 865,550 516,034 .12 61,924 5,263,116 .036 189,472 °300,000 .041 12,.300 1,911,89& 

1898.----- ------- 0 5, 000 600, 528 605, 528 1, 569, 012 . 59 925, 717 317, 423 . 124 39, 360 5, 843, 767 . 038 222, 063 °300, 000 . 046 13, 800 1, 806, 468 1899. _ ---- ------- 0 5,000 541,825 546,825 1, 502,900 . 60 901,740 292,966 .171 50,097 7, 216,260 . 045 324,732 a300, 000 . 058 17,400 1, 840,794 

1900 ______ ------- 0 5,000 460,447 465,447 1,358,143 .62 842,049 244,092 .166 40,519 4,994,263 .044 · 219,748 °300,000 .044 13,200 1,580,963 

190L _____ ------- 0 5,000 535,975 540,975 1,271,227 .60 762,736 374,534 .167 62,547 3,890,216 .043 167,279 a300,000 .041 12,300 1,545,837 

1902.----- ------- 0 51 0001 925,481 930,481 1, 279,050 . 53 677,897 473,754 .122 57,798 3, 282,270 . 041 134,573 317,705 . 048 15,250 1, 815,999 

1903. _ ---- ------- 0 5,000 467,061 472,061 851,638 . 54 459,885 289,876 .137 39,713 3, 451,849 . 042 144,978 656,000 . 054 35,424 1, 152,061 

1904 ______ 62,661 2,398 634,217 636,615 873,949 .58 506,890 401,180 .128 51,351 3,913,976 .043 168,301 906,705 .051 46,2421,409,399 

1905 ______ 58,775 1,881 501,817 503,698 692,437 .61 422,387 235,669 .156 36,764 3,270,211 .047 153,7001,102,301 .059 65,0361,181,585 

1906.----- 64,774 1, 568 528, 185 529,753 652,796 . 68 423,901 235,375 .193 45,427 3, 307,001 . 057 188,499 1, 733,477 . 061 105, 742 1, 313,322 

1!)07------ 79, 548 11, 511 511, 385 522, 896 518, 364 . 66 342, 120 171, 340 . 20 34, 268 2, 804, 172 . 053 148, 621 2, 771, 960 . 059 163, 546 1, 211, 451 1908.----- 109, 672 2, 610 656, 506 659, 116 503, 551 . 53 266,882 264,994 . 132 34,979 2, 015,010 . 042 84, 630 836,411 . 047 39, 311 1, 084,918 

1909.----- 116, 753 3, 846 532, 561 536,407 448, 535 . 52 233, 238 299,546 . 13 38,941 3, 254,675 . 043 139,951 758,074 . 054 40,936 989,473 

1910 ______ 109,954 3,678 518,846 522,524 475,174 .54 256,594 595,795 .127 75,666 2,434,476 .044 107,1171,247,389 .054 67,3591,029,260 

1911. _____ 105, 774 I, 754 517,453 519,207 437,841 . 53 232,056 650,368 .125 81,296 3, 325,222 . 045 149,635 1, 417,544 . 057 80,800 1, 062,994 

1912 ______ 102,894 331 445,463 445,794 373,940 .615 229,973 449,401 .165 74,151 3,523,733 .045 158,5681,734,493 .069 119,6801,028,166 

1913 ______ 104,892 _________ 432,489 432,489 408,527 .604 246,750 426,393 .155 66,091 3,999,614 .044 175,9831,489,518 .056 83,4131,004,726 

1914 ______ 101,366 _________ 495,275 495,275 345,387 .553 190,999 367,790 .133 48,916 2,435,692 .039 94,992 1,067,314 .051 54,433 .884,61& 

1915. _ ---- 121, 993 859 525,724 526,583 393, 1Q8 . 507 199,306 530,949 . 175 92,916 2, 527, 575 . 047 118,796 1, 505,032 . 124 186, 624 1, 124,225 

1916 ______ 94,220 250 428,681 428,931 462,141 .658 304,089 621,732 .246 152,946 4,295,725 .069 296,405 2,572,575 .134 344,725 1,527,096 

1917 ______ 84,449 435 303,549 3.03,984 526,750 .824 434,042 570,091 .273 155,635 4,836,617 .086 415,949 3,153,030 .102 321,609 1,631,219 

1918 ______ 57,808--·------~ 231,077 231,077 370,888 1.00 370,888 343,247 .. 247 84,782 3,869,352 .071 274,724 1,812,846 .091 164,969 1,126,440 

1919 ______ 116,355.________ 91,127 91,127 357,439 1.12 400,332 152,925 .186 28,444 1,517,134 .053 80,408 603,027 .073 44,021 644,332: 

1920.----- 51, 494.________ 48,540 48,540 219,900 1. 09 239,691 61,978 . 184 11,404 2, 457, 100 . 08 196,568 372,420 . 081 30, 166 526,369 

192L _ ---- 32, 767.________ 38,851 38, 851 131, 867 1. 00 131,867 21,519 . 129 2, 776 1, 200,931 . 045 54,042 217,000 . 05 10,850 238,386 

1922 ______ 69,425_________ 36,199 36,199 196,207 1..00 196,207 7,874 .135 l,Q6311,042,491 .055 57,337 800,000 .057 45,600 336,406 

1923 ______ 23,464..----~-- 30,576 30,'576 183,874 .82 150,777 32,218 .147 4,736 l,OHJ,729 .07 71,171 577,000 .068 39;236 296,496 ----------- I ------- 2, 852,68319,693, 161 22,545,844 57,809,489 -------52,373,25511,898,079 ------- 1, 924,662178,057, 048~------- 8, 097,562,30,976,821 ------- 2, 249,897 87, 191, 22() 

a Estimated by C. W. Henderson. b Interpolated by C. W. Henderson to agree with total for the State. 

CONEJOS COUNTY 

The early history of Conejos County is summarized 

by the Colorado State Bureau of Mines 18 as follows: 

What is now knmvn as Conejos County was originally 

organized under the name of Guadalupe, in honor of the patron 

saint of Mexico. As originally constituted, it embraced nearly 

all the territory in the southern portion of the State. It was 

17 U.S. Geol. Survey Mineral Resources, 1923, pt. 1, 1924. 

1B Colorado State Bur. Mines Rept: for 1897, pp 23-24, 1898. 

Indians were compelled to fall back before the advance of civi- , 

lization. With later development Conejos County has been 

reduced to an area of 1,200 square miles, with the seat of 

government at Conejos. * * * 

The western portion of the county includes some mineralr 

from Platoro in the north to the Banded Peaks and Antonito 

districts in the south. While prospected to a limited extent; it 

can properly be classed as one of the undeveloped reserves of 

the State. * * * 

The county records show 1,094 lode claims recorded, 68 bein~ 

patented, 3 placer claims, and 3 tunnel sites. Beyond the annual 
110 MINING IN COLORADO 

:assessment work, little systematic exploring was prosecuted 

·during the past year. An average of 46 men [was] employed 

.during the year. 

Patton 19 gives notes on the mining in this county 

from 1870 to 1917. (See also Rio Grande County, 

p. 201.) 

For 1885 the deposits at the Denver Mint indicate 

the production of Conejos County. 20 

For 1894 to 1896 the figures given are based on 

reports of the agents of the mint in annual reports of 

the Director of the Mint, the gold and silver being 

prorated to correspond with the figures showing the 

total production of the State a.s corrected by the 

Director of the Mint, the lead being prorated to corre-

·spond with the total production of lead in the State 

.as given in Mineral Resources, and any unknown 

production in the State being distributed proportionately among the counties. As with lead, so with 

.copper: but as the figures for copper given in Mineral 

Resources include copper derived from matte and ores 

treated in Colorado, though produced in other States, 

the figures for copper are subject to revision. 

For 1897 to 1904 the figures, which represent 

:Smelter and mint receipts, are taken fronl the reports 

<>f the Colorado State Bureau of Mines. 

For 1905 and 1906 the figures are taken from Mineral 

Resources (mines reports). 

did not invite prospecting. Comparatively recently a code of 

rules has been formulated in accordance with and in some 

respects more liberal than the State mining laws.. Under these 

provisions, prospecting is permitted and titles guaranteed. 

In what is known as the El Plomo district [on Rito Seco 

northeast of San Luis] the existence of * * * ore deposits has 

been known for some years. Spasmodic efforts of development 

have been made during the past nine years. During 1896 and 

1897, a systematic effort has demonstrated an ore body that 

bids fair to make mining the leading industry of the county. 

The ore is low grade, with principal· values in gold, and has 

been developed by a series of cuts and shallow shafts to demonstrate its extent. The main development is a 400-foot drift or 

tunnel driven into the mass and a 75-foot winze sunk at end 

of same. The values have been determined by a series of 

carefully made tests. During last year ~ 10-stamp amalgamation mill, with concentrating .tables, was constructed. The 

report from a three-month's run shows an average value of $4 

per ton, 70 per cent being amalgamated, and a pay product 

being obtained on the tables by concentrating 25 tons into 1. 

The ore body is quartzite, interlaced with quartz seams and 

charged with auriferous iron pyrite. The manager, after nine 

years' exploiting, states as his belief the demonstration of an 

ore body 1,800 feet wide and 2,600 feet long and 100 feet thick, 

which may be quarried to suit mill capacity. Further, that he 

has demonstrated that * * * the body carries an average gold 

value of $2.50 to $4 per ton. * * * 

At Placer, a camp near Veta Pass, on the headwaters of 

Sangre de Cristo Creek, many improvements have been made 

during the past year. The placer bars that have been the seat 

of several excitements were again worked and yielded fair returns from the sluice box. A group of these claims has been 

Gold, silver, copper, and lead produced in Conejos County, 1861-1906 

Silver Copper Lead 

Ore Year (short Lode 

I Pounds 

Total 

tons) gold Fine Average Average Average value 

ounces price per Value price per Value Pounds price per Value ounce pound pound 

--------------1------------------------------------

861-1884-------------------------~---------- ---------- (a) ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- (a) 1885 _____ ---------------------.--------------- ---------- $277 $277 

1894_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ __ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ ____ __ 111 --------i- ----$o: 63- -------$i- = = == == = === = = = === == = = = == == = = = == ===== = == == = = == == == == == == ==== == 112 1896--------------------------------------------------- 639 17 .6S 12 ------------------------------------------------------------ 651 

1897----------------------------------------- ---------- 1, 054 98 . 60 59 ---------. ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 1, 113 

1898 .. --------------------------------------- ---------- 18,355 29, 777 . 59 17, 568 ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 35,923 

1899 ___ -------------------------------------- ---------- 6, 263 22, 987 . 60 13, 792 ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 20, 055 1900 ___________________________________________________ 2,832 1,014 .62 629 4,527 $0.166 $752 2,200 $0.044 $97 4,310 

. :1901.---------------------------------------- ---------- 1,178 102 . 60 61 210 .167 35 1, 200 . 043 52 1, 326 

1902----------------------------------------- ---------- 1, 261 81 -53 43 78 .122 10 ---------- ---------- ---------- 1, 314 

:1903.---------------------------------------- ---------- 1, 220 46 . 54 25 ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 1, 245 "1904 _________________________________________ ---------- 827 52 . 58 30 ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 857 

"1905 ____ ------------------------------------- 12 2, 894 900 . 61 549 ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 3, 443 

:1906 ______ ----------------------------------- 85 1, 474 748 . 68 509 ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 1, 983 

~38,44555;823===~14.815~1--m~~~~~ 

a Production unrecorded. 

COSTILLA COUNTY 

The history of Costilla County is summarized by 

the Colorado State Bureau of Mines as follows: 21 

The history of the county reveals several mining excite-· 

·ments. None of these until within the past years resulted in any 

:aystematic exploration of these mineral deposits. This may be 

"largely due to the fact that the main portion of the county is 

held under a Spanish land grant. Until within a few years 

the owners of this land, known as the Sangre de Cristo grant, 

19 Patton, H. B., Geology and ore deposits of the Platoro-Summitville mining 

-district, Colo.: Colorado Geol. Survey Bull. 13, 1917. 

2o Wilson, P. S., agent for Colorado, in Kimball, J. P., Report of the Director or 

the Mint upon the production of the precious metals in the United States during 

the calendar year 1885, p. 136, 1886. 

purchased by eastern capi~l, which has expended a large 

amount in the erection of a steam excavation plant and anticipates * * * returns during this year. 

On Mo~mt Blanca a small number of properties have been 

operated steadily. and produced small shipments of ore. During 

1897 the entire mountain section has been better prospected 

than for many years. * * * 

The county and grant records show·215 lode claims and 40 

placer claims recorded. During the summer months 200 men 

were employed and 11 properties working. 

The following details of the development of Costilla County are given in a report by Patton and 

others: 22 

21 Colorado State Bur. Mines Rept. for 1897, pp. 24-26, 1898. 

22 Patton, H. B., and others, Geology of the Grayback mining district, Costilla 

County, Colo.: Colorado Gaol. Survey Bull. 2, pp. 83-96, 1910. 
COSTILLA COUNTY 111 

The earliest knowledge of the presence of metals in this 

region was several years prior to 1875, when the Hayden expedition traversed the southern part of Colorado. The report 

of that survey mentions the recovery of gold from alluvials in 

Placer and Grayback creeks. In those days of Indian outbreaks a Government fort was maintained at what is now the 

town of Fort Garland. The soldiers there stationed, it would 

appear, had knowledge of the values in the gravels mentioned 

and, for a time, a prominent bar or bench of this ground lying 

at the confluence of the two creeks was handled, in a very 

small way, for the recovery of gold. This piece of land is still 

known as Officers' Bar. Later on the same ground was attacked by Chinamen, it is said, with very satisfying results. · 

Squatters were not, however, permitted to continue their 

operations very long, for in 1877 the Trinchera estate authorities stopped all kinds of mining operations within its holdings. 

Up to this time the owners of the estate had received no in-

-come from operations. · Feeling that the ground was worthy of 

mineral development, it was deemed proper to devise methods 

whereby prospectors could locate· and secure mining claims 

Under certain restrictions, therefore, the domain was opened 

to location. 

Under the rules which now govern, the mining lands in the 

Trinchera estate are open to location upon very much the 

same plan as prevails with similar lands upon the public 

domain. Lode claims are laid out 300 feet wide by 1,500 feet 

long. * * * 

The washing of alluvials for gold has been, as already stated, 

one of the features of mining in this region for years and 

promises to be a very prominent industry in the future of this 

-country. 

In 1898 the Badger State Placer Mining Co. built a large 

steam shovel and gold-saving structure. This machine, pre- · 

tentious in its day, was intended to handle 1,000 to 2,000 

cubic yards of gravel per day. There was little knowledge 

-derivable from experience in such matters at that time, so it is 

'little wonder that unforeseen defects in mechanical construction 

and gold-saving apparatus prevented continuous and successful 

-operation of this machine. · 

The steam shovel, of dipper type, discharged each load into 

.a revolving screen. Here the gravel was disintegrated and 

washed by jets of water, the undersize being conducted thence 

-through a riffled sluice· 3 feet wide and 30 feet long. As the 

.shovel brought up about 1 cubic yard at a time, the apparatus 

would one monemt be congested with dirt, while a few moments 

'later the screen and sluice would be running empty. Even under 

such conditions it is reported that this device treated about 

·2,100 cubic yards, from which was obtained an average yield 

<>f 24.6 cents per yard. The dirt averaged about 18 feet in 

depth. Naturally, in face of the inexperience of the operators 

and the shortcomings of the machine, the costs of operation 

were in excess of the recovery and the closing down followed. 

The most extensive mining operations ever conducted in 

this region were those of the early eighties, which were carried 

on by the Colorado Coal & Iron Co., the present Colorado Fuel 

& Iron Co. This company developed what was then called 

the Placer [iron] mine, in some of its records, because of its 

location near the town of Placer, now changed to the town of 

Russell. 

In 1910 the Colorado Gold Dredging Co. built and 

operated on Placer Creek, near Russell, for a short 

period its Hammond dredge, of the close-connected 

type, of 54 buckets of 4 cubic feet capacity each. 

The total capacity of the dredge was 2,000 yards a 

day. It was operated for about six months in 1911 

and was then overturned. It has not been righted 

nor operated since. 

For 1885 the figures given in the table below represent gold and silver deposited in the Denver Mint. 23 

For 1895 and 1896 the figures g~ven in the table are 

based on reports of the agents of the mint in annual 

reports of the Director of the Mint, the gold and silver 

being prorated to correspond with the figures for the 

total production of the State as corrected_ by the 

Director of the Mint, the lead being prorated to correspond with the total production of lead in the State 

as given in Mineral Resources, and any unknown production in the State being distributed proportionately 

among the counties. As with lead, so with copper, but 

as the figures for copper given in Mineral Resources 

include copper from matte and ores treated in 

Colorado, though produced in other States, the figures 

for copper are subject to revision. 

For 1897 to 1904 the figures, which represent smelter 

and mint receipts, are taken from the reports of the 

Colorado State Bureau of Mines. 

For 1906 to 1921 the figures are taken from Mineral 

Resources (mines reports). 

23 Wilson, P. S., agent for Colorado, in Kimball, J. P., Report of the Director of 

the Mint upon the production of the precious metals in the United States during 

the calendar year 1885, p. 136, 1886. 

Gold (placer and lode), silver, copper, and lead produced in Costilla County, 1875-1921 

Gold Silver Copper Lead 

A vcrage I I Average Average Total 

Total Fine price per I Value Pounds price per Value . Pounds price per Value value ounces ounce pound pound 

(a) ----------~------~------~-----------(-a)-

i~~t~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ i~~~~ = ~== ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ =~ = ~ ~ ~ = =~ ~= ~ = : $216 

g~ ---------- -----$2i6- g~ ========== ======·====~========== I 

==========:========== =====~====:========== I ========== ====~~==== $g~ 139 

jg3~= = ~~==~~====================== b ~ g

3

goog b$!: ~1g ~: g~g ------~gf ---$o]g-- -----$~7-6~- ----~~~~~~- _-_- ~~~$-~:~~~--;~ ~~~~~~!~g_--_1;-_-;~~~~~~~- ;;~-~-~-~-~~~-~- ~-~-~-~-~~;~~~~- ~: i~8~2 . 1899.----------------------------- b 506 806 126 . 60 1900_- ---------------------------- b 200 b 1, 867 2, 067 314 . 62 195 107 . 166 18, __________ ---------- ---------- 2, 280 1901_- ---------------------------- b 200 b 771 971 153 . 60 92 235 . 167 39 ---------- ---------- ---------- 1, 102 

i~85===========================~== : ~~ : ~~~ 1

' ~~~ ~~g : ~ 8~ ========== ========== ==========~========== =·======~== ====~===== ~: ~~ i~~= = =====================~====== ----~-~~~- b :g~ ~~~ ------~~9~- -----: 5-~-- -------~:- ========== ========== ==========!========== ==========- ========== 2, ira6 

1910_- ---------------------------- 2, 318 ---------- 2, 318 

11m~ ~=~~~~~:~m~m~~~~~~~~m: ---~~~:It ~~:==~=~;= ''· :11 ____ J _ __:~1--- J :~~~~~~~t~m~m= mmm~r~mm~~~ ~mm~~= m=~=~~~~ "· ~ 28,491~~2.7i5==:1.5921.827i:===--;agl----w.o48==~~ 

·Year 

Placer I Lode 

a Production unrecorded. b Estimated by C. W. Henderson. 
112 MINING IN COLORADO 

CUSTER COUNTY 

E1nmons 24 reviews the history of the mines of Custer County as follows: 

The mine first discovered in the region was the Senator (since 

rechristened the Maverick), which was located in the autumn 

of 1872 on an outcrop of cavernous quartz, with galena and 

silver glance in the cavities, which was extremely rich. After 

it had been opened to a depth of 50 to 60 feet, however, the 

ore seemed to pinch out, and the mine was for the time 

abandoned. 

In April, 1874, a thin seam containing carbonates of copper, 

with native silver, was discovered on the southern slopes of the 

hills back of Rosita. This was the outcrop of the since famous 

Humboldt-Pocahontas vein, which runs northwest and southeast. On this were located first the Humboldt, then the 

Pocahontas, and later the Virginia and East Leviathan claims, 

as extensions to the southeast and the northwest, respectively. 

The Humboldt-Pocahontas mine has been the most permanent 

and steady producer of any in the region, and was worked 

more or less continuously for nearly 15 years, producing, 

according to Census reports, over $900,000 worth of ore. 

The hills around were rapidly honeycombed by the excavations of prospectors, and a picturesque mining town, known as 

Rosita, soon sprang up and reached the height of its prosperity, 

with a population of 1,200 to 1,500 inhabitants, in the years 

1875-1877. Many small bodies of extremely rich ore were 

discovere~ in the neighboring hills, but few were developed to 

a sufficient depth to be worthy of the names of mines. 

T~e next great mine was discovered about 2 miles north of 

Rosita, in 1877, by E. G. Bassick, a sailor turned prospector. * * * It proved so very rich that he found no difficulty 

in raising capital for its development, and around the mine 

soon sprang up the little town of Querida. It is said that ore 

worth $500,000 in gold and silver was taken out of the mine in 

the first year and a half and that in 1879 he sold it to eastern 

capitalists, receiving half a million dollars in cash and a tenth 

interest in the stock of the new company. This company, with 

a nominal capital of $10,000,000, is said to have produced over 

$1,500,000 in gold and silver, of which $425,000 was paid in 

dividends to the stockholders. There seems, nevertheless, to 

have been something the matter with the management, and it 

was finally closed down in 1885, when its shaft had reached a 

depth of 1,400 feet, although, according to miners working in 

the mine at the tinie, the ore body appeared as large and as 

rich as ever. Since that time it has been sold several times at 

sheriff's sale to satisfy judgments obtained against it, and there 

has been much litigation in regard to its ownership, which is 

apparently not yet settled, since it has not been reopened. 

In 1901-2 a new shaft, which had been sunk some 

time before to a depth of 650 feet, was deepened to 

1,500 feet. Mining in 1901 ceaseq. in March, but the 

work on this shaft was continued until May, 1902. 

The old shaft, which began at a large chamber excavated 400 feet from the n1outh of a tunnel, was 1,300 

feet below the level-of the tunnel. In 1904 ore was 

shipped by the Bassick company from the Maine and 

Lookout claims. Ore was also shipped in 1905, 1906, 

and 1907, and the dump was treated by cyanidation 

from 1908 to 1915, and again in 1923. 

Emmons continues: 

24 Emmons., S. F., The mines of Custer County, Colo.: U. S. Geol. Survey 

Seventeenth Ann. Rept., pt. 2, pp. 412-419, 1896. 

When the Rosita Hills had been pretty thoroughly pros.., 

pected attention was directed to a lower outlying group of 

hills which rise out of the gently sloping plains on the immediate 

border of the bottom lands of the Wet Mountain Valley. In 

1878 three lumbermen-Edwards, Hafford, and. Powell-who 

were engaged in hauling timber from the Sangre de Cristo Range 

to Rosita, had their curiosity aroused by the black cliffs that 

stood out so prominently on the southern end of the White 

Hills, which they passed in going to and from their work. 

One day they climbed over the cliffs and gathered several pieces 

of a dark, greasy-looking mineral (horn silver), which when 

heated in the stove, melted into a metal resembling silver. 

·when some of these pieces had been sent to an assayer and it 

was learned that the mineral, when pure, contained 75 per cent 

of silver, another "boom" or mining excitement ensued. The 

discoverers promptly located the Racine Boy, Silver Cliff, and 

other claims; the surface of the ground in this portion of the 

valley was soon pitted with prospect holes; and a third town 

grew rapidly up, named from the mine, Silver Cliff. 

In the Blue Mountains, -an isolated group of hills about 2 

miles north of this town, the discovery was soon after made ot 

the remarkable deposit which later became widely known as 

the Bull-Domingo mine, from the two claims of which it was 

the consolidation. 

This review of the history is followed by a list of t.be 

reduction mills. 

Murison 25 gives $40,000 as the value of the output of 

Custer County up to and including 1874. He divides 

this amount as follows: For 1872, $8,000; for 1873, 

$10,014; and for 1874, $21,98"6. (17,005 ounces at 

$1.29+). 

Raymond 26 gives the total shipments of silver ore 

for 1874 from Custer County as 129 tons, which 

yielded by mill returns $21,986. This' amount represents the total output of silver from this county. 

He also credits the county with 8V2 tons of copper ore, 

yielding about 30 per cent of copper. 

The following table shows the value of the output 

of the mines of C}lster County up to and including 

1880, according to the Silver Cliff Mining Gazette. 

The figures for gold and silver have been segregated 

by Emmons.27 

Output of mines in Custer County for 1880 and previous years 

Gold 

Silver 

(coining 

value) 

Total 

Bull-Domingo.------------------------------ -.----------- $290,000 $290,000 Silver Cliff plateau _______ -------------------- ------------ 566,956 566, 956 

Rosita and vicinity_------------------------- $350,000 1, 016, 025 1, 366, 025 1-------1--------:--------

350, ooo 1, 872, 981 1 2, 222, 981 

Of other metals produced, lead is the only one of importance, 

. and the Bull-Domingo is the only mine within the area mapped 

that has produced any considerable amount of this. Outside 

this area, but still within the county, the Terrible mine, at 

lise, on Oak Creek, has produced $759,717 worth of lead, 

according to mint reports, which has all gone to a single smelter. 

25 Munson, G. C., agent for Colorado, in Kimball, J. P., Report of the Director 

of the Mint upon the production of the precious metals in the United States during 

the calendar year 1887, p. 153, 1888. 

26 Raymond, R. W ., Statistics of mines and mining in the States and Territories 

west of the Rocky Mountains for 1874, p. 386, 1875. 

21 Emmons, S. F., op. cit., p. 420. 
I 

I 

CUSTER COUNTY 113 

Hunter 28 has described the geology of the Terrible 

mine. 

For 1879 to 1884 the figures given in the table below 

are taken from the reports of the Director of the 

Mint.29 

The figures for lead in 1885, representing the output 

of the Terrible and other mines, are taken from Mineral 

Resources.30 

The figures given for 1886 to 1896 are based on 

reports of the agents of the mint in annual reports of 

the Directors of the Mint, the gold and silver being 

!8 Hunter, 1. F., Some cerusite deposits in Custer County, Colo.: U. S. Geol. 

Survey Bull. 580, pp. 25-37, 1914. 

2o Burchard, H. C., Report of the Director of the Mint upon the production of the 

precious metals in the United States during the calendar year 1880, pp. 15&-157, 

1881. (See the reports for later years in this series.) 

ao U. S. Geol. Survey Mineral Resources, 1885, p. 257, 1886. 

prorated to correspond with the figures showing the 

total production of the State as corrected by the 

Director of the Mint, the lead being prorated to 

correspond with the total lead produced in the State 

as given in Mineral Resources, and any unknown 

production in the State ·being distributed proportionately among the counties. As with lead, so with 

copper, but as the figures for copper given in Mineral 

Resources include copper derived from matte and ores 

treated in Colorado sn1elters, though produced in· other 

States, the figures are subject to revision. 

The figures for 1897 to 1904, which represent 

smelter and n1int receipts, are taken from reports of 

the Colorado State Bureau of Mines. 

The figures for 1905 to 1926 are taken from Mineral 

Resources (mines reports). · 

Gold, silver, copper, lead, and zinc prodttced in Custer County, 1872-1923 

Silver Copper Lead Zinc 

Ore Total Year (short Gold Average Average Average AYerage value tons) Fine price Value Pounds pnce Value Pounds price Value Pounds price Value ounces per per per per ounce pound pound pound 

--·------ ~72 _________ ................. ------------ 6, 051 $1.322 $8,000 ---------- ................. ---------- ------------ -------- ------------ ·--------- -------- -------·-- $8,000 !173 _________ ................ .......................... 7, 721 1. 297 10,014 -------·-- -------- ---$i;i22" ------------ -------- ------------ ---------- -------- ---------- 10, 014 

1874.-------- .................. ------------ 17,005 1. 278 21,732 5,100 $0.22 ------------ -------- ------------ ---------- ---------- 22,854 1875 _________ -------- -------·---- 156, 142 1.24 193,616 ---------- -------- ---------- ------------ -------- ------------ ---------- -------- ---------- 193,616 

1876--------- ................. ----------- 38,672 1. 16 44,860 ---------- -------- ---------- ------------ -------- ------------ ---------- -------- ---------- 44,860 

1877.-------- -·------ $50,000 77,344 1. 20 92,813 --~---- .. -- -------- ---------- ------------ -------- ------------ ---------- -------- ---------- 142,813 

1878.-------- -------- 100,000 77,344 1.15 88,946 ---------- -·------ --------·- ------------ -------- -----·------ ---------- -------- ---------- 188,946 1879 _________ -------- 100,000 541,406 1.12 606,375 ---------- -------- ---------- ------------ -------- ------------ ---------- -------- ---------- 706,375 1880 _________ ................ 100,000 665, 156 l. 15 764,929 ---------- -------- ---------- ------------ -------- ------------ ---------- -------- ---------- 864,929 188L. _______ -------- 100,000 541,406 1.13 611,789 -------... -- -------- ---------- ------------ -------- ------------ ---------- -------- ---------- 711,789 1882 _________ -------- 200,000 232,031 1.14 264,515 ---------- ·------- ---------- ------------ -------- ------------ ---------- -------- ---------- 464, 515 1883 _________ -------- 620,000 154,688 1.11 171,704 ---------- -------- ---------- --""o-5oo;ooo· -$o:oa7- ----$is; 5oo- ---------- -------- ---------- 791, 704 

1884.-------- -------· 350,000 185,625 1.11 206,044 ---------- -------- ---------- ---------- -------- ---------- 574,544. il885 _________ -------- b 30,000 b 61,295 1. 07 65,586 ---------- -------- ---------- 5, 440,000 .039 212, 160. 307,746 

1886.-------- ................ 21,600 61,295 1 . 99 60,682 ---------- ------------------ b4, 500,000 . 046 207,000 ---------- -------- ---------- 289,282 1887. ________ -------·1 507 117,970 . 98 115,611 

~~~~~-~~~I~~~~~~~~~~ 5, 367,459 .045 241,536 ·--------- -------- ---------- 357,654 1888 _________ 120 3,463 . 94 3, 255 4, 821, 143 . 044 212, 130 ---------- -------- ---------- 215, 505 !889 _________ -------- 1, 281 72,576 .94 68,221 63,086 .039 2,460 ---------- -------- ---------- 71,962 1890 _________ ................ 114,212 119,684 1. 05 125,668 1, 708,729 .045 76,893 ---------- -------- ---------- 316,773 189L ________ -------· 49,204 48,469 . 99 47,984 

~======J========= 838,874 . 043 36,072 ---------- -------- ---------- 133,260 

1892.-------- -------· 325 9,635 .87 8,382 4, 963 . 04 199 ---------- -------- ---------- 8, 906 

1893.- ------- ................ 4, 021 32,204 . 78 25, 119 ---------- ---·---- ---------- b 150,000 .037 5, 550 ---------- -------- ---------- 34,690 

1894.-------- -------- 148 1, 137 . 63 716 ---------- -------- ---------- b 150,000 .033 4, 950 ---------- -------- ---------- 5, 814 1895 _________ -------- 68 88,632 . 65 57,611 4,099 . 107 439 139,768 . 032 4,473 ---------- -------- ..................... 62, 591 

1896.-------- -------- 42 60,122 . 68 40,883 1,109 . 108 120 82, 105 .. 03 2,463 ---------- -------- ..................... 43,508 1897_ ________ -------- 2,129 26,842 . 60 16, 105 874 . 12 105 2, 101,041 . 036 75,637 ---------- -----·-- ---------- 93,976 1898 _________ -------- 723 24,319 . 59 14,348 1, 475 .124. 183 996,877 .038 37,881 ---------- -------- ---------- 53, 135 1899 _________ -------- 1, 054 6,004 . 60 3,602 923 .171 158 836,894 . 045 37,660 ---------- -------- -----$886- 42,474 1900 _________ -------· 20,835 I 82,605 . 62 51, 215 2, 301 .166 382 I 709,349 . 044 31,211 .. 20,000 $0.044 104, 523 1901 _________ -------· 11, 120 50,394. .60 30,236 40,528 .167 6, 768 400,481 . 043 17,221 ---------- -------- ---------- 65,345 1902 _________ ................. 23,708 28,189 . 53 14,940 32,945 .122 4,019 94,662 . 041 3, 881 40,500 . 048 1, 944 48,492 1903 _________ -------- 82,804 160, 175 . 54 86,495 52,242 . 137 7,157 387,301 . 042 16,267 ---------- ---------- 192, 723 

1904.-------- 10, 170 53,453 87,373 . 58 50,676 15,068 . 128 l, 929 126,593 . 043 5, 444 ---------- -------- ---------- 111,502 

1905.-------- 4,567 24,918 32, 159 . 61 19,617 2, 500 . 156 390 ------------ -------- ---------------------- -------- ---------- 44,925 1906 _________ 3,543 16,318 79,480 .68 54,046 2, 725 .193 526 115,960 . 057 6, 610 9il . 061 59 77,559 1907 _________ 1, 601 6,845 25,995 . 66 17, 157 8,420 . 20 1, 684 103,585 .053 5, 490 -------- ---------- 31,176 1908 _________ 3, 700 7,183 13, 156 . 53 6, 973 243 .132 32 120,330 . 042 5, 054 ---------- -------- -------....... 19,242 1909 ____ ----- 5,871 12,774 14,796 • 52 7,694 700 .13 91 41,721 . 043 1, 794 89,593 . 054 4,838 27, 191 

1910.-------- 7,052 9,839 7, 767 .54 4,194 3,882 .127 493 14,796 . 044 651 6, 796 . 054 367 15,544 

1911.-------- 3,670 5, 560 13, 179 • 53 6, 985 1, 640 . 125 205 17, 511 . 045 788 ---------- -------- -------·-- 13,538 1912 _________ 4,330 16,898 25,426 . 615 15,637 2,006 .165 331 10,444 . 045 470 ---------- -------- -------....... 33,336 

1913.-------- 4,662 14,684 11,313 . 604 6,833 4,052 .155 628 5, 273 .044 232 ---------- -------- ---------- 22,377 

1914.-------- 870 3,365 15,975 . 553 8,834 3, 481 ; 133 463 9,692 . 039 378 4, 470 . 051 228 13,268 1915 _________ 1, 719 4,098 31,633 • 507 16,038 12,640 . 175 2, 212 

1 

89,808 . 04.7 4, 221 30,411 .124 3, 771 30,340 1916 _________ 2,245 6,309 36,971 .658 24,327 44,004 . 246 10,825 123,536 .069 8, 524 10,970 . 134 1,470 51,455 1917 _________ 5,881 7,066 88,687 .824 73,078 88,216 . 273 24,083 228,303 .086 19,634 ---------- -------- ---------- 123,861 

1918.-------- 4,326 4, 341 108,456 1.00 108,456 51,292 . 247 12,669 281,070 . 071 19,956 13, 516 . 091 1, 230 146,652 

1919.-------- 4,621 4, 771 97, 159 1.12 108,818 72,979 .186 

I 

13,574 155, 134 . 053 8, 222 ---------- -------- ..................... 135,385 1920 _________ 1, 500 798 34,256 1.09 37,339 28,033 .184 5,158 171,562 .08 13, 725 ...................... -------- ---------- 57,020 

1921.-------- 568 184 19, 191 1.00 19, 191 37,690 .129 4,862 106,022 .045 4, 771 ---------- -------- ---------- 29,008 1922 _________ 17,212 167 14,520 1.00 14,520 32, 141 .135 4; 339 660,618 . 055 36,334 ---------- -------- ----------- 55,360 1923 ......... 

-~~~:-1 2, 536 28,484 .82 23,357 11,436 .147 1, 681 2, 890,328 .07 202,323 --------· .. -------- --------·. 229,897 

2,186,008 4, 5~1, 577 4,_545, 766 564,744 --------1 106,628 34,565,018 1, 588,765 217, 227 ==I 14,_ 787 8,441, 954 I -

a Estimated by C. W. Henderson. b Interpolated by C. W. Henderson to correspond with total production of the State. 

~. 
114 MINING IN COLORADO 

DELTA COUNTY 

The Colorado State Bureau of Mines says of Delta 

County: 31 

Delta is one of the west-central counties of the western slope 

and has an area of about 1,150 square miles. It was segregated 

from Gunnison County in 1883 by an ·act of the general assembly. The adjoining counties are Gunnison on the east, Mont-

. rose on the south, and Mesa on the north and west. * * * 

Metalliferous mines occur in the eastern portion of the county 

but remain undeveloped and practically not prospected. 

For 1894 to 1896 the figures given are based on 

reports of the agents of the mint in annual reports 

of the Director of the Mint, the gold and silver being 

prorated to correspond with the figures of the total 

production of the State as corrected by the Director 

of the Mint, the lead being prorated to correspond 

with the total production of lead in the State as 

given in Mineral Resources, and any unknown production in the St~te being distributed proportionately 

among the counties. As with lead so with copper, 

but as the figures for copper given in Mineral Resources 

include copper from matte and ores treated in Colorado, although produced in other States, the figures 

for copper are subject to revision. 

For 1897 to 1904 the figures, which represent smelter 

and mint receipts, are taken from reports of the 

Colorado State Bureau of Mines. 

For 1910 the figures are taken from Mineral Resources (mine reports). 

Gold and silver prod·uced in Delta County, 1894-1910 

Year Lode 

gold 

Silver 

Average 

Fine price ounces per 

ounce 

Value 

Total 

value 

-----------1----------------

1894 ____ ----------------------- 1895 __________________________ _ 

1896 ____ ----------------------- 1897---------------------------

1898 ____ ----------------------- 1899 _____ ---------------------- 1900 ____ ---------------------- ~ 

190!_ ______ -------------------- ] 902 ____ ----------------------- I903 _____ ---------------------- 1904 ____ ----------------------- 1910_~---- ---------------------

$172 77 

339 

289 

579 

207 

971 

517 

413 

248 

351 

110 

4, 273 

3 

I 

1 

16 

10 

97 

IO 

12 

8 

9 

139 

$0.63 . 65 

. 68 

. 59 

. 60 

.62 

. 60 

. 53 

• 54 

. 58 

. 54 

306 ----------

DOLORES COUNTY 

$2 

1 

1 

9 

6 

60 

6 

6 

4 

6 

75 

176 

$174 

78 

340 

289 

588 

213 

I, 031 

523 

419 

252 

357 

185 

4,449 

Ransome 32 gives the following notes on the history 

of the Pioneer district (Rico), most of the information 

being obtained from an article entitled "The early 

trail blazers," published in the Rico News of June, 

1892. 

It is possible that some of the early Spanish explorers found 

their way up to the valley of the Dolores River, but the first 

party of white men known to have penetrated this region con31 Colorado State Bur. Mines Rept. for I897, p. 29, 1898. 

• 32 Ran.c;ome, F. L., The ore deposits of the Rico Mountains, Colo.: U. s. Geol. 

Survey Twenty-second Ann. Hept., pt. 2, pp. 238-242, 1901. 

sisted of about 60 trappers from St. Louis, under the leadership 

of William G. Walton. 

1833. This party set out from the trading post of Taos, 

N. Mex., and spent the summer of 1833 along the Dolores River 

and in camp near Trout Lake, about 13 miles northeast of the 

present site of Rico. 

1861. In 1861 Lieutenant Howard and other members of 

John Baker's expedition into the San Juan region made their 

way over the mountains from the east and prospected the 

Dolores River, afterward rejoining the main party at Bakers 

Park, where the town of Silverton now stands. 

1866. Five years later a ·party from Arizona, under Col. 

Nash, following the Santa Fe and Salt Lake trail, reached the 

Big Bend of the Dolores (where the town of Dolores now stands), 

and explored the river to its source. Thence they crossed the 

divide to Trout Lake and proceeded down the San Miguel 

River. 

1869. Sheldon Shafer and Joseph Fearheiler reached the site 

of Rico on their way from Santa Fe to Montana. They were 

well provided with tools and provisions and, struck by the 

indications of mineral wealth which the region afforded, decided 

to thoroughly prospect the district. They built a cabin on 

Silver Creek, near the spot where the South Park mine was: 

afterward opened, and located, in July, 1869, a claim which 

they called the Pioneer, a name that afterward became the 

official designation of the mining district. It covered portions 

of what are now the Shamrock, Smuggler, and Riverside claims. 

They also made a location which they named the Nigger Baby r 

on account of the abundant black oxide of manganese found 

in the vein. Although this claim afterward became part of the 

Phoenix mine, the name was perpetuated as Nigger Baby Hill. 

In the autumn of 1869 they built a more substantial cabin near 

where the Rico State Bank now stands and worked on the 

Pioneer claim through the winter. 

1870. R. C. Darling, engaged in surveying the boundaries 

of the Ute Indian Reservation, passed up the Dolores on his 

way to Mount Sneffels. He found Fearheiler and Shafer at 

work, located some claims near them, and proceeded on his 

way up stream. His name survives in Darting Ridge, one of 

the spurs of Expectation Mountain. During the same year 

Gus Begole, John Echols, Dempsey Reese, and Pony Whittemore came into the district from New Mexico and discovered 

the Aztec and other lodes. On the approach of winter all of 

the prospectors relinquished their work and left the district. 

Fearheiler never returned, being killed by Indians on his way 

to Fort Defiance. 

1872. Apparently none of the adventurous prospectors came 

back to their claims in the following summer, but in 1872 

Darling, who had succeeded in interesting some Army officers 

and capitalists from Washington, D. C., in the resources of 

the region, led a large party into the Pioneer district from 

Santa Fe. They carried with them a few lengths of board 

from which they constructed. molds for adobe bricks, and of 

these they erected a Mexican smelting furnace. Ore was 

extracted from what are now the Atlantic Cable, Aztec, Phoenix, 

and Yellow Jacket claims, and three small bars of bullion were 

produced in this furnace. The adobe, however, was not 

sufficiently refractory, and the furnace soon became useless. 

Discouraged by their failure and by the low grade of the bullion, 

the claims were abandoned on the approach of winter and the 

party returned to ~anta Fe. 

1875. Two years later, members of the Hayden survey 

mapped the region and gave many of the existing names to the 

more prominent topographical features. 

1877-78. Prospecting was· again resumed in the Pioneer 

district in 1877, and in 1878 became active through the energy 

of John Glasgow, Sandy Campbell, David Swickhimer, and 

others. The Atlantic Cable, Blackhawk, Hope, .Cross, Grand 
DOLORES COUNTY 115 

View, Major, Phoenix, Yellow Jacket, Pelican, Aztec, and 

Columbia claims were all located in 1878, but, as usual, work 

was abandoned when the winter snows whitened the surrounding peaks. 

1879. In the spring of 1879 rich oxidized silver ore was 

discovered on Nigger Baby Hill, and a rush to the district from 

the neighboring camps followed. Several claims on Nigger 

Baby Hill were sold to the Grand View Mining Co., in which 

Senator Jones and John W. Mackay, well known for their 

operations on the Comstock, were prominent stockholders· 

Ore was also found in the Chestnut vein, on Newman Hill, and 

a small shipment was made to Swansea. The beginnings of a 

settlement sprang up. The town site was surveyed and 

divided into lots, and E. A. Robinson became justice of the 

peace. The first newspaper, the Dolores News, appeared on 

August 21, the first seven numbers being printed in Silverton. 

A post office was opened, and the name Rico was given to the 

growing town. . 

1880. The Grand View smelter was begun in 1880, the 

machinery coming from the railway terminus at Alamosa by 

wagons to Mancos, and thence over the now abandoned road 

which reached the Dolores River by the dreaded Bear Creek 

Hill, 12 miles south of Rico. The freight from Alamosa was 

about $3~0 per ton. Late in the autumn the smelter began 

producing bullion. This same year saw the discovery of the 

Johnny Bull ore body. 

1881. The year 1881 is notable for a punitive expedition 

against a party of Utes, who were overtaken near the La Sal 

Mountains and defeated with considerable loss of life on both 

sides. 

1882. The following spring the Rico Mining & Smelting Co. 

began the erection of a second smelter in the southern end of 

town, and .the Newman group of mines was sold to the Marrs 

Consolidated Mining Co. for $175,000. 

1883. In 1883 the finding of ore in the South Park mine, on 

Silver Creek, led to active prospecting along this stream. 

1884. In 1884 the Rico smelter was purchased and repaired 

by the Pasadena Co. and was operated as a custom plant for 

nearly two years. 

As early as 1881 David Swickhimer, Patrick Cain, and John 

Gault began a shaft on the Enterprise claim on Newman Hill 

but subsequently sold their property for a few hundred dollars' 

worth of lumber. But the success of Larned and Hackett in 

following the veins in the Chestnut and Swansea claims led 

Swickhimer to repurchase a controlling interest in the Enterprise, 

and in October, 1887, he struck ore at a depth of 262 feet. 

This was the first discqvery of the so-called "contact" . or 

blanket ore, and the shaft had fortunately cut the edge of the 

largest and richest ore body ever found on Newman Hill. 

The result of Swickhimer's discovery was to infuse new life 

into the district. Large bodies of ore were found in the Blackhawk, Logan, and Rico-Aspen mines, and the future of Rico 

looked brighter than ever before 

The Enterprise group was sold in 1890 to a Pittsburgh company, and the same year saw the advent of the Rio Grande 

Southern Railroad. Litigation sprang up between the Enterprise and Rico-Aspen c.ompanies. but production went on, and 

when the suit was finally won by the Enterprise, the ore in the 

disputed territory had been extmcted, largely by the RicoAspen Co. 

Since 1895 the output of the Pioneer district has decreased. 

The large bodies of rich "contact" ore have been mined out, 

and many of the veins have been worked down to a depth at 

which the ore no longer pays for shipment. Masses of ore 

often proved to be curiously limited, owing to various conditions 

that are characteristic of the region. * * * The declining 

price of silver· has had a depressing effect on this, as on other 

districts, where this metal forms a large part of the output. 

But nearly all the important ore bodies formerly exploited 

were sufficiently Iich to be workable to-day had they not been 

exhausted. 

In the year 1900 the only ore being shipped from the distrid 

was an occasional carload taken out by leasers working small 

areas of unexplored ground in the larger mines. 

In 1897, according to the reports of the Director of 

the Mint, two 20-stamp mills were in operation at 

Rico and one 'smelter and one mill were in course of 

erection at Dunton. In 1898 two concentrating mills 

were projected at Rico, and a 10-stamp mill was in 

operation at Dunton. In 1900 three concentrating 

mills, having a capacity of 100 tons a day, were in 

operation at Rico, but they were not worked to their 

full capacity. In the report of. the Director of the 

Mint for 1901 the shipments of zinc from Rico in 

prior years are said to have been made to Belgium 

and to Mineral Point, Wis. In 1901 the Rico Mining 

& Milling Co. built a zinc concentration mill containing 20 stamps, 6 Wilfley tables, 1 roadster, and a. 

line of the inventor's magnetic separators, which were 

intended to part the lead from the zinc and iron and 

the iron and copper from the zinc. 

The Wilfleys furnished two grades of lead concentrates, and the zinc-iron residue after being treated 

by the roaster, went to the magnetic separators. 

In 1901 many of the mines were consolidated under 

the name of the United Rico Mining Co., including 

the Rico-Aspen Enterprise, Rico Townsite & Milling 

Co., Swansea, Atlantic Cable, Rico Mine· Co. (which 

had a smelter of 150 tons and a mill of 100 tons daily 

capacity), Grand View, NewYear's, Hope and Cross 1 

the Group, Lexington, Onomo, and Syndicate tunnels, 

and the Grand View Coal Co., whose holdings comprise a half section of coal lands and coke ovens. 

The Pro Patria Co. drove a crosscut tunnel 2,600 

feet on the western slope of Dolores Mountain. 

This tunnel was designed to connect with a 100-ton 

concentrating plant by m~ans of a 3,800-foot tramway 

having a fall of 15 per cent. Lead concentrate was 

to form the jig product, and the iron and zinc tailings~ 

were to be reground and the iron magnetized by 

roasting. The magnetic separator would then part 

the iron and zinc. At the Emma mine, at Dunton, a 

Krupp mill of 80-stamp capacity was added to the 

20-stamp mill. 

In 1902 Rico was v~ry quiet, only small lots of ore 

being shipped by lesseea and.smalllots from an experimental plant owned by the United Rico Mines Co. 

and from the new mill owned by the Pro Patria Co. 

The process used at the test mill, which treated ore 

from the Atlantic mine, was as follows: 

The ore was first crushed, then sent to the 20 

stamps, and then to the Frue vanners, after being 

sized by passing over pointed boxes. The lead, iron, 

and zinc were made into two products, the lead kept 

by itself. 

The iron and zinc product was then passed through 

a contrivance known as the "National magnetic min-

• 

• 

.· 
116 MINING IN COLORADO 

eral separator." This separator removed the magnetic iron pyrites, of which the mixture carried about 

40 per cent, and the remaining 60 per cent was put 

through a light roasting furnace and returned to the 

magnetic separator, where nearly all the rest of the 

iron was extracted. This separator consisted of three 

~anvas belts revolving in the fields of ·three different 

electromagnets, each of which was of a different magnetic strength. The roasted or mixed ore passed over 

the belt affected by the weakest magnet first and afterward over the belts affected by the stronger ones. 

During the test runs the following products were 

Dbtained and shipped: 

·Content of concentrates made by experimental plant of United Rico 

Mines Co. at Rico, Colo., in 1902 

Percentage ofConcentrates Tons 

Zinc Iron Lead 

-----------·1------------

ZinC------------------------------------- { ~!~: ~g ~~: H }--------- ---------- Iron_____________________________________ 132.35 ---------- 59.11 ---------- Lead_____________________________________ 203.00 ---------- ---------- 44.84 

The zinc· concentrates did not carry, at the highest, 

more than 3 per cent of iron, and the iron concentrates showed only about 4 or 5 per cent of zinc. The 

lead concentrates showed, in general, a low percentage 

of zinc, although several lots gave more than the limit 

of 10 per cent allowed by the smelter. 

The Pro Patria Co. erected a 100-ton water-power 

jig concentrating mill. A tramway 3,600 feet long 

connected the mine and mill. Origin_ally the company 

planned to work the ore entirely on jigs, but afterward 

they decided to put in tables and treat the middlings 

· from the jigs after regrind~ng. This mill had a separator of the magnetic variety and also roasted its con-

~entrates before treating. The mill was finished near 

the end of the year, and the clean zinc concentrates 

obtained amounted to very nearly 150 tons and 

il.veraged 50 per cent of metallic zinc. 

At Dunton the Emma group of mines was in active 

·operation with a concentration mill of 125 tons daily 

~apacity. 

According to the mine reports in Mineral Resources 

the milling results were not satisfactory, and the production of zinc fell off until1905 and 1906. The year 

1907 was a dull one for the district, but in 1908 the 

• 

Pro Patria mill was again set in motion and produced 

zinc and lead concentrates. This mill was destroyed 

by fire in October, 1908, and no milling was done 

again until 1913, when the mill was re1nodeled into a 

straight wet-concentration plant and operated during 

that year only. In 1912 the district took on new life 

through shipments of copper and lead-zinc smelting 

ore, and in 1913 the output had a value for silver, 

copper, lead, and zinc larger than that of the output 

in 1894. In 1914 and 1915 the lead and zinc shipments decreased, and in 1914 the shipments of copper 

9-lso decreased, but in 1915 the output of copper was 

the largest ever made by the camp. From 1916 

through 1918 copper ores and lead-zinc ores were 

shipped in considerable quantities. From 1919 to 

1923 mining was not very active in this county. 

For 1879 to 1884 the figures given in the table a.re 

obtained from the reports of the Director of the 

Mint.33 For 1879 and 1880 Dolores, San Juan, San 

Miguel, Ouray, and Rio Grande are estimated separately. 

For 1879 to 1896 the figures given are based on 

reports of the agents of the mint in annual reports of 

the Director of the Mint, the gold and silver being 

prorated to correspond with the figures of the total 

production of the State as corrected by the Director 

of the Mint, the lead being prorated to correspond 

with the total production of lead for the State as given 

in Mineral Resources, and any unknown production 

in the State being distributed proportionately among 

the counties. As with lead so with copper, but as 

the figures for copper given in Mineral Resources 

·include copper from matte and ores treated in Colorado, though produced in other States, the figures 

for copper are subject to revision. 

The production of lead in 1887 was 1,000,000 

pounds, according to an estimate in Mineral Resources.34 

For 1897 to 1904 the figures, which represent smelter . 

and mint receipts, are taken from the reports of the 

Colorado State Bureau of Mines. 

For 1905 to 1923 the figures are obtained from 

Mineral Resources (mine reports). 

aa Burchard, H. C., Report of the Director or the Mint upon the production ofthe 

precious metals in the United States during the calendar year 1880, pp. 156-157, 

1881. (See the later reports or this series.) 

u U. S. Geol. Survey Mineral Resources, 1886, p. 145, 1887 . 
DOUGLAS COUNTY 117 

Gold, silver, copper, lead, and zinc produced in Dolores County, 1879-1923 

Silver Copper Lead Zinc 

---- Ore Lode Aver- I Av"- Aver- Aver- Total Year (short gold age age age age value tons) Fine price Value Pounds price Value Pounds price Value Pounds price Value ounces per per per per ounce pound pound pound 

-

1879 ___________ -------- 0 $1,500 0 7, 734 $1.12 $8, ~62 b4, 301 $0.186 $800 b 10,000 $0.041 $410 ------------ ... -----1 $11, 372' 

1880----------- -------- 0 3, 500 0 30,938 1.15 35,579 b 29,000 . 214 6,206 b 100,000 .05 5,000 ------------ ---------- 50,285-

1881----------- -------- 5,000 69,610 1.13 78,659 b 44,000 .182 8,008 b 200,000 .048 9, 600 ------------ 101,267 

1882----------- -------- 10,000 85,078 1. 14 96,989 b 54,000 .191 10, 314 b 200,000 • 049 9, 800 ------------ ------- ---------- 127,103 

1883----------- -------- 5,000 193,360 1.11 214; 630 b 100,000 .165 16,500 b 200,000 .043 8,600 ------------ ................... ---------- 244, 73() 1884. __________ -------- 1,500 54, 141 1.11 60,097 ----------- ------- ----------- b 152,000 .037 5,624 ------------ ------- .......................... 67,221 

1885.---------- -------- b 4, 000 b 70,000 1.07 74,900 .......................... --............ ----------- b 100,000 .039 3,900 ------------ ------- ---------- 82,800 

1886.---------- -------- 8, 561 75,836 . 99 75,078 ----·------- --:i38" ----------- 792,000 .046 36,432 ------------ ------- ---------- 120,071 

1887----------- -------- 9, 743 118,262 . 98 115,897 34,000 4, 692 1, 000,000 .045 45,000 ------------ _______ ! __________ 175, 332' 1888 ___________ -------- 17,470 'I23, 852 . 94 116,421 ----------- ------- ----.................. 1, 000,000 .044 44,000 ------------ ------- ---· ------ 177,891 

1889 .. --------- -------- 77,825 618,615 . 94 581,498 ----------- ------- ----------- 2, 000,000 . 039 78,000 ------------ ------- ---------- 737,323 1890 ___________ -------- 156,297 848,785 1.05 891,224 ----------- ------- ........ ------- 2, 000,000 .045 90,000 ------------ ------- ---------- I, 137, 521 I89L __________ -------- 122,631 699,888 .99 692,889 ----i3; 043- ----------- 931,326 .043 40,047 ------------ ------- ---------- 855,567 1892 ___________ -------- 235,669 1, 285, 179 . 87 1, 118, I06 .116 1, 513 3,083,168 .04 123,327 ------------ ------- ---------- 1, 478, 615- 1893 ___________ -------- 442, 105 2, 675,238 . 78 2, 086,686 b 10,000 .108 1, 080 4, 500,000 .037 166,500 ------------ :::::::1:::::::::: 2, 696,371 I894 ___________ -------- 192,626 1, 153,325 .63 726,595 b30, 000 .095 2,850 2, 000,000 .033 66,000 --.---------- 988,071 

1895.---------- -------- 52,552 399,283 . 65 259,534 64,151 .107 6,864 313,824 .032 10,042 ----,...3o;ooo· w:o39- ---ii;i7o- 328, 992' 

1896----------- -------- IO, 659' 240,393 . 68 163,467 ----39;654" .108 -----4;758" 1, 100,000 . 03 33,000 208, 296· 

1897----------- -------- 43,469 179,901 .60 107,941 .12 1,093,840 .036 39,378 ·--,...4oo;ooo- --:046T--is;4oo- 195,546 1898 ___________ -------- 88,282 463,346 . 59 273,374 149,647 .124 18,556 686,597 .038 26,091 424,703 I899 ___________ -------- 66,847 257,052 . 60 154,231 44,509 .171 7,611 2, 046,232 .045 92,080 a 100,000 . 058 5,800 326,569 1900 ___________ -------- 50,125 159, 3I8 . 62 98,777 36,009 .166 5,978 210,380 .044 9,257 0 220,000 .044 9, 680 173,817 

1901----------- ................ 22,303 111,632 .60 66,979 I3, 106 .167 2,189 367,057 . 043 15,783 0 250,000 . 041 10,250 117,504 1902. __________ -------- 47,458 121,311 .53 64,295 I5, 054 .122 I,837 388,806 .041 15,941 248,680 .048 11,937 141, 46S 1903 ___________ -------- 43,262 I03, 096 .54 55,672 147,588 .137 20,220 I43,417 .042 6,024 ----·is; i96- ------- ------928" 125, 178 1904 ___________ 7, 727 53,783 108,301 . 58 62,815 25,392 .128 3,250 181,229 .043 7, 793 • 051 128, 569' 

1905.---------- 3,826 34,766 76, 526 . 6I 46,681 119,821 .I56 18,692 840,319 .047 39,495 556,266 .059 32,820 172,454 

1906.---------- 2,242 9,398 34,290 . 68 23,317 199,379 .193 38,480 118,229 .057 6, 739 883,533 . 06I 53,896 13I, 83()' 

1907.-.-------- '1, 575 11,689 33,037 . 66 21,804 99,495 .20 19,899 54,547 .053 2,891 -···5w:is4- ------- ---23;932" 56, 2S3 1908 ___________ 11,024 37,238 163,563 . 53 86,688 42,495 .I32 5,609 947,962 .042 39,814 .047 193,281 1909 .. _________ 4, 787 22,266 103,646 . 52 53,896 43,538 .13 5,660 462,373 . 043 19,882 167,574 .054 9,049 110,753 191Q ___________ 2,933 15,327 88,309 • 54 47,687 97,063 .127 12,327 127,909 . 044 5, 628 87,000 .054 4,698 85,667 

191L- _ ------·· 3, 276 7, 565 56,202 . 53 29,787 3,288 .125 411 70I, 244 .045 31,556 525,333 .057 29,944 99,263. 

19I2. ---------- 8,485 7, 556 100,288 . 615 6I, 677 689, 9I5 .165 113,837 1, 212,400 .045 54,558 812,029 . 069 56,030 293; 658 

1913 .. --------- 17,802 12,432 178,816 . 604 108,005 801,819 .I55 124,282 3, 079,341 .044 135,491 2, 596,232 .056 145,389 525, 59~ 

19I4.-- -------- 6,905 7, 973 86,526 .. 553 47,849 350,278 .133 46,587 492,023 .039 19, 189 366,549 . 051 18,694 140,292 1915 .. _________ 14, 192 11,932 I27, 933 . 507 64,862 1, 032,480 .175 ISO, 684 268,447 .047 I2, 617 35,936 .I24 4,456 274,551 

19I6 .. - -------- 6,398 7, 426 77,280 . 658 50,850 4I9, 500 .246 I03, I97 588,333 .069 40,595 182,306 .I34 24,429 226,497 

I917 ----------- 14,026 5, 213 88,222 . 824 72,695 519,916 • 273 141,937 1, 772,221 .086 152,411 1, 701,353 .102 173,538 545,794 

1918.---------- 9,272 3,136 54,249 1.00 54,249 618,012 • 247 152,649 517,394 .071 36,735 661,253 . 091 60,174 306,943 

1919.---------- 4, 461 2, 517 35,225 1. 12 39,452 264,968 .186 49,284 98.700 .053 5, 231 67,027 .073 4,893 101,377 1920 ___________ 2, 752 2,350 32, 167 1. 09 35,062 6,804 .184 1, 252 772,588 .08 61,807 229,865 . 081 18,619 119,090 

1921---------·- 386 1, 856 14, 49911. 00 14,499 744 .129 96 18,624 .045 838 ------------ ------- ---------- 17,289 1922 •• _________ 678 I, 953 30,267 I. 00 30,267 24,089 .135 3, 252 87,200 ·.055 4, 796 ···-i3s;ooo· ··:oos· ----9.-384" 40, 26S 1923__ _________ 1, 393 2, 890 39,408 .. 82 32, 3I5 56,823 .147 8, 353 162, 414 • 07 11,369 64,311 

-------- I, 977,650 11,673, 9271------- 9, 202, 637 1 6, 243, ss1 · ------- I, 149, 714 37,022, I44 -------11,669, 27I 10,786,3161------- 728,110 14,727, 38? 

o Estimated by C. W. Henderson. b Estimated by C. W. Henderson by interpolations to correspond to total production of the State. 

DOUGLAS COUNTY 

The early history of Douglas County is summarized 

by the Colorado State Bureau of Mines as follows: 35 

While the county is usually classed among the plains counties 

its west and southwestern portions are quite rugged and are 

traversed by a . spur of the main mountain chain known as 

Rampart Range. 

Plum Creek and its tributaries afford the drainage for the 

east slope, and the South Platte River and tributaries the 

drainage for the west slope of this range. Lying east of Plum 

Creek Valley is what is known as Cherry Creek Plateau, 

drained by Cherry Creek and tributaries. 

The early history of the county reveals it to be one of the 

first settled in the State, the search for gold being the primitive 

cause. Some gold was found and removed and has been every 

year up to the present time. The beds, however, were never 

very lucrative. * * * 

Following the rush into the Cripple Creek . district, the 

Rampart Range [including Devils Head Peak] was the scene 

of considerable excitement in 1895. During 1896 towns sprang 

3& Colorado State Bur. Mines Rept. for 1897, pp. 32-33, I898. 

up, and the southwest portion of the county gave evidence of 

a permanent producing district. The results of development 

during 1897 have not been as successful as expected. * * * 

The district is in a prospective stage. Ore carrying good values 

exists but has not yet been demonstrated in paying quantities. 

The somewhat recent reports of gold value in the sandstone 

beds along West Creek, if reliable, will bring the district 

* * * a producer. During the year an average of 77 men . 

were employed. 

The leading town and the county seat of_ the county is 

Castle Rock. 

For 1885 the figures in the table represent deposits 

of gold and silver at the Denver Mint.36 

For 1897 to 1904 the figures, which represent 

smelter and mint receipts, are taken from reports of 

the Colorado State Bureau of Mines. 

For 1906 to 1922 the figures are taken from Mineral 

Resources (mines reports). 

36 Wilson, P. S., agent for Colorado, in Kimball, J. P., Report of the Director 

of the Mint upon the production of the precious metals in the United States during 

the calendar year 1885, p. I36, 1886. 
118 MINING IN COLORADO 

Gold and silver produced in Douglas County, 1858-1922 

Year Placer 

gold Fine 

ounces 

Silver 

Average 

price 

per 

ounce 

Value 

Total 

value 

-------------------------

1858-1884______________________ (") (") 1885___________________________ $1,420 -------7o- ----$i:o7- ------$75- $1,495 

~~~~===========================! 475 10 . 60 6 g! 

1899 _______ ----- -------·-------- 83g6~2

4 

-------22~-4~0-- ------:-.. 66~- 0~3--~-------114~5-- 97 

1900 _____ ---------------------- 77 1901 ______ --------------------- 109 

1902 _______ -------------------- 67 19tl3___________________________ 41 2 . 54 1 42 

1906___________________________ 4 4 1904___________________________ 2891 5 . 581 3 292 

1910___________________________ ~~g~=========================== 1~i 83 ----------

========== ----------========== ----------========== 1~i 83 

191L-------------------------- 166 ---------- ---------- ---------- 1J6 1912___________________________ 75 75 

1913___________________________ 547 --------2- -----:6o4: --------i- 548 

1914___________________________ 140 140 

1915___________________________ 596 --------4- -----:553- --------2- 598 

192!___________________________ 47 ---------- ---------- ---------- 47 

1922___________________________ 12 ---------- ---------- ---------- 12 

- 4, 509,-.--1-6-1 ===:l-rn~ 

"Small production unrecorded. 

EAGLE COUNTY 

The report of the Director of the Mint for 1883 

gives the following information concerning Eagle 

County: 37 

Eagle County was formerly a part of Summit and embraces 

what were known as Eagle River and Holy Cross mining districts. * * * The chief camp is Red Cliff, in the vicinity 

of which are the largest producers in the county, viz, the Eagle 

Bird group, Belden, Clinton, Little Chief, Crown Point, Spirit, 

Kingfisher, Discovery, Silver Age, and a few minor properties. 

These are located on Battle Mountain. * * * The Belden 

{was] located in 1879. Eagle Bird Consolidated Mining Co. 

consists of 25 claims, among which [are] Silver Wave, Eagle 

Bird, Indian Girl, May Queen, Cleveland, and Black Iron. 

For 1880 Burchard 38 gives the production of silver 

in the Eagle River district, under Summit County, as 

$50,000 (38,672 ounces at $1.29+ ), and adds: "Several 

promising contacts, notably the Belden group, have 

been opened the past summer." 

In his report for 1881, under Summit County, 

Burchard says: 39 

On Eagle River, ~t Red Cliff, the Belden Mining Co., and 

the Battle Mountain smelter have produced a large quantity 

of base bullion. * * * No ore is being shipped except from 

the Belden Co.'s mine, and from this but four carloads per day. 

The ore, containing as it does a large percentage of lead, forms 

an excellent flux for the dry ores and will aid materially in 

smelting. 

In Gold Park, near the mount of the Holy Cross, a considerable camp has been established, and a large stamp mill erected 

to crush the gold ores found there. The veins are quite strong, 

the quartz at the surface to a depth of 12 to 15 feet much 

decomposed, and the yield $10 to $25 per ton under stamps. 

Below the decomposition the ores are mainly white iron pyrites. 

This section is scarcely more than a year old. 

31 Burchard, H. C., Report of the Director of the Mint upon the production of 

the precious metals in the United States during the calendar year 1883, pp. 240, 

290-294, 1884. 

as Burchard, H. C., op. cit. for 1880, p. 152, 1881. 

39 Burchard, H. C., op. cit. for 1881, p. 435, 1882. 

In his report for 1882, under Summit County, 

Burchard says: "At Red Cliff the Belden is the 

principal mine." 40 

For 1883 the figures in the table are taken from 

Burchard's report. 41 

Burchard's report for 1884 contains the following 

notes on mining in Eagle County: 42 

The Belden shipped during the year 1,640 tons of ore, which 

returned as follows: 

Ores 

Lead ______________________________________ t'ons __ Silver ___________________________________ ounces __ 

Gold. ______ ------ _________ --------------- _do ___ _ 

Quantity 

568 

16,400 21~ 

Price 

$72.00 

1.10 

20.00 

Value 

$40,896 

18,040 

430 

59,366 

. The Eagle Bird shipped 2,090 tons of ore, assaying 31 per 

cent lead and 8~ ounces silver, giving 647 tons of lead and 

17,765 ounces of silver. 

Black Iron ,produced 378 tons of ore, assaying 41 per cent 

1ead and 9 ounces silver, giving 154.98 tons lead and 3,402 

ounces silver. 

The May Queen forwarded 30 tons, which returned 39 per 

cent lead and 8 ounces silver, giving 11 tons lead and 240 

ounces silver. 

The total of these mines, comprising the Cheeseman and 

Clayton group, was as follows: 

Ores Quantity Price Value 

Lead ____________________________________ tons__ 814. 58 

Silver_------------------------- _______ ounces __ . 21,407.00 Gold ____________________________________ do____ 157.00 

$72.00 

1.10 

20.00 

$58,659.76 

23,547.70 

3, 140.00 

85,347.46 

The shipments from the Little Chief, Crown Point, Kingfisher, Iron Mask, Spirit, Clinton, Cleopatra, Great Western, 

and Potvin have amounted to some 597 carloads of mineral, 

averaging 10 tons to the car; 32 per cent lead and 8 ounces 

silver per ton would give 5,970 tons of mineral yielding as follows: 

Ores Quantity Price Value 

Lead ____________________________________ tons __ 

Silver ___ ------- _______________________ ounces __ 

Gold_· _____ .. ---------------------------.do ___ _ 

1, 910.4 

4, 776 

250 

I 

$72. 00 $137, 548. 88 

1. 10 52, 536. 00 

20. 00 5, 000. 00 

------------~---------- 195,084.88 

On the lower end of Battle Mountain is found what is now 

termed the quartzite, which extends on the west side of Rock 

Creek and on the north side of Eagle River. The most promising of its mines are the Ground Hog group, Combined Discovery, Uncle Sam, Horn Silver, and Highland Mary. * * * · The total yield of Red Cliff Camp has been stated to be, 

from the carbonate mines, $339,798.26; from other mines 

$125,000; total, $464,798.26 (which includes the value of lead). 

In the vicinity of Taylor Hill much work is being done in the 

way of development, and McClelland's stamp mill has been 

running most of the year on ore from this locality. It is 

claimed about $12,000 was turned out during this tim~. 

40 Burchard, H. C., op. cit. for 1882, p. 559, 1883. 

41 Burchard, H. C., op. cit. for 1883, pp. 240, 294, 1884. 

42 Burchard, H. C., op. cit. for 1884, pp. 177, 207-209, 1885. 
EL PASO COUNTY 119 

At Holy Cross exploitation only has been done; bodies of 

Qre have been developed, but the actual yield has been almost 

nothing. The production of the camp, reported from ore treated 

was $6,400. 

The figures for lead for 1884 in the table are taken 

from Mineral Resources.43 

For 1885 the production amounted to 11,000 tons 

Qf ore containing 3,500 tons of lead gross; a deduction 

For 1897 to 1907 the figures, which represent smelter 

and mint receipts, are taken from the reports of the 

Colorado State Bureau of Mines. 

For 1905 to 1923 the figures are obtained from Mineral Resources (mines reports). 

The geology of the ore bodies at Red Cliff has been 

studied by Means/5 and the siderite at Red Cliff has 

been described by Argall. 46 

Gold, silver, copper, lead, and zinc produced in Eagle County, 1880-1923 

Gold Silver Copper Lead Zinc 

Year 

Ore 

(short 

tons) 

Aver· Aver- Aver- Aver- Total 

value 

Placer Lode 

F' a~e age a~e age Total me s pnce Value Pounds price Value Pounds pnce Value Pounds price Value ounce per per per per 

------__ ----------- ounce ___ ·_ ---- pound~--- ____ pound ---I pound 

1880 __ -- a 1, 000 -------- $2,000 a $2,000 a 38,672 $1. 15 $44,473 ---------- ------- --------- a800, 000 $0. 05 $40,000 ----------- ------- --------- _ $86,473 

188L___ a 2, 000 -------- 4, 000 a4, 000 a 79,344 1. 13 89,659 ---------- ------- --------- 0 1, 600,'',00 . 048 76, 800· __ --------- ------- ---------- 170,459 

1882_ --- a 2, 500 -------- 5, 000 a 5, 000 a 98,680 1. 14 112,495 ---------- ------- --------- a2, oo.~. 000 . 049 98, 000 ----------- ------- ---------- 215,495 

1883_ --- 19,859 -------- 70,000 70, 000 232,031 1. 11 257, 554 ---------- ------- --------- 16,0 0, 000 . 043 688, 000 ----------- ------- ---------- 1, 015, 554 1884_ ___ a 10, ooo -------- 30, ooo 30, ooo 154,687 1.11 171,703 ---------- _______ --------- 6, roo, ooo . 037 244,200 ----------- ------- __________ 445,903 

1885_ --- 11,000 -------- 33,000 b 33,000 b 170, 156 1. 07 182,067 ---------- ------- --------- 5, 950,000 . 039 232,050 ----------- ------- ---------- 447, 117 1886 ____ --------- -------- 423,517 423,517 569,637 . 99 563,941 ---------- ------- --------- 0 2,000,000 . 046 92,000 ----------- ------- ---------- 1, 079,458 1887---- --------- -------- 219, 594 219, 594 254,078 . 98 248,996 ---------- ------- --------- 1, 112,905 . 045 50,081 ----------- ------- ---------- 518, 671 1888_- -- --------- -------- 142,002 142,002 193,489 . 94 181, 8801 __________ ------- --------- 2, 370,090 . 044 104, 284 ----------- ------- ---------- 428, 166 1889_- -- --------- -------- 92, 220 92, 220 170, 551 . 94 160,318 ---------- ------- --------- 2, 112,280 . 039 82,379 ----------- ------- ---------- 334,917 

1890_- -- --------- -------- 68,862 68,862 75, 265 1. 05 79,028 ---------- ------- --------- 1, 000,000 . 045 45,000 ----------- ------- ---------- 192,890 189L _ -- --------- -------- 153,453 153,453 280, 168 . 99 277,366 ---------- ------- --------- 3, 776, 230 . 043 162, 378 ----------- ------- ------- _ -- 593, 197 1892_- -- --------- -------- 139, 299 139,299 347,954 . 87 302, 7201 __________ ------- ---------1 5, 259,280 . 04 210, 371 ----------- ------- ---------- 652,390 1893 ____ --------- -------- 168,867 168,867 187,658 . 78 146,373 ---------- _______ ---------~ 5, 000,000 . 037 185,000 ----------- ------- -------- __ 500, 240 

~~~==== ========= ======== ~& ~65 ~& ~65 ~:~~ : g~ ~~: ~gL========= ======= ========= ai: ~n: g~g : 8~~ ~g: ~~ =========== ======= ========== iggJ?~ 1896_--- --------- -------- 16, 472 16, 472 65, 824 . 68 44, 760 2, 044 $0. 108 $221 210, 717 . 03 6, 322 ------·· ---- ------- ---------- 67, 775 1897---- --------- -------- 34, 767 34, 767 46, 046 . 60 27, 628 2, 200 . 12 264 1, 144, 013 . 036 41, 184 ----------- ------- ---------- 103, 843 1898-----~--------------- 30,571 30,571 70,783 .59 41,762 71,049 .124 8,8101,851,512 .038 70,357 ____________________________ 151,500 

1899_- -- --------- -------- 46, 094 46, 094 44, 393 . 60 26, 636 5, 876 . 171 1, 005 1, 187, 930 . 045 53, 457.---------- ------- ---------- 127, 192 1900_ --- --------- -------- 103,598 103,598 234,674 . 62 145,498 359,054 . 166 59, 603 3, 679,828 . 044 161,912 a 20,000 $0.044 $880 471,491 

1901_ ___ --------- -------- 97,376 97,376 175,181 . 60 105,109 157,914 .167 26,372 2, 775,291 . 043 119,338----------- ------- ---------- 348,195 

1902_ --- --------- -------- 31,956 31,9561 45,336 . 53 24,028 150,134 .122 18,316 832,846 . 041 34, 147 ----------- ------- ---------- 108,447 

1903_--- --------- -------- 16, 040 16, 040 27, 054 • 54 14, 609 32, 863 . 137 4, 502 677, 730 . 042 28, 465 ----------- ------- ---------- 63, 616 1904_ _ _ _ 1, 866 _ __ _ _ __ _ ·3o, 075 30, 075 21, 348 . 58 1s, 862 32, 409 . 128 4, 148 375, 201 . 043 16, 134. _ ___ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ __ __ 66, 219 

1905 ____ 12,049 ________ 46,8911 46,891 46,487 .61 28,357 29,331 .156 4,576 156,723 .047 7,366 605,612 .059 35,731 122,921 1906 ____ 15,986 ________ 51,561 51,561 94,912 .68 64,540 130,233 .193 25,135 307,755 .057 17,542 1,426,029 .061 86,988 245,766 

1907_ ___ 4,191 ________ 53,641 53,641 70,586 .66 46,587 14,270 .20 2,854 193,690 .053 10,266 429,198 .059 25,323 138,671 

1908_.___ 3, 009 ---~---- 58,131 58,131 86,715 . 53 45,959 66,141 .132 8, 731 11,204 . 042 471 ----------- . 047---------- 113,292 

1909____ 11,526 ________ 53,308 53,308 125,214 .52 65,111 286,885 .13 37,295 152,280 .043 6,548 740,408 .054 39,982 202,244 1910 ____ . 27,761_ _______ 25,231 25,231 88,313 .. 54 47,689 209,551 .127 26,613 397,409 .044 17,486 4,147,945 .054 223,989 341,008 1911 ____ 33,177_ _______ 41,160 41,160 116,109 .53 61,538 66,608 .125 8,326 855,889 .045 38,515 5,097,597 .057 290,563 440,102 1912 ____ 34,164 ________ 49,294 49,294 163,735 .615 100,697 147,176 .165 24,284 1,240,156 ~045 55,807 5,659,261 .069 390,489 620,571 1913 ____ 47,488 ________ 41,220 41,220 301,380 .604 182,034 41,368 .155· 6,412 1,351,205 .044 59,453 6,683,643 .056 374,284 663,40:3 1914 ____ 49,377_ _______ 47,194 47,194 127,080 .553 70,275 28,105 .133 3,738 1,177,385 .039 45,918 7,522,098 .051 383,627 550,752' 1915 ____ 74,197_ _______ 95,426 95,426 177,550 .507 90,018 60,086 .175 10,515 1,394,043 .047 65,520 11,141,750 .124 1,381,577 1,643,056 

1916_ --- 105, 149 $186 95,850 96,036 222,126 . 658 146, 159 112,610 . 246 27,702 1, 517,362 . 069 104,698 28,438,052 .134 3, 810,699 4, 185,294 1917---- 100, 875 53 41, 134 41, 187 136, 023 . 824 112, 083 53, 136 • 273 14, 506 2, 426, 988 . 086 208, 721 23, 715, 412 • 102 2, 418, 972 2, 795, 469 1918____ 89,675________ 35,975 .35,975 241,406 1.00 241,406 353,041 .247 87,201 2,927,099 .071 207,824 14,845,341 .091 1,350,926 1,923,332 1919 ____ 22,248 ________ 19,935 .19,935 72,159 1.12 80,818 123,306 .186 22,935 378,113 .053 20,040 3,367,548 .073 245,831 389,559 1920 ____ 32,635_ _______ 25,496 25,496 279,667 1.09 304,837 517,109 .184 95,148 282,538 .08 22,603 6,653,235 .081 538,912 986,996 

192L _ -- 39, 785 -------- 64, 723 64, 7231 682,550 1. 00 682, 550 1, 833,078 . 129 236,467 12, 578 . 045 566 ----------- . 045 ---------- 984,306 1922 ____ 71,892 ________ 72,111 72,111 583,737 1.00 583,7371,330,296 .135 179,5901 322,818 .055 17,75511,000,000 .057 627,0001,480,193 

1923---- 98,427 -------- 41,734 41,734 322,143 • 82 264,157 632,565 .147 92,987 460,171 . 07 32,212 23,600,000 • 068 1, 604,800 2, 035,890 

-----z391a, oos,199 3, oo5, 43817,642,865 ==1 6, 557,143 6, 848,438 == 1, 038, 2s61s1, 651, 48o _______ 3, 903, 8171ss, 093, 129 _______ 1a, 830,573 28, 335,221 

a Estimated by C. W. Henderson. b Interpolated by C. W. Henderson to correspoi!d with the total production of the State. 

of 15 per cent for losses gives 2,975 tons of lead, 

according to estimates in Mineral Resources. 44 

For 1886 to 1896 the figures given are based on 

·reports of the agents of the mint in annual reports of 

the Director of the Mint, the gold and silver being 

prorated to correspond with the figures of the total 

production of the State as corrected by the Director 

of the Mint, the lead being prorated to correspond 

with the total production of lead for the State as given 

in Mineral Resources, and any" unknown production" 

in the State being distributed proportionately among 

the counties. As with lead so with copper, but as the 

figures for copper given in Mineral Resources include 

copper from matte and ores treated in Colorado, 

though produced in other States, the figures for copper 

are subject to revision. 

3 U.S. Geol. Survey Mineral Resources, 1333-34, p. 422, 1835. 

4 1 U. S. Geol. Survey Mineral Resources ,1835, p. 257, 1836. 

EL PASO COUNTY 

A little copper was produced in the Blair Athol 

district in El Paso County in 1913 and 1914. The 

figures shown in the table below are taken from 

Mineral Resources. 47 

Copper produced in El Paso County, 1913-11,. 

Year 

Ore 

(short 

tons) 

Copper 

Pounds Value 

Total 

value 

-------------·1----1------------

1913_ ------------------------------------ 1914_ ------------------------------------

298 

25 

323 

10, 632 $1, 648 2, 644 352 

13, 2i6 2, 000 

$1,648 352 

2, 000 

45 Means, A. H., GaJlOJY and ore deposits of Red Cliff, Colo.: Econ. Geology, 

vol. 10, pp. 1-27, 1915. 

46 Argall, Philip, Siderite and sulphides in Leadville ore deposits: Min. and Sci. 

Press, vol. 109, p. 52, 1914. 

47 U.S. Geol. Survey Mineral Resources, 1913, pt. 1, p. 253, 1914; idem, 1914, pt. 1, 

p. 282, 191fl. 
120 MINING IN COLORADO 

FREMONT COUNTY 

The figures for production in Fremont County 

from 1881 to 1889 are taken from the reports of the 

Denver agents of the Director of the Mint.48 

The report for 1882 gives a list of mines, showing 

location and ownership. The reports for 1883 and 

1884 describe prospects. The report for 1885 contains· 

no detailed table of production or description of mines. 

The report for 1886 shows no production for Fremont 

County. The report for 1887 contains a list of producing and nonproducing mines and gives the output 

of the producing mines. A small output of copper. 

was made in this year. The report for 1889 contains 

a list of producing mines and shows their output. 

For 1889 to 1896 the figures given are based on 

reports of the agents of the mint in anpual reports of 

the Director of the Mint, the gold and silver being 

prorated to correspond with figures for the total production of the State as corrected by the Director of 

the Mi.nt, the lead being prorated to correspond with 

the total production of lead in the State as given in 

Mineral Resources, and any unknown production in 

the· State being distributed proportionately among 

•s Burchard, H. C., Report of the Director of the Mint upon the production· of 

the precious :ri:letalsjn the United States during tne calendar year 1881, pp. 354, 440, 

441, 1882; idem for 1882,' pp. 394, 574-575, 1883; idem for 1883, pp. 240, 294-295, 1884; 

idem for 1884, pp. 177, 210, 1885. Kimball, J. P., idem for 1885, pp. 133-138, 1886; 

idem for 1886, pp. 176-178, 1887; idem for 1887, pp. 167, 190, 1888; idem for 1888, p. 

130, 1889. Leech, E. 0., idem for 1889, pp. 147, 154, 1890. 

the counties. As with lead so··with copper, but as 

the figures for copper given in Mineral Resources 

include copper from matte and ores treated in Colorado, though produced in other States, the figures 

for copper are subject to revision. 

For 1897 to 1904 the figures, which represent smelter 

and mint ·receipts, are taken from the reports of the 

Colorado State Bureau of Mines. 

In the report of the Director of the Mint for 1902,. 

Downer 49 says: 

Dawson district.-Copper King Free Gold Mining Co. 

* * * completed a concentrating mill and treated some 50(} 

tons of ore. 

Copper Gulch.-Greenhorn Mining Co. * * * completed 

a lixiviation mill during the last of the year and successfully 

handled the oxidized ore from their properties. 

Currant Creek district.-Considerable prospecting * * * 

bodies of zinc and silver-lead ores. 

For 1905 to 1923 the figures given are taken from 

Mineral Resources (mines reports), published by the 

United States Geological Survey. 

Lindgren 50 has described the Cotopaxi mine at 

Cotopaxi and the Red Gulch district (Copperfield and 

Springfield), 9 miles north of Cotopaxi. 

49 Downer, F. M., agent for Colorado, in Roberts, G. E., Report ofthe.Director or 

the Mint upon the production of the precious metals in the United States during the 

calendar year 1902, pp. 12o-121, 1903. 

60 Lindgren, Waldemar, Copper in Chaffee, Fremont, and Jefferson counties~ 

Colo.: U.S. Geol. Survey Bull. 340, pp. 157-174, 190~. 

Gold, silver, copper, lead, and zinc produced in Fremont County, 1881-1923 

Year 

Ore 

(short 

tons) 

Lode 

gold 

·Silver Copper Lead Zinc 

I 

Total 

Fine Average Average Average · Average value ounces price per Value Pounds price per Value Po:1nds price per Value Pounds price per Value ounce pound pound pound 

1883------- ~:~======= ---------- ----------

========== ========== 15, ~~: 469 ~~~ Sf:~! 1. 11 $f~: 17, 171 M~ ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ----------========== =========='========== ========== ========== ========== 

---------- ============ ---~-- ------ ---------- ----------

========== ========== $g: 17, 171 M~ 1887 _______ ---------- $186 474 . 98 165 ---------- -------------------- 5, 930 $0.045 $267 ------------ ---------- ---------- 918 

\888------- ---------- ---------- ---------- . 94 ---------- ------- -- - - -- 50, 136 

~~~~======= 1895------~ ----------:::::::::: 10,~~ 18 ---------- 21,~~ ------· :~~ --- ---------- 2o,~g~ ---------- ---------- ---------- ----------~~~-~~~~~- ~~~~~:~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~:~~~~ ---------- ----------~~~~~:~~~~ ------------============ ----------========== ----------========== ------- 27IS. ~ 1896_______ __________ 915 15 . 68 10 I 92,5. 

un======= ========== i:!8~ 1 i:~~~ :~~ 2.H~ ====~~~~~= =====~~~~= ====~~~~~= ===~~~i~i= =====~~i= ======~~g= ~~~~~~~~~~~~~·~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~ :!:Hr 

1900----------------- 8,309 2,199 .62 1,363 6,725 .166 1,116 8,282 .044 365 -------------------------------- 11,153. 

1901.------ -----·----- 6, 449 ' 933 . 60 560 15,907 . 167 2, 656 33,945 . 043 1, 460 ------------ ---------- --~------- 11,125 

1902----------------- 7,379 515 .53 273 22,300 .122 2,721 2,836 .041 116 22,825 $0.048 $1,096 11,585 

1903------- ---------- 6, 346 223 . 54 120 20,777 .137 2, 846 2, 091 . 042 88 ------------ ---------- ---------- 9, 40()-

1904------- ---------- 4, 671 208 . 58 121 I, 024 .128 131 1, 071 . 043 46 ------------ ---------- ---------- 4, 969 

f~======= 1'ng 3~~ 5~~ :~~ 3~ --·so:sao· -----.-20-- ----6;o66- ========== ========== ========== ----~~~~~~~- -----~~~~- ---~~~~~~- ~:~~~ 1908_______ 4 91 4 . 53 2 __ . ________ ---------- ---------- -~-------- ---------- ---------- ------------ ---------- ---------- 93' 

1909_______ 5 85 ---------- ---------- ---------- 677 .13 88 ---------- ---------- ---------- ------------ ---------- ---------- 173. 1910_______ 29 ------ - - - - ----------- ----- 18,072 . 054 976 976. I9JL______ 382 -- 17S--- -1,'345- .53 - 7ia· ---i3,'976- -----_-i25- ----i,'747' ---iii,'iiw· -----_-045· ------896- 140,526 .057 8,010 11,544 

1912------- 1,015 253 3,439 .615 2,115 35,903 .165 5,924 ·55,956 .045 2,518 447,507 .069 30,878 41,688 

1913 _______ 53 92 78 .604 47 4,677 .155 725 4,591 .044 202 7,161 .056 401 1,467 

1914------- 706 1, 476 1, 066 . 553 589 191,917 .133 25,525 308 . 039 12 ------------ ---------- ---------- 27,602 

1915------- 1, 600 674 3, 168 . 507 1, 606 127, 303 . 175 22, 278 30, 894 . 047 1, 452 228, 170 . 124 28, 293 54, 303. 1916_______ 1,734 786 4,529 .658 2,980 101,041 .246 24,856 31,710 .069 2,188-------------------------------- 30,810 

1917------- 429 590 664 . 824 547 59,857 . 273 16,341 ---------- ---------- ---------- ------------ ---------- ---------- 17,478 19}8_______ -235 312 639 1.00 639 22,377 .247 5,527 1,113 .071 79-------------------------------- 6,557 

1922------- 7 21 174 1. 00 174 348 .135 47 4, 273 . 055 235 ------------ ---------- ---------- 477 1923 .• _____ 44 2! 184 .82 151 ------------------------------ 1,999 .07 140 20,000 .068 1,360 1,67S. ----------------------------·-------i-----l----l----l----

81, 138 91,812 ---------- 85,448 667, 154 ,---------- 120,457 684,985 ---------- 28,8541 1, 452,769 ---------- 105,693 421, 59() 
-GILPIN COUNTY 121 

GARFIELD COUNTY 

The history of mining in Garfield County prior to 

1897 is summarized in the report of the Colorado 

State Bureau of Mines for 1897 as follows: 51 

The first mineral discoveries in this county in 1878 were later 

intensified by reports of 1879. At this time the territory now 

embraced by Garfield County boundaries formed a· part of the 

Ute Indian Reservation, and the magnified reports were largely 

due to the risks incurred in attempting to appropriate a section 

not open to settlement. In 1880, notwithstanding conditions, 

prospectors were numerous. The ore discqvered was an argentiferous lead, in form of sulphide and carbonate, carrying low 

percentage of silver. At that time ores of such.low grade were 

valueless. From 1881 to the present a small amount of devel-

-opment has been made each year with little or no remunerative 

returns. During 1897 about fifty prospectors were engaged. 

For 1885 the figures in the table represent deposits 

-of gold and silver at the Denver Mint.52 

For 1894 and 1895 the figures given are based on· 

reports of the agents of the mint in annual reports of the 

Director of the Mint, the gold and silver being proI"ated to correspond with the figures for the total production of the State as corrected by the Director of 

the Mint, the lead being prorated to correspond with 

the total production of lead in the State as given in 

~nnual volumes of Mineral Resources, and any 

u unknown production" in the State being proportionately distributed among the counties. As with 

lead so with copper, but as the figures for copper 

given in Mineral Resources include copper from matte 

and ores treated in Colorado, though produced in other 

States, the figures for copper are subject to revision. 

For 1897 to 1904 the figures, which represent smelter 

and mint receipts, are taken from the reports of the 

Colorado State Bureau of Mines. 

For 1905 to 1918 the figures are taken from Mineral 

Resources (mines reports). 

Gold, silver, and copper produced in Garfield County, 1885-1918 

Year 

Ore 

(short 

tons) 

to de 

gold Fine 

ounces 

Silver Copper 

Aver- Average age price Value Pounds price Value 

per per ounce pound 

Total 

value 

---1------------------

1885 _______ -------- $113 45 $1.07 $48 -------- ------- ------- $161 

1894 _______ -------- 63 -------- ------- ------- -------- ------- ------- 63 1895 _______ -------- 153 1 . 65 1 -------- ------- ____ ·___ 154 

1897 _______ -------- 310 42 . 60 25 -------- ------- ------- 335 1899 _______ -------- 723 17 . 60 10 -------- ------- ------- 733 1900 _______ -------- 517 13 . 62 8 -------- ------- ------- 525 1901__ _____ -------- 351 13 . 60 8 -------- ------- ------- 359 

1902 _______ -------- 165 5 . 53 3 -------- ------- ------- 168 1903 _______ -------- 103 3 . 54 2 -------- ------- ------- 105 1904 _______ -------- 517 14 . 58 8 -------- ------- ------- 525 1906 _______ -------- 55 3 . 68 2 -------- ------- ------- 57 1910_______ 92 3, 603 113 • 54 61 425 $0.127 $54 3, 718 1913_______ 25 890 35 . 604 21 200 . 155 31 942 

1914_______ 73 2, 403 80 . 553 44 128 . 133 17 2, 464 1915_______ 123 5,309 112 .507 57 291 .175 51 5,417 

1917_______ 18 721 17 . 824 14 -------- ------- ------- 735 1918 _________ 1_5 ~ __ 1_5 ~,_1_5 .:.:.:.:.::.:.: ----~~- .:.:.:.=.= ~ 

-------- 16,924 528 ------- 327 1, 044 ------- 153 17,404 

ar Colonido State Bur. Mines Rept. for 1897, p. 47, 1898. 

u Wilson, P. S., agent for Colorado, in Kimball, J. P., Report of the Director of 

the Mint upon the production of the precious metals in the United States during 

the calendar year 1881), p. 136, 1886. 

GILPIN COUNTY 

How much of the early production of Gilpin County 

should be credited to placer· gold can not be estimated. 

Although for the first few years most of the material 

was taken out by placer methods it consisted chiefly 

of the oxidized decomposed portion of the lodes. By 

1863 placer -mining in Gregory Gulch had ceased. 

In later years no placer gold worthy of mention has 

been taken out, but placer deposits near Perigo and 

Rollinsville are worthy of exploration. 

In the report of the Director of the Mint for 1887 

Munson shows the value of the gold and silver produced in Gilpin County from 1859 to 1887. 53 The 

gold and silver have been separated in the table for 

the years preceding 1874 in proportion to the amounts 

for 1874. For 1876 to 1878 they have been separated 

according to the figures for 1879. The figures "for 1868 

to 1872 have been increased to ·agree with Raymond's 

figures for the State for these years. · For 187 4 and 

1875 the figures for gold and silver have been derived 

from Raymond's reports. 54 For 1879 to 1884 the 

figures for gold and silver have been derived chiefly 

from Burchard's reports. 55 

For 1886 to 1896 the figures given in the table are 

based on reports of agents of the mint in annual 

reports of the Director of the Mint, the gold and silver 

being prorated to correspond with the figures for the 

total production of the State as corrected by the 

Director of the Mint, the lead being prorated to correspond with the total production of lead in the State 

as given in ]\tlineral Resources, and any unknown 

pr_oduction in the State being distributed proportionately among the counties. As with lead so with copper, but as the figures for copper given in Mineral 

Resources include copper from matte and ores treated 

at Colorado smelters, though produced in other States, 

the figures for copper are subject to revision. 

Hollister 57 credits the J. C. Lyons smelter with 

100 to 200 ·tons of copper matte on hand in 1867. 

Raymond 58 says that the Lyons smelter produced 

80 to 100 tons of matte in eight months beginning in 

the summer of 1866 and that 100 tons more was found 

later when the plant was torn down. There is no 

record of assay of copper in this matte or record of 

its sale. 

The figures for copper in 1868 to 1873 and for lead 

in 18?3 to 1885 represent estin1ates derived from 

53 Munson, G. C., agent for Colorado, in Kimball, J.P., Report of the Director of 

the Mint upon the production of the precious metals in the United States during 

the calendar year 1887, p. 151, 1888. 

HRaymond, R. W., Statistics of mines and miniQg in the States and Territories 

west of the Rocky Mountains for 1874, p. 360, 1875; idem for 1875, p. 289, 1877. 

M Burchard, H. C., Report of the Director of the Mint upon the production of 

the precious metals in the United States for the calendar year 1880, pp. 156-157, 1881; 

idem for 1881, p. 354, 1882; idem for 1882, p. 394, l883; idem for 1883, p. 240, 1884; 

idem for 1884, p. 177, 1885. 

57 Hollister, 0. J., The mines of Colorado, p. 357, 1867. 

68 Raymond, R. W., op. cit. for 1869, p. 359, 1870. 
122 MISING IN COLORADO 

Gold, silver, copper, lead, and zinc produced in Gilpin County, 1859-1928 

Gold 

I Silver Copper Lead Zinc 

y 

Ore I Avec· Aver- I Aver- Aver- Total ear (short age age age age value tons) Placer Lode Total Fine price Value Pounds price Value Pounds I P''"" Value Pounds price Value ounces per r- per per per ounce pound pound pound 

--- --------------

1 859 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

I 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

I 

1 

1 

I 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

I 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

] 

--------- $241,918 ----------- $241,918 5, 943 $1.36 $8,082 ----------- ------- ---------- -----------1------- $250,000 860 --------- (?) $870,903 870,903 21,553 1. 35 29,097 ----------- ------- ---------- ----------- ------- ---------- --------- ------- -------- 900,000 861 --------- (?) 725, 753 725, 753 18,231 1. 33 24,247 ----------- ------- ---------- ----------- ------- ---------- --------- ------- -------- 750,000 862 --------- ('?) 1, 161, 204 1, 161,204 28,738 1. 35 38,796 ----------- ------- ---------- ----------- ------- ---------- --------- ------- -------- 1, 200,000 

863 --------- (?) 1, 548,272 1, 548,272 38,460 1. 345 51,728 ----------- ------- ---------------------

======l========= 

---------------- -------- 1, 600,000 

864 --------- ('t) 1, 741,806 1, 741,806 43,267 1. 345 58, 194 ------------------ --------------------- ---------------- 1, 800,000 

865 --------- --------- 1, 451, 505 1, 451, 505 36,272 }: ~~~ I 48,495 ------------------ --------------------- ---------------- 1, 500, 00() 

866 --------- --------- 725,753 725, 753 18,108 24,247 ------------------ --------------------- ----------------- ---------------- 750,000 

867 ··--..... I. 967,670 9G7, 670 . 24,308 1. 33 32,330 ----------- ------- ---·------ ----------- ------- ---------- --------- ------- -------- 1, 000, ()()() 

1 

1 

1 

1 

I 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

868 

869 

870 

871 

872 

873 

874 

875 

876 

877 

878 

879 

880 

881 

882 

883 

884 

885 

886 

887 

888 

889 

890 

891 

892 

893 

894 

895 

896 

897 

898 

899 

900 

901 

902 

903 

904 

905 

906 

907 

908 

909 

910 

911 

912 

913 

914 

915 

916 

917 

918 

919 

920 

921 

922 

923 

--------- 1,640,000 1, G40, coo 

--------- 2, 690, 000 2, 690,000 

--------- 2, I20, 000 2, 120,000 

--------- 3, 237,346 3, 237,346 

--------- --------- 2, 083,611 2, 083,611 

--------- --------- 1, 393,931 1, 393, 931 

--------- --------- 1, 525. 447 1, 525,447 

--------- --------- I, ;)95, 56G I, 395,566 

--------- --------- 1, 990,002 1, 990,002 

--------- --------- 2, 086,871 2, 086,871 

--------- --------- 2, 155,708 2, 155,708 

--------- --------- 2, 260,000 2, 260,000 

--------- --------- 2, 380,000. 2, 380,000 

--------- --------- 1, 850,000 I, 850,000 

--------- --------- 1, GOO, 000 I, 600,000 

--------- _1::' _______ 1, 650,000 1, 650,000 __ ,:. ______ --------- 1, 950,000 I, 950,000 

--------- --------- 2, 051, 000 2, 051, 000 

--------- --------- 1, 337, OG1 I, 337, 061 

--------- --------- 1, 134,476 I, 134,476 

--------- --------- 1, 250,756 1, 250, 7[6 

--------- --------- 1, 054,065 1, 054,065 

--------- --------- 805,236 805,236 

--------- --------- 938,016 938,016 

--------- --------- 1, 358, 157 1, 358, 157 

--------- --------- 1, 218,626 1, 218,626 

--------- --------- 1, 915,863 1, 915,863 

--------- --------- 1, 196,319 1, 196, 319 

--------- --------- 1, 534,358 I, 534, 358 

--------- --------- 2, 086,471 2, 086,471 

--------- --------- 1, 983, 514 1, 983, 514 

--------- --------- 1, 996,061 1, 996, 061 

--------- --------- 1, 655,502 1, 655,502 

--------- --------- 1, 638, 9G6 1, 638,966 

--------- --------- 1, 551,035 1, 551,035 

--------- --------- 1, 346, 113 1, 346, 113 

109,557 --------- 1, 403,865 1,403, 865 

182,873 --------- 1,450, 033 1, 450,033 

114,662 --------- I, 115,902 1, 115,902 

87,887 --------- 938,488 938,488 

120,761 --------- 1, 075,808 I, 075,808 

111, 118 --------- 887,311 887,311 

83,631 --------- 687,902 687,902 

103,038 --------- 778,774 778,774 

118,652 --------- 904,505 904,505 

94,156 --------- 687,.101 687, I01 

52,839 --------- 573,553 573,553 

54,052 --------- 562,878 562,878 

38,913 --------- 453,259 453,259 

35,289 --------- 397,087 397,087 

23,654 --------- 281,384 28I, 384 

17,018 --------- 209,683 209,683 

10,820 --------- 91,469 91,469 

3, 553 --------- 39,610 39,610 

13,707 378 51,342 .'il, 720 

5, 651 133 29,063 29,196 

---· 

--------- 242, 429 J83, 871, 96o 84,114,389 

"Estimated by C. W. Henderson. 

93,311 1. 32G 123,730 50,000 

86,340 1. 321) 114,400 IOO, 000 

G5, 910 1. 328 87, 5<8 I80, 000 59,229 1. 325 78,478 180,000 

52, 911 1. 322 69,948 200,000 

35,907 1. 297 46,571 200,000 

39,418 1. 278 50,376 252,0.50 

62,670 1. 24 77,711 193,665 

89,365 1.16 103,663 2.'i0, 000 

93,714 I. 20 112,457 300,000 

96,806 I. 15 Ill, 327 300,000 

232,031 l.I2 259,875 300,000 

232,031 1.15 266,836 300,000 

201, 094 1.13 227,236 300,000 

201,094 1.14 229,247 400,000 

154,688 1.11 171,704 200,000 

278,438 1.11 309,066 GOO, 000 

300,000 1. 07 321,000 300,000 

101,784 . 99 100, 7G6 300,000 

266,281 . 98 260,955 600,000 

174,364 . 94 163,902 400,000 

313,071 . 94 294,287 250,110 

292,495 1. 05 307,120 620,927 

232,001 . 99 229,681 5.58, 298 

134,462 .87 116,982 538,988 

135,850 . 78 105,963 a 600,000 

228,927 . 63 144, 224 a 400,000 

190,256 . 65 123,666 209,414 

295, 182 . G8 200,724 435,838 

374,417 . 60 224,650 1, 018,595 

305,687 . 59 180,355 633,707 

340,652 . 60 204,391 1, 037,421 

236,400 . 62 146, 568 799,478 

271,638 . 60 I62, 983 731, 194 

303,638 . 53 160,928 765,516 

375,238 . 54 202,629 611,988 

318,406 . 58 184,675 638,945 

340,901 . 61 207,950 512,276 

242,478 . 68 I64,885 638,002 

209,347 . 66 138, 169 874,060 

I87, 030 . 53 99, I26 636,371 

172,010 . 52 89,445 499, 146 

132,635 . 54 71,623 534,244 

292,659 . 53 155, 10!:1 950,240 

316,205 . 615 194,466 1, 025, 770 

273,207 . 604 165,017 837,974 

145,237 . 553 80,316 726,579 

125, 6G5 . 507 63,712 476,383 

I26, 553 . 658 83,272 557,317 

112,585 . 824 92,770 544,648 

124,929 1.00 124,929 456,044 

71,700 1.12 80,304 211,538 

42,000 1. 09 45,780 86,603 

I7, 963 1. 00 17,963 13,186 

43,910 1. 00. 43, 9IO 24,860 

44,942 . 82 36,852 22,884 

------ 10,522,542 ------- 8, 547,416 25,384,259 

Mineral Resources,S9 from Raymond, 60 and from 

Egleston. 61 Raymond says that his figures for 1868· 

1869, and 1870 are estimates, which he thinks are high 

From his figures for 1874 and 1875, said to be taken 

from a statement of the Blackhawk smelter, it is seen 

that the small plant of 1868-1870 could not have 

. produced more than the enlarged plant of 1874-75. 

For 1868 to 1870 Raymond estimates that the matte 

o9 U. S. Geol. Survey Mineral Resources, 1882, pp. 228, 310, 1883; idem for 1885: 

p. 257, 1886 (reduction of 15 per cent). 

eo Raymond, R. W ., op. cit. for 1870, p. 372, 1872; idem for 1874, p. 360, 1875; idem 

for 1875, p. 294, 1877. 

61 Egleston, Thomas, The Boston & Colorado smelting works: Am. Inst. Min. 

Eng. Trans., vol. 4, pp. 276-298, 1876. 

$0.23 $11,500 ----------- ------- ---------- --------- ------- -------- 1, 775,230 . 2425 24,2.50 ----------- ------- ---------- --------- ------- -------- 2, 828,650 . 2118 38, 124 ----------- ------- ---------- --------- ------- -------- 2, 245, G52 . 2412 43,4lG ----------- ------- ---------- --------- ------- -------- 3, 359,240 

. 3556 71, 120 -----------·------- ---------- --------- ------- -------- 2, 224,679 

.28 56,000 25,000 $0.06 $1,500 --------- ------- -------- 1, 498, 002' 

. 22 55,451 50,000 .06 3, 000 --------- ------- -------- 1, 634,274 . 227 43,962 50,000 . 058 2, 900 --------- ------- -------- ·1, 520, 1::1!} 

. 21 52,500 50,000 . 061 3, 050 --------- ------- -------- 2, 149,215 19 57, 000 .50, 000 . 055 2, 750 --------- ------- -------- 2, 259,078 

. 166 49,800 50,000 . 036 1,800 --------- ------- -------- 2,318,635 

.186 55,800 100,000 . 041 4,100 --------- ------- -------- 2, 579,775 . 214 64,200 100,000 . 05 5, 000 --------- ------- -------- 2, 716, 031> .182 54,600 100,000 . 048 4,800 --· ------- ------- -------- 2, 136,636 . 191 7G, 400 100,000 . 049 4, 900 --------- ------- -------- 1, 910,547 

. 165 33,000 100,000 . 043 4,300 --------- ------- -------- 1,859,004 .13 78,000 128,411 . 037 4, 751 --------- ------- -------- 2,34I,817 

. 108 32,400 128,411 . 039 5, 008 --------- ------- -------- 2, 409,408 . 111 33,300 200,000 . 046 9, 200 --------- ------- -------- 1,.480, 327 .138 82,800 228,622 . 045 10,288 --------- ------- -------- 1, 488,519 .I68 67,200 1, 288,825 . 044 f6, 708 --------- ------- -------- 1, 538,566 . 135 33,765 1,411,926 . 039 55,06.5 --------- ------- -------- 1, 437, 182 . 156 96,865 1, 130,453 . 045 50,870 --------- ------- -------- 1, 260,091 .128 71,462 779,837 . 043 33,533 --------- ------- -------- 1, 272,692 . llG 62, 523 2, 232, 158 . 04 89,286 --------- ------- -------- 1, 626,948 

.108 64,800 2, 000,000 . 037 74,000 --------- ------- -------- 1,463,389 . 095 38,000 2, 200,000 . 033 72,600 --------- ------- -------- 2, 170,687 

.107 22,407 844,037 . 032 27,009 --------- ------- -------- 1,369,401 .108 47,071 1, 948,756 . 03 58,462 --------- ------- -------- 1, 840,615 .12 122,231 2, 007,698 . 036 72,277 --------- ------- -------- 2, 505,629 

.·124 78,580 1, 216,338 . 038 46,221 --------- ------- -------- 2, 288,670 .171 I77, 399 1, 312,312 . 045 59,054 --------- ------- -------- 2,436, 905 

.166 132, 713 735,773 .044 32,374 --------- ------- -------- 1, 967, 157 . 167 122,109 670,018 .043 28, 8ll --------- ------- -------- 1, 952,869 .122 193,393 497,366 . 041 20,392 --------- ------- -------- I, 925,748 .137 83,842 945,975 .042 39,731 --------- ------- -------- I, 672,315 

.128 81,785 859,293 . 043 36,950 --------- ------- -------- 1, 707,275 

. 15G 79,915 519,841 .047 24,433 33,090 $0.059 $1,952 I, 764,283 .I93 123, 134 510, 79I . 057 29,115 46,000 . 061 2,806 1, 435,842 

. 20 174,812 611,060 . 053 32,386 --------- ------- -------- 1, 283,855 . 132 84,001 538, 143 • 042 22,602 --------- ------- -------- 1, 281,537 . I3 64,889 664,581 . 043 28,577 --------- ------- -------- 1, 070,222 . 127 67,849 fi75,477 .044 25,321 -------· .. ------- -------- 852,695 . 125 118, 780 I, 239,356 .045 55,771 23,088 .057 I, 316 1, 109,750 . 165 169,252 1, 351,600 .045 60,822 25,377 .069 1, 751 1, 330,796 .155 129,886 1, 210,341 . 044 53,255 8,589 .056 481 1, 035,740 . 133 96,635 499, 7I8 . 039 19,489 12,980 . 051 662 770,655 . 175 83,367 591,127 . 047 27,783 11,000 . 124 1, 364 739,104 . 246 137, 100 521,334 . 069 35,972 --------- ------- -------- 709,603 . 273 148,689 815,906 . 086 70, 168 141,490 .102 14,432 723,146 . 247 112,643 774,972 . 071 55,023 28,099 • 091 2, 557 576,536 

.186 39,346 523,621 . 053 27,752 --------- ------- -------- 357,085 .184 15,935 435,012 . 08 34,801 --------- ------- -------- 187,985 

.129 1, 701 91,644 . 045 4,124 --------- ------- -------- 63,398 

.135 3, 356 246,945 . 055 "·'"' .. ·--·-·r··,-. -·· ..... 112,568 

• 147 3, 364 230,157 .07 Hi, 111 --------- ------- -------- 85,5~ 

------- ------------ ------- 4, 164,422 35,492,835 1, 557,777 329,713 ------- 27,321 98,411,325 

averag~d 40 per cent copper. Egleston's figures, 

25 to 30 per cent copper, are more authentic. 

ORAND COUNTY 

The following account of Grand County h~t' been 

abstracted, with slight changes from the report of the 

Colorado State Bureau of Mines: 62 

Grand County lies in the north-central part of the State. It 

was originally segregated from Summit County by an act of 

the Territorial legislature in 1874, but its area has since been 

reduced by subsequent acts. As now constituted, the county 

has an area of 1,866 square miles. The adjoining counties are 

Jackson on the north; Larimer, Boulder, Gilpin, and Clear 

02 Colorado State Bur. Mines Rept. for 1897, pp. 48-49, 1898. 
GRAND COUNTY 123 

Creek on the east; Clear Creek, Summit, and Eagle on the 

south; and Routt on the west. It is very irregular in form 

and is outlined almost entirely by the summits of mountain 

ranges. The northern and eastern boundaries are defined by 

the .Continental Divide or Colorado Front Range. The Williams Range forms a large part of the southern and the Park 

Range the western boundary. The county is drained by Colorado River and its tributaries. This stream rises in the northeastern and eastern parts of Grand County and drains through 

several forks the area from Longs Peak on the east to Mount 

Richtofen in the northeast. These forks unite a short distance 

below Grand Lake and flow in a southwesterly course through 

the county and out near the southwest corner. The main 

tributaries from the north are Soda, Stillwater, Willow, Troublesome, Muddy, Red Dirt, and Stampede; from the south. Fraser 

River and tributaries and Williams Fork and tributaries. Between Fraser River and Williams Fork lie the Vasquez Mountains. In this area there are mountain peaks that range in alti..: 

tude from 11,000 to more than 14,000 feet. 

This region, which was a favorite spot with the Indians, was 

entered by the white man in 1859. It has been the scene of 

several mining excitements, but its inaccessibility has prevented 

development. 

The mining operations in 1897 were confined almost exclusively to the northern slope of the range, near Clear Creek 

County. Some promising developments were made and small 

lots of ore were produced. To yield a profit over charges for 

transportation and treatment the ore was hand sorted and the 

grade raised to the utmost. In this process ore that would 

yield a good profit in either Clear Creek, Gilpin, or Boulder 

counties was thrown away. In 1897 about 48 men were mining 

and prospecting. · 

For 1896 and 1897 the figures in the table are based 

on reports of the agents of the mint in ·annual reports 

of the Director of the Mint, the gold and silver being 

prorated to correspond with the figures for the total 

production of the State as corrected by the Director 

of the Mint, the lead being prorated to correspond 

with the. total production of lead for the State as given 

in Mineral Resources, and any unknown production 

in the State being distributed proportionately among 

the counties. As with lead so with copper, but as the 

figures for copper given in Mineral Resources include 

copper from matte and ores treated in Colorado, though 

produced in other States, the figures for copper are 

subject to revision. 

For 1898 to 1904 the figures, which represent smelter 

and mint receipts, are taken from reports of the 

Colorado State Bureau of Mines. 

For 1905 to 1923 the figures are taken from Mineral 

Resources (mines reports). 

In 1905. Lindgren 63 writes as follows concerning 

Grand County: 

Grand County * * * has at present only an insignificant 

production of gold, silver, and copper. Up to the recently 

begun building of the Motrat Railroad from Denver to Salt 

Lake this county has been very inaccessible, but it is expected 

that its mineral resources will be more actively exploited from 

now on. Little is known about the geological features of the 

ore deposits.. In the northeastern corner of the county are th; 

old Wolverine and other silver-lead deposits, located 12 miles 

northwest of Grand Lake, which, again, is 15 miles north of 

Granby railroad station. Twelve miles east from Granby and 

also near the Boulder County line are promising copper prospects, some of "\vhich are owned by the Monarch Mining Co., 

of Boulder. A branch railroad is projected from Granby to 

these mines. 

A third mining district is the La Plata, which is located in 

the southeastern part of the county, on the headwaters of '\Villiams Fork. The deposits are reported to contain gold, silver, 

and copper, and some development work is in progress. 

For 1905 the figures given in the table for gold represent the output from the Copper King mine of the 

Monarch Co. 

For 1908 the figures given in the table for gold and 

silver represent the output of the Grand Lake and 

Williams Fork districts; the figures for copper represent the output of the Grand Lake district; and the 

figures for lead represent the output of the Williams 

Fork district. For 1909 the figures represent the 

output of the Radium district, for 1910 the output of 

the Parshall district, and for 1914 the output of the 

Williams Fork district. 

63 Lindgren, Waldemar, U.S. Geol. Survey Mineral Resources, 1905, pp. 200-201,· 

1906. 

Gold (lode and placer), silver, copper, and lead 'produced in Grand County, 1896-1923 

Gold Silver Copper Lead 

Year 

(~~~!r Placer I Lode ! Total o:~~:s ~Y~~~e~ Value Pounds I trfc~~~~ Value • Pqunds ~Y~~~e~ Value ~~[~~ ounce pound pound 

---------------------------------______ . __ . ___ . 

lim~=~~~~~~~=~~~~~~~ ~m~m:t~~==~~~~= ::m ::m ---- --~r ----wl------~r =~~~~~~~~~~~~~m~~~ ~~~~~~~~~h=~~~~=~= ~~~:=~~~~~ ~~~~~~m~ :~ 1901. ______ ------------- --------- -~-- -------- 1, 034 1, 034 30 . 60 18 ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 1, 052 1902-------------------- ---------- ---------- 1, 302 1, 302 24 . 53 13 ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 1, 315 1903---------------------------------------- 1,426 1,426 12 .54 6 1,432 1904____________________ __________ __________ 641 641 13 . 58 8 ----i;ii4- ---$o:i2s- -----$i43- :::::::::: :::::::::: :::::::::~ 792 

1905____________________ 12 ---------- 31 31 22 . 61 13 1,680 .156 262 ---------- ---------- ---------- 306 

;mm-m~mm~~m~ __ ::-)t;;~;;:; ~:: __ -j: ----~~5·::::;;;:r ::::::;~ ::::::;~: _;;;~·~:; :::::::;;: ;--;_;~:; -~-~~.m~ ;:;~:~;: -~~~~~~; ::;~ 1916-------------------- 21---------- -------------------- 134 .658 88 760 .246 187 ---------- .069 ---------- 275 1919____________________ 3 __________ 1 1 I 508 1.12 569 __________ .186 ~-------- 453 .053 24 594 

1920 ____________________ 1 3 ---------- ---------- ---------- 856 1. 09 933 ---------- . 184 ---------- 525 . 08 42 975 

1923____________________ '2 1---------- ---------- ----------1 323 . 82 265 ~----------~---------- ---------- 314 . 07 22 287 

==jl.354jll,82913,18313.882~1----a:oml-----;,ml~l~l~~-m 17:167 
124 MINING IN COLORADO 

GUNNISON COUNTY 

Hollister 64 says of the area now included in Gunnison County: 

Since up Lake Creek (emptying into Twin Lakes, Lake County) goes the old Ute Pass from the Arkansas to the Gunnison, 

we may as well note here that both quartz and placer mines 

.are known to exist throughout the immense park which pours 

. into one channel the waters of the Gunnison. Among the paying gulches discovered and worked are Taylors, .Kents, Union, 

Washington, and German. Ores were found there quite recently like those which occur elsewhere in the territory. But 

it is out of the world, as it were, and there has been no surplus 

energy to spare for the improvement of this vast wilderness or 

even for its exploration. 

The early history of Gunnison County is summarized 

by the Colorado State Bureau of Mines as follows: 65 

Captain Gunnison, for .whom the county was named, met 

his death at the hands of the Indians while in charge of a United 

States engineering corps surveying a favorable route across the 

mountains to the far West. 

As originally organized, Gunnison County had an area of 

10,600 square miles and embraced a large portion of the central territory west of the Continental Divide. Subsequent 

legislative enactments, authorizing the organization of Pitkin, 

Delta, Mesa, and Montrose counties, have reduced original 

territory. to an area of about 3,200 square miles. * * * 

In 1861 gold was discovered on Taylor River in what has 

since been known as the Tin Cup district, the name arising from 

the character of utensil used to determine the presence of gold. 

Almost simultaneous with this was the discovery of gold in 

Washington Gulch, in the northern part of the county. 

· In Washington Gulch the gold was "coarse" and yielded 

farge returns. The amount removed must have been considerable, but the value is unattainable. * * * 

From 1861 to 1879 various parties entered this countrv with 

variable success. ~ 

Burchard 66 says of Gunnison County: 

This is the latest of the mining regions of Colorado which 

has been discovered, and bids fair to be a very productive one; 

but owing principally to its being a new and far..:.away region, 

it is doubtful whether much valuable ore has as yet been shipped 

from it. Its production has been variously estimated. I have 

given it for the fiscal year 1880 about $300,000, all in silver. 

It is doubtful whether the actual production has been as high 

as the figures stated. [Yet on p. 156 he gives $;300,000 silver 

to Gunnison for the calendar year 1879 and on p. 157 gives 

$300,000 for the calendar year 1880 and $300,000 for the fiscal 

year 1880. At the top of p. 157 the Denver Tribune for January 1, 1881, is quoted as having ascertained that the export of 

Gunnison County for 1879 was less than $25,000.-C. W. H.] 

The following interesting account of the development of the 

Gunnison country and a review of its mines and their workings, 

is .taken from the Rocky Mountain Mining Review: 

The Gunnison country, which has created such an extended 

furore during the past few years, * * * was but little 

known to the civilized world prior to 1861, when discoveries 

of the precious metals were made in Washington Gulch, Union 

{Canon], and Taylor Park. 

Until 1872 little was done, whilst in that year important discoveries of silver-bearing rocks were made in the Elk Mountains. 

During the next five years there was a small accession of settlers. 

64 Hollister, 0. J., The mines of Colorado, p. 316, 1867. 

65 Colorado State Bur. Mines Rept. for 1897, p. 54, 1898. 

66 Burchard, H. C., Report of the Director qf the Mint upon the production of 

the precious metals in the United States during the calondar year 1880, p. 149, 1881.· 

[The year] 1878 pro-\red to be the hardest of all for the settlers. 

Leadville drew off large numbers, but still others came. But 

there was no business of any kind of importance. A smelter 

was being put up at ·Crested Butte, a place started, yet little 

was done. In the fall of that year mines were opened up in 

the eastern part of the county, in the Carbonate field, which 

led to the speedy settlement and development of the whole 

county. The news of the rich carbonate strikes spread far and 

wide, and 1879 opened with a good prospect for all interested 

in the welfare of Gunnison County. Hillerton, Virginia City, 

Pitkin, Gothic, and Irwin were all laid out and built to some 

extent that year, and the town of Gunnison kept pace with all 

and improved rapidly. . 

In the report cited descriptions of Cochetopa district, Ruby Can1p, Ohio City, Aspen City (now Pitkin 

County), and Elk Mountain follow. 

For 1873 Raymond says: 67 

According to the Georgetown Mining Review, the total 

product of Lake County in 1873, in gold and value of ores 

shipped, was $225,000, To this I add $5,000, the product of 

some small diggings on Gunnison River in the northwest part 

of the county [then part of Lake County]. The same item is 

to be deducted from the product of Summit County, in which 

it was included in the Review. 

For 1879 Burchard 68 gives $300,000 for the coining 

value of the. silver produced; others, among whom is 

Munson, 69 gives $25,000. In 1880 the production was 

only $300,000, iQcluding the new camp of Aspen. The 

production in 1881 was· only $400,000, and there was 

"very little development of mines until 1881." Arbitrarily, therefore, Gunnison is given $25,000 for 1879 

and $275,000 in silver is given to Lake County. 

For 1880 Burchard 70 gives $300,000 for the value 

of the silver produced (232,031 ounces at the coining 

rate of $1.29 +), but 10,000 ounces is deducted and 

given to Aspen. 

For 1881 Burchard 71 says: 

Very little development of the mines occurred, however, 

until 1881. * * * In the autumn of that year, the Denver 

& Rio Grande Railroad was completed to Gunnison, and later 

to Crested Butte, a few miles from Ruby Camp, the present 

limit of settlement in that direction. 

Immediately beyond Ruby lies the vast region recently 

occupied by the Ute Indians, which remains to be carefu1ly 

explored for mineral treasures. 

·The most productive camp in the county is known as Tin 

Cup. Its practical development began in the summer of 1880 

after a long and very severe winter, in which the whole country 

was literally buried in snow. The season was quite short, as 

the snows of 1880-81 began the following October. * * * 

During 1881, however, practical results were achieved in the 

form of highly creditable yields of bullion. Two smelters have 

been erected, one by the Virginia City Mining & Smelting Co. 

and the other by the Willow Creek Reduction Co. The 

two have a capacity of about 50 tons per day. Both will be 

enlarged this year to meet the increased supply of ore from 

the mines. * * * · 

67 Raymond, R. W., Statistics of mines and mining in the States and Territories 

west of the Rocky Mountains for 1873, p. 309, 1874. 

68 Burchard, H. C., op. cit. for 1880, p. 156, 1881. 

69 Munson, G. C., agent for Colorado, in Kimball, J.P., Report of the Director of 

the Mint upon the production of the precious metals in the United States during 

the calendar year 1887, p. 133, 1888. 

1o Burchard, H. C., op. cit. for 1880, p. 157, 1881. 

71 Burchard, H. C., op. cit. for 1881, pp. 354, 394-402, 1882. 
GUNNISON COUNTY 125 

In Quartz Creek district, in neighborhood of Pitkin, there 

are a number of valuable mines. The Red Jacket was one of 

the early discoveries in 1878, and the Fairview and Silver Islet 

were located shortly afterward. A number of good prospects 

were discovered during 1879, * * * and in the spring of 

1880 a great rush to Gunnison County took place, of which 

Pitkin had a large share. * * * 

In Gothic district there are many newly discovered mines, 

but the developments so far made are not important. 

In Copper Creek district the chief mine is the Sylvanite. * * * 

The chief smelter in this section of the county is at Gothic. 

It is very complete as to details and has a capacity of 15 tons 

per day. It has not as yet been in blast. * * * 

Ruby Camp, or Irwin, is situated in the westerly part of the 

Elk Mountain range, on the Ruby Silver belt, which gave the 

district its name, and is 10,500 feet above sea level. This 

district is within the Ute Indian Reservation. From 1,200 to 

1,500 mining locations have been made, but less than 50 are 

in paying condition. * * * The total shipments aggregate 

225 tons, having an average of 178 ounces of silver per 

ton. * * * 

In his report for 1882 Burchard 72 mentions the 

Tomichi district as first developed in 1880 but says 

that not much was done till 1881; in 1882 activity 

increased. He continues: 

Tin Cup district, Virginia City smelter, Jocated 2 miles below 

Tin Cup in first-class running order, turning out a carload of 

base bullion every four days. * * * 

Gothic district, including Washington Gulch. * * * 

The Eureka, on Treasury Mountain, has produced more than 

any other mine in the locality. About 10 carloads of ore of 

various grade were shipped to the Boston & Colorado works at 

Argo, the average returns of which were $90 for gold, silver, 

:and copper contained. The galena and antimonial silver ores 

were shipped to Meyer's smelter, near Kansas City; the average returns were 20 ounces of silver per ton, and 60 per cent 

·of lead. 

In his report for 1883 Burchard 73 mentions Tomichi, 

Tin Cup, Quartz Creek, Ruby and Irwin, Rock Creek 

and Gothic, Spring Creek, and Poverty districts. 

Tomichi district: * * * North star mine, one of the largest 

producers; * * * mineral mostly galena, averaging 110 

-ounces silver per ton and 50 per cent lead. 

Quartz district: * * * The ore is much like that of Gilpin 

County. * * * The Silent Friend, largest producer; * * * 

general character of ore, galena and carbonates. 

Descriptions of many other properties are included. 

Tin Cup district: The smelter has been under very poor 

management, and but little ore has been sold. * * * The 

Gold Cup mine * * * in 1878-1880 over $450,000 worth 

-of ore taken out. * * * Over 1,200 tons were shipped to 

Denver in 1883. * * * The average grade of present output is 168 ounces silver and 1% ounces gold. 

Descriptions of many other mines are given. 

The Ruby district has added $100,000 to the production of 

precious metals during the year, but most of this comes from one 

mine. This amount would have been much larger but the con-

<:entrator did not get running until late in, the summer. 

72 Burchard, H. C., op. cit. for 1882, pp. 394, 465-472, 1883. 

:a Burchard, H. C., op. cit. fo~ 1883, pp. 240, 308-328, 1884. 

5653-26t-9 

Elk Mountain: * * * little has been done, owing to backwardness of the concentrators getting to work. 

Poverty Gulch district, between Ruby and Gothic, in Elk 

Mountain district. * * * 

Eureka, on Treasury Mountain, * * * put in shape for 

production; * * * ore of two grades, the first runs 65 to 

110 ounces silver and 8 to 12 per cent copper; the second runs 

22 ounces silver and 74 per cent lead. 

The Eureka * * * has produced more than any other 

mine. "' * * Several carloads of various grades of ore were 

shipped to Boston & Colorado works, which averaged about 

$300 in gold, silver, and copper. The galena and antimonial 

silver ores were shipped to Kansas City and a~sayed 25 ounces 

silver and 60 per cent lead. 

Rock Creek, * * * a concentrator has been erected ·at 

Scofield, ready for next summer's work. 

The Cochetopa district, * * * but little developments 

other than discovery shafts * * * until1883. 

In his report for 1884 Burchard says: 74 . 

In Ruby district little was done during the year, and the production and shipments have mostly been from the Forest Queen 

mine, * * * [where] a ~oncentrating mill was erected during 

the year. 

Tomichi ·district; * * * the North Star * * * output has been 4 to 6 carloads of ore per week. 

Quartz Creek has not enjoyed a very lively season. 

Tin Cup has had a little boom in placer mining, and the veins 

have not received much attent'ion. 

Kirchhoff 75 says of the White Pine district in 1885: 

The White Pine district, in Gunnison County, is a lead carbonate camp, with the Eureka Nest Egg as the most prominent 

mine, operated by the American Mining & Smelting Co., which 

ships the product to the Royal Gorge smelter at Canon City, 

owned by the same company. The majority of the other mines 

are mere prospects, and the ore of several of them carries an 

undesirable percentage of zinc carbonate. 

For 1887 to 1895 the figlires given in the table are 

based on reports of the agents of the mint in annual 

reports of the Director of the Mint, the gold and silver 

being prorated to correspond with the figures for the 

total production of the State as corrected by the 

Director of the Mint, the lead being prorated to correspond with the total production of lead for the State 

as given in Mineral Resources, an~ any unknown production in the State being distributed proportionately 

among the counties. As with lead so with copper, but 

as the figures for copper given in Mineral Resources 

include copper from matte and ores treated in Colorado, though produced in other States, the figures 

for copper are subject to revision. 

For 1896 to 1904 the figures, which represent smelter 

and mint receipts, are taken from the reports of the 

Colorado State Bureau of Mines. 

For 1905 to 1923 the figures are taken from Mineral 

Resources (mines reports). 

74 Burchard, H. C., op. cit. for 1884, pp. 177, 215-218, 1885. 

75 Kirchhoff, Charles, jr., Lead in Colorado: U.S. Geol. Survey Mineral Resources 

1885, pp. 255-256, 1886. . 
126 MINING IN COLORADO 

Gold (placer and lode), silver, copper, lead, and zinc produced in Gunnison County, 1861-1923 

Gold Silver Copper Lead I l----~------~---------------~------1----~----.-----l-----~----~------------~--~------l 

Zinc 

Year 

Ore 

(sho.rt 

tons) 

1 Aver- Aver- Aver- I Aver- I Quantity age age age I age 

Total 

value Total '! (fine price Value Pounds price Value Pounds price Value Pounds price Value 

ounces) per per per per 

~~r~;: :::::::: -~~ ~- :::::::::: :::~~~:I ::;~; ~i :i:~;: : :~;;~i: ::::::::: ":'~~:: ::::::::1::::::::: ~ :;~~d ::::::: ::=' ::::::::: j~:ndi :::::::::: li: ~g 

Placer Lode 

1880 _____ ------------------------------------ 222,031 1.15 255,336 ------------------------ b 100,000 $0.050 $5,000 '----------+------1---------- 260,336 

1882 _____ ---------------- 100,000 100,000 386,719 1.14 440,860 ·--------- --------------- b360,000 .049 17,640 ---------------------------- 558,500 

1881_ ____ ---------------- $10,000 10,000 309,375 1.13 349,594 ------------------------ b 360,000 .048 17,280 :-----------~------- ---------- 376,874 

1883.---- -------- -------- 100, 000 100, 000 502, 734 1. 11 558, 035 b 30, 000 $0. 165 $4, 950 b 500, 000 0 043 21, 500 ,_---------- ------- ---------- 684, 485 

1884_ ---- -------- -------- 60,000 60,000 386, 719 1. 11 429,258 --------- -------~-------- b2, 000,000 0 037 74,000 ----------- -------; ---------- 563,258 

1885 _____ ---------------- 40,000 •40,000 <144,323 1.07 154,426 ------------------------ 2,380,000 .039 92,820 '----------- -------'---------- 287,246 

1886 _____ ---------------- 18,226 18,226 144,323 .99 142,880 --------- ______ _! ________ b 500,000 .046 23,000 '-----------~-------1---------- 184,106 

1887_ ____ -------- -------- 50,506 50,506 172,616 • 98 169,164 --------- ------- -------- 451,351 . 045 20,311 ~-----------~-------1---------- 239,981 

·1888 _____ ---------------- 18,642 18,642 60,166 .94 56,556 ------------------------ 1,011,792 .044 44,519 ! ___________ ----------------- 119,717 

1889 _____ -------- -------- 39,710 39,710 48,106 • 94 45,220 556 .135 75 485,355 . 039 18,929 !----------- _______ !__________ 103,934 

1890 _______ , _____ -------- 28,784 28,784 354,393 1. 05 372,113 105,954 .156 16,529 6, 945,972 0 045 312,569 :-----------~------_1__________ 729,995 

189L ____ ------··- -------- 7,402 7,402 489,268 .99 484,375 ------------------------10,340,332 .043 444,634 '----------- ----------------- 936,411 

1892 _____ ---------------- 6,004 6,004 146,891 .87 127,795 ------------------------ 525,574 .04 21,023 ---------------------------- 154,822 

1893 _____ -------~ -------- 7,728 7,728 144,577 .78 -112,770 ------------------------ •500,000 .037 18,500 ---------------------------- 138,998 

1894 ___ -- -------- -------- 8, 052 8, 052 104,938 0 63 66, 111 --------- ------- -------- • 400,000 . 033 13,200 ----------- ------- ---------- 87,363 

1895 _____ ---------------- 36,734 36,734 114,218 .65 74,242 ------------------------ 201,898 .032 6,461 ---------------------------- 117,437 1896 _____________________ 26,757 26,757 93,273 .68 63,426 8,515 .108 920 164,370 .03 4,931---------------------------- 96,034 

1897_ ____ ---------------- 40,761 40,761 103,941 .60 62,365 2, 770 .12 332 1,013,114 .036 36,472 ----------- ----------------- 139,930 1898 _____________________ 81,006 81,006 152,800 .59 90,152 119,072 .124 14,765 1,996,560 .038 75,869---------------------------- 261,792 

189Y--------------------- 70,112 7U,112 132,983 .60 79,790 46,186 .171 7,8981,399,336 .045 62,970 220,770 19oo_____ ________ ________ 83, s5s 83, s5s 146,746 • 62 9o, 982 42,790 .166 1, 1o3 1, 583, a2o • o44 69,666 --b-ioo:ooo- $o:o44- ---$4;4iiii- 256, oo9 

1901 _________________ --- 83,445 83,445 93,243 .60 55,946 53,396 .167 8,917 656,631 .043 28,235 b100,000 .041 4,100 180,643 

1902 _____ ---------------- 103,536 103,536 123,138 .53 65,263 28,686 .122 3,500 728,935 .041 29,886 131,975 .048 6,335 208,520 

1903 _____ ---------------- 48,533 48,533 65,447 .54 35,341 15,000 .137 2,055 127,661 .042 5,362 55,600 .054 3,002 94,293 

1904 _____ 2,067 26,024 26,024 115,153 .58 66,789 16,233 .128 2,078 200,462 .043 8,620 20,010 .051 1,021 104,532 

1905_-- -- 5, 581 28, 156 28, 156 53,649 . 61 32,726 50,500 . 156 7, 878 219,809 . 047 10,331 17,905 . 059 1, 056 80, 147 

1906 _____ 31,103 87,505 87,505 70,798 . 68 48,143 248,737 . 057 14,178 158,198 • 061 9, 650 159,476 

1907 _____ 1s,o1s 61,569 61,569 27,277 .66 1s,oo3 --i3;ii9ii---:2o ____ 2;73s- 120,226 .o53 6,372 38,224 .o59 2,255 90,937 

1908 _____ 14,439 100,032 100,032 28,664 .53 15,192 5,481 .132 724 327,612 0.042 13,760 147,000 .047 6,909 136,617 

1909_-- -- 9, 071 108,493 108,493 37,423 . 52 19,460 51,815 . 13 6, 736 493,070 . 043 21,202 212,093 . 054 11,453 167,344 

1910----- 25, 203 233, 972 233, 972 49, 189 . 54 26, 562 21, 024 . 127 2, 670 581, 841 . 044 25, 601 176, 815 . 054 9, 548 298, 353 

1911__ --- 11,926 1, 417 143,622 145,039 32,541 . 53 17,247 9, 928 . 125 1, 241 631,933 . 045 28,437 557,456 . 057 31,775 223,739 

1912 _____ 14,046 651 124,676 125,327 29,035 .615 17,857 8,097 .165 1,336 306,867 .045 13,809 483,884 .069 33,388 191,717 

1913_-- -- 4, 301 601 9, 588 10, 189 87,488 . 604 52,843 21,864 • 155 3, 389 196,728 . 044 8, 656 292,875 . 056 16,401 91,478 

1914 _____ 6,018 4,384 8,649 13,033 59,036 .553 32,647 11,188 .133 1,488 317,974 .039 12,401 525,000 .051 26,775 86,344 

1915 _____ 6,446 60,197 60,197 24,892 .507 12,620 9,091 ·.175 1,591 190,000 .047 8,930 1,750,944 .124 217,117 300,455 

1916 _____ 10,419 2,151 29,402 31,553 29,023 .658 19,097 84,679 .246 20,831 313,217 .069 21,612 1,964,873 .134 263,293 356,386 

1917 _____ 12,671 327 6,308 6,635 40,272 .824 33,184 180,121 .273 49,173 751,000 .086 64,586 3,054,990 .102 311,609 465,187 

1918_---- 6, 344 73 10, 295 10, 368 12, 880 1. 00 12, 880 43, 033 • 247 10, 629 300, 760 . 071 21, 354 2, 349, 538 . 091 213, 808 269, 039 

1919 _____ 8,348 ·------- 31,556 31,556 18,425 1.12 20,636 5,124 .186 953 117,454 .053 6,225,2,456,479 .073 179,323 238,693 

1920_ ---- 8, 443 -------- 24,070 24,070 20, 555 1. 09 22,405 --------- . 184 -------- 958,301 . 08 76,664 1, 530,691 . 081 123,986 247, 125 

1921_____ 498 -------- 18,223 18,223 10,370 1. 00 10,370 --------- .129 -------- 51,955 . 045 2, 338 ----------- . 05 ---------- 30,931 1922_____ 221 -------- 9,180 9,180 3,803 1.00 3,803 526 .135 71 13,382 .055 736, ___________ .057 ---------- 13,790 

1923 ______ 11,019 -------- 23,854 23,854 24,939 .82 20,450 1,788 ------- 263 1,690,430 .07 118,330 2,889,000 .0681196,452 359,349 

==-14,604 2;'"215, 167 2,229, 771 ~ 5,437, 716 ==- 4, ll06, 570 1987,107 ==-180,833 42, 763,959·==:: 1,948, 919119,013,550 :------- 1,673, 656 10,939,749 

a Production unrecorded. b Estimated by C. W. Henderson. • Interp:>lated by C. W. Henderson to correspond with total production or the State. 

HINSDALE COUNTY 

The early history of Hinsdale ·county is· summarized by Irving and Bancroft 76 as follows: 

Precious metal was probably first discovered in the Lake City 

area about 1842 [1848?] by a member of the Fremont party, but 

no one, not even Fremont, has been able to locate the place or 

even the stream from which the first small amount of gold was 

panned. On August 27, 1811, with the discovery of the Ute 

and Ulay veins by Harry Henson, Jorl K. Mullin, Albert 

Meade, and Charles Godwin, the history of Lake City began. 

At that time all the land which is now the "San Juan" belonged to the Indians. The reports of mineral wealt.h brought 

many prospectors into the region, and the red men became 

very much irritated at the frequent encroachments upon their 

domain. Finally in 1874, to avert open hostilities, a treaty 

was drawn up and ratified by the Senate, whereby a strip of 

land 60 miles wide and 75 miles long was ceded to the United 

States Government by the Ute Indians. 

In August, 1874, Hotchkiss (the leader of the expedition that 

built a wagon road from Saguache to Lake City) discovered the 

rich vein now known as the Golden Fleece and named it the 

''Hotchkiss." News of the strike spread rapidly, and Lake 

City soon became a center of activity, the county seat being 

fO Irving, 1. D., and Bancroft, Howland, Geology and ore deposits near Lake 

City, Colo.: U. S. Geol. Survey Bull. 478, p. 13, 1911. 

removed from San Juan to Lake City, where it has remained. 

During the same year reduction works were erected at Lake 

City. * * * 

Development was continued, and new discoveries were made 

almost daily. The first boom attained its climax in 1876, 

coinciding with the opening up of. Ocean Wave group and the 

continued production of the Hotchkiss and the Ute and Ulay 

mines. During the ·spring the erection of a concentrator was 

begun, and ground was broken for a smelter at the falls just 

above the city. Soon afterward the reaction and "lull," so 

characteristic of the region, began. 

During the nex1; three years work was continued on the Ute 

and ·ulay and the Ocean Wave properties, the Excelsior mine 

was located (April, 1878), and the Crooke and Ocean Wave 

smelters were completed. 

The year 1880 marked the beginning of the biggest boom in 

the Lake City region. 

Raymond 77 in his report for 187 4 mentions Lake 

district (of the San Juan country) and the discovery 

of the Hotchkiss lode of tellurides of gold and silver. 

In the notes on the San Juan country, in the report 

for 1875, Raymond 78 says: 

77 Raymond, R. W., Statistics of mines and mining in the States and Territorie~ 

west of the Rocky Mountains for 1874, pp. 384, 386, 1875. 

71 Raymond, R. W., op. cit. for 1875, p. 324, 1877. 
HINSDALE . COUNTY 127 

Lake district includes all the locations made in Hinsdale 

County, except the mines situated in Burrows Park at the 

extreme head of Lake Fork of the Gunnison, which constitute 

what is known as Adams or Park district. * * * 

The only mines that have been worked to a considerable 

extent in the country are the Hotchkiss, in Lake district; the 

Silver Wing, in Eureka district (San Juan County); and the 

Highland Mary, Aspen, Prospector, and Little Giant, in the 

Animas district (San Juan County). 

The Hotchkiss, located by Hotchkiss Finley, is the best 

developed mine in the San Juan country. The strike of the 

vein is northeast and southwest; the vein matter is 60 feet 

thick, and it was only in the latter part of February that what 

is considered the true ore zone was found. There are two 

tunnels 50 and 80 feet long, respectively, which give access to 

the vein. The ore consists of tellurides, containing in value 

about equal proportions of gold and silver. Specimen assays 

range from $17,000 to $20,000 per ton; 18 tons of ore shipped 

averaged $1,318.61; 75 tons remain on the dump, valued at 

$150 per ton. 

Burchard says that Crooke & Co., at Lake City, 

did inost of the smelting in San Juan in 1880.79 

In 1881 Burchard says: 80 

The chief metallurgical works are those of the Crooke Mi n_ 

ing & Smelting Co. * * * The production for 1881 was 

600 tons of lead and 75,000 ounces of silver. 

The Polar Star, ·Ute, and Ulay mines have, up to the present 

time, almost entirely supplied Crooke's works . to their full 

capacity. 

The Palmetto has a 15-stamp mill, capable of handling 25 

tons of ore per· day. * * * There have been sent to mill 

400 tons of ore which yielded $28,000 worth of silver. 

In the report for 1882 Burchard says of the districts 

in Hinsdale County: 81 

Galena district comprises, as its name indicates, veins of 

principally argentiferous lead ores (sulphide and sulphate of 

lead) l generally accompanied by auriferous copper and iron 

pyrites, grav copper, zinc blende, and quartz. 

The best .representatives of veins of the above character are 

the Ute and Ulay mines, on Henson Creek, 3~ miles west of 

Lake City. * * * The main shaft on the Ulay has reached 

a depth of 410 feet. During last year extensive concentration 

works have been erected at the openings on the Ulay, which 

have proved a complete success. Their capacity is 150 tons 

of ore per day, affording also a good opportunity for treatment 

of similar ores from foreign mines. 

In connection with these mines are the smelting works near 

Granite Falls, 1 mile south of Lake City, with a capacity of 35 

to 40 tons per day. The property is owned by the Crooke 

Mining & Smelting Co. (Ltd.), London. * * * The 

mines have worked for the greater part of the year and have 

produced over 8,100 tons of ore, of which 3,750 tons have been 

treated at the works. * * * · In the Ocean Wave the vein is about 3~ feet wide, with 

10 to 12 inches of splendid mineral, principally gray copper 

and galena. Up to the year 1880 the total product of this 

mine, treated at the Ocean Wave works, was 110,000 ounces. 

Since that time mine and works have been idle. * * * 

On Engineer Mountain, at the headwaters of Henson Creek, 

most of the large fissure veins carry high-grade silver ores consisting of ruby silver, antimonial silver, gray copper, and iron 

and copper pyrites impregnated through vein matter. The 

n Burchard, H. C., Report of the Director of the Mint upon the production of the 

precious metals dming the calendar year 1880, p. 157, 1881. 

so Burchard, H. C., op. cit. for 1881, pp. 354, 402, 1882. 

u Burchard, H. C , op. cit. for 1882, pp. 394, 473-481, 1883. 

best ·developed mine is the Palmetto. * * * During. the 

first half of last year 400 tons of ore were extracted and treated 

at the Palmetto works by the amalgamation process, yielding 

$18,480. * * * 

But chief among the Engineer Mountain properties is the 

Frank Hough mine, which was discovered early last January. 

* * * The ore is a copper ore, composed of a thorough mixture of gray copper, copper pyrites, and iron pyrites. The ore 

occurs in solid, large, and irregular bodies, often separated and 

intersected by small and large talcish and chloritish fissures 

traversing in every direction. The average value of the ore 

at present exposed is from 50 to 60 ounces of silver, a trace to 

1 ounce of gold, and 20 to 28 per cent of copper per ton. Sixty 

tons of ore were shipped late last year, with an average value of 

about $125 per ton. * * * 

Lake City is the central point of Lake district; all the prominent mines are within a radius of 4 miles. 

In the report for 1S83 Burchard says of the Ute 

and Ulay and the Golden Fleece properties: 82 

Crooke Mining & Smelting Co.'s properties, consisting of 

the famous Ute and Ulay, are the most extensively developed 

mines in the San Juan. * * * These mines are producing 

600 tons of ore per month, and it is expected that next year 

they will produce 1,000 tons per month. These two mines 

were located in 1874 by Joseph Mullen and in 1876 were purchased by the Crooke Bros. A smelter was then erected for 

the treatment of the ore, and during the past year concentrators 

of a cap~city of 150 tons per day were erected. The firstgrade ore goes to the smelter, the concentrates to Pueblo and 

Denver .. * * * ·The Pueblo smelter purchased $100,000 

in concentrates from this company during 1883. * * * 

The Golden Fleece is the modern name for the claim formerly 

known as· the Hotchkiss, which during 1874-75 produced 

tellurium in large quantities. The vein of this property was 

lost but during November, 1883, was found, and the owners 

now expect to work a large force of men during the coming· 

year. 

In 1884 Burchard says: 83 

Hinsdale County's output has fallen off considerably * * * 

with the closing of the Crooke Mining & Smelting Co.~ the 

largest producer in the county, after but three months' production. * * * 

The Frank Hough mine has been one of the main factors in 

swelling the output of the county. 

The production of the Frank Hough mine amounted 

to 700 tons valued at $52,500. 

For 1S86 to 1896 the figures given in the table below 

are based on reports of the agents of the mint in 

annual reports of the Director of the Mint, the gola 

and silver being prorated to correspond with the 

figures for the State as corrected by the Director of 

the Mint, the lead being prorated to correspond with 

the total production of lead for the State as given in 

Mineral Resources, and any unknown production in 

the State being distributed proportionately among 

the counties. As with lead so with copper, but as 

the figures for copper given in Mineral Resources 

include copper from matte and ores treated in Colorado, though produced in other States, the figures for 

copper are subject to revision. 

82 Burchl\rd, H. C., op. cit. for 1883, pp. 240, 328-332, 1884. 

ss Burchard, H. C., op. cit. for 1884, pp. 177, 218-220, 1885. 
128 MINING IN COLORADO 

In the mint report for 1891. the district of Creede 

was included in Saguache County, but in the report 

for 1892 Creede was put in both Hinsdale and Rio 

Grande counties. The output of Hinsdale, Mineral. 

and Rio Grande counties has been separated as accurately as possible with the data obtainable. 

For 1897 to 1904 the figures, which represAnt 

smelter and mint receipts, are taken from the reports 

of the Colorado State Bureau of Mines. 

For 1905 to 1923 the figures are taken from Mineral 

Resources (mines reports). 

the north, Las Animas on the east, Las Animas and Costilla 

on the south, and Costilla and Saguache on the west. 

In form the county is very irregular, being outlined largely by 

natural topographical divisions. With the exception of the 

Sangre de Cristo Mountains on the west, the Wet Mountains 

on the north, and the Spanish Peaks in the south, composed of 

metamorphic and eruptive rocks, the county is made up of 

3edimentary rocks, ranging from the Carboniferous to the 

Tertiary. 

The first mining for precious metals was in 1875. Since that 

~ime small amounts have been produced annually, but this 

resource has not yet been developed beyond the prospect stage. 

Prospects are numerous around the southern end of the Wet 

Gold, silver, copper, lead, and zinc produced in Hinsdale County, 1875-1923 

Silver I Copper Lead Zinc 

I------~--~------------~----------1------~----~-----;-------~---~-

Year A ver- ·1 Aver- Aver- Aver- Ore, (short 

tons) 

Lode 

gold 

o~~~:s pl!~e Value Pounds ~!~e Value Pounds pl!~ Value Pounds p;!~e Value 

ounce I pound pound pound 

Total 

value 

-,!-!!-~-~-~~-~~-~-~~-~~-~ -~~-~~-~-~~-~~-~~--=-$~-~-~-~~-l--:a~-1-~:-i!-!-l$-!_j_i_ m:m ~~~~:~:~:~~: ~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~: ···;;~~tl w:~-. ""1;-ll~~~~~::=~~~ ~:~~~::1~-~-~~-~-~~-~~-~·l--i-i-~-i-!f 1879 ............ ---------- a6,000 G193,359 1.12 216,5621---------------------------- G500,000 ,041 20,500 ----------- -------,·---------- 243,062 1880 .•. : ________ -----·---· G6,000 G 116,016 1.15 133,418

1 

a30,000 $0.214 $6,420 a1,000,000 .05 50,000 ~----------- -------~----·----- 195,838 188L ___________ ---------- 10,000 123,750 1.13 139,838 G 40,000 . 182 7, 280 1, 200,000 . 048 57,600 ----····-·· -------,------·-·· 214,718 1882 .•.....••.•• ···------- 20,000 61,875 1.14 70,538 G40,000 ,191 7,640 a600,000 ,049 29,400 ----------- -·-----~-------·-- 127,578 1883---------------------- 20,000 193,359 1.11 214,628 a22,652 .165 3,738 a1,000,000 ,043 43,000 ~-------·--- -·---·-1---------- 281,366 

1884____________ 2,184 2,500 154,687 1.11 171.703 a350,000 .13 45,500 a1,000,000 .037 37,000 --·--------------T·-------- 256,703 1885 ____________ ---------- b2,000 b 16,320 1.07 17,462 G b46,460· .108 5,018 G blOO,OOO .039 3,900 ---------------------------- 28,380 1886 ____________ ---------- 2,060 16,320 .99 16,157 a46,460 .111 5,157 a100,000 .046 4,600 ----------- -------~'-··------- 27,974 

1887_ ___________ ---------- 4, 308 90,355 • 98 88,548 12,027 .138 1, 660 547,503 . 045 24,638 ! ___________ ------- ---------- 119, 154 

1888. ---------·-- -------·-- 2, 667 86,248 • 94 81,073 2, ooo .168 336 1, 205,973 . 044 53, 063~----------- -····-T·-------- 137, 139 

188\J ... ---------- -·-------- 1, 794 16,665 . 94 15,665 17,359 . 135 2, 343 240,812 . 039 9, 392 ----------- ______ T_________ 29, 194 

1890 ____________ ---------- 3, 697 57,387 1. 05 60,256 60,584 .156 9, 451 660,708 . 045 29,732 ----------- ------- ---------- 103, 136 

189L ----------· ---------- 19,869 186,850 . 99 184,982 8, 248 . 128 1, 056 8, 308,048 . 043 357, 2461'----------- __ -----~---------- 563, 153 1892 ____________ --------·- 22,514 411,758 . 87 358,229 29,914 .116 3, 470 4, 71i3, 783 . 04 190,151 ----------- -------'---------- 574,364 

1893 ______________________ 88,750 385,653 .78 300,809 a!O,OOO .108 1,080 a3,808,111 .037 140,900 ------------------~~---------- 531,539 

1894. _____________________ 85,196 395,899 .63 249,416 a10,000 .095 950 a3,322,170 .033 109,632 ---------------·------------ 445,194 

1895 .•.•.••• -------------- 243,195 483,565 .65 314,317 alO,OOO .107 1,070. 5,251,014 .032 168,032 -------·-··-------~-------'--- 726,614 1896 ______________________ 212,794 510,8831 .68 347,400 13,202 .108 1,426 5,468,856 .03 164,0661-----------,----------------- 725,686 

1897. ___________ ---------- 168,171 243,437 .60 146,062 8,085 i .12 970 5,550,058 .036 199,8021 ___________ ----------------- 515,005 

1898 ____________ ---------- 51,282 186,456 • 59 110,009 104,038 .124 12,901 9, 828,482 . 038 373, 4821 ___________ ------- ---------- 547,674 

1899 ____________ ---------· 38,343 155,902 .60 93,541 49,676 .171 8,495 10,572,353 .045 475,756 ---------------------------- 616,135 

1900. ----·-----· ---·---·-- 56,470 155,485 , 62 96,401 29, 180 , 166 4, 844 9, 377,062 . 044 412,591 a 100,000 $0.044 $4,400 574, 706 1901 ••• ·-------- --------·- 76,148 152,122 .60 91,273 12,532 .167 2,093 7,588,675 .043 326,313 1 a126,591 .041 5,190 501,017 

1902 ____________ ---------- 98,348 117,177 .53 62,104 8,314 .122 1,014 6,213,763 .041 254,7641 319,000 .048 15,312 431,542 

1903._____________________ 16,515 33,139 .54 17,895 11,263 .137 1,543 459,462 .042 19,297 106,000 .054 5,724 60,974 

1904____________ 5,591 10,521 46,585 .58 27,019 13,187 .128 1,688 1,041,222 .043 44,773 59,089 .051 3,014 87,015 

1905____________ 5,041 11,991 54,419 .61 33,196 84,485 .156 13,180 767,681 .047 36,081 235,178 .059 13,876 108,324 

1906____________ 7,086 24,510 87,940 .68 59,799 63,621 .193 12,279 753,950 .057 42,975' 38,387 .061 2,3421 141,905 

1907_ ___________ 10,740 7,520 50,109 .66 33,072 99,410 .20 19,882 1,204,628 .053 63,845 ---------------------------- 124,319 

1908.----------- 980 2, 454 29,498 • 53 15,634 188,698 • 132 24,908 280,465 . 042 11,780 ----------- -----·· ----------1 54, 776 19Q9____________ 1, 697 7, 587 75,731 . 52 39,380 714,569 .13 92,894 106,327 • 043 4, 572 ----------- ------- ---------· 144,433 

1910____________ 3,468 6,320 54,422 .54 29,388 465,472 .127 59,115 296,182 .044 13,032---------------------------- 107,855 

191L. __ •••••••• · 723 3, 830 7, 753 • 53 4, 109 21, 696 . 125 2, 712 118, 645 • 045 5, 339 36, 439 • 057 2, 077 18, 067 1912----··------ 9,554 6,811 I 34,722 .615 21,354 53,739 .165 8,867 1,257,800 .045 56,601 11,926 .069 823 94,456 

1913____________ 4,329 5,280 30,477 .604 18,408 76,304 .155 11,827 782,318 .044 34,422 54,732 .056 3,065 73,002 

1914.·---------· 118 170 5,987 .553 3,311 17,098 .133 2,274 I 5,723 .039 223 --·----·--- .051 -···-····· 5,978 

1915. -----····-· 488 737 9, 621 • 507 4, 878 9, 114 • 175 1, 595 266, 128 • 047 12,508 ----------- ------- ---·--·--· 19,718 1916____________ 377 1,346 10,030 .658 6,600 16,248 .246 3,997 75,638 .069 5,219 12,575 .134 1,685 18,847 

1917____________ 517 1,136 7,721 .824 6,362 6,099 .273 1,665 209,616 .086 18,027 4,117 .102 420 27,610 

1918.----------- 5, 222 6, 249 22,245 1. 00 22,245 18,308 :247 4, 522 767,972 . 071 54,526 ----------- ------- -------·-· 87,542 

1919............ 1,219 8,232 22,942 1.12 25,695 7,705 .186 ·1,433 55,679 .053 2,951 -----------------·-···-----· 38,311 

192Q____________ 568 6,151 21,522 1.09 23,459 2,625 .184 483 80,625 .08 6,450 ----------------------------, 36,543 

192L........... 495 3,425 32,039 1.00 32,039 9,357 .129 1,207 65,756 .045 2,959 ----------- __ . _ I 39,630 

1922............ 1,550 1,298 50,074 1.00 50,074 14,269 .135 1,926 114,200 .055 6,281 ----------- ==-=-=- =======-==· 59,579 

1923 ••••••••••.• ___ 68_4_1 ___ 7_;_32_1 __ 3_0,_04_6_1 • 82 24,638 10,075 1 .147 1, 481 19,971 . 01 1, 398 ----------- ----·-· ----------1 28,249 

1---------- 1,451,921 5,678,693 -------,4,607,114 2,864,073 -~== 403,390 97,277,359 3,994,569 1,104,034 ------- 57,928,10,514,922 

• Estimated by C. W. Henderson. b Interpolated by C. W. Henderson to correspond with total production of the State. 

HUERFANO COUNTY 

The Colorado State Bureau of Mines summarizes 

the early history of Huerfano County as follows: 84 

Huerfano County occupies a south-central position in the 

·State. It was originally organized in 1861, and the boundaries 

-then established were reduced in 1867 by legislative enactment. 

As now constituted it has an area of about 1, 750 square miles 

tl,500 in 1920 according to the figures of' the Bureau of the 

Census]. The adjoining counties are Custer and Pueblo on 

Bj Colorado State Bur. Mines Rept. for 1897, pp. 61-62, 1898 

Mountains, known locally as the Greenhorn Mountains, in the 

north, along the eastern slope of the Sangre de Cristo in the 

west, and around the Spanish Peaks in the southern part of 

the county. 

For 1886 to 1897 the figures given.in the table are 

based on reports of the agents of the mint in annual 

reports of the Dire~tor of the Mint, the gold and silver 

being prorated to correspond with the figures for the 

total production of the State as corrected by the 

Director of the Mint, the lead being .Pr?rated to cor-
JEFFERSON C6UNTY 129 

respond with the total production of lead for the 

State as given in Mineral Resources, and any unknown 

production in the State being distributed proportionately among the counties. As with lead so with 

copper, but as figures for copper given in Mineral 

Resources include copper from matte and ores treated 

in Colorado, though produced in other States, the figures for copper are subject to revision. 

For 1897 the figures, which represent smelter and 

mint receipts, are taken froni the report of the Colorado State Bureau of Mines. 

For 1905 the Colorado State Bureau of Mines 

credits Huerfano County with $269 in gold and 617 

ounces of silver. The figures published in Mineral 

Resources, however, show no output for this count:y. 

For i906 the Colorado State Bureau of Mines credits 

the county with $475 in gold and 56 ounces of silver, 

but Mineral Resources again gives no output to this 

county. 

For 1907 the figures are taken fron1 Mineral 

Resources (mines reports). The production for this 

year is of doubtful source. 

what limited in extent, the available territory has been quite 

productive and is still worked or reworked in a desultory 

manner with primitive appliances. Several attempts by 

·capital have been made comparatively recently to recover the 

gold and concentrated losses of the mills in Clear Creek and 

Gilpin counties from the stream beds. Although the existence 

of good values has been demonstrated and some have been 

recovered, the physical condition of the creek bed has so far 

proved a barrier to the financial success of the undertaking. 

Several minor excitements have been occasioned by reputed 

finds of gold-silver-copper bearing veins in several sections 

but have resulted in little or no production and very slight 

development. 

Lindgren 86 has given some notes on the copper 

deposits of Jefferson County. 

For 1885 to 1900 the placer and lode production 

has been separated on the basis of the deposits at the 

Denver Mint. 

For 1885 the figures given in the table, which represent gold and silver deposited at the Denver Mint, 

are taken from Wilson. 87 

For 1886 to 1896 the figures given in the table are 

based on reports of the agents of the mint in annual 

reports of the Director of the Mint, the gold and silver 

Gold, silver, copper, and lead prod·uced in Huerfano Co"-unty, 1875-1907 

Silver Copper Lead 

Lode I I · Total gold Fine I A veragc Average Average value ounces , per Value Pounds price per Value Pounds price per Value ounce I pound pound 

1875-1885----------------------------------------------- (a) ---j·- ---------~--- -------------(-•)-

!i:L·-~.;;;=~:H=~~~::~:~:~:.:~:·:~~~~~~~~~:::::::~ $!1 _::;~~~~~r::~~i; ;~~-;:.ij~ :~:~:~~92:1==;$,:.,;~ ~:~::~i .. : ~:::.!;,; ;~:~~~,: ~;::::~: $~ 1900____________________________________________________ 124 20 . 62 12 I I 136 

1i~~~~~=~~~~~=m~~~=m~mm~~mm~m~mm~m · ~ _____ i~-,-------~ _____ _:;F~~~~~~~~~ n ~=~~m~~~·~~~~~~~ ~-~~~~~~\mmmT~~~~~m il 

3, 474 1 1,1761---------- 69s 92 ----------\ n 1, 0671----------1 381 4, 221 

o Production unrecorded. 

JEFFERSON COUNTY 

The early history of Jefferson County is summarized 

by the Colorado State Bureau of Mines as follows: 85 

History reveals this section, to be one of the first settled in 

the State. Golden, the present county seat and main commercial 

center, was established in June, 1859, and made phenomenal 

growth until1861. This year marked a rapid decline. In 1862 

the Territorial capital was removed from Colorado City and 

located at Golden, where it. remained until 1867. In 1868 

grading for the Colorado Central Railway began, and the road 

opened for traffic in 1870. A season of great industrial improvement followed the advent of the railroad, and until 1878 this. 

section as an important railroad and manufacturing center 

rivaled Denve~. 

The placer bars near Gol!fen mark the scene of the first mining 

in the county and among the first in the State. While some-

!6Colorado State Bur. Mines Rept. for 1897, pp. 62-64, 1898. 

being prorated to correspond with the figures for the 

total production of the State as corrected by the 

Director of~the Mint, the lead being prorated to correspond with the total production of the State as given in 

Mineral Resources, and any unknown production in 

the State being distributed ·proportionately among 

the counties. As with lead so with copper, but as 

figures for copper given in Mineral Resources include 

copper from matte and ores treated in Colorado, 

though produced in other States, the figures for copper 

are subject to revision. 

86 Lindgren, Waldemar, Pre-Cambrian copper deposits in Jefferson County; 

Notes on the copper deposits in Chaffee, Fremont, and Jefferson counties, Colo.: 

U.S. Geol. Survey Bull. 340, pp. 157, 167-170, 1908. 

87 Wilson, P. 8., agent for Colorado, in Kimball, J. P., Report of the Director 

of the Mint upon the production of the preciou fmetals in the United States for 

1885, p. 136, 1886. 
130 MINING IN COLORADO 

For 1897 to 1904 the figures, which represent smelter 

and mint receipts, are taken from the reports of the 

Colorado State Bureau of Mines~ 

For 1905 to 1923 the figures are taken from Mineral 

Resources (mines reports). 

In 1905 there were two dredges at Golden. The 

Colorado State Bureau of Mines and the report of the 

Director of the Mint give the deposits of gold and 

silver at the Denver Mint during this year. 

In 1907, 1909, and 1918 the production came from 

copper properties at Evergreen. 

According to data given by Lindgren,88 tr!e total 

figures for copper in the following table are low. The 

owners credit $35,000 for early production of copper 

fron1 the Malachite mine, situated between Golden 

and Evergreen. 

in former times for about 5 miles in length. The settlement 

here is called Oro City. * * * 

Across the park of the upper Arkansas, to the southwest 

from Mount Lincoln, Lake Creek comes down from the main 

range beyond, after escaping from which it spreads out into 

two dark sheets of water, together about 2 miles wide by 5 

long, and separated by a belt of .land one-fourth of a mile wide, 

covered with pines. They are called the Twin Lakes and constitute the most considerable body of water in Colorado and 

give name to the county. Dayton, the county seat, is located 

under the range at their head. 

Up the extreme left considerable fork of the Arkansas River 

is one of the easiest passes [Tennessee] through the range, opening out on Piney Creek or Eagle River, which puts into the 

Grand below the Middle Park. This pass is said to be 3,000 

feet less than Berthoud Pass. [U. S. Gee I. Survey topographic 

maps give 11,315 feet for Berthoud Pass and 10,300 feet for 

Tennessee Pass.] Nearly opposite California Gulch comes in 

CQlorado Gulch [Lake County] from the west, more recently 

discovered than California, and worked from year to year with 

Gold (placer and lode), silver, copper, and lead produced in Jefferson County, Colo., 1868-1918 

· Gold Silver Copper Lead 1 

Year ----~-------------' Ore j Total 

(short . Average Average Average value 

tons) Placer Lode Total Fmes price Value Pounds price Value I Pounds price Value I ~~~ ~~ ~~ . ------~--- -(o-) ---------------.--------------~-~ 

~~~~~~~~=============== ========== $697 $697 5 $1.07 $5 ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ----------' $702 

1887 1886____________________ ____________________ ----------

__________ 2, g~~ 2, g~ 4~ 10 : ~~ 4~ :::::::::: :::::::::: :::::::::: :::::::::: :::::::::: ::::::::::1 I 2, g:~ 203 

~~~g==================== ========== ~:gii ---~~~~~r 1~:~!~ 4,5~g :~~ 3 1~~ ========== ===~====== ========== ========== ==========· ==========, 2~:~g~ 

~~~~~~~~~~~=~~~~=~~~= =~mm~~ · ~ i: fll t r.~ I. lit : i · :~ [;;·:;;; ;;-;~m; :;;--$~;:: ;;:~'·m- _-;$:;m: __ ;;-~~: :: m 

1901 ____________________ ---------- ---------- 310 310 2g . 6g 2 2 978 . 122 363 041 882 

~~&L================== ========== ========== ~!~ ~!~ 5 : ~4 3 I 218 . 137 30 ---------- :042 ---------- 281 

1904 ____________________ ---------- 2, 894 351 1~· ~~ 1~~ . ~~ ~~ 9, ggg : ~~~ 1 4g~ ---------- : g:~ ========== lg. ~~~ 1905____________________ 15 18,088 ---------- ' . ' ---------- - . ' 

im===~~~=~~~~~~~~~~~~~=J ~~~=J~~~~~~~~~~~2~~rro.~! o Production unrecorded. 

LAKE COUNTY 

Hollister,· writing in 1867, says of the mining 1n 

Lake County: 89 

Mount Lincoln is the uortheast cornerstone of Lake County. 

Thence the boundary runs west on the thirty-ninth parallel to 

the western limit of the Territory, 150 miles; then south to 

the summit of the Uncompahgre Mountains, 110 miles; thence 

east-northeast along ·the summit to the main range; following 

that until it curves northward, it jumps across it and the 

Arkansas River to the crest of the Montgomery spur, along 

which it proceeds to the top of Mount Lincoln, the place of beginning. The area is about 16,000 square miles. It embraces 

the sources of the Arkansas River and the course and tributaries 

of that stream for about 50 miles. It also includes the Gunnison Fork of the Rio Colorado. It is with the former section 

we have chiefly to do, however, as in that are the principal settlements. On the western slope of the Montgomery spur, opposite Buckskin, heads California Gulch, worked more or less 

88 Lindgren, Waldemar, Notes on copper deposits in Chaffee, Fremont, and 

Jefferson counties, Colo.: U. S. Geol. Survey Bun: 340, p. 169, 1908. 

8D Hollister, 0. J'., The mines of Colorado, pp. 306-319, Springfield, Mass., Samuel 

Bowles & Co., 1867. 

considerable success. Just below California, on the same side, 

is Iowa Gulch, also worked at the present time. It is 12 miles 

thence down to the mouth of lake Creek [lake Ccunty], comi'ng frcm the west, immediately below which is Cache Creek 

and Diggings [Chaffee County]. Then the mountains seem to 

crowd the river, the stupendous chaEm through which it makes 

its way beccmes gorged; the dividing ridges between the tributary streams, Clear, Pine, Chalk, Cottonwood [Chaffee County), 

which come out of the range at intervals of 7 or 8 miles, continue down to the very brink of the river. * * * On these 

tributaries the valley becomes wider, and below the mouth of 

Cottonwood, which is 40 miles frcm the source of the river, 

down to the mouth of the South Arkansas, a distance of 20 miles, 

farms line the banks of the stream. * * * The road from 

the south to the San Luis Parks, via Trout Creek, the Arkansas, 

the South Arkansas, and Poncha Pass, goes through this part 

of the valley. * * * From the head of the river to Canon 

City it is an alternation of bar and canyon, the bars masses of 

boulders and gravel more or less overlain with a light alluvial 

soil. * * * 

Gold is found in the stream [the Arkansas] and on its southwestern tributaries from the Cottonwood to its extreme sources. 

A mining district was organized on the heads of Cottonwood ~n 

1866, called Westphalian. About 30 lodes have been discov-
LAKE COUNTY 131 

ered here, none of them more than fairly struck, the ore, coarse 

iron and copper pyrites and sulphurets with some galena and 

zinc, coming to the surface not decomposed in the least. 

On Pine Creek, 12 miles above Cottonwood, is another mining district, called Pine Creek, not now worked nor inhabited 

and about which little is known. 

A short distance above Pine we have Clear Creek [Chaffee 

County 1, upon which is a mining district called La Plata. 

Eight miles up the stream about thirty lodes have been dis-

-covered. Nothing of consequence has been done on ~.hem, but 

it is known that they possess the same general characteristics 

as those west of the Range. At the mouth of the creek is 

Ge~rgia Bar, formerly worked considerably in winter with hand 

rockers and paying from $3 to $5 per day. This bar, Kelly's 

Bar, and the Arkansas River for about 30 miles below Lake 

Creek have always been the winter's resort for food of many of 

the miners of Lake County. From these gravels it is estimated 

$75,000 has been recovered. In 1861 a cornpany built a dam 

on Lake Creek and flumed the Arkansas River at Georgia Bar 

for 1,000 feet at a cost of $10,000. They were nearly ready to 

commence sluicing the bed of the stream, which is very rich, 

when their dam gave way and carried off their flume. The 

men immediately enlisted in the First Colorado Volunteers, and 

no attempt has since been made to flume the Arkansas, although the sand for a hundred miles from its source, taken up 

on a shovel and panned down, gives a fine color. This company had obtained as high as $1.50 to the pan of dirt from the 

bed of the river. 

About 3 miles above the Clear is Cache Creek, a creek only 

by courtesy, or rather by virtue of a ditch 9 miles long, costing 

$20,000 to construct, bringing 500 inches of water during the 

rainy season from the precipitous southern rim of the Twin 

· Lakes. Cache Creek is at the lower end of a park, or bar, 3 

miles up and down the river in length and 2 miles from the river 

west to the mountain in width. A party of men who were 

prospecting Arkansas River cached their provisions here, and 

in that way gold was discovereq. In this park are Cache Creek 

Gulch, discovered by Campbell & Shoewalter, estimated production to date $30,000; Bertschey's Gulch, discovered by G. 

Bertschey & Co., estimated production to date $25,000, worked 

out; Gold Run Gulch, discovered by Long, West & Co., has 

produced $22,000, now worked out; Gibson Gulch, discovered 

by one Gibson in 1861, has paid to date $30,000, now worked 

by D. Houghton & Co. by bedrock flume 500 feet long; Oregon 

Gulch, discovered and worked out in 1860 by Thomas & Co., 

paid $11,000; Ritchey's Patch, discovered by J. 'Ritchey in 

1864, now worked by himself and others, production to date 

$17,000; and Lake Creek diggings, at the northeast corner of 

the Park, discovered in 1860, now chiefly owned and worked by 

H. M. Severs & Co., who are erecting a sawmill to facilitate 

operation~, estimated yield to date $55,000. 

Cache Creek Gulch is very ·deep and has but a slight fall, so 

that it could not be worked to advantage in 100.,;foot claims, as 

all the gulch was originally taken up. It soon passed into the 

hands of Ramage Bros. & Co., who commenced bedrock flume 

in 1862. The property has since been transferred to the Gaff 

Mining Co. * * * Their flume is 4 feet square and now 

some three-fourths of a mile long. They work about 30 feet in 

depth by 150 feet in width. Side sluices, leading into the main 

one, are used when necessary. * * * 

There are patch diggings in the points of the hills bordering 

Cache Gulch from which has been taken to date $86,000. It is 

thought,that the whole park would pay for washing, could it be 

mined on a large scale, but a scarcity of water is the chief 

obstacle. 

~est of this park the range rises abruptly to an altitude of 

3,000 or 4,000 feet, and near its summit on the eastern slope is 

Lost Canyon Gulch, discovered in 1860 by a party of prospectors 

returning from the park of the Gunnison River, west of the 

range, and who here became convinced that they were lost. Of 

course they prospected-a lost prospector will always find himself when he can get a fair color-and as good luck would have 

it they struck a rich spot. About $60,000 was taken out in 

1861. Next year the pay streak was lost and, although hunted 

for diligently ever since, has not again been found. So that the 

spot is doubly lost. All this section we have last described belongs in Hope mining district. 

On the opposite side ·of the river a very rich lode was discovered in 1866, upon which a mining district was organized 

and called Lake Falls. A load of quartz from the lode, which is 

called Hattie Jane, treated by the· Bertola process, in Clear 

Creek County, is said to have yielded at the rate of $200 per 

ton. We have no figures as to the width of crevice from which 

the quartz was taken. 

Lake Creek empties into the Arkansas at the upper end of 

Cache Creek Park. It is 5 miles from its mouth to the head 

of the Twin Lakes, which we have referred to before. * * * 

South of them the range rises abruptly from their very edge; 

on the west there is a large bottom, and here is Dayton, the 

county seat. Hence to the Red Mountain at ·the extreme 

sources of the creek is about 15 miles in a west-southwest direction. Red Mountain seems to be in a belt of lodes, some 3 

miles in width, which here crosses the range in the true coursenortheast and southwest. From the top of ·the Red Mountain 

at the head of the left fork of Lake Creek other red mountains 

can be seen both to the ·east and west. Eight miles west, in an 

air line, a Boston company did some work in 1866, finding 

similar ore to that found here. This point is about 100 miles 

west of Pikes Peak. * * * In the streams and where the 

creek escapes from the mountains numerous well-defined lodes 

have been discovered, not greatly different in width, lineal 

extent, and character of ores from those of other parts of the 

Territory. Like them, too, they vary in richness. Some of 

them are absolutely barren, and some contain $100 gold to the 

ton, as tests of which we were personally cognizant have 

indicated.90 

It is believed the requisite capital has been secured to establish at once one or two mills in this, called Red Mountain 

district. There is not now a quartz mill in the county, nor a 

shaft more than 30 feet in depth, although the Berry tunnel 

near the head of California Gulch has been driven 100 feet. 

In this pay vein 6 feet in width is c~aimed. The ore assays 

$70 or $80 a ton in gold and silver and is very rich in copper. 

But nothing very definite with reference to the quartz mines 

of the county is known. 

About 12 miles above Dayton is California Gulch, divided 

into. three districts, Arkansas Independent, California, and 

Sacramento. It stands second if not first among all the gulches 

ever worked in Colorado for extent and yield of gold. It was 

discovered by Slater & Co. late in 1859, but its richness was 

not developed until the next April. Adventurers poured in at 

once, and it was soon preempted in 100-foot claims for 7 miles 

in length. Discovery claim produced $60,000 that season.· 

Nos. 5 and 6, above, produced $65,000. No. 1, below, has 

paid $55,000. A large quartz vein runs through Discovery 

and No. 1, below, from which $216 was sluiced by three men 

in 1863 in a half day. No.4, below, prospected from $1 to $10 

to the pan on the pay. streak and has produced to date $75,000. 

No. 5, below, has paid $55,000. Nos. 11 and 12, below, 

paid $26,000. From 13 to 35 the average yield was $10 a 

day to the hand .. Nos. 26 and 27 paid $50,000. Nos. 28 to 

35 paid $15, and 36 to 41 $25 per day to. the man. From 

42 to 45 there was no pay, but thence to 56 the average was 

oo Ex-Secretary Elbert, of Colorado, had 46 samples of ore from 43 of these lodes 

assayed by Behr & Keith, of Blackhawk. They varied from $59 to $441 per ton, 

averaging $138.25. One sample yielded 70 per cent of copper. 
132 MINING IN COLORADO 

$18 a day per hand. No. 57 never paid anything, nor did any 

ground below that, which was but little more than a mile 

from Discovery. These figures are given to show the spotted 

character of the best gold-producing ravines. 

Nos. 14 to 18, above, paid $20,000 each. Nos. 19 and 20 

yielded $80,000 in three months. No. 21 paid $15,000. Nos. 

22 to 28, as well as other claims above Discovery not here specified, paid from $3,000 to $5,000 each. From 28 to 36 the yield 

gradually fell off. No. 25 paid $15,000. No. 30 paid $6,000. 

Nos. 31 to 35, inclusive, did not pay wages. No. 36 paid $3,500. 

From No. 22 to the head of the gulch occurs a black cement, 

1 to 12 feet thick, too loose to blast to advantage, too hard to 

be decomposed by water, hydraulics with 100-feet head having 

no effect on it. 

For the first three years mining was carried on by sluices, 

long toms, Georgia and hand rockers, and pans. Since that 

time the claims have been largely consolidated and mining done 

by ground-sluicing and hydraulics. Thus, W. H. Jones now 

owns and works 1, 2, and 3, below; Leahy & Co., 26 and 27, 

below; and White, Burroughs & Co., 14 to 30, above. The pay 

streak in these claims yields from $10 to $15 per day per man. 

Not more than half the gulch is considered worked out. Rich 

quartz veins traverse it in four or five different places, though 

these have never received any attention beyond preempting and 

sluicing out their dirt crevices, some of which paid extraordinarily. A tunnel called the Berry tunnel at the head of the 

gulch discovers, a short distance from its mouth, a strong vein 

of excellent ore. Although a few parties still make enough to 

support them through the winter by working this gulch during 

the summer, its future prosperity, and this is true of the entire 

county, must depend on the development of its quartz mines. 

Nothing, indeed, can be more deceiving or more ephemeral than 

the feverish prosperity of a placer mining country. California 

Gulch, which six years ago was infested by 5,000 to 6,000 people, 

is now almost deserted. The relics of former life and business, 

old boots and clothes, cooking utensils, rude house furniture, 

tin cans, gold pans, worn-out shovels and picks, and the remains 

of toms, half buried sluices and rifile boxes, dirt-roofed log 

cabins tumbling down, and the country turned inside out and 

disguised with rubbish of every description, are most disagreeably abundant and suggestive. * * * 

Colorado Gulch [Lake County] puts into the Arkansas opposite the mouth of California Gulch. It is 5 miles long and 

worked more or less its entire length, employing during the 

summer from 50 to 100 hands. It is chiefly owned by McCannon & Co., De Mary & Co., Long & Co., and Breece & Co. 

Most of them now have bedrock flumes, 16 inches square, and 

from 600 to 1,500 feet in length. It is worked from 60 to 100 

feet in width and is from 12 to 15 feet deep, the pay being confined to within a foot of the bedrock. Gold was first discovered 

in the gulch July 4, 1863, and since that time, much of the work 

having necessarily been of a preparatory nature, about 2,000 

ounces have been taken out. 

There are other less important and far less worked gulches 

in the valley or park of the upper Arkansas; among them Iowa 

(Adams district), just below and on the same side of the river 

as ·California, and the Little Fryingpan, a tributary of Colorado Gulch. From Sacramento Flats, 3 miles above the mouth 

of California Gulch, nearly $200,000 has been taken first and 

last. The Arkansas River for 70 miles from its sources, with its 

tributaries and bars, is gold-bearing; and when placer mining 

shall come to be conducted on a larger scale and with more 

appropriate means it may, and probably will, become, in Lake 

County, a business of considerable importance. · 

The approaches to the county are all through the South Park, 

and with proper care in laying out and working the roads might 

be made very easy. From Fairplay to Dayton, crossing the 

Montgomery Spur north of Buffalo Peaks, is about 40 miles. 

The route ~goes up a tributary of the Platte and by an easy 

grade, across a low notch between snow banks, and follows 

down an afiluent of the Arkansas, also by an easy grade. The 

true route into the county, however, is via Canon City and the 

Colorado Salt Works, crossing the Montgomery Spur south of 

Buffalo Peaks, where it has not an altitude of more than 500 

feet above the South Park, striking the Arkansas at Mayol's 

Ran'Ch, 20 miles below Dayton,. thence up or down the river. 

There is besides a trail from Buckskin over the spur into California Gulch. 

The figures given in the table (p. 176) are for the 

present county of Lake, including chiefly the Leadville 

district, but also the placers of California Gulch, Iowa 

Gulch, Colorado Gulch, Lake Creek, and of several 

tributaries of Arkansas River within the present confines of Lake County, and lode mines in the St. Kevin, 

Sugar Loaf, Twin Lakes, Lackawanna Gulch, Tennessee Pass, and Big English Gulch districts. Only for 

the years 1911 to 1923 is the production of these districts shown separately in the mines reports in Mineral 

Resources. It appears impossible to separate these 

districts for the other years. Sugar Loaf district has 

made a regular but comparatively small production 

since 1881 and possibly before that year. 

Raymond 91 says that in 1875 gulch gold was worth 

$17.75 to $19 per crude ounce (say $18 average) and 

that mill gold was worth $15 in coin_ These figures 

have been used to obtain the content of silver in the 

production from 1860 to 1874. 

In obtaining the total production of Lake County 

other compilers have used the coinage value of silver 

from 1874 to 1896, this being the value given in the 

reports of the Director of the Mint, which furnish 

the only available information for the production of 

the county in these years. The difference between 

the coinage value and the commercial value is as 

follows: 

Coinage value of 130,983,284 

ounces of silver, 1874-1896, at 

$1.2929292929+per ounce ______ $169, 352, 125 

Commercial value of 130,983,284 

ounces_______________________ 127, 190, 121 

Difference________________ 42, 162, 004 

Total production Lake County, 

1859-1923, if the silver is taken 

at its commercial value from 187 4 

to 1896______________________ 425, 784, 550 

Calculated total production of 

Lake County, 1859-1923, if the 

silver is taken at its coinage 

value from 187 4 to 1896 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 467, 946, 554 

This $467,946,554 is the total production obtained 

by using the early figures hitherto generally credited 

to Lake County. The difference still existing is due 

in part to the fact that considerable silver and lead 

has been subtracted from Lake County and credited 

to Red Cliff (Eagle County), Aspen (Pitkin County), 

g1 Raymond, R. W., op. cit. for 1875, p. 316, 1877 
LAKE COUNTY 133 

and Summit County, which was smelted:at!Leadville 

and not heretofore credited to original source. If the 

silver produced from 1859 to 1923 were calculated at 

the coinage rate the total production would be as 

follows: 

Total production of silver, 1859-

1923, inclusive: 

230,482,487 ounces ·at coinage 

value _____________________ $297,996,549 

230,482,487 ounces at commercial value_____________ 189, 409, 933 

Difference______________ 108, 586, 616 

Calculated total production Lake 

County, 1859-1923: 

When silver is taken at commercial value_____________ 425, 784, 550 

When silver is taken at coinage value ________________ 534,371, 166 

1n his report for 1869 Raymond 92 says that gold was 

discovered in California Gulch in 1859 and was devefoped in 1860. Emmons 93 says that placer gold was discovered in California Gulch in 1860 and that the 

Printer Boy lode was discovered in 1868 and was 

worked until 1877. 

Burchard 94 gives placer gold from Lake County 

for 1860 to 1869 as $!5,812,000. As .Lake County in 

those years included .Chaffee County, these figures 

include the placer production of California Gulch, 

Colorado Gulc~ and its tributary Little Fryingpan 

Gulch, Georgia Bar, Iowa Gulch, and Lake Creek (all 

now in Lake County), and Arkansas River, Cache 

Creek, Clear Creek, Chalk Creek, Cottonwood Creek, 

Lost Canyon Gulch, Pine Creek, Bertschey's Gulch, 

Kelly's Bar, Gold Run Gulch, Gibson Gulch, Oregon 

Gulch, and Ritchey's Patch (all now in Chaffee County). 

On the basis of Hollister's figures, Chaffee County is 

credited with $400,000 of placer gold for the years 

1859 to 1869, leaving $5,412,000 for Lake County from 

1859 to 1869. 95 

For 1870 Raymond 96 gives the placer yield as a 

little over $60,000 and credits the remainder of the 

production to lode mines (Yankee Blade, etc.) in 

Chaffee County. Burchard 97 gives the placer and 

lode production of Lake County for 1870 as $125,000, 

following the Rocky Mountain Review, of Georgetown. 

In his report for 1871 Raymond says: 98 

In Lake County the:- placer-mining industry has suffered 

from the same causes which affected Summit. In California 

Gulch, a tributary of the South Arkansas, the most work has 

93 Raymond, R. W ., Statistics of mines and mining in the States and Territories 

west of the Rocky Mountains for 1869, p. 344, 1870. 

G3 Emmons, S. F., Geology and mining industry of Leadville, Colo.: U.S. Geol. 

Survey Mon. 12, p. 9, 1886. 

• Burchard, H. C., op. cit. for 1882, p. 502, 1883. 

95 Hollister, 0. J., The mines of Colorado, pp. 308-320, 1867. 

aa Raymond, R. W., op. cit. for 1870, p. 332, 1872. 

G7 Burchard, H. C., Report of the Director or the Mint upon the production of 

the precious metals in the United States during the calendar year 1882, p. 503, i88'3. as Raymond, R. W., op. cit. for 1871,pp. 364.,.365, 1873. 

5653:_26t--10 

been done, and a few men were at work as late as October. 

Since the discovery of gold in this gulch it is estimated to have 

yielded over two and one-half millions of dollars. The yield 

this year has not been as large as usual. * * * Of veins, 

the Printer Boy, Pilot, Five-Twenty, American Flag, and 

Berry tunnel have been the main objects of attention. 

The Printer Boy was discovered in June, 1868. * * * 

One hundred and forty-five cords of ore, * * * treated at 

the Five-Twenty mill, gave an average yield of 18 ounces [gold] 

per cord. In November the mill (one battery) was running 

on wall rock that yielded from 3 to 6 ounces [gold] per cord. 

* * * The company intend to put up a mill of their own 

next year, which is to be located in Iowa Gulch and driven by 

water power. * * * 

Adjoining this on the north, Messrs. Breece & Co. are working their mine. The main shaft, 130 feet in depth, carries a 

crevice of pay ore 6 or 8 inches in width. In the drift running 

south, 18 feet from the shaft, is a crevice of pay ore from 6 to 

10 inches in width. In the breast of the drift running north 

there was, in November, an inch of rich gold ore. In this 

mine the gold is found in pockets that yield from 5 up to 1,000 

ounces [gold]. 

East of the Printer Boy, John Hoover discovered a lode last 

summer, which he christened the American Flag. The first 

ore treated gave a yield of 8 ounces [gold] per cord. In the 

bottom, 58 feet from the surface, the crevice has split. On 

· the footwall the pay is 4 or 5 inches in width and about the 

same on the hanging wall, a horse 4 feet in width being between 

the pay streaks. 

The Five-Twenty, Printer Boy, American Flag, and Berry 

tunnel lodes are in granite, as also is the western wall of the 

Pilot. Overlying the granite, about 50 feet from this wall, is a 

stratum of limestone. From here to the Mosquito Range this 

limestone overlies the whole country, with here and there 

ledges of schist and granite breaking through it. 

Probably next to the Printer Boy in richness is the Berry 

tunnel lode owned by Capt. S. D. Breece. A tunnel 100 feet 

in length has been driven on the vein, the breast of which is 

40 feet from the surface. Work has been suspended for several 

years, no attempt having been made until within the last year 

to introduce a process for reducing the sulphuret ores of this. 

locality. Careful assays show that this ore contains a large percentage of gold, silver, and copper. The tunnel is now badly 

caved in. Within a hundred yards· of this lode, to the westward, the limestone makes its appearance. 

The Pilot is now opened by the main shaft and three levels, 

50 feet of stoping ground being between each two of them and 

between the first and the surface. About 20 tons of rich gold 

ore have been beneficiated, and much galena is out awaiting 

the erection of reduction works. 

For 1871 the figures· for gold and silver given in the 

table are taken from .Burchard's report. 99 

Raymond 1 sketches the developments in 1872 as 

follows: · 

The placer and lode mines of California Gulch have· been 

worked vigorously this summer. The Printer Boy, owned by 

the Boston & Philadelphia Gold Mining Co., J. Marshall Paul, 

agent, and by Captain Breece, has a crevice from 12 to 17 feet 

in width. * * * I am informed that the whole of this 

enormous vein yields under stamps at the rate of 17 ounces per 

cord, or $45 per ton. The mine is, however, very pockety and 

sometimes incredibly rich bunches of mineral occur. I am 

informed by one of the proprietors that a panful of dirt has 

been taken from one of these pockets which yielded 132 ounces 

oo Burchard, H. C., op. cit. for 1882, p. 504, 1883. 

1 Raymond, R. W ., op. cit. for 1872, pp. 299-300, 1873. 
134 MINING IN COLORADO 

in gold. The mine has a shaft on it 140 feet in depth, with 

levels run at regular intervals, and a large amount of backs yet 

untouched. 

The Berry tunnel, owned by Captain Breece, has' a large 

crevice and assays well in gold, silver, and copper, but the ore 

can not be treated advantageously by the common mill process. 

The Five-Twenty has a 7-foot crevice, with a pay streak 14 

inches wide, which yields $20 per ton. 

There are a great number more of these gold lodes, which 

only require development and means of reduction to make 

them valuable. They are all situated in quartzite [in his report 

for 1871 Raymond says "in granite"], dipping west. 

The total yield of the placers in this gulch has been estimated 

at $3,000,000, and there are still some 5 square miles of gravel 

deposits which will pay $5 per day. 

The Homestake mine, near Tennessee Pass, has been extensively worked this summer by Mr. McFadden. This vein has 

been traced for about 3,000 feet and has an average width of 

16 inches. The mineral is principally galena, with some copper 

and iron pyrites. About 50 tons have been sold this summer, 

yielding $125 per ton. 

In Iowa Gulch Breece, Paul & Co. are constructing a ditch 

14 miles in length and 6 feet wide to convey water to these 

very rich diggings. 

The gulch is 4 miles long and 40 to 150 feet wide, with an 

average grade of 331 inches to 12 feet. The depth to bedrock 

is about 12 feet, and the whole gulch is rated as 12-ounce 

diggings. · 

In his report for 1873 Raymond says: 2 

Although but few placer mines have been steadily worked in 

this county during the year, the yield is somewhat larger than 

in the previous year. 

In the Printer Boy vein, in California Gulch, several very 

rich strikes have been made during the year, one of which, in 

August last, furnished $3,000 of leaf gold in a small pocket. 

The mine is opened to a depth of over 300 feet, and even at 

this depth the ore is still decomposed brown quartz. Horizontally the mine is explored for about 500 feet. At the Territorial 

fair at Denver in the fall of 1873 there was on exhibition from 

this mine a collection of ore carrying leaf gold, which, to my 

knowledge, has never been surpassed in this country except 

by the Cederberg mine in California. The great mass of the 

ore from this vein, whicli is about 6 feet wide, carries about 

$30 in gold per ton, which is easily extracted in the stamp mill. 

The mine has produced very regularly about $9,000 per month 

throughout the year. 

The Gray Eagle lode, in the same gulch, is also reported to 

have been doing well. 

The Homestake, in Tennessee Gulch, is a vein containing ores. 

carrying from 30 to 60 per cent of lead, from 200 to 250 ounces 

of silver. Such ore has been shipped in fair quantity (cons ide ring that the vein is yet in the course of development) to 

the smelting works at Golden. 

The mine is opened by a cross tunnel 7 5 feet in length, from 

which levels have been run along the vein both ways, respectively 200 and 275 feet long. A second cross tunnel is in the 

course of construction, 75 feet below the first. This vein is 

remarkable because it contains in its ore an arsenical nickel 

mineral, which, from the small specimens shown me, I presume 

to be gersdorffite (NiS2+NiAs2). This mineral has caused the 

formation of considerable nickel speiss at the Golden smelting 

works. · 

In the western portion of Lake County, the country has been 

much overrun by prospectors during the summer and fall, and 

at the headwaters of the Arkansas a very large number of 

lead veins have been found and located. 

'Raymond, R. W ., op. cit. for 1873, pp. 308-309, 1874. 

·r/ 

According to the Georgetown Mining Review the 

total output of Lake County in 1873, in gold and in 

value of ores shipped, was $225,000. To this should 

be added $5,000, the product of some small diggings. 

on Gunnison River, in the northwest part of the· 

county. 

In his report for 187 4 Raymond says: 3 

The operations in this river [the Arkansas] and its branches 

have been confined to sluicing and hydraulic mining in ·California, Colorado, Cash,4 Chalk, Iowa, and Clear creeks. The 

bed of the river is also being worked to a moderate extent. The 

result of the season's work has been about $80,000 worth of 

gold, although the supply of water was small and the summershorter than usual. Most of the old ground is now considered 

as worked out, and, as a consequence, attention is given to the 

upper levels of the creeks mentioned and to the bars of the main 

stream. New ditches are being dug to carry water to the heads 

of the richest gulches, and large areas of ground in the Arkansas 

Valley proper are being taken up and prepared for work -next 

season. The success which has attended the introduction of the 

automatic boom (described in my last year's report) in the Blue 

[River] Valley has induced several parties to try this method on 

the poor grounds in the Arkansas, and it is confidently expected 

that the result will be a large increase in the gold washed during 

1875. The most important new enterprise is that of the Oro 

Ditch Flume & Mining Co., which has already built a ditch g. 

miles long, tapping the main stream near its head and carrying 

sufficient water to wash the upper ground on most of the eastern 

tributaries of the Arkansas. * * * 

"[The Upper Arkansas] district embraces about a dozen 

gulches among the headwaters of the Arkansas, carrying both 

gold and silver veins. Its production last year was small, not 

over $145,000, which was derived mainly from the gold mines~ 

There is as yet no market for silver ore, and most of that which 

has been produced has been shipped to Golden City for treatment. The belt at the upper end of the valley is undoubtedly 

a reappearance of the same belt that courses through Montezuma and Breckenridge and is almost exclusively argentiferous. 

Lower down gold veins appear, which are most strongly developed in California and Colorado gulches. The occurrence of 

ores of nickel and cobalt in the ores of the upper valley is perhaps the only matter of mineralogical interest that has been 

shown by the year's operations. These metals are found with 

argentiferous galenas, but in small quantities. From a num~erof tons of Homestake ore, treated by Mr. West, at Golden City, 

about 500 pounds of nickel speiss was run out, carrying from 2 

to 12 per cent of that metal. The great distance to the mines 

from railroads prevents this metal from affording any profit to 

the miner. 

Burchard 5 gives $223,503 as the value of gold and 

silver produced in Lake County in 1874. 

In his report for 187 5 Raymond says: 6 

The valley of the upper Arkansas is the only mineral district 

in this large county yet opened by the miner, if I except the 

workings on the headwaters of the Gunnison and Uncompahgre,· 

which are included in the present report under the head of the 

San Juan region. 

The industry is mainly placer mining, though a few quartz 

ledges are operated. Mr. Van Wagenen gives the product of 

, the county as follows: 

a Raymond, R. W ., op. cit., pp. 374-383, 1875. 

• The Cash Creek of Raymond is no doubt tho Cache Creek of Hollister and of the 

U. S. Geological Survey's map of the Leadville quadrangle. 

a Burchard, H. C., op. cit. for 1882, p. 504. 

e Raymond, R. W., op. cit. for 1875, pp. 313-317, 1877. 
LAKE COUNTY 135 

Gold coin Currency 

Quartz gold from Printer Boy----------------------- $25,862 $30,000 

Quartz gold from other mines (a little from Chaffee 

County ••• __ ------------ __ •. ______ -----___________ 2, 586 3, 000 

$28,448 

Gulch gold (Chalk Creek and California Gulch)______________ 36,207 42,000 

Silver ore (upper Arkansas River) •. ____ --------------------- 21, 551 25,000 

In c~in·------------------------------------------------------ ~~~ 

o Of this total product the Leadville region produced $64,650 and Chaffee County $21,550.-C. W. H. · 

Mr. Maurice Hayes, the Territorial assayer at Oro City, gives 

the production of the county as follows: 

loold coin Currency 

-------------------------------.-------------------

Gold from the gulch mines and Printer Boy mine____________ $82,707 $95,940 

Silver, copper, and lead from the lodes.---------------.-------- 21,551 25,000 

104, 258 1 120, 940 

The last item, Raymond says, probably includes ore 

mined but not treated. He continues: 

* * * There is still no market for silver ores in this county, 

and this circumstance hinders all mining enterprises in that 

direction. Several attempts are making to correct this disadvantage, and it is probable that in another year the Arkansas 

Valley will be supplied with one or more works. In California 

Gulch Captain Breece is building chlorination works, under the 

superintendence of Mr. R. Keck, and expects. them to be in 

operation by February. At the mouth of the gulch another 

company has put up smelting works, which have, however, not 

been in operation; and in Chalk Creek Messrs. ~hapman & 

Riggins are building works of 10 tons' capacity to treat ores 

from their own mines. The· plant of this establishment comprises two roasting furnaces and one blast furnace. It is not 

expected to be in operation before the summer of 1876. 

In the mines there is but little new. Those which were 

worked last year are, with a very few exceptions, still in operation and attaining just the degree of success which encourages 

a continuation of labor. The experience of years in the gulches 

emptying into this valley shows· that the ores are, as a rule, 

very low in grade and require more capital than the prospector 

and the miner generally possess to develop them to a point 

where they can steadily pay. 

The Printer Boy was worked steadily during the latter part 

of the year. Developments have not been pushed much below 

the depth at which work was last stopped, but the mine has 

been explored laterally with fair results. The yield of the 

mine was about $30,000. A full account of the workings is 

given below. 

The Berry tunnel, which runs upon a lode of the same name, 

is one of the important enterprises of the county. The. lode 

has a width of 8 to 12 feet and carries copper and iron pyrites, 

partly rich in gold and silver. As far as opened the vein shows 

plenty of ore but of low grade. The chlorination works spoken 

of above are being built for the special purpose of treating the 

material from the mine, though if they prove successful they 

·will be enlarged for custom work. 

Excepting a little" gouging" done by lessees, the Homestake, 

which at one time was considered one of the finest Jnines of 

Colorado-the best certainly on the Arkansas-has been idle 

during the year. Differences among the owners and disappointment in deep developments have been the cause. The 

property has now, however, fallen into the hands of one of the 

former owners, Capt. James Archer, and it has been the expectation to reopen it during the winter. It was currently 

reported some time ago that the mine was exhausted, but this 

is not the case. At present there is but little ore exposed in the 

workings (which have been quite extensive), . but this is the 

result of poor management in handling the mine. It will be 

remembered by readers of former reports that it was from the 

ore of this mine, treated at the Golden City works, that so 

much nickel was taken. * * * 

Of the other mines in the Arkansas Valley that have been 

worked more or less, may be mentioned the Yankee Blade 

[Chaffee County], Pilot, Five-Twenty, American Flag, Mike, 

Gray Bird, Hidden Treasure, and Mary Francis. 

The placer mines of the Arkansas Valley have produced about 

$42,000, considerably less than last year. California and Cash 

[Cache?] creeks have been the most actively worked; but even 

in these localities operations have been languid and intermittent, little more being done than was required to procure 

gold for the immediate personal necessities of claim owners. 

In regard to California Gulch, which is by far the most important mining camp of Lake County, I have received later 

notes, which I owe to the courtesy of Mr.' Rudolph Keck, M. E., 

formerly Territorial assayer at Fairplay and now engineer of the 

beneficiating works connected with the Berry tunnel enterprise. 

Near Upper Oro City California Gulch runs east and west. 

On the mountain side south of it several parallel lodes running 

north and south have been discovered in porphyry, the most 

noted being the Printer Boy, which has produced at least 

$600,000 during the few years since its location. ·The vein, 

like the parallel lodes on both sides, is filled with porphyry, 

which is, however, softer than the country rock, and of a 

different color. It contains in very irregular distribution, 

nests of carbonate of lead with native gold, the latter occurring 

in particles far smaller than those found in the placer mines of 

the gulch. In the lowest workings of the mine the same 

gangue material has lately been reached as was found some 

time ago on the north side of California Gulch, in the Berry 

tunnel, namely, a talcose mass of auriferous iron and copper 

pyrites with a little galena and tennantite. According to a 

certificate of the Territorial assayer of the county, a selected 

specimen of this ore contained 122 ounces of gold per ton. 

Several assays by Doctor Loescher, of the Malta Smelting 

W arks, showed from 3 to 4 ounces of gold per ton. 

The vein is opened by means of three shafts and several levels 

and is split in two places for distances varying from 2.00 to 

400 feet. 

Most of the mining work has been done between the main 

shaft and the line or middle shaft, in the. split highest on the 

hill and in the eastern branch of the vein. It was here that rich 

nests of carbonate of lead, filled with -leaf gold, were repeatedly 

found. The thickness of the vein proper and its branches varies 

between 1 inch and 4 feet but may be called on an average 7 

inches, the eastern branch averaging 6 and the western 8 

inches. Besides the two splits referred to, the vein shows the 

peculiarity that it is, from the surface down to a depth varying 

between 100 and 200 feet, filled with cross seams in the porphyry 

mass, which are frwn 2 to 3 feet thick and cut off abruptly by 

the steep eastern wall, while on the western wall they often 

continue for a short distance outside of the vein. They are 

filled with the same auriferous ore as occurs in the vein itself, 

only of different color and hardness. In addition to this the 

gangue mass, as far as its contents of gold and the differing 

-hardness are concerned, shows a diverging vein system within 

the fissure from the surface toward depth, something like the 

spread fingers of a hand held downward. Whenever such soft 

veins are joined by cross seams the richness of the ore is said 

to be greatest. The inconsiderable difference of outer appearance between the porphyry of the walls and that of the vein 

matter, which can be distinguished with still less certainty in 

the comparatively dark workings, renders it often very difficult 

to follow the.Jeal ore deposit. 
136 MINING IN COLORADO 

The line or middle shaft has been sunk on the line between 

two claims, the upper one of which belongs to the Philadelphia 

& Boston Gold Mining Co. and the lower or northerly one to a 

few inhabitants of the vicinity. The latter is, however, leased 

to the company just mentioned, and it is here that the rich 

pyrites spoken of above has recently been found. It is to be 

regretted that for the present at least it can not be extracted, 

because without powerful pumps the water struck at the same 

time can not be overcome. The material is much desired and 

needed by the Malta Works as a flux. 

The ore in the western branches of the two splits is decidedly softer than that in the eastern ones, but so far it has not 

shown any such rich pockets as the eastern upper branch between the line and the main shaft. The eastern lower branch 

between the line and lower shaft has so far not been developed. 

At the lowest depth, just before the rich pyrites was struck, 

the contents of the ore in gold were very small. At the same 

time it must be remarked that the vein above this point is by 

no means exhausted, and, considering the former carelessness 

of management, this field is very promising. A little over 100 

feet deep in the main shaft a mass of boulders, with a little 

iron pyrites and fine gold, was found, which Mr. Keck thinks 

may either be taken for the bed of a former strea:)ll or for the 

remaining moraine of a former glacier. I do not find it necessary to adopt either hypothesis. The presence of rounded 

boulders, unless they are clearly of a material different from 

the country rock, may be the result of attrition and water 

between the vein walls. This phenomenon is expressly considered by Von Weissenbach, in the classification of "veins of 

attrition," contained in his "Theory of veins," as published in 

Von Cotta's "Gangstudien." 

At the depth of 200 feet' in the line-shaft and of 100 in the 

main shaft the cross seams mentioned above were no longer 

met with, and south of the latter the vein is not split at all. 

At this point, however, so little systematic work has been done 

that no conclusions as to increase or decrease of richness can 

be drawn from the altered geological conditions. Indeed, little 

systematic work has been done on any part of the whole vein. 

Former operations were principally confined· to robbing the 

rich pockets, while good milling ore was left standing. 

The gold contained in the pyrites just discovered, although 

it can be partly washed out, can not be directly amalgamated, 

, beha~ing in this respect like that in the ores of the Berry tunnel. 

Among the veins running parallel with the Printer Boy, the 

Five-Twenty is at present the most promising. The ore from 

this mine yielded in the battery alone 8 ounces gold per cord, 

or ahout 1 ounce per ton (8 tons to a cord). The mill gold of 

these veins is usually worth $15, coin, per crude ounce, while 

the wash gold of the gulch is worth from $17.75 to $19. 

Of the production of Lake County during 1875, now estimated 

at over $120,000, currency, three-quarters are said to come from 

California Gulch. 

The placer mining of the gulch, an industry which has now 

been in existence for 16 years, is really a still worse robbery of 

the gold deposits than that carried on so long in the veins. 

The gold occurs in these placers, notably in the upper part of 

the gulch, in two different layers. The upper one consists of 

gravel and conglomerate and is the deposit which alone has 

been washed; the lower one consists of so-called cement, a 

hydrated oxide of iron combined with a feldspathic mass to a 1 

very hard layer, which contains not only fine and very fine 

gold dust but also coarse gold. As the hardness of this material 

precludes washing without a preliminary crushing, this layer 

is to-day virtually virgin ground, a fact which is the more 

remarkable since assays of average samples have nf:wer yielded 

less than an ounce of gold per ton. 

At the Berry tunnel Mr. Keck has completed his beneficiating 

works as far as was intended for the present. '\\~hqe up to the 

end of the year oniy the common ores of the Berry tunnel 

(talcose gangue with iron and a little copper pyrites) were subjected to the process 7 employed, the mine has been better 

developed, and now there is a considerable quantity of more 

solid and richer ore ready for extraction, similar .to the pyrites 

described above in connection with the Printer Boy. This ore is 

now assorted by hand, dried, in order to stamp it without water, 

and subjected to the rest of the beneficiating process. lt is to 

be regretted that for the amalgamation of the residues, arrastres 

only are at Mr. Keck's disposal, since the gold is in this way not 

extracted as perfectly as could be done in pans. 

The Malta Smelting Works are built on the slope of a hill 

and intended for lead smeltip.g. Besides the necessary buildings and apparatus for crushing, sampling, storage of wood, 

etc., they contain a long reverberatory furnace for roasting 

(without a hearth for slagging purposes), a shaft furnace of the 

Kast pattern of a capacity of at least 15 tons per day, and an 

English cupelling furnace. The blast is furnished by a Sturtevant blower No. 4. The establishment impresses the visitor 

favorably, and it is only to be hoped that in the coming summer 

the argentiferous lead mines of the vicinity (so far containing 

principally cerusite) may be more energetically attacked than 

has been the case heretofore, in order that the metallurgical 

enterprise may not be crippled (as so many in Colorado have 

been) by the lack of material suitable to the processes employed. 

Burchard 8 gives $104,258 (gold and silver) as the 

output for 1875, following the Central City Register. 

For 1876 Burchard 9 gives gold, silver, and lead 

$90,900,. which may be divided into $30,000 placer 

gold, $30,000 lode gold, $30,000 (at $1.2929 +. per 

ounce) silver, and 15,000 pounds of lead. 

For 1817 and 1878 ·the figures given in the table 

represent estimates made on the basis of the value of 

the total production as given by the Director of the 

Mint 10 and by the table in Mineral Resources 11 show 

ing the production of bullion at Leadville. The fig 

ures for lead, silver, and gold in the table in Mineral 

Resources represent the contents of the lead bullion 

produced at Leadville, fbr which no tonnage of lead 

bullion or original ore tonnage is given, and the figures r or tonnage of ore and value of ore shipments 

represent only the ore shipped out of Leadville. 

For 1877 to 1884 the figures for lead represent 

estimates made on the baais of the total production of 

lead in the State as shown in Mineral Resources and 

also the production of Leadville as given by the Leadville Herald and Leadville Democrat (later the HeraldDemocrat), as well as the production of other districts 

in the State. 

For 1879 12 Burchard gives figures for the calendar 

year as distinguished from the fiscal year, to which 

$27 5,000 in silver (coining value) is added from 

Gunnison County. 

For 1880 Burchard says: 13 

7 The proces~ followed consists in stamping, dressing on fine-grain jigs, roasting 

with salt, lixiviation, precipitation of copper and silver. and amalgamation of th& 

auriferous residues.-R. W. R. 

s Burchard, H. C., op. cit. for 1882, p. 504, 1883. 

9 Burchard, H. C .• op. cit. for 1882, p. 504, 1883. 

1o Burchard, H. C., op. Cit. for 1883, pp. 504, 505, 1884. 

u U.S. Geol. Survey Mineral Resources, 1885, p. 251, 1886. 

12 Burchard, H. C., op. cit. for 1880, p. 156, 1881. 

13 Burchard, H. C., ~P- cit. for 1880, pp. 134-143, 18Sl. 
LAKE COUNTY 137 

Production of bullion and shipments of ore were made by 

firms as follows: Grant Smelting Co., La Plata Mining & 

Smelting Co., Billing & Eilers Smelter, Cummings & Son's 

Smelter, Eddy, James & Co. (ore shippers), Harrison Reduction 

Works, Ohio & Missouri Smelter, M. E. Smith & Co. (California), Elgin Smelting Works, American Milling & Smelting 

Co., Malta Smelter, Gage, Hagaman & Co., Little Chief 

Smelter, Leadville Smelter, Robert E. Lee [mine] (shipped to 

Golden), Taylor-Brunton Stamp Mill, Tabor Milling Co., 

Colorado Prince Stamp Mill, and Oro Stamp Mill. * * * 

Detailed information on the Evening Star, Yankee Doodle, 

Little Giant, Morning Star, Dunkin, Iron, Fryer Hill mines, 

Hibernia, Colorado Prince, Highland Chief, Matchless, Robert 

E. Lee (with crushing works), Arnie,. and Climax. * * * 

Limerock from the Pendery-Glass and iron ore which the Arnie 

is producing and selling for purposes of flux. 

For the calendar year 1880 as distinguished from 

the fiscal year, on page 157, Burchard gives $58,000 

in gold, but on page 35 he gives $104,014, which 

seems as reasonable. 

In his report fo.r 1881 Burchard says: 14 

The following smelting and reduction works and mines of 

Lake County have returned reports of production: American 

Co., Billing & Eilers, Cummings & Finn, Eddy & James, 

Elgin Co., Fohr & Bunsen Bros., Harrison Reduction Works, 

Ohio & Missouri, Tabor, Taylor-Brunton, Grant Smelting Co., 

La Plata, Shield's Mill & Mine, Dry Placer Amalgamating Co., 

Annie Consolidated, A. Y., Catalpa, Climax, Crescent, Highland Chief, Iowa Gulch, Iron Silver, Dunkin, Long & Derry, 

Matchless, Robert E. Lee, Small Hopes, Wolftone & Agassiz, 

Chrysolite, Consolidated Pigar, Denver City, Silver Cord, 

Carbonate Hill, Colorado Prince, Evening Star, Hennett, 

Hibernia Consolidated, Leadville Consolidated, Little Emma, 

Silver Wave, Artora, Big Pittsburgh, Henriette, Little Chief, 

Miner Boy, Morning Star Consolidated, and Little Pittsburgh. 

* * * J. B. Grant & Co. * * * at present time have 

only five furnaces in blast, but they are all of the largest patterns, and during the past month reduced 4,300 tons of ore. 

* * * 

The American has * * * four furnaces in blast~ * * * 

The Harrison Reduction Works * * * during the preceding 90 days have been engaged in enlarging and improving 

the establishment, and the product given above is the yield 

of only one furnace, which has been in bll~st since September 6. 

In a few days, however, another large furnace will be blown in, 

and ere long two more furnaces will be added. During the 

summer months this establishment has added two 50 or 60 ton 

furnaces, and rebuilt its old ones, giving it four splendid furnaces. * * * 

Back of the smelter, one of the most complete sampling mills 

in the State has been erected, supplied with crushers, rolls, 

sampling mills, and other modern appliances for reducing and 

sampling ores. * * * 

A. R. Meyer & Co. * * * shipped 594% tons * * * 

to the Kansas City Smelting & Refining Co. 

The Miner Boy * * * quartz mill, * * * 9 tons a 

day average. * * * 

The Shields mill, situated in Colorado Gulch, * * * 

roasting cylinders. 

In his report for 1882 Burchard says: 15 

The Chrysolite Consolidated Mining Co. * * * was 

organized in 1879 with a capitalization. of $10,000,000. Previous to the property passing into the hands of the company it 

11 Burchara, H. C., op. cit. for 1881, pp. 403-418, 1882. 

u Burchard, H. C., op. cit. for 1882, pp. 481-506, 1883. 

had produced about $1,000,000. * * * The mine has paid 

in dividends to its original owners and to the company over 

$3,100,000 in clear profits. * * * According to the annual 

report * * * 10,774 tons of ore sold netted $401,816.89, 

or $37.29 per ton. * * * 

During the year the company erected an experimental mill 

for concentrating low-grade ores, and although. the machinery 

is in very imperfect running order it nevertheless demonstrates 

that the Leadville ores can be concentrated with sufficient 

success and economy to insure a profitable enterprise. The 

percussion tables and sizing machine have not been ~n use s~ 

far, owing to some irregularity in the machinery, and the ore 

was passed from the stamps directly over the Frue vanner. 

The result was concentrates running 38 ounces in silver and 21 

· per cent in lead from iron ore that runs only 4 ounces in silver 

to the ton and a trace of lead. . With the addition of sizing 

and the further use of percussion tables, the result * :' . * 

is expected to be much more satisfactory. It is understood that 

during 1883 a large concentrating mill constructed on practical 

working principles will be erected. 

The Robert E. Lee mine * * * is one that has few 

parallels in the records of mining in the United States. One 

instance proving the richness of its ore, which consists of 

chlorides of silver, may be stated. On January 14, 1880, ~re 

was taken out to the value of $118,500 in the space of 17 hours. 

During the month the production amounted to over $300,000. 

Since development first began the value of the ore sold has 

reached the total of $3,000,000. * * * 

This company was the first to introduce sampling works 

of [its] own as an auxiliary to· successful and economical 

mmmg. * * * 

The annual report of the Catalpa Co., for 1882, shows that 

the total receipts from silver, iron, and interest accounts were 

$95,450 and expenditures $58,332. * * * During the year, 

5,202 tons of silver ore and 2,176 tons of iron [ore] were 

mined. * * * 

During the year considerable attention was attracted to Sugar 

Loaf Mountain, one of the foothills of Mount Massive, and at the 

head of Little Fryingpan Gulch, about 2% miles back of Soda 

Springs. In Little Fryingpan Gulch the Shields, Venture, and 

T. L. Welsh mines have become known as producers, but it was 

not until last fall that the discoveries were mad~ that have 

attracted so much attention to Sugar Loaf Mountain. 

The developments in the Shields mine; in Little Fryingpan 

Gulch, were sufficient to warrant the erection of a 10-stamp 

mill, which, under the management of Maj. A. V. Bohn, has 

been operated successfully on ore from the Shields, Venture, 

Welsh, and other mines that have been opened in the neighborhood. 

Among the most important of the discoveries that have been 

made on Sugar Loaf Mountain, and one in which the richest 

ore has been found, is the Birdie R. * * * Shipments were 

begun from this mine at a depth of 13 feet, the ore going to 

the Shields mill and running from 68 to 109 ounces in silver. 

* * * The Orinoco, Dinero, Gunnison, Juliet, Whittlesey, 

and Sawyer are promising discoveries. * * * 

The Grant Smelting Co., started.in 1878, built two furnaces 

in that year and made several additions the following year. In 

January, 1880, * * * a number of very important changes 

were made, including the construction of new furnaces and the 

introduction of large new engines. * * ·* Two hundred anq 

twenty-five tons of ore per day were being treated until May 

24, 1882, when the works were enveloped in flames; · * *. * 

nothing but the smokestacks were left. * * * 

Elgin Smelter, which had been idle during the early part of 

the year, was leased by Grant Smelting Co. * * * From 

July until the furnaces were blown out on December 28, the . 

two stacks were kept constantly going. * * * 
138 MINING IN COLORADO 

La Plata Mining & Smelting Co., the first of the· large buildings, was built in June, 1878, by Berdell & Witherell, who were 

then engaged in the business of sampling and crushing ores. 

A furnace of 30 tons capacity was started in October, 1878, and 

the second one built in February, 1879. On June 14, 1879, the 

new company purchased the entire property and took possession 

of the smelting works, together with 24 acres of ground and 

about 20 buildings located just below the city of Leadville. At 

the same time three claims in California Gulch, known as the 

La Plata mines, were transferred. The new company constructed 

a third furnace, which was put in operation on August 1, and 

the fourth was started on the 22d of December, 1879. * * * 

Two new furnaces were built during the year 1881, one 

started in April and the sixth put in blast on the 13th of 

December. All the six furnaces are now running and reducing 

about 160 tons daily. Several large additions to the buildings 

have also been made, and a large roaster has been placed in 

service during the year. * * * 

American Smelter, * * :!' one of the most successful 

smelting companies in California Gulch, in addition to the 

treatment of ores from the mines of Leadville, owned by outside 

parties, * * * handles the output of several mines which 

belong to it. There are four large [furnaces] and one small 

furnace, all of which are kept constantly running. * * * 

Arkansas Valley Smelter, at the western end of California 

Gulch, * * * formerly known as the Utah or Billings & 

Eilers, and it is recognized among the most complete and 

successful works about Leadville. In the latter part of 1881 

Mr. Gustav Billing purchased the entire property and conducted 

[it] as sole owner until the beginning of 1882, when the A. R. 

Meyer & Co. Sampling Works incorporated with Billing & 

Eilers, forming the Arkansas Valley Smelting Co. * * * 

The Harrison Reduction Works, which was [one of] the pioneer 

smelting works of Leadville, were entirely rebuilt during the 

year. Two years ago there were two small furnaces, which 

were closed down in January. The company then commenced 

remodeling the entire works. Large sampling works were 

built, new engines were added, and four new furnaces put up. 

Two of these new furnaces were put in blast on the 7th of 

September, 1881, and have since been kept in blast. During 

the past year the works have been further improved and enlarged * * * The management has in contemplation 

the erection of a 100-ton furnace. * * * 

Eddy, James & Co., composed of the same members as the 

Grant Smelting Co., * * * does an immense business in 

buying ores and bullion. * * * In addition to supplying 

the Elgin Works, the firm has sent large quantities to the Grant 

Works at Denver and also to the works at Pueblo. * * * 

A. R. Meyer & Co. * * * formerly conducted a business 

similar to Eddy, James ,liz: Co., but in March, 1882, in consequence of the incorporation of the Arkansas Valley Co., 

attention has been confined principally to smelting. * * * 

The sampling works are now used for the private accommodation of the smelting company. 

Cummings & Finn * * * [works] have had large additions 

during the past year and are now among the largest and most 

successful works about Leadville. There are six large furnaces, 

all in successful operation. New dust chambers have been 

introduced, and are giving the best of satisfaction. * * * 

Leadville Gold & Silver Mill Co., * * * [formerly] 

the amalgamating works of Taylor & Brunton. Neither 

[member] of the old firm is any longer interested. The works 

are largely automatic and contain a number of improvements 

in the machinery. * * * 

Shields mill, located in Colorado Gulch, at the mouth of· 

Little Fryingpan, * * * production * * * silver 

bars. * * * 

The old Oro mill has not been worked steadily during the 

past year, but at intervals during the last three months the 

machinery has been in motion. 

In his report for 1882 Burchard also gives a list 

of producing mines in the county. 

In his report for 1883 Burchard 16 gives a list of Leadville mines, their capital stock, development, production, and other information, and adds in regard to 

smelting operations: 

In 1879, when the majority of smelters operated had only 

two or three 42-inch furnaces, the expense for labor was $5.20 

per each ton of ore treated, and in 1882, with four to five large 

furnaces, it was reduced to $2.80 per ton. 

The losses of metals in reduction by the Leadville smelters 

average about as follows: In silver, 3 to 4 per cent; in lead, 

from 13 to 15 per cent. The excessive loss in lead is due largely 

to the low per cent of this metal in smelting charges, being 

sometimes as low as 8 per cent. · 

The smelting and milling facilities of Leadville consist of 

six smelting establishments containing 24 furnaces of large 

capacity. From 23,000 to 24,000 tons of ore are treated 

monthly at these works. About 5,000 tons of coke and many 

thousands of bushels of charcoal are consumed monthly. 

There are about 1,000 men employed.' 

The American Smelting Works contain four large furnaces 

and treat about 4,000 tons per month. 

The Arkansas Valley Smelter contains five furnaces, 4 feet 

6 inches by 6 feet 6 inches at the tuyere, and measuring 12 

feet from the tuyere to the charge door. 

The Fryer Hill, formerly the Cummings .& Finn Smelter 

is running three furnaces and treats about 100 tons per day. 

The establishment was purchased recently by members of the 

Omaha & Grant Smelting & Refining Co. 

The Elgin Smelting Works were leased by the J. S. D. Manville Smelting Co. in the early part of the year. Consider~ble 

or-e accumulated by April 24, when the first furnace was blown 

in. * * * More ore is coming in than can be reduced by 

the two medium-sized furnaces at the works, and a third isbeing erected. 

The Harrison Smelting Works has four large furnaces, which 

turned out 960 tons of base bullion in November. The gross 

production of the Harrison for the year was greatly reduced by 

a disastrous fire, by which the furnace building was destroyed. 

The establishment was again closed down. The Harrison 

Reduction Works is the only one that has provided roasting 

furnaces for the preparation of refractory sulphide ores that 

are produced by Leadville mines. 

The La Plata Smelting Works has five furnaces in blast. 

One is new and one of the largest in the State. New dust 

chambers, fume stack, and other additions have been made. 

In reviewing the mining operations Burchard adds:. 

F'ryer Hill.-The Chrysolite Consolidated Mining Co. has. 

produced, since the organization of the company in 1879, 

about 77,027 tons of ore, containing something like 4,302,993 

ounces of silver and 29,525,050 pounds of lead. * * * 

The Little Pittsburgh Mining Co., another property that was 

supposed to have been worked out, has during the year shipped 

11,500 tons of ore to the smelter. * * * 

The Arnie, which is consolidated with the Deer Lodge, possesses ai.Jout 15 acres adjoining the Little Pittsburgh property. 

During 1879 and 1880 this property produced about $700,000 

worth of ore. Since 1881 the property has been leased. ,. ·u Burchard, H. C., op. cit. for 1883, pp. 236,237,238, 240,332-368, 188,1. 
LAKE COUNT1; 139 

The Dunkin Mining Co., although not one of the largest 

producers, has been a steady one, having paid to date $210,212 

in dividends. * * * The ore is a galena. * * * 

The Climax * * * lower level. this season produced 

4,000 tons of high-grade ore. The upper levels have been 

worked for three years. On the 60-foot level the grade of ore 

l1as varied from 20 ounces to 500 ounces; its average value, 

including 25 per cent lead, has been $35 a ton. 

The Matchless * * * ore is dry, heavily charged with 

chlorides. * * * There are 3 feet of ore, prolific in horn 

silver. * * * The Matchless mine has now produced and 

shipped ore to smelters to the value of $1,175,000, exclusive of 

smelting and milling charges. 

Yankee Hill.-* * * The Luzerne * * * ore con-

:sists of sand and hard carbonates and ocher, in additjon to 

carrying an appreciable amount of lead. * * * 

The Small Hopes Mining Co. consists of a consolidation of 

the Small Hopes, Gone Abroad, Ranchero, Result, Robert 

Emmet, and Forest City claims. * * * The ore body is 

large and will average $110 per ton in silver, very little lead 

being present. * ·* * 

Carbonate Hill.-The Henriette & Maid of Erin * * * 

shipments in 1883 have averaged 800 tons per month. The 

galena shipments average 200 ounces silver per ton. * * * 

In the Morning Star main shaft * * * the hard carbonate streaks * * * are found containing considerable 

chlorobromide of silver, in large flakes, sometimes covering the 

whole fracture. * * * There are two classes of ore, the 

one a very heavy lead sanci, assaying from 65 to 70 per cent 

lead and 16 ounces in silver; the other lower in lead but higher 

in silver. The latter is more siliceous, which kind does generally 

exceed the pure lead sands in the contents of silver. Assays 

of this second class run up to 90 and 150 ounces. There is no 

gold in this mine to speak of. 

Production Morning Star Consolidated Mining Co. 

1883 Tons 

Ten months, net ______________________ 10,288 

Two months, estimated________________ 2, 057 

12,345 

Average, 20 ounces silver and 34.20 per cent 

lead. 

1882 Tons 

Twelve months _______________________ 19,060 

Average, 30.25 ounces silver and 38.33 per 

cent lead. 

The Evening Star * * * has a good record, and its 

shipments of carbonates, from a far more limited area than the 

Morning Star, have been astonishing. * * * 

Production of the Evening Star, 1879-1882 

A vcrage per ton 

Year Tons I 

Ounces !I Per cent silver lead 

--------------------------------l------------------

1879. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ __ __ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ___ ____ 1, 980 54. 80 1· 22. 90 

1880 ..• __ ----·--------------------------------·-··· 6, 200 49. 30 I 25. QQ 1881. _ _ _____________________________ ____ ___________ 15,625 so. 80 I 28. 40 

1882. ____________________________________ -~----------,'-----27_, _61-~--'---4-3._3o ___ 2_I_. s_o 

The Glass-Pendery mine, which consists of two claims, formerly known as the Glass and Pendery, was organized in 1879. 

Very high grade chloride ores were discovered in the Pendery, 

and from their proceeds a dividend of 10 cents a share was paid. 

Since then--for the past four years-the mine has not been 

profitable. This year * * * the output has been about 

10 or 12 tons a month of chloride ore, worth from $200 to $400 

a ton. 

The Crescent · * * * old workings, the ore is a sand 

carbonate of a very good grade, in addition to large bodies of 

iron ore. 

The Catalpa has been producing pretty regularly during 

the year, the output being the result, mainly, of tribute · 

workers. * * * 

The Yankee Doodle * * * product has continued steadily at about 175 to 200 tons of ore during the year. * * * 

The Aetna * ~ * ore is an excellent fluxing ore and 

carries from 2 to 10 ounces silver per ton. 

The Big Chief and Castle View minas, prop~rty of the Big 

Chief Mining Co.; * * * ore runs 50 to 60 per cent lead 

and 6 to 10 ounces in silver and is a fine gray sand. · The iron 

also runs well in silver. 

The Adams Mining Co. was incorporated in December, 1883, 

and is a consolidation of the· Saint Bernard and Brookland 

Mining Cos. * * * The property consists of the Clontarf 

Brookland, and Moyamensing claims. * * * The Clontarf 

has been a regular shipper of considerable quantities of excellent 

lead sand all the year past. The sump of the shaft is in about 

8 feet of se>lid carbonates; below it is iron ore through which 

the shaft is now continued. It is a favorable deep:.black iron, 

with some manganese. * * * 

The Wolftone & Agassiz Consolidation owns the vVolftone, 

Agassiz, and other claims on Carbonate Hill. * * * Only 

the upper stratum of ore has been worked during 1883, and this 

on lease. * * * 

The Gone Abroad: * * * present resources are confined to large bodies of iron ore, with occasional p:>ekets of 

chlorides. The first-class material has an average value of $125 

per ton, the second-class from $25 to $35 per ton. · 

Iron Hill.-- * * * The production of carbonate is and 

will remain for several years preponderating over that of sulphide, but in the course of time the latter will gain the ascendancy. 

The Iron Silver Mining Co. has been one of the largest producers in Leadville since 1878. It included nine claims, extending over a mile in length, and stretched nearly from Stray 

Horse Gulch on the north to California Gulch on the south. 

They were the Iron, Iron Hat, Porphyry, Dome, Rock, Stone, 

Lime, Bull's Eye, and Law. Since then the company has 

purchased the Luella, Tucson, half of the Moyer placer, and 

other properties. * . * * 

The Silver Cord combination, * * * consisting of the 

Silver Wave, Silver Cord, Cleora, Delta, St. Theresa, Holy 

Terror, Minnie Lee, Eagle, Ottawa, A. P. Willard, and south 

half of the Rubie, east half of the Bull's Eye, and some minor 

fractions. * * * 

The Smuggler * * * ore ranges from 40 to 60 ounces 

silver per ton and contains from 35 to 50 per cent lead. 

The Iron Hill Consolidated Mining Co. * * * are the 

Forfeit, Ocean Wave, Little Missouri, Norman Boardman, 

White Cap, and Imes. * * * 

The A. Y., * * * one of the oldest in Leadville, was 

located in July, 1876, by A. Y. Corman and others, and passed 

into the hands of its present owners, Mr. Samuel Harsh and 

.associates, in 1879. It consists of one full claim, patented. 

The first shipments were made in July, 1880, and in the following month regular shipments were begun; * * * the owners 

continue.d to market something like 200 tons a month in the 

last four months of 1880. In 1881 and 1882 the output did not 

vary much from 50 tons a day. In 1883 the shipments have 

been 9,284 tons. There are in the bins 500 tons of sulphide ore, 

all sorted and ready for shipment, but the amount of carbonate 

ores is not as large as at times it has been. * * * The ore 

of the A. Y. is of two kinds-carbonate ore, which for the year 

has averaged 21 ounces in silver and 21 per cent in lead; and 

sulphide ore, of which the last shipments ran from 50 to 66 

ounces in silver and from 15 to 33 per cent in lead. * * * 
140 MINING IN COLORADO 

The Collateral mine in California Gulch has been a regular 

shipper during the year. The ore is a fine lead carbonate 

and runs about 35 ouhces silver and 40 per cent lead per 

ton. * * * 

The Ruby mine, * * * on which work was commenced 

in the winter of 1879, * ·* * so far has shipped but limited 

quantities of ore. * * * 

Rock Hill.-The La Plata Mining & Smelting Co. owns the 

La Plata mine * * * the ore is a fine sand carbonate 

carrying from 15 to .30 ounces per ton and about 40 per cent 

lead. * * * The Gilt-Edge mine, owned by the Elgin 

Mining & Smelting Co., is in California Gulch, and is one of 

the largest producers in that locality. It is operated entirely 

by lessees. * * * The Florence mine, consisting of two 

claims, the Florence and J. D. Ward, * * * has been a 

prolific producer of lead carbonates, running well in silver and 

gold, since 1878. * * * · Breece Hill.-* * * Quite a large territory, with numerous developments, but as to pay there is only the Breece Iron 

m!ne, which has been producing * * * nothing but iron, 

with a very high percentage of metallic iron and very little 

silver. There is no demand for it at present, as the Fryer Hill 

and Stray Horse mines yield a very good iron, with more silver 

than the Breece iron. In 1879 and 1880 the excitement over 

the large bodies of sand and hard carbonates in the Highland 

Chief and Highland Mary caused a ready transfer of interests 

and much prospecting, but the returns did not come. * ·* * 

The Standard Mining Co. owns the St. Louis and Black 

Prince mines; the St. Louis is a consolidation of what was 

formerly known as the Colorado Prince and Miner Boy mines. 

The ore is principally quartz, carrying gold which is found in 

veinlets ranging in width from 2 inches to 2 feet. The lower 

levels of the mine show an extensive body of sulphide ore, containing iron, copper, lead, zinc, silver, and gold. * * * 

A contract has been recently let to build a large concentrator 

for the treatment of the low-grade ore. * * * 

The Little Jonny mine shaft ha~ a depth of about 120 feet, 

with two stations and levels at 82 and 112 feet, respectively, 

from the surface. At the first level, a drift extends to the 

southward for about 50 feet, where a fine body of ore is encountered, possessing a thickness of nearly 4 feet. From this 

point an incline follows on the dip of the ore in a southeasterly 

direction for 50 or 60 feet, showing from. 2 to 4 feet of fine 

sand and hard carbonates, running 40 to 50 per cent lead and 

6 to 15 ounces in silver to the ton. * * * 

The Little Ellen is the property of the American Mining & . 

Smelting Co. At present the product of the mine is regulated 

by the requirements of the smelter. * * * 

The Cleveland * * * is being explored and developed 

by lessees, who occasionally strike small pockets of ore. The 

~i~eral contains silver and lead and small quantities of gold; 

l t Is low grade and very siliceous. . * * * 

Sugar Loaf Mountain and Tennessee Parlc.-The mines, though 

not large producers, are coming to the front. * * * Among 

the most prominent are the Birdie R., Dinero, Gunnison, and 

Sundown. · * * * . The Gerald Griffin mine is a new location. The developments now consist of a shaft 65 feet deep, from which 37 tons 

of ore have been shipped, taken out during the sinking of the 

shaft. 

The Gunnison mine is the largest producer in this locality. 

The development consists of one working. shaft, 215 feet in 

depth, and three levels. * * * The ore is a sulphuret, first 

class running 2,000 ounces silver and one-fourth ounce gold. 

The second class runs about 400 ounces silver and about the 

same in gold, and the third class runs from 50 to 70 ounces 

silver and one-tenth ounce gold per ton. * * * .- The Dinero, in Sugar Loaf Gulch * * * is the oldest 

shipper in this locality. * * * 

In his report for 1884 Burchard says: 17 

The Leadville smelters secured during the year, as formerly, 

the largest portion of the product of the camp. 

The Harrison, with a considerable stock of siliceous and refractory ores on hand, limited its purchases to desirable smelting ores. It increased its roasting capacity by adding a new 

set of kilns. 

The Arkansas Valley smelter, with its sampling works, 

handled more ore than any other in Leadville. 

The business of the La Plata Mining & Smelting Co. fell off 

and its furnaces were not very busy, but considerable sulphuret ore was treated at its works. 

The furnaces of the American Mining & Smelting Co. have 

been kept supplied by its own and mines which it controls. It 

also made shipments to its smelter in Canon City, the Royal 

Gorge. 

The Fryer Hill Smelting Co. had two furnaces in blast all 

the year, and in the latter part three. 

The Manville smelter had three furnaces going the latter 

part of the year and has built extensive roasting works. 

The Omaha & Grant sampling works have not handled the 

usual quantity of ore. 

The Colorado· & Utah sampler _limited its purchase principally to iron ores for shipment to Utah. 

The Oro & Antioch mills were· supplied with free-milling 

ores by the mines on Printer Boy Hill, the increased output of 

which also caused the erection of a new mill by the Lilian 

Mining Co.· 

Fryer Hill, the great bonanza field of the past, still retainsits productive importance. The Chrysolite, Little Pittsburg, 

Little Chief, Climax, Arnie, and Dunkin, the big producers of 

the past, still continue to send forth their riches. While some 

have been irregular in shipments, explorations have been continued on all. 

The official report of the treasurer of the Chrysolite Co. for 

the fiscal year ending October 8, 1884, has recently been made 

public. During the year 3,143 tons of ore mined by the company produced $108,974.77, and 1,123 tons mined by lessees 

$13,317.42, a total of $122,292.19, to which are added sundry 

other receipts, carrying the total up to $127,482.43. The expenses amounted to $95,994.18, of which $42,095.57 were for 

labor, $6,289.25 for timber, $2,119.02 for ore hauling, $16,031.48 

for coal, and $26,193.90 for contracts. In addition to the 

above expenses $4,000 were paid as an installment on the purchase of the mill, $6,546.66 for labor and supplies for the mill, 

and $1,162.56 for grading for the railroad branch. The cash 

on hand October 8, 1884, was stated to be $187,546.27, against 

$192,866.14 at the same time in 1883. 

The general manager reports that during the year 2,420 

feet of drifts, 472 of winzes and rises, and 4,605 feet of shafts 

were driven, a total to date of 33,565 feet. The ore sales 

aggregated 4,424 tons gross weight, or 3,53~ tons net weight, 

containing 145,300 ounces of silver and 897,143 pounds_ of 

lead, for which the company received $134,086.65. Particular 

attention, during the first part of the year, was given to ascertaining the value of the second and third bodies of iron. * * * 

A small concentrating mill was built, which is now running 

and returning a satisfactory profit, and an amalgamating 

mill was leased to work the low-grade material on the dumps 

by the well-known pan-amalgamation process. For concentrating the fine material, carrying both silver and lead, 

which is obtained from underground and the dumps, six hutches 

have been built and connected to the sampling mill engine. 

From these have been shipped 330.5 tons of ore and received 

$13,569.85, at a total expense (including construction) of 

$6,294.89, l~aving a profit of $7,275.06. At present the mill 

17 Burchard, H. C., op. cit. for 1884, pp. 220-231, 1885. 
LAKE COUNTY 141 

can only be run through the six clement months of the year. 

No crushing is done. The hard iron is saved for amalgamation. It was found by amalgamating about 1,200 tons of 

dump ore, containing 10 ounces of silver to the ton, that 48 

per cent of the silver could be saved. The company therefore 

leased, with option to purchase, the Leadville Gold & Silver 

mill of this place for a term of three months, beginning September 1. It is now run on the company's dump ores. 

The Little Chief Mining Co. has been worked during the 

year and paid during that time two dividends of $20,000 

each. The production was 2,674 tons of ore, which, in addition to paying two dividends, has left a surplus in their treasury. 

The operations of the Little Pittsburg Mining Co. during 

the year were chiefly directed toward the prospecting of the 

large iron ore shoot in the northern part of the Little Pittsburg. A new lead started from shaft No. 6, under this. ore, 

struck water, which will need to be drained. Leases of dumps 

and old workings and other parts worked by the company 

have produced during the past year 7,200 tons of ore, for which 

was received $80,000 mill returns. * * * 

The Arnie & Deer Lodge has also been a producer of no small 

dimensions, 1,100 tons being the product for 1884. * * * 

The Dunkin Mining Co. continued their production. * * * 

Over 2,000 tons of ore were sold during the year. * * * 

The Climax has been quite actively worked and with good 

results. About 1,500 tons of ore were extracted and sold, 

and about 900 feet of new development work done, making in 

all about 4,600 feet. The value of the ore in this property 

varies considerably, but a fair average would be about $32 

per ton. * * * 

The Matchless mine has been worked continually, and the 

output has been equal to that of last year. * * * The total 

amount of development is about 10,000 feet. During 1884 

about 5,400 tons of ore were produced, mostly chloride of silver, 

which ran $50 and upward per ton. 

Yankee Hill remains in about the same condition as at the 

beginning of 1884. Many claims have been worked to the extent of the annual assessment, and the producing mines of a year 

ago have continued shipments quite regularly, the most notable 

being the Small Hopes Mining Co., which paid during the year 

fourteen dividends, amounting to $850,000; the largest amount 

paid by any mining company in the State. This satisfactory 

record is due to the extensive developments in the Forest 

City. * * * 

The New Pittsburg Mining Co. shipped during the year about 

6,000 tons of ore and made about 7,000 feet of development. 

Almost the entire property is worked by lessees, who, as a rule, 

are doing well. 

On the northern part of the Big Pittsburg ore was struck by 

using the Stonewall Jackson shaft and drifting thence into the 

Pittsburg. A new shaft about 170 feet deep, with a 75-foot 

drift and a 200-foot 35° incline to the east, was sunk by other 

lessees. The ore is a heavy lead sand and carbonate, running 

high in lead and low in silver. The ore has been followed down 

on its dip to within a short distance of the Hibernia line. The 

body dipping thus toward it is iu places from 9 to 12 feet thick. 

The leases have produced largely, from 15 to 30 tons a day each. 

On Carbonate Hill * * * the Morning Star Mining Co. 

has confined its operations during the year to development work 

and the extraction of ore from the McHarg shaft. The explorations of late have led to tht:: discovery of a low-grade and dry 

ore, underlain in part by marketable iron, of which shipments 

have recently been made. The minerals occur irregularly in 

streaks and bunches all through the contact matter. * * * 

The lead and dry ores from these workings run 40 ounces in 

silver and upward. The lower 400-foot level of the McHarg 

has been extended in mineral, mostly lead sand, high in lead but 

low in silver, some distance toward the north, and connection 

has been made at one point with the Henriette, an adjoining 

mine on the north. In the Henriette an incline has been driven 

nearly to the Maid of Erin line, mostly in the same contact and 

similar ore, 15 feet thick, with occasional pockets of high-grade 

argentiferous galena. The Morning Star Co. shipped during 

the year 15,477 tons of ore, of the value of $173,638, exclusively 

from the upper contact. 

Prospecting work has been continued from the upper shaft of 

the Evening Star mine. The ore now being extracted consists. 

of low-grade lead and marketable iron ore. The old workings 

are leased and producing but little as yet. The shipments of 

the Evening Star mine during the year are reported to have 

been 3,380 tons, valued at $43,143.· 

The Big Chief Mining Co. has made some extensive developments during the year. The shaft has reached a depth of about 

605 feet. At 468 feet the shaft pierced the regular porphyrylimestone contact and disclosed some very fine sand ore. After 

working out the ore in the immediate vicinity, the shaft was 

sunk deeper and levels driven, opening new ore bodies to the 

eastward. Iron was encountered which returned 6 ounces in 

silver to the ton, and at 9 feet below the limestone fine galen a 

and sand carbonates were met with. The shaft was sunk about 

20 inches into the ore body, when the increased flow of water 

enforced a suspension of work. 

The ore extracted last year by the Adams Mining Co. by 

way of the Clontarf, came mainly from stopes to the east of 

the Clontarf drift. The central part of the Clontarf-Brookland 

and the grounds east of the Brookland drift contain the largest 

ore bodies opened up. Both the north and south drifts of the 

Brookland have ore in the breast. The north end of the Moyamensing, also the property of the Adams Mining Co., has already yielded a large amount of valuable chloride ore of the 

same character as that of the Forest City. The output of the 

company from the Clontarf-Brookland alone was 11,000 tons, 

netting about $220,000, ·of which $82,500 were paid in dividends. 

The Agassiz has shipped during the year about 3,000 tons of 

ore, averaging from 25 to 40 ounces in silver, a fair aggregate 

of 30. 

Iron Hill still maintains its position as the largest ore producer of the many hills around Leadville. 

The Terrible Mining Co. produced from their two claims, the 

Terrible and Adelaide, over 150 tons of ore. The property is 

worked under lease, five different parties being at work on it 

at present. 

The claims of the Argentine Mining Co. produced last year 

3,580 tons of ore, containing 94,493 ounces of silver, 363 ounces 

of gold, and 533 tons of lead, which cost for treatment $32,642 

and yielded $91,600. The ore ran 31 ounces of silver, 0.12 

ounce of gold, and 17.6 per cent of lead. 

The operations of the Iron Silver Mining Co. have been 

directed toward the exploration of the Colonel Sellers sulphide 

ore shoot and the cleaning up of old stopes by lessees. . Although the company has remained the foremost shipper of 

carbonates, it has not been successful in a financial point of 

view. With the exception of the work on the Moyer shaft, 

and a limited amount of work in the Iron Silver, nearly all the 

old mines of the company, such as the Bull's Eye, c'odfish 

Balls, Lime, Kaiserin, Stone and Daisy, Dome and Rock, 

have been worked by lessees the larger part of the year and have 

yielded quite handsomely. The low price of lead, however, 

greatly reduced the receipts therefor. 

During the past year the A. Y. mine has not been an extensive shipper, but the development of the sulphide ore shoot of 

the mine has continued without interruption. The silver· contents of the A. Y. sulphides are above the average of the carbonate ores of this section. In the sulphide shoot are extensive 
142 MINING IN COLORADO 

bodies of ore running 25 per cent lead, 22 per cent zinc, and 14 

-ounces of silver. This sulphide ore shoot lies to the southeast 

of the mine. * * * 

At the Colonel Sellers, shaft No. 1 has been sunk to a depth 

-of 400 feet, shaft No. 2 to about 500 feet, shaft No. 3 326 feet, 

and shaft No. 4 215 feet deep. At shafts Nos. 1 and 2 the mineral is said to be from 40 to 45 feet thick, at No. 3 20 feet, and 

the far northwest workings 18 feet. In the triangle formed by 

shafts 1, 2, and 3 there is a large accumulation of ore. From 

this body the bulk of the best ore is produced. The ore in the 

winze connecting with the drift from shaft No. 4, in the gulch, 

runs about 45 per cent in lead but lower in silver than the other. 

In the central part of the mine, from which most of the shipments have been made, the average of all the·lots shipped has 

been about 45 ounces silver, 27 per cent lead, and 18 per cent 

zinc. At this mine there are four shafts and three levels. The 

lowest level starts from shaft No. 2, at a depth of 400 feet, 

with 100 feet of dump below. * * * 

The mine shipped in 1884 about 13,400 tons. Four thousand 

two hundred tons have been shipped to the Colorado Smelting 

Co., at Pueblo; the balance was shipped to Leadville smeJters, 

chiefly to those which have made the treatment of sulphide 

ores a special business by the erection of roasters-the Harrison 

Reduction Works, the Arkansas Valley, and the Manville 

smelter. 

On the Minnie a shaft was sunk to the depth of 275 feet. 

Drifts were started in various directions in ore, partly low 

grade. Toward the west a drift was run, mostly in lime, without discovering valuable mineral. North and east of the shaft 

fair ore was encountered. The best, however, was struck south 

of the shaft, where from a small stope, since April last year, 

$180,000 worth of ore is said to have been taken. The present 

output goes mainly to the Manvil1e smelter. * * * 

At the Ruby the ore shoot is opened a considerable distance 

to the westward of the shaft. At the intersection of the level 

with the shoot a drift follows on the ore body for 80 feet, showing 

ore of variable grade for the entire distance. The width or 

thickness of the ore body is still unknown, but sufficient work 

has been done to prove it to possess unusual strength. The 

average of a lot of ore in bins was shown by assay to be 24 

ounces in silver, 0.15 of an ounce in gold, and 24 per cent in 

lead. 

The Great O'Sullivan is located between the Oro City and 

the property of the Emmet Mining Co. The shaft is about 

100 feet above the bed of the gulch and is 150 feet deep. In the 

present main workings the ore varies from 15 to 30 inches, with 

occasional larger pockets. The ore is of a uniform good grade. 

* * * The ore output varies from 15 to 20 tons. The production for 1884 is said to have amounted to $65,000. 

The property of th.e La Plata Mining & Smelting Co. is reported to have produced 15,060 tons of ore in 1884. 

The Emmet Mining Co. produced last year 2,478 tons of ore, 

for which was received $127,741, or an average of $57.55 per 

ton. 

The Florence mine shipped 1,133 tons of ore during the year. 

It and several adjacent mines were consolidated and incorporated in a stock company, known. as the Lilian Mining Co. of 

Leadville. The consolidation now embraces about 100 acres. 

The Pilot mine is opened by a tunnel 600 feet in length, and 

has lately cut quite a streak of ore containing gold. ' 

On Breece Hill the only properties that have·been actively 

wox:ked are the Little Prince and Little Jonny. The Little 

Jonny has been shipping regularly. The 115-foot levelfollows 

on the vein to the southward for about 187 feet, ending in ore 

of fair grad.e. The mineral carries silver, gold, and lead in 

quantities that leave a fair profit above the cost of mining and 

smelting. The 166-foot level, running in the same direction, 

is in 201 feet and shows ore in a number of places. 

The Leadville smelter of the American Co. contains four 

large furnaces, possessing a capacity of 150 tons of ore per diem. 

The furnace charges being rather light in lead ores, the daily 

base-bullion product of the four furnaces averages 20 tons. 

The base bullion contains from 90 to 100 ounces in silver to the 

ton and 1~ ounces in gold. 

The company is also operating the Royal Gorge smelter, at 

Canon City, which contains two furnaces, with an ore capacity 

per 24 hours of 70 tons, yielding about 15 tons of base bullion 

daily. The company secured the Canon City establishment 

exclusively for the reduction of Gunnison and San Juan ores. 

The requisite amount of lead ore for these works will be supplied 

by the Eureka, one of the company's mines situated in Gunnison 

County. The mineral consists of galena and sulphate and carbonate of lead, ranging in value from 70 to 80 ounces in silver 

to the ton and carrying 50 to 70 per cent in lead. The dry ores 

for the Canon City works are purchased throughout the various mining districts in southwestern Colorado. 

The Little Ellen mine, the most prominent of the company's 

:~Pines, situated on Little Ellen Hill, is shipping 50 to 60 tons 

daily, employing about 30 men. The developments of the 

mine along the incline now exceed 1,100 feet. Water has been 

encountered in the mine, and two large steam pumps were used 

but without success; therefore, a large compressor has been 

pUTchased for that purpose. 

The output of the J. .. ittle Chief mine is nearly as great, so far 

as tonnage is concerned, as that of the Little Ellen. * * * 

The ore obtained from the Little Chief mine is a most desirable 

smelting material, carrying a great deal of lead and a large excess of iron over silica. The ore contains on an average about 

0.4 ounce in gold to the ton, while the Little Ellen ores range 

from 1 to 1~ ounces in gold to the ton. 

The Chicago Smelting & Refining Co., which is an auxiliary 

to the American Mining & Smelting Co., is in successful operation. It possesses a capacity for desilverizing and refining 

lead of 120 tons in 24 hours. About one-half of the furnaces 

in the establishment are at present employed and some tons of 

base bullion handled daily. Of the bullion treated, 20 tons are 

supplied by the American smelter at Leadville, 15 tons by the 

Royal Gorge smelter at Canon City, and 25 tons are purchased 

from other smelting works. 

At the head of Big Evans Gulch is the New York mine. 

Considerable work was done on this property during the early 

part of 1884, but owing to the continued deep snows during the 

winter months it was impossible to ship the ore as fast as extracted and between 100 and 200 tons of fine ore accumulated 

before shipment began. Since the -roads were opened the output has been quite regular. * * * · The placer ground in Lake County possessing value is as 

follows: 

California Gulch, length 5 miles, width 100 to 600 feet; Iowa 

Gulch, length 4 miles, width 50 to 200 feet; moraines west of 

Leadville containing patches of good pay, embracing about 25 

square miles; Arkansas River Valley, length 20 miles, width 

100 feet to one-half mile; West Fork of Arkansas, length 8 

miles, width 25 to 500 feet; Lake Fork Creek, length 3 miles, 

width about 200 feet; Colorado and Little Fryingpan gulches, 

·length 2~ miles, .width 40 to 125 feet; Half-Moon Gulch and 

its branches, 7 miles in length and 50 to 200 feet in width; 

Twin Lakes Creek, its tributaries and surrounding moraines, 

Georgia, Thompson, Empire, Union, and a dozen other minor 

gulches, containing many acres of good ground. 

A list of mines showing reported development to 

date and number of tons produced in 1884 follows. 

In regard to smelting charges and development 1n 

1885 Kirchhoff says: 18 

1s Kirchhoff, Charles, Lead: U.S. Oeol. Survey Mineral Resources, 1885, pp. 

251-257, 1886. 
LAKE COUNTY 143 

Through the active competition of the smelters, both at 

Leadville and in the·"Valley," Leadville has become, comparatively speaking, one of the most favorable ore markets to the 

miner in the world. This will be clearly apparent from the 

following quotations, which have been the basis of transactions 

during the year 1885. They represent the prices paid at Leadville, delivered at the sampling works. Classifying the ores, 

we have: 

(1) Carbonate lead ores.-The principal producers of this class 

of ore are the Iron Mining Co:, the Silver Cord, Adams Mining 

Co., the Little Ella, the Carbonate Hill mines, among which 

are prominent the Crescent, the Morning Star, the Evening 

Star, etc., and finally, a number of mines at Red Cliff, a tributary camp~ 

The highest bid for this class of eire has been: New Y ark 

quotation for silver, less 5 per cent; $20 per ounce for gold; 

and 40 cents per unit, or each per cent, for lead, if under 40 

per cent of lead, and 45 cents per unit if over 40 per cent of 

lead, regardless of the actual New York price for lead. The 

bid provided that there be no smelting charge whatever. 

The following is the general price list for lead ore during 

1885: Silver, New York quotation, less 5 per cent; gold, $19 

per ounce, if over 0.1 ounce per ton; lead, 45 cents per unit 

when the New York quotation of lead is 4.25 cen~s, 40 cents per 

unit when the New York quotation for lead is under 4.25 cents. 

Worlcing charges, per ton of 2,000 pounds, dry weight 

Kind of lead ore: 30 per cent ______________________________ $3 

25 per cent______________________________ 4 

20 per cent______________________________ 5 

15 per cent______________________________ 6 

10 per cent______________________________ 7 

Under 10 per cent------------------:------ 8 

(2) Dry oxidized silver ores.-The leading producers of this 

class of ore are the Matchless, the Forest City, the Denver City, 

the Robert E. Lee, the Silver, and the May Queen mines. 

Silver: New York quotation, less 5 per cent; working charges: 

$12 per ton of 2,000 pounds. 

(3) Argentijerous iron ore.-The leading mines which market 

this class of ore are the Morning Star, the Henriette, the Denver 

City, the Dunkin, the Robert E. Lee, and the Matchless. The 

following is the basis on which this ore is sold. The contents of 

the ore, in percentages, of metallic iron and of metallic manganese is added, and from this is deducted the contents in per 

cent of silica. The figure thus arrived at is called the '~base 

excess," and the tariff standard is based on the assumption that 

this "base excess'' is 40 per cent. The prices paid during 1885 

were: 

(a) For low-grade iron ore, carrying 12 ounces of silver or 

less per ton: Silver, 50 cents per ounce, working charge, none; 

iron, 10 cents added for each per cent iron or manganese over 

40 per cent "base excess"; 10 cents deducted for each per cent 

iron or ma-nganese under 40 per cent ."base excess." 

(b) For first-grade iron ore, carrying over 12 ounces of silver 

per ton: Silver, New York quotation, less 5 per cent; working 

charge, $6 per ton; iron, 10 cents added for each per cent iron 

or manganese over 40 per cent "base excess," and 10 cents deducted for each per cent iron or manganese under 40 per cent 

"base excess." 

(4) Sulphurets carrying galena.-The principal producers are 

the Colonel Sellers and the Minnie and the A. Y. mines. The 

lowest price paid until March, 1885, was as follows:. Silver, 90 

per cent of New York quotations; lead, 25 cents per unit when 

the New York quotation is 4 cents for lead. Five cents per 

unit is added or deducted for each 5 cents per 100 pounds 

n,dvance or decline in the New York quotation for lead. Zinc, 

12 per cent is the standard. For each unit of zinc above the 

standard 50 cents is deducted. \Vorking charge, $21.50 per 

ton of 2,000 pounds. . 

The latest and highest prices paid in 1885 for this class of ore 

were the following: Silver, 93 per cent of New York quotations; lead, 35· cents per unit, when the ore contains 30 per 

cent of lead, 40 cents per unit when the ore contains over 30 

per cent. of lead; zinc, standard, 20 per cent; for each tinit · 

above 20 per cent 50 cents is deducted. 

Working charges, per ton of 2,000 pounds 

Kind of lead ore: 

20 per cent_ ____ ~----------------------- $19 

20 to 25 per cent________________________ 18 

25 to 30 per cent_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 17 

Over 30 per cent_________________________ 16 

(5) Sulphurets with no galena and a little zinc.-These ores, 

high in iron pyrites, which are produced by the Mike & Star 

mine, are sold on the following basis: Silver, 95 per cent of 

New York quotations; copper, $1 per unit; working charges, 

$13 per ton, free on board cars. 

(6) Sulphurets with no galena and 10 to 15 per cent zinc.-

This class of ·ore is produced chiefly by the Forepaugh mine 

and is paid for at the following rates: Silver, 95 per cent of 

New York quotations; working charges, $15 per ton, free on 

board cars. 

When it is considered that coke, containing 20 per cent of 

ash, costs at Leadville $13 per ton, and that the cost of smelting 

(placing it at a low figure) is $8 per ton, run of ore, it will be 

understood by an examination of the above figures that more 

is paid for the lead in the ores than can be recovered for it. 

During the current year smelting charges have been more 

favorable thus far to the furnace men, without· rising so much 

as to discourage mining. 

Mr. D. Bauman, of Buena Vista, under date of January 26, 

has furnished an estimate of the probable output of lead ores 

in Colorado, based upon a careful study of the conditions existing at that time. Such an estimate is of course subject to 

many contingencies affecting individual producers, entire 

groups of mines, or the whole industry. The total may be 

swelled by the striking of exceptionally high-grade bodies of 

great magnitude or by temptingly high prices. It may be 

diminished by accidents, labor troubles in allied industries, 

or a decline in values. As it is, however, it constitutes a 

thorough and clear review of the actual status of the industry 

of more immediate interest than a historical sketch of the 

happenings of the past year. 

In Leadville the first group of mines to be considered is that 

of Main Frye~ hill. The record of the Chrysolite, Little Chief 

and Little Pittsburgh shows that whatever vitality they may 

possess as producers of dry -and milling iron ores, their output 

will not be greater than 3,000 tons of lead ore, averaging 12 

per cent. Adding 50 tons of 20 per cent ore from a few smaller 

mines, a total of 370 tons of lead is reached. The product of 

the Matchless, New Pittsburgh, and Hibernia, on East Fryer 

hill, yielding ore of higher grade, is estimated at 750 tons of 

metallic lead contents. The mines on Yankee ·Hill, of which 

the leading ones are the Moyamensing, May Queen, Forest 

City, Denver City, Lee Basin, Alleghany, Scooper and Chieftain, carry but little lead in the siliceous and ferruginous ores 

they turn out. It is estimated that 300 tons of lead will cover 

the product. 

The three sections of Leadville thus far mentioned are those 

lowest in lead, though their importance is great in other respects 

as producers of iron and dry chloride and iron sulphide ores. 

Those acquainted with that section look forward to the discovery of lead sulphide ores both. on East Fryer and Yankee 

hills, but it is not believed, even if this possibility is verified~ 
144 MINING IN COLORADO 

that it will have any appreciable effect upon the current year's 

markets. 

Carbonate Hill is looked forward to as one of Leadville's chief 

sources of lead ore supply, and it is likely that fully nine-tenths 

of it will come from the Maid of Erin, Henriette, BrooklandClontarf or Adams mines, the Wolftone-Agassiz, and Morning 

Star. It is believed that these mines combined will produce 

not less than 9,000 tons of metallic lead, provided the Maid of 

Erin and Henriette ship 10,000 tons of ore, which it is believed 

that they_ will do, though it is not likely that they will exceed 

it much. The Wolftone-Agassiz are counted upon to contribute 

a like amount to the market. A number of other mines, among 

them the Catalpa, Carbonate, Leadville, Glass-Pendery, 

Crescent, Aetna, Modest Girl, and a few others, may yield 

200 tons of metallic lead. Thus far the preparations for 

treating the sulphides of Carbonate Hill are not extensive, and 

until now the development of that class of ore in a large body 

has been limited to the Wolftone. 

On Iron Hill the mines of the Iron Silver Co., including its 

California Gulch properties, may be credited with an output 

of 24,000 tons, including concentrates, the whole averaging 

about 16 per cent, or 3,840 tons of metallic lead. The Silver 

Cord mines, which shipped last year nearly 10~000 tons, of 

which a large percentage was high-grade ores, now show more 

sulphides, which are too low to be marketed without previous 

concentration, which has not been provided for as yet. They 

will not, therefore, in 1886 occupy the same prominent position 

as contributors to the lead supply. On. the other hand, another 

lead mine, called the Benton, has been opened in the rear .of 

Iron Hill, in what is known as Adelaide Park. It is an extension 

of the regular deposits of the Park mine, which a few years 

since made considerable shipments. During the greater part 

of 1885 the Benton mine sent to market from 500 to 600 tons 

per month of ore carrying 36 per cent lead. It may be credited 

with 4,000 tons of ore or 1,600 tons of lead in 1886, the policy of 

the management at present being rather to push development 

work than to extract ore. The Argentine, Terrible, Humboldt, 

Newton, and Silver Cord may be estimated at 1,000 tons of 

metallic lead. The Louisville, Colorado No. 2, and North 

Ruby may produce 7,5oo·tons of 30 per cent ore. It is possible 

that the grade may be lower, but in that case it is likely that 

the tonnage will be heavier, so that the product of metal may 

be put at 2,250 tons. The Smuggler, Iron Hill Consolidated, 

and the A. Y. and Minnie mines may be relied upon for 6,000 

tons of carbonates, equivalent to 1,200 tons of lead. The 

great sulphide deposits of the Colonel Sellers, A. Y., Minnie, 

Accident, Sierra Nevada, and Moyer, which form one enormous 

ore shoot, believed to be continuous through the William Moyer 

placer, the eastern part of the Silver Cord, and the Ruby, is 

an uncertain element in the question. It depends upon the 

success of the concentrating works built already and the 

activity with which building of new works will progress during 

the year. The sales of ore of the Colonel Sellers mine and the 

output of its concentrating plant may be estimated at 18,000 

tons, equivalent to 4,250 tons, and the yield of the A. Y. and 

Minnie mines may be placed at 3,000 tons of sulphides or 1,000 . 

tons of metallic lead. 

On Rock Hill the Sullivan, Only Chance, and Emmet mines 

will produce not less than 7,000 tons of lead ore, aggregating 

2,500 tons of lead. The La Plata, Crown Point, Pinnacle, 

Montgomery, Gilt Edge, Sequin, Pease, Willis, and Moyer 

properties are believed to be good for 10,000 tons of lead ore 

carrying 2,500 tons of lead. The Lilian, Brian Boru, G. M. 

Favorite, and other mines of Printer Boy hill will in all likelihood 

yield about 5,000 tons of ore or 1,000 tons of lead. The Upper 

Iowa Gulch mines and Ball Mountain will probably no"t exceed· 

500 tons of lead ore or 200 tons of metal, and will do well if they 

produce that. · 

On Little Ellen Hill the New Year property is known to con· 

tain large ore bodies, but it will hardly come into the market 

this year, since the incline being driven toward them will probably not reach the ore until the close of the year. All the other 

mines of this section, with the exception of the Little Ellen mine 

proper, have been poorly worked and are partly unsafe. So far 

as lead ore is concerned they are pockety. The Little Ellen 

and the majority of the other mines are worked by lessees. It 

is not likely that all of them together will ship more than 6,000 

tons of ore or 1,200 tons of lead, unless the New Year mine 

begins active extraction earlier than expected. 

Mount Sheridan, Sugar Loaf, Mount Kevin, and Little Fryingpan mines, in the vicinity of Leadville, may produce 300 

tons of metallic lead. 

In his report for 1885 Wilson 19 gives a table which 

shows the production of the principal smelters from 

Colorado ore during the year ending. December 31, 

1885, including the American smelter, ·Harrison 

Reduction Works, La Plata smelter, Manville smelter, 

Fryer I-Iill smelter, and Chrysolite mill. 

Mr. F. L. Bartlett began buying lots of lead-zinc ore 

and concentrates for experiment in the East, which 

later resulted in the establishment of the American 

Zinc Lead Co.'s zinc-oxide plant at Canon City in 

1891. 

The Canadian commission that investigated the 

zinc resources of British Columbia, in its report published in 1906, gives the following account of the production of zinc ores at Leadville: 20 

In the early years there was no market for the zinc ore as 

·such, and as a constituent of silver-lead ore it was a detriment 

to the value of the latter. The object of the miner, in order to 

conform to the requirements of the silver-lead smelters, was 

consequently to keep the percentage of zinc in the ore shipped 

as low as possible. Large quantities of zinc ore were, therefore, 

removed from the ores by hand sorting or meqhanical concentration and thrown away; in many cases beyond recovery, in a 

few cases into separate dumps where it could be held pending 

the development of a market, which in the United States was 

foreseen by a few mine owners as far back as 1885. Whenever 

possible, zinc ore was passed by in the mines. · 

Previous to 1899, the supply of zinc ore smelted in the United 

States was obtained chiefly from Missouri, Kansas, Wisconsin, 

New Jersey, and Virginia, with comparatively small quantities 

from Tennessee and Arkansas. There was no ore received from 

the country west of Kansas, except from a group of mines near 

Hanover, N. Mex., whence some shipments were -made about 

1893, and possibly some small, spasmodic shipments from other 

localities, of which no record has been preserved. 

The utilization of the zinc resources of the far West was early 

considered. In 1885, Eugene and Alfred Cowles patented an 

electric furnace for the reduction of zinc ore, and I believe they 

had in mind the treatment of mixed ore from New Mexico. 

H. C. Rudge built Belgian furnaces at Denver, Colo., in 1888 

and actually smelted a small quantity of ore from Leadville, 

but because of ignorance the venture proved a failure. Messrs. 

Ingalls, Argall, and Wood, who have been associated in the 

investigation of the zinc resources of British Columbia, formut9 Wilson, P. S., agent for Colorado, in Kimball, J.P., Report of the Director of the 

Mint upon the production of the precious metals in the United States during the 

calendar year 1885, p. 138, 1886. 

20 Report of the Commission (Walter Renton Ingalls, Philip Argall, and A. C. 

Garde) appointed to investigate the zinc resources of British Columbia and the con. 

ditions affecting their exploitation, Mines Branch, Department of the Interior, 

Ottawa, Canada, pp. 5-9, 1906. 
LAKE COUNTY 145 

lated extensive plans for zinc development in 1889, but these 

proved to be premature. 

The ore from Hanover was sent to Mineral Point, Wis., and 

Waukegan, Ill. The freight rate to those points was $12 per 

2,000 pounds. Under the market conditions of that time, it 

being a period of general industrial depression and low prices, 

there was no profit in the business, and the exploitation of the 

mines ceased. 

In the summer of 1899 certain smelters in Kansas received· 

small shipments of blende concentrate from Creede, Colo. The 

real development of the zinc industry west of the Rocky 

Mountains may be dated from this time. At first, the Colorado 

ore was regarded askance, although that received from Creede 

was really a superior ore by any standard save that which 

€xisted among Kansas-Missouri smelters, who based their ideas 

at that time upon the ore of remarkable purity which was 

afforded by the Joplin district. They considered an iron content 

of upward of 2 per cent in a zinc ore to be highly objectionable; 

and in fact, in view of their smelting methods and equipment 

at that time, it was objectionable .. The attempts to smelt even 

the comparatively clean ore from Creede in 1899 were disastrous. 

A combination of circumstances, however, caused the possibility of obtaining an ore supply from Colorado and elsewhere 

in the far West to be kept in mind. There was at about this 

time a concerted effort on the part of the miners of the Joplin 

district to raise the price for ore. Their mines were in fact 

unable to .furnish the supply required except at an enhanced 

priCe. On the other hand, the price for spelter left the smelter 

an insufficient margin, and he was keenly looking out for supplies of cheaper raw material. European smelters were in 

somewhat the same position. 

The great deposits of mixed sulphide ore at Leadville, Colo., 

had been worked since about 1885 for the lead content of the 

low grade of ore, the zinc and most of the iron being thrown 

out upon the tailings pile. The concentrating mills were of the 

old conventional design, crushing the ore comparatively coarse 

and cleaning it chiefly by jigging, but there was no great profit 

in the operation1 and it was after a while abandoned. The 

success in the treatment of similar ore by fine crushing at 

Broken Hill, New South Wales, the invention of the WHfley 

table in 1895 (affording a greatly improved means for cleaning 

fine ore), reductions in the cost of mining, etc., led to the erection 

of a type of mill more especially suited to the particular ore, 

and although these were designed especially for the production 

of galena concentrate, it was found that a fair grade of zinc 

concentrate could be made at the same time as a by-product. 

The advent. of an enterprising broker, acquainted with the needs 

of the Eurupean zinc smelters, developed an export business, 

which in 1900 and in two or three years subsequent attained 

large proportions. The ·factors enabling this to be done were 

the low price at which the miners were willing to sell the ore, 

and the low freight rate which was obtained, via Galveston, to 

Swansea and Antwerp. At first, the ore produced as-.;ayed 

about 45 per cent of zinc, 12 per cent of iron, and 6 per cent 

of lead; the average subsequently ran down to about 38 per 

cent of zinc, 17 per cent of iron, and 3 per cent ot lead. The 

buyers paid a flat price for the ore, at first only $5 per 2,000 

pounds, f. o. b. cars at Leadville, and shipped it to European 

ports at a cost of $9.50 per 2,000 pounds. The miners were · 

well satisfied with this price because the ore was distinctly a 

by-product and anything realized for it was so much gain. 

The increasing demand for zinc ore of any kind led, however, 

to competition for the Leadville ore, a gradual increase in the 

price for it, and the producers became firm in holding out for 

the best bargains. 

. The smelters of Kansas continued their experiments on the 

smelting of Colorado ores with many discouraging experiences, 

but after a few years they succeeded in treating them profitably 

and drove the European buyers out of the Colorado market. 

The increased price for spelter, the continuing shortage of ore, 

and the severe competition for what Joplin could supply forced 

these smelters more and more into the country west of the 

Rocky Mountains for their ore supply and raised the prices · 

for such ore, in which the smelters were aided by gradual improvements in their processes. 

In order to illustrate the magnitude which the zinc industry 

west of the Rocky Mountains has attained, I may be permitted 

to quote from an article by myself * * * as follows: 2t 

Statistics of the production of zinc ore in Missouri and K~nsas 

(Joplin district) and New Jersey are available for a long series 

of years. Up to a few years ago these were sufficient, inasmuch 

as nearly the whole spelter output of the United States was 

derived from those sources. In 1899 zinc ore from Colorado 

began to appear in the market, and during the last two or 

three years that ore, together with ore from other States and 

Territories west of the Rocky Mountains, and from 'British 

Columbia and Mexico, has been figuring largely in the market. 

It is, therefore, important to know definitely as to the production of these sources of ore supply. Such statistics respecting 

them as have previously been published are incomplete and of 

doubtful accuracy. 

Statistics of zinc ore production indicate directly the magnitude of the mining industry, by showing the tonnage of ore 

produced and moved. In connection with spelter production, 

however, it is necessary to examine them with a knowledge of 

what they represent. 

The ore production of the Joplin district is of two clasl:les, 

viz, blende and calamine. ·The former averages about 58 

per cent of zinc; in round numbers, two tons of this ore make 

one ton of spelter. The calamine of the district is entirely zinc 

silicate. It may be assumed as averaging a little better than 

40 per cent of zinc, three tons of ore being required, roughly, to 

make one ton of spelter. The total production of zinc ore in 

the Joplin district in 1905 was 252,435 tons. No attempt was 

made to classify this as blende and calamine, but in recent 

years the output of the latter class of ore has amounted to 10,000 

to 16,000 tons per annum, and it may be reasonably assumed 

that the production in 1905 was something between those 

figures. 

A small amount of calamine, both carbonate and silicate 

is produced in southeastern Missouri, e'specially by the Valle 

mines. This ore goes chiefly to St. Louis, and amounts to 

3,000 to 6,000 tons per annum. 

The zinc ore produced in the States and Territories west of 

the Rocky Mountains is both blende and calamine, the latter 

being chiefly zinc carbonate produced in Mexico and New 

Mexico. The production of Colorado, Utah, Idaho, Montana, 

and British Columbia is chiefly, if not entirely, blende. This 

ore varies generally in grade from 30 per cent to 50 per cent 

zinc. In a few cases, as at Creede, Colo., and the output of 

handsorted lump ore of one mine in British Columbia, it exceeds 

50 per cent, the Creede ore (mill concentrate) in fact being 

almost as high in zinc as the average Joplin product, but 

although low in iron it is higher in lead than the Joplin ore. 

The average zinc content of the western ore, both blende and 

calamine, may be assumed at 38 per cent. From 3~ to 3 

tons of this ore are required to produce one ton of spelter. 

This sulphide ore is comparatively high in iron and lead; some 

of it is very high in those elements. It is mostly produced as 

a concentrate from mixed sulphides, the lead product being 

shipped to the silver-lead smelters. The Iron Silver Mining 

Co. however, ships a good deal of hand-sorted lump ore from 

its Moyer mine, at Leadville. 

Wisconsin produces a blende concentrate, which after magnetic separation, is practically as high in zinc as the average 

Joplin ore, and when well prepared is comparatively low in 

21 Ingalls, W. R., Spelter statistics for 1905: Eng. and Min. Jour., vol. 81, pp. 909-

911, 1906; Mineral Industry, vol. 14, pp. 562-570, 1906. 
146 MINING IN COLORADO 

iron and lead, the blende itself being only slightly ferruginous 

and the iron content of the marketed ore being chiefly intermixed marcasite. ·wisconsin also produces carbonate ore, 

which is used at Mineral Point for the manufacture of zinc 

oxide. 

The large output of zinc ore in New Jersey is entirely from 

the Franklin mine of the New Jersey Zinc Co. It is the mixed 

franklinite-willemite, averaging about 20 per cent zinc, which 

is separated into one product (willemite) for spelter manufacture and another product (franklinite) for the manufacture of 

zinc oxide and spiegeleisen. 

Of the western zinc-mining districts, the most important 

single district is Leadville, Colo. Other important single 

districts are Creede, Colo., Magdalena, N. Mex.; Park City 

and Frisco, Utah; Monterey, and Las Plomosas (near San 

Sostenes, on the Kansas City, Mexico & Orient Railway), 

Chihuahua, Mexico; and the Slocan, British Columbia. Outside of these districts, the zinc ore production west of the 

Rocky Mountains comes from many scattered localities. In 

New Mexico, besides Magdalena, Hanover is a small producer, 

and there are several other promising districts. In Montana, 

Butte is the principal source. In Idaho, the Wood River district is the most important, although some ore was obtained in 

1905 from the Coeur d'Alene. In Utah, the Daly West Mining 

Co., of Park City, and the Horn Silver Mining Co., of Frisco, 

have large- zinc resources; the former did not produce in 1905 

but the latter shipped 8,445 tons. In Colorado, besides Leadville and Creede, zinc ore is produced at Rico, and by many 

small mines in Clear Creek and Summit ·counties. In Mexico 

the Calera mine, of the State of Chihuahua, was a considerable 

shipper of mixed sulphide ore to Pueblo, Colo. Arizona and 

Nevada both figured as small producers in 1905. T_he ores of 

Magdalena, N. Mex., were shipped chiefly to Missouri, Kansas, 

and Wisconsin, for the manufacture of zinc oxide. Other 

western ores are shipped to Mineral Point, Wis., for the manufacture of zinc oxide. 

The figures for zinc in 1885 to 1891, given in the 

table on page 176, represent estimates made on the 

basis of the statement of F. L. Bartlett, formerly 

manager of the American Zinc-Lead Co., at Canon 

City, that between 1885 and 1891, he treated in the 

East about 1,500 tons of Leadville zinc-lead ore averaging 25 per cent zinc. These figures represent gross 

content; no atten1pt has been made to estimate recovered zinc in zinc oxide produced. 

In his report for 1886 Kirchhoff says: 22 

The following figures relate to Leadville (made up of two 

items, (1) Leadville smelters' lead bullion product with contents 

of lead, silver, and gold, and (2) ore shipped outside of Leadville, with value of ore shipped). 

Leadville smelters' bullion product Ore shipped out of Leadville 

Years 

Lead Silver Gold Ore Value of ore shipments 

Short tons Ounces Ounces Short tons 

1877------------·---- 175 376,827 3, 750 3,300 $400,000 

1878 .• --------------- 2,324 450,476 897 15,840 2 360,503 

1879 ___ -------------- 17,650 6, 004,416 1,100 18,549 2,851, 850 1880 ____________ ----- 33,551 8, 999,399 1,687 12,410 1,460,363 1881._ _______________ 38,101 7, 162,909 12, 192 15,630 1, 016,044 

1882 .•• -------------- 39,864 8, 376,802 12,615 22,416 1,872, 604 

1883.. .... ----------- 36,870 5, 057,990 22,330 (?) 6, 420,692 

1884.--------------- 35.296 5, 720,904 22,626 (?) (?) 

1885 ... -------------- 19, 128 5,099, 271 8, 262 137,869 (?) 

1886 ____ ------------- 25,963 4, 569,013 22,504 138,335 6, 135,585 

22 Kirchhoff, Charles, jr., Lead: U. S. Geol. Survey Mineral Resources, 1886, 

pp. 144-145, 1887. 

The lead contents of the ore shipments [for 1886] are estimated 

at 22,526 short tons. Leadville is, however, credited with considerable ore derived from tributary camps, notably Red Cliff. 

Mining developments in Leadville have been, generally speaking, favorable to a continuance of a heavy lead output, the 

principal feature being the looming up as lead mines of the Maid 

of Erin and the Henrietta, which have been struggling against 

heavy flows of water. * * * 

A good deal of progress has been made during 1886 in the 

direction of concentrating low-grade ores, a number of plants 

having been built, to which others are to be added during the· 

current year. The sulphurets continue to be troublesome to 

smelters on account of their high percentage of zinc. 

Roasting in stalls; as predicted by the best authorities, has. 

proved very inadequate and has been quite generally abandoned. Even ore roasted in reverberatory furnaces, at a cost 

of $3.50 per ton, occasions losses and mechanical difficulties; 

in smelting. 

For 1886 to 1896 the figures given in the table on 

page 17 6 are based on reports of the agents of the mint in 

annual reports of the Director of the Mint, the gold and 

silver being prorated to correspond with the figures for 

the total production of the State as corrected by the Director of the Mint, thelead being prorated to correspond 

with the total production of lead in the State as given 

in annual volumes of Mineral Resources, and any "unknown production" in the State being distributed proportionately among the counties. As with lead, so 

with copper, but as the figures for copper given in 

Mineral Resources include copper from matte and ores 

treated in Colorado, though produced in other States, 

the figures for copper are subject to revision. However, the iten1 of copper from lead desilverizers in the 

figures for copper in Mineral Resources may belong in 

large measure to Leadville, thereby balancing In a 

manner any error. 

In his report for 1887 Kirchhoff says: 23 

Leadville continues to be overwhelmingly the heaviest producer of lead ores in the State, its shipments of base bullion 

during 1887 having been 30,575 tons, while the shipments of 

lead, siliceous, and sulphide ores to valley smelters aggregated 

34,600 tons. A considerable quantity of ore treated in Leadville has,· however, come from other quarters. At the close of 

1887 the three railroads entering Leadville reduced the freight 

on bullion from Leadville to Colorado Springs, Denver, or Pueblo from: $12 to $10 and lowered the cost of coke on cars to the 

smelters to $10 a ton, while the rate on ore from Leadville to 

valley smelters at Pueblo and Denver was lowered from $5 to 

$4.70 per ton for the old tariff for ore valued at $100 or under. 

The unfavorable position of the Leadville works in their competition wfth the valley smelters has thus been improved. The 

mines of the district maintained their productiveness, although 

the most readily smelted ores are growing scarce. Concentrating equipment has been increased, and the outlook points to 

a continuance of the present rate of supply of the metal for the 

current year. 

Munson 24 describes the mills of Lake County in his 

report for 1887 as follows: 

n Kirchhoff, Charles, jr., Lead in Colorado: U.S. Geol. Survey Mineral Resources, 

1887, p. 105, 1888. . 

24 Munson, G. C., agent for Colorado, in Kimball, J.P., Report of the Director 

of the Mint upon the production of the precious metals in the United States during 

the calendar year 1887, pp. 151-152, 173-175, 189, 193, 1886. 
LAKE COUNTY 147 

The subject of ore dressing, as applied to the handling of 

low-grade sulphide ores, received a good deaJ of attention during 

the past year at Leadville, in Lake County. The total capacity 

of the various concentrating mills, independent of the ores 

treated by hand jigs, was 570 tons per day. Four large mills 

were in operation, the largest of which handled 200 tons per 

day and the smallest 100 tons per day. The average value of 

the ores did not exceed $5 in gold, silver, and lead, with an 

average of 15 per cent of zinc sulphide. The general character 

of these mills is the same. The ore is first crushed in rock 

breakers, then passed through rolls, sized in revolving screens, 

and treated on the ordinary four-compartment Hartz jigs. 

The slimes are handled upon various kinds of tables of the 

endless-belt pattern. The work accomplished by these mills 

is claimed to be highly satisfactory, leaving in the concentrates not more than. 3 or 4 per cent of zinc sulphide. 

Munson gives a list of producing ~nd nonproducing 

mines in Lake County during 1887, which shows the 

production of each producing mine. No placers are 

included. The list of smelters, with the production 

of each, includes the American, Arkansas Valley, 

Harrison Reduction Works, La Plata, and Manville, 

at Leadville. 

In his report for 1888 Kirchhoff says: 25 

The Leadville smelters lost some ground during 1888, their 

total production being 22,490 tons of base bullion, against 

30,575 in 1887. The ore production of the camp fell off some, 

owing chiefly to the cessation of shipments by the small slopes 

and the reduction of the product of some of the larger mines .. 

Munson 26 gives a table showing the producing and 

nonproducing mines in 1888 and the production of 

each producing mine; also the production in Sugar 

Loaf and St. Kevins districts, outside of Leadville. 

No placer production is given. 

The following description of the plan of the Ovoca 

Zinc Ore Co. for the recovery of zinc from complex 

ores, prepared in 1889 by Ingalls, Argall, and Wood, 

shows in part the possibilities of producing zinc ore 

and the cost of smelting lead, of freight, and other 

costs. Only one copy of this plan, which has been 

kindly loaned by Mr. Philip Argall, of Denver, Colo., 

is in existence. 

Introduction.-There is now in sight in many of the mines 

oi Leadville, notably the A. Y. and Minnie, the Colonel Sellers, 

the Sierra Nevada, the Silver Cord, and the Moyer mine of the 

Iron· Silver Mining Co., enormous bodies of argentiferous 

sulphide ore, which is of too low grade to be mined and smelted 

in the ordinary manner at a profit, even at this time, when the 

cost of both mining and smelting in Colorado has been reduced 

to a minimum. 

Cost of smelting.-The amount of zinc in these ores is such that 

the lead smelters will not buy them without making a very high 

charge for treatment, zinc being such a very undesirable 

element in the lead furnace. At the present rates for smelting, 

the silver in these ores in question would be paid for upon a 

basis of 90 per cent of their contents, at current New York quotations; the lead upon an arbitrary basis of 20 cents per unit, 

which is equivalent to 1 cent per pound of metallic lead; a 

deduction of from $15 to $20 per ton is then made for cost of 

2

5 Kirchhoff, Charles, Jr., I,ead: U. S. Geol. Survey Mineral Resources, 1888, 

p. 87, 1890. 26 Munson, G. C., agent for Colorado, in Kimball, J.P., op. cit. for 1888, pp. 

112-116, 132, 1889. 

smelting, and. of course nothing is paid for the zinc, which is. 

lost in all methods of lead smelting, and that is the only form of 

smelting applicable to these ores, as their character rendersthem entirely unfit for reduction to spelter by any of the ordi--

nary zinc methods. 

Now, as the average gross value of this low-grade sulphide· 

ore is less than $15 per ton, the fact that it·can not be profitably 

treated at the present time, when the only market for silver· 

ores in Colorado is with the lead ·smelters, is very evident; 

and equally evident is the great opportunity, now open, for any 

works in which these ores can be profitably treated. · 

Amount of ore.-In the A. Y. and Minnie mines there is. 

now estimated to be in sight about 500,000 short tons of this 

low-grade ore; in the Colonel Sellers mine 250,000 tons; in 

the Moyer 400,000 tons; in the Sierra Nevada and Silver Cord, 

about 50,000 tons each. Here, then, is a million and a quartertons of ore, standing in these five mines, which is at the present 

time no better than so much waste rock. Hundreds of analyses. 

have shown that its average grade is from 10 to 15 ounces per· 

ton in silver; and that its contents are about 10 per cent lead 

and from 20 to 30 per cent zinc, the remainder being iron and 

sulphur, with less than 5 per cent silica. 

There is, moreover, in the tailings pile below the Minnie 

mill 60,000 tons of low-grade blendous silver ore and in the 

dump of the Colonel Sellers mill 90,000 tons. The average· 

content of these tailings is 10 ounces silver per ton; 6 per cent 

lead; and 30 per cent zinc. 

Dressing.-This low-grade sulphide ore can not be suc--

cessfully dressed, as has been proved by the works of the A. Y. 

and Minnie and Colonel Sellers mines, which have now been 

in operation for three years, because the silver in the ore is 

almost equally distributed between its three component 

minerals-galena, iron pyrites, and blende-and in washing 

out the latter the silver which it contains is of course lost .. 

The experience in the two mills in question has been that a 

saving of about 40 per cent of the silver, and 75 per cent of tho 

lead is all that can be effected, even with the best possible work. 

Moreover, the Colonel Sellers mill has already stopped running· 

for insufficient room to store tailings, and the Minnie mill will 

soon be obliged to stop also, for similar reason. 

Smelting this ore being thus entirely out of the question,. 

and dressing being so very dissatisfactory, it is clear that the· 

process by which the ore may be successfully treated must be· 

one by which the zinc in it, as well as the silver and lead, may 

be recovered. 

Supply of ore.-The low-grade blendous silver ore of themines of Leadville, assaying 10 ounces per ton silver and 10· 

per cent lead and 25 per cent zinc, can be bought from the· 

mines at a cost of $5 per ton, in Leadville. The ore can be· 

mined at an.average cost of about $2 per ton, so that the mines 

can well afford to sell it at that price. The five mines named 

can produce this ore at the rate of more than 250 tons per day. 

As the Ovoca works will at first use only 50 tons per day, and 

the amount of ore in sight in the mines of Leadville is so 

enormous, there will clearly never be any difficulty in securing 

an ample supply of the ore for the works. The existence of 

this immense amount of ore, which can not .be sold at all now, 

will of itself prevent any combination on the part of the mines 

to raise the price of it. Furthermore, in other parts of Colorado, there are bodies of argentiferous galena-blende ore opened 

of grade, character, and composition similar to that of Leadville. 

The 150,000 tons of ore in the tailings dumps before men--

tioned, assaying 10 ounces silver, 5 per cent lead, and 30 per· 

cent zinc, can be bought for $2 per ton, delivered on board 

cars, in Leadville. 

Moreover, there is a very large amount of blendous ore in 

Leadville, not included in the foregoing estimates at all, which 

contains enough silver to enable it to be mined and smelted at. 
148 MINING IN COLORADO 

a profit, even when a smelting charge of $18 to $20 per ton is 

made. It costs the lead smelters nearly that amount to treat 

those ores. By the Parnell process the Ovoca Zinc Ore Co. 

can treat them for less than $6 per ton and consequently can 

enter the market with the lead smelters, compete successfully 

with them, and can make a great profit on the high-grade ores 

as well as those of low grade. The ore supply upon which the 

Ovoca Zinc Ore Co. may draw is thus almost inexhaustible. 

Smith 27 in his report for 1889 gives a list of producing mines showing individual production. No placer 

production is given. 

In his report for 1890 Smith says: 28 

The reserves of low-grade ores known to exist in very many 

of the larger properties are immense. This is especially true 

of the bodies of sulphide ores in the Iron-Silver mine, which 

shows almost inexhaustible. quantities in the Moyer ore shoot; 29 

also in the Silver Cord, A. Y. and Minnie, and Colonel Sellers 

mines; the first mentioned having little or no association with 

zinc, the last three requiring concentration on account of zinc. 

The feature of the greatest .interest in the mines of Lake 

County during the past year is the discovery of a large copper 

deposit in the Henriette and Maid of Erin properties. 

Smith gives a list of producing mines with individual 

outputs. No placer production is shown. The 

Henriette and Maid of Erin shipped considerable 

copper. 

An editorial in the Mining and Scientific Press 30 

describes the addition of copper ore to charges of lead 

furnaces at Leadville in 1890. 

Figures showing tons of ore produced from 1890 to 

1900 are smelter figures and are given by J. D. Irving; 31 their source is unknown. 

In his report for 1891 Smith says: 32 

The falling off in the product of Lake County was to a considerable extent due to the fact that at the commencement of 

the year the bins of the smelters at Leadv"ille were filled to 

overflowing and contracts for the output of a· few large properties were considered inadvisable. The capacity of the smelting and reduction works in this county has. been enlarged 

during the year. 

Smith gives a list of the producing mines and their 

individual output which shows that the Arnold & 

Thompson placer produced $2,894. The copper produced was obtained almost entirely from the Henriette 

and Maid of Erin, though some was produced by the 

Little Jonny. 

In his report for 1892 Smith 33 gives a list of producing mines showing individual production. The 

copper came from the Henriette and Maid of Erin. 

The Arnold placer yielded $2,500, the Star placer 

$3,000, and the Thompson placer $4,500. 

27 Smith, M. E., agent for Colorado, in Leech, E. 0., Report of the Director of the 

Mint upon the production of the p~ecious metals in the United States during the 

.calendar year 1889, pp. 149-150, 155, 1890. 

2s Smith, M. E., agent for Colorado, in Leech, E. 0., op. cit. for 1890, pp. 126-127, 

135-136, 142, 1891. 

29 Abandoned in 1916 as exhausted for ccmpany work.- C. W. H. 

ao Smelting in Colorado: Min. and Sci. Press, vol. 1G9, p. 941, 1914. 

81 Unpublished manuscript of J.D. Irving. 

82 Smith, M. E., agent for Colorado, in Leeph, E. 0., op. cit. for 1891, pp. 173-174, 

181-182, 187, 1892. 

88 Smith. M. E., agent for Colorado, in Leech ,E. 0 .• op. cit. for 1892, pp. 126-127 

1893. . 

Emmons 34 gives some additional information. 

Weeks 35 says of the manganiferous ores: 

Character of the manganiferous iron ores of Colorado.-No 

manganese ores are mined in Colorado. Considerable iron and 

manganiferous iron ores are mined in the Leadville district, 

being used either as a flux in the smelting of silver or at Pueblo 

in the manufacture of spiegeleisen. Some of the ore contain-

. ing the highest percentage of manganese has been sent to the 

Illinois Steel Co. at Chicago. Analyses of these ores, carrying 

about 20 per cent and over of manganese, are as follows: 

Analyses of manganiferous iron ores in Colorado 

Component parts No.1 No.2 Hull Emmett Mining 

Co. Catalpa I Crescent Cr~scent 

------1··-------------·1-------

Iron________________ 34.90 17.80 21.15 35.00 11.00 Silica _______________ 6.90 6.30 7.00 3.83 8.06 

Manganese_________ 21. 30 34. 00 31. 00 19. 30 35. 36 

Alumina___________ 4.15 -------------------- 2.00 2.37 Lime_______________ . 34 __________ ---------- . 46 1. 23 

11.45 

5.02 

38.22 

rJgg~~~--~~~~~~~~~~ : g~ -----:o27- ==~~====== ------~~~_1 1

: ~g Phosphorus________ . 04 . 056 ---------- _________ _: . 111 . Oi3 

Copper _______ ------ Trace. ---------- ---------- . 03 1---------- _________ _ Oxide of lead _______ ------------------------------ 1. 85~---------- ---------- Volatile matter _____ ---------- --------- _ ---------- 9. 36 ---------- ---------- Water-------·------ ---------- __________ ---------- 2. 96 18.06 ----------

Production of manganiferous silver ores.-All the manganiferous silver ores produced in the United States in 1892 of which 

we have any report were from Colorado and entirely from the 

Leadvjlle region. Some ores of this character were produced 

in Montana, but no record appears to have been kept, or at 

least none is available. 

Colorado produces two classes of manganese-bearing ores, 

a manganiferous iron ore used to some extent in the production 

of spiegeleisen, and a manganiferous silver ore used as a flux 

in the smelting of silver-lead ores. The manganiferous iron 

ores carry, as a rule, but little silver, though some of the slags 

from the blast furnaces of the Colorado Coal & Iron Co., at 

Pueblo, where these manganiferous ores are used in the manufacture of spiegeleisen, are so high in silver as to make it profitable to rework them for the recovery of silver. Occasionally 

some of the manganiferous ores are sent to the Illinois Steel 

Co., at Chicago. 

The total production of manganiferous iron ores in Colorado in 1892 was 3,100 tons, worth at the mines $15,500, or 

$5 a ton. These ores carried from 25 to 38 per cent of manganese. The indications are that the production of these ores 

in 1893 will be considerably in excess of that of 1892. 

In most of the mines of the Leadville district are found considerable quantities of what have been termed and described 

in another portion of this report as manganiferous silver "ores. 

It is stated that there are not more than three properties in 

the Leadville district where the ores do not carry: a percentage 

of iron and manganese. A full description of these ores is 

given under the title "Character of the manganiferous silver 

ores of the United States," elsewhere in thi.s report, and of 

the prices obtained and the methods of payment under the 

title "Price of manganese and manganiferous ores in 1892." 

The total amount of manganiferous silver ores shipped in 

1892 was 62,309 tons, of which 2, 732 tons contained an average 

of 34 per cent of manganese, 14,315 tons an average of 24.9 

per cent, and 45,262 ·an average of 12 per cent. The total 

value of this manganiferous silver ore was $323,794, an average 

of $5.20 a ton. 

·u Emmons, S. F., Progress of the precious metal industry in the United States 

since 1880: U.S. Gaol. Survey Mineral Resources, 1892, pp. 66-67, 1893. 

86 Weeks, J. D., Manganese: U. S. Geol. Survey Mineral Resources, 1892, pp. 

183-184, 191, 194-195. 1893. 
LAKE COUNTY 14~ 

'l'he Denver Republican in its review of the year 

1892, published on January 1, 1893, says: 

A new industry.-The zinc smelter at Canon City was 

erected in 1891, though it has been operated practically in 

1892. This is the first time [but see report of British Columbia 

Zinc Commission under year 1885-C. W. H.] that metallic zinc 

has been produced in Colorado, and this must now he added to 

the mineral product of Colorado. 

Production of American Zinc-Lead C:o., Canon City, Colo., 1892 

Zinc-lead, white ___________ pounds __ 2, 500,000 

Copper (fine) ________________ do____ 360,000 

Silver _____________________ ounces__ 137, 000 

Gold _______________________ do____ 120 

Equivalent of lead in pigments, as metals __________________ pounds __ 

Equivalent of zinc in pigments, as metals __________________ pounds __ 

Tons of ore treated ____________ _ 

Total value __________________ _ 

625, 000 

1,125,000 

12, 000 

$335,000 

Estimated stock on hand December 31, 1892 

Gold _____________________ ounces__ 100 

Silver ______________________ do____ 8~000 

Copper ___________________ pounds__ 300, 000 

Lead ________ · _______________ do____ 300, 000 

7-inc ________________________ do ____ 1, 500,000 

Mineral Industry for 1892, in the article entitled 

''Zinc," says: 36 · ' 

In Colorado the American Zinc-Lead Co. ran its work at 

Canon City steadily through the year and reduced (by the 

Bartlett process) about 12,000 tons of low-grade complex 

sulphide ore. · 

The figures in the table on page 176, showing the zinc 

produced from Lake County in 1892, represent half 

the total production of the American Zinc-Lead Co. 

at Canon City. This company began to produce 

zinc in 1891. · 

The Denver Republican, in its review for the year 

1893, published December 31, 1893, says: 

The American Zinc-Lead Works, at Canon City, which were 

first operated in 1892, show a great increase for the year. · 

There were 1,650,000 pounds of zinc from Colorado mines 

treated at the works during 1893. * * * 12,000 tons 

received; 9,000 tons treated. 

The blast furnaces were in operation eight months and six 

zinc furnaces in operation 10 months. 

Production for the year, 2,500 tons of pigment, which was 

shipped to the refinery at Chicago. 

Production for the year 

Colorado Total 

370 

95,000 

940,000 

300,000 

1,650,000 

460 

175,000 

1,140,000 

475,000 

2, 080,000 

The figures for lead in 1893, 1894, and 1899, given 

in the table on page 176, are taken from the Leadville 

IIerald-Democrat. 

ao Mineral Industry for 1892, vol. 1, p. 466, 1893. 

Of the developments in 1894 Puckett says: 37 

The world-renowned carbonate camp of Leadville has, during the year, been astonishingly metamorphosed into a gold 

region of splendid results and rich promise. At an average 

depth of 500 feet well-known silver and lead properties have 

run into high-grade gold ore. * * * 

The principal mines thus far opened on the gold belt which 

have prqduced or are producing are the following: The Ibex 

Co. (comprising Little Jonny, Uncle Sam, Little Stella, etc.), 

Little Vinnie, Nevada, Little Ella, Valley, Midnight, Australian~ 

Virginius, Fanny Rawlings, St. Louis (Colorado Prince and 

Miner Boy), Eliza, Highland Chief, Nettie Morgan, Great 

Hop8; and those which are being worked at present, with 

every promise of success, are the Resurrection (to open the 

northern extension of the Little Ella ore shoot), Triumph, 

Irene, Garbutt, Antelope, Ocean Wave, Black Prince, Curran,. 

Chemung, and many others. The above are all in the vicinity 

of Idaho Park. 

The oldest gold-producing mine on the hill (Breece) is the 

Antioch, at the head of White's Gulch. 

The Denver Republican, in its review for 1894, 

published January 1, 1895, says: 

American Zinc-Lead Works, Canon City, Colo., production 

in 1894, over 1,500,000 pounds of zinc, 900,000 pounds lead, and 

200,000 pounds copper was Colorado product. 

In his report for 1895 Puckett says: 38 

The Leadville district materially increased its gold output. * * * .An extensive tunnel proposition to thoroughly 

drain the mines * * * ·is being lau11ched. 

Of the production of lead in 1895 Kirchhoff says: ~ 

In Colorado, Leadville has more than held its own. According· to the Herald-Democrat, the mines in 1895 produced 

330,933 tons of ore, of which 70,429 tons were carbonate, 

86,243 tons iron, 116,975 tons sulphide, and 57,286 tons silicate. The leading producers of carbonate were the Maid of 

Erin, 27,614 tons; the Starr lease, 7,497 tons; Bon Air, 4,929 

tons; Bison, 4,100 tons; and Welden, 3,931 tons. The Wolftone raised 35,508 tons of sulphide; the A. Y. and~Minnie,. 

25,765 tons; Boreel, 10,172 tons; Union Leasing Co., 13,233 

tons; and the Small Hopes, 9,917 tons. From the smelters~' 

returns it appears that they treated 394,710 tons of Leadville 

ores, containing 31,23G tons of lead. 

Of the production of zinc in the United States 1n 

1895 Mineral Industry says: 40 

The production remained nearly the same in 1895 as in 1894,. 

although there was a decrease from 1893. Zinc oxide is made in 

nearly all the producing districts, furnaces for this purpose being: 

found at Joplin, Mo., Mineral Point, Wis., Waukegan, Ill., 

Lynchburg, Va., and Florence, Pa. The largest output is 

f~om Canon City, Colo., where it is made by the Bartle~t 

process. 

The Denver Republican, in its review for 1895, published January 1, 1896, gives the following table: 

a7 Puckett, W. J., agent for Colorado, in Preston, R. E., Report of the Directorof the Mint upon the production of the precious metals in the United States dur· 

ing the calendar year 1894, pp. 7Q-71, 73, 1.895. . 

aa Puckett, W. J., agent for Colorado, in Preston, R. E., op.~cit. for 1895, pp. 

73, 74, 75, 76, 1896. 

ao Kirchhoff, Charles, Lead: U. S. Geol. Survey Mineral Resources, 1895 ~ 

p. 152, 1896. 

•o Mineral Industry for 1895, vol. 4, p. 582, 1896. 
150 MINING IN COLORADO 

Production of American Zinc-Lead Co.'s smelter 

District Gold I Silver Lead \ Copper Zinc 

Fine ounces\ Fine ounces Pounds \ Pounds Pounds 

Lake________________ 149 41,020 · 910,800 ~------------ 1, 265,000 

<Jlear Creek_________ 76 3, 910 ------------ 5, 760 200,000 Pitkin______________ 42 2, 200 26,000 875 21,000 

<Jhaffee------------- ------------ 840 ------------~ 63,800 120,000 .Summit. __ --------- 24 2, 570 ------------ 1, 500 ------------ Teller_______________ 275 ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------ Miscellaneous_._____ 28 3, 100 155, 000 I 78, 487 · 65, 000 

rado________ 594 53,640 1,091,800 150,422 1,671,000 Total, Colo- I 

New Mexico________ 960 19,200 28,000 404,000 17,000 

Arizona_____________ 34 12,715 73,000 100,000 27,500 

•rotaL________ 1, 588 85,555 1, 192,800 J 654,422 1, 715,500 

In his report for 1896, Puckett says: 41 

At Leadville, from June 1 (when the miners struck for higher 

wages) to September 20 (when a violent attack was made 

..against the Coronado mine) not one important mine was working. · Mter September 20 production was under the protection 

-of the State militia,· and with the aid of imported miners slowly 

progressed. The approximate loss in output attributable to the 

.strike was $3,000,000. The most significant progress of the year 

hung upon discoveries in the Lilian, on Printer Boy Hill; the 

Mahala, on Carbonate Hill; and the Sedalia, on Little Ellen 

Hill; but exploration on Fryer Hill, Poverty Flat, in Iowa 

Gulch, and other sections, was conspicuous. 

The Denver Republican, in its review for 1896, pubJished January 1, 1897, says: 

Production of American Zinc-Lead Co., Canon City, Colo. 

Pigment, 1,800 tons at $75 ________ $135, 000. 00 

Copper, 667,240 pounds, at 11 cents_ 73, 436. 40 

Silver, 148,720 ounces, at 67 cents__ 99, ~42. 40 

Gold, 2,165 ounces at $20__________ 43,300. 00 

351,378.80 

District· Gold Silver Lead Copper ! __ zinc 

Fine ounces Fine ounces Pounds 

__ :':';~-! Pounds 

Leadville.---------- 210 38,460 805,140 642,000 Miscellaneous _______ 1,323 59,220 423,160 650,000 

Total, Colorado __ 1,533 97,680 1,228,300 93,240 1,292, 000 New Mexico ________ 612 34,440 .................................... 395,600 ------------ Arizona __________ --- 15 14,420 69,100 91,200 428,000 

Utah ___ ------------ 5 2,180 43,600 87,200 80,000 

2,165 148,720 1,341, 000 667,240 1,800, 000 

Bartlett describes the methods and practices at 

Leadville in 1896 as follows: 42 

Separation by concentration.-This method is practiced largely 

,:at Leadville, Kokomo, Georgetown, Creede, and many other 

places in Colorado, as well as at Park City, Utah, and some 

·points in Montana. * * * 

Judging from the assays of many thousands of zinc tailings 

purchased at the American zinc-lead works, Canon City, Colo., 

irom many different concentrators, the best work done has 

been to reduce the lead to 2 per cent in the tailings, while they 

often run 8, 10, and 12 per cent lead, with an average of about 

6 per cent, and a saving of 50 to 70 per cent of the gold and 

. silver is as much as can be expected in zincky ores by concentration. The lead may be saved in the proportion of from 60 

to 80 per cent, according to the class of ore. 

H Puckett, W. J., agent for Colorado, in Preston, R. E., op. cit. for 1896, pp. 157, 

'158, 159. 1897. 

u Bartlett, F. L., The treatment or zinc-lead sulphide ores: Mineral Industry 

;for 1896, vol. 5, pp. 619-631, 1897. 

Smelting at the Canon City plant.-The plant was devised by 

the writer for the purpose of utilizing the zinc and lead, as well 

as the gold, silver, and copper in the ore. The process is based 

on the result of many years' work with complex zincky ores. 

The original and fundamental idea is to drive off the zinc and 

lead in a mixture which can be refined into a white pigment 

used as a white lead substitute, and without loss of silver or 

gold. The writer found that a fractional distillation can be 

made of sulphide ores, driving off the lead and most of the zinc 

without undue loss of silver, provided there is present an excess 

of sulphur, or sulphide of iron or copper, sufficient to make a 

small amount of matte. The obstacles to be overcome were 

to prevent the formation of acid compounds destructive to the 

collecting apparatus, and to make a merchantable pigment · 

when using ordinary bituminous slack coal and sulphide ores, 

the subsequent smelting of the cinder after eliminating the zinc 

being an exceedingly simple matter. 

The process at Canon City, Colo., is in its simplest form as 

follows: All ores containing 20 per cent or more of zinc are 

crushed to pea size, mixed with 10 to 25 per cent of pea and 

dust coal, and blown up in a specially constructed furnace, 

using a blast of 4 to 8 ounces pressure. It requires from 20 to 

40 minutes only to drl"ve off the lead and the greatest part of 

the zinc and sulphur. A cinder is formed containing the silver, 

gold, and copper, in a matte mixed with more or less slag. 

The cinder is smelted in an inclined low-blast furnace, mixed 

with other suitable ores and fluxes to produce a high-grade 

matte. The zinc in this charge may reach from 15 to 20 

per cent and is mostly driven off as fume. The fume from 

the "blowing-up" furnaces and from the blast furnaces is 

caught in ·bags, mixed, and refined in a suitable furnace, whereby carbon, arsenic, sulphur, and other impurities are eliminated, and a pure-white pigment produced, suitable, after being 

ground in oil, to be used as a white lead substitute. 

Description of the furnaces.-As the processes used at Canon 

City are patented, and the manipulations are peculiar to this 

particular branch of work, it will be uninteresting to enter into 

minute details. Some ideas have been worked out, and some 

old theories have been exploded. 

The loss of silver in the fume is mentwned on 

page 628. 

Notes on the zinc-lead pigment.-The refined pigment produced at the Canon City works consists of an intimate mixture 

of zinc and lead in very stable form. 43 Chemists differ in 

their analysis of the refined product; broadly it may be said 

to consist of zinc oxide and .lead sulphate, containing an excess 

of oxygen. The metallic constituents from an ordinary sample 

are as follows: 

Zinc, metallic _________________________ _ 

Lead, metallic _____ ~ _________________ -·- Sulphur ______________________________ _ 

Oxide of iron, etc _____________________ _ Oxygen ______________________________ _ 

47. 33 

24.92 

2. 96 

. 45 

24. 34 

This process has been used in a commercial way at Canon 

City for 10 years 44 and the pigment made has secured a regular 

market demand. This may not be the best or the most economical method of handling zincky ores, but it has been successful, the zinc and lead produced in pigment bringing as much 

in the market as they would were they reduced to metal, and 

the demand is fully as large . 

Modifications of the Canon City process.-Zincky ores do 

not always carry enough in gold and silver to ship to smelting 

centers. The result is that there are vast quantities on the 

n U. S. Patent No. 477,488. 

u Telephone conversation with Mr. Bartlett, Jan. 24,1914. Mr. Bartlett says that 

he started a plant at Canon City in 1890. Before this he had a plant in the East.-

C. W. Henderson. 
LAKE COUNTY 151 

dumps and in the mines which carry less than $8 to $10 value 

in gold and silver, and from 25 to 35 per cent of zinc and 5 to 

10 per cent of lead. Owing to the distance from fuel and high 

costs generally, such works as those at Canon City can not be 

carried to the mines, and it is doubtful if such ores will ever 

be worked. On the other hand, when the value in silve~, gold, 

and copper is large enough so that the zinc and lead can be 

thrown away and still leave a profit, then a modified process 

can be applied to good advantage. Especially is this the case 

when fuel and labor are reasonably cheap, and other ores can 

be had for mixtures. Even heap roasting and treatment in 

the Canon City blast furnaces for the production of coarse 

matte is often admissible and more profitable than long shipments of the raw ore to the markets. The commendable 

features of the Canon City process are cheapness of treatment 

and a fair saving of value. 

The operations in 1897 are described by I-Iodges as 

follows :45 

The Leadville strike, which terminated in March, 1897, was 

the single labor trouble occurring in any camp of the State 

during the year. * * * 

The labor strike in Leadville in 1896 and 1897 caused the 

suspension of pumping in the large down-town mines. Up to 

this· tim~ the operators have been unable to effect an agreement 

in adjusting pumping expenses, which has caused a large number 

of Leadville's greatest mines to lie idle the entire year. * * * 

Arrangements for unwatering and reopening these mines are 

in a fair way to be consummated. * * * 

Placer mining, once the chief source of gold production, was 

relatively a small factor in 1897. * * * At Granite, Chaffee 

County; at Twin Lakes, in Lake County; and in Park and 

Summit counties placer mining was conducted on a . more 

pretentious scale and was generally remunerative. [The Twin 

Lakes Placer Co.'s property is in Chaffee County, so no placer 

is given to Lake County for this year.] * * * 

The deepest shaft (at Leadville) is 1,250 feet and is pumping 

1,000 gallons of water per minute. There are six shafts from 

900 to 1,200 feet deep, and the Yak tunnel is now in 6,800 

feet and progressing at about 225 feet per month. * * '* 

There are two smelters operating, having a capacity of 600 

tons. Three concentrating plants are of 300 tons capacity per 

day. The labor trouble of 1897 decreased the output of the 

distric~ about 30 per cent. 

The Denver Republican, in its review for 1897, 

published January 1, 1898, gives the following table: 

P1·oduction of American zinc-lead smelter, Canon City, Colo. 

Price Value 

-· ------ -------------------1------·--- Gold. _____ . __________________________ .ounces__ 588. 761 $20. 00 

Silver _____ ---------------------·--- _____ do____ 164,524. 00 . 62 

Lead. _______ -------------- ___________ pounds . ., 2, 149,237 . 03~ 

~i~~~~~~================================~g===~ 3, ~~: ~g~ : M 

$11,775.22 

102,003.88 

75,223.29 

60,034.59 

143,186.08 

---- -~---- -- ----------I 392, 223. 06 

The Leadville Herald-Democrat, in. its review for 

1897, published January 1, 1898, gives the follo\ving 

statement: 

Bullion produced from Leadville district ores by outside 

smelters. 

•a Hodges, J. L., agent for Colorado, in Roberts, G. E., Report of the Director 

of the Mint upon tho production of the precious metals in the United States 

during the calendar year 1897, pp. 111, 112, 113, 124-125, 126--127, 1898. 

American Zinc-Lead Co., Canon City, Colo. 

.4,403 tons smelted. 

149.46 ounces gold. 

49,012 ounces silver. 

1,570,000 pounds lead produced. 

2,201,500 pounds zinc produced. 

(Average zinc recovered per ton smelted, 25 per cent.) 

Mineral Industry for 1897 says: 46 

The production of zinc oxide in the United States in 1897 

was 26,262 short tons, against 15,863 short tons in 1896. This 

was produced chiefly at the three works of New Jersey by the 

Wetherill process; but there was alsq a good deal of zinc-lead 

pigment produced in Colorado, which has been reckoned as 

zinc oxide on the basis of its tenor in zinc. 

For 1897-1904 the figures given in the table on 

page 176, which represent smelter and mint receipts, 

are talmn from the reports of the Colorado State 

Bureau of Mines. 

In his report for 1898 Hodges says: 47 

The several pumping plants are now handling from 6,000 to 

6,500 gallons per minute, fully one-half coming from what is 

known as the down-town mines, which have been idle some three 

years. By May, 1899, these mines will have been drained and 

mining, resumed. This down-town drainage will be felt in 

sections of nearly 4 miles in length. 

The official tonnage shipments of Leadville district in 1898 

were as follows: 

Short tons 

Sulphide ores ________________________ 206,555 

Oxidized iron ores ____________________ 150, 980 

Carbonate ores______________________ 82,650 

Siliceous ores________________________ 60, 170 

Manganese ores______________________ 17,637 

Total for 1898 ___________________ 517,992 

Total for 1897 ___________________ 413,552 

Increase ________________________ 104,440 

The flow of water in 1898, as compared with 1897, is about 

the same. 

Projected drainage tunnel.-A drainage tunnel is projected, 

starting near Malta station, on the· Denver & Rio Grande 

Railway, some 5~ miles west of the center of the productive 

portion of the camp, which will reach a depth of several hundred 

feet below most of the mines, excepting the Mahala and Rialto 

claims and workings. 

The Arkansas Valley smelter, located at Leadville, has a daily 

capacity of 1,000 tons and is the largest in Colorado. About 

the deepest workings reached is 1,200 feet, in Mahala and 

Rialto ground. * * * 

Dividends paid for working Leadville mines in 1898, 

$1,655,000. 

In his report for 1898 Kirchhoff sa,ys: 48 

An important event which has since transpired was the 

culmination, in 1899, of negotiations for the consolidation of the 

principal lead-smelting and desilverizing plants in the United 

States under the title of the American Smelting & Refining Co., 

with an issue of $27,400,000 of 7 per cent cumulative stock and 

46 Mineral Industry for 1897, vol. 6, p. 661, 1898. 47 Hodges, J. L., agent for Colorado, in Roberts, G. E., op. cit. for 1898, pp. 86-87, 

99-100, 1899. 

48 Kirchhoff, Charles, Lead: U. S. Geol. Survey Mineral Resources, 1898, pp, 

221-222, 1899. 
152 MINING IN . COLORADO 

$27,400,000 of common stock outstanding. The bonded 

indebtedness is $1,133,00(') 6 per cent bonds of the Omaha & 

Grant Smelting Co., due March 1, 1911, and $1,000,000-6 per 

cent mortgage bonds of the Consolidated Kansas City Smelting 

& Refining Co., due May 1, 1900. 

The company is the owner of all the property, rights, and 

assets of every kind owned by the following corporations: The 

United Smelting & Refining Co.,· Helena and Great Falls, 

Mont.; National Smelting Co., Chicago, Ill.; Omaha & Grant 

Smelting Co., Omaha, Nebr., and Denver, Colo.; San Juan 

Smelting & Refining Co., Durango, Colo.; Pueblo Smelting & 

Refining Co., Pueblo, Colo.; Colorado Smelting Co., Pueblo, 

Colo.; Hanauer Smelting Works, S.1~t Lake City, Utah; Pennsylvania Lead Co., Pennsylvania Smelting Co., Salt Lake 

City, Utah, and Pittsburgh, Pa.; Globe Smelting & Refining 

Co., Denver, Colo.; Bimetallic Smelting Co., Leadville, Colo.; 

Germania Lead Works, Salt Lake City, Utah; Consolidated 

Kansas City Smelting & Refining Co., Kansas City, Mo., and 

El Paso, Tex.; Chicago & Aurora Smelting & Refining Co., 

Chicago and Aurora, Ill., and Leadville, Colo. · 

This list includes all the more important lead-smelting 

plants in the Rocky Mountain region, with the exception of the 

Philadelphia Smelting & Refining Co., at Pueblo, Colo., and 

the Tacoma Smelting & Refining Co., at Tacoma, Wash., the 

Puget Sound Reduction Co., at Everett, Wash., and the. Selby 

Smelting & Lead Co., at San Francisco,. Calif. 

It includes all the . desilverizing and refining plants, except 

that of the Selby Smelting & Lead Co. and the Puget Sound 

Reduction Co., the latter having started a new plant in 1898, 

nor does it include the two tidewater plants of the Guggenheim 

Smelting Co., at Perth Amboy, N.J., and the Balbach Smelting 

& Refining Co., at Newark, N. J., both of which are almost 

exclusively engaged in refining foreign base bullion. 

The Denver Republican, in its review· for 1898, 

published January 1, 1899, gives the following table: 

Production of the American Zinc-Lead Smelter, Canon City, 

Colo., 1898 

Metal 

Gold. ______________________ . _________ .ounces __ 

Silver __ -------.---------------- __________ do ___ _ 

Zinc.---- ~~~~er ==~ _______________________________ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~~~ ~ ~~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~~ ~~~~-~~~~~= .do. __ _ 

Quantity Price 

967. 10 $20. 6718 

101,483 . 5825 

1, 701, 098 . 0363 

3.'il, 166 .12 

3, 900, 656 . 06 

Value 

$19,996.69 

59,113.84 

61,749.85 

43,339.92 

234,039.36 

Total from Colorado ores, 1898 _________________ ------------ ___ ------- 418,239.60 

Total from Colorado ores, 1897----------------- ------------ ---------- 404,005.39 

The Leadville Herald-Democrat, in its review for 

1898, published January 1, 1899, gives the output of 

Lake County as 459,056 tons. The bullion produced 

from ores from the LeadviJle district by outside 

smelters during 1898 .includes the following amounts: 

American Zinc-Lead Co., Canon City, Colo. 

4,289 tons smelted. 

128.67 ounces gold. 

30,412 ounces silver. 

76,927 pounds copper. 

833,189 pounds lead produced. 

2,673,400 pounds zinc produced. 

Average zinc recovered per ton smelted, 31 per 

cent. 

Mineral Industry for 1898 says ::49 

Zinc oxide.-Aside from the New Jersey Zinc Co., which in 

1898 made zinc white at Jersey City, Newark, and Bethlehem, 

49 Mineral Industry for 1898, vol 7, pp. 724, 727, 1899. 

this pigment was produced by an allied company at Mineral 

Point, Wis. Page & Krause, of St. Louis, Mo., also made a. 

small amount of oxide, not more than 500 tons per annum, 

while the Standard Oil Co. recovers a little as a by-product. 

at Williamsburg, Brooklyn, N. Y. The only other producer in 

the United States is the American Zinc-Lead Co., of Canon 

City, Colo., which makes a zinc-lead pigment. 

Spelter.-A small amount of zinc blende concentrates was 

shipped in 1898 from a mine at Creede. In general, Colorado 

zinc ore carries too much iron to be desirable for zinc smelting. 

In his report for 1899 !-lodges says: 50 

The Leadville district was never more active since the 

famous carbonate discoveries of 1878 than in the year 1899, 

especially during the latter half of the year. Well-known producers were worked to the limit, and an e~ceptionally larga 

amount ·of exploration and new work was undertaken. Many 

drawbacks were, however, encountered. 

The severity of the weather from January to April, 1899r 

seriously crippled the camp's efforts. Snow slides were numerous, the drifts for months being of great depth, and blockades 

on the railroads, which largely defied the mammoth steam 

plows, were the order of these arctic days. Many railroad 

spurs to the mines were necessarily abandoned. Fuel was 

dangerously scarce and a food famine threatened. 

The smelter shutdown for two months pending settlement of 

the eight-hour law also militated seriously against the year's 

production. 

After the termination of the trouble in the courts a vexing 

car shortage ensued, and weeks elapsed ere the accumulated 

ore product was given car accommodation. 

The stupendous task of unwatering the Leadville basin or 

Downtown mines was completed in May by the Home Mining 

Co. This company was capitalized at 50,000 shares, par 

value $1. It successfully drained these properties, cleared 

away the drifts, and speedily discovered nigh-grade chloride 

ir~n and lead bodies. Shipments were made on a large scale 

from the Penrose, Bon Air, and Starr shafts, the Penrose being 

especially prominent in the output of silver chlorides. * * * 

The result of this pumping victory was the resumption of 

work by the Wolftone, Weldon, Bohn, Northern, Midas, Colonnade, and Sixth Street properties. * * * 

The possibility of a tunnel from Malta, 5 miles from Leadville 

and at the foot of the slope which' it crowns, to tap the district's 

large mines at great depth, js actively discussed and promises 

realization at an early day. * * * [Not realized to date, 

July 1, 1925.-C. W. H.] 

The building of additional spurs by the Denver & Rio Grande 

and Colorado & Southern railroads to the important locations 

has rendered the entire district readily accessible and makes 

possible the shipment of low-grade silver-lead and gold ores in 

great quantity. 

Four smelters are now local to the district, a new pyritic 

plant, the Boston Gold-Copper Smelting Co., having reinforced 

the Arkansas Valley, Union~and Bimetallic. 

Bismuth and zinc ores.-Valuable bismuth ore is shipped to 

England by the Ballard mine, carrying rich value in gold. 

The zinc ores of the district have largely found a market in 

Belgium. 

The manganese comes in greatest quantity from Carbonate 

Hill., and Chicago is the depot of their shipment, its prominent 

producers being the Catalpa, Crescent, Seneca, Garden City, 

and Lost Chip. 

Much leasjng is incident to Fryer Hill. Iron predominates in 

the ore formation, but lead and silver are also carried. Fryer's 

main exponents are the Robert E. Lee, Augusta, Matchless, 

Gambetta, Niles, Chrysolite, Dunkin, and Cady. 

60 Hodges, J. L., agent for Colorado, in Roberts, G. E., op. cit. for 1899, pp. 100-

102, 121-122, 1_900. 
LAI{E COUNTY 153 

Jn the Graham Park sulphide belt the Maid of Erin, Wolftone, and Adams have prepared to attain great depth. 

The A. Y. and Minnie and Rubie and Moyer produced 

largely, and the Mike and Starr marketed fine bodies of iron 

sulphides. 

The gold district.-On Breece Hill the Penn shafts, Ballard, 

Fanny Rawlings, St. Louis tunnel, Little Vinnie, and Fraction 

were heavy shippers. 

The Ibex group employs over 400 men and boasts nearly 60 

miles of workings. The tonnage is about 60 per cent sulphide 

:and 40 oxide, gold bearing, and was very large throughout the 

year. 

The Triumph and Modoc are active in this neighborhood. 

The Resurrection ore bodies have been continuously large 

and of fair grade. Extensive improvements on this property 

promise great results for its extensive acreage. 

The old Lilian, in Iowa Gulch, continues its output. · 

On Little Ella Hill the New Year and Little Ella produced 

steadily. Large bodies of sulphides were uncovered by the New 

Monarch. 

The Penfield and Fortune were new shippers, and the Reindeer to a degree. 

The Dolly B. found good ore throughout the year, and the 

·Company is sinking a large shaft on the Board of Trade group. 

The Yak Mining & Milling Co. is pushing its great bore from 

California Gulch to the Breece Hill gold section, and it has 

reached a length of 8,000 feet. 

On Iron Hill the Iron Silver Mining Co. was a big shipper, 

working through its Moyer shaft. Iron sulphides have predominated in the shipments, but Wilfiey concentrating tables 

.arc now handling the lead-zinc portion of the ores. 

In his report for 1899 Kirchhoff says: 51 

The high prices of zinc ore attracted attention to the mineral 

in Colorado, and considerable quantities were shipped during 

1899 from Leadville, Creede, and Montezuma, a part going via 

Galveston. 

Kirchhoff gives a table of domestic exports of zinc, 

by customs districts, during the calendar year 1899, 

which shows that of the 5,847 tons of ore exported 

from Galveston nearly all was mined in Colorado. 

Another table, showing the distribution of exports in 

1899, includes 439 tons shipped from New Orleans. 

Mineral Industry 52 for 1899 repmjs that 8,000 tons 

-of zinc ore was shipped to foreign smelters by way of 

·Galveston, and that zinc ore was shipped from Creede, 

Leadville, and Montezuma to Kansas, Illinois, Indiana, 

.and Belgium. 

The Leadville Herald-Democrat, in its review for 

1899, published January 1, 1900, gives the following 

:figures-: 

Zinc-lead ore from Leadville produced and smelted in 1899 

'til § g) 'til "0 'til "0 l=l ~ <:.> Q) § ::l <:.> § 0 § ~.s ~ § 0 8 

,3. ,3. 8 ~ 0 <UN 

e "0 .. 

Q) "0 0. 8 

<:.> ~'0 e 0 p. 0$ 0. .s Q) 

:::l Q) 0 p. 

0 c I en ~ 0 N -< 

167. 17,36, 777 

/ 

American Zinc- Lead Co _______ 3,343 1,003,020 66,868 2, 016,040 30 Zinc ore sent to 

--------1--------

smelters out- side of Colo· 

rado •••••.•.••• 10,699 ......................... ...................... 8,559, 200 40 

61 Kirchhoff, Charles, Zinc:. U.S. Gaol. Survey Mineral Resources, 1899, pp. 254, 

:260, 261, 1901. ' 

u Mineral Industry for 1899, vol. 8, pp. 636, 650, 1900, 

Zinc ore produced by mines at Leadville in 1899, by mines 

Iron Silver ___________________________ _ Tons 

4, 125 

665 

5, 343 

200 

366 

A. Y. and Minnie _____________________ _ 

Maid & Henriette _____________________ _ 

Lou~ville ____________________________ _ 

Boreel------------------------~-------

Classification of ore . 

Carbonate _________________________ _ 

Iron oxide _________________________ _ 

Sulphide _______________________ .. ___ _ 

Zinc sulphide _______________________ _ 

Siliceous_~--------------------------

Manganese (silver) oxide ____________ _ 

10,699 

Tons 

32, 050 

123, 787 

238, 514 

10, 699 

105, 025 

15, 653 

.525, 7_28 

Redick R. Moore (agent shipping zinc ore to Belgium) says 

in part: "Owing to the high prices for spelter prevailing 

during the past year it was found possible to export sever a 1 

thousand tons of selected ores. These ores, carefully mined 

and in most cases carefully hand sorted, varied from 40 to 45 

per cent." 

The Iron Silver.-Since early in 1899, when Mr. T. E. Schwarz 

succeeded Captain Robinson in the management, a large tonnage of sulphide has been maintained. The largest. * * * 

shipments have been iron sulphides, carrying a heavy iron 

excess, with low gold and silver values. Lead-zinc-iron 

sulphides also occur, for the treatment of which the old mill 

on the property has recently been remodeled. Zinc ores have 

been and are still being shipped crude from the Moyer workings to Belgium. This property was the first to furnish 

crude ore carrying 40 to 50 per cent zinc for export to Antwerp 

and has continued the heaviest individual producer of this 

class of ore. The zinc product is sampled and sacked in Leadville at Norton's Sampling Works and shipped via Galveston. 

The mill is equipped with two pairs of coarse rolls and two 

of finishing rolls and 14 Wilfiey tables, the tailings from the 

coarse tables being reground for the final treatment on the fine 

tables. Its capacity is about 80 tons per 24 hours. The 

product is a lead-iron concentrate low in zinc. It is also 

adapted to making a high-grade zinc concentrate from certain 

zincky ores. 

In 1899 the Engineering and Mining Journal says: 

Zinc mining.-One zinc milling scheme just perfected is 

known as the Golob-Colley Milling Co., the promoters being 

James Golob, of the Ballard mine, and James Colley, who have 

made experiments and have leased the old Tabor mill on the 

Arnold placer in California Gulch for two years. The mill 

has 20 stamps, and some new concentrators are to be purchased 

at once. The company will get its supply from the A. Y. and 

Minnie and Maid of Erin mines and will ship to Indiana.53 

Zinc output.-The A. Y. and Minnie will be the next regular 

zinc producer. Lessees Newton and Douglas have arranged 

for a 2,000-ton shipment to Germany. They have large 

zinciferous deposits in the Minnie workings.54 

Zinc.-There is a general scramble for good zinc ores. Mr . 

R. R. Moore is arranging to make another shipment to Antwerp 

by September. Among the new zinc producers the Louisville 

and the A. Y. and Minnie will larf?;ely increase their tonnage.5s 

Foreign zinc shipment.-A solid train of 30 cars, or 25,000 sacks, 

has been loaded with zinc ores for the Vicille Montagne at Antwerp. The cars go to Galveston, and the shipment is made 

6a Eng. and Min. Jour., vol. 67, p. 657, 1899. 

u Idem, vol. 68, p. 226, 1899. 

~~ Idem, :-. 34ti. 
154 MINING IN COLORADO 

through A. J. Davis for Jacobson & Co., of New York City. 

The shipment is the largest of any kind of ore ever sent out to 

any foreign port. It consists of Maid of Erin and Moyer ores 

and concentrates from the Golob-Colley mill. 56 

The Denver Republican, in its review for 1899, 

published January 1, 1900, gives the following table: 

Production of American Zinc-Lead Smelter, at Canon City, Colo., 

· from Colorado ores in 1899 

Metal Quantity Price Value 

---------------------1-----

Gold __________________________________ ounces .. 865.23 $20. 67 $17,884.30 

Silver_ ___ -------------------- ___________ do ___ _ 98,493 . 5987 58,967. 76 Lead _________ ----------_-- ___________ pounds .. 1, 802, 100 . 0426 76,769.46 

325, 170 . 1657 53,930.67 

4, 100,670 . 09 369,060. 30 

Copper __________________________________ do ___ _ Zinc _____________________________________ do ___ _ 

-----

576,612.49 

Mineral Ind:ustry for 1899 says: 57 

Zinc oxide.-The production ·of zinc oxide in the United States 

in 1899 amounted to 39,663 short tons, an increase of 6,916 

tons over the· production of 1898. Zinc oxide has been in large 

demand, stimulated by the comparatively low prices at which 

contracts for the year were made. This branch of the industry 

is still on a sound basis. There was an increase in average value 

at the works from $68 per ton in 1898 to $84 per ton in 1899, 

due to the advanced cost of labor, ore, supplies, and freights. 

The greater part of the output was made by the New Jersey 

Zinc Co., at Jersey City, Newark, N. J., Bethlehem, Pa., and 

Mineral Point, Wis. Page & Krause, at St. Louis, make annually from 400 to 500 tons and the American Zinc-Lead Co., of 

Canon City, Colo., produce a pigment. which is a mixture of 

oxidized compounds of zinc and lead. 

Production of zinc oxide in the United States 

Year 

1893.-----------------------------------------

1894.----------------------------------------- 1·895 _________________________________________ _ 

1896 ____ -----------.-------------------------- 1897 _________________________________________ _ 1898 _________________________________________ _ 

1899 _____ -------------------------------------

Short tons 

25,000 

22,814 

22,690 

15,863 

26,262 

32, 747 

39,663 

Total 

$1,875,000 

1, 711, 275 

1,588,300 

1, 189,725 

1, 686,020 

2, 226,796 

3, 331,692 

Per i!hort 

ton 

$75.00 

75.00 

70.00 

75.00 

64.20 

68.00 

84.00 

CoZomdo.-Considerable ore was shipped from Creede, Leadville, and other points to the zinc smelters for experiments 

involving the use of large quantities in the furnaces. 

While the zinc ores of Colorado are generally too impure from 

their iron and lead content to be desirable for zinc smelting, 

there have been some clean concentrates made that, considering 

their low price, were available for profitable treatment. 

About 8,000 tons at a nominal price were shipped to foreign 

smelters via Galveston. 

The high price for zinc ore that prevailed in the Joplin district during the first three quarters of 1899 led the smelters to 

look for supplies of cheaper ores elsewhere. As a result of such 

inquiries a considerable amount of ore was obtained from other 

States, especially from Colorado. Zinc pre was shipped from at 

least three points in Colorado, namely, Creede, Leadville, and 

Montezuma. These sh~pments went to works in Kansas, in 

Illinois, and in Indiana, besides a considerable quantity which 

was exported to Belgium, via Galveston. In generaJ, the Colorado ore is both ferruginous and lead bearing, and can not be 

freed cleanly from either of the undesirable elements, on which 

account it is an inferior ore at best. However, some of the 

66 Eng. and Min. Jour., vol. 68, p. 587. 

67 Mineral Industry for 1899, vol. 8, pp. 635, 636, 650, 1900. 

Colorado ore has been dressed so cleanly as to be of very high 

grade and a desirable product to buy, in view of the lower cost 

at which it can· be had. 

In his report for 1900 Hodges 58 says: 

·with the exception of some new discoveries of oxidized ore 

on Carbonate Hill and the desultory extraction of small bodies 

left in the old workings of once prominent mines on Fryer 

Hill, the principal production of carbonates and oxides is from 

the comparatively new zone located ~ast of the Ball Mountain 

f.ault, represented by the Resurrection group, and the workings 

in the western end of the field by the Home, Midas, and other 

companies. Iron Hill should be included in this class of production, although its tonnage of oxidized ores is a variable 

quantity as the years pass. A very large part of the year's 

production of oxidized ores is due to the work of lessees, as the 

lease system gains in favor each year. As the former immense 

bodies of high-grade carbonates gave out new conditions have 

presented. * * * 

The advancement in mining in the Leadville district ·during 

the past year has been along the line of consolidation of old 

properties into new companies. This has been especially em-

-phasized in the formation of home companies. The most striking 

example is that incorporation known as the Home Mining Co. 

This company secured a large territory within the city limits, 

worked through the Penrose, Star, and Bon Air shafts. This 

area is made up of a number of long-time leases and is entirely 

in the Leadville basin. During the miners' strike of 1896 a 

portion of this ground was worked by the owners of the Maid of 

Erin and Henriette properties, but owing to the continuance of 

the strike these gentlemen decided that as the mine was filling 

rapidly with water they would take out their pumps and abandon this ground. Two years ago the effort was made to get a 

sufficient number of home people interested to furnish the capital to unwater this territory and prospect the ground for the 

great ore shoots which were thought to continue from Carbonate 

Hill into this ground. 

It is the history of a long and desperate struggle with a heavy 

flow of water, with insufficient pumping arrangements, and of 

final triumph in placing the Penrose and Bon Air shafts again 

in the list of producers. The year 1900 brought this enterprise 

to the front rank as a producer. * * * 

The Midas is one of the most important of the downtown 

shippers. During the past year its shipments have averaged 

5,000 tons a montJc, the ore being en~ountered at ·a depth of 

515 feet, and has been developed 500 feet to the Penrose mine 

and 300 feet toward the Coronado. 

The .Penrose, of the Home Co., is producing daily 350 tons, 

and the Bon Air and Star shafts, of the same company, 200 

tons more. * * * 

The Pumping Association.-Perhaps the factor which entered 

most largely into the success of the Home Mining Co. and the 

other enterprises of a similar character was the Pumping 

Association, formed for the purpose of unwatering the Leadville 

basin. This association includes nearly all the l~asing companies, as well as the owners of territory embraced in the Leadville basin. All mines operating within the association territory bear the cost of pumping in proportion to their output, 

based on net smelter returns, less cost of hauling. By means of 

C'Ounters on these pumps the amcmnt pumped is computed in 

gallons and charged to the association at the rate of 10 cents per 

1,000 gallons. Those mines which pump are credited with the 

amount of wa.ter they have raised. 

Taking the entire district, investigation shows that the flow 

of water which must be handled is not less than 15,000,000 

gallons a day. Comparing this amount of water with the 

6R Hodges, J. L., agent for Colorado, in Roberts, G. E., op. cit. for 1900, pp. 115-

124, 136, 1901. ' 
LAKE COUNTY 155 

average daily tonnage of the district for the past year, we find 

that 28.6 tons of water are raised for every ton of ore raised. 

Careful estimates of the cost of pumping have been compiled 

and show that it costs 4 cents to pump each ton of water to 

the surface. Hence the cost of pumping referred to the ore 

makes .a charge of $1.14 per ton extracted. As the amount of 

ore shipped during the past year was about 803,000 tons, the 

cost of pumping for the year amounted to $915,000. 

The total amount of water is decreasing in the area affected 

as the country is kept drained and other mines in that area 

start pumping on their own account. Thus in November, 1899, 

the association pumped 68,018,592 gallons, while in November, 

1900, the amount had fallen to 48,622,546 gallons, a decrease of 

nearly 30 per cent. * * * 

The mining industry in the Leadville district has shown a 

great advancement over the previous year, due in a large 

measure to recovery from the smelter strike of 1898 and the 

extremely severe winters of 1898 an~ 1899, but the increased 

output seems to have its real basis in the opening up of new 

territory to the southwest and the northeast. 

The possibilities in both of these directions are very good. 

The outlying districts have not changed materially, except 

that more activity in prospecting has been noticeable in the 

Sugar Loaf district, although no important strikes are reported 

from there. 

The Arkansas Valley smelting plant, of the American 

Smelting & Refining Co., has expended some $375,000 in 

enlarging its furnace(and buildings, perhaps the most elaborate 

svstem of fume-condensing chambers or flues in the country. 

This plant has 10 furnaces,-~4 of which have a capacity of 

150 tons daily, and the balance are being changed to the same 

size. This will give this plant a daily capacity of 1,500 tons, 

making it by far the~largest lead-smelting plant in the country. 

The improvements include also the addition of a large amount 

of trackage for the handling~ o( increased supplies of ore and 

fluxes and the using of large slag pots handled entirely by 

animal power, light tracks running to each of the furnaces. * * * 

The American Smelting Co. owns two other smelting plants 

in Leadville-the}Union!:and Bimetallic smelters. The Union 

has been putlin thorough:order. 

New pyritic smelter.-In November, 1899, a pyritic smelter 

was started by theJ.Boston & Colorado Smelting Co. [Boston 

Gold-CopperiSmelting Co.],~which has been running continuously during the past year, except when increasing its plant. 

Starting with one:furnace, it now has three, each o which 

can handle 2oo tons of charge per day. The average percentage of fuel to the charge in the&e furnaces is 6~. The 

fuel used i&. coke. The ore being charged as a raw sulphide, 

the burning sulphur replaces the excess of fuel used in the 

lead smelters. No roal:?ting is required for the ores, as the 

product, ,vhen obtained,\is in iron or copper matte. Very 

low-grade ores areitreated in this smelter. 

Bismuth ores.-As an interesting and comparatively. new 

product from the Leadville mines may be mentioned the 

bismuth ores on Breece Hill. This ore seems to be a mixture 

of bismuth carbonate and oxide, or a bismuth ocher with the 

carbonate predominating. ~The values of the ore range from 

2 to 40 per cent bismuth and from one-half ounce to 70 ounces 

in gold to the ton, but of the amounts shipped the average 

" values are bismuth, 8 to 10 per cent, and gold, 1~ ounces to 

the ton. The producing properties are the Ballard, Big Six, 

and Penn groups of mines. 

All the output of these properties in this class of product 

has been contracted for by an English metallurgical establish- : 

ment for the next two years, the gold being paid for at its : 

full value and the bismuth at the rate of $15.50 for each unit. 

The shipments during 1900 from the above-mentioned mines 

were as follows: 

Tons Ballard _________________________________ 140 

Penn___________________________________ 70 

BigSix _________________________________ 70 

280 

The manganese production.-The manganese production of 

the district fell off during the year. The principal amounts 

of this ore have come from Fryer, Carbonate, and Rock hills 

and seem to .have formed a selvage to the large oxidized iron 

bodies in those hills. As the requirements of the steel works 

have called for an ore with a high percentage of manganese, 

the reserves of this grade have gradually been exhausted. 

The original requirements called for an ore of not less than 

30 per cent, but finally an ore of 20 per cent was accepted. 

The principal shippers of manganese ore-the Catalpa-Crescent 

properties-shut down during June, 1900. * * * . Leasing and royalties.-The great bulk of the ore extracted 

in the Leadville di&trict is done through the leasing &ystem, 

comparatively few owners of mines operating their own properties. The royalt.ies paid are usually fixed on a sliding scale, 

according to the value of the ore, from 10 per cent to 50 per 

cent of the net smelter returns. Perhaps there is no other 

mining district in the State where lessees are willing to expend 

such large amounts of money in the installation of plants of 

machinery before any ore is extracted. A case in point is the 

A. M. W. lease, where the leasing company has expended over 

$100,000 in surface, plant, and pumps, in unwatering the 

mine, and enlarging the main working shaft to suit the increased hoisting plant. * * * 

Lead-zinc ores.-The lead-zinc ores of the district have 

received a good deal of attention, the effort being to separate 

by concentration the zinc and iron from the lead, making a 

product which can be handled by the smelters, and then 

separating the iron sulphides as far as possible from the zinc 

sulphides, a product suitable to the zinc smelters. As the zinc 

product obtained has only found a market during the last two 

years, it is a comparatively new industry, as heretofore the zinc 

paid a penalty at the lead smelters. 

The vast bodies of zinc-lead sulphides which exist in the 

lower workings of Carbonate and Iron hills will ultimately be 

worked for their zinc contents, as well as for the lead, but the 

present outlook is in the direction of treating this class of ores 

by some leaching process, which will extract the zinc and 

leave a residue which can be handled profitably by the l~ad 

smelters. 

Value of zinc-ore shipments.-The amount of zinc ore shipped 

during the past year, nearly one-half going to smelting works 

in Europe, is estimated at about 111,000 tons, which brought 

about $10 per ton, or a valuation of $1,110,000. 

H. A. Lee, commissioner of mines for the State of 

Colorado, in his report for 1900 says: 59 

The zinc production [of Colorado] for 1900 amounted to 

77,984 tons, averaging 42 per cent metallic· zinc. The prices 

on board cars at place of production ranged from $4.50 to $15 

per ton. About 40 per cent of this production was exported 

to Europe or Canada, the remainder being marketed in the 

United States. Lake, Mineral, Chaffee, Eagle, Gunnison, 

Saguache, Clear Creek, Custer, Pitkin, Ouray, Dolores, and 

Summit counties produced the zinc ores. 

The output mentioned, 77,984 tons of 42 per cent 

zinc, represents 32,753.28 tons, or 65,506,560 pounds 

69 Eng. and Min. Jour., vol. 71, p. 490, 1901. 
156 MINING IN COLORADO 

of zinc, which seems out of reason in comparison with 

other data that follow. 

The Leadville Herald-Democrat, 1n its review for 

1900, published January 1, 1901, says: 

Zinc-lead ore produced and smelted at Leadville in 1900 

I 

.. :~ rn :D~ 

I 

rn .... rn '0~ !=lc:.l -o'Cl o'Cl a>l=l l=l 

~§ ~§ §:§ l=l!=l o·N 0 '0§ ·- ::::1 E-t 08 Cll-3 Ho Oo No 

.e O,e; .e ~'0 

--------------- American Zinc-Lead Co... 5, 769173.04 43,684 1, 384,930 3, 463, 3, 322,720 28.8 Zinc ore sent to smelters 

out•ido of Colorndo..... 59,926 ...... 4==,~ a. 0 

Zinc-lead ore produced by mines at Leadville in 1900 

Henriette and Maid of Erin ___________ _ 

A. Y. and Minnie ____________________ _ 

Small Hopes __ :.. _____________________ .: 

Marion Lease _______________________ _ 

Bore~ _________________ : ____________ _ 

Moyer ______________________________ _ 

Denver City ________________________ _ 

Habendum __________________________ _ 

Yak ________________________________ _ 

Tons 

53, 374 

1, 200 

147 

1, 172 

222 

1, 840 

821 

150 

1, 000 

59, 926 

The Henriette and Maid of Erin m1ne produced 

only 5,343 tons in 1899. 

A. M. W. mines.-The great zinc production comes from the 

Adams. at the 620-foot ievel and has added largely to the value 

of the lease during the year. One important part of the 

A. M. W. surface equipment is the concentrating mill capable 

of handling 100 tons of orEt_ daily. The lead, zinc, and iron 

sulphides which abound in the ground controlled by the company are, when not of sufficiently high grade to ship, susceptible 

of concentration. The ore is crushed in Huntington mills, 

the intention being to make two products, a lead-iron, .which is 

desirable for the smelters, and a zinc concentrate, w}lich is 

sufficiently free from iron to make a salable product. 

Mineral Industry for 1900 says: 60 

The mines in the Leadville district, Colo., have contributed a 

considerable portion of zinciferous· tailings and ores, material 

which has hitherto been regarded as waste. About 14,000 tons 

were shipped in 1900, of which the greater part was consigned 

to Europe, chiefly to the Vieille Montagne works via Galveston 

and New Orleans. 

The production of zinc oxide in the United States in 1900 was 

47,151 short tons, against 39,663 short tons in 1899, an increase 

of 19 per cent. The average value of this material at the works 

during 1900 was $80 per short ton, against $84 in the previous 

year. The greater part of the output was made by the New 

Jersey Zinc Co., oper~ting at Jersey City and Newark, N. J., 

Bethlehem and Palmerton, Pa., and Mineral Point, Wis. Page 

& Krause, of St. Louis, Mo., produce annually between 400 and 

500 tons, and the American Zinc-Lead Co., of Canon City, 

Colo., manufacturers of pigment called "zinc-lead," which is a 

mixture of oxidized compounds of zinc and lead. * * * 

The main feature of the zinc mining industry during 1900 

was the large increase in the shipment of zinciferous ores and 

concentrates. A few of the Leadville mines have always pro60 M:neral Industry for 1900, vol. 9, pp. 659, 660, 661, 672, 1901. 

duced material of this character that involved so high a treatment charge at the smelter as to require dressing in order to 

remove the objectionable zincky portion. In this way large 

quantities of tailings have accumulated which, with the crude 

zinc ores formerly regarded as waste, have been recently shipped 

to zinc smelters, the greater portion being sent to Belgium, via 

Galveston and New Orleans, and the remainder to lola, Kans.; 

Mineral Point, Wis.; and to Indiana. At least 14,000 tons of 

the material were shipped abroad in 1900, against 8,000 in 1899. 

The Wilfley table has been successfully used for the separation 

of the lead-iron-silver product from the zinciferous portion, 

the former being an excellent fluxing material for the lead 

smelters. The purchasers of tailings and waste ores do not pay 

for the small amount of gold and silver contained. A shipment 

of zinc tailings from the A. Y. and Minnie mine was made to 

the works of the Nickel Copper Co. of Ontario (Ltd.), at Hamilton, for experimental purposes. 

With respect to the new supply of zinc ore from Colorado, it 

has been known for many years that the State possessed vast 

resources of mixed sulphide ore, most of it argentiferous and 

some of it rather high in zinc but still mixed with sufficient lead 

and iron to make it undesirable material for the zinc smelters. 

In 1899 and 1900 some of the smelters of Kansas and Missouri 

purchased a considerable quantity of such Colorado concentrates as were better than the average, but the chief trade in 

that material has been developed with smelters in Wales and· 

Belgium·, who entered the market in 1899 and in 1900 and 

bought largely. This trade has been made possible by the 

favorable freight rates which have been obtained, the ore being 

carried from Leadville via Galveston to Swansea or Antwerp at 

a cost of less than $10 per ton of 2,000 pounds. The mines 

receive comparatively little for the material, $5 per ton being 

the usual price, but inasmuch as their zinc concentrates are 

purely a by-product and the value of the ore is increased by 

their removal, the miners can very well afford to sell them even 

at so low a price. The fact that a market for such material has 

been established excited general attention in Colorado and 

steps were taken to increase the milling capacity. At the same 

time, experiments were made with the 'N etherill magnetic 

separator and other special processes with a view to the more 

profitable development of the State's zinc resources. 

In his ·report for 1900 Kirchhoff says: 61 

The New Jersey Zinc Co. has begun the erection at Canon 

City, Colo., of a plant for concentrating the complex zinc ores 

of the Leadville district. 

He gives a table showing exports of zinc ore by 

customs districts during 1899 and 1900. The Gulf 

ports shipped ore from the Joplin-Galena district and 

from Colorado. The table of destinations of zinc ore 

exports shows that ore shipped from Gulf ports to 

Belgium, during the year 1900, amounted to 2,273 tons 

from Galveston and 9,150 tons from New Orleans, a 

total of 11,423 tons. 

The Engineering and Mining Journal for the period 

January to June, 1900, says: 62 · 

Zinc production.-This output shows a steady increase.• 

Three zinc mills are running-the Moyer on ore from the Moyer 

mine, the Golob-Colley on Maid of Erin ore, and the Maid mill 

also handles 20 tons daily from its own workings. The Maid 

of Erin lessees are also mining 50 to 75 tons daily of crude zinc 

ore, which goes to the Lanyon works at lola, Kans .. [p. 88]. 

61 Kirchhoff, Charles, Zinc: U.S. Geol. Survey Mineral Resources, 1900, pp. 216, 

222, 1901. . 62 Eng. and Min. Jour., vol. 69, pp. 88, 147, 358, 417, 508, 628, 687, 718, 778, 1900. 
LAKE COUNTY . 157 

Another important zinc shipment was made this week to the 

Vieille Montagne works near Antwerp, Belgium, through 

Jacobson & Co., of New York. It comprised 40 cars of crude 

ore and concentrates, making a total of 1,200 tons. It goes 

via Galveston. The average Leadville zinc ore nets the miner 

about $10 a ton [p. 147]. 

In order not to depend entirely on the foreign zinc market, 

the local zinc producers have effected arrangements to handle 

the Leadville zinciferous ores. The Mineral Point, Wis., and 

the Lany.on concern at lola, Kans., have agreed to take 100-

ton shipments of concentrates, and shipments will be begun 

at once. Several of the Missouri plants are also in the market 

for Leadville zinciferous ores [p. 358]. 

Probably the biggest foreign shipment ever made was this 

week, when 100 cars carrying 3,500 toqs of zinciferous ores and 

concentrates were shipped from Leadville direct to the Vieille 

Montagne Smelting Co., at Antwerp, Jacobson & Co., of New 

York, brokers [p. 417]. 

The tonnage [of shipments] is 200 tons per day of concentrates and crude ore. Nearly all of this goes to foreign ports 

and will be considerably increased in May [p. 508]. 

Jacobson & Co. will make another zinc shipment this week 

of over 1,500 tons to Belgium. The stuff is now being loaded 

on cars for Galveston. Most of this comes from the Adams lease 

of the A. M. W. combination [p. 628]. 

The output of zinc in May was over 6,000 tons, a pretty 

heavy tonnage compared to no product a year ago. Another 

heavy shipment has just been made to Belgium [p. 687]. 

The zinc product from the Maid and Henriette and the two 

concentrating mills now averages about 300 tons per day, and 

several big shipments to Belgium were made this week. Nearly 

all of the product is sent to foreign plants [p. 718]. 

This [Leadville zinc production] has risen from nothing to 

over 5,000 tons a month, while it is intimated that the formation 

in Missouri of a zinc-lead combination will have a tendency to 

bring Leadville into that market and greatly increase the 

tonJ?age of zinciferous ores from here [p. 778]. 

For the period July to December, 1900, the Journal 

says: 63 

Big zinc shipment.-Another zinc ore shipment of 2,000 

tons leaves here this week for Galveston, where it will be sent 

to Europe. The shipment is made through Jacobson & Co., 

of New York City, who are handling a great many shipments 

of this character from this camp [p. 18]. 

Jacobson arranged for 1,800 tons shipment. Most of this 

from Mover of the Iron Silver Co., and the Maid [p. 78]. 

Jacobs;n & Co. make another shipment this week of 1,500 

tons of zinc ore and concentrates to Europe. Most of this 

from Maid and Henriette [p. 137]. 

It is said that arrangements are being made to work Colorado 

zinc ores in Denver or vicinity. Some Colorado ores carrying 

zinc have been shipped to Indiana smelters, and their representative has recently been inquiring into the quantity of ores 

which can be obtained [p. 151]. 

Adams mill erected. Blake crusher, three 5-foot Huntington mills, 12 ·concentrating tables. To work on A. M. W. 

combination, Adams, Mab. and Wolftone. 

Zinc market.-Over 10,000 tons a month are shipped. Another 

4,000-ton shipment has just been made by Jacobson & Co., of 

' New York, to Belgium [p. 2571. 

No foreign shipments of zinc ore will be made this month, 

but over 200 tons per day will be shipped to lola, Kans., and 

Mineral Point, Wis., where plants h~ve arranged to take the 

Leadville output at a better price than N~w York brokers. 

The new mill of the A. M. W. combination will start this 

week [p. 467]. 

sa Eng. and Min. Jour., vol. 70, pp. 18, 78, 137, 151, 257, 467, 1900. 

5653-26t-.-11. 

The Denver Republican, in its :r;eview for 1900, 

published January 1, 1901, says: 

Output of American Zinc-Lead Co.'s smelter, Canon City, Colo., 

for 1900 

Gold Silver I Lead 

I 

Copper Zinc 

Ounces Ounces PwW I Pounds Pound& Colorado _____________________ 374.58 68,751 1, 671,886 434,999 3, 682,055 Other States _________________ 40.09 12,815 137,290 26,648 179,0'l:l 

414.67 81,566 1,809,1761 461,647 3,861,082 

The figures for zinc in 1900 given in the table on 

page 176 represent estimates. ·The Herald-Democrat, 

of Leadville, gives 45,270,92Q pounds and estimates 

that 59,926 tons of 35 per cent zinc were shipped to 

outside smelters, but Mineral Industry for 1900 shows 

that only 14,000 tons of material containing approximately 45 per cent zinc was shipped in 1900, of which 

the greater part went to Europe by way of Galveston.84 

The United States Customs reports of Galveston and 

New Orleans for 1900 show only 11,423 tons (and 

that including some Joplin ore), and for 1901 (with 

an increase in activity in zinc mining) the Colorado 

Bureau of Mines shows only 23,261 tons of 45 per 

cent zinc shipped. The Herald-Democrat for 1899 

shows 10,699 tons of 40 per cent zinc shipped. 

In his report for 1901 Hodges says: 85 

The output from mining operations in progress in the Leadville locality comprises sulphides, oxidized iron ores, zinciferous 

ores, and those carrying a commercial portiop of bismuth. 

· The sulphides at present have a considerably limited market 

while oxidized iron ores find a ready market. It is believed 

that this production will not suffer any limitation, at least 

through any outside causes. 

The Leadville basin is now the greatest producing locality 

of oxidized iron ores, and the New Home Mining Co. is believed to be the largest individual producer. This property is 

worked through the three shafts of the company-the Penrose, 

Starr, and Bon Air-all thoroughly equipped with hoisting 

and pumping machinery fully capable of performing all work 

required. The most active operations are conducted through 

the Penrose shaft. The quantity of ore in sight within the several excavations surpasses ·any heretofore revealed. 

The Starr shaft is operated at the 500-foot level. 

The Bon Air shaft has a good body of ore developed, fr..>m 

which there is a steady production. * * * . The New Monarch group, embracing the Lida, New Monarch, 

Little Winnie, and others within a large acreage, exhibits considerable development, outputting a large tonnage of good 

value. * * * 

The Leadville Development & Drainage Co. has, within the 

year 1901, undertaken an important prospecting enterprise 

within an undeveloped area of their own property, northwest 

from Leadville. This work is carried forward by alternate 

diamond drill and shaft sinking. * * * 

The Greenback mine is operated through .a shaft, present 

depth 1,240 feet. * :1' * 

It has been decided to install a Iiew hoisting plant, with an 

ore capacity of 750 tons per day. This will be completed in 

A.pril, 1902. 

64 Mineral Industry for 1900, p. 659, 1901. 

6s Hodges, J. L., agent for Colorado, in Roberts, G. E., op. cit. for 1901, pp. 12(}-

123, 146, 147, 1902. 
158 MINI~G · IN_ COLORADO 

Old properties leased.-The A. M. W. Co., a leasing company, 

is working the following-named mines: Wolftone, output 60,800 

tons; Adams, output 36,700 tons; and Maid of Erin1 output 

4,500 tons. 

The ore is iron, lead, and zinc sulphides, and in addition the 

W olftone and Maid of Erin produced 995 tons of carbonates. 

The Castle View Mining Co. made an output of 2,140 tons 

of manganiferous iron ore. 

The Mab Leasing Co. shipped 1,000·tons of manganiferous 

iron; also 7 50 tons of sulphides. 

··Midas ·Mining -Co. (le!lsing company~, from the 0. Z. and 

Dillon claims, shipped 68,000 tons of argentiferous iron ore . 

. Leasing and subleas{ng.:.__It is estimated that 90 per cent of 

all work in Leadville mine~ is by· leasing and subleasing,· at 

royalties that range from 5 to 40 per cent, based upon changes· 

in ground and, returns received: from smelting works. The 

probable avera.ge of royalty paid i~ 10 to 15 per cent.· L~rge 

leasing companies also pay taxes on ·property, output tax, and, 

in many cases, insurance; also assume cost· of mining and responsibilities; and install on their leased premises hoisting and pump-· 

ing plants as their operations may require. 

.Smelting plants.~The Arkansas Valley_ smelting plant,· 

ow~ed by the American Smelthig & RefiniJ?.g Co., is in active 

operation. · 

It is expected that other plants ~~ned by the American 

Smelting & Refining Co .. will at an early 'date be placed· in · 

commission. 

The concentrating mills are .the Moyer, which has 

a·capacity of 100 tons·per day; tlieA. M. W., 100 tons; 

the California Gulch, 50 tons; and the A. Y. · and 

Minnie, 50 tons.· · 

-The crude ore is crushed to pass a 30-::-.40 mesh scre·en, then 

treated on table machines, making two products, the first to as 

near 50 per cent zinc as possible; the second is an iron·and lead, 

containing gold and silver. ·- _ . · 

;ores containing zinc in the main .part are held in reserve for 

the..now well-assured market demand. · 

A new plant for treatment of zinci(erous ores is in construction by the American Smelting & ·Refining Co. at Pueblo, ·and 

other parties are erecting a plant in Lead vil.le. for treatment of 

zinc..:.bearing ores. 

Zinc concentrates.-The zinc concentrates have a market at 

the La Salle Smelting Works, but the larger,-portion is loaded _at 

the works in bulk in railway cars, thence shipped to Galveston 

or New Orleans for final loading and delivery to zinc-smelting 

works at Antwerp. 

These shipments are bought and paid for by local agent in 

Leadville at a Jlat·j:>rice on a basis of 45 per cent zinc, penalties 

and premiums considered. The miner receives about $5 per 

ton; cost of mining, hoisting,~ and placing in loa<;ling bins is 

ahout $1 per ton. . . 

Bismuth ores.,-Ores carrying bismuth carbonates are produced. by the Ballard, Bruce, and Big Six mines: Shipments 

have been made to St. Louis, also Liverpool, but owing to the 

limited demand· and care in maintaining the.pri.ce neither the 

producers nor buyers are willing to make known the status of 

the market .. It is estimated that 1,000 tons of bismuth carbonates were sB.ipped during 1901. * * * 

Placer areas.-Near Leadville and extending tl)rough the 

county of Lake there are large placer areas. '.l;'hese have received very littl~ attention for several :years~. but now the 

placer-mining industry has a· growing recognition. 

]Grchhoff, 66 in his repor-t ior 1901, gives a ~table 

showing exports of zinc ore by customs districts during 

66 Kirchhoff, Charles, Zinc: U. S. Qeol. Surv~y, Mineral Reso~~ces; 190J, ~- 219, 

1902. 

1899, 1900, and 1901. The ore sent from the Gulf 

ports came from the Joplin-Galena district· -and from 

Colorado. In another table he shows the destination 

of exports of zinc ore during 1899, 1900, and 1901. In. 

1901 Joplin and Colorado exported 291 tons of zinc 

ore from Galveston and 13,003 tons from New Orleans .. 

Mineral Industry for 1901 says: 67 

Spelter.-A large ·quantity of zinciferous lead ores from 

Colorado was smelted during the year and· the zinc content regained. Formerly these low-grade zinciferous ores were rejected as waste rna terial. 

Zinc .oxide.-The production of zinc white in the United 

States during 1901 was 46,500 short tons, valued at $3,720,000,. 

as against 48,840 short tons, valued at $3,677,810, in 1900. The· 

great~r part of this output was made by the. New Jersey ~Inc Co.,. 

operating at Jersey City and Newark, N. J., :Bethlehem and 

Palmerton, Pa:, and Mineral Point, Wis ... Page & .Ki-'ause, at. 

St. Louis, Mo., produce annually 450 short tons, and 'the United 

States Smelting Qo., formerly. the American. Zinc-Lead Co., 

of Canon City, Colo;, manufacture a pigment called" zinc-lead,';-

which is a mixture. of ox.idized compounds of zinc. and lead. The· 

production of this special pigment during 1901 was 2,500 short. 

tons, valued at $150,000. ·T.JJ.e Renfrew Ziric Co. put its .llew· 

plant at West Plains,· Mo., i~ ... operation inpec.eip.be~, 1901, and 

the. Ozark ~inc .Oxide Co. is contemplating a new ·works at .. 

Joplin, Mo. The estimated arimial capacity .of each. plant is 

20,000 tons of ,Zinc. oxide. · 

·Colorado.~According to :the Hon, Harry A. Lee, commismis~ioner of mines for Colorado, the production of zinc from the 

ores of that State ·~\lring _1901 anio.unted to 13,427 short .tons,. . 

of which Lake County furnished 11,573. short tons, and Mineral 

County 1,044 tons., :These fig,u~:e.s ~;~.re batsed on the metallic 

zinc .content of the ores prod~_ced: .. About 70 per cent of the 

output .was exporteq and 30 .per. cent treat.ed byr domestic · 

smelters, including ore used for. ~he manufacture of Zinc-lead 

pigment at Canq~ City, Colo., a~d possibly some shipped ·to 

Mineral Point, Wis., for·the manufacture of zinc white. In 

1901 the Leadville mills produced 23,261 tons of concentrates,.· 

·averaging 45 p_er cent zin~, 6 _per cent lead, and 10 per cent iron. 

Be~ides th,e .. Leadville product there_ wer~ also sbipmeU:ts of ~inc 

ore from Silver Plume, Montezuma, Creede, and other !!lining 

districts. Kansas smelters have received ore from Creede 

which has assayed as high as 59 per cent z~nc, 3.75 per cent to 

5 per cent lead, and about 2 per cent iron. The high iron ·content of the blende is .. due to the iron chemically· combined, 

which can not be removed by any method of mechanical concentration. '· 

The immense deposits of mixed lead and zinc sulphide at 

Leadville and Kokomo promise to become an important factor 

in the zinc ·industry in the near future. The ore is a silverbearing mixture of galena, pyrite, and blende, with very little 

gangue. As early as 1886 it was miJled for its lead content 

and accompanying silver, the blende being accumulated i.n · 

tailings heaps. Recently by . the application of improved 

milling methods a closer sep·aration has been obtained, and a 

large quantity of this class of ore has been treated at Leadville, yielding a galena-pyrite concentrate and a ferruginous 

blende, the latter having a large sale, chiefly t.o European zinc 

smelters, although a small quantity has been treated at Kansas 

smelters. The freight from Leadville via Galveston to Swansea 

or Antwerp during 1901 -\vas $9.50 per short ton, and while 

the. miners rece~ve $5 to $7 per ton, it is pur~ly a by-product, 

and the value of the ore is increased by its r€mi6val. 

The Colorado Zinc Ore Co. and the Ne~ Jersey Zinc Co. 

are erecting magnetic separating piants at Denver and Canon 

-. --··· . ~~---· --- ·- ..... . 67 Mineral Indust~Y.:for_~901_, YO~-}~· pp. _650,.65_1,,G52, 190~ .• 
.LAKE COUNTY 159 

City, respectively, to produ-ce ore c<Yntaining about the same 

percentage of iron as that which the present concent~ating 

mills are furnishing but several units higher in zinc and lower 

in lead. These ores have been smelted direct in Sadtler retorts 

by the Midland Smelting Co., at Bruce, Kans. The· American 

Smelting · & Refining Co. is erecting a zinc-smelting plant at 

Pueblo which will afford a local market for the blende concentrates at Leadville, Kokomo, Montezuma, Creede, and other 

mining districts in the State. The United States Smelting 

Co. was organized during t~ year to take over the holdings 

of the American Zinc-Lead Co., formerly operating the Canon 

City plant, which smelts chiefly low-grade zincifero~s lead 

ores, largely from Utah and Leadville. The product is copper 

matte containing the precious metals, which is shipped or 

refined. The by-product consists of zinc-lead pigment used 

largely in the manufacture of paints. The United States 

Zinc Co., capitalized at $2,000,000, was organized to build 

a large zinc plant near Pueblo, to handle Leadville zinciferous 

ores, chiefly from the A. Y. and Minnie mine. [The American 

Smelting & Refining Co.'s zinc-smelting plant, mentioned 

above, and the United States Zinc Co.'s plant are the same.-

C. W. H.] 

The Leadville 1-leraJd-:-Democraf, in its review for 

1901, published January 1, 1902, gives the following 

tables: 

Zinc produced from Leadville ores, 1901, in· tons 

Tons 

of ore Gold Silver Lead Copper Zinc 

Ounces Ounces Pounds Pounds Po'lljnds 

American Zinc-Lead Co ... 6, 094 25 42, 757 1, 096,920 24,470 3, 047,000 

Zinc to smelters outside of 

Colorado ________________ ··------------------:-··------------------- 1~, 429;200 

Output of mines at Leadville in 1901, in tons 

Mine Zinc Sulphide Iron oxide Carbonate 

A.M. w ····-····--------·····- -------···-" G 102,000 b2, 140 995 

A. Y. and Minnie.______________ 650 '-----------. --·--------- --·-······-· Iron Silver______________________ 3,442 --------···· ···-····-·-· ··-----·-·-· Yak............................. l, 562 ---------··· -······----· ··---------- Small Hopes.····----------·---- l, 014 , ------------ ··-·-------- -----···-·-- Borecl.......................... 275 ------------ -----------· -------·---- Jonesville~---------------------- 276 ------------ -------····· ·-·······--· Miscellaneous ••••••. _____ . ___ .__ 1, 800 __ --·-·· .... ___ . _______ .• __ •. _____ . _ 

9, 019 ------.-. ---/-· -· -------- . ------. ·---

a Includes zinc. b Includes manganese·oxide. 

Prod'JJ,ct of mines at Leadville in,i901 ·Tons-'· 

Carbonate __________________________ 27,483 

Iron oxide _________________________ _ 

Sulphide ___________________________ _ 

~:~:e~~l;_~i~~~·~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ 

256, 153 

338,'041 

23,'261· . 

94,021 Mangane~e oxide _____________ ..: _ _ _ _ _ _ 54, 055 

793, 0!"4 .. 

A. M. ·W. mines.-During 19()1 the real work of mining com: 

menced on the Adams, Maid of Erin, Wolftone, ·and Mahal~.~ 

The Denver Republi.ca:ri, in its review for. 1901, 

published January 1,· 1902, gives the follo~rig, t~bl:~·= 

.. · '. 

Output of American Zinc-Lead· Smelting Co., Canon City, Colo., · from Jiolorado ores in 1901 . 

Metal Quantity Price Value 

Gold .•. _._. ___ ._ •.. _._. ______ • ____ • __ .ounces .• 897, 097 $20. 00 $17,941.94 

72,737.16 

110,213.66 

84,144.31 

228,492.92 

Silver ... -----..... --------.• -------_ .... do .•.• 122, 491 • 593 

Lead._ ----------·--------------------Pounds .. 2, 510, 659 . 0435 

~i~l~~ = =~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~g= ~ = = 

517,874 . 1625 

5, 712, 323 . 04 

513,529.99 

Downer 68 gives the following account of develop-: 

ment at Leadville in 4is report for 1902: ' 

The total tonnage of the ore as shipped from Leadville to 

the various smelters is as follows: 

Lead carbonates ____________________ _ 

Oxidized iro.n ________________ - - - - - - - Iron sulphides_~ ____ . ___ .., ____________ _ 

Zinc sulphides ____ ..:. _____________ :.. ___ _ 

Siliceous ores. _ -. ____________________ _ 

M-anganese oxides __________________ _ 

Tons 

22, 930 

285,494 

281,558 

85,~99 

72, 215 

1,050. 

748, 946 

* * · * The district has made material 'progress :in the· 

extension of the great Yak tu:i:uiel into the territory of the Ibex· 

Mining Co., which will·drain- the greater part of Breece Hill; 

the purchase of the old' Boston· Gold-Copper smelting plant by 

a strong eastern syndicate, and the remodeling of the same, to' 

be put 'into commission soine time during the· coming year; 

the unwatering of Fry·er Hill by the Frye·r Hill Mines Co:.,. 

the extensive improvements made in the Arkansas Valley Sm.elt..: 

ing plant; and the erection of three large ·mills for treating 

the low-grade ores of the district, two for handling the· zinc 

product, and one for treating the siliceous ores of· Breece Hill: 

The last is planned to handle the ore by the cyanide .treatment} 

Downtown mining.-During the -year ·a consolidation: was 

brought about between the Morocco and th.e Home Extension 

companies, and a lease obtained from the- city on the streets 

and alleys in the vicinity of lower Harrison Avenue. · · ···· , 

Iron -ore· has· been opened up on the. west side of Harrison~ 

A venue, and it is believed that it is an extension· of the Booi 

Air shoot. · * * *· · . · · · 

The work of the Yak'tunnel.has:been especiaily satisfactory, 

both in tonnage and development: * · * * · During the year ··a ooiitract ·was entered into b~tween the 

Ibex Co.· and -the Yak. by which· the tunnel is ·to be driven' ·t'o 

the No. 4 shaft of the· Ibex, w"hich will strike beneath the-~Ib'ex 

shaft ·at a; depth. of ·200 feet. ·The work within the Ibex lines 

is· done by the latter company and will· drain the Breece Hill 

territory. · The total length of the. ttinnel> is· 10,.500 "feet. and' 

including the. main laterals 1t 1s 12~000 feet. : : 

·.·one·'lateral driven during the·-year makes conn~ction: with 

the ·Rubie· property, this being ··hm a distance of 1,000 feet~. 

There is also a new lateral connecting the North Mike~~ : * : * *' 

A number of lessees have worked through the tunnel during: 

the past year and shipped largely .. · 

The Arkansas Valley 'Smelting plant; which.· is ·tlie works ··of 

the American Smelting & Refining· Co .. at Leadville; has made· 

several very costly improvements. One is the enlargemen-t of> 

the.:power. house. · ... · ·,·::~ ··; 

An additional 150 feet has been built on the engine roomr 

and two new large compound condensing engines have been' 

.• as DQ>yl\er, F. M., agent for Colorado, in Roberts, G. E., op. cit. for 1902; pp._93~9s~ 

132,1903 .. I : _.: .- >• '' •• , ••• • ,, ··:· • ... ~:,.:.;;~\jl; 
160 MINING IN COLORADO 

installed. The plant is capable of generating 1,800 horsepower. 

Two new blowers have been added, making four of No. 8 and 

. three of No. 7, of the Connersville type. The substitution of 

electric motors for small steam engines has been another means 

of economy. All pumps have been brought together in one 

central pump house, a brick and steel building, absolutely 

fireproof. Two of the smelting furnaces have been increased 

in size from 75 tons to 125 tons each, giving 10 large blast 

furnaces having a daily capacity of 1,200 tons of ore. 

Roasting capacity.-Six new hand roasting furnaces were 

added, making 24, in addition to the Ropp and Horseshoe 

mechanical furnaces already in use. 

The total daily roasting capacity is now 37 5 tons. 

An important piece of construction is the new mill for crushing and sampling the sulphide ores before sending them to the 

roasting furnaces. Two automatic sampling devices have 

been installed. 

During the year two reductions in treatment charges were 

made, one of 50 cents on the lowest grade of iron ores and the 

other on low-grade siliceous ores, which has already operated 

to move a considerable amount of this material. 

Zinc ore increases.-The increase in the output of zinc ore 

during the year is quite remarkable and is simply the begin~ing 

of the possible output of this class of ore from the vast deposits 

which underlie nearly all of Carbonate Hill and portions of 

Breece Hill. Under the present rates paid for this class of ore 

by the zinc smelters it is possible for a number of the mines to 

hand sort their ore roughly and make a shipping product which 

leaves a profit. The prevailing price paid during the year was 

$9 a ton on the cars for 45 per c~nt of metallic zinc in the ore, 

with a dollar off for each per cent less or a dollar more for each 

per cent above that grade. 

During the year the Moyer property shipped 44,691 tons, all 

hand sorted. The Small Hopes consolidation shipped 7,37 4 

tons; the Yak tunnel, from lessees, about 7,000 tons, both of 

which were also hand sorted. 

• The Adams, Maid, and Wolftone combination, known as the 

A. M. W., shipped from .their mill as concentrates 20,000 tons, 

and the A. Y. and Minnie, from their new mill, 6,000 tons, the 

latter mill having been in operation only during the last months 

of the year. 

New zinc concentrators.-During the year two new zinc concentrators were erected, the Minnie mill and the mill at the 

Resurrection mine, on Little Ellen Hill. 

The A. M. W. mill has run constantly and is very conveniently arranged. The ore is first fed into a crusher of the 

Blake pattern and conveyed to three 5-foot Huntington mills 

and crushed to pass a 30-mesh screen. This product is fed at 

once into two hydraulic sizers of the cone-shaped pattern, which 

makes two sizes, fed to si·: Wilfley tables. The overflow is 

conveyed to a series of cor,Lcal settling tanks supplying six other 

Wilfley tables, and a saparation is made, giving one product of 

iron and lead mixed and a second product of zinc, carrying 

from 10 per cent to 12 per cent of iron. The ore treated in the 

.mill as it comes from the mine only averages about 10 per cent 

.

0 f silica. The capacity of the mill is 100 tons per diem and the 

•

0 utput of zinc concentrates for the year was 20,000 tons. 

The Minnie mill is built on the same lines and is of the same 

~capacity. 

The Resurrection mill will use Huntington mills for crushing 

:and then concentrate on Wilfley tables. The concentrates 

will be dried over a magnetic separator to clean out a large 

percentage of iron so as to raise the grade of the zinc. 

Leadville's first cyanide mill.-Another new departure for 

Leadville is the erection of a mill at the Ballard mine for treating the siliceous gold ores found in that section of Breece Hill 

by cyanide. This is the first cyanide mill erected in the Lea.dville gold belt, and experimental tests have been very satis-

-factory. 

The outlying districts have not added very materially to the 

output of Lake County. In the St. Kevin district the Amity 

mine was the largest producer, averaging about 25 tons a week . 

In the Twin Lakes district the work has been principally 

development. 

Kirchhoff says in his report for 1902: 69 

Colorado has become an important producer of zinc ore, the 

output for the year 1902 being placed by Mr. Harry Allen Lee, 

commissioner of mines, at 26,241 short tons 7o [of zinc content], 

valued at $2,544,993.48. Of this quantity 23,819 short tons 

[of zinc content] are credited to Lake County, 1,024 short tons 

[to] Mineral County, and 665 short tons [to] Summit County.n 

In Leadville increased attention has been paid to the handling 

of low-grade zinc and lead ores and dumps. The Unite·d 

States Zinc Co.72 has shipped considerable quantities from the 

Moyer dump of the Iron Silver Co. to its Canon City plant. 

A mill was also successfully started by the A. Y. and Minnie 

Co., and a large new plant for the Resurrection mine was 

approaching completion at the end of 1902. Magnetic separation plants for zinc ores have been built at Denver, Colo., 

by the Colorado Zinc Co., and the Empire Zinc Co., controlled 

by the New Jersey Zinc Co., has built works at Canon City. 

The American Smelting & Refining Co. [United States Zinc 

Co.] has erected a small zinc smelting plant at Pueblo. The 

Colorado zinc ores have largely gone to Europe, while considerable quantities have also been shipped to the Kansas gas 

belt and to the zinc-white works in Wisconsin. 

To the Kansas works have also gone some shipments of 

zinc ore from the Slocan district in British Columbia. 

Mineral Industry for 1902 contains the following· 

matter: 73 

Spelter.-An important feature of the year was the increased 

quantity of ore supplied by Colorado, and the plans that have 

been made for utilizing it on a still larger scale. Some ore was. 

shipped to the Kansas smelters from Utah. 

Zinc oxide 

Year 

1900 ___ ----------" ------------------------------ 1901 ______ -------------------------------------- 1902.-------------------------------------------

Value 

Short tons 1-------

Total Per ton 

47, 151 $3, 772, 000 

42, 266 3, 720, 000 

52, 730 4, 023, 299 

$80.00 

80.00 

76.30 

In addition to others, the United States Smelting Co. (formerly the American Zinc-Lead Co.), at Canon City, Colo., 

manufactures a pigment. * * * The production of this 

special pigment in 1902 was 4,000 tons, valued at $225,000, as 

compared with 2,500 tons, valued at $250,000 in 1901. 

The ores of this State are rapidly becoming an important 

factor in the zinc industry. The Leadville district alone produ~ed 89,669 tons of or~ in 1902, and deposits were worked ftt 

Kokomo, Creede, ·Rico, and elsewhere.· The Kansas smelters 

took an increased quantity of these ores, which are purchased 

at a liberal discount from the Joplin prices and can be mixed 

in considerable proportions with the higher-quality ores without materially affecting the smelting results. A large portion 

of the output is consumed by the United States Smeiting Co., 

Kirchhoff, Ch~rles, Colorado zinc: U. S. Geol. Survey Mineral Resources, 

1902, p. 221, 1904. 

70 This amount should be 26,291 tons; see Colorado Bureau of Mines Twelfth 

Biennial Rept., pp. 152-153, 1913. 

n Also smaller quantities to other counties; see State report just mentioned. 

7J United States Smelting Co.; see Mineral Industry for 1902, p. 600, 1903. 

7a Mineral Indwitry for 1902, vol. 11, pp. 599, 600, 609, 1903. 
LAKE COUNTY 161 

Canon City, for the manufacture of zinc-iead pigment, and 

some ore is marketed at Mineral Point, Wis., and in Europe·. 

The Colorado Zin<. Co., at Denver, and the Empire Zinc Co., 

at Canon City, have installed magnetic separating plants. 

A rez,iew of progress in the metallurgy of zinc in 1902. ~ 

Construction was begun on the works of the United States 

Zinc Co., affiliated with the American Smelting & Refining Co., 

at Pueblo, Colo., and it is expected that this will be in operation 

in 1903. 

The .Denver Republican, in its review for 1902, 

published January 1, 1903, gives the following table: 

Zinc produced in 1902./rom ore mined in Colorado 

Pounds Value 

United States Smelting Co.________________________ 3, 854,400 $173,448 

Shipped to Europe in ores.---------------------------- 22,000,000 990,000 

Shipped to other States in ores. _____ ------------------ 12,500,000 • 562,500 ----------1------- 38, 354, 400 1, 725, 948 

Mineral Industry for 1903 says: 74 

Zinc oxide.-The output of zinc' oxide in the United States 

in 1903 was 59,562 short tons, against 52,730 short tons in 1902. 

The totals do not include the product of the United States 

Reduction & Refining Co. (operating company, United States 

Smelting Co.), at Canon City, Colo., which in 1903 made 4,500 

short tons of zinc-lead pigment. 

New spelter plants in 1903 were the United States Zinc 

Co. * * ~ 

The development of a market, both abroad and at home, for 

such zinc ore as can be produced in the Rocky Mountains has 

created great interest. Leadville, Colo., has continued to be 

the principal point of production, but shipments have been 

made from Kokomo, Creede, and Rico, Colo.; from Park City 

and Frisco, Utah; from the Magdalena district, in New Mexico; 

and from the Slocan, British Columbia. * * * At present 

this kind of ore is shipped to spelter producers of Belgium, 

Kansas, and Colorado; to the U. S. Reduction & Refining Co., 

which manufactures zinc-white lead at Canon City, Colo.; to 

the Ozark Zinc Oxide Co., of Joplin, Mo., and the Mineral 

Point Zinc Co., of Mineral Point, Wis., both of which concerns 

make white lead. The works at Canon City were destroyed by 

fire in 1903 but have been rebuilt with increased capacity. 

Magnetic separation.-The Wetherill Separating Co. reports 

the following number of its cross-belt separators (type E) now 

in use for separating zinc ore in the United States, exclusive 

of machines rmployed for experimental work: 

Number of machines 

New Jersey Zinc Co., Franklin Furnace, N. J. 20 

Empire Zinc Co., Canon City, Colo_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 5 

Colorado Zinc Co., Denver, Colo____________ 2 

Resurrection Gold Mining Co., Leadville, 

Colo---------------------------------- 3 

Summit Mining & Smelting Co., Kokomo, Colo __________________________________ 2 

Pride of the West Milling Co., Washington, 

AriZ----------------------------------- 6 

Warren Separating Co., Warren, N. H_______ 1 

Bully Hill Mining & Smelting Co., Winthrop, 

Calif__________________________________ 1 

The Blake-Morscher separator is used at the Colorado Zinc 

Co., Denver; the Silver Ledge Mill, Silverton; the Harris Mill, 

Denver; and at Benton, Wis. 

14 Mineral Industry for 1903, vol. 12, pp. 34Q-362, 1004 

The Denver Republican, in its review for 1903, 

published January 1, 1904, reports that in 1903 the 

United States Smelting Co. purchased and treated 

25,000 tons of ore mined in Colora.do, which ·yielded 

metals as shown in the following table: 

Quantity and value of metals produced by United States Smelting 

Co. from ore mined in Colorado in 1903 

Metal 

Gold __________________________________________ .ounces._ Silver--- __ • __________________ • __________________ .do. __ _ 

Zinc ~~~-e; ______________________________________________ _-: ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ~-~~~~~=: do ___ _ 

Quantity 

2,500 

275,000 

4, 500,000 

400,000 

12,000,000 

Value 

$51,675 

146,850 

192,600 

54,360 

630,000 

1,075,485 

Quantity and value of zinc produced from ore mined in Colorado 

in 1903 

Pounds Value 

United States Smelting Co., Canon City--------------- 12,000,000 $630,000 

Shipped to Europe in ore •• ---------------------------- 13,477,333 697,560 Shipped to smelters in other States _____________________ 19,919,543 1,045, 576 

45,396,876 2, 373,136 

In his . report for .1904 Downer 75 says·: 

The mining industry of Lake County is in a very prosperous condition, shipments of ore for 1904 aggregating 800,000 

tons .. * * * 

Downtown district.-The Midas Mining &. Leasing Co. has 

sunk the Coronado, Penrose, Midas, and Sixth Street shafts, 

at an expense of $1,000,000, through the parting quartzite to 

the lower ore horizons or second contact, proving an ore body 

45 feet thick, extending through 30 acres at a depth of 800 

feet under the streets of the city of Leadville. The mines are 

wet, and pumps at the Penrose have handled as high as 1,100 

gallons per minute. 

The Bon Air workings have been extended through several 

properties. In the Wood fraction a body of silver ore was 

discovered and a large tonnage shipped, but the development' 

of the ore body has only begun. 

The Empire Tunnel Co., of Georgetown, controls the Cloud 

City, and has shipped considerable tonnage of a good grade of 

iron and high-grade manganese that is used as fluxing material. 

The c·ompany is now sinking the Cloud City shaft to catch 

the Midas ore shoot. 

The Gold Belt.-The discovery of ore in the Sunday and the 

development of ore channels in the Ollie Reed and New 

Monarch mark important events of the year in this belt. 

The Ollie Reed is heavily shipping, and the New Monarch is 

sinking a 2,000-foot shaft. 

Iron Hill.-The Moyer is the principal mine of the Iron 

Silver Co. and produced an average of 11,000 tons a month 

of low-grade sulphide, carrying a good percentage of zinc. 

This is the largest tonnage producer in the State, the output 

being 130,000 tons for the year. The ore averages $8 in value 

and is handled at a profit of $4 per ton. 

The A. Y. and Minnie mine and mill produces and treats 

120 tons of ore a day and is owned by the Western Mining Co. 

This corporation has another miJl operated by the A. M. W. 

Co. that treats 160 tons per day from other mines. 

The Yak tunnel.-The Yak tunnel * * * is 3 miles in 

length and opens up for development the entire region from 

California Gulch to a vertical depth of 1,300 feet under the 

ra Downer, F. M., superintendent of Denver Mint and agent for Colorado, in 

Roberts,_ G. E., op. cit. for 1904, pp. 114-116, 123-124, 1905. 
162 MINING IN COLORADO 

Ibex. Tramming is done with an electric locomotive, hauling 

as many as 60 cars a trip; and 3 miles of trolley wire have been 

strung in the tunnel and its branches The ore shipments 

fr~m the tunnel during the past year have averaged between 

3,000 and 6,000 tons per month, but this output wiH probably 

be doubled. The concentrating plant at the mouth of the 

tunnel is being constructed at a cost of $200,000 and is nearing 

·completion. It is the largest mill in the district and will treat 

low-grade sulphides and zinc ores. 

Placer mining.-The Saguache Placer Mining Co., operating 

at Twin Lakes, will put in a new dredge and work California 

Gulch from Georgia Gulch to Malta this summer. Prospecting 

.ground gave reported returns of 25 cents per cubic yard. 

The Twin Lakes Placer Mining Co. works a large acreage 

and has obtained good returns [Chaffee County.-C. W. H.l. 

The Denver Republican, in its review for 1904, 

published January 1, 1905, gives· a statement of the 

United States Zinc Co.'s smelter, Pueblo, Colo., showing tons of ore purchased in 1904, quantity of zinc in 

the ore, value of the zinc, spelter produced, value 

of the spelter, and quantity of pig lead, as follows: 

Tons of ore ____ ,_ _______________ _ 

Zinc in ore, pounds ______________ _ 

Average per cent zinc ___________ _ Value _________________________ _ 

Spelter produced, pounds ________ _ Value _________________________ _ 

Pig lead, pounds ________________ _ 

17,821 

12,509,613 

35. 10 

$593, 129. 43 

9, 805,699 

$460,867.25 

47,402 

The recovery of zinc, according to this statement, 

was 78.39 per cent. The gold, silver, and lead is not 

extracted by the zinc company but is shipped to lead 

smelters. 

Output of United States Smelting Co., Canon City, Colo., for 1901,. 

Yield 

Tons treated 

Gold I Silver Lead I Copper Zinc 

Oum"l Ounces Pou""• / PouM• Pounds ao,ooo _____________________ 2,400 350,000 4, 800, 000 800, 000 14,400,000 

The gold, silver, and copper., amounting to $316,000, 

was sent to the Pueblo plant of the American Smelting 

& Refining Co., and the zinc and lead pigment aggregating $474,670 was distributed all over the United 

States. 

The smelter obtained most of its ore near Leadville 

and a fractional amount from Cripple Creek; the 

remainder came from Arizona and New Mexico. 

The Denver·Republican says: 

It is impossible to secure any but the Leadville details of this 

company's statistics. 

Metals produced by United States Smelting Co. from ore mined at 

Leadville, Colo., in 1905 

Metal 

Gold _____________ --------------- _____ --------- ______ ounces __ 

Silver _____ ----------------------- ___ --_--------------- _do_--

~ic:f!J~~-d -pfgmeilt~~ ~ ~ = ~ = ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ = ~ = ~ ~ ~~1~~~= = 

Quantity 

1,000 

250,000 

75,000 

3,400 

Value 

$20,000 

140,000 

6, 750 

238,000 

Leadville, therefore; contributed $404,750 of the total of 

$790,670, other Colorado points furnishing approximately 

$200,000 more, and the remainder coming from outside the 

State. 

Lindgren 76 says of the developments in 1905: 

The recent development of an important zinc-mining industry in Leadville is well known. Among the most important 

producers are the Iron Silver Mining Co. (Moyer mine), the 

Western Mining Co., the Big Chief Leasing Co., and the Boreel 

Co. The ore is partly shipped as sulphide concentrates, 

partly as crude or hand.;sorted ·ore. After the distillation of 

the zinc by the zinc smelters, the silver-bearing cinders are 

sold to the lead smelters. .JI 

Important developments have taken place in the Downtown section. The Midas Co. has sunk the Penrose shaft to 

a depth of 920 feet and is draining it by means of powerful 

pumps: The Coronado shaft, in the same vicinity, is 790 feet 

deep and is now·drained by a drift from the Penrose. A considerable production was maintained during the year from the 

Coronado shaft. These pumping operations will open a large 

and formerly unproductive area. 

The Yak tunnel, which now is 10,800 feet in length, extends 

from California Gulch eastward below Iron and Breece hills. 

It is planned to p~erce the range, and its eastern portal would 

be in Park County, near the London mine. The tunnel .is 

equipped with a very complete system of electric transportation, by which a great number of mines are being served. 

During the year the Yak Co. completed the Rowe mill at 

the mouth of the tunnel. The capacity is 250 tons per day, 

and it is equipped with electrostatic concentrating machine 

for the separation of the zinc blende. 

A certain quantity of crude Leadville ores is shipped to 

Denver and concentrated there. 

Bain 77 gives the following outline: 

Character of Leadville ores; analyses of Colorado zinc ores 

analysis of concentrates from Adams mill, Leadville, Colo. 

Milling methods: 

Wet· concentration. 

Magnetic and electrostatic separation. 

Wetherill magnetic separator. 

International or Snyder magnetic separator. 

Blake-Morscher electrostatic separator. 

Sutton-Steele dielectric separatqr. 

German machines at United States Zinc Co.'s 

plant, Pueblo, Colo. 

Smelting methods: 

American Zinc & Chemical Co. (Dewey patents), 

Denver, Colo. (Process consists in obtaining a . 

solution of zinc in the form of sulphate, evaporating 

the sulphate to dryness, and calcining it for the 

production· of oxide.) 

United States Zinc Co., Pueblo, Colo. (Produces 

spelter; description of process.) 

United States Smelting Co., Canon City, Colo. (Bartlett process, whereby a zinc-lead pigment is made, 

while the gold, silver, and copper values are left in 

the cinder on the grate, in form suitable for ordinary 

reduction. * * * The cinder left on the grate is 

mixed with low-grade copper ore and reduced in a 

furnace which produces a 25 per cent copper matte.) 

The figures given in the table on page 176 for 1905 

to 1923 are taken from Mineral Resources (mines 

70 Lindgren, Waldemar, U. S. Geol. Survey Mineral Resources, 1905, pp. 203-

204, 1906. 

404,750 77 Bain, H. F., Zinc and lead ores in 1905: U.S. Geol. Survey Mineral Resources, 

1905, pp. 379-392, 1906. 
-~LAKE ·cotrNT"Y' -_· 163 

il'eports) for the calendar-yea~, published by the United 

. States Geolqgic.al Survey. . 

Naramore 78 gives the ·following accotmt of the . 

-developments in 1906: ·· 

The zinc industry is deserving of speCial mention in that 

it represents a gain of nearly 7,000,000 pounds and of half 

the county's in~rease in totai:- v-alue. The 1906 zinc product 

was worth more than the combined gold and silver output. 

Previous to 189~ zinc was a small factor in Leadville's mineral 

industry, inasmuch as there were only small quantities which 

were of shipping grade. The concentrating mills, in which 

the crushed ore or middlings from the. concentrating tables 

:are further separated by .electromagnetic machines, have 

succeeded in making .a marketable prod~ct by raising the 

.zinc content from 18 and 20 per cent in the raw ore to 25 and 

45 per cent in -the concentrates. There were 9,000 tons of 

:erude zinc ores of shipping grade produced and less than 1,000 

tons in which no .other values were saved. Thus practically 

the entire zinc output was derived from the concentration and 

separation of iron-:zinc or lead-zinc ores, which. occur largely 

as a mixture of pyrite, zinc blende, and galena, usually carry-

. ing values in silver and often a small quantity of -gold. 

The American Zinc Extraction Co.'s mill, located near the 

mouth of the Yak tunnel, is a custom plant of 250 tons capacity, 

in which the ores are crushed in jaw crushers, sampled, dried 

in an automatic· drier, recrushed, and· fed to International 

magnetic3epara.tor s. The resultant products are zinc con-

:Centrates and pyrite, the latter carrying most of the precious 

metal values. This company buys ores with as low as 20 per 

cent zinc content. . 

The Damascus mill uses electrostatic separators and handles 

much of the second-grade product from the A. Y. and Minnie 

<Concentrator. 

The -~4ams or' W olftone mill doubled its capacity during 

1906 by adding three Huntington milts and thirteen tables. 

This makes the capacity approximately 200 tons a day. By 

means of the tables and a system of settling tanks, two classes. 

·of zinc and lead concentrates are produced. The A. Y. and· 

Minnie mill, of 150 tons capacity, uses similar methods. The: 

·Boston & Ariz~na plant was also in operation. A considerable 

quantity of Leadville middlings is reconcentrated at the plant 

o0f the Colorado Zinc Co. in Denver~ A large tonnage of lowgrade sulphides is also handled at the concentrators of the 

Empire Zinc Co., near Canon [City]. 

The Arkansas Valley plant of the American Smelting· & 

Refining Co., located on the southern outskirts of Leadville, 

treat~d the larger portion of the ores of the district, the zinc 

ores excepted. · 

Leadville interests have been instrumental in building up 

the Ohio & Colorado Co.'s smelter at Salida, and during 1906 

the plant received a greatly increased· tonnage from Lake 

.County. 

The placer production of Lake County in 1906 is 

_given as 64.92 ounces of gold or $1,342, but only 

$264 belongs to Lake County, coming from St. Kevin 

district. 79 The ·remainder belongs partly_ to Chaffee 

78 Naramore, Chester, U. S. Geol. Survey Mineral Resources, 1906, pp. 221-223, 

1907 

78 U. S. Geol. Survey Mineral Reso_urces, 1906, p. 203, 1907. 

County, and part of it .came from- surface lode workings. 

In his report for 1907 Naramore· says: 80 

The Leadville District Mining & Milling Co. put its mill 

in· operation during 1907. The mill is located just north of 

the Arkansas Valley smelter and handles low-grade sulphide 

ores from the dumps of the Ibex Mining Co. By the use of 

jigs and concentrating tables some of the silica is eliminated 

and a marketable product is made· from ores which are otherWise not acceptable to the smelter .. The _Adams or Wolftone 

mill handled the sulphide ores from the Wolftone mine. The 

A. Y. and Minnie mill was closed when the ~ines ceased produc-

_ing. 

In the.report for 1907 placer gold is given as 95.88 

ounces or $1,982, but only $510 was actually placer 

and that came from St. Kevin district. A small lot, 

doubtful as to source, came from either Chaffee Countv · 

or Summit County. 81 · · · • 

In the report for 1908 Henderson gives the following table: 82 · 

Classification of Le~dville ores ;.1908 

Short Percent· tons age. 

Siliceous (gold-silver) •-------------~----------:_____________ 25,741 6 

==-== Sulphide: Zinc-iron-lead (zinc blende-pyrite, with a little galena)---- 95, 306: 23 

Iron (pyrite, with a little coppe~, gold, silver, and lead) •• _15_1_, 284 ____ 3_7 

Total sulphide ••• -~-------~:~--·------------------------ 246,590 60 

Oxide: 

. ~~illanganese-<siiver) ____ =: ===~~=-======~==::::::.:::::::_::: _1~_1_: ~-~- ___ 28_

6 

.136,380 34 

Total oxide ••• ·----------------------------------------- ===II=== 

Grand totaL~------------------------------------------ 408,711 100 

o All or nearly all the siliceous ore is oxide, and all is dry. 

As shown by this table, the greatest tonnage from Leadville 

in 1908 was of sulphide ore. The chief· sulphide ore was iron 

pyrite~ ~.arryiD;g a little copper, gold, silver, and some lead. 

The bulk of this went direct to the smelter. The tonnage of 

this class was 151,284 short tons, or 37 per cent of the .. total 

tonnage. There were also 95,306 tons, or 23 per cent, of zinciron-lead-sulphide (zinc blende-pyrite with a little galena). 

Sulphide ore made 60 per cent of the tonnage. 

The higher grade of zinc sulphide ore was shipped direct to 

the zinc smelters without concentration. The bulk of the zinc 

sulphide,· however, including quite a tonnage-Of dump ore, was 

separated magnetically or concentrated at Leadville, Canon 

City, and Denver. The Western Chemical Co., in Denver, 

was the only plant to run its wet mill for the further concentration of the middlings produced at the separation and concentration mills. 

Mills operating.-Adams, Leadville District, and American 

Zinc Extraction. Co. (Rho or Yak). 

8D Naramore, Chester, U. S. Geol. Survey Mineral Resources, 1907, pp. 259-261, 

1908. 

8t U.S. Geol. Survey Mineral Resources, 1907, p_ 240, 1908. 

82 Henderson, C. W., U. S. Geol. Survey Mineral ~esources, 1908, pp. 386-389, 

1909. 
164 MINING IN COLORADO 

Mineral Resources for 1909 says: 83 

Classification of Leadville ores, 1909 

Short Percent· tons age 

Siliceous (gold-silver)····-·-·····"····-··-------·---·-------- 28,054 6. 7 ==:==: 

Sulphide: . Zinc-iron-lead (zinc blende-pyrite, with a little galena).... 127,640 30.6 

Iron (pyrite, wlth a little copper, gold, silver, and lead)... 142,139 34.1 

------ Total sulphide ••• ------·--"--·------·------------------ 269,779 64.7 

Oxi~ad -----~---·--·---------·-··-----~--------------------· 27,5041 6. 6 

Iron-manganese (silver) •• ------------------------------- 91,960 22.0 ------ Total oxide·----····-----------·---·--"----·------------ 119,4641 28.6 

Grand total.··-·--·----------·------------··-----------~~ 

• All or nearly all the siliceous ore is oxide, and all is dry. 

As shown by this table, the greatest tonnage from Leadville 

in 1909 was of sulphide ore. The chief sulphide ore was iron 

pyrite, carrying a little copper, gold, silver, and some lead. 

The bulk of this went direct to the smelter. The tonnage of 

this class was 142,139 short tons, or 34.1 per cent of the total 

tonnage. There were also 127,640 tons, or 30.6 per cent, of 

zinc-iron-lead sulphide (zinc blende-pyrite with a little 

galena). Sulphide ore made 64.7 per cent of the tonnage. 

The higher grade of zinc sulphide ore was shipped direct to 

the zinc smelters without concentration. The bulk of the zinc 

sulphide, however, including quite a tonnage of dump ore, was 

separated magnetically or concentrated at Leadville, CanOl\ 

City, and Denver. 

Mills operating.-Leadville District, Adams (until April, 1909), 

and Rho. 

Mineral Resources for 1910 contains the following 

statement: 84 

The generally increased activity in Leadville mines in 1909 

continued in 1910, and toward the end of the year the discovery 

and further verification of the existence of considerable quantities of zinc carbonate and zinc silicate in the workings and 

dumps of many of the mines, both idle and active, gave a ma83Henderson, C. W., U. 8. Geol. Survey Mineral Resources, 1909", pt. 1, pp. 

317-319, 1911. 0 

ec Henderson, C. W ., U. B. Geol. Survey Mineral Resources, 1910, pt. 1, pp. 417-

•23, 1911. 

terial impetus to the zinc industry of Leadville. There was an 

increase in tonnage of ore and of old dumps sold, treated, or 

removed for treatment. Besides a considerable tonnage of 

zinc carbonate shipped, the tonnages of zinc sulphide and iron 

sulphide increased, but the tonnages of siliceous lead oxide and 

iron-manganese ores decreased. 

Classification of Leadville ore, 1910 

I Bho<l tons I Pe::,nt-

-Sul--ph_i_d-e: ___________________________ l ______ ~-----

Zinc-iron-lead (zinc blende; pyrite with a little 

galena)._-------···-·-·-------------·------·· -----·-··- 163,218 Iron (~yrite with a little copper, gold, silver, 

35.3 

Irg~~p;?le. ·w-iiiiaiiitie-coi>iler:goi<Csiiver:· 

160

' 

590 

} 168, 2os 

and over 4~ per cent lead) ___ ._-----·------- 7, 618 

36.4 

1-------1------~------

Total sulphide. __ •• _------------------------ -------··- 331,426 71.7 

Oxide: .:...__._ ____:..__ = 

~~er:laa<i.-:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 18• sgA } 18,671 4. o 

Iron-manganese (silver) ______ ----------·------ ---------- 82,597 17.9 

Zinc carbonate and silicate. _____ -------------- ---·------ 8, 059 1. 8 --------- Total oxide·------------------------·-----------~---·-- 109,327 23.7 

Siliceous (gold-silver) o ___ • -----------------------· ---------- 21,280 4. 6 

==-==== 

Grand total. __ •• -------------------·---·-··· -----·---- 462,033 100.0 

0 Nearly all the siliceous ore is also oxide, and all is dry. Pure metallic gold, in 

quantity 3,920.90 ounces, valued at $81,052, came from less than a ton of ore, from 

oxide and sulphide ore bodies. 

As shown by this table the greatest (and i!lcreasing) tonnage 

from Leadville in 1910 was in sulphide ore. The chief sulphide 

ore was iron pyrite, ca:r:rying a little copper, gold, silver, and 

some lead. Some 7,618 tons carried lead averaging over 4,72 

per cent. The bulk of this iron sulphide went direct to the 

smelters. The tonnage of this class was 168,208 short tons, 

or 36.4 per cent of the total tonnage. There were also 163,218 

tons, or 35.3 per cent of the total tonnage, of zinc-iron-lead 

sulphide (zinc blende; pyrite with a little galena). Sulphide 

ore made 71.7 per cent of the tonnage, as compared with 64.7 

per cent in 1909. 

Mineral Resources for 1911 gives a list of mills, with 

equipment, and contains the following table: 85 

sa Henderson, C. W., U.S. Geol. Survey Mineral Resources, 1911, pt. I, pp. 523, 

645-551, 1912. 

Classification of Leadville ore, 1911 

Character 

Sulphide: Zinc-iron-lead (zinc blende; pyrite with a little galena>-------···----·----·-----·-··--------------------------------------------- Iron (pyrite with a little copper, gold, silver, and lead>---·-···----··----------···--------·-·------------------··----------------

Iron (pyrite with a little copper, gold, silver, and over 4~ per cent lead) •.• --------·-·-------------------------------------------_ 

Total sulphide._.-•• --_.-••• __ ••.••• --•• ···---···· •• -••••••••••• -_·--••• -- ___ ••••• _________ ---- ___ -_________ •• _--- __________ ._ 

Oxide: Lead •• _ ••••••• _. ____ •• __________ • ___ • ____ • ______ •• _______ •••• ______________________________ • ___________________________________ _ 

~~;~~ggafa~~l3!ir~~ii~_-: :_=:: :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 

Total oxide._---••• -----.-------.-----·-----------·_----· •• ------•• --- __ ----------.--•• ---.-----·---.---•• ---------------------

Siliceous (gold-silver) o _. _ -----···----·-··--·-·-----·------··-----·-------------------------·---- _______ ••• -----------·-- ___________ _ 

Grand total •• _____ •• ____ •• _. __ • __ •• ___ •• _____ --- __ •••• ____ •• ____ ._. ___ • ______ • _____ •• ____ • ___________________________________ _ 

Short tons Percentage 

79,376 18 

147,535} 169, 167 39 21,632 l----------------1-------- 248,543 57 /=============/====== 

13, 123} 14,338 3 1,215 

64,296 15 . 83,905 19 1----------------1-------- 162,539 37 

u.~~ 6 

435,872 100 

I======= 

I======= 

• Nearly all the siliceous ore is oxide and dry. Pure metallic gold, In quantity 2,223.13 fine ounces, valued ·at $45,956, came from less than a ton of ore, probably from swceous oxide and sulphide ore bodies. 
Character 

Sulphide: 

Zinc-iron-lead __ •• ------···-· Iron pyrite •• ---------------- Lead •• ··-··················· Oxide: 

Quantity 

Short tons 

79,376 

147,635 

21,632 

LAKE COUNTY 

Classification of Leadville ore, 1911-Continued 

Recovered content 

Gold Silver Copper Lead Zinc Gold 

Ouncu 

Fine ounces Fine ounces Pounds Pounds Pound8 per ton (6) (b) (b) (b) (e) -----·-o:2r 32,933.55 1, 970,054 3, 587,982 1,849, 998 ------------ 2, 534.95 192,085 92,941 3,481, 518 -------·---- .11 

165 

Average recovery 

Silver Copper Lead Zinc 

Ounces 

per ton Per cent Per cent Per cent 4.30 ------T22" d 7. 34 d 23.29 

13.35 .63 ------------ 8.88 . 21 8. 05 ------------ Lead ••••••••••••••••••• ____ _ 13,123 4, 317. 97 85,318 33,632 1, 934,868 ------------ • 33 6. 50 . 13 7. 37 ------------ Copper----------------•• ___ _ 1,215 

64,296 

83,905 

24,790 

6. 76 968 190,727 417 ------------ • 006 . 80 7. 85 ------------ ------------ Iron-manganese (silver) ----- 1,566. 16 319,574 ·----------- 2, 353, 112 ------------ • 024 4. 97 ------------ 1. 83 ------------ Zinc ••• ----------------.---•• Siliceous .• _-••• -•••• ----•••• ----. ------------ ------------ ------------ --·-------·· (•) · -------·-··· -·-··--····- -----······- -·····-··--- e 31.05 

9, 412.50 105,620 20,648 311,938 ------------ • 38 4. 26 . 42 • 63 ------------ "Metalllcs" ~------------------- 2,223.13 724 ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------ -------.----- ------------ ------------ ------------. 

435,872 ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------

b Estimated recovery as lead and iron concentrates and zina residues. • Zinc figures as spelter or as zinc in zinc oxide. d Average assay crude ore, mostly milled. (Lead, wet assay.) 

e Average assay crude. All to zinc smelters. I Very rich material picked out of ore and shipped separately. 

The course of treatment of the Leadville ores is shown graphically. 

Burton gives the history of the discovery of zinc carbonate in Colorado and at Leadville and also summarizes the history of the industry.86 

Mineral Resources for 1912 gives a list of mills, with equipment, and contains the following table: 87 

Classification of Leadville ore, 1912 

-----------~---------------------------------------------------------------------------.----------------.-------

Character Short tons Percentage 

104,148 20 

127, 575} 140,615 28 13,040 

Sulphide: 

Zinc-iron-lead (zinc blende; pyrite with a little galena>------------------------·---------------------------------------------------- lron (pyrite with a little copper, gold, silver, and lead)---------------_-----------··------------------------------------------- ___ _ Iron (pyrite with a little copper, gold, silver, and over 4~ per cent lead>---------------------------------------------------------_ 1----------------1-------- Total sulphide ••.•••••• ---- __ ••• __ ••• _._._. ____ ---- __ ---•••• ___ ----_ ••••••••••• -------••••• --------.---------.----.--•••••• ---. 244,763 48 !===============!======= Oxide: 

23, 754} 24,652 5 898 

69,805 14 

142,782 29 

Lead. •• _ ••••••• ________ • ____ • __ •• ----•• _ ••• _. ___ --------- __ ------•• __ •• __ • ____ ----- _______ ----- ______ ---------- ___ •• _._ •• ___ •• __ • 

g~~~:aiiianes&-csnver):::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Zinc carbonate and silicate ..• _ ••• _ •• __ • ___ ._._ •• _---••• --- __ .------.: ___ ••• __ •••• ----••• ----._ ••• ____ --------- ______________ • ___ _ 1----------------1-------- 237,239 48 

21,368 4 

Total oxide •••• ___ •••• · •• ______ •••• _._. ____ -------.----_ •• ----••• --.--••••• -----------.-••• --.----••• --.--------•• --.--.--.-•• -_ 1=================1======== Siliceous (gold-silver) ". ____ • _______________ • ___ • _____________ • ____ • _____ • _____ •• ____________ •••• ______ • __ -------. __ •• _______________ _ 

Grand total •••••• ___ ._. __ •• ______________ • __ •••••• __ ••••••••• ___ •• __ • __ •••••• ___ • ____ •• ___ • _______ .------. __ • __ ••• ___________ _ 1----------------1-------- 503,370 00 

Recovered content Average recovery 

Character 

Sulphide: Zinc-iron-lead •••• __ ••• ______ • Iron pyrite.: _________________ _ Lead sulphide _______________ _ 

Oxide: 

Quantity 

Gold Silver 

Short tons Fine ounces Fine ounces 104, 148 (b) (b) 

127,575 32,462.84 1, 536,592 

13, 040 2, 109. 02 110, 092 

Copper 

Pound8 

. (b) 

1, 748,246 

35,582 

Lead 

Pounds 

(b) 

2,511, 562 

4,479, 214 

Zinc 

Pounds 

(c) 

Gold Silver Copper 

Ou. per ton Ou. per ton Per cent 0: ~ 1g: ~ ··---··o:ii9- . 162 8. 44 . 14 

Lead 

Per cent 

d 8.80 

.98 

17. 17 

Zinc 

Per cent 

d 24.0 

Lead_________________________ 23,754 4, 470.20 308,363 1, 331 4, 931,803 ------------ . 188 12.98 ---·--······ 10.38 ------------ Copper_--------------------- 898 96. 64 1, 771 101,476 2, 486 1------------ . 108 1. 97 5. 65 . 14 ------------

¥.~~-~~~!~~~~--(~~~~~-·::::: 1:g:~gg ---~~~~~:~~- ----~~~~~~- :::::::::::: --~:~~~:~~~-~-----~----- _______ :~~~- -------~:~~- :::::::::::: -------~:~~- -----·-;29~2 Siliceous......................... 21,368 8, 233. 38 108,485 47, 617 366,923 ~------------ . 385 5. 08 • 11 . 86 ------------

" M•tall'"' .. ~-- __________________ ----;~:;;~- ---·~~~:~~- _______ -~~~- :::::::::::: :::::::::: :r:: :::::::: :::::::::::: :::::::::::: :::::::::::: ::::::::::::1:::::::::::: 

a All the siliceous ore is also oxide and dry. Metallic gold, in quantity~1,657.66 fine ounces, valued at $34,267, and 716 fine ounces of silver came from less than a ton of ore, from siliceous oxide and sulphide ore bodies. • Estimated recovery, as lead and iron concentrates and zinc residues. • Zinc figured as spelter or as zinc in zinc oxide. ~Average assay crude ore, mostly milled. (Lead, wet assay.) • Average assay crude. All to the smelters. I Very rich material picked out of ore and shipped separately. 

85 Burton, H. E., Leadville, Colo., zinc deposits: Mines and Minerals, vol. 31, p. 436, 1911; History of the zinc industry in Colorado: Min. Sci., vol. 64, p. 85, 1911. 87 Henderson, C: W ., U. B. Geol. Survey Mineral Resources, 1912, pt. 1, pp. 657-658, 682-686, 1913. 

5653--26t-12 
166 MINING. IN COLORADO 

Mineral Resources for 1913 gives the following table: 88 

. ~- . . . .. . . -

Classification of Leadville ore, 1913 

Character 

Sulphide: ·. · · Zinc-iron-lead (zinc blende; pyrite with a little galena) __ --·--------_-------------------_-------------------------------_-------_- Iron (pyrite with a little copper, gold, silver, and lead) _____ ---~------_-------- ___________ --- ____ --------- __ _._--_--------------_- Iron (pyrite with a little copper, gold, silver, and over 4% per cent lead)---------------------------------------------------------1-----------------1---------

Total sulphide ________________________________________________________ ----------------~-- __ ------------_--_---_--- __ -_-------"_ 

!===============!======== 

Oxide: 

Lead __ : __________ ------- ~--- ~------------------------------- ·-------------.------------------------------------------------------ -

· ~~~ c::{~i~~illffjfu~:t~ Total oxide. ~~~~ ~~(~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~= = =:::::::: =::::: =:::: = = =:: = == = = = = = = = = == = = = = == = = = = = = = = = = = = =: = = = ==: = = = = = = = = = = == = = =: = = _______ " ________________________________________ . __________________ ~ _______________________________________________ i----------

Siliceous (gold-silver) o ________________________________________________________ -~ _________________________ ~ __________________________ _ 

1-----------------1---------

Grand total ________ -- _______ -----_--- __ ---- _______________ ----;-----------_---- _______ ---------------------------------------_ 

Recovered content Average recovery 

Character 

Sulphide: Zinc-iron-lead .. _------------ Iron pyrites ________________ _ Lead sulphide ______________ _ 

Oxide: 

.Quantity 

Short tons 

97,704 

152,223 

10,991 

Gold 

Fine ounces 

(b) 

23,744.01 

1, 703.38 

Silver Copper Lead 

Fine ounces Pounds Pound8 

(b) (b) (b) 

1, 959,621 1, 714, 724 3, 989,755 

99,225 20, 195 2, 658,549 

Zinc Gold Silver Copper Lead Zinc 

' Ozs.per ton Ozs.per ton Per cent Per cent Per cent (•) dQ.03 d 4.88 ------------ d9. 39 • 23.0() 

------------ .156 12.87 0. 56 1. 31 ------------ ------------ .155 9. 03 . 09 12.09 ------------

Lead._---------------------- 32, 153 5, 548. 97 218,784 34,914 6, 152,882 ------------ . 173 6. 80 ------------ 9. 57 ------------ Copper~--------------------- 64 18.46 89 7, 037 ------------ ------------ . 288 1. 39 5. 58 ------------ ------------

¥i~~::::::~:·:::::::::·:·::::::: 1~k ~~g. ---~~~~~~~~- ----~~~~~~~- ------~·-~~~- --~~~~~~~~- -----(;)·---- -------·-~~- -------~~~- =:=========: -------~~~~- ------;27:45 Siliceous_________________________ 24,316 9, 859.68 127,375 50,782 470,897 ------------ . 405 5. 24 .10 . 97 ------------

"Metallics" '------------------- ------------ 1,278.56 350 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

514;600 ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------------------ ------~-----1------------1------------

o All the siliceous ore is also oxide and dry. Metallic gold, 1,278.56 fine ounces, valued at $26,430, and 350 fine ounces of silver came from less than a ton of ore, from 

siliceous oxide and sulphide ore bodies. b Estimated recovery, as lead and iron concentrates and zinc residues. • Zinc figured as spelter or as zinc in zinc oxide. d Average assay crude ore, mostly milled. (Lead, wet assay). e Average assay crude. All to zinc smelters. I Very rich material picked out of ore and shipped separately. 

Mineral Resources for 1914 gives the following table: 89 

Classijica!ion of Leadville ore, 1914 

Character 

Sulphide: 

· Zinc iron-lead (zinc blende; pyrite with a little galena) ____ -------------------------------------------------------------- _______ _ Iron (pyrite with a little copper, gold, silver, and lead) ___ --------------------------------------------------------------- _______ _ Iron (pyrite with a little copper, gold, silver, and over 4% per cent dry lead).------------------------------------------------- __ _ Iron (pyrite with gold, silver, lead, and over 272 per cent dry copper) ____________ ------------------------------------------- ___ _ 

Short tons Percentage 

111,947 21 

174, 610} 17,100 195, 6~2 37 3,902 

Total sulphide. _____________ -------_--------~----- ______ --------------------_-----·--- __ ---------------- _________ --------- _____ I-----------------I--------- 307,559 58-

Oxide: 

29, 288} 29,423 135 48,839 '9· 

113,881 21 

Lead ____________ ------------------------ __ -----------------_--------_--------- __ ---------- ____ ------ ___________________________ _ Copper _______ ----- ______ ------ ____ ---------------- ___________ --·- ____________ -------- ___________________________________________ _ Iron and iron-manganese (silver and some lead) flu.'{ __________________________________________________________ ---------- ________ _ 

Zinc carbonate and silicate ______________ ------ _______ ------ _______ ------ ___ ----- _______________________________________________ _ 

Total :-----------------1--------- oxide ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ _ 192,143 36· I=============== I======= 

'33,000 6 

532,7021 10(} 

Siliceous (gold-silver) o ___ -~: _____ -~-----=-- --~_.: __ -__ -------~- __ :· ___ --~·- ~-·-~ __ .:.-::.:-~~: __ ::~:·.::. --~--- ____________ _._ : ___ ~ ----- _____ _-_· __ _ 

Grand total·------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------!========!==== 

"All the siliceous ore is oxide and is also dry. The greater part of this siliceous oxide carries a heavy excess of silica over iron; some carries iron and silica in equal quantities; a small quantity carries iron in excess of silica but carries gold and silver in quantity to take material out of mere flux class. Metallic gold, in quantity 4,773.91 fine ounces, valued at $98,685, and -1,293 fine ounces of silver came from less than a ton of ore, from siliceous oxide and sulphide ore bodies. 

88 Henderson, C. W., U.S. Geol. Survey Mineral Resources, 1913, pt. 1, pp. 257-261, 1914. so Henderson, C. W., U.S. Geol. Survey Mineral Resources, 1914, pt. 1, pp. 287-288, 1916. 
LAKE COUNTY 167 

Classification of Leadville ore, 1914-Continued 

Recovered content Average recovery 

Chararter 

Sulphide: Zinr-iron-lead. _____________ _ 

Iron pyrites. ______ -------- __ Lead sulphide ______________ _ Copper sulphide ____________ _ 

Oxide: 

4unntity 

Short tons 111,947 

174,610 

17, 100 

3, 902 

Gold 

Fine 

ounces (b) 

31,770.74 

4, 989.00 

1, 200. 18 

Silver 

Fine 

ounces (b) 

2,343, 943 

290,906 

109,068 

Copper 

Pounds 

(b) 

1, 720,872 

84,688 

344,490 

Lead 

Pounds 

(b) 

4,221,091 

5, 245,333 

51,992 

Zinc Gold 

Ounces 

per ton 

d 0. 03 

.182 

. 292 

• 308 

Silver 

Ounres 

per ton 

d 5. 37 

13.42 

17.01 

27.95 

Copper 

Per cent 

(d) 

0.49 

; 25 

4. 41 

Lead 

Per cent 

d 8. 74 

1. 21 

15.34 

.67 

Zinc 

Per cent 

d 21.2 

Lead________________________ 29,288 9,314.94 190,428 60,002 5,227,960------------ .318 6.50 .10 8.93------------

Copper _____ ---------________ 135 10. 70 706 14,035 ------------ ____ ___ ___ __ . 079 5. 23 5. 20 ------------ ------------ Iron flux. ____ --------------- 48,839 192.45 220,831 34 1, 271,781 ------------ . 004 4. 52 ------------ 1. 30 ------------ Zinc_________________________ 113,881 ------------------------------------------------ (c) ------------------------------------------------ e24.3 

Siliceous _____ ---------------- 33,000 15,361. 23 166,159 94,300 539,820 ------------ . 465 5. 04 . 14 . 82 ------------

"Motallies"l (sulph;dnnndos;d•l ----~;~;~- __ -·~773~'~ ______ -~~~'- ::::::::::::[:::::::::::: ::::: :::::::! : ::::::::: :::::::::::: :::::::::::: ::::::::::::1:::::::::::: 

Recovered content 

Character Quantity 

Gold Silver Copper Lead Zinc 

Short tons Fine ounces Fine ounces Pounds Pounds Pounds 

Dr)i, iron, and siliceous ores •-- ---------------------------------------------------- 256,449 52,098.33 2, 732,226 1, 815,206 6,032,692 -------------- 4,037 1,210. 88 109, 774 359,025 51,992 __ .,. ___________ 

46,388 14,303.94 481,334 144,690 10,473,293 -------------- 143,848 . 90 398 49 11,041 55,680,382 ~~~~i~~~--~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~:: ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ = = ~ = = = = =· = = = = = = = = = = = = = 81,980 2,318. 64 300,107 51,346 10,094,726 23,082,952 Lead-zinc ores k __________________________________ ------------------- ·= = = = = = = = = = = ____ ~ = ~ = : = _________ ~ = ~ ~ = = = = = _ 

532,702 69,932.69 3, 623,839 2, 370,316 26,663,744 78,763,334 

b Estimated recovery, as lead and iron concentrates and zinc residues. c Zinc figured as spelter or as zinc in zinc oxide. d Average assay crude ore, mostly milled. (Lead wet assay.) • Average assay crude. All to zinc smelters. I Very rich material picked out of ore and shipped separately. • Includes siliceous oxide, iron, and iron-manganese (silver), la.rgest part of iron pyrites. Smelting ores. Also includes metallics. h Sulphide and oxide. Smelting ores. ; Sulphide and oxide ores. Smelting ores. i Sulphide and carbonate. To smelters. k Sulphide. Greater part to magnetic sepnrating mills. 

MinernJ Resources for 1915 gives the following table: 90 

Classification of Leadville ore, 1915 

Character 

Sulphide: Zinc-iron-lead (zinc bien de: pyrite and galena) _____________________ ------------------------ _________________________________________________ _ Iron (pyrite with a little gold, silver, copper, and lead, and some zinc blende )a ______________________________________________________________ _ 

Iron (pyrite with a little gold, silver, copper, and over 4~ per cent dry lead and some zinc blende) 0 ------------------------------------------

Iron (pyrite with a little gold, silver, lead, and over 2~ per cent ~ry copper>-----------------------------------------------------------------

Total sulphide. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ _ 

Oxide: Lead. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ _ Copper b ___ _____________________________________________________________________________________________ ------ ______________________________ _ 

Iron tlnx __ --J-- _________________________________________________________________________ ------- __________________________________ ------ _____ _ Iron-manganese (silver and some lead) flux __________________________________________________________________________________________________ _ Siliceous c ___ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ ----- _____________________ _ 

Zinc carbonate and silirnte _____________________________ ------------ __________ ----------------------------------------------------------------

Total oxide. _________ ------------- _________________ c _____ ---------- ____ ------------------------ ____ ------------------------------ ___ -------

Grand total. ____________________________ --_-- __ ------- ___ ------------_--------------·----------------------------------------------------·-

Short tons Percentage 

136,555 29 

161,677 } 1, 802 35 

1, 627 

301,661 64 

~ 16,002 3 

3,359 1 

5,699 1 

16,761 4 

44,734 9 

82,592 18 

169, 147 36 

470,8081 100 

0 The greater part of the iron pyrite ore carries iron in excess of silica and also high silver but low gold content; a large quantity (particularly in 1915) of iron pyrite ore (from Breece Hill mines) carries silica in great excess over iron and high gold but low silver content. Some of the iron pyrite ore approaches the zinc-iron-lead classification 

(when zinc market gives higher returns for sale as lead-zinc sulphide than as lead sulphide to lead smelters) and vice versa. (Note only 1,802 tons of iron pyrite carrying over 4~ per cent lead in 1915, as against 17,100 tons in 1914.) b The high price of copper during 1915 stimulated the sale of this class of ore. c All the siliceous oxide ore is also dry. The greater part of this siliceous oxide ore carries a heavy excess of silica over iron; a small part carries iron and silica in equal 

quantities. Metallic gold, in quantity 4,178.75 fine ounces, valued at $86,382, and 1,538 ounces of silver, came from less than a ton of ore, from silicel)us oxide and sulphide ore bodies. 

voffenderson, C. W., U.S. Geol. Survey Mineral Resources, 1915, pp. 453-454,1917. 
168 MINING IN COLORADO 

Classification of Leadville ore, 1915-Continued 

Character 

Sulphide: Zinc-iron-lead ••••••••..••• ______________ • _________ • ____________ • ___ • __________ _ 

Iron pyrites ______________ ------------------------------------------------- ___ -- Lead sulphide _____________ --------------- __________ ------ _____________________ _ Copper" sulphide_~_-------_----------------------- ____________________________ _ Oxide: 

Quantity 

Short ton& 

136,555 

161,677 

1,802 

1,627 

Gold 

Fine ounces d 1, 595.41 

51,716.79 

1, 567.04 

539.74 

Recovered content 

Silver 

Fine ounces d 404,396 

I, 560, 191 

32,154 

51,707 

Copper 

Pounds d 6,008 

1,092,425 

13,423 

145,783 

Lead 

Pounds d 12, 856, 824 

3, 707,810 

451,203 

10,131 

Zinc 

Pounds 

(•) 

Lead.-----------------------------·---·---------------------------------------- 16,002 4, 497.76 87,933 38,740 2, 649,869 -------------- Copper ____ --------- __ ------- ___ ----- ___ ----- __________ ---------------- ___ ------ 3, 359. 24. 90 5, 252 425, 088 -------------- _____________ _ Iron flux_______________________________________________________________________ 5,699 539.55 3, 992 556 514 --------------

~lli~~;~~~~~=~~~::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::=====~= ~: ~~i --- -~~: ~~!~ !! -------~~~ ~~~- ~~~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~ ~ ------!~~: ~~- ======~.5 ===== = 

"Metallics" I (sulphide and oxide>---------------------------------------------------------------- 4, 178.75 1, 538 -------------- -------------- --------------

470, 808 96, 937. 03 2, 389, 371 1, 782, 235 20, 808,407 72, 424, 873 

Average recovery 

Character 

Gold Silver 

Sulphide : Ounces per ton Ounces per ton Zinc-iron-lead. ____ -----------------------------------------------------------------------____ Q 0. 020 '5. 00 

~~~~tili~a~~=-=_=_=::::: :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: : ~~ ~!: ~ Oxide: 

Copper 

Per cent 

(Q) 

0.34 

• 37 

4.48 

Lead 

Per cent 

Q8.65 

1.15 

12.52 

. 31 

Zinc 

Per cent 

Q 22. 09 

Lead. ______ ---- _________________ • __ -----. _______ • _____ • ___________ • ___ • ___________ • _____ .____ • 281 5. 50 • 12 8. 28 ______ ----•• __ 

g~~p3~·::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: : gg~ 1: ~g 6. 33 -------------- --------------

Iron-manganese flux • 006 5. 49 :::::::::::::: ····-----i:ro· :::::::::::::: 

~~~~~--::.:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: -----•• -.: ~~~. ---•• -. --~~ ~~. - •• - ----. -~~- ----.-•••• ~ ~~- • --•• ---h-22~48 "Metolll'"" t (sulphide and oxide)---.---------------------------.---------.--.---------_--.---•• 

1 

::::::::::::::

1

:::::::::::::: ::::::::::::::,:::::::::::::: :::::::::::::: 

d Recovered as lead and iron concentrates and in zinc residues. e Zinc in terms or recovered spelter and as zinc in zinc oxide. I Very rich material picked out of ore and shipped separately. Q Average assay crude ore, mostly milled. (Lead, wet assay.) • Average assay actual content. All to zinc smelters. 

Mineral Resources. for 1916 gives the following table: 91 

Classification of Leadville ore, 1916 

Character 

Sulphide: . Zinc-iron-lead (zinc blende; pyrite and galena) _____ -------------------------------------------------------·-- _______ --------------· _______ .•• Iron (pyrite with a little gold, silver, copper, and lead, and some zinc blende)a_ ----------------------------------------------------- ·-------- Iron (pyrite with a little gold, silver, copper, and over 4)11 per cent dry lead and some zinc blonde) a __ ------_------------------------··--------

Total sulphide. ___________ ._. ______________ ••••• ---· •••••• ____ • __ • __ • ______ ••••••••• __ •• -.---••• ------_------------·------------------------

Oxide: Lead. __________________________ • ___ • ______ • ___ •••••• ----- _______________________ ••• ___________ • _________________ : ________ • ________________ _ Copper b. _____ ._._._. __ • ____________________ ••• _. ___ • ____ ••••••• _ ••• __________ • ___ ._. ______ ._· ____________________________ •• _. _______________ _ 

Iron flux._. _____________ • __ • __ • __ •• _____ • _____________________ • _____ • __________ ••• ________________ • _________________________________________ _ Iron-manganese flux ••• __ ._.----- __________ • ___ ••••• ____ •• _ ••••• ____________ -.· ____ ••• ____________ • ________________________________ ._. _______ ._ 

Siliceous Zinc. _____ • ___________ • _. _____ • _ -- ____ ----•• _-----••• ----••• -----•••• ------------------------------------------------------------------··------ • ___ ••• _._ ••• _______________________ • _________________ • __________ ••• __________________ • ________________________ • __________________ _ 

Total oxide._ •••• _________ • __ ----_ ••• _____ • _____ ••• __ •••••• --------.--.-.------------------------------------------------------------------

Grand totaL------•••• _._ •••••••••.••••••••••••• -·-----·---------------------~-------------------------------------------------------------

Short tons Percentage 

147,295 32 

161,096 } 35 2,208 

310,599 67 

19,716 4 8,520 2 3,879 1 18,215 4 13,876 3 

85,513 19 

149,719 33 

460,318 100 

• The greater part of the Iron pyrite ore carries iron in excess of silica and also high silver but low gold content; a large quantity (particularly in 1916) or iron pyrite ore (from Breece Hill mines) carries silica in great excess over iron and high gold but low silver content. Some of the iron pyrite ore approaches the zinc-iron-lead classification 

(when zinc market gives higher returns for sale as lead-zinc sulphide than as lead sulphide to lead smelters) and vice versa. b The high price of copper during 1916 stimulated the sale or this class or ore. • All the siliceous oxide ore is also dry. The greater part of this siliceous oxide ore carries a heavy excess Of silica over iron; a small part carries iron and silica in equal quan· tities. Metallic gold, in quantity 1,285.56 fine ounces, valued at $26,575, and 310 ounces of silver came from less than a ton or ore, from siliceous oxide and sulphide ore bodies. 

et Henderson, C. W., U.S. Geol. Survey Mineral Resources, 1916, pt. 1, pp. 331-388,1919. 
LAKE COUNTY 

Classification of Leadville ore, 1916-Continued 

Character 

Sulphide: Zinc-iron-lead _________________________________________________________________ _ 

Quantity 

Short tonB 

147,295 

161,096 

2,208 

Gold 

Fine ouncu 42,031.07 

54,574.15 

570.77 

Recovered content 

Silver 

Fine ouncu 

4340,463 

2,039, 723 

63,840 

Copper 

Pounds 4 1,835 

1,688, 230 t~d~~~~de~~= ~= ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 3, 779 

Oxit;ad___________________________________________________________________________ 19,716 3, 483.43 114,256 27,585 

Lead 

Pound8 

412,922,633 

3, 154,198 

813,562 

3, 767,487 

86,085 

169 

Zinc 

Pounds 

(•) 

Copper ____ -------- ___________________________________________________ : ___ ------ 8, 520 4, 217.54 29,573 639,672 

Iron flux_-------- ____________ ------- ____________ .-------------- __________ ------ 3, 879 333. 01 2, 982 -------------- ·------------- --------------

~Wl~~~~-~~~~~-~~-~~~::::::::::::::~::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ~~: ~~~ 4, 6~: ~ ~Y: ~~g ------249;293· ;~~: ~~; :::::::::::::: 

Zinc ________________ ---------- __ ----·---- ___ . _____ . ________ -------. __________ ---- 85, 513 -------------- -------------. ------ ____ ---- -------------- (•) 

"Metallics" I (sulphide and oxide). _____________________ .-----. __ --------.--- __ -------------- 1, 285. 56 310 -------------- -------------- --------------

460,318 

Character 

Sulphide: . Zinc-iron-lead ____ ------ ___ ----------- ____ ------------.----------------------------------------

t~d~r;}~~de::::::::::::::::::: ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 

Oxide: 

71, 138.20 

Gold 

Ouncu 

per ton 

g 0. 028 

. 339 

. 259 

2, 783,570 2, 610,394 

Average recovery 

Silver 

Ounces 

per ton 

g 5.17 

12.66 

28.91 

Copper 

Per cent (u) 

o. 52 

21,510,682 

Lead 

Per cent 

g 8. 37 

.98 

18.42 

76,008,276 

Zinc 

Per cent 

g 20.96 

Lead.---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- .177 5. 80 . 07 9. 55 -------------- Copper--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- . 495 3. 47 3. 75 . 51 --------------

Iron flux •.. -----------------------_----------------------------------------------------------- · 086 6

: b~ ---------- = ::: ----------:67- :::::::::::::: Iron-manganese flux ______ ------ ____________ -- _______ . ____ -- ____________ . ____ .________________ . 002 --- __ -----

Siliceous _________ -------------- ___________________ ------- __ --"----------- _______ --------._____ . 333 5. 81 . 90 1. 88 ---------- ___ _ Zinc .• _________ -------------------- _________________________ ------- _____________ ----- _________ ----- __________ --------- ____ --------- ________ . ---------- h 21. 52 

"MetaJ.lics" (sulphide and oxide) _________ .. --_------- __ ---------------- ____________________________________ -- ________ --.. __________ -- __________ . _____ --------------

d Recovered as lead and iron conoentrates and in zinc residues. • Zinc in terms of recovered spelter and as zinc in zinc oxide. I Very rich material picked out of ore and shipped separately. u Average assay of greater part of original ore for which data was available. (Lead, wet assay.) Average assay of all zinc sulphide was 21.69 per cent zinc. h Average assay of original con,tent; no deductions for loss in smelting. All to zinc plants. 

Mineral Resources for 1917 gives the following table: 92 

Classification of Leadville ore, 1917 

Character 

Sulphide: . 

Zinc-Iron-lead (zinc blende, pyrite and galena). ____ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- _____ ----- Iron (pyrite with gold, silver, copper, and lead, and some zinc blende)"---------------------------------------------------------------------

Iron (pyr~te w~th gold,s~lver, copper, and over 4~ per cent dry lead, w~th some zinc blende)"----------------------------------------------~­

Iron (pyrtte wtth gold, stlver, lead, and over 2~ per cent dry copper, wtth some zinc blende)"-----------------------------------------------

Total sulphide .••• ___ .•.. ----- __ ._------ ___ •. _______ •. ---- _______________________ ------ __ --------- ___ -------------- ________ ---------- _____ _ 

Oxide: 

Lead _. ________________ -------------.. --------.. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Copper ____ .------- _______ .. _._---- __ . _____ ---•. ---------------- __ ---- __ -.-------------------.. ----------------- _________ --- _________ ------ __ Iron flux._---------------------.--_--._------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Iron-manganese-silver flux .... ____ . ___________ • ____ --------- _________________ -------- ______ . ___________________ ------. _______ . _________ . ____ _ Siliceous b ___ • ___________________ • ___ • __________________________________ • ____________________________________________________________________ _ 

Zinc._. ___ ... _____ . ____ .. _ .. ___ ... __ ._._._ ...•.... _____ ._-- ___ ...... _.---•. _______________ .. ---------- __ ------- ___________ --------- _____ .• ___ _ 

Tota-l oxide .. _ ...• ____ ........•. _ ......... -•. -.. ---.•...• ---. __ --. ___ .. ----------.... --. ___ ----------- __ ---- _______ .. __ " .. _---------------. 

Grand totaL __ ----------. ____ .•.. _. ____________ . ____ • ___ • ________________________________________ -------_------ ____________________________ 

1 

Short tons 

148,945 

128,533 

3,053 

364 

280,895 

16,416 

7, 524 

6,050 

21,447 

10,233 

69,238 

130,908 

411,803 

Percentage 

36-

32 

68 

4 

2 

1" 

5 

3 

17 

32 

100 

"The greater part of the iron pyrites carries iron in excess of silica and also high silver but low gold content; a large quantity of iron pyrites carries silica in great excess over Iron and high gold but low silver content. Some of the iron pyrites approaches the zinc-iron-lead classification (when zinc market gives higher returns for sale as lead-zinc sulphide than as lead sulphide to lead smelters) and vice versa. • bAll the siliceous oxide ore contains lead under 4~ per cent and copper under 2~ per cent and is therefore called" dry." The greater part or the siliceous oxido ore carries a heavy excess of silica over iron; a small part carries iron and silica in equal quantities. 

91 Henderson, C. W., U.S. Geol. Survey Mineral Resources, 1917, pt, 1, pp. 826-828, 1921. 
170 :\IIXIKG IN COLORADO 

Classification of Leadville ore, 1917-Continucd 

Recovered content 

Character Quantity 

Gold Silver Copper Lead Zinc 

---------------------------------------------------------------1----------1-----------l----------------------1---------- ---------- . I I I Bul~~~~fron-lead ••••.• -------------------------------------------------------·----- Sho~~~:51 Fi~~.o.Ji~~g~ Finct :4~~~~~ P~u4~~~15 c fo~~8~~~97 I Po(.;)ds 

Iron pyrites •------·------------· ---------------------------------------------- 128, 533 35, 570. 98 1, 247, 574 I, 143, 659 2, 610, 052 _____________ _ 

Lead sulphide------------------------------------------------------------------ 3, 053 975.61 31,5461 14,932 586,760 I-------------- Oxi~~PP13r sulphide.-------------------------------------------------------------- 364 83. 08 fl, 800 28, 982 2, 170 _____________ _ 

Lead ----------------------------------------------~ ------.--- _ -- ___ . ---------- 16,416 2, 242. 04 101, 266 42 208 2, 858, 848/- ____________ _ Copper. ____ ----------------------------- ________ -----. ______ . ______ . __ ._______ 7, 524 2, 408. 00 25, 465 826, 970 1

4

9

9

9,, 4

16

78

1 1

. ___________ - ___ - _______ - _-_-

Iron flux·---------------------------------------------------------------------- 6, 050 300.33 24,373 6, 919 Iron-manganeseflUX---------------------------------------------~-------------- 21,447 291.17 114,094 2,666 515 970 l 

"M~r~&:~~~~i~~=~~i~~~=~ii=~~i;_=~~========== ==: ====:== = == == = === == = == == == ===== === _____ --~~: ~~- -----~:;:~:~~- -------~~~ ~~~ -1::::::: ~~~ ~;~= :::::: ~~~~~~~:I~~~~~~~·?~~~~~~ 411,803 48,380.61 1 1, 940,9831 2, 111,242 17,844, 500 i 59, 6(i!l. oGs 

Average recovery 

• Recovered as lead and iron concentrates and in zinc residues. 

" Zinc in terms of recovered spelter and recovered zinc in zinc oxide. , Includ~s both o~e to _lead plants and that u~ed for making sulphur!c acid, the resid!JeS from which were returned to lead plants. I Very ncb matenal picked out of ore and shipped separately; may mclude some Cripple Creek and Park County metallics. o Average assay of greater part of original ore for which data was available. (Lead, wet assay.) A Average assay of original content; no deductions for loss in smelting. All to ?.inc plants. 

Mineral Resources for 1918 gives· the following table: 93 

Classification of Leadville ore, 1918 

Character Short t()OS Percen ta:geSulphide: Zinc-iron-lead (zinc blende, pyrite, and galena) __ ------------------- ______ -- _____ -_-_-------_-------_------ ___ -_-_----.---._-_------------ __ --- 125,281 

Iron (pyrite with gold, silver, copper, and lead, and some zinc blende) o __ ------------------------------------------------- ·---- _ --------- __ -- 117,746 } 

3"5· 

35 Iron (pyrite with gold, silver, lead, and over 2~ per cent dry copper, with some zinc blende) o __ --------------- ______ -- _______ ------------- •• 4, 441 1----------1----------

Total sulphide.------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------.----------- ----------------·==2=4=7=.4=6=8=1=====7=0· 

Oxi~ad ..•.•• _________________ ~ _______________________________________________ · ____ · ____________________________________________________________ .J 45.508 ra: Copper __ • __ ----------- _________ ----------- ______________________________ ------ _______ ---- _____ ----------·----- ___ ------- _______ -------------- 3, 898 1 Iron flux._-----------------------~------------ _________________________________________ -- __ ------- ___ ----- _________ --------- __ -----__________ 2, 081 1 

Iron-manganese flux. ____ ----------------------------------_----------------------- ___ _._----------------------------------------------------- 26,9.55 7 

Siliceous.------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 6, 271 2 Zinc. ___ ------------------------------------------ ________________________________________________________________ ------_____________________ 21, 292 6 

1-------1---------

Total oxide._. ________ ---------------------- ____ ---------.-------- __ --_--------------------'-_------------------------------------------------ 106,005 30 !====:,==== 

Grand totaL _______________ --------.----------------.----~- _____ ----------------- ____ --.--- ________ .. --------------------------.-----.------- 353, 473 / 100 

Recov_ered content 

• Character 

Sulphide: . Zinc-iron-lead. ___ ... ---.. -----.. _.--.-.---.... -------.---.-.-.... --.-.-.-------

~fc~~~~~\it}~~~(~ir~~i=~~~ffa=)=_=~~~=========~========================~~==== 

Quantity 

Short tons 

125,281 

91,803 

4,441 

25,943 

Gold 

Fine ounces 0 2, 089.60 

5, 754.37 

1, 459.68 18,422. 13 

Silver 

Fine ounces 0 302,785 

1, 112,765 

37,658 

223,279 

Oxide: Lead (siliceous excess)------------------------------------- _____ ---------------- 27,957 3, 319. 05 212,211 Lead (iron excess). ________ ----- _____ . __________ . _______ ._. ________ .-- ____ .----- 17, 551 114. 10 85, 284 

•Copper _. _. _ ------------------------------------- _________________ ------------- 3, 898 405. 30 10,019 

Copper 

Pou.nds 

0 11,490 

558,387 

33,545 

526,000 

67, 520 8,005 

402,060 

3, 611 

1, 5€9 

Lead Zinc 

Pounds Pounds 0 7, 307,290 b 40,334,.218 

1, 475,416 -------------- 832,450 -------------- 293,691 ------ ~ -------

7,494.803 -------------- 3, 948,605 -------------- 34,7£0 -------------- 14,296 -------------- 783,906 -------------· 7, 594 187,006 -------------· g~~-~a~iaiiese-fili~---:: ~ ~= ==== = ~ ~:: =: = =~:::: = =:::: = = =~::::: =::::: == = = ===: = = =: = = ~: g~~ -------29i: o5- 1 ~~: ~~~ 

~~~~~~~=~========================================================== =: == === ==: 2~: ~~~ -----~~~~~~~~·- -------~~~~=~- -------------- -------------- b 6, 351, 683 ~ Meta'llics" (sulphide and oxide)d ____ .. ---------------- ---------------... __ . -·---- -------------- 780. i4 . 260 -------------- -------------- ----------. __ -

353,473 1 34,377. 70 2, 232,4131 1,619, 781 22,373,183 46,685,901 

o Recovered as lead and iron concentrates and in zinc residues. b Zinc in terms of recovered retort zinc and recovered zinc in zinc oxide. . ·• Includes both ore to lead plants and that used for making sulphuric acid from which residues were returned to lead plants. d Very rich material picked out of ore and shipped separately. May include some Cripple Creek and Park County metallics. 

:i3 Henderson, C. W., U.S. Geol. Survey Mineral Resources, 1918, pt. 1, pp. 847-852, 1921. 
LAKE COUNTY 

Classification of Leadville ore, 1918-Continued 

Character 

Sulphide: Zinc-iron-lead _____________________ -- ___ ------------------------------------------------------ Iron pyrites ______________________ --- ______ ---------------------------------------------------

§tif~~~~~i~ti<ie-(carrying-i>ir-iie)::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Oxide: 

Gold 

Ounces per ton 

• 0. 030 

.063 

0 329 

• 710 

Average recovery 

Silver 

Ounces per ton • 4. 33 12. 12 8. 48 8. 61 

Copper 

Per cent 

( •) 

0.30 

.38 

1. 01 

Lead 

Per cent 

'. 6. 25 

.80 

9.37 

.57 

~a~ ~~mceous e)cess> _____________ ----------------------------------------------------------- : M~ r· ~~ : &~ ~~: ~g 

Co~pe~~~~-~~~~~-~~~==~~~=~=~=====~~~=~~=~=~::::::::~:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: .104 2: 57 5. 16 . 45 Iron flux _____________________________________________________________________________________ .. ____ ------ ___ 8. 77 . 09 . 34 

171 

Zinc 

Per cent 

• 24.90 

Zinc ~m~~~~~~~~~s_e_ .. _______________________________________________________________________________ ~-~~: ::: = =~ ~= ==: ==:: =~=: ==~== :::: ~: :::::: == ~=: :::::::::::::::::::: = === ------

:::::::: _______________________________ : g~~ g: ~ --------------·:aii· _______________________ t ~ --------ii8."64 · 

• Average assay or greater part or original ore Cor which data were available. (Lead, wet assay.) I Average assay or original content; no deductions for loss in smelting. All ~o zinc plants. · 

Mineral Resources for 1919 gives the following table: 94 

Classification of Leadville ore, 1919 

Chen"'" I Sho•t tons I Pe•centage 

Sulp~i~e: . , . . • . Sthceous sulphtde (carrymg pynte) <>_ ------------ ___ -------- __________ ------------------"·-------.----.-------------- _____ • _ ~-- _____ --- _____ ••• , 24, 445 11 

Zinc-iron-lead (zinc blende, pyrite, and galena) --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 46,967 22 Iron (pyrite with gold, silver, copper, and lead, and some zinc blende) "-------------------------~--------------------------------------------, ___ 6_6,_5_0_0_1 

_____ 3_1 

137,912 64 

653 ................................... 1,087 -----------9 18,916 139 ---------..... _ ... 1, 726 1 33,341 15 6,244 3 16,542 8 

78,648 36 

Grand total. ____ ._. ___________ • _____________________ • _______________ • _______________________________________ • _____________________________ _ 216,560 100 

Recovered content 

Character Quantity 

--------------------------------------------------------I----------·I-·---G-o_ld----1---s_n_v_e_r __ , ___ c_o_P_P_e_r ___ , ____ Le_a_d ___ , ____ z_i_n_c __ _ 

Sulphide: Short tom Fine ounces Fine ounces Pounds Pounds Pounds Lead siliceous__________________________________________________________________ 907 1, 064. 91 18,647 

Copper siliceoUS--------------------------------------------------------------- 1,860 903.74 40,764 

Iron pyrites b._---------------------------------------------------------------- 66,500 3, 733. 70 664,276 Siliceous sulphide (carrying p rite) ____ ---------------------------------------- 21,678 13,935. 90 150,472 Zinc-iron-lead. ________ ------ _____ ••• ___________________________________________ 46, 967 c 733. 22 c 112, 276 

~~= . 

11,622 216,427 ...................................... 137,600 11,426 -------------- 283,875 1,547,598 --..... --------- 308,658 132,076 c 25,058 • 2,870,173 ---;,·is;57a;049 

t::~-(~~gC:xces8>:=:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::=:::::::::::::::::::::::: 1, g~~ ~8: ~g 1g; ~~ -------~~~~=~- 1~~: ~&~ :::::::::::::: 

Lead (siliceous excess).·-------------------------------------------------._____ 18, 916 1, 059. 75 172,817 5, 146 5,225,401 -------------- Copper (siliceous excess) ________________________________________________ • ___ .__ 139 _______ •

8

.

5

._.

5

.

0

•. 110 18, 816 ------- ____________ • ____ ----

Iron flux ••• --_.------- _______ -- ____ • __ •• _____ --- __ ------- _____ •. _______________ 1, 726 7, 063 __ _ __ __ _ _ _ _ _ __ 39, 388 _____ -·--------

~~fl~~~~~:~~~~~-~~-------~~:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::·::::::::: ~: ~!! 2, 7~g: ~A ~~. ~~~ ~~: ~~ ~i: ~~~ :::::::::::::: Zinc .••.• -------•. ---- ____ ._._._ ... ________ ----- ______________ .________________ 16, 542 ________________________________________________ ------- _ d 4, 592, 170 

."Metallics" (sulphide and oxide)·--------------------------------------------------------------- 1, 810.82 587 -------------- -------------- --------------

216,560 26,210.01 1, 498,133 11,276,491 23, 165,219 

"The greater part of the pyrite carries iron in excess or silica and also high silver but low gold content. A large quantity of pyrite carries silica in great mass over iron 

and of greater value than the silver. Some of the pyrite approaches the zinc-iron-lead classification (when zinc market gives higher returns for saleaslead-zincsulphide than as lead sulphide to lead smelters) and vice versa. · J 

b Includes both ore to lead plants and ore used for making sUlphuric acid from which residues were returned to lead plants. • Recovered as lead and iron concentrates in zinc residues. · d Zinc in terms of recovered retort zinc and recovered zinc in zinc oxide. • Very rich material picked out or ore and shipped separately. May include some Cripple Creek and Park County metallics. 

04 Henderson, 0. W ., U. s. Geol. Surve~ Mineral Resources, 1919, pt. 1, pp. 773-774, 1922. 
172 . MINING IN COLORADO 

Classification of Leadville ore, 1919-Continued 

Average recovery 

Character 

Gold Silver 

Sulphide: Ounces per ton Ounces per ton 

Lead siliceous ••• ----·----------------------·------------------------------------------------- 1. 17 20. 56 Copper siliceous.----------------·----------·-----------------------------------------------__ . 49 21. 92 

Iron pyrites. ___ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ . 06 9. 99 

Copper 

Percent 

0.64 

3. 70 

• 21 

Siliceous sulphide (carrying pyrite).---------------------------------------------------------- . 64 6. 94 .71 

Zinc-iron-lead-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I. 03 14. 11 -------------- Oxide: . 

Lead 

Per cent 

11.93 

.31 

1. 16 

• 30 

15.52 

Zinc 

Per cent 

-------;·28:26 

Lead-copper •. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- . 03 16.09 5. 81 5. 89 -------------- Lead (iron excess>---------------------------------------------------------------------------- . 01 5.17 -------------- 7. 94 -------------- Lead (siliceous excess)------------------------------------------------------------------------ . 06 9.14 . 01 13.81 --------------

Copper (siliceous excess) ----------------~--------------------------------------------------- -------------- . 79 .6. 73 -------------- -------------- Iron flux ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- . 05 4. 09 -------------- 1. 14 -------------- Iron-manganese flux.------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------. _ 7. 79 ________ • __ ___ 1. 26 • --------- __ • ~ 

Siliceous ----------------------------------·------------------------------------------------- . 44 8. 83 . 15 1. 14 -------------- Zinc •.• _._ •• _ •..•.• __ ••.. _____ -~._. __ ._. ___ •••••• ___ • __ • __ -----•. _ •.•...••• · ••.•. ---•••• --~ •.••••.• --.--.---.• --••••.. ____ ..... __ .•• _____ --.. __ •..• _ _ _ _ g 17. 8fr 

"Metallics" (sulphide and oxide)----------------------------------------------------------------- -------------- --------- __ . ___________________ . ____ ------ . _____ ------ __ 

I Average assay of greater part of original ore for which data were available. (Lead, wet assay.) g Average assay of original content; no deductions for loss in smelting. All to zinc plants. 

Mineral Resources for 1920 gives the following table: 95 , 

Classification of Leadville 01·e, 1920 

Character ' 

Sulphide: Siliceous sulphide (carrying pyrite) a. ------------------------------------------------------- __ ------ _ ----------- ________________________ ----

Iron (pyrite with gold, silver, copper, and lead, and some zinc blende>----------------------------------------------------------------------- Zinc-iron-Iead (zinc blende, pyrite, and galena) o __ ------------- ___ -----------. ____ ------ _________________ ---- _______________ . _______ ~-- _____ _ 

Oxide: 

Iron t::~ flux_. ~~m~ae~~~>- ___ .. ______ ~ ~~=~ . ______________ ~ ~: ~ ~~~ ~ ~ ~~ ~= • :::·: ______________________________________ ~~ ::::::::::::::::::: ~:: ~: ~ ~ ~ ~ ~= ~= ~ ~_-~-

~ ::~: __________________ :~:: :::::::::::::::: • _______ ~ :::::::::::::::::::::::: • _________________________________ ~::::::::: ~ ~: ~: _ 

Iron-manganese-silver flux •• _---------------------------------- _____ ---------- __ ---------------- __________ . __ --- _____ ------ _________________ _ Siliceous ____________________ •.. __ •• _. ___________ ••••. __ • __ ._.-.. ---•• -.-------.-.------------------------------------------------------------ Zinc. ___________ ------- ____________ --------------------------- _______ . __ ---------- __ ------_----------- ___ --------- __________________________ _ 

Grand total .•. ----•.• ___ •.•••. ------•.•• ---------.--•. --.----------------.-----.--------------- 7 -------------------------------------------

Recovered content 

Character Short tons 

Gold Silver Copper 

Sulphide: Copper (excess silica). __ --------- ____ ----------------------- _______ .------- ___ _ Lead siliceous .••. ___________________ ._------------ ________ -------- ____________ _ Siliceous (carrying pyrite) _________ -------------------- _______________ --------.. Iron pyrites b _________ ----------- ____ ------------------------- __ ----- _________ _ 

2,011 

Fine ounces Fine ounces Pounds 

1, 219. 00 49,920 158, 181 

24.80 2, 798 5,109 

10,614.80 166,487 330,470 

2, 337.70 219,907 153,905 

Short tons Percentage 

21,702 

33,718 

30,899 

s6, 319 1 

694 

17,826 

1, 990 

37,934 

9,873 

16,726 

85,043 

171,3621 

Lead 

Pounds 

Zinc 

Pounds 

12' 

2() 

18 

5() 

11 

1 

22 

6 

10 

50 

100 

13, 156 -------------- 150,769 -----·-------- 471,958 -------------- 1, 319,004 

Zinc-iron-lead.------------------ _____ ----------------.----.------------------_, Oxide: 

411 19,280 

33,718 

30,899 c 303.35 • 68,626 c 40,004 c 1, 498,581 """ii2;923;696 

t::~ Iron flux.------------------- gm~ae~i~~) ~ ~~ ~= ~~~~~=~=~~= _______________________________________________ ==~==~ =~=~==~ ~~~~=~::::::: ::::::::::::: ==~=== .. __ 11, 1, 990 g~~ Iron-manganese-silver flux.____________________________________________________ 37, 934 

Siliceous.-------------------- ______ ----- ___ ------ ______________________ -------_ 9, 8.73 

68.80 6,288 272 119,452 ....................................... ... 1, 354.60 141,055 92,361 3, 666,124 -------------- 384.000 9,678 507 83,596 -------------- 90.70 270,431 -------------- 1, 043,668 -------------- 12, 168. 70 101,282 18,088 191,092 Zinc. -------------- ______________ --------- _______________ --~--_______________________________ 16, 726 

"Metallics" (sulphide and oxide)·-------------------------------------------------------------- -----i; iiiio: 85- ----------628- -------------- -------------- 5, 830,835 

-------------- -------------- --------------- J----------J-----------J-----------1---------I 

171,362 30,257.30 1, 037, 100 798,897 8, 557,400 18,754,531 

a The greater part or the pyrite ore carries iron in excess of silica and also high silver but low gold content. A large quantity (21,702 tons) carries silica in excess (over iron) and gold of greater value than silver. Some of the pyrite ore approaches the zinc-iron-lead classification (and becomes such when zinc market gives higher returns for sale as lead-zinc sulphide than as lead sulphide to lead smelters and vice versa). " Includes both ore to lead plants· and ore used for making sulphuric acid from which residues were returned to lead plants. o Recovered as lead and iron concentrates in zinc residues. Much lead recovered in leaded-zinc oxide. d Zinc in terms of recovered retort zinc and recovered zinc in zinc oxide. • Very rich material picked out of ore and shipped separately. Includes much Cripple Creek and Park County metallics. 

ta Hen.derson, C. W., U.S. Geo!. Survey Mineral Resource~, 1920, pt. 1, p. 582, 1922. 
LAKE COUNTY 

Classification of Leadville ore, 1920-Continued 

Character 

Sulphide: Copper siliceous _________________________________________________________ • ___________________ _ Lead siliceous. ________________ • _____________________________________________________________ _ 

Siliceous (carrying pyrite) __ ----------------------------------- _________________ ---- _________ _ Iron _________________________________________________________________________________________ _ 

Zinc-iron-lead .• __________________________________________________ -______ ---------------------

Oxide: 

Gold 

Ounces 

per ton 

o. 606 

. 060 

. 551 

. 069 

'· 025 

Average recovery 

Silver 

Ounces 

per ton 

24.82 

6. 81 8. 64 6. 52 

14.00 

Copper 

Per cent 

3. 93 

. 62 

. 86 

. 23 

Lead 

Per cent 

0. 33 

18.34 

1. 22 

1. 96 I 4. 44 

173 

Zinc 

Per cent 

Q 27.13 

Lead (iron excess)_--------------------------------------------------------------------------- . 099 9. 06 . 02 8. 61 -------------- Lead (siliceous excess>------------------------------------------------------------------------ . 076 7. 91 . 26 10.28 --------------

Iron flux ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- . 193 4. 86 . 01 2.10 -------------- Iron-manganese tlux__________________________________________________________________________ . 002 7.13 -------------- 1. 38 -------------- Siliceous _________ ----- _ ---- ___ _____ __ ___ _ _ _ _ _ __ ___ ___ __ ____ __ _ _ ___ __ _____ __ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ ___ _ _ _ _ _ __ 1. 233 10. 26 . 09 . 97 _____________ _ 

.. M:~~1ics ;,-(siiii>iii<fe- anci-ci:tiCiei ~~~====~=~ == ===~ ~: :::: ==~=== :: ~=~: ~====: ~ = ~= ~= == =~: === ~=~~~~ ~ ~~ ~ = = ~=~===~=== ~~ ~ ==~~=~~~ ~~ ~~ ~ ~==== = = = ==~=== == ~====: ::::: l----- -~-~~·- ~~ 

I Average original assay of that part of original ore for which data were available. Q Average assay of original content; no deductions for loss in smelting. All to zinc plants. 

Mineral Resources for 1921 gives the following table: 96 

Classification of Leadville ore, 1921 

I Percen.tage Quantity by weight 

Recovered content 

Character 

Gold Silver Copper 

Short tons Fine ounces Fine ounces 7, 446 5, I32. 50 101, 386 Sulphide: Siliceous (carrying pyrite)_------------~----- __ -------------___________________ 9 

Lead Zinc 

Pounds Pounds 

222,106 

40, 337 1, 965. 80 682, 288 829,282 

~~~-fr~~~l~a~:: ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ~ 1, 292 b 11. 50 b 2, 401 ------------ • 610, 000 

Pounds 

153,457 

1,495,480 

b 62,188 

I-------I--------I-------·I--------I-------1--------I-------

Total sulphide. __ ----------------------------------------------------------- 62 49,075 7, 109.80 786,075 1, 051,388 1, 711, 125 610,000 1=======1======1=======1=========1=======1======1====~=== 

Oxide: Siliceous gold _________________ ------------- ____________ ----- __________________ _ Siliceous silver ___ -------------- _______________ -------_________________________ 2 2,591 

I, 426 

435 

4,023 

6,258 

11,684 

4, 587.10 15,829 23,182 38,575 ------------

t::~ gm~ae!~~~): =~==~==~ =~=~=~~~~~= ~~~ ~~ ~~~~ ~~ ~~~~~=~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~ =~ ~ ~ ~~ ----------5-

27.00 18,566 3, 373 26,748 ------------

------------ 2, 263 ------------ 106,464 ------------

Iron flux. ___________ ---------_________________________________________________ 8 2,072.00 67,.146 ------------ 1, 052,730 ------------

Iron-manganese flux ________ --------------- ______ -------_______________________ 15 82.10 18,471 11,705 234,874 ------------ 86.00 97,773 5, 724 354,417 ------------ Zinc.__________________________________________________________________________ 5 4, 277 ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------ • 1, 200,000 

Total oxide __________ ------_---- ___________ ------- ___________ ------- ________ _ 38 30,694 6, s54. 20 220, 048 43, 984 1 1, s13, sos 1, 200, ooo 

"Metallics" (sulphide and oxide) d ----------------------------------------------- ------------ ------------ 608.58 198 ------------1------------ ------------ Total sulphide and oxide _______ ------- _____________________________________ _ I======1=00=I====7=9=,7=6=9=I==14=,=57=2=.5=8=I==1=,o=.o=?,=3=2I=jl==1=,=09=5=,3=7=2=j:'==3,=5=24=,=93=3=I===1,=8=IO=,=OO=O 

Average recovery 

Character 

Gold Silv" l---c_o_P_P_e_r __ 1 

__ L_ea_d __ 1 ___ z_i_n_c __ 

Sulphide: Ounces per ton Ounces per ton Per cent . Per cent Per cent Siliceous (carrying pyrite)_------------------------------------------------------------------- 0. 689 I3. 62 1. 49 1. 03 

¥1~~-fio~~~e:a-ci_-::: :::::::: ==== =~ ========== = = = ::::::::::::::: ~ =====~ ~: ~:::::: ===~===== ::: ~====: : ~~ 1Y: ~~ _________ :~ ~~ _ ~: ~f Oxide: • 29.38 

Siliceous gold--------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. 770 6.11 . 4.'i . 74 

Siliceous silver ___ -------------------------- ___ --------------------- ______ -------------------- . 019 13.02 . 12 . 94 Lead (iron excess) ________________________________ ~___________________________________________ _ _ _ _ __ __ _ _ __ _ _ 5. 20 _ _ _ _ __ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ 12. 24 

Lead (silica excess) __ --------------------------------------- __ -------------------------------- . 515 16. 69 ______ ___ _ ____ 13. 08 

Iron flux. __ ---------------------------------------------- __________ ------ __ ----------________ . 013 2. 95 . 09 1. 88 Iron-manganese flux__________________________________________________________________________ . 007 8. 37 . 02 1. 52 _____________ _ Zinc. _____________________________________________________________ • __________________ ~ ________________________________ ~ ___ 

1 

___________________________ _ 

a Includes both ore to lead plants and ore used for making sulphuric acid from which residues were returned to lead plants. b Recovered in zinc residues. Some lead recovered in leaded-zinc oxide. • Zinc in terms of recovered zinc in zinc oxide. d Includes some Cripple Creek and Park County metallics. • Average assay of original content; no deductions for loss in smelting. All to.zinc ·plants. 

oo Henderson, C. W., U.S. Geol. Survey Mineral Resources, 1921, pt. I, p. 498, 1924. 

• 17 97 
174 MINING IN COLORADO 

Mineral Resources for 1922 gives the following table: 97 

Classification of Leadville ore, 1922 

Ore Recovered content 

Character 

Per cent Short tons Gold Silver Copper Lead Zinc 

:Sulphide: · Siliceous (carrying pyrite)"_.--------- __________ · _________________ ---------- ___ _ Fine ounces Fine ounces Pounds Pounds Pouuds 9 10, 169 5, 968.10 160,473 411,384 174,716 Iron pyrites b __ _______________________________________________________________ _ ------------ Zinc-iron-lead _______________ -- ____________________________ ------------ __ -----. 34 37,365 1, 882.00 490,905 402,357 1, 464,597 -----------· 10 10,513 ------------ ------------ ------------ 1,043, 675 • 5, 127, 00() 

53 58,047 7, 850.10 651,378 813,741 2, 682,988 5,127,000 

()xi de (includes low sulphur ores): Siliceous gold.------- _______________________________________ - _________________ _ 4 3, 912 7, 121.99 27,3:l0 37,323 110,454 ------------ Siliceous silver ____ --- _______________________ ~ _________________________________ _ 13 14,415 234.70 66,935 13,528 535,990 Lead ------·----· (iron excess) ____________________________________________________________ _ 3 3, 569 43.10 16,060 2, 975 880,255 ------------ Lead (silica excess) ___ ----------------_----------------- ______________________ _ 3 3,372 1, 756.90 26,503 606 624,533 ------------ Iron-manganese flux d _______________ -------- ___________ --------------- _______ _ 14 15,801 30.07 92,505 1, 338 649,998 ----------...... Zinc ___________ --- ____________ .. ______________ ._. ___________ .. ______________ . __ 10 11,343 ------------ ------------ ------------ .................................... •3, 876,000 

47. 52,412 4 ' Metallics" (sulphide and oxide) • _ ---------- ___ ------------------------------ ____ ------------ ------------

100 110,459 

9, 196. 76 2, 730. 77 

19,777.63 

229,~~g -----~~~~~~- --~~~~~~~~~-~·---~~~~~~~~ 

881, 451 869, 511 5, 484, 218 • 9, 003,000 

Average recovery 

Character 

Gold . Silver Copper Lead Zinc 

Sulphide: · Otmces per ton1 Ounces per ton Per cent Siliceous (carrying pyrite)_--------------------------- ___________ "------------------------____ 0. 587 15. 78 2. 02 

. ~~~-fr~~l~~d-~== ==== == == = = = = = = == = = = === = = == = === ==== = = = = = == = == = == = =·= = = === = = ==== ===== = = == = == == == ---------~~~- --------~~~~~- ----------~~-

Per cent Per cent 

0. 86 -------------- !:: --------i3o~4s 

Oxide: 

Siliceous gold ______________ ----------------- ______________ ------------------------------------ 1. 821 6. 98 . 48 1. 41 

Siliceous silver ____________________ ------------ ___ --------------------------------------------- . 016 4. 64 . 05 1. 86 

Lead (iron excess) ___ ------------------------------------------------------------------------- . 012 4. 50 . 04 12.33 Lead (silica excess) _________ :.·---------------------------------------------------------------- . 524 7. 86 . 01 9. 26 

~~~~~~~~~~-e_s:_ ~~~ -~-- ~ = :::::::::::::::: =::::: =: == :::: =: =: =:::: = =: = === = == ::::: = ::: = :::: =:: ::: __ -------~~~- ____ -----~~~- === == ===:::::: _____ ----~~~ _ --------i2i:36 . I 

" Much highly siliceous, and in all silica exceeds iron content. A dry gold and silver ore. b Iron content exceeds silica conteQt. A dry silver ore. • Zinc in terms of recovered zinc in zinc oxide and leaded zinc oxide. d Includes 176 tons of iron flux. • Probably includes some Teller County and Park County specimen gold. t Average assay of original content; no deduction for loss in smelting. 

gr Henderson, C. W.,·U. S. Geol. Survey Mineral Resources, 1922, pt. I, p. 540,1924. 

' . 
LAK~ COUNTY 175 

Mineral Resources for 192:3 97a gives the following table: 

Classification of Lectdville ores, 1923 

Ore Recovered content 

Character 

Gold I Silver I Copper I Lead Zinc 

;::=J Fine ounces Pounds Pounds Pounds 

Per Short cent tons 

-·-·---------- ---------------

17 18,973 

8 8, 891 2, 450.40 43,801 56,445 300,718 ___________ ..,. 

727.30 129,729 168,819 332,259 ------------ 2 2,405 441.90 73, 176 26,239 395,233 ------------ 3 3, 716 10 11,831 I 

1, 795. 50 67,501 20Q, 303 38,653 ------------ c 64.73 c 27,811 ------------ d 471,966 • 2, 658,000 

40 45,8161 5, 479.83 342,018 460,806 1, 538,829 2, 658,000 

3 3,300 17 19,021 2 2,418 

10 11,345 10 12,079 18 20,304 

'· "'· .. 

1 

12,743 3,806 60, 5il ------------ 9. 60 67,428 5,005 1, 080, 195 ------------ 61.20 8,657 ------------ 412, 167 ------------ 831.60 77,212 41,274 2, 079,163 ------------ 18.30 89,882 ------------ 436,247 ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------ •6, 732,000 

.Oxides (includes low sulphur ores): Siliceous gold ••. _______________________________ -- ___ -- ___________ -___ --- _____ • ______ _ Siliceous silver _____________________________ ._------- __ ---- _____ -----------_--. ____ --_ Lead (iron excess) __________ ----- _________ ---- _______ -------.-_.-------- __ ------ ___ -- Lead (silica excess) ____________________________ -------- __ -_------------- __ ---- ___ -- __ Iron-manganese-silver flux ____________________________ .-----. __ ---------- ___ -- ____ --_ 

Zinc _________ "- __ --------------------------------------------------------------------

60 68,467 1 ===>====:==6=, =48=7=. 7=3=!==2=5=5,=9=22=,===5=0,=0=8=5 1 4, 068, 343 6, 732, ooo 

"' Motal\io." ('ulphido and o<ido) '_ ---- -------- --------- ------------------------ ··r··;~-:-·;;~;~-: 12,::: S9B,; ---·;;~~;t·~;~~;;;f-~~;~:.;; 

Average recovery 

Character 

Gold Silver Copper Lead Zinc 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------1--------t ______ ----- ·------ ------ Ounces 

:Sulphide: per ton Siliceous (carrying sulphides) __________ ----------------------------------------___________________________________ 0. 129 Iron pyrites .• ____________________________________________ ._______________________________________________________ . 082 

Lead_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ . 184 Copper. ___________________________________________________________________________________________ .______________ . 483 

Zinc-iron-lead _______________________________________ -~____________________________________________________________ . 006 

Ounces 

per ton 

2. 31 14.59 

30.43 

18. 16 

2. 35 

Per cent 

0.15 

. 95 

.55 

2.82 

Per cent 

0. 79 

1.87 

8. 22 

. 52 • 2. 74 

Per cent 

• 14.04 

·Oxide:. . j 

~~~~~(~~~·j_::~~-~-~~~!~~~~~=~~~~-!~~~~~~--~~~~~~!~~~~~!m~~~!~m~!-~~~!-~~~-!-~~~-~~~~~~~!~-:!=~[:·i __ jl,;;:;;=~~: ___ j~}~~.~~~;; o Much highly siliceous, and in all silica exceeds iron content. Partly gold and partly silver ore. b Iron content exceeds silica content. A dry silver ore. c Recovered in residues. d Recovered in residues and in leaded zinc oxide. • Zinc in terms of recovered zinc in zinc oxide and leaded zinc oxide. I Probably includes some Teller County specimen gold. • Average assay of original content; no deduction for loss in smelting. Wet assay of lead • 

. era Henderson, c. W ., u.S. Oeol. Survey Mineral Resources, 1923, pt. 1, 1925. 
Gold, silver, copper, lead, and zinc produced in Lake County, 1859-1923 

Gold (value) I Silver Copper I Lead Zinc 

Ore 

Year (short I I \ Average Average I Average ; Average Total value 

tons) Placer Lode Total Fine ounces price per Value Pounds price per Value Pounds I price per; Value Pounds price per ' Value ounce pound pound ! pound i ,~,~~~~r-- ------ u. i 1 :== :~im: ,~· $s. i 1 :1 $! i J: 1 ::~:::: ::::: ::;:;;:: :: :::::::::;:: :::::::: :::::::~~:::::~:::: :::~ :::::::: :: ~):~~~::::):: -::_:_:;~-:-:--~:-: : --::_:_::~-:-:-::_:_:

1 

-$-s.-;-~:--t-~ 1876·. ---------- 30,000 30,000 60,000 23,203 1. 16 26,915 ------------ ---------- ------------ 15,000 $0.061 $915 --------------- ---------- ------------ 87,830 

1877___________ 430,000 25,000 55,000 458,000 1.20 549,600 ---------------------------------- 1,200,000 .055 66,0001------------------------------------- 670,600 1878 ...... ------ 4

30,000 30,000 60,000 1,800,000 1.15 2,070,000 ---------------------------------- 10,000,000 .036 360,000 ------------------------------------- 2,490,000 

1879.---------- ---------- 30,000 60,000 90,000 8, 411,132 1. 12 9, 420,468 ... --------- ---------- ------------ 43,288,000 . 041 I, 774,808 --------------- ---------- ------------ 11,285,276 1880.---------- b 140,623 70,000 34, OI4 I04, OI4 9, 977,344 1. I5 11,473,946 ------------ ---------- ------------ 66,658,000 . 05 3, 332,900 --------------- ---------- ------------ 14,910,860 

188L__________ 69,000 23I, 000 300,000 7, 986,406 1.13 9, 002,039 ------------ ---------- ------------ 58,464,000 . 048 2, 806,272 --------------- ---------- ------------ . 12,108,311 

1882___________ 63,500 256,500 320,000 8,894, 531 1. 14 ::.o, 139,765 ------------ ---------- ------------ 97,890,000 . 049 4, 796,610 --------------- ---------- ------------ 15,256,375 1883 ___________ ---------- 25,000 375,000 400,000 9, 049, 2I9 1. 11 10,044,633 ------------ ---------- ------------ 111,575,000 . 043 4, 797,725 --------------- ________ _._ ------------ 15,242,358 1884 ..•...•.... •232,002 30,000 470,000 500,000 7,270,313 1.11 8,070,047 a100,000 $0.13 $13,006 93,628,000 .037 3,464,236 ------------------------------------- 12,047,283 1885----------- 4 15,000 555,000 570,000 6,441,693 1.07 6,892,6I2 4 100,000 .108 10,800 55,522,000 .039 2,165,358 50,000 $0.043 $2,150 9,640,920 1886.---------- a5, 000 428,691 433,691 6, 486,047 . 98 6, 421, 187 aiOO, 000 . 111 11, 100 84,400,000 . 046 3, 882,400 50,000 . 044 2, 200 10,750,578 1887........... ------------ 243,694 243,694 5,994,324 .98 5,874,438 a200,000 .138 27,600 92,359,103 .045 4,156,160 50,000 .046 2,300 10,304,192 1888........... ------------ 310,89I 3I0,89I 5,486,064 .94 5,156,900 a200,000 .I68 33,600 73,378,149 .044 3,228,639 150,000 .049 7,350 8,737,380 1889 _________________________________ I89,397 189,397 6,150,839 .94 5,781,789 266,489 .135 35,9761 83,785,918 .039 3,267,651 150,000 .05 7,500 9,282,313 

1890.---------- 342, 163 ------------ 295,063 295,063 5, 3I3, 930 1. 05 5, 579,627 I, 766,035 .156 275,501 43,623,477 . 045 I 1, 963,056 I50, 000 • 055 8, 250 8, 121,497 

189L __________ 403,135 2,894 345,525 348,4I9 4,793,015 .99 4,745;085 4,544,202 .128 581,658 53,444,973 .043 i 2,298,134 I50,000 .05 7,500 7,980,796 

1892 ___________ 323,187 9,000 242,296 251,296 5,898,020 .87 5,131,277 5,928,863 .116 687,748 44,009,114 .04. 1,760,365 562,500 .046 25,875 7,856,561 

1893 ........•.. 351,794 ------------ 902,244 902,244 6,795,454 .78 5,300,455 5,000,000 .I08 540,000 36,274,889 .037 I 1,342,171 •735,000 .04 29,400 8,114,270 

1894 ___________ 347,143 ------------ 1,499,314 1,499,314 7,695,108 .63 4,847,918 4,000,000 .095 380,000 44,733,000 .033 I,476,189 ai,OOO,OOO .035 35,000 8,238,421 

I895 ___________ 394,710 ------------ 1,386,359 1,386,359 9,435,413 .65 6,133,018 2,803,550 .107 299,980 38,922,572 .032 I,245,522 i 1,265,000 .036 45,540 9,110,419 

I896 ___________ 349,333 ------------ 1,453,458 1,453,458 6,623,764 .68 4,504,160 4,071,761 .108 439,750 31,993,777 .03 959,8I3 642,000 .039 25,038 7,382,2I9 

1897_ __________ 4I3,552 ------------ ::?,063,858 2,063,858 5,45I,317 .60 3,270,790 3,146,802 .12 377,616 23,700,908 .036 853,233 2,20I,500 .04I 90,262 6,655,759 

1898 ___________ 517,992 ------------ 2,073,036 2,073,036 7,068,727 .59 4,170,550 5,543,954 .I24 687,450 35,945,006 .038 I,365,910 2,673,500 .046 I22,981 8,419,927 

1899 ___________ 525,728 ------------ 2,196,498 2,I96,498 7,230,118 .60 4,338,071 3,202,828 .171 547,684 48,598,720 .045 2,186,942 10,575,240 .058 613,364 9,882,559 

1900 ___________ 618,071 ------------ 2,529,512 2,529,512 6,967,279 .62 4,319,713 2,728,553 .166 452,940 62,599,654 .044 2,754,385 14,441,000 .044 635,404 10,691,954 

I!lOL __________ 793,014------------ 1,776,132 1,776,132 6,830,084 .60 4,098,050 1,930,556 .I67 322,403 56,359,708 .043 2,423,467 23,167,140 .041 949,853 9,569,905 

1902_ .. _________ 748,946 ------------ I,203,924 1,203,924 5,641,857 .53 2,990,184 2,611,167 .122 3I8,562 39,450,178 .041 1,6I7,457 47,637,490 .048 2,286,600 8,416,727 

1903 ___________ 770,000 ------------ 1,339,974 1,339,974 4,973,033 .54 2,685,438 2,556,583 .I37 350,252 36,353,239 .042 1,526,836 76,566,000 .054 4,I34,564 10,037,064 

1904 ___________ 663,487 ------------ l,I86,851 1,186,851 5,085,15I .58 2,949,388 3,734,593 .128 478,0281 47,180,865 .043 2,028,777 58,254,353 .051 2,970,972 9,614;016 

I905. ---------- 648,464 ------------ 1, I80, 401 I, 180,401 4, 033,762 . 61 2, 460,595 4, 486,115 .156 699,834 51, 162,040 . 047 2, 404,616 70,238,634 . 059 4, 144,079 10,889,525 

19011_ __________ 672,055 26411,508,146 1,508,410 3,890,338 .68 2,645,430 2,092,735 .193 403,898 47,456,964 .057 2,705,047 70,198,462 .061 4,282,106 11,544,891 

1907 ___________ 631,273 510 1,064,180 1,064,690 4,154,913 .66 2,742,243 2,679,510 .20 535,902 32,519,796 .053 1,723,549 67,247,381 .059 3,967,595 10,033,979 

1908 ___________ 408,711------------ 1,228,449 1,228,449 2,893,496 .53 1,533,553 4,674,502 .132 617,034 19,646,007 .042 825,132 23,I88,080 .047 1,089,840 5,294,008 

1909 ___________ 4I7,291------------- I,435,431 1,435,431 3,423,642 .52 I,780,294 5,182,608 .13 673,739 21,073,992 .043 906,182 38,637,315 .054 2,086,415 6,882,061 

1910 ___________ 462,033------------ 1,213,134 1,213,134 3,322,015 .54 1,793,888 3,645,I57 .127 462,935 19,249,503 .044 846,978 56,367,445 .054 3,043,842 7,360,777 

1911. __________ 438,419 ------------ 1,133,442 1,133,442 3,007,296 .53 1,593,867 4,017,504 .12.5 502,188 I8,499,089 .045 832,459 71,610,456 .057 4,081,796 8,143,752 

1912 ___________ 507,591------------ 1,103,230 1,103,230 3,000,397 .6'15 1,845,244 2,065,800 .165 340,857 26,234,244 .045 1,180,541 I05,945,783 .069 7,310,259 11,780,131 

1913 ___________ 528,311 ------------ 1,023,631 1,023,631 3,400,318 .604 2,053,792 1,923,987 .155 298,218 29,286,183 .044 1,288,592 93,842,857 .057 5,255,200 9,919,433 

1914.---------- 547,463 ------------ 1, 571,451 1, 571,451 3, 810,830 . 553 2, 107,389 2, 382,910 .133 316,927 26,784,615 . 039 1, 044,600 78,763,334 . 051 4, 016,930 9, 057,297 

1915 ___________ 481,620 69,009 2,177,I43 2,246,152 2,571,002 .507 1,303,498 1,803,423 .175 315,599 20,957,404 .047 984,998 72,493,178 .124 8,989,154 13,839,401 

1916.---------- 477, 240 119, 169 1, 601, 271 1, 720, 440 2, 931, 281 . 658 1, 928, 783 2, 621, 675 . 246 644, 932 21, 719,392 . 069 1, 498, 638 76, 785, 567 . 134 10, 289, 266 16, 082, 059 

1917 _ ---------- 422,428 110,325 1, 064,894 1, 175,219 2, 184,000 . 824 I, 799,616 2, 182,623 . 273 595,856 I8, 301,802 . 086 1, 573,955 60,254,333 . 102 6, I45, 942 11,290,588 

1918 ___________ 355,840 92,066 751,I73 843,239 2,290,121 1.00 2,290,121 1,626,534 .247 40I,754 2'2,469,915 .071 I,595,364 46,715,736 .091 4,251,132 9,381,6IO 

l9I9 ___________ 217,667 8I,688 544,268 625,956 I,542,324 1.12 1,727,403 888,628 .186 165,285 11,299,076 .053 598,851 23,165,219 .073 1,691,061 4,808,556 

192Q ___________ 172,988 I38,864 629,501 768,365 1,099,688 1.09 ·1,198,660 799,744 .184 147,153 8,590,I88 .08 687,215 18,754,531 .081 1,519,117 4,320,510 

192L .....•.... 80,501 6,184 302,960 309,144 1,043,497 1.00 1,043,497 1,107,295 .129 142,841 3,537,889 .04.5 159,205 1,821,000 .05 91,050 1,745,737 

1922 ___________ 112,547 . 315 412,743 413,058 952,048 1.00 952,048 871,370 .135 117,635 5,521,818 .055 303,700 9,003,000 .057 513,171 2,299,612 

1!)23 _____ .. ____ 115,975 15,224 256,280 271,504 655,838 .82 537,787 511,776 .147 75,231 5,624,958 .07 393,747 9,415,000 .068 640,220 1,918,489 

---------- 6,798,749 44,380,824151,179,573 230,482,487 ----------,189,409,933 100,099,832 ---------- 14,329,466 1,925,288,125 ---------- 85,455,300 1,234,918,034 ---------·· 85,410,278 425,784,550 

a Estimated by C. W. Henderson. b Census of 1880. •Emmons, S. F., op. cit., p. 18. 

~ 

-:)' 

~ 

~ ~ 

~ 

0 

i 
LA PLATA AND MONTEZUMA COUNTIES 177 

LA PLATA AND MONTEZUMA COUNTIES 

Purington say~ of the early developments In La 

Plata and Montezuma counties: 98 . 

!t ~a~ ~ot until the year 1878 that prospecting was begun in 

thu~ VICimty. In that year the mine called the Comstock was 

opened, and work was begun on the Cumberland or Snowst?rm vein, near the head of the La Plata Valley. A stamp 

mill was soon erected to treat the ore of this mine but its 

operation was not successful. By the end of the v~ar 1881 

many locations had been made, and the nature of the richest 

ores, ~ellurides of gold and silver, was well known. Among 

the mmes first developed, besides those mentioned, were the 

Century, on Bear Creek (now Montezuma County), the Tippecanoe, the Bell Hamilton, and the Ashland. 

Burchard 99 · in his report for 1881 says that La 

Plata County (including the present San Juan County) 

was organized in 1874. He describes La Plata district (in which he reports the Comstock mine as 

having produced) and also Junction Creek Needle 

Motmtain, and Vallecito districts. ' 

In the report for 1882 Burchard 1 describes Needle 

Mountain or Florida district, at the head of the 

Florida, Johnsons Fork of the Vallecito, and Needle 

Creek. He says that no ore had as yet been shipped 

and that the district was. not over two years old. 

He describes La Plata (or California) district in 

which the len.ding property was the Century ~ine on Bear Creek. 

In the report for 1883 Burchard 2 describes Needle 

Mountain district (Las Animas River and Vallecito 

River watersheds) ; Cascade district; Florida Creek 

~istric.t; and California district (La Plata Mountains, 

Including watersheds of La Plata River Mancos 

River, Bear Creek, Jun~tion Creek; . Calif~rnia disDs Purington, C. W., in·cross, Whitman, U. S. Geol. Surve; Oeol. Atlas La 

Plata folio (No. 60) p. 12, 1899. ' · 

DD Burchard, H. C., Report of the Director of the Mint, upon the production of 

the precious metals in the United States during the calendar year 1881 pp 354 418, 1882, I • 

0 

I 

1 Burchard, H. C., op. cit. for 1882, pp. 394, 506-509, 1883. 

1 Burchard, H. C., op. cit. for 1883, pp. 240, 368-376, 1884. 

trict is therefore in both La Plata and Montezuma 

countieB, though most of the production came from 

La Plata). He says: 

Bear Creek district: Century mine, 46Ys tons returned in 

cash $12,928.61. No shipments of consequence from Needle 

Mountain, Cascade, and Florida. La Plata River district: 

High assays from several prospects; one car from Ashland 

mine yielded an average value per ton of $136. The South 

Comstock mine, value of ore shipments so far, $10,000. The 

Heck mine, shipments in several ton lots. Many. mines 

"patent applied for." 

The figures given in the table for 1824 are taken from Burchard's report for that year.s 

For 1886 to 1896 the figures given in the table are 

derived from reports of (he agents of the mint in 

annual reports of the Director of the Mint, the gold 

and silver being prorated to correspond with the 

figures showing the total produc.tion of the State as 

corrected by the Director of the Mint, the lead being 

prorated to correspond with the total production of 

lead for the State as shown in Mineral Resources and ' any unknown production in the State being distributed proportionately among the cct:nties. As with 

l~arl s.o wi~h copper, but as the figures for copper 

given In Mmeral Resources include copper from m~tte 

and ores treated in Colorado, though produced in 

other States, they are subject to revision. 

The production of Montezuma County is first given 

separately in 1894. Only a small production came 

from districts in this county. No statement is given 

as to the cause of the increase in gold and silver in 

1894. The amount of silver . produced seems to be 

erroneously stated. 

The figures for 1897 to 1904 are taken from the 

reports of the Colora.do State Buren.u of Mines, which 

represent sn1elter and mint receipts. 

The figures for 1905 to 1923 are taken from Mineral 

Resources (mines reports). 

a Burchard, H. C., op. cit., for 1884, p. 117, 1885. 
178 MINING IN COLORADO 

Gold, silver, copper, and lead produced in the La Plata district, La Plata and Montezuma counties, 1878-1923 

Year 

Ore 

treated 

(short 

tons) 

Lode gold Fine 

ounces 

Silver 

Average 

price per ounce Value 

Copper 

Average Pounds price per pound 

Value 

Lead 

Average Pounds price per pound 

Value 

Total 

value 

------------:----J----1-----I----I-----:-I----r·---·- ---------------

1878__ _________ ---------------------- ---------- a a$k ~gg : ~: ~~~ $~: ~~ ~: ~~t ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ~: ~1 187

9__ ___________________ ------------ ---------- a 5' 000 a 7, 734 1.15 8, 894 ========== ==== ====== ========== ==========:========== ==========, 13,894 

t~t~~~ ~ ~~ ~ ~~ ~ === === == = === = == = = = ==== = ==: == == = = ~g:. 5 2~: ~g~ t n !J~~ = __ :_ :_ :_= __=- = __ =- =-~-- =- = __ =- =- = __ =- =- =- -_= = __ =- = __ ~-- :_ :_ :_ =- __ = ~-- =- _= : __ == __=-~-- =-=-~-- =-:,~_-_=_=_ -= =- __ = ~_<_<_<_- =-=--=~---=_-=_ -= ~----=_ -= 1

1 

1883--------------------------------- ----~----- 'v L 11 5,152 H: 5, ~r 652 1884--------------------------------- ---------- b 5, ggg b g; 8M L 07 5, 350 -- 10, 350· 

~r~--------- --------------"-_,. _____ ---------- 10,225 4, 671 . 99 4, 625 ========== ========== ===~====== --ioo;ooo- ---$0:046- ---$4;600 19, 449· ------------------------------------------- 12 473 7 126 .98 6,983 ------------------------------ 42,210 .045 1,899 21,355 

~~--------------------------------- ---------- 3' 574 2' 294 . 94 2,156 ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- -------- 5, 730• 1889·-------------------------------- ---------- 4' 465 1'n8 .94 1,051 __________________________________________________ ---------- 5,516· 

1890·-------------------------------- ---------- 3'729 2'on 1.05 2,112 ________________________________________ -------------------- 5,84~ 

8 --------------------------------- ---------- 23:054 3' 207 . 99 3, 175 ---------- ---------- ---------- --- _-:_ __ --- --~-- ----- ---------- 26,22 • ~8~~-------- ------------------------- ---~---- -- 34,881 3' 335 . 87 2, 901 ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 37,782 1893--------------------------------- ---------- 37 872 4' 928 . 78 3, 844 ---------- ---------- ---------- ----·------ ---------- ---------- 41,716 

~~~~================================= ========== ll~: :~ 417: 4~~ : ~~ 263, 00~ ========== ===== ===== ========== ========== ==== ====== ========== 3:~: ~g: ~~~~============= ==================== ===== ===== ~g: ~!l 1, 5tl : ~0 3, 90~189 ------420" ---$o:i2"" ------$5ii- ------857- -----:o36" -------3i" ~~: ~~~- 1898---------,----------------------- ---------- 3s,gg~ ~·~~~ :~~ 2, 033 ·~~~ :~~ • ~~ ~;1~~ :8!~ ~~~ 43,304 

19tggg================================= 01--------------------------------- ----------

========== 1~~· ~~: 927 

~~~ 1:187 ?· ~~~ : . 62 ~g ~: 3, 930 :~~ 3, ~~~ 143 : . 122 ~~~ 383 ~~ 2,156 ~: rg~ : . 041 8!: ~~~ 88 131,583- ~~:~~: 1902 ___________________________________________ 145,331 7:716 .54 4,167 810 .137 1ll 3,017 .042 127 149,736 

~~8!:============== ========== ======== ----3~792- 130:200 31,086 . 58 18,030 1, 473 . 128 189 2, 177 . 043 94 314181,, 357139· 190 662 254 007 93 258 61 56 887 2, 923 . 156 456 610 . 047 29 5..---------~--------------------- 5

• ' , . s2:77o 445 .193 86 2,228 .057 127 387,616 

~ggt_---~--~~~~~--~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~:~::~ ~:if~ ~~:8~: ~~~:~?~ J~ 1:~:g~; ~~~ : ~2 1~5 ~~ :~ ~~ r~g:~~~: 

i~~t::::::::======================== f~~~ i~~: ~~ 1H: ~~g J~ 337~6· •• 580~~5 :~ : i~? ~~ 2, ~g : ~ 1~ ~3637~3:. 902561g5· 10 059 286 953 69 444 53 73, 911 . 125 9, 239 1, 511 . 045 68 

113 ~gg================================= 9 2:761 7 403 312 135:391 891 121 47:948 122 :615 604 ~139', 418858 113,897 918 . 

. 165 155 17,654 151 6, 4, 455 756 . . 044 045 304 196 ~gg·, ~~~- --------------------------------- ' ' o'244 ·553 33,315 26,038 .133 3,463 11,410 .039 445 163,721 1914 _________________________________ 5,083 126,~~~ ~6,472 .507 23,561 4,114 .175 720 23,532 .047 1,106 97,411 

1915__ _______________________________ 2,966 ·72, 29,380 .658 19,332 15,142 .246 3,725 6,667 .069 460 56,572' 

t~t~================================= ~: m ~~: g~~ 15:512 :824 1

6

2 •• 4781

2

5 28,333 . 273 7, 735 3, 745 . 086 322 4

14 1918 _________________________________ 300 7, 378 6 6'075 415 1 1.12 00 6,804 668 167 . .186 247 165 31 3, 2,283 000 • .0.53 071 213 121 12,922' 

8 •• 191 1919 _________________________________ 405 5,966 ' . 11,530 937 .08 75 22,625 

1920_________________________________ 1921_ ________________________________ 1,279 717 45,181 11,020 20,327 10,578 1.00 1.09 10,656 20,327 ========== ========== ========== 3, 734 .045 168 42,917 65,676· 

1922 ______ -- ------------------------- 791 32,261 w, 656 L oo 14,053 ------816- -----:147- ------i2o- ----i;soo- --.. ·-:o7-- ------126- 3o, 204· 1923 __________________________________ 83_8_

1 

___ I_5,_9_o5_

1 

___ 17_,_I3_s_

1 

___ . 8_2_

1 

_____ 

1 

____ : ____ 

1 

_______________ _ 

3, 588, 654 1, 754, 763 1,129,868 278,491 1---------- 45,023 259,706 ---------- 12,154 4, 775,699• 

a Estimated by C. W. Henderson, by subtracting from figures for San Juan region. b Interpolated by C. W. Henderson to correspond with total production of the State. 

LARIMER AND JACKSON COUNTIES 

Information concerning Larimer. and Jackson counties is contained in reports by Hollister, who mentions 

the unsuccessful rushes to Cache la Poudre River, by 

the State Bureau.of Mines, and by Spencer. 4 

The figures for 1895 and 1896 given in the table are 

based on reports of the agents of the mint in annual 

reports of the Director of the Mint, the gold and silver 

being prorated to correspond with the figures for the 

total production of the State as corrected by the 

Director of the Mint, the lead being prorated to correspond with the total production of lead in the State 

as given in Mineral Resources, and any unknown production in the State being distributed proportionately 

among the counties. As with lead, so with copper, 

but as the figures for copper given in Mineral Re-

• Hollister, 0. J., The mines of Colorado, pp. 73, 106, 1867. Colorado State Bur. 

Mines Rept. for 1897, pp. 73-75, 1898. Spencer, A. C., Reconnaissance examination 

of the copper deposits at Pearl, Colo.: U. S. Qeol. Survey Bull. 213, pp. 163-169, 

1903. 

sources include copper from· matte and ores treatecf 

·in Colorado, though produced in other States, they· 

are subject to revision. 

The ficrures for 1895 to 1904, which represent b . 

smelter and mint receipts, are taken from reports of 

the Colorado State Bureau of Mines. 

The figures for 1905 to 1922 are taken from Mineral 

Resources (mines reports). 

In 1906 the production came from the Pearl district, 

Jackson County. 

In 1909 the production came from Larimer County, 

in the district west of Fort Collins, from property on 

Rabbit Creek, in T. 10 N., R. 72 W., near St. Cloud. 

Jackson County was segregated from Larimer County, 

·May 5, 1909. · 

In 1916 the production came from the Pearl district, 

Jackson County. 

In 1917 the production can1e from the Pearl district, 

Jackson County, and the Masonville district, Larimer 

County. 
MESA COl~ .XT\" 

Gold, silver, copper, and zinc produced in Larimer and Jackson counties, 1895-1911 

I Ore Gold Silver Copper I Zinc I Total 

tons) Placer Lode Total ~~~:s price per Value Pounds price per Value Pounds price per Value 

Year I (short . Average Average Average · value 

-----~-- __ · __ --~ ___ ___ ___ ounce ---___ pound ____ . ___ pound : _____ _ 

!lit:::::::::::::::::: :::::::::: ·.$~~ ::;;~;;;: ::it .l $0: ~ ~ :::::::::: :::::::::: :::::::::: ::::::::::\:::::::d:::::::::: ,l. 

1898 ••...••••.....• ••••• •••••••••• G 10,456 G 706 11, 162 co • 59 35 24,484 $0. 124 $3,036 -·-··•···· -~--- ..... ... ... . ... 14,233. 

1899 ••••••.•.•.••....•.• •••••••••• G 1, 599 G 468 2, 067 135 • 60 81 2, 474 ,171 423 ....•............... '.......... 2, 571 1900.................... •.•.•.•..• G 1, 078 ° 555 1, 633 126 . 62 78 13,806 . 166 2, 292 --------- _ ----- __ .•. ----- _ ___ _ 4, 003. 1901.................... •...•.•..• G 522 ° 408 930 73 . 60 44 18, 140 . 167 3, 029 .................... 1....... ... 4, QQ3. 

1902.................... •.•.•...•• tl 488 G 318 806 49 • 53 26 24,888 , 122 3, 036 .......... .......... . ....... .. 3, 868• 1903 ____________________ ---------- 0 603 °1,030 1, 633 10 . 54 5 56,700 . 137 7, 768 ---------- ---------- ---------- 9, 406 1904____________________ 6 °141 °1,037 1,178 11 .58 6 23,028 .128 2,948 ____________________ i__________ 4,132' 

1906..__________________ 460 ---------- 0 904 904 1, 136 . 68 772 41,331 . 193 7, 977 ---------- -----· ·--+--·-·---- 9, 653- 1909____________________ 48· ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ----------~---------- 30,722 $0.054 • $1,659 1, 659· 

1916 .•. ----------------- 61 ---------- 95 95 199 . 658 '131 6. 752 . 246 1, 661 ---------- ---------- ---------- 1, 887" 

,."--------------------~~~~~~=~~=r~-~==,~~ 

" Estim~ted by C. W. Henderson, partly on basis of deposits at Denver Mint. 

I.AS ANIMAS COUNTY 

The Colorado State Bureau of Mines says of Las 

Animas County: 5 

In metalliferous mines the south slope of Spanish Peaks and 

east slope of Culebra Range are the only sections prospected. 

The lodes located are reported as well-defined fissure veins, 

carrying ores of too low· grade for direct shipment and not 

enough developed to justify the erection of a proper reducing 

plant. Placer beds of small extent are also rep9rted near the. 

foot of the Culebra Range along several of the small streams 

but are undeveloped. 

The county records show 125 lode claims, of which two are 

patented. l'he reports for 1897 show 26 men employed in 

mining in these sections. 

The figures given in the table for 1887 are derived 

from reports of the agents of the mint in annual reports of the Director of the Mint, the gold and silver 

being prorated to correspond with figures for the total 

production of the State as corrected by the Director 

of the Mint. 

The figures given for 1897 to 1899, which represent 

smelter and mint receipts, are taken from the reports 

of the Colorado State Bureau of Mines. 

Gold and silver produ.ced in Las Animas County, 1887-1899 

Year Lode gold Fine 

ounces 

Silver 

Average 

price per ounce Value 

'l'otal 

value 

----------1----------------

1887--------------------------

1897------ --------~-----------

1898.---- --------------------- 1899--------------------------

$1, 122 8 $0. 98 $8 641 9 .. 60 5 

~5~ --------3- ------.-iio· --------2-

2,094 20 ---------- 15 

MESA COUNTY 

$1, 130 

646 

124 

209 

2,109 

The Colorado State Bureau of Mines says of Mesa 

County: 6 

Prior to 1881 this county formed a part of the Ute Indian 

reservation, and after being declared open for settlement the 

United States troops were employed in a dual capacity, viz., 

a Colorado State Bur. Mines Rept. for 1897, p. 76, 1898. 

a Idem, pp. 77-78. 

keeping the anxious whites back and urging the Indians to depart for their new reservation. * * * 

Of metalliferous mines nothing as yet has been developed 

beyond the prospect stage. The county records show 102 lodeclaims and 23 placer claims, 6 placers patented, duly recorded~ 

The county is locaily divided into the Elk Basin, Plateau, and 

Copper Creek mining districts'" The Elk Basin embraces thenortheast corner and the Plateau the southeast corner of thecounty. The Copper Creek district, better known as Unaweep, 

covers the south-central and southwest parts of the county .. 

This last-named district is at present attracting considerable 

attention and is said to have strong veins carrying high-gradecopper ores. * * * An average of 48 men were engaged in 

prospecting during 1897. · 

Butler 7 gives details of the Unaweep copper district, in Mesa County. 

Wilson 8 states the gold a.nd silver deposited at the· 

Denver Mint during 1885, and his figures have been 

incorporated in the table. · 

For 1885 to 1904 the amounts credited to placer and· 

lode production in the table are estimates, based partly· 

on receipts at the Denver Mint. 

The figures for 1886 to 1896 given in the table a.rfr 

based on reports of the agents of the mint in annual reports of the Director of the Mint, the gold and silverbeing prorated to correspog_d With the figures for the· 

total production of the State as corrected by the Director of the Mint, the lead being prorated to correspond 

with the total production of lead in the State as given. 

in Mineral Resources, and any unknown production in 

fhe State l?.eing ~istributed proportionately among the· 

counties. As with lead so with. copper, but· as the· 

figures for copper given in Mineral Resources include· 

copper from m.atte and ores treated in ·Colorado,. 

though produced in other States, they are subject to· 

revision. 

For 1897 to 1904 the figures, which . represent 

smelter and mint receipts, are taken from the reportsof the Colorado State Bureau of Mines. 

For 1905 to 1912 the figures are taken from Mineral 

Resources (mine reports). 

1 Butler, B.S., Notes on the Unaweep copper district, Colo.: U.S. Geol. SurveyBull. 580, pp. 19-23, 1915. 

s Wilson, P. S., agent for Colorado, in Kimball, J. P ., Report of the Director of the· 

Mint upon the production of the precious metals in the United States during thecalendar year 1885, p. 136, 1886. · 
180 MINING IN COLORADO 

Gold (lode and placer), silver, copper, and lead produced .in Mesa County, 1885-1912 

Gold Silver Copper Lead 

Ore 

Year (short Total 

Average Average Average value tons) Fine Placer Lode Total price per Value Pounds price per Value Pounds price per Value ounces ounce pound pound 

-------1----------------------------------· --. ------ 1885 ____________________ ---------- $431 ---------- $431 3 1886 ____________________ ---------- 110 ---------- 110 ---------- 1894 ____________________ ---------- 318 ---------- 318 1 

.1898 ____________________ ---------- ---------- $165 

1899 ____________________ ---------- ---------- 124 

.1900 ____________________ ---------- ---------- 124 

165 20 

124 4,120 

124 311 

:i~k::::::::::::::::::: :::::::::: 1, 9~ l~~ 2, 046 155 537 32 1903 ____________________ ---------- 351 ---------- 351 8 . .1904____________________ 9 248 ---------- 248 9 

1906 ____________________ ---------- 473 ---------- 473 15 .1907 ____________________ ---------- 76 ---------- 76 3 

1911_ ___________________ ---------- 28 ---------- 28 ---------- 1912____________________ 22 ---------- 9 9 257 

$1.07 . 99 $3 ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ----------

. 63 1 ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- .59 12 ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- .60 2, 472 4, 650 $0.171 $795 ---------- ---------- ---------- .62 193 2,150 .166 357 ---------- ---------- ---------- .60 . 93 7, 795 .167 1,302 ---------- ---------- ---------- .53 17 15,000 . 122 1, 830 ---------- ---------- ---------- .54 4 ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- .58 5 ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- .68 10 ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- .66 2 ---------- ---------- -------------------- ---------- ----------

: ~~5 ------i58- ----5~685- -----:i65- ------938- -------2o- ---$o:045- -------ii" 

$434 

110 

319 

177 

3,391 

674 

3,441 

2,384 

355 

253 

483 

78 

28 1,106 

4, 059 981 5,040 4, 934 ---------- 2, 970 35,280 ---------- 5, 222 20 ---------- 13,233 

MINERAL COUNTY 

W. H. Emmons 9 gives a sketch of the history of 

the Creede district. He says that the Holy Moses 

:mine was located in August, 1889, and that in June,· 

1891, the Last Chance deposit and later the Amethyst 

.deposit were discovered. The first train on the 

Denver & Rio Grande Railroad arrived at Creede 

December 16, 1891. 

The figures for 1891 to 1896 here given are based on 

:reports of the age~ts of the mint in annual reports of 

the Director of the Mint, the gold and silver being 

-prorated to correspond with the figures for the total 

production of the State as corrected by the Director 

-of the Mint, the lead being prorated to correspond 

·with the total production of lead for the State· as 

:given in Mineral Resources, and any unknown production in the State being distributed proportionately 

among the counties. As with lead· so with copper, 

but as the figures for copper given in Mineral Re-

:sources include copper from matte and ores treated 

in Colorado, though produced in other States, they are 

:Subject to revision. 

Smith 10 gives the output of Mineral County in 1891 

·under the head of Saguache County. The output 

-of the two counties has been separated in this report 

as closely as possible from the information available. 

He gives the output of Mineral County in 1892 under 

the heads of Hinsdale County and of Rio Grande 

o Emmons, W. H., and Larsen, E. S., Geology and ore deposits of the Creede 

-district, Colo.: U. S. Geol. Survey Bull. 718, pp. 3-5, 1923. 

to Smith, M. E., agent for Colorado, in Leech, E. 0., Report of the Director of 

~the Mint upon the production of the precious metals in the United States during 

<the calendar year 1891, p. 184, 1892. · 

County. 11 The production of the Ethel and the Holy 

Moses mines he says was $65,220 in gold and 59,317 

ounces of silver; that of the Amethyst, Bachelor, Del 

Monte, and Last Chance, he gives as $25,932 in gold. 

and 2,366, 778 ounces of silver. 

S. F. Emmons says: 12 

Creede credited by mint authorities with $3,500,000 (at 

coining rate of $1.29+) of silver in 1892, other estimates 

giving even a larger amount. 

'Mineral Industry says: 13 

Output estimated at about 5,000,000 ounces. * * * Last 

Chance and Amethyst mines largest producers. 

Puckett 14 says that the production of lead in 1896 

was 1,512,226 pounds. 

For 1897 to 1908 the figures, which represent 

smelter and mint r'eceipts, are taken from reports of 

the Colorado State Bureau of Mines .. 

Mineral Industry 15 says that a small amount of 

zinc blende concentrates was shipped in 1898 from a 

mine at Creede, and that in 1899 considerable zinc 

ore was shipped from Creede, Leadville, and other 

points to the zinc smelters for experiments. The 

quantity of ;Zinc produced in 1901, based on metallic 

content of the ore, is given as 2,088,000 pounds. 

For 1909 to 1923 the figures have been taken from 

Mineral Resources (mines reports). 

n Leech, E. 0., op. cit. for 1892, pp. 126, 129, 1893. 

u Emmons, S. F., U.S. Geol. Survey Mineral Resources, 1892, p. 68, 1893 .. 

u Mineral Industry, vol. 1, p. 177, 1892. 

u Puckett, W. J., agent for Colorado, in Preston, R. E., Report of the Director of 

the Mint upon the production of the precious metals in the United States during 

the calendar year 1896, p, 158, 1897. 

u Mineral Industry for 1898, p, 727, 1899; idem for 1899, p. 636, 1900;'idem for 1901, 

. p. 651, 1902. 
MONTROSE COUNTY 181 

Gold, silver, copper, lead, and zinc produced in Mineral County, 1891-1923 

·silver Copper Lead Zinc 

Ore Aver- 1 

~ Year Aver- Aver- (short Lode gold Total valuetons) Fine age e age age price Value Pounds Pounds price Value Pounds price Value ounces per per per ounce <- pound pound 

------- 1891. ••..... ---------- $10,055 378,899 $0.99 $374,382 

---------- ~~~=~==1:::::::::: 354, 854 $0. 043 $15,259 ............................ .................. --...................... $399, 696> 1892 ________ ---------- 87,219 2, 391,514 .87 2,080, 617 3, 000, 000 • 04 120,000 ------------ ------- --...................... 2, 287,836- 1893 ••.. ____ ......................... 53,252 4,897,684 . 78 3,820,194 0 7, 500, 000 . 037 277,500 ............................. ------- ----------- 4, 150, 946· 1894 ________ ---------· 40,336 1, 866,927 .63 1, 176, 164 ----·-·j··-------- 0 6, 500, 000 • 033 214,500 ............................. ------- ............................... 1,431,0()()o 1895.------- ......................... 114,482 1,423,038 .65 924,975 

·-·-i;5oo· i~;i~:: :::::ii~~: 0 8, 220, 870 • 032 263,068 ------------ --............. ............................. 1,302, 525 1896 •••••••• ......................... 52,238 1, 560,865 .68 1, 061,388 0 6, 021, 109 . 03 180,633 ... ........................... .... ............ ............................. 1,294, 25~ 

1897-------- .......................... 61,328 3,070,576 .60 1,842,346 6, 080, 673 ' • 036 218,904 ---------·-- $0~046" ----i9;20o- 2, 122, 758· 1898 ••••.... ---------- 46,383 4, 177,184 .59 2,464,539 14,729 .124 1,826 5,453,104 .038 207,218 0 200,000 2, 729,166 1899 ________ ......................... 91,671 3, 796,899 .60 2,278,139 20,223 .171 3,4&8 5, 677,162 .045 255,472 0100,000 .058 5,800 2,634, 54(} 1900 ..•• ____ ---------- 209,387 2, 280,038 .62 1, 413,623 2,614 .166 434 14,951,956 .044 657,886 b 450,000 .044 19,800 2,301,130 1901 •...•••• ---------- 102,813 1,816,023 .60 1, 089,614 1,007 .167 168 10,519,895 .043 452,355 01,800,000 .041 73,800 1, 718,750 1902 ••••..•• ---------- 112,838 1, 923,973 .53 1,019, 706 ------i33" 9, 291,358 .041 380,946 2,047, 555 .048 98,283 1, 611,773. 1003 •••. ____ ......................... 178,961 1,608, 788 .54 868,746 .137 18 8,600, 646 .042 361,227 2,634,000 .054 142,236 I 1, 551, ISS. 11104 ...• ____ 124,278 222,864 1, 664,633 .58 965,487 . 1, 337 .128 171 13,346,436 .043 573,897 4, 402,697 .051 224,538 1, 986,957 1905. _______ 91,338 216,994 1, 193,442 • 61 728,000 107 .156 17 11,880,797 .047 558,397 2,515, 628 .059 148,422 1, 651, 830> 1906 ••.. ____ 126,164 176,150 1, 254,058 .68 852,759 """i2;7ii~ --~2o·· --·-2;542" 14,886,356 .057 848,522 2,892,061 .061 176,416 2,053,847 1907-------- 104,977 142,803 1, 246,961 .66 822,994 12,980,288 .053 687,955 2, 691,216 .059 158,782 1, 815,076 1908 ••••..•• 61,131 127,549 830,951 .53 440,404 41 .132 5 8,238,025 .042 345,997 1, 100, 107 .047 51,705 965,660 1909. _______ 64,941 108,825 891,185 .52 463,416 17,401 .13 2,262 9,036, 816 .043 388,583 1,817,296 .054 98,134 1,061, 220· uno. __ ----- 62,956 121, 181 773,722 .54 417,810 29,031 .127 3,687 8, 246,000 .044 362,824 2, 421, 926 I . 054 130,784 1, 036,286 1911. ..••••. 65,932 179,196 545,319 .53 289,019 33,384 .125 4,173 7,674, 556 .045 345,355 1, 258, 561 . 057 71,738 889,481 1912 •••...•. 66,488 86,002 714,909 • 615 439,669 23,885 .165 3, 941 5, 730,222 .045 257,860 308, 681 • 069 21,299 808,771 1913.------- 56,763 50,282 805,343 .604 486,427 31,647 .155 4,905 3,398, 364 .044 149,528 

----~~;:~-1--:~~~- 25,473 716, 615· 1914 •••. ____ 27,952 19,304 615,734 . 553 340,501 32,586 .133 4,334 1, 401,795 .039 54,670 ----io;662- 418,809-

1915 •• ------ 28,071 33,039 291,807 .507 147,946 8,943 .175 1, 565 2, 382,128 .047 111,960 305,172 

1916.------- 38,103 31,124 373,956 .658 246,063 13,138 .246 3,232 2,295,087 . 069 158,361 240,575 .134 32,237 471,017 

1917-------- 32,755 10, 101 361,517 .824 297,890 19,297 .273 5,268 1, 305,744 .086 112,294 54,971 .102 5,607 431, 160· 1918 ...••••• 28,372 13,943 640,959 1.00 640,959 3,490 • 247 862 989,620 .071 70,263 -----96;274" ..................... ----·7;028- 726,027 1919 ________ 16,718 9,083 369,575 1.12 413,924 355 .186 66 934,113 .053 49,508 .073 479,609 1 

1920.------- 12,597 5, 710 272,322 1.09 '296,831 1,120 .184 206 531,537 .08 42,523 ------------ ------- --......................... 345, 270· 1921. .•.•••• 7,076 3,816 192,468 1.00 192,468 1,899 .129 245 156,778 .045 7,055 .............................. -- ............... ...... --------- 203,584 19:!2 •••••••. 3,978 1,654 106,903 1.00 106,903 3,422 .135 462 153,455 .055 8,440 -----4i;ooo· ------- -----2;788" 117,459 

1923 .• ------ 6,462 2,394 228,867 .82 187,671 1,088 .147 160 237,557 .07 16, 629 .068 209,64Z 

---·------ 2, 722,977 44,567,039 ------- 29, 191,574 275,088 .................. 44, 187 197,977,301 1--~---- 8,755, 589 27,613,4071------- 1, 514,732 42,229,059 

o Estimated by C. W. Henderson. b Interpolated by C. W. Henderson to correspond with the totnl production of the State. 

MONTROSE COUNTY 

The Colorado State Bureau of Mines describes 

Montrose County as follows: 16 

Montrose is one of the western slope border counties segregated from Gunnison by an act of legislature, approved February 11, 1883. * * * It is generally considered a valley 

county, noted for its agricultural and horticultural products, 

complete system of irrigation canals, and fine stock ranges. 

In addition to these, the county possesses large resources 

in coal, building stone, clays, and metalliferous deposits, 

none of which, however, are very much developed. The 

county records disclose 129 lode claims, 594 placer claims and 

1 tunnel site, 1 patented lode claim, and 35 patented placer 

claims duly recorded. 

The Gunnison River enters near the center of the east 

boundary and flows northeast through an inaccessible canyon. 

Cimarron Creek enters near the southeast corner and flows 

north, joining the Gunnison River at the mouth of the canyon. 

This stream is lined with alluvial deposits carrying gold and 

has been mined in a desultory manner for many years. Near 

the town of Cimarron, located 2 miles south of the .Gunnison 

River on Cimarron Creek, a number of mineralized veins in the 

metamorphic granite, lying north and east, and in the trachytic 

capping of the Cretaceous shales, lying west and south, have 

been located but are little developed. * * * 

Along the various stream beds in this section, placer locations 

are· numerous. For many years hand sluicing has been spasmodically indulged in and small amounts of gold, appreciable 

in the aggregate, produced. During the past year a few of the 

placer beds along the San Miguel River have been equipped 

with hydraulic appliances, and larger returns are anticipated 

in future. In Paradox Valley a number of locations have been· 

u ColQrado State Bur. Mines Rept. for 1897, pp. 80-81, 1898. 

made upon fissure veins, cutting vertically through the sedi-· 

mentary beds. The value of the ore found is principally in. 

copper and its economic importance not yet determined. An 

average of 94 men were employeq in mining during 1897. 

Hodges 17 says of the developments in 1897: I 

Paradox district.-Eighty men employed; greatest depth,. 

100 feet; copper sulphides, carrying 10 per cent free milling 

gold. * * * 

Chipeta district.-Thirty men employed; greatest depth, 80: 

feet; copper sulphides, carrying 20 per cent free milling gold. 

* * * 

Cimarron district.-Twenty men employed; greatest depth,. 

120 feet; character of ore, iron and copper sulphides, carrying 

60 per cent gold, 40 per cent silver. * * * 

Hodges 18 describes the argentiferous copper oreshipped from La Sal district .in 18.98. 

Emmons says of the Cashin mine: 19 

According to the books of the La Sal Copper Mining Co., 

the present owners, it has produced altogether 363,778 ounces 

of silver and 732,740 pounds of copper, not including the ship--

ments of native copper, of which no record was available. 

These figures are considerably higher than those of 

the Colorado State Bureau of Mines, which represent 

smelter receipts. For 1902 copper seems out of 

proportion to silver. Mr. Emmons's figures seem to 

n Hodges, J. L., agent for Colorado, in Roberts, G. E., Report of the Director of 

the Mint upon the production of the precious metals in the United States during 

the calendar year 1897, p. 119, 1898. 

1s Hodges, J. L., agent for Colorado, in Roberts, G. E., op. cit. for 1898, pp. 89-00,.. 

1899. 

10 Emmons, W. H., The Cashin mine, Montrose County, Colo.: U. S. GeoL 

Survey Bull. 285, pp. 125-128, 1906. 
182 MINING IN COLORADO 

have been taken fron1 record books. Sn1elter receipts 

.are sometimes in error, owing to the practice of 

.crediting ore to county of shipping point, which for 

this area would be Placerville, San Miguel County. 

The figures here given for 1886 to 1896 are based 

·On reports of the agents of the mint in annual reports 

of the Director of the Mint, the gold and silver being 

prorated to correspond with the figures for the total 

production of the State as corrected by the Director 

·of the Mint, the lead being prorated to correspond 

·with the total production of lead for the State as given 

in Mineral Resources, and any unknown production 

jn_ the State being distributed proportionately among 

the counties. As with lead so with copper, but as the 

.figures for copper given in Mineral Resources include 

··copper from matte and ores treated in Colorado, though 

produced in other States, they are subject to revision. 

For 1886 to 1904 the placer and lode production 

has been separately estimated, in pa.rt on the basis 

-of deposits at the Denver Mint. 

For 1897 to 1904 the figures, which represent 

·smelter and mint receipts, are taken from the reports 

._of the Colorado State Bureau of Mines. 

For 1905 to 1923 the figures are taken from Mineral 

:Resources (mines reports). 

For·1906 and 1907 the producing district is unknown. 

For 1912 to 1922, according to Mineral Resources, 

the production came fron1 La Sal district. 

been had out of this vein running up to 10,000 ounces per ton. 

It carries silver glance in considera_ble quantities. Thirty 

thousand dollars have been offered for it and refused . 

This mine is iri. Poughkeepsie Gulch, tributary to 

the Uncompahgre, but now in San Juan County. In 

his report for 187 5 Raymond says: 22 

Mount Sne.ffels district includes the sections drained by the 

Rio San Miguel [probably all now. in San Miguel County]. 

The Uncompahgre district includes all lands drained by the 

Uncompahgre River and its tributaries as far north as the Ute 

Reservation. 

The Alaska, Saxon, and Poughkeepsie mines are in 

Poughkeepsie Gulch, San Juan County. · 

According to Burchard, 23 the Grand View mine was 

located in 1875 and patented in 1879. 

For 1878 to 1885 the figures for the separate production of Ouray, San Juan, San Miguel, and Hinsdale 

counties has been estimated, the division by counties being controlled by the figures for the San Juan 

region prorated against the State total.· Burchard 24 

gives figures for the San Juan country in 1879 and 

1880 . 

Of the developments in 1881 and 1882 Purington 

says: 25 

As early as 1881, however, the Virginius mine, at the head of 

Canyon Creek (Ouray County), was worked by three levels 

and two shafts, and in 1882 the amount of development. 

amounted to 2,000 feet, with ·a product of $75,000. 

Gold (placer and lode), silver, copper, and lead produced in Montrose County, ,1886-1923 

I Gold Silver Copper Lead 

Year ~I ~ 

(~;hort I Average Average I Average value 

tons) I Placer Lode Total Fine price per Value Pounds price per Value Pounds price per Value 

1 ounces ounce pound pound J 

~;-~~~=.::~::~~~~::~: ;~~~--;ll.i ~,:; ~~~~;.~I I~ --·-··:!!· ~i ------Jl;;___;\·~; ;;_;;;;;_; ;;_~=::~-~ ~...:~~l .. :~;:-~~--;;=;~_.:::\ ~~1 ;1898 ____________________ ---------- 300 2, 408 2, 708 6, 290 . 59 3, 711 34,664 $0. 124 $4,298 ---------- ---------- ---------- 10,717 

1899 ____________________ ---------- 103 620 723 46, 119 • 60 27,671 75,006 . 171 12,826 ---------- ---------- ---------- 41, 220 

1900 ______________ ------ ---------- 300 1, 333 1, 633 19,652 • 62 12, 184 32,026 .166 5, 316 ---------- ---------- ---------- 19, 133 

..1901 301 1, 249 1, 550 101, 359" . 60 60,815 55,944 .167 9, 343 ---------- ---------- ---------- 71,708 1902·----------------------------- 1868 4,085 5,953 3,149 .53 1,669 2,505 .122 306 64 $0.041 $3 7,931 

Jm.==mmml~~~~m~\mmm 'm l: m ~ ll1 l: ~~ l I, t}\m:[:::::\1~~: ::::;;f:id~~~~~m m~mmt~mm ~ m 

"1913 ____ ----------------1 49 935 5 940 434 . 604 262 24,058 . 155 3, 729 ---------- ---------- ---------- 4, 931 1914____________________ 66 435 11 446 517 . 553 286. i .32, 414 .133 4, 311 ---------- ---------- ---------· 5, 043 

.1915____________________ 169 1, 259 18 I, 277 1, 073 . 507 544 ·57, 320 .175 10,031 1---------- ---------- ---------- 11,852 

1916 197 "10 10 1,132 . 658 745 100,008 . 246 24,602 ---------- ---------- ---------· 25,357 

"1922 

~~g~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ =======~;= 251 ~~~ ~~~ ========== __________ . ~~i 322 17,968 _66~ 1. }: !r 

00 17,968 54~ ===~~=~~~= 61,119 =====·=~~~= . "135 ====~=~~= 8, 251 ========== ---------- ========== ---------- ---------- ========== 26,541 

7, ~~ 1.92.~:::::::::::::::::::: 101 177 ---------- 177 10,523 . 82 8, 629 17,857 .147 2, 625 ---------- ---------- ---------- 11,431 

----28.332~147,155 212,943 == 137.335 532,592 ==~---64-==---3- 278,392 

OURAY COUNTY 

Ray~ond in 1874 says of the Poughkeepsie mine: 21 

Across the Saguache Range, on the Uncompahgre, is another 

,good belt, on which is located the Poughkeepsie. Assays have 

21 Raymond, R. W., Mineral resources of the States and Territories west of the 

. Rocky Mountains fm: 1874, p. 385, 187_5. 

In his report for 1881 Burchard says: 26 

22 Raymond, R. W., op. cit. for 1875, pp. &.24-3(25, 1877. 

23 Burchard, H. C., Report of the Director of the Mint upon the production of the 

precious metals in the United States during the calendar year 1883, pp. 379-380, 1884 

u Burchard, H. C., op. cit. for 1880, pp. 156-157, 1881. 

u Purington, C. W ., Preliminary report on the mining industries of the Telluride 

quadrangle, Colo.: U. S. Geol. Survey Eighteenth Ann. Rept., pt. 3, p. 753, 1898. 

2e Burchard, H. C., op. cit. for 1881, pp. 354, 419-420, 1882 • 
OURAY COUNTY 183 

Three miles from the town of Ouray are the Belle of Ouray 

:and the Union, on Bear Creek. They are being worked to 

-their utmost capacity and dumping from 6 to 8 tons of ore per 

day that will average throughout from 100 to 140 ounces of 

.silver. 

In the Uncompahgre district the Silver Link and Silver Point 

mines, within 1 mile of Ouray, are being worked very success-

: fully by contract. These are also paying mines. * * * 

Both have about 500 feet of development and are producing 

ore that runs from 80 to 120 ounces of silver. 

About 2 miles from Ouray is the Mineral Farm, which is pro-

-ducing 10 to 12 tons of ore per day of a value that exceeds any 

ore yet extracted ,in this region. It is gray copper, brittle silver, 

.. and ga.lena, averaging from 300 to 400 ounces, mill run. * * * 

The principal mines of Mount Sneffels are the Virginius, 

Yankee Boy, Terrible, Portland, Sidney, Monongahela, El 

Dorado, Allied, Snow.Drift, Governor, Bessie Bascom, Revenue, 

Ethan Allen, Young America, Flagstaff, and Ruby Trust. 

In the Virginius the development consists of three levels and 

-two shafts, from which high-grade ore is taken from a pay 

.:streak of 38 inches. * * * 

Development work is being done upon all the principal mines 

-of the district; the ore taken out is piled upon the dump or in 

·ore cribs and will await the advent of the railroad. 

In his report for 1882 Burchard says: 27 

Ouray County is situated in the southwestern part of Colorado 

in what is generally known as the San Juan country. It is divided into six districts, viz, Uncompahgre, Red Mountain, and 

Sneffels [now Ouray County], and Upper San Miguel, Lower San 

Miguel, and Iron Springs [now San Miguel County]. 

Uncompahgre district is altogether tributary to Ouray Coun·-

-ty, though it is situated partly in San Juan County. * * * 

Red Mountain district, lately a portion of Uncompahgre, has 

:recently attracted· considerable attention. This portion of 

Ouray County was long known for its large galena lodes, but the 

-specimens obtained hardly ever ran more than 7 or 8 ounces of 

silver to the ton, until last summer some parties discovered a 

lode which they named the Yankee Girl. This lode shows 9 

feet of solid galena, running 80 ounces of silver to the ton and 

·65 per cent lead. Two shafts have been sunk on the vein, each 

·over 50· feet deep, showing the same amount of ore, only ·some-

-times changing into copper pyrites, and it is reported that some 

.runs as high as 800 ounces of silver. 

The Guston, Robinson, Genesee, Senate, Congress (San Juan 

·County), Humboldt, Hudson, Orphan Boy, and others also have 

,galena, but some of them have enough copper to make it advantageous to work the mine for that metal. 

In Sneffels district the lodes * * * extend in many in-

:stances into the Upper San Miguel district, and * * * the 

lodes nearly all point to Sneffels Peak. 

Then follow descriptions of mines in Sneffels district, including Revenue, Potosi, Wheel of Fortune 

{copy of settlement sheets .of ore to Pueblo show average of 7.96 ounces gold and 176.46 ounces silver), 

and in Virginius Basin the Terrible, Virginius (of 

which Burchard says: "With about 1,500 feet of levels 

and 370 feet of shafts this mine has sold ore to the 

value of $75,000, with between 300 and 400 tons, running fro:r:n 50 to 100 ounces silver to the ton"), El Dorado, Yankee Boy, and others. He continues: 

All the mines mentioned, besides many others, are more or less 

worked and have shipped or are shipping ore, but in all cases the 

bulk of the ore is too low grade to be shipped by burros and 

27 Burchard, H. C., op. cit. for 1882, pp. 394, 395, 509-515, 1883. 

wagons and is awaiting concentrating works and transportation 

facilities. 

Since September, 1882, the Denver & Rio .Grande Railroad 

has bee·n built within 30 miles, and this has increased considerably the shipments. By next summer it is expected that the 

railroad wi~l be completed to Ouray. 

In his report for 1883 Burchard says: 28 

By an act of the last legislature of Colorado this county was 

divided into Ouray and San Miguel counties. * * * The 

area of this county comprises all that territory drained by the 

headwaters of the Uncompahgre River * * * and is divided into three mining districts, Uncompahgre; Sneffels, and 

Red Mountain. * * * 

The "Mear's system," by which roads were built du~ing the 

past ·summer, has greatly facilitated to transportation of ore. 

Red Mountain.-The Yankee Girl has shipped during the year 

about 5,000 tons of ore, the lowest average netting about $125, 

while some shipments have run from $2,000 to $4,000. The 

record of the National Belle is little short of this. · * * * 

Sneffels district continues to show well. * * * 

The output of the Virginius mine during the year has been 

estimated at $70,000. The ore from which this was produced 

ran from 141 to 719 ounces of silver and 36 per cent of lead to 

the ton. * * * 

Uncompahgre district includes the mines in the vicinity of 

Ouray. * * * About one-half mile below and north of the 

town of Ouray is the Grand View * * * located 1875, 

* * * sold 1877. * * * Over 150 tons of ore have been 

treated running from $71 to $226 in gold and from 13 to 40 

ounces in silver per ton. * . * * Ore was treated at Argo, 

.Pueblo, and Lake City. The character of the ore is iron and 

copper pyrites, blue and green carbonates of copper in a quartz 

porphyry gangue. 

Red Mountain district takes its name· from a range of scarlet 

peaks part of which extend into Ouray County and part into 

San Juan County. 

The ores are of two kinds, galena and a copper ore that looks 

like an antimonial copper glance; that from the Hudson mine 

being very dark gray color, in fact nearly black; that from the 

Yankee Girl being of a gray color associated with copper pyrite; 

and that from the Orphan Boy having the usual beautiful 

colors of erubescite, and all these having the appearance of solid 

masses of metals, without gangue in them, and not having the 

combed or banded texture noticeable in all the ores of our 

vertical fissure quartz veins. 

On the 14th of August, 1881, John Robinson, while hunting 

in Red Mountain }>ark, picked up a boulder, and, being astonished at its weight, broke it in two and found it to be solid 

galena. He and his three partners went to work and soon discovered the enormous ore body now known as the Yankee 

Girl mine. · As no sides nor bottom could be found they could 

not determine how the vein lay' and so staked off two other 

claims adjacent, naming them the Robinson and Orphan Boy. 

This comprises what is known as the Yankee Girl Mining Co. 

The company immediately ptit men to work and ore shipments 

began, and from that time to this no break has ever occurred in 

the shipments. 

The ore body is about 40 feet thick, and two men have stoped 

. all the ore that with present facilities could be shipped. * * * 

There are in shafts and tunnels about 1,000 feet of development, 

which is being pushed with all the rapidity possible. The output 

for the year has been 3,000 tons of ore, worth $150 per ton, with 

a very high percentage of lead. * · * * 

The National Belle Silver Mining Co. owns the National 

Belle. Although capable of producing 50 tons of ore per day, 

this company has worked its mine with a view to thorough 

2s Burchard, H. C., op. cit. for 1883, pp. 240, 376-386, 1884. 
184 MINING IN COLORADO 

development, and what ore was taken out (700 tons) was 

removed in the course of development, the proceeds being used 

to defray expenses, which it has more than done. 

The ore is of the same character found in this locality, viz, 

gray copper and copper pyrites, with a gangue of quartz. 

The Red Mountain Review, under date of January 

5, 1884, gives the following estimate for the year 1883: 

Product of 1,025 tons of ore shipped by 

agents, Pueblo Smelting & Refining Co ______________________________ $21~ 000 

Virginius mine, 300 tons_____________ 69, 928 

Munn Bros. mill, 250 tons___________ 47, 531 

Bell Bros. mill, 137 tons_____________ 12,930 

·Emma Mountain, 102 tons___________ 9, 919 

National Belle, 980 tons_____________ 69, 600 . 

Hudson and Sailor Boy______________ 25, 100 

Yankee GirL_______________________ 400, 000 

Guston____________________________ 57,500 

Grand Exchange and 180 other mines, 

1,200 tons _______ ---- _____ ---- ___ _ 

Congress, 2,500 tons (San Juan County) 

Mineral King and 16 other mines, 1,500 

tons------------------~----------

90,000 

220,000 

112, 500 

Shipments from Car bonate King, Galena, and others _________________ _ 32, 750 

1,361, 758 

This estimate, even if it includes value of copper 

and lead, is more than three times greater than the 

estimate of the Director of the Mint. 

Burchard, in his report for 1884, says of the developments in O~ray County: 20 

The output of Ouray County for 1884 shows an ·increase of 

about 30 per cent. One of the greatest drawbacks to Ouray 

and vicinity is the lack of economical means of transportation, 

a3 of tb.e gral.t bu lk of mineral, after paying the costs of transporting from 35 to 50 miles in wagons, and the smelting charges' 

only a small profit remains for the producer. 

Red Mountain district.-The output of this section has been 

mainly from the following mines: Yankee Girl, National Belle 

Genesee, Hudson, Orphan Boy, Guston, Sailor Boy, Carbonate 

King, Denver, Treasure Trove, Grand Prize , Maud S., Guada-

}oupe, Galena, Lion, and Candice. 

The two leaiing mines, the Yankee Girl and the National 

Belle, are producing some 40 tons of ore per day, and the former 

is reported by some of the newspapers in Ouray to have produced over $600,000 worth of bullion, but these figures are 

d Jubtle3s exaggera. ted. 

In Sneffels district, the V irginius, Monongahela, and Sidney 

are said to have produced during the year; the Virginius, 

a}Jout 365 tons (some of which ran over 300 ounces in silver); 

the Monongahela, 315 tons; and the Sidney, 258 tons. 

In Uncompahgre district considerable development work was 

done, but on account of the low grade of ore but few mines 

n Burchard, H. C., op. cit. for 1884, pp. 177, 232-233, 1885. 

shipped. The shippers are said to have been the Rose, Golden 

Gate, Big Pigeon, Gold Finch, and Little Pigeon. 

The Dallas Placer Mining Co. was organized in 1883 ·to work 

extensive gravel deposits supposed to exist on the Uncompahgre River, at a point below the mouth of the Dallas. A 

hydraulic elevator capable of handling 2,000 cubic yards of 

gravel per day with a pressure of 300 feet has been erected, 

and work was commenced in October, 1883. The company 

are actively at work, although with what success is not known. 

The Camp Bird mine, in Imogene Basin above 

Ouray .•. which was operated from 1896 to June 30, 

1916, when ore ceased to be taken out to allow a low 

level adit 10,700 feet long to be driven to cut the 

vein 450 feet below the bottom of the shaft and to 

drain the mine, has been one of the most famous of 

Colorado mines, and the profit made at the mine 

has probably represented the highest percentage of 

gross value of output of any mine in the State. The 

profit at the mine represents 65 per cent of the money 

actually received at the mine for products sold, after 

hauling, railroad freights, and smelting charges had 

been deducted from the gross value of concentrates 

shipped, and express and freight charges had been 

deducted from the bullion sold. The adit was completed, but insufficient ore was found to operate the 

mill at a profit, so the mine has been unproductive 

from 1916 to 1923. 

The story of the Camp Bird is given in an article in 

the Engineering and Mining Journal, 30 which recites 

the staking of the Una and Gertrude claims in 1877 

and their development. The writer gives assays· 

showing knowledge of the existence of ore carrying 

$12 to $20 in gold, but owing to the fact that smelters 

did not pay for ore carrying less than 1 ounce of gold, 

to the $45 pack rate of ore to Silverton, to the $35 

smelting charge, and in addition to the failure of the 

mill and of ·the company organized to operate it in 

1881, the claims were abandoned. In 1896 came the· 

rediscovery of rich ore by Thomas F. Walsh, who 

was then operating a pyritic smelter at Ouray. 

Rickard says: 81 

In September, 1896, Thomas F. Walsh examined the abandoned workings of the Gertrude claim and broke some samples,. 

which were sent to Ouray to be assayed. They contained 

several ounces of gold per ton. More samples were then taken 

and sent to Leadville for assay. * * * He set to work to. 

so Denver correspondence, The true story of the Camp Bird discovery: Eng. and 

Min. Jour., vol. 89, p. 1266, 1910. 

at Rickard, T. A., Two famous mines; The Camp Bird: Min. and Sci. Press, voL 

103, pp. 827-828, 1911. 
OURAY COUNTY. 185 

acquire the ground, buying abandoned claims on tax titles, 

until he had consolidated a large property. He also located 

a claim called the Camp Bird next to the Gertrude and gave 

the name of this new claim to his consolidated property. In 

1900 he owned 103 mining claims and 12 millsites, covering 

941 acres altogether. * * * 

I appraised the mine [in July, 1900] at $6,000,000: At that 

date the mine had yielded $2,535,512 gross apd a profit of 

$1,650,000. * * * Messrs. Hammond and Baker resumed 

negotiations, but it was not until April, 1902, that they finally 

closed the deal. * * * In the meanwhile Walsh had 

extracted about $1,500,000 worth of ore from which he had 

made $750,000 in profit. · 

By the new deal Walsh was to receive $3,500,000 in cash and 

$500,000 in shares * * * and he was to obtain a further 

$2,000,000 * * * in the form of a royalty of 25 per cent on 

profits from ore not then considered sufficiently proved. 

He received the last part of this deferred payment before his 

death, in March, 1910, so that he obtained a total of $6,000,000 

for his mine. * * * 

Production of Camp Bird mine, 1896-1916, inclusive 

[Compiled by C. W. Henderson] 

Value re- ceived of Profit at 

Ore recovered Average the mines 

metallic and mill, (short contents value exclusive tons) (gold, per ton of depresilver, lead, ciation 

copper) 

--- --- From 1896 to July, 1900 o _______________ --------- $2,535,512 --------- $1,650,000 

July, 1900, to April1902 °.-------------- ""66;825- 1, 500,000 --------- 750,000 

May 12, 1902, b to April30, 1903 •------- 1, 974,705 $29. 55 1, 293,007 

Year ending April30, I904 •------------ 70,543 1, 922, 26I 27.24 1, 217, 784 

Year ending April 30, I905 •----------- 74,674 2, 343,553 31.38 I, 656,302 

Year ending April30, 1906 •------------ 66,223 1, 892,203 28.57 I, 23I, 865 

Year ending April30, 1907 •------------ 38,295 I, 339,864 34.99 925,313 

Yoa,.nd!ng Ap•!l30, 1908 • _____ -------~ 80,087 2, 071,068 d 25. 91 1, 398,559 

Year endmg April30, I909 •------------ 80, 157 2, 269,022 28.31 1, 021,484 Year ending April30, I91QC. ____________ . 79,714 2, 645,021 33.18 1, 974 212 

Year ending April30, 1911 •- _ ---------- 79, 186 1, 812,572 22.89 1, 128,468 

May 1, 1911, to June 30, 1912 •---------- 66,505 I, 742,041 26. 15 1, 135, 292 

Year ending June 30, 1913 •------------- 30,012 675,630 22.51 270,042 

Year ending June 30, 1914 •------------- 30,595 801,079 26.19 397,321 

Year ending June 30, 1915 •------------- 32,313 952,288 , ... 29.47 583,701 

Year ending June 30, 1916 •------------- 25,001 791,749 30.92 498,438 

Total, May 12, 1902, to June 30, 

1916.--------------------------- 820,730 23,234,256 --------- 15,331,788 

Total, 1896, to June 30, 1916 ...• __ --------- 27,269,768 --................... 17,731, 7Ss 

o From Rickard, T. A., op. cit. b Date of acquisition by Camp Bird (Ltd.). • From printed annual reports of Camp Bird (Ltd.). d Average of 78,996 dry tons of new ore yielding $2,046,068. There were also treated 

1,121 tons of mixed ore from stamp mill wreck of 1906. 

Division of value of metallic content extracted, Carnp Bird mine, 

1902-1916, inclusive a 

[Compiled by C. W. Henderson] 

Period 

I 

Gold Silver Lead I Copper Total 

May 12, 1902, to April 30, 1903 •• $1,902,722 $51,219 $20,764 ---$469" $1,974,705 Year ending April30,.1904 •••.• 1, 857,271 50, 151 14,370 1, 922,261 Year ending April 30, 1905. ____ 2, 265,093 62,506 15,583 371 2,343, 553 Year ending April30, 1906 •••.. 1, 807,600 57,796 26, 171 636 I,892, 203 Year ending April30, I907 ----- I, 273,476 44,198 22,115 75 I, 339,864 Year ending April 30, 1908 ..•.• I, 963,839 68,546 38,376 307 2, 071,068 Year ending April30, 1909 ..•.. 2, 176,634 63,117 27,211 2,660 2, 269,622 Year ending April30, 1910 •.•.. 2, 526,437 75, 178 40,395 3,611 2, 645,621 Year ending April 30, I9IL •..• 1, 685,980 71,436 46,748 8,408 1, 812, 572 

May 1, 1911, to June 30, 1912 ..•• 1, 548,533 130,846 37,997 24,665 1, 742,041 Year ending June 30, 1913 ______ 579,291 67,018 15,775 13,546 675,630 Year ending June 30, 1914 •••.•. 700,880 72,206 13,378 14,615 801,079 Year ending June 30, 1915 ______ "873, 717 . 58,015 11, 191 9, 365 952,288 Year ending June 30, 1916 ••.... 723,421 48,441 8,988 IO, 889 791,749 

21,884,894 920,673 339,062 89,617 23,234,256 

• From printed annual reports of Camp Bird (Ltd.). 

Value of metallic output of Camp Bird mine, by plants, 1902-1916, 

inclusive a 

[Compile•! by C. W. H mrterson) 

I Recovery of contents of crude ore 

Stamp Cyanide I 

Period Total mill mill i Gold I Gold and Total 

I silver 

-------------- I 

May 12, I902, to Apr. 30, 'Per centl Per cent Per cent 1903 _____________________ $1,842,817 $131,888 $1,974,705-------- -------- 90 Year ending Apr. 30, 1904 .. 1, 786,476 135,785 1, 922,261 93.5 -------- Year ending Apr. 30, 1905 .. 2, 203,862 139,691 2, 343,553 93.4 ·-------- Year ending Apr. 30, 1906 .. 1, 731, 591 160,612 1, 892,203 93.4 -------- -------- Year ending .A:pr. 30, 1907 __ 1, 235,355 104,509 I, 339,864 93.75 -------- -------- Year ending Apr. 30, 1908 .. 1, 880,214 190,854 2, 071,068 .93. 84 -------- -------- Year ending Apr. 30, I909 __ 2, 074,952 194,670 2, 269,622 94.08 -------- -------- Year ending Apr. 30, 1910 .. 2,448,869 196,752 2, 645,621 95.00 -------- -------- Year ending Apr. 30, 1911.. 1, 688,H2 124,460 I, 812,572 94.87 -------- -------- May 1, 1911, to June 30, I 

1912.-------------------- I, 629,136 112,905 1, 742,041 94.68 -------- -------- Year ending June 30, 1913 .. 629,574 46,056 675,630 . 93. 79 -------- -------- Year ending June 30, 19f4 __ 761,331 39,748 801,079 -------- 94 -------- Year ending June 30, 1915 .. 905,292 46,996 952,288 96.03 94.31 Year ending June 30, 1916 .. 756,240 35,510 791,750 97.13 95.19 -------- --------- 21,573,821 1, 660,436 23,234,257 I 

,. From printed annual reports of Camp Bird (Ltd.). 

Ore shipped from Calliope mine, nea1· Ouray, Colo., and its 

contents in gold, silver, and lead 

[Compiled by V. C. Heikes, from records of G. E: Kedzie, M. E., Ouray, Colo., 

Nov. 1, 1890) 

Date Weight of Gold Silver Lead ore 

------

Pounds Ounces Ounces Pounds Prior to 1887 ______________________________ 3,120 185 During 1887 to July 9 ______________________ 13,311 2.15 1, 315 Nov. 28,1887, to Feb. 29, 1888 _____________ 356, 145 57.69 44,001 66,395 Jan. 5 to Dec. 19, 1888 ____________ ··-------- 737, 250 112.00 82,769 147,450 January to December, 1889 ________________ 3, 795,484 476. 15 180,201 329,647 January to July, 1890 _______ ·--------------- 1, 278,997 770.68 45,892 152, 119 

6,184,307 1, 418.67 354,363 695,811 

The figures for 1885 in the Ouray County table 

have been interpolated to correspond with the total 

production of the State. 

The figures for 1886 to 1896 have been derived from 

reports of the agents of the mint, in annual reports 

of the Director of the Mint, the gold and silver being 

prorated to correspond with the figures for the total 

production of the State as corrected by the Director 

of the Mint, the lead being prorated to correspond 

with the total production of lead for the State as 

given in Mineral Resources, and any unknown production in the State being distributed proportionately 

among the counties. As with lead so with copper, 

but as the figures for copper given in Mineral Resources include copper from m~tte and ores treated 

in Colorado, though produced in other States, they 

are subject to revision. 

For 1897 to 1908 the figures in the table on page 186, 

which represent smelter and mint receipts, are taken 

from reports of the Colorado State Bureau of Mines. 

For 1904 to 1923 the figures are taken from Mineral 

Resources (mines reports). 
186 MINING IN COLORAOO 

Gold, silver, copper, lead, and zinc produced in Ouray County, 1878-1923 

Silver Copper Lead Zinc 

Ore I Aver- Aver- Aver- Aver- Total Year (short Lode gold age age age age value tons) Fine 

ounces price Value Pounds price Value Pounds price Value Pounds price Value 

per per per per ounce pound pound pound 

- -------

1878.-------- --------- a $5,000 a 38,672 $1.15 I $44,473 ------------ ------· ----------- ------------ ------- .................... -- ___________ ! _______ 

--------- $49,473 1879 _________ --------- a 8,500 a 38,672 1.12 I 43,313 ------------ ------- ----------- a 198,781 $0.041 $8, 150 ----------- ------- --------- 59,963 

1880 __ ------- --------- a 8, 500 a 69,610 1. 15 80,052 ---a- iii6; ii66- $6:i82- ....................... -- a 200,000 .05 10,000 ---·------- ------- --------- 9f),552 188L ___ ----- --------- a 55,000 a 85,078 1.13 I 96, 138 $18,200 a 230,000 . 048 11,040 ----------- ------- --------- 180,378 

I 1882 _________ --------- a 70,000 0 77,344 1.14 88,172 a 500,000 .191 

1883.-------- --------- 20,000 386,719 1.11 429,258 a 400,000 .165 

1884_-------- --------- 10,500 572,344 1.11 635,302 a 363, 125 .13 

1885_-------- --------- 10,000 900,000 1.07 963,000 0 400,000 .108 

95,500 a 230,000 .049 11,270 

66,000 a 1, 170,000 .043 50,310 

47,206 0 3,000,000 . 037 111,000 

43,200 0 4,400,000 .039 171,600 

----------- ------- --------- ----------- ------- --------- ----------- ------- --------- ----------- ------- ---------

264,942 

565,568 

804,00 

1, 187,80 8· 

0 I 1886_-------- --------- 26,241 993,867 .99 I 983,928 . 400,000 . 111 44,400 3, 208,000 .046 147,568 ----------- ..................... --------- 1, 202,137 1887_ ________ --------- 22,853 952,255 .98 933,210 666,000 .138 91,908 2, 668,135 .045 120,066 ----------- ------- --------- 1, 168,037 

1888.-------- --------- 24,289 789,396 .94 I 742,032 579,100 . 168 97,289 3, 259,904 . 044 143,436 ----------- ------- --------- 1,007,04 

1889--------- --------- 26,436 913,254 .. 94 

I 

858,459 397,804 . 135 53,704 4, 704,261 . 039 183,466 ----------- ------- --------- 1,122,065 

1890_-- ------ --------- 353, 133 2, 791,626 1.05 2, 931,207 665,754 . 156 103,858 4, 228,803 . 045 190,296 ----------- ------- --------- 3, 578,494 

:~~:: :::::::i::::: ::::1 478,750 2;273,054 .99 2, 250,323 865,044 .128 110,726 4,168,887 .043 179,262. ----------- 3, 019,061 

138,688 754,1141 .87 I 656,079 638,875 .116 74, 109 8, 012; 729 .04 320,509 1----------- === == =}= = == ==== 

1, 189,385 1893- ________ ! _________ 188,854 1, 221, 155 . 78 

I 952,501 600,000 .108 64,800 8,000,000 . 037 296,000 '--- -------- 1, 502, 155 

1894_-------··1- -------- 178,138 995,153 .63 626,946 600,000 .095 57,000 4, 422,000 .033 145,926 ! ----------- ------- ------·-- 1,008,010 

~~~~= = = = = = = == ~ = = = = == == = 

172,697 1, 515,693 .65 ( 985,200 600,000 .107 64,200 5, 747,003 . 032 183,904 ~----------- ------- --------- 1, 406,001 

141,046 2, 371,912 .68 I 1,612, 900 217,310 .108 23,469 6, 599,143 . 03 197,974 ----------- -------------·-- 1, 975,389 1897--.-- ____ 1_ -------- 552,840 2, 776,394 .60 I 1, 665,836 2,185,084 .12 262,210 7, 784,212 .036 280,232 ----------- ------- --------- 2, 761,118 

lg~~= = ======J======== 

852,555 1,420, 330 .59 I 837,995 1, 035,562 .124 128,410 2, 799,936 .038 106,398 1----------- 1, 925,35 I ------- --------- 1,694,940 2, 346,194 .60 I 1,407, 716 305,177 .171 52,185 7, 556, 386 .045 340,037 ! ___________ $6.-044- -- ""$886" 3,494, 878 1, 437,909 1, 985,267 .62 1, 230,866 .352, 368 .166 58,493 9, 478,657 .044 

~~~: ~g~ !--~-~~~-~~~- 3,145,209 1901 _________ --------- 1, 546,323 '1, 633,725 . 60 I 980,235 652,937 .167 109,040 I 7, 904,724 .043 ------- ---------1 2, 975,501 

1902_- ------- --------- 2,420, 726 789,855 . 53 l 418,623 526,541 .122 64,238 4, 262,063 . 041 174,745 ----------- ------- ---------1 3,078, 332 

1903.-------- --------- 2, 171,508 417,343 .54 225,365 380,409 .137 52,116 3, 350,569 .042 140,724 -----5,-oifi- --.-ii5i" I 2,589, 713 

1904.------- 91,244 2, 174,361 294,028 . 58 170,536 431,048 .128 55, 174 2, 044,525 .043 87,915 256 2,488, 242 

1905_- ------- 98,966 2, 333,282 758, 107 . 61 

I 

462,445 524,199 . 156 81,775 5, 348,264 . 047 251,368 48,267 .059 2,848 3, 131,718 1906 _________ 48,468 992, 179 916,256 .68 623,054 662,111 .193 127,787 5, 721,599 .057 326, 131 10,377 . 061 633 2, 069,784 1907 ________ . 96,662 2,415, 049 352,519 . 66 232,663 908,675 : ~~2 I 181,735 3, 606,699 .053 191, 155 30,407 .059 1, 794 3, 022,396 

1908.-------- 96,493 2,028, 698 415,070 . 53 219,987 1, 019,574 134,584 3, 033,352 .042 127,401 ----------- ------- --------- 2, 510,670 

1909--------· 103,864 3,044, 825 345,815 . 52 179,824 984,269 .13 127,955 2, 813,932 . 043 120,999 19, 148 . 054 1,034 3, 474,637 HllO .. _______ 111,245 2, 195,847 414,250 .54 223,695 620,236 . 127 78,770 4, 004,728 .044 176,208 ----------- ------- --------- 2, 674,520 191L. _______ 133,252 1, 952,958 512,800 . 53 271,784 564,273 . 125 70,534 3, 949,822 . 045 177,742 ----------- _____ ..... --------- 2, 473,018 1912 _________ 89,975 1, 049,590 . 545, 177 . 615 335,284 400,552 . 165 66,091 2, 989,044 . 045 134,507 140,667 .069 9, 706 1, 595, 17 

6 

1913.-------- 97,336 959,377 537,634 .604 324,731 500,329 . 155 77,551 2, 180,591 .044 95,946 200,429 .056 11,224 1,468, 829 

1914_- ------- 105,560 1, 211,993 594,289 . 553 328,642 854,038 .133 113,587 2, 119,564 .039 82,663 44,608 . 051 2, 275 1, 739,160 

1915--------- 103,258 1, 118,016 576,621 . 507 292,347 863,851 . 175 151, 174 1, 990,681 . 047 93,562 7, 282 .124 903 1, 656,00 

1916--------- 111,192 '491, 175 803,461 . 658 528,677 444,081 . 246 . 109,244 2, 339,029 .069 161,393 69,015 .134 9,248 1, 299,737 

1911--c------ 86,523 92,831 868,097 . 824 715,312 179,553 . 273 49,018 2, 031, 721 . 086 174,728 53~. 794 .102 54,345 1, 086,234 

1918_- ------- 79,653 107,645 801,359 1.00 801,359 153, 117 . 247 37,820 2, 587,915 . 071 183,742 39,297 .091 3,576 1, 134,14 1919 _________ 64,465 92,338 627,659 1.12 702,978 .. 112, 188 . .186 20,867 1, 782,868 .053 94,492 23,343 .073 1, 704 912,379 

1920_ ~ -----·- 40, 195 33,777 465,577 1.09 507,479 86,881 . .184 15,986 1, 334,575 .08 106,766 ----------- ------- --------- 664,008 

192L _ ------- 69,232 73,229 730,970 1. 00 730,970 85,039 . 129 10,970 1, 208,399 . 045 54,378 -------·---- ------- --------- 869,547 1922 _________ 123,096 125,960 1, 226,670 1.00 1, 226,670 58,149 . 135 7,850 1, 484,526 . 055 81,649 ----------- ------- 1,442,129 1923 _________ 87,260 59,207 840,044 .82 688, 8~6 44,197 . 147 6, 497 1, 538,027 . 07 107,662 ----------- ---~--- --------- 862,202 

--------- 35, 167,763 141,735,429 -------132,246,402 22,927,450 ---·--- 3,307, 230 161, 694, 054 ------- 7, 111,284 1, 190,650 ---·-~· 100,426 77,933,10 

.o Estimated by C. W. Henderson. 

PARK COUNTY 

Raymond's reports give much information about 

the early mining developments in Park County. In 

his report for 1870 he says: 32 . 

The only quartz-mining· company at work in this county of 

which I have any information is the Pioneer, which was at work 

during part of the year and is reported to have produced $40,000 

in four months. The placer mines of the county .have yielded 

perhaps as much more, paying rather .less than $3 per day per 

hand for a season of say, five months. · 

In his report for 1871 he describes the conditions 

in Park County as follows: ~ 

Nllw silver discoveries on Mounts Lincoln and Bross * * * 

late in July or early in August. * * * 

On Mount Bross, the Moose, owned by Myers, Plummer & 

Dudley, is opened on the surface about 400 feet in length and 

in depth about 20 feet. The vein is about 2 feet wide, and the 

ore averages by assay $460 per ton. The company were preparing to ship 30 tons of ore to Swansea, Wales, in November; 

cost of shipment. will not exceed $70 per ton. This company 

also own the Dwight, which is developed similarly to the above, 

and contains about the same grade of ores. Ten tons from 

.this will be shipped, making 40 tons in all. * * * 

32 Raymond, R. W., Statistics of mines and mining in the States and Territories 

west of the Rocky Mountains for 1370, p. 332, 1372. 

33 Raymond, R. W., op. cit. for 1371, pp. 36&--366, 1873. 

The discoveries have been preempted as "lodes," "10-acre· 

lots," "160 acres," and "1,500 feet square," thus showing that. 

nobody is certain in which form the mineral bodies occur.' Mr~ 

Stevens, I am informed, started the "acre" method, and 

called it "placer ground." 

·The early history of the mines of Park County and_ 

the development in 1872 are s_et forth in the report 

for 1872 as follows: 34 

Previous condition of mining affairs in Park County.-From 

1859 to the present time placer and lode mining have beep. conducted in Park County with greater or less success. It is impossible to form any correct esj;imate of the total production 

in gold for that time, but it will probably fall short of $2,750,000. 

The placers have 'been mined principally by the slow and expensive method of rocking and ground-sluicing. Within the 

last two years more economical processes have been introduced, and gravel which ·a few years ago would not pay over $2: 

a day to the man will now yield $5 to $10 and even $20. 

This increase in production and corresponding diminution ir1 

expense has· been effected by substituting water p_ower for 

manl}al labor. During the past summer several parties have-

. introduced the system of booming. This consists in collecting 

water in a reservoir until a strong head is obtained and then 

letting it over the bank to be washed in a bociy. :.The powerful 

current carries down trees, boulders, and all other impedimentsr 

and moves more dirt in a single hour than could formerly be 

excavated in a day. 

31 Raymond, R. W., op. cit. for 1572, pp. 296-299, 1873. 
. PARK COUNTY 187 

The history of the gold lodes of this district is exactly the 

same as that of Central, Gold Dirt, Empire, and many other 

mining camps in this Territory. The top quartz, decomposed 

and prepared by nature for amalgamation,, was easily mined 

and readily treated. Large companies were formed, extensive 

mills built, and much money expended. As soon as the sulphurets were reached, the mills were closed and operations on 

the mines suspended, as it was found impossible to treat the 

pyritous ores successfully by amalgamation. There are a large 

number of gold leads at Hamilton, Montgomery, and Mosquito, which only require proper treatment to render them 

profitable. Concentration and smelting would appear to be the 

most effectual and economical method .of handling these ores. 

Present condition of mining affairs.-Mining has received a 

powerful impulse during the· past year from the rich silver discoveries in Lincoln· and Bross mountains. Although no great 

amount of money. has as yet been taken out, ·the discoveries 

have caused an influx ·of prospectors and capitalists and called 

attention to the wonderful riches of the whole Mosquito Range 

from Ute Pass (head of Michigan Creek) to Buffalo Peaks.·. 

The summer of 1872 was unusually cold and stormy, but in th.e 

face of these drawbacks, and· in spite. of the fact that nine men 

out of ten were prospecting and not mining, the South Park 

mines have produce(:~ about 1,500.:tons~of. ore, which has been 

sold 1for ·about $150,000., ·I estimate the cost of mining and 

transporting this· ore at· $70.;000, leaNing a net profit of $80,000 

fot the· working season of four. mo.nths. This ore has been 

principally ·purchased. by a branch nf~the Boston.,& Colorado 

Smelting Co.·. and ·by the · Mount Lincoln ·Smelting Works. 

The latter works have been in successful operation since December 1 of 'this Y.ear, are purchasing for cash all ores .offered, and 

smelting daily about 10: ton.S.- They .use a. blast furnace 3 by 

3~ feet in size and 12 feet high. Tile fmmace has three tuyeres, 

and the blast is furnished by a Sturtevant's ·.No. 7 pressure 

blower.. The products are lead riches and copper matte, all 

of which are shipped to Germany. for further treatment.. The 

prices paid =for ore are liberal, being from $20 to. $·50 higher than 

can· be realized by shipping to St .. Louis or Swansea. 

The silver discoveries on Lincoln and: Bross .this summer have 

been very numerous. "' * · * · A .very large nuniber. of silver mines. have been discovered on 

the.south .slop~ .of Buckskin Mountain. · * * * 

Future· prospect of mining affairs.-:: * * *· .. Messrs. J. H. 

Dudley & Co. have.nine men on .. the Moose, and next season. 

will employ some 50 or 60 more on their other mines. Manv 

othe·r operators have an~.~nced. tl}eir intention of mining o~ . 

Lincoln and . Bross and ··also extending their operations to 

Ham~lton, Montgomery,. :auckskin, Mosquito, and Horseshoe. 

It is als.o probable that large smelting works will be erected in 

the latter district, to reduce the argentiferous ·lead ores that 

are found there in great abundance. * * .* It is confidentlv 

expected that .a railroad will be built into the Park during th~ 

coming year. 

The Phillips mine.-This mine, * * * one of the most 

important gold lodes of this district, * * * was discovered 

in Buckskin Gulch in 1860, by Joseph Higginboth~m, alias 

"Buckskin Joe." In June, 1861, twelve persons were working 

on it. In September of the same year the town of Buckskin 

contained 1,000 inhabitants. From June 18 to October 19, 

Stansell, Bond, and Harris, who owned 200 feet ,of this lead, 

took out $50,000. · The process they employed 'vas ve:ry simple. 

Tlie top quartz and dirt. was run through sluices, and the headings .were r·eworked in arrastre~; yielding· $3'50 per. cord. The' 

retorted gold sold.for·$16 per ounce, 'coin. . . 

"During the same season ·ab'out $25,000 was taken out by 

other parties. The lode was worked until 1863, whe'n sulphurets w~re reached, which could not be treated by ordinary mill 

process:·~ Th~ tht!tl yield of't~e 1qde ·has bee11"' about· $250;ooo, 

although many' claim \,it to··Ii·a:ve beem 'rinicH ,·gre.ater. ·* · .* '*'/: 

The Moose.-This representative silver mine of the newly 

discovered limestone formation (as distinguished from the 

deposits in quartzite) was discovered in July, 1871, by Captain 

Plummer. The "Dwight," probably an extension of the same, 

was discovered in June, 1869, by Plummer & Myers. · In 1871 

this property was sold to Dudley & Co., who took out the same 

season from the Moose 30 tons yielding 300 ounces per ton; 

from the Dwight, 15 tons, yielding 275 oun<;es per ton. As 

this mineral was shipped to Swansea exactly as it was taken 

from the mine, without any sorting or other preparation, the 

yield is ·very· remarkable. * * * The principal silverbearing minerals ·are galena and various decompositions of 

copper pyrites; much carbonate of lead is also found. · The ore 

require~ no sorting and is e{losily smelted. During the summer 

of 1872, 300 tons of this ore were sold to the Mount Lincoln 

Smelting Works, yielding $350 per ton. * * * · All the ore 

from it has been packed to timber line upon jacks. The elevation of .the mine above sea level is something over 13,000 feet. 

Placer mines.-There is an immense area of gravel deposits. 

in the South Park, which, owing to the high price of labor and· 

imperfect methods of working, has never yet b.een touched. 

F:rom personal observation ancl. careful compilation . of ·the 

statements of our most. experienced gulch miners, I estimate 

that there are no 'less than 15 square miles. of/ placer ground' 

which will yield $8 per d~y to the man by an extensive and 

eco~om.ical method of working. · · 

In the immediate vicinity of Fair Play since the founding of 

that ~own about $1,000,000 wor~h of gulch gold has been taken. 

out, at an expense of $500,000. The gold is worth on an 

averag.e $18.50 per ounce, coin. 

The following analysis, m.a4e by myself,. will show the.; 

nature of the alloy; Gold, 89.42 per cent; silver, 9.92 per cent; 

copper, trac"e; total, 99.34 per cent; spec.ific gravity, 15.11. 

In the neigh.borhood of Hamilton and Tarryall placer mining 

ha~ been prosecuted since August, 185~, and has yielded about 

$1,000,000.. There are. still some 2,000 acres of gravel left, .. 

which will yield from $5 to $12 per day to the man. . This gold 

comes principally from the lodes above Ha~ilton, which are 

nume.rous- and large but -can not be worked profitably by 

ordinary mill process. 

The Bank mine of Messrs. Mills and Hodges, on the Platte, · 

about 4 miles above Fair Play, has been worked for three years. · 

In that time, 2,000 days' labor have been expended upon the · 

mine at an expense of $3 per day. Forty-five thousand cubic· 

yards of gravel have been washed, yielding $19,350, or 43 ·cents 

per cubic yard. Average work per day per man has been 22% 

yards, producing $9.675. Their ditch is 3 miles long, 6 feet 

wide at the top· and 4 feet at the bottom, with a quarter of an 

inch fall to the rod. It carries about 900 inches of water. 

* · ·* * They use· a hydraulic pipe with a 70-foot head and 

an ·inch and a quarter nozzle and have a 2-foot flume, 220 feet 

long, paved with block ripples. They intend next summer to · 

construct a 5-foot flume and use the booming method. Their· 

average depth of gravel is 21 feet and is increasing rapidly. 

The ground pays more or less from the grass roots, but the 

principal·money is found on a stratum of hardpan 5 feet above. 

bedrock. The gold is mostly in the shape of shot and sells 

for $18 per ounce. 

Messrs.· Pease and . Freeman ha~e been working a gulch· 

mine on Beaver Creek, about 1 mile from Fair Play, for eight 

years·. The first year they worked· five men and took out 58 

cents [per yard?]. Since then they have expended $20,000 in · 

running a flume 2 feet wide and three-fourths of a mile_lqng, 

and have opened up ai1 inexhaustible area of half-otince 

diggings. * · * * · ·Messrs. J. W. Smith and Fred Clarke have pl,lrchas.ed nearly 

all the olaims on the Platte River about 2 miles above. and. 

below the town of ·Fair ·Play. They hav'e bought out soine 36 
188 MINING IN COLORADO 

men and are running a flume 6 feet high and 6 feet wide with 

a grade of 2 inches to 12 feet. 

The season of 1872 was spent in preliminaries, but there is 

no:doubt that in the future the enterprise will be self-sustaining until bedrock is reached, when very large pay is expected, 

as the dirt has yielded as "high as $41 a day to the man, by 

shoveling into sluices. 

Burchard 35 says in his report for 1883, regarrung 

the production prior to 1~71: 

Up to the time of the silver discoveries in 1871 the gold 

lodes and placers had produced about $2,500,000, principally 

obtained prior to 1866. 

Raymond gives the following details in his report 

for 1873: 36 

The bullion product of this county shows an increase over 

that of last year. This is largely due to the great activity in 

placer mining, many hundreds of acres of new ground having 

been opened dming the year in the South Park ancl elsewhere, 

while, at the same time, the older claims have been successfullv 

operated as heretofore. A considerable share in the increa;e 

is, however, owing to the erection and successful work of the 

two smelting works which have been built in the Park. The 

one at Dudley, on the upper Platte, at the foot of Mounts 

J .. incoln and Bross, was erected by Mr. Edward D. Peters, jr., 

mining engineer, and I am indebted to this gentleman for 

notes in regard to the works and the operations during the 

year. 

Before the works were built it was the common belief that 

large amounts of lead ores could be secured in the vicinity, 

especially from the Horseshoe mine. As the rich silver ores 

from Lincoln and Bross contain a great deal of lime, heavy 

spar, and also considerable galena, Mr. Peters thought that, 

taking all the circumstances together, it would be best to 

erect a blast furnace, as ores o_f the above description, together 

with ores rich in lead, can be most advantageously treated 

in such works. The furnace erected was a square one, 10 feet 

6 inches high from the tuyeres to the charge hole, and 36 by 

42 inches in section at the tuyeres. Of the latter, three, of 

1%-inch nozzle diameter, were originally inserted, and a No. 7 

Sturtevant blower, giving at 2,600 revolutions per minute 

about U -inch pressure of mercury, furnished the blast. Subsequently the number of tuyeres was increased to six, and the 

results were highly beneficial. 

These works were finished in November, 1872, and commenced smelting in December of that year. But as no adequate supply of lead ores could be obtained, it was decided to 

produce copper matte and ship it abroad for separation of the 

metals contained in it.· This plan was adopted with much 

reluCtance by Mr. Peters, as the large amount of sulphate of 

baryta, which the ores at his disposal contained, was certain 

to prevent tlie production of a very concentrated matte at the 

first smelting. 

Three distinct varieties of ores were at Mr: Peters's disposal 

at the time: (1) The largest quantity came from the limestone 

formation of Lincoln and Bross· Mountains, containing the 

following elements in about the following proportions: Sulphate 

of baryta, 55 per cent; carbonate of lime, 20 per cent; silica, 

20 per cent; sulphide of lead, 5 per cent, and assaying about 

140 ounces per ton in silver. (2) Copper ores from the porphyritic belt in Mosquito district, containing, approximately, 

sulphuret of iron, 20 per cent; copper pyrites, 20 per cent; 

zinc blende, 25 per cent; silica, 20 per cent, and sulphate of 

baryta, 15 per cent, and assaying 30 ounces in silver and 2 

ao Burchard, H. C., Report of the Director of the Mint upon the production of 

the precious metals in the United States during the year 1883, p. 386, 1884. 88 Raymond, R. W., op. cit. for 1873, pp. 284, 304-308, 1874. 

ounces in gold per ton. (3) Ores from the quartzite formation 

underlying the limestone of Buckskin district, containing silica, 

70 per cent; sulphide of lead, 10 per cent; sulphide of antimony, 

1.0 per cent; zinc ble.nde 10 per cent, and assaying 18 ounces in 

stlver per ton. . 

The only material to flux charges made out of these ores was 

iron pyrites from the Phillips mine in Buckskin Gulch containing 75 per cent of sulphuret of iron and 25 per cent o'f gangue, 

consisting of silica and sulphate of baryta. This ore assaved 

about $6 per ton in gold and cost $10 delivered at the furn;ce. 

It was roasted in open heaps at an expense of $2 per ton. The 

only fuel at the disposal of the works was charcoal burnt from 

spruce, which was delivered at the stock bank for 15 cents per 

bushel of 2,6.50 cubic inches. It weighed only 11% pounds 

per bushel, and contained 18 per cent of moisture and 2 per 

cent of ashes, while 30 per cent was lost by screening and handling. It was capable of reducing only 24 parts of lead oxide to 

lead. It is clear that this coal was,· an things considered, about 

the poorest and most expensive fuel which could be used for 

suc}:l work. 

·The usual method of preparing and blowing in the furnace 

was as follows: The hearth and the forehearth were packed 

with a mixture of two parts of ground charcoal and three parts 

of clay, which was firmly tamped in with .tamping irons. The 

crucible was cut out so that its deepest point was in front, 

where the tap hole was located. This was 18 inches below the 

lE:wel of the tuyeres. From here the bottom of the crucible 

ascended rapidly toward the back wall to within 8 inches below 

the tuyeres. The crucible was dried thoroughly for several 

days by means of charcoal brands, and, last of all, an 8-inch 

breast of common red brick was put in and secured by wedging. 

Mter this the furnace was gradually filled to the throat with 

good charcoal, great care being taken to keep it free from stones 

and earth. As soon as the flame came through at the throat 

a very light blast was put on, and 6 shovels of slag (19 pounds 

each) were charged, alternating with 18 scoops of charcoal 

( 4% pounds each). In about an hour and twenty minutes the 

slag sank to the tuyeres, and, if it appeared perfectly liquid, 

the charge was gradually increased, until in about 8 hours a 

burden of 16 shovels of slag was obtained. If the slag then 

continued perfectly liquid, running over the lip in a free stream, 

two shovels of slag were replaced by ore, and this substitution 

of ore for slag was continued from time to time, until on the 

second day the furnace reached its regular burden of 250 pounds 

of ore to 80 pounds of charcoal. But this proportion could 

never be retained for a long time, the poor quality of the charcoal causing very frequent irregularities. The working of the 

furnace had, therefore, to be watched very carefully and 

required regulation by means of alteration in the quantity and 

quality of the ore charges. Usually the charge was of such a 

composition as to produce a slag of the following composition: 

Per cent 

BaO___________________________________ 34 

CaO___________________________________ 18 

FeO___________________________________ 15 

SiOa----------------------------------- 25 

BaS, ZnS, CaS _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 8 

100 

It is seen that in this slag the baryta is the principal base, 

and that from the nature of its composition it must have a 

characteristic earthy appearance. On account of the excess of 

baryta, the slag was extremeiy liquid, and in spite of its high 

specific gravity,· it permitted a perfect separation of the metal. 

The furnace always did its work best under the following 

conditions: The heat had to be kept low, the blast light, and 

the ore had to be charged immediately over the four back 

tuyeres, so as to leave an unburdened column of coal in the 
PARK COUNTY 189 

center and front of the furnace; the throat had to be kept 

dark, the "noses" also dark, and about 6 inches in length. 

Under these conditions the slag was thin and ran freely, the 

furnace smelted about 9 tons of charge. per day, and there was 

no difficulty found in making blasts of .30 days' duration. The 

average length of the campaigns for the year was 21~ days. 

On the whole, there was no difficulty in using this method of 

beneficiation as far as the smelting proper is concerned, but a 

very serious drawback resulted from the presence of the large 

quantity of heavy spar in the ore. By far the larger part of 

the sulphuric acid in this mineral was reduced to sulphur, 

which, combining with the copper, lead, silver, and a large 

part of the iron, formed a very great proportion of matte, so 

that on an average it took only 5 tons of ore to make 1 ton of 

matte, which, of course, was not very rich. This matte had to 

be crushed and calcined in a reverberatory furnace, and then 

smelted a second time with the addition of 15 per cent of 

quartzose ores, yielding finally a regulus assaying 30 per cent 

of copper and 900 ounces of silver per ton. This was crushed, 

sacked, and shipped to Germany for separation. The slag 

from "the concentration smelting was very basic, containing 

about 60 per cent of iron. It was very welcome as a valuable 

flux for the ore smelting. 

In August, 1873, it became cer1;ain that no large quantities 

of 'lead ores would ever be available from the vicinity of the 

works; and as the ore3 containing so much baryta could not be 

cheaply roasted before smelting, Mr. Peters decided to erect a 

reverberatory smelting furnace to be used instead of the shaft 

furnace. This furnace has a hearth 15 feet 6 inches long and 

9 feet 6 inches wi::e and was completed about September 10. 

It has been rur:.ning up to the end of the year without interruption, smeaing 8 tons of ore per day, with a consumption 

of 9 cords of mixed pine and spruce wood, and meeting fully 

the expe:;tations of .the metallurgist. The concentration of 

the matte in this furnace, where there is not a reducing but an 

oxidizing atmosphere, is very satisfactory considering the ores 

to be tre~ted. One ton of matte is now obtained from 10 tons 

of ore, . and the regulus assays from 1,000 to 1,500 ounces of 

silver per ton. Notwithstanding this high grade, the resulting 

slag assays only from 4 ·to 6 ounce3 of silver per ton. * * * 

Toward the end of the year the Dudley works ceased shipping their regulus, owing to the high rates of freight and the 

great discrepancies in assays. From that time on the silver 

and the greater part of the copper have been separated at the 

works by a modification· of the Patera process. About 93 per 

cent of the silver contents of the matte and 80 per cent of the 

copper are extracted, and the residue, which contains the gold, 

is returned to the furnace as a flux. vVheh, in the course of a 

repetition of this process, the gold has so accumulated in the 

matte as to reach 200 ounces per ton, it is intended to extract 

it by means of chlorination. 

The production of the smelting works at Dudley during 1873 

was as follows: Currency 

Silver_ _______ ·_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ $102, 7 56 

Gold _____ . ______ ..:__________________ 8, 549 

Copper__ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 2, 359 

Lead _______________ ._______________ 7, 520 

121, 184 

Estimated coin :value (gold at $1.12Y2), $107,719. 

Professor Hill has put up smelting works at Alma on the same 

plan which was followed at his works in Blackhawk and has 

been running them successfully during the greater part of the 

year. · 

The production of ore in the mining districts near the two 

smelting works mentioned has been, as near as can be ascertained, about 1,800 tons, for which an average of $120 ·per ton 

was paid, making a total of $216,000. The Moose mine on 

Bross 1\'Iountain still furnishes the most high-grade ore and 

5653-26t--13 

has now considerable reserves in sight, but the Dolly Varden, 

Hiawatha, and several others have also been v·ery successful. 

Altogether, Lincoln and Bross Mountains have clone far better 

this year than was expected in the spring. In Buckskin Gulch 

the production has fallen off somewhat, but from lack of capital 

rather than of good mines. 

Mosquito district promises well for the future, rich discoveries of native silver having been made late in the fall. 

In the northern part of Park County much work has been 

clone in Hall Gulch and vicinity. This valley is located on 

the stage route from Denver to Fairplay, about 60 miles from 

the former place. The work here was mostly clone by the 

Hall Valley Silver-Lead Mining &·Smelting Co. (Ltd.). The 

company has expended a very large amount of money in open 

jng its mines, building an excellent tramway about 4 miles 

long, and in the erection of a sawmill and dressing and smelting 

works. * * * 

The ore consists principally of copper pyrites, galena being 

subordinate. ·Native silver is often visible in the solid ore. 

The gangue is principally quartz and sulphate of baryta. The 

ore can be easily sorted by hand into two classes-the firstclass ore, being the solid mineral, assays over 350 ounces per 

ton; the second-class, 120 ounces. These values were obtained 

by sampling 5 tons of the first and 15 tons of the seco·nd class. 

The Whale lode is opened by three tunnels run in along 

the vein and by a fourth aclit, which runs across the country 

rock from the foot of the mountain and will strike the vein at a 

distance of 800 [feet. The latter is intended as the principal 

working tunnel. 

A sample of 20 tons of average ore from this mine assayed 

120 ounces of silver per ton. There is a very large amount of 

fahlore in the ore from this mine; and by far the largest part 

of the gangue is heavy spar. 

The Cold Spring lode, which is the principal mine of the 

company containing solid galena, lies further clown the valley 

than the two mines described, but it is not so well opened. 

The Hall Valley Silver-Lead Mining & Smelting Co. is very 

Eortunate in having on its property, besides a number of valuable silver lodes, ~deposit of limonite iron ore, which may serve 

as a flux in the smelting process. To judge from the mode of 

deposition observable in the ore bank, the limonite is the result 

of precipitation from waters saturated with sulphate of iron, 

which, no doubt, comes from some large vein crossing the 

mountain spur between the main valley and Handcart Gulch. 

That such a vein exists is extremely probable, from the fact 

that iron deposits of the same kind occur in both gulches, and 

nearly opposite each other in localities where very small streams 

of water issue from the mountain side and cause in the valleys 

swampy places. An analysis of this iron ore by Mr. H. Stoelting, Territorial assayer at Georgetown, gives oxide of iron, 75 

per cent; quartz, 6 per cent; water, 13 per cent; and a trace of 

sulphur. 

Charcoal is contracted for in this camp at 13 to 15 cents per 

bushel, delivered at the smelting works. Miners receive $4 per 

day. The company intends to be ready for smelting in the 

summer of 187 4. 

In his report for 1874 Raymond says: 37 

The copper production [of the State] is derived entirely from 

Gilpin and Park counties .. * * * The only works in operation 

ciuring the year were the Alma works, which produced $452,000 

worth of matte. This was shipped to Blackhawk for separation. 

The process is an exact copy of that in use by the Boston & 

Colorado Smelting Co., viz, roasting and matting, and has 

been found to be completely successful. The Mount Lincoln 

Smelting works, at Dudley, * * * have lain idle during the 

entire year, while the Holland works [2 miles southwest of 

37 Raymond, R. W ., op. cit. for 1874, pp. 358-359, 373, 383, 1875. 
190 MINING IN COLORADO 

Alma] did not prove a success, due to the lack of a sufficient 

quantity of galena. * * * The Hall Valley Smelting & 

Mining Co. * * * has several hundred tons at the dressing 

and smelting floors of the works. The latter are very extensive 

in plan, having a capacity of 40 tons per day. They are fitted 

up.without regard to expense. Extensive separating and sizing 

·apparatus (modeled on the German systems) receives the ore 

after it passes through the crushers and rolls. From these the 

mineral is carried on trucks to the ~urnace room. Here the 

trouble commences. Last summer three large and handsome 

cupolas were erect.ed but on trial did not prove successful. 

Later in the year the erection of reverberatories wfts begun, and 

at its close they had not yet been put in operation. * * * 

The Platte.-The production from this stream during the 

year has amounted to $70,000; almost the entire length of 

Montgomery Gulch from Hoosier Pass down to and even 

below Fair Play, a distance of over 12 miles, is occupied by 

working claims, some of which are operated extensively. 

Tarryall Creek also has during the past year been the scene of 

renewed activity, and many fine claims have been in operation, 

from its head down to Hamilton. The fortunes of the latter 

town, which has lain dead for many years, are once more on 

the increase. * * * 

Most. of the parties operating are still using the hydraulic in 

preference to the boom method, as the ground is generally too 

level for the latter. In Snowstorm Gulch, however, large reservoirs have been built, and booming is carried on with great 

success. 

The ground of Messrs. Mills & Hodges, between Alma and 

Dudley, proved the most productive last year. They are 

operating against the left bank of the stream and have a 

breast from 30 to .100 feet high for many hundred feet in length. 

The ground is comparatively free from boulders, and is broken 

. by the hydraulic stream with great ease. The resulting gravel 

is washed into narrow flumes, which empty into the main 

creek. 

The Fair Play Gold Mining Co. owns the largest bar in 

Colorado and will operate on a very extensive scale. The ass€>-

ciation owns 1,100 acres of land opposite ao.d below the town 

of Fai.r Play in a claim about 5 miles in length and 2,000 feet 

in width. It is supplied with two flumes, the lower of which is 

4,000 feet in length, 6 fE:~et wide, and 7 feet high; but the ground 

is so level that bedrock has not yet been reached, and it is estimated that over 5,000 feet more will have to be driven before 

it :wm·be gained. At present only surface washings are made, 

and the yield is, of course, not what it will be when the bottom 

of the bar is reached. Water is brought from the stream above 

through four large ditches and gains at the upper workings a 

head of 140 feet, while at the lower the head will be over 220 

feet. Two miles of conducting pipe are now laid for present 

workings. The pipe is made of sheet iron, in secti_ons 20 feet 

long, which slip into each other, and taper from the reservoir 

to the present workings from 22 to 8 inches. This claim will 

be reopened in May and will employ 150 men. 

In Beaver Creek Messrs. Freeman & Pease commenced to 

place in order their 600-acre claim last year and expect to be 

working on a large scale next season. * * * It was in the 

early days a noted creek, but owing to the high cost of working 

\t has lain idle for many years. * * * 

Mosquito district.-It is now over "two years Eince the lime-

. stone formations of the Mosquito Range were found to contain 

deposits of silver and gold ores. * * * 

The Mosquito Range is a spur of the Great Continental 

divide, breaking off from the latter about 12 miles north of 

Fair Play and coursing nearly south for 40 or 50 miles. From 

the head of this spur (Mount Lincoln) the ridge sinks slowlysouthward until it assumes the character of a low divide a~ 

the southwestern corner of the South Park. There it bends to 

the east and, gradually rising again, terminates in Pikes. 

Peak. * * * Along its entire course it forms the divide· 

between the South Platte and the Arkansas, and the western 

and southern boundary of the South Park. The floor of thelatter is of sedimentary origin, consisting of sandstones and 

limestones, and these, abutting against the Mosquito Range,. 

are tilted up and form a portion of its eastern slope. 

All the great silver mines are found in the blue limestone 

belt. * * * 

The ores furnished by the Lincoln and Mount Bross mines. 

are generally sulphides. Copper, lead, iron, and antimony in 

a sulphureted or oxidized condition, form the mass of the mate-· 

rial, and in these the silver is distributed as glance, nativemetal, and perhaps a little chloride, though the occurrence of 

the latter compound is very doubtful. Galena exists in very 

small quantities, copper to a higher percentage, while probably 

the largest proportion of base metals is in the various minerals 

of iron. All these deposits are accompanied with the gangue 

of heavy spar (barite), which often furnishes a clue by which. 

to trace out hidden bodies of mineral. · * * · * 

The Moose deposit crops out on the northeast face of Mount 

Bross and has been extensively developed for a distance of 

500 feet along its course. The vein of ore lies nearly horizontal 

··and is very regular in size and character. But little ore has. 

been produced during the year. * * * 

The Hiawatha is a segregation of pockets, some of which 

have yielded thousands of dollars. * * * As nearly as I 

can learn, its yield has amounted to considerably over $200,00()-

since first opened. 

The Dolly Varden, Russia, Lincoln, Montezuma, and Elephant are all of the same class. * * * It will not be abovethe mark to state that the mines just mentioned have yielded 

during the year 187 4 about $300,000 worth of ore. 

Lower down on the mountain, and in the stratum of 

quartzite, are located the gold veins, the disintegration of which 

has undoubtedly furnished the float gold of the Platte placersThey are mostly old discoveries, and in the early days yielded 

richly from the decomposed surface quartz. When unchanged 

iron and copper ores were struck, they were deserted and supposed to be valueless. When, however, the Alma and theDudley smelting works were built [Dudley lead furnace completed November, 1872, changed to copper reverberatory 

August, 1873, ran until January 25, 1874; Alma plant put up 

in 1873 and running successfully during greater part of 1873-74]r 

a demand arose for pyrites for fluxing, and the lodes were 

reopened to furnish these minerals. It was then discovered 

that the ore was still auriferous; and since that time they havebeen continuously and steadily producing. 

A list of this class comprises the Phillips, Orphan Boy, War 

Eagle,. and a number of others of minor importance. The oreis mostly iron pyrites, carrying from one-half to 2 ounc_es of 

gold per ton and a small percentage of copper. 

The mines of Mosquito district have produced 3,000 tons of 

silver ore, of an average value of $140 per ton, and $50,000. 

worth of auriferous;pyrite. · 

Frorri data above we have for Park County production for 

1874: 

Silver ores, 3,000 tons, at $140 _______ $420, 000 

Auriferous pyrites__________________ 50; 000 

Platte River placer_________________ 70, OQO 

540,000 
PARK COUNTY 191 

Rayn1ond 38 gives the total for Park County as 

$596,392 in gold, silver, .copper, and lead. On this 

basis Park County produced: 

Placer gold _______________________ _ 

Lode gold ________________________ _ 

Lode silver_ ________ .:. _____________ _ 

Copper ___________________________ _ 

$66,497 

50,000 

431, 533 

548,030 

48,360 

596,390 

The total copper for the State is, however, $100,197, 

of which Gilpin County is given $55,451, which leaves 

for Park County $44,746, instead of $48,360, or 

$49,720.39 Raymond says: 

U7Jper A.rkansas.-This district embraces about a dozen 

gulches among the headwaters of the Arkansas, carrying both 

gold and silver yeins. Its production last year was small, 

not over $l45,000, which was derived mainly from gold mines. 

There is as yet no market for silver ore, and most of that which 

has been produced has been shipped to Golden City for treatment. The belt at the upper end of the valley is undoubtedly 

a reappearance of the same belt that courses th~ough Montezuma and Breckenridge and is almost exclusively argentiferous. 

Lower down gold veins appear, which are most strongly 

developed in California and Colorado gulches. The occurrence 

of ores of nickel and' cobalt in the ores of the upper valley is 

perhaps the only matter of mineralogical interest that has been 

shown by the year's operations. These metals are found 

with argentiferous galenas, but in small quantities. From a 

number of tons [say 15 tons averaging 200 ounces silver would 

yield only 3,000 ounces of silver], of Homestake ore treated by 

Mr. West, at Golden City, about 500 pounds of nickel speiss 

was run out, carrying from 2 to 12 per cent of that metal. 

[Fi"ve hundred pounds of 6 per cent nickel speiss would contain 

30 pounds of nickel. If all the nickel was recovered, 30 pounds 

of. nickel in 15 tons would represent one-tenth of 1 per cent 

nickel in the original ore. I have credited$50,000 more gold to 

Colorado than the $2,102,487 given by Raymond, but his silver, 

$3,086,023, p. 358, carries some gold, amount unknown, in matte. 

As the $50,000 of auriferous pyrite went into matte at Alma, it 

seems not unreasonable to add this $50,000 to gold production 

of the State and subtract $50,000 from silver production of the 

State, making gold production for the State $2,152,487 and 

silver $3,036,0_23 (coinage value).-C. W. H.] 

Raymond says in his report for 1875: 40 

The Moose has maintained throughout the year a steady 

production of about 6 tons daily, averaging in value about $150 

per ton. The Dolly Varden has clone well also and has yielded 

some exceedingly rich material. The Hiawatha has been 

under lease and is consequently not in as good condition as it 

might be. The Security has kept up a fair production. * * * 

In Buckskin and Mosquito gulches a very large amount of 

prospecting and development has been done. * * * At the 

head of Buckskin is the London lode, wl;tich is attracting a 

great amount of attention and which undoubtedly is a rich 

and valuable property. The Phillips has not revived yet, 

though about 500 tons of ore have been taken out during the 

year for fluxing purposes. * * * 

In Sacramento and Horseshoe gulches a small amount of 

ore has been produced, mostly galena. The latter has been 

most productive, if either can be said to have yielded. The 

<S Raymond, R. W., op. cit. for 1874, p. 358. 

39 Idem, p. 374. 

<L Raymond, R. W., op. cit. for 1875, pp. 282, 285, 321-324, 1877. 

amount of ·prospecting done has also been large. * * * 

Still, though not lacking in mineral wealth, Park County improves 

but slowly. This fact may be attributed to the poor ore 

market which exists and to the comparative inaccessibility of 

the district. The latter drawback * * * will only be 

removed when the South Park Railroad, now connecting 

Denver with Morrison in the foothills, is pushed up the Platte 

Canyon to the Park. * * * 

The placer interests (in the State) have enlarged greatly 

during the year, the amount of ground under improvement 

being fully one-third more than during 187 4. The gain has 

been in the South Park, Bear Valley, South Clear Creek, 

Arkansas Valley, and at the base of Hahns Peak. * * * 

The copper output remains substantially as it was last year. 

The only works saving this metal are at Blackhawk and 

Golden, and as the source of supply is mainly from the pyritous 

ores of Gilpin, Boulder, and Park, the production will advance 

slowly. 

For 1879 and 1880 Burchard's figures for the total 

production of gold have been accepted. 41 

In his report for 1881 Burchard 42 s·ays: 

Early * * * rich placers in the vicinity of Tarryall, Fair 

Play, Buckskin; and Mosquito * * * are still paying fairly. 

* * * The Moose: * * * probably no~ less than 5 miles 

of levels, winzes, and stopes have 'been run on this mine, and 

the [total] product has been considerably over $3,000,000. 

The company owning the property erected a smelter at Dudley, which, after running a while and undergoing frequent 

changes, closed down. * * . * 

On Loveland Mountain is the Fanny Barrett; * * * carbonateoflead-[ore]; * * * mainshaft,down140feet,shows 

same class of mineral. * * * The ore runs from 25 to 600 

ounces, though the bulk of it is low grade. A smelter has been 

P.rected. * * * 

Some very rich free gold ore has been taken from the London. 

Two sacks of this ore were shipped by the manager to New 

York, which he is reported to have said were worth nearly 

$20,000. * * * 

At Alma there are sampling works and two smelters, but the 

latter are not in operation. 

In the report for 1882 Burchard 43 shows the ore 

receipts of the Boston & Colorado Smelting Co. at 

Argo, near Denver, and the Grant Smelting Works at 

Denver. He also descl'ibes the mines and gives a list 

of producing and non producing mines. He says: 

Montgomery district was one of the earliest organized mining districts in the State, with the town of Montgomery-now 

long deserted-as its principal camp. The Russia, on Mount 

Lincoln: * * * from 75 to 100 tons were shipped to the 

Boston & Colorado Works, which ran from 150 ounces to 400 

ounces silver per ton. * * * The Danville Consolidated: 

* * * from25to30tons * * * ·shippedthatmUls[meaning assays] from 50 to 100 ounces in silver per ton. The D. H. 

Hill: * * * 40 to 7 5 tons of ore during the year. The Wilson 

produced from 100 to 150 tons of ore that milled 75 to 150 

ounces in silver per ton and contained 40 per cent lead. The 

Bullion * * * has produced from 25 to 40 tons of ore that 

mills from 100 to 225 ounces silver per ton. * * * The 

Nova Zembla: * * * in going down * ~ * over 600 tons 

of ore were taken out, averaging when treated $60 per ton (in 

gold and some silver) · * * * The company has a 20-stamp 

u Burchard, H. C., op. cit. for 1880, pp. 156, 157, 1881. 

n Burchard, H. C., op. cit. for 1881, pp. 354, 421-423, 1882. 

•s Burchard, H. C.: op. cit. for 1882, pp. 390, 391, 394, 523-533, 583-586, 1883. · 
192 MINING IN COLORADO 

amalgamation mill, which has been thoroughly refitted and 

furnished with late improvements and appliances for concentrating and milling ores. The Kansas * * * ore carries $10 

to $150 in gold, the average being over $40 per ton. Nearly 

one-half of this can be saved in the stamp mill by amalgamation, and the remainder can be treated by concentration and 

smelting. The mine is equipped with a very complete 10-

stamp mill. 

Buckskin district.-* * * The Moose mine: * * * but 

little development was accomplished during the last year; 

* * * the shipments of ore amounted to from 150 to 200 

tons. The ore in the Moose has run from the first to last between 60 and 900 ounces silver per ton, the average for the past . 

two years being about 200. The Dolly Varden, south of the 

Moose, * * * has been steadily though not vigorously 

worked since its discovery. The output of mineral from 1872 

to 1882 has been from· 15,000 to 20,000 tons. The average of 

ore is not less than 150 ounces to the ton. * * * During 

the last year * * * 250. to 300 tons of ore produced. 

* * * The Silver Gem is '.vest of the Moose; * * * the 

ore [is] galena and sulphurets, yielding from 60 to 250 ounces of 

silver per ton; * * * produced 100 tons during the year. 

The Wyandotte mine, in upper Buckskin Gulch; * * * 

lying along the footwall is the 8-inch vein of decomposed quartz, 

running well in gold and silver and also carrying about 12 per 

cent of copper and a good percentage of lead. * * · * The 

Iron mine * * * has a horizontal vein of mineral 4 to 6 

feet in width, covered by a 25-foot cap of iron and lying on the 

limerock. This iron cap of itself is a very valuable adjunct to 

the company's properties. The smelters pay $3 per ton for the 

iron ore on the dump at the mine,. to be used for fluxing purposes. 

·One mill run of 3% tons from the vein proper g:;~.ve 120 ounces 

in silver per ton. Another of 2 tons gave 260 ounces. * * * 

Nancy C. is in granite formation; * * * the vein matter 

is a porphyry gangue, carrying iron, copper, and galena, which 

mills about $30 per ton in gold and silver. * * * The_ 

•Colorado Springs group * * * ore mills from 75 to 400 

<>unces in silver per ton * * * The Excelsior is one of the 

oQld gold mines, which was worked with much profit in Buckskin's early days, but after the surface ores were exhausted it 

remained idle until it became the property of its present owners. 

It is a contact vein between quartzite and lime. * * * 

While * * * cleaning out * * * several tons of ore 

were * * * treated, averaging 135 ounces of silver and 2 

·Ounces of gold per ton. * * * The ore in the Excelsior is 

sulphurets of silver, galena, gray copper, and pyrites of copper, 

<larbonate of iron and lead, with occasional intermixture of 

-crystallized lead. * * * The Criterion, also a contact 

between lime and quartzite, is situated below the Excelsior. 

It was worked at an early day as long as the ores continued to 

lbe free-milling quartz, which paid $20 to $50 at the old stamp 

mills. The mine, then known as the Bates lode, began to fill 

with water, and the ore to run into silver and galena which 

could not then be treated. and the work was abandoned. 

* * * The Silver Wave: * * * no ore was shipped, but 

75 tons are on the dump that will run from $25 to $40 to the 

ton in silver and gold. * * * 

On Loveland Mountain, on the southwest side of Buckskin 

Gulch, is the Fanny Barrett; * * * all the ore which has 

been taken out, probably over 1,000 tons * * * [of 

which] 200 have been treated, the remainder·, about 800 tons, 

'l'emaining on the dumps for treatment in the smelter which 

the company have erected on their mill site at Alma. * * * 

The Northern Light has a record as a shipper of pay ore in 

1862. * * * Like the Criterion it was worked for gold 

but will now be operated for * * * silver. * * * 

In Mosquito district the .principal mine is the London. * * * The ore body is * * * of a yalue ranging 

from 3 to 4 ounces in gold, 6 to 12 ounces in silver, and 1 to 3 

per cent in copper. The chief work hitherto in the mine has 

b~en for development ·only. * * * The company is now 

building 7 miles and 1,000 feet of railway line to connect with 

the SCl~th Park Railroad, at the mouth of Mosquito Creek, 

and 200 feet east of the Platte River crossing, between Alma 

and Fairplay. The greater part is already completed. This 

road will reach to the ·foot of London Mountain, and connection made with the· mine by wire tramway. * * * The 

U. P. and K. P. has been actively operated. * * * Assays 

have returned fro~ 2% to 16 ounces of gold. * * * The 

milling ore is treated on the ground and the smelting ore is 

shipped. The mill has 20 stamps and a Metcalf Concentrator 

for tailings. · 

In Horseshoe district * * * the Mudsill * * * [wasj 

located in 1880. * * * The Last Chance has had millings 

of 50 to 65 ounces silver and a fair percentage of lead. * * * 

The general character of the ores in the Horseshoe district is a 

carbonate of lead, canying from 25 to 100 ounces in silver and 

an average of 50 per cent lead to the ton. * * * 

In Halls Gulch district, in the northwestern part of the 

country, * * * the Missouri * * * ore nms in bismuth, silver, gray copper, copper pyrites, and iron. The ore 

also carries gold, running from· a trace up to 11% ounces. 

Mill runs at Argo (smelter) gave from 150 ounces to 219 per 

ton, with six:-tenths of an ·ounce in gold and 10 per cent copper. * * * 

The placer mines of Park County have been profitably 

worked for years. 

The Tarryall and Fairplay mines have continued to be moderately productive. 

The principal work done during the year was by the Alma 

Placer Co., which owns 640 acres of gravel opposite and below 

the town of Alma. The work is being carried on by a force of 

22 men and two Little Giants having the patent deflector 

nozzle, one giving a 4-inch stream and another a 6-inch. The 

banks are 60 feet high, and giving a water pressure of 60 feet, 

very effective work is done. About 1,000 inches of water are 

used, and the giants force one-third of it against the banks. 

The sluices are 4 feet wide, with a 4-inch grade, and there are, 

with branches, over 3,000 feet of sluices, which are being added 

to daily. The ground shows a marked improvement over last 

year, and the large boulders are handled by an immense 

derrick, operated by a hurdy wheel, with a capacity for lifting 

and swinging to place a 10-.ton boulder. · 

In his report for 1883 Burchard 44 gives the ore 

receipts by counties of the Grant Smelting Works, 

the Boston & Colorado smelter·, the Miners & Smelters 

Works at Golden, the Golden Smelting Co., the Royal 

Gorge Works at Canon City, and the Matthews & 

Webb smelter. He shows the approximate production by counties and describes the Park County 

mines as follows: 

Montgomery district is showing signs of life, and many 

properties have been developed during the year. * * * 

The Pioneer Mining Co. has been extensively working the 

Nova Zembla; * * * the ore is free gold and readily 

yields its precious metal under stamps. About 200 tons 

were treated at the company's mill. * * * The Sovereign 

Gold Mining Co.'s property is on the eastern slope of North 

Star Mountain and embraces four locations aggregating 6,000 

feet on the old Harrington vein, which produced about $500,000 

twenty years ago. * * * The shipments during the past 

season have been limited to small quantities of free milling 

ore. Thirty days' work on this class of material, treated at a 

quartz mill, yielded 360 ounces of gold, worth nearly $7,000. 

H Burchard, H. G., op. cit. for 1883, pp. 236-240, 31'6-395, 1884. 
PARK COUNTY 193 

Buckskin district.-The Fanny Barrett; * * * no stoping 

has been done, the ore sold coming from development only, in 

doing which 43 carloads were shipped. * * * 

In Mosquito district · * * · * the London mine * * * ore is a quartz with lead, copper, gold, and silver to the average 

of $40 per ton, according to the assayer's returns; in seven 

months and a fraction since the stamp and concentrating mill 

commenced running at the Junction it has crushed about 

6,150 tons of ore, or a monthly average of 850 tons. This ore 

has yielded gold bullion to the amount of $124,000. It has 

also yielded about 420 tons of concentrate, worth $60 a ton 

on an average, or a total of $25,000. About 15 cars or 210 

tons of high-grade ore have been shipped out to smelters, 

worth at least $21,000, and it will be remembered that early 

in the year the London mine shipped 600 tons of ore to the 

IdahoSprings and Central [City] mills, which yielded an average of $18 a ton, or $10,800. This swells the total production 

of the mine to a trifle less than 7,000 tons, worth $181,000. 

We are aware that this figure will be by some considered an 

overestimate, but we believe it to be substantially correct. 

* * * The Weston: * * * there are now about 1,000 

tons of ore in bins and on the dump, from which a lot of 11 

tons was selected and shipped without sorting, returning 

$23.55 per ton in gold and silver, no account being taken of 

the lead and copper. * * * The company proposes to 

erect a concentrating mill, with capacity of 50 tons per day, 

and has already begun grading. * * * The Danser mine 

has been producing steadily; although the ore is low grade, it 

is of that nature that it is economically concentrated. * * * 

In Horseshoe district: * * * the Mudsill mine: * * * 

it is the ·intention * * * to erect an amalgamator at the 

foot of Mudsill Hill, * * * the plant to be very much 

like the Taylor & Brunton amalgamator at Leadville. * * * 

Halls Gulch district.-* * * The Whale: * . * * ore 

argentiferous galena, with gray and yellow copper; average 

assay, 375 ounces silver per ton and 20 per cent lead; * * * 

during past season, total weight shipped 23231 tons; gross value 

of production, $24,515.85. * * * The Missouri has an 

established reputation as a producer, having shipped considerable ,ore up to the past season. * * * The Ypsilanti: 

* * * but 6 carloads of ore (62 tons) have been shipped 

* * * during the past season. * * * The Quincy Milling & Reduction Co. has leased the mill and buildings of the 

Upper Platte Silver Mining Co. and has placed therein a plant 

of machinery for the concentration of ores of the surrounding 

district. The plant consists of 2 batteries (10 stamps), 3 tables 

of the Embrey style, also 2 pans, and 1 large "settler," besides 

a retort for amalgamating purposes. Public sampling is also 

done at these works. Owing to the lateness of the season, when 

the mill was ready to run, but very little concentrates were 

shipped. Gross amount, 130 tons; average run of concentrates, 

$90 per ton. Works are shut down for the winter due to the 

scarcity of water and no steam in the works; machinery run 

entirely by water power. Farther up ·the gulch Messrs. 

McGowan & Oberkircher have erected a complete little concentrator, having in place a 5-stamp battery and two Frue 

Vanner tables. * * * 

Placers.-The Gold Placer Mining Co. has not been worked 

during the year. The Alma placer has produced some gold, 

as also the Pease and Sidell placers. * * * 

The production of lode gold in 1883 came to a large extent 

from the London mine. 

In his report for 1884 Burchard says: 45 

The production of .Park County for 1884 is not as large as that 

of 1883. * * * 

u Burchard, H. c:, op. cit. for 1884, pp. 177, 233-235, 1885. 

The placers of 1884 have increased their yield, employing 

mostly Chinese labor and without modern improvements. 

In Buckskin district the Moose mine, * * * after lying 

idle a number of years has again been worked by lessees. 

* * * The * * * Fanny Barrett: * * * only assessment work. The Hall & Brunk Silver Mining Co. has 

extracted considerable ore from the Dolly Varden mine. Developments are constantly progressing, and the shipments of ore 

have been regular. * * * The ore, which carries galena, 

gray copper, zinc blende, iron and copper pyrites, will average 

90 ounces of silver per ton. Excepting at the Moose and Dolly 

Varden but little work has been done. * * * 

In Mosquito district a small force was worked in the spring 

on the claims of the London Mining Co., but nothing of importance has been accomplished. The mine closed, owing· to · 

litigation. The Nestor, located about 5 miles below the London, 

is being worked on lease, and ore is being extracted that carries 

one-half to 3 ounces gold. The mill * * * is supplied with 

pay mineral enough to test its capacity. The predominating 

matter is a free milling gold quartz. The New York mine, just 

west of the London, has materially aided in swelling the output 

of the county. It is worked by lessees, who have shipped since 

July, on an average, two carloads of ore per week. The same 

might be said of the U. P. and K. P. mines, on which extensive 

developments have been made of late and which are now being 

pushed. * * * On the K. P. a tunnel 150 feet was run in 

addition to further developments; * * * where this tunnel 

intersected the vein a shaft was sunk 25 feet on a large body of 

lead ore, * * * the average value of which is $18 per ton. 

* * * The Western and Hock Hocking, two well-developed 

mines, have been producing some ore. 

In Horseshoe district, the Last Chance * * * has executed a contract * * * for delivery to the mill now in 

course of construction of 50 tons of ore from the mine daily 

for the next twelve months, and twelve teams are now engaged 

in this work. * * * The Atlantic is not a very extensively 

developed mine but during the year has shipped considerable 

ore that has paid well. * * * The Copper Bonanza is 

but a prospect, the deepest shaft being only 18 feet, yet the 

owner has shipped 10 tons of ore, * · * * free milling and 

average $50 per ton. The Peerless and Peerless . Maude; 

* * * ore galena that carries on an average of 60 

ounces per ton. Some shipments were made during 1884. 

For 1885 Wilson 46 gives the deposits at the Denver 

Mint from Park County as $35,914.50 in gold and 

$805.78 (coinage value) in silver. Probably most of 

this is placer bullion. The table showing the production of the principal smelters does not include any 

smelter working in Park County. 

For 1885 the figures for silver have been interpolated 

to correspond with the total production of the State; 

for lead the figures are taken from Mineral ResourcesY 

For 1886 to 1896 the figures in the table have been 

derived from reports of the agents of the Mint in 

annual reports of the Director of the Mint, the gold and 

silver being prorated to correspond with the figures · 

for the total production of the State as corrected by 

the Director of the Mint, the lead being prorated to 

correspond with the total production of lead in the 

State as given in Mineral Resources, and any "un46 Wilson, P. S., agent for Colorado, in Kimball, J.P., Report of the Director of the 

Mint, upon the production of the precious metals in the United States during the 

calendar year 1885, p. 136, 1886. 

11 U. S. Geol. Survey Mineral Resources, 1885, p. 257, 1886. 
\-

194 MINING IN COLOR4J)O 

known production" ofJ..the State being distributed 

proportionately among the counties. As with lead 

so with copper, but as the figures for copper given in 

Mineral Resources include copper from matte ana ores 

treated in Colorado, although mined in· other States, 

they are subject to revision. 

In 1887 Munson 48 gives the deposits at the Denver 

Mint from Park County as $32,894.65 in gold and 

$364.83 in silver (coinage rate); probably Inost of this 

was placer bullion, the individual production of Bernrose, Fairbury, and Peabody placers amounted to 

$2~,588, the production of the· Alma placer being included in confidential reports. Placer mining; he says, 

"has probably been more successfully carried on in 

Park County during the past year than in any other 

part of the State." He continues: 

One interesting feature of the placer mining in Park County 

is the fact that a very large part of the gold recovered did not 

pass through any of the United States mints or assay offices but 

was shipped directly to Europe, in the original f<;>rm of nuggets, 

for manufacture into native gold jewelry. · In this manner the 

mines alone shipped between 7,000 and 8,000 ounces. 

Munson gives the total amount confidentially reported in 1887 as $741,408 in gold and the total production of Park County as $784,864, which is reduced 

by prorating to $648,642, and of this amount $190,000, 

an exceptionally large yield, is given to placers, leaving 

$458,642 for lode mines. In the face of the fact that 

the London, New York, and other gold mines were idle, 

this large lode production also seems questionable. 

On the other hand he shows, on page 154, that men 

were sent into the field to collect data not reported 

directly to the office. The list of smelters on page 

189 shows no smelter operating in Park County. 

In 1888 Munson 49 gives the production of Lowe's, 

Fairbury, Pennsylvania, Peabody, and Roberts placers 

as $17,677, and the amount confidentially reported as 

only $3,136. Th~ Alma placer was idle. The Hilltop 

mine is credited with $323,225 (coinage value) in 

silver and $352,000 in lead, the New York mine with 

$307,064 (coinage value) in silver, and the London 

mine is not mentioned. The value of deposits at the 

Denver Mint for Park County was $23,893.96 in gold 

and $234.51 (coinage value) in silver, probably mostly 

placer .. 

In 1889 Smith 50 gives the production of the Alma 

placer (which is stated as silver, an error), Lowe's, 

Danville, Deadwood, Fairbury, Pennsylvania, Peabody, and Tan·yall placers as $41,740, and amounts 

confidentially reported as only $309. He gives the 

value of deposits at the Denver Mint for Park County 

as $47,529.98 in gold and $488.17 (coinage value) in 

cs Munson, G. C., agent for Colorado, in Kimball, J.P., op. cit. for 1887, pp. 152, 

177-179, 192, 1888. 

n Munson, G. C., agent for Colorado, in Kimball, J.P., op. cit. for 1888, pp. 117-

119, 132, 1889. 

60 Smith, M. E., agent for Colorado, in Leech, E. 0., Report of the Director of 

the Mint upon the production of the precious metals in the United States during 

. the calendar year 1889, pp. 150-151, 155, 18go. · 

silver. The Hilltop is credited with $153,858.57 (coinage value) in!silverJ and $148,960 in lead; the Phillips 

mine with $26,610 in gold. 

In 1890 Smith 51 gives the production of Lowe's, 

Deadwood, Fairplay, and Peabody placers as $23,611, 

and no gold was confidentially reported. The value 

of the deposits at the Denver Mint from Park County 

is given as $28,981.67 in gold and $326.12 (coinage 

value) in silver. The Hilltop mine is credited with 

$82,272 (coinage value) in silver, and $67,947 in lead. 

In 1891 Smith 52 gives the production of the Fairplay placer as $2,500, but the amount confidentially 

reported is $35,212, and the value of the deposits at the 

Denver Mint from Park County was $41,433.49 in gold 

and $411.34 (coinage value) in silver. 

In 1892 Smith 53 gives no detailed figures for placer 

production and $10,000 in gold from confidential report~. The value of the deposits at the Denver Mint 

was $32,696.26 in gold and $270.86 (coinage value) in 

silver. 

In 1894 Puckett 54 gives the. value of the deposits at 

the Denver Mint from Park County as $55,888.07 in 

gold and $393.31 (coinage value) in silver. 

In 1895 Puckett 5

5 gives the value of the d~posits at 

the Denver Mint from Park County as $46,086.05 in 

gold and $373.80 (coinage value) in silver. 

In 1896 Puckett 56 gives the value of deposits fJ,t the 

Denver Mint for Park County as $25,410 gold and 

$211.92 (coinage value) in silver. 

In 1897 Hodges 57 gives the value of deposits at the 

Denver ~fint for Park County as $19,575.23 gold and 

$127.18 (coinage value) in silver .. 

For 1897 to 1904 the figures in the table, which 

represent smelter and mint receipts, are taken from 

reports of the Colorado State Bureau of Mines. 

In 1898 Hodges 58 gives the value of deposits from 

Park County at the Denver Mint as $7,77 5.4 7 gold 

· and $39.71 (coinage value) in silver. 

In his report for 1899 Hodges 59 says: 

During the last few years little work has been done. The 

outlook for all placers is brighter.· The old Fairplay placers 

have not been worked for years, save nominally by lessees, but 

arrangements have been completed to work them on a very 

large scale the coming season with modern appliances. 

61 Smith, M. E.,agent fm· Colorado, in Leech, E. 0., op. cit. for 18£0, pp. 137-138, 

142, 1891. 

62 Smith, M. E., agent for Colorado, in Leech, E. 0., op. cit. for 1891, pp. 183., 187, 

1892. 

63 Smith, M. E., agent for Colorado, in Leech, E. 0., op. cit. for 1892, pp. 119, 128, 

1893. 

64 Puckett, W. J., agent for Colorado, in Preston, R. E., Report of the Director 

of the Mint upon the production of the precious metals during the calendar year 

1894, p. 71, 1895. 

66 Puckett, W. J., agent for Colorado, in Preston, ·R. E., op. cit. for 1895, p. 15, 

1896. 

68 Puckett, W. J., agent for Colorado, in Preston, R. E., op. cit. for 1896, p. 169, 

1897. 

67 Hodges, J. L., agent for Colorado, in Roberts, G. E., Report of the Director 

oT the Mint upon the production of the precious metals in the United States during 

the calendar year 1897, p. 127, 1893. 

58 Hodges, J. L., agent for Colorado, in Roberts, G. E., op. cit. for 1898, p. 99, 1899. 

59 Hodges, J. L., agent for Colorado, in Roberts, G. E., op. cit. for 1899, pp. 12C122, 1900 . 
PARK COUNTY 195 

The same condition applies to the Alma placers, which extend 

from Alma to Montgomery, now known as the Green Mountain 

·placers, of which there has been only about 500,000 cubic yards 

washed out of an estimated 88,000,000 yards, and which is 

said to average at least 30 cents. There ·are a number of 

smaller placer propositions on the different streams that are 

worked as the quantity of water will permit. * * * 

There are in Park County about 20 mills of different systems, 

·Qf .vhich the majority are idle through litigation involving the 

mine upon whose output they are dependent. 

The staten1ent of bullion operated on at the Denver 

Mint fron1 Park County shows $20,545.75 in gold and 

·$99.13 (coinage value) in silver. 

In his report for 1901 Hodges says: 60 

The ore is shipped over the Colorado & Southern to the 

smelters at Denver. There are no public stamp mills in the 

<:ounty, which lack operates against the district. * * * 

The London mine is shipping a sulphide ore, carrying 2 to 5 

-<lunces gold, 3 to 10 ounces silver, and 15 per cent lead. * * * 

The Ling mine * * * shipped considerable ore averaging $100 

per ton in gold, with but little silver. * * * 

Active development- is being done on the Kentucky Belle, 

Hock Hocking, Oliver Twist, James G. Blaine, Mascotte, and 

Viking, but the shipments of ore were small. 

HoTsesho!3 district.-This camp has shipped some ore from 

-the Chance, Hill Top, and Peerless Maud. * * * 

Fair Play placer district.-The placer grounds about Fair 

Play and Alma have for years yielded good wages to the man 

-with the pan and also paid on the investment of capital. 

The Fair Play placer extends about 231 miles along the 

Platte River. Some development· work was done by a new 

..company during the year, which placed the property in good 

:shape for the coming season. 

Bedrock has never been worked, owing to inadequate ma-

-chinery, but the surface gravel has proved beyond a doubt the 

values below. 

Chinamen have for years taken out thousands of dollars on 

-this and adjoining properties, though working with their crude 

.:and primitive methods. 

Beaver Creek and Snowstorm placers.-The Beaver Creek 

placers have been idle for about five years, owing to litigation, 

which has 'now been settled. A consolidation of the Beaver 

Creek and Snowstorm placers has been accomplished. 

The merging of these two properties will be beneficial in 

-many ways to both. The Mosquito and ·Beaver Creek ditches 

;Jlnd other water rights will have a carrying capacity of over 

4,000 inches. The sluicing can be done with the cheapest hy-

-draulic methods, owing to sufficient grade to allow the use of 

pipe line, giants, and sluice boxes. The gravel beds average 

.about 30 feet in thickness. The Snowstorm deposit is said by 

old placer miners to be among the richest in the district. 

Alma placer.-This property has been worked almost continuously since 1870. It is situated on the Platte River and 

·Consists of about 3,000 acres, only 30 of which have been systematically operated. A ditch about 2 miles long, taken out 

.-of the Platte, furnished 2,500 miner's inches and is adequate 

·for the present workings. Twelve hundred cubic yards of 

gravel have been handled in a day, and. this will be more than 

·doubled with contemplated improvements. The gravel beds 

.;are about 50 feet in thickness and carry coarse gold. Nuggets 

ranging from $5 to $20 have been taken out; the average of 

eo Hodges, J. L., agent for Colorado, in Roberts, G. E., op. cit. for 1901, pp, 129-

;;!.30, 1902. 

· the present workings is 40 cents a cubic yard. Simple hydraulic methods are employed in working the placer ground. 

Tarryall and Peabody placers were worked, principally by 

Chinamen, during the year on a small scale. 

The statement of bullion from Park County operated on at the United States Mint, at Denver (p. 14 7) 

shows $18,708.89 in gold and $113.28 (coinage value)· 

in silver. I 

In his report for 1902 Downer says: 61 

For a number of years the London mine has be~n a steady 

producer. * * * About 1,500 tons of ore were marketed from 

the old workings during 1902. 

Placers.-The principal interest in Park County is centered 

about its placer mines. The Snowstorm placer was worked 

vigorously during the open months and, considering the scarcity of water, made a satisfactory showing. This 'ground is 

worked by the hydraulic method, undercutting the gravel with 

giants and washing into long sluice boxes. Thft ground is estimated to carry values of 50 cents to the cubic yard. 

The Cincinnati placers, at Fair Play, have done some work 

during the season, but suffered from scarcity of water. 

The Lowe placer, at Fair Play,· had a short season, being sold 

early in the year to the Kansas & Color~do Hydraulic Gold 

Mining Co. It is expected this ground will be actively worked 

the coming· season. 

The old Alma placer had a successful season as long as the 

water lasted. For over 30 years this ground has been worked. 

The staten1ent of bullion from Park County operated on at the Denver Mint shows $14,613.71 in gold 

and $68.03 (coinage value) in silver. 

In his report for 1903 Downer 62 gives a statement of 

the bullion operated on at the Denver Mint, which 

shows that Park County furnished $12,620.25 in gold 

and $57.73 (coinage value) in silver. 

In his report for 1904 Downer says: 63 

The London mine * * * shipments averaged 350 tons 

per month of a $50 grade, values principally gold. 

A 25-ton cyanide plant has been erected at the head of Montgome.ry Gulch to treat the low-grade ores of that vicinity. 

The Snowstorm Placer Co. controls 4,000 acres of ground · 

and employed a force of 50 men. 

The statement of bullion from Park County operated on at the Denver Mint showed $10,991.77 in gold 

and $59.51 (coinage value) in silver. 

For 1905 to 1922 the figures are taken from Mineral 

Resources (mines reports) . 

In 1912 the fineness of bullion from Platte River 

placers averaged 0.821 gold and 0.173 silver; in 1913 

it averaged 0.821 ~ gold and 0.171 silver. In 1922 

the fineness of bullion from the South Park Dredging 

Co.'s operations below Fair Play averaged 0.744 gold 

and 0.155 silver; and .the Buckskin Gulch placer 

0.791 gold and 0.200 .silver. 

61 Downer, F. M., agent for Colorado, in Roberts, G. E,, op. cit.for 1902, pp.120 

132, 1903. 

62 Downer, F. M. agent for Colorado, in Roberts, G. E., op. cit. for 1903, p. 8 

1904. 

63 Downer, F. M., agent for Colorado, in Roberts, G. E., op. cit. for 1904, pp. 

121-]24, 136, 1905. 
Gold (placer and lorj.e), silver, copper, lead, and zinc produced in Park County, 1859-1923 

Gold Silver Copper Lead 

Ore ---------------- Year treated 

(short I Average Fine Average Average tons)' Placer Lode Total ounces price per Value Pounds price per Value Pounds price per Value ounce pound pound ; 

l!~~~~~~============ ========== 

$1,780,000 $710,000 $2,490,000 ------------ ---------- ------------ ------------ ---------- ------------ ------------ ---------- ------------ a 50,000 ------------ 50,000 ------------ ------------ ------------ ---------- -----~------ ------------ ------------ a 40" 000 -----4o;ooo- 40,000 ------------ ------------ ------------ ---------- ------------ ------------ ------------

IIIIi ~ ~~ i ~~ ~ ~:! i ~ ~::~ ::! ! ~;; ~:: 4o:ooo 80,000 ----a-i5; o94- ---$1:325- ----$2o;ooo- ============ ========== ============ 

---.; -b-:s;ooo- ---$o:o6-- -------$3oo- a 40,000 ------------ 40,000 a 50,000 ----..-20~000- 50,000 a 142, 209 1. 322 188,000 ------------ ---------- ------------ "50, 000 .064 3, 200 a 60,000 a 80,000 a 307, 633 1. 297 399, 000 a 169, 493 $0. 28 $47, 458 a 111,400 .06 6,684 

66,497 50,000 116,497 333,764 1. 278 426, 550 a 203, 391 . 22 44, 746 ------------ ------i:45ii- a 80,000 a 24,302 a 104,302 412,022 1. 24 510,907 a 72, 150 . 227 16,378 a 25,000 . 058 a 40,000 a 20,000 a 60,000 a 386, 719 1. 16 448,594 a 68,333 . 21 14,350 a 50,000 . 061 3,050 a 40,000 a 20,000 a 60,000 a 309, 37.'i 1. 20 371,250 a 170,000 I . 19 32,300 a 150,000 .055 8,250 a 40,000 a 20,000 a 60,000 a 309,"375 1. 15 355,781 a 175,000 I . 166 29,050 a 150,000 . 036 5,400 a 40,000 a 20,000 60,000 324,844 1. 12 363,825 a 200,000 . 186 37,200 a 300,000 .041 12,300 1880_- --------------- ---------- a 30,000 a 20,000 50,000 293,906 1.15 337,992 a 200,000 

1 

. 214 42,800 a 300,000 . 05 15,000 188L _______________ ·_ ========-- a 25,000 a 25,000 50,000 270,703 1.13 305, S94 a 100, 000 . 182 18, 200 a 312,000 .048 14,976 a 25,000 a 75,000 100,000 193,359 1. 14 220, 429 a 100, 000 I . 191 19, 100 a 312,000 .049 15,288 a 20,000 a 180,000 200,000 135,352 1.11 

~im ~~--~-m=m~~~mm~~ .-m~mm a 312,000 . 043 13,416 a 30,000 a 30,000 60,000 193,359 1.11 a 398,066 . 037 14,728 a 30,000 a 30,000 60,000 11,310 1. 07 . 398,066 . 039 15, 525 a 30,000 a 118,284 148,284 71,310 . 99 a 624,000 .046 28,704 a 190,000 a 458,462 648,462 107,513 . 98 708,713 .045 . 31,892 a 23,000 a 10,945 33,945 450,457 . 94 7, 641,720 .044 336,236 a 42,000 a 82,745 124,745 224,743 .94 211, 258 855 I . 135 115 4, 640,682 .039 180,987 a 23,611 a 13,670 37,281 156,975 1.05 164, 824 ------------ ---------- ------------ 1,886,504 .045 84,893 a 34,333 a 16,000 50,333 185,200 . 99 183, 348 ------------ ---------- ------------ 19,656 .043 845 a 10,000 a 29,687 39,687 43,792 .87 38,099 ------------ ---------- ------------ 25,698 .04 1,028 a 30,000 a 79,845 109,845 62,350 . 78 48, 633 a 10, 000 . 108 1, 080 a 30,000 .037 1,110 a 40,000 a 57,358 97,3ii8 43,817 . 63 27, 605 a 10, 000 . 095 -950 a 30,000 . 033 990 a 30,000 a 101, 761 131, 761 46,658 . 65 30, 328 2, 938 . 107 314 98,791 .032 3,161 a 25,000 a 112, 109 137, 109 117,095 . 68 79, 625 28, 593 . 108 3, 088 297,714 .03 8,931 a 19,000 a 134,619 153,619 199,945 .60 119, 967 58, 002 . 12 6, 962 4, 517,614 .036 162,634 a 7, 000 a 152,490 159,490 198,711 . 59 117,239 20,957 . 124 2, 599 1, 953,001 .038 74,214 a 20,000 a 133,041 153,041 72, 137 .60 43, 282 7, 903 . 171 1, 351 540,849 .045 24,338 a 18,000 a 98,558 116,558 43,138 .62 26, 746 15,000 . 166 2, 490 682,107 .044 30,013. a 18,000 a 78,322 96,322 69, 175 . 60 41, 505 9, 657 . 167 1, 613 421,955 .043 18, 144 a 14,000 a 128,458 142,458 49,968 .53 26, 483 8, 113 . 122 990 261,046 .041 10,703 a 12,000 124,277 136,277 52,128 .54 28, 149 5, 895 . 137 808 802,489 .042 33,705 a 10,000 184,980 194,980 50,013 . 58 29, 008 5, 920 . 128 758 7,57, 703 .043 32,581 

2, 786 318,081 320,867 49,202 . 61 30, 013 12, 199 • 156 1, 903 543,303 .047 25,535 

10,084 384,966 395,050 144,815 .68 98, 474 14, 399 . 193 2, 779 966, 193 .057 55,073 

1907_ ---------------- 12,661 6,95:i 506,263. 513,216 111, 215 .66 ~:~g~ ~-----37;ioii- -----:ia2T _____ 4;siis- 1, 062,732 .053 56,325 1908_________________ 11,372 12,066 418,742 430,808 12,047 . 53 495,985 .042 20,831 

24,358 fi27, 563 551,921 102,375 . 52 53, 235 61, 023 . 13 7, 933 2, 237,093 .043 . 96, 195 12,846 252,701 265,547 117,037 .54 63, 200 88, 748 . 127 11, 271 2,041, 204 .044 89,813 

24,411 34,421 58,832 69,072 . 53 36, 608 24, 216 . 12.5 3, 027 . 923,089 .045 41,539 

19,223 48,758 67,981 31,234 . 615 19, 209 10, 321 . 165 1, 703 167,756 .045 7,549 

14,758 35,283 50,041 94,293 .604 56, 953 29, 161 . 155 4, 520 506,046 .044 22,266 

23,334 44,151 67,485 20,215 .553 11, 179 8, 023 . 133 1, 067 168, 154 .039 6,558 

9, 792 149,547 159,339 9, 227 . 507 4, 678 12, 303 . 175 2, 153 190,830 .047 8,969 

10,421 223,878 234,299 13,231 .658 8, 706 22, 598 . 246 5, 559 330,609 .069 22,812 

5, 451 111,907 117,358 14,705 . 824 12, 117 12,824 . 273 3, 501 278,709 .086 23,969 

------4;i35- 63, 176 63, 176 18,280 1. 00 18, 280 12, 704 . 247 3, 138 233,873 .071 16,605 

125,422 129,557 70,949 1.12 79, 463 20, 436 . 186 3, 801 305,908 .053 16,213 526 142,632 143, 158 51,023 1. 09 ' .55, 615 18,674 .. 184 3, 436 1, 085,625 .08 86,850 429 40,821 41,250 47,547 1.00 47, 547 7, 550 . 129 974 654,090 .045 29,434 

99,466 42,654 142,120 15,528 1.00 15, 528 4, 215 . 135 569 155,982 . 0.55 8, 579 144,468 16,974 161,442 18,701 .82 15,335 '5,558 .J47 817 19,401 .07 1,358 

3, 547,948 6,887, 853 10,435,801 6, 954,845 6, 910,8091 I 387,749 41,180,356 1, 831, 149 ---------- ---------- 2, 044,258 ~---------- ----------

a Estimated by C. W. Henderson. b Shipped to Swansea, England. 

I 

Zinc 

Average Pounds price per pound 

------------ ---------- ------------

------------

------------

------------

------------

------------

------------

------------

------------

------------

------------

------------

------------

------------

------------

------------

------------

------------

------------

------------

------------

------------

------------

------------

------------

------------

------------

------------

------------

------------

------------

------------

------------

------------

------------

------------

------------

------------

------------

----728:ooo- ---$o:ii47-

366,574 .054 659,796 .054 407,772 .057 132,275 .069 98,623 .056 57,940 . 051 472,992 .124' 

47,,560 .134 

------------

------------

------------

------------

------------

------------

------------

2, 971,532 ----------

Value 

------------

------------

------------

------------

------------

------------

------------

------------

------------

------------

------------

------------

------------

------------

------------

------------

------------

------------

------------

------------

------------

------------

------------

------------

------------

------------

------------

------------

------------

------------

------------

------------

------------

------------

------------

------------

------------

------------

------------

------------

----$34;216-

19,795 

35,629 

23,243 

9,127 

5, 523 2, 955 58,651 

6, 373 

------------

------------

------------

------------

------------

------------

-·---------- 195,512 

Total 

value 

$2,490,000 

50,000 

40,000 

80,000 

60,300 

241,200 

533, 142 587,793 

633,037 

525,994 

471,800 

450,231 

473,325 

445,792 

389,070 

354,817 

363,657 

289,356 

151,827 

247,585 

785,717 

793,611 

517, 105 286,998 

234,526 

78,8.14 

160,668 

126,903 

165,564 

228,753 

443,182 

353,542 

222,012 

175,807 

157,584 

180,634 

198,939 

257,327 

378,318 

551,376 

642,943 

497,138 

729,079 

465,460 

163,249 

105,569 

139,303 

89,244 

233,790 

277,749 

156,945 

101, 199 229,034 

289,059 

119,205 

166,796 

178,952 

19,761,020 

-

~ 

CD 

0) 

~ ~ 

~ ~ 

~ 

c;:l 

~ 

~ 

a 

0 

b 

t 

0 
PITKIN COUNTY 197 

PITKIN COUNTY 

Burchard in his report for 1880, under Gunnison 

County, f~om which the production of Aspen is 

subtracted, says: 64 

Aspen City.-The Smuggler * * * has a shaft down 45 

feet. A tunnel of 150 feet is in upon the Trayner. * * * 

The Spar * * * has a shaft of 75 feet. The Durant * * * 

is another prospect. * * * The Chloride shows up well 

under development. The Minard makes a similar showing to 

-the Trayner. About 250 miners are now working in the camp. 

Several of the mines are sending ore to Leadville for reduction, 

employing jack trains for its transportation across the moun-

-tains. * * * The Grand Republic is down 20 feet. * * * 

The ore is to be piled upon the dump, there to remain until 

-the smel~er starts up next summer. 

In his report for 1881 Burchard says: 65 

Pitkin County, organized in 1880, was taken from the 

~astern portiqn of Gunnison County.· ·The principal mining 

districts are Independence or Chipeta, Ashcroft, and Aspen. 

In the Independence district a belt of gold-bearing veins 

was discovered in 1879. The ores are similar to those produced in Gilpin County and are readily reduced by the ordinary 

milling process. The Farwell Mining Co. own all the best 

:mines, among which are the Independence Nos. 1, 2, 3, and 4, 

Last Dollar, Last Dime,· Legal Tender, Bennington, Choler, 

Sheba, Friday, Mammoth, Dolly Varden, Gatton, Minnie, 

Mount Hope, and Golden Champion. The company pur-

~hased a 15-stamp mill, which has been running since January, 

1881 and later have built a 30-stamp mill, which was required 

to tr~at the amount of ores extracted in the process of developing.their mines. The Minnehaha, Golden Rock, Little Bobbie, 

and Old Grimes, composing the Minnehaha group, are all 

!Promising locations. 

Ashcroft is on Castle Creek, at the base of Taylor and Elk 

ranges. * * * The chief group of mines is the Tam 

<0' Shanter, on Slate Mountain. The group comprises the Tam 

<O' Shanter, Montezuma, Borealis, Ivanhoe, Halcyon, and 

Last Chance. The ore from these mines is gray copper, galena, 

a.nd carbonates of copper and lead. * *. * On the Pearl 

group considerable work was done, and several ton~ of highgrade ore were shipped for treatment, but operatiOns were 

suspended in the fall. * * * The Little Grace group 

~omprises four locations upon which some little work has been 

done, sufficient to produce ore assaying rich in silver. 

At Aspen, on the Roaring Fork, the Smuggler shows over 

.30 feet of ore between dissimilar lime walls. * * * The 

<Ore is chiefly a fine-grained galena, carrying much native silver 

in leaf and wire forms. There is also considerable spar ore 

.strongly impregnated with gray copper, which is of very high 

grade. On the Spar the chief. workings are an incline shaft 

<Of 70 feet and about 100 feet of drifts and tunnels. On the 

western ridge of the mountain are located the Pioneer, Trayner, 

.and many other properties. 

On th<;J western slope of the mountains, at the head of Ophir 

Gulch, are the Caesar, Grand Prize, Colorado, Central, Louise, 

Oro, and Carrie. These are all ore producers, the general character of the mineral being similar to that found upon the other 

.side of the mountains-galena, spar, carbonates, and chlorides. 

The Morning Star and Evening Star produce free-milling 

<Ores. The Evening Star, at the depth of 40 feet from the out-

-crop, shows 6 feet of ore, which mill runs 50 ounces. Picked 

samples run as high as 6,500 ounces. 

e• Burchard, H. C., Report of the Director of the Mint upon the production of 

.();he precious metals in the United States during the calendar year 1880, pp. 15Q-151 

ll881. 

66 Burchard, H. C., op. cit. for 1881, pp. 354, 423-424, 1882. 

5653-26t-14 

The other properties mentioned show much high-grade ore, 

and large bodies of mineral of lower grade, whfch will pay well 

for extraction and shipment. There are from 40 to 150 feet 

of work done on each of these claims, while from 10 to 50 tons 

of ore are lying on each of their dumps. 

The Eva Bella, on Copper Hill, is from 4 to 6 feet wide .and 

has· an average value of about $100 per ton. The Oneida, on 

the north, is an extension of the Eva Bella and shows very fine 

ore, though the tunnel has not yet cut the main vein. 

The Climax, on Richmond Hill, has a large body of highgrade galena and s·par. Th~ finding of this lode has stimulated 

work upon other claims in the neighborhood, which is already 

productive of promising results. 

West Castle, Maroon, and Rock creeks command considerable attention from the various strikes made in those sections 

during the past summer. 

The following mills and mines of Pitkin County have returned reports of production, viz, Farwell Consolidated, Camp 

Bird, Tourtellotte group. 

The production during 1881 was $100;000 in gold and $30,000 

in silver. 

In 1881 ancl 1882 the gold came from the Independence district. Burchard says in the report for 

1882: 66 

Independence or Sparkill district, situated in the eastern 

part of the county, contains a number of valuable mines, the 

principal of which are controlled by the Farwell Mining Co. 

The general formation of the district is granite and the ores are 

composed of auriferous copper pyrites in a compact siliceous 

gangue and average in value $16 per ton. In the other two 

districts [Aspen and Ashcroft] the ore is principally argentiferous galena, averaging 70 ounces silver and 40 per cent lead 

per ton. The Farwell Co. own some 12 claims, which have 

been extensively developed, and up to August, 1882, kept two 

stamp mills, of 15 and 30 stamps, respectively, in constant 

operation, producing in the neighborhood of $125,000 in gold. 

Since that time the mills have remained idle. * * * The 

Champion miJ:?.e, near the Farwell group, * * * has already produced some very fine ore. The last lot shipped, a lot 

of 9 tons, gave returns of $475. Besides this the tailings, after 

the run of the ore through a crude stamp mill, assayed 2~ 

ounces of silver to a ton. The ore also contains about 15 

ounces of silver to a ton, none of which was saved, other lots 

of ore from the mine have run much higher, one lot of 10 tons 

producing $1,760. * * * 

Aspen district is noted for its large, veins of argentiferous 

galena, among the principal being the Smuggler, Spar, Morning 

and Evening Star, Eva Bella, Camp ~ird, Chloride, and 

Climax. * * * The mines of Aspen, taken as a whole, show 

but inconsiderable development, and owing to a lack of machiner·y the production of lead and silver has been confined to small 

shipments of ore to Leadville, 53 miles distant, which amounted 

in the aggregate to about $50,000. A 60-ton smelter is in the 

process of construction for the ores of this district and is expected 

to be in operation by the middle of January, 1883. 

Ashcroft or Columbia district: * * * fissure veins of 

high-grade galena, gray copper, and silver glance ores * * * 

forms the southern boundary of Pitkin County and joins Gunnison on the north. * * * The Montezuma * * * shaft 

of 125' feet between the walls is turning out from 15 to 25 tons 

of high-grade galena and sulphuret ores daily, which, from 

shipments made in 1881 to ·outside points, indicate a character 

capable of milling from 200 to 300 ounces silver to the ton. 

* * * The veins in this district * * * in many cases 

carrying a very high-grade ore, which is being laid on the 

&tBurchard, H C., op. cit. for 1882, pp. 391,394, 533-538, 586-587, 1883. 
198 MINING IN COLORADO 

various dumps to await the necessary machinery, as there 

are no smelters in operation up to this time. Two small smelters are being built, however, one of which (the Brooks & 

Bethune) is expected to blow in about March 1, 1883. · 

In his report for 188~ Burchard says: 67 

Grant Smelting Works produced (or purchased) from Pitkin 

County 284,340 pounds of lead, 24,963 ounces of silver, 52 

ounces of gold. Matthews & Webb purchased ore from Pitkin 

containing $4,856 silver and $1,800 lead. 

Smuggler mine * * * averages 30 ounces silver and 20 

per cent lead. Spar mine * * * [is] extracting ore, which 

assays from 10,000 to 1P,OOO ounces in silver and from 3 to 50 

per cent lead. Camp Bird group * * * near Tourtelotte 

Park, * * * located during fall of 1879 and spring of 1880, 

* * * has produced something over $10,000 in mineral, the 

smelter returns being from 64 to 495 ounces silver per ton. The 

Buckhorn group * * * the mineral consists principally of 

spar and carbonate of lead, averaging 40 ounces silver and 50 

per cent lead. 

Around Ashcroft, * * * since the first of the year, the 

Montezuma has begun to deliver on a contract made with the 

smelter at Aspen. * * * The Montezuma * * * has 

shipped in the neighborhood of 1,000 tons of ore, averaging $60 

to $65 per ton. The Montezuma and Tam o' Shanter were discovered in 1880. * * * The Montezuma is shipping its ore 

to Aspen for treatment, a large amount having been sent outside 

over Pearl Pass [to Crested Butte]. * * * The ore has 

milled 65 ounces of silver and 35 per cent of lead. * * * 

At Independence nothing is being done. The Farwell Consolidated Mining Co., that at one time was one of the largest 

gold producers in Colorado, has been closed the entire year. 

Burchard in 1884 says: 68 

There is a smelter at the town of Aspen of 28 tons capacity 

which is at present being enlarged and roasters are being added. 

The ores received at it show about 7 per cent zinc and 13 per cent 

baryta, making a very refractory combination, costing some $28 

per ton to treat. 

In Mineral Resources for 1883 and 1884 Kirchhoff 

says: 69 

One of the new camps which is beginning to -attract attention 

and which promises to become more important, is Aspen, where 

the Aspen Smelting Co. started its furnace in July, 1884, and is 

now building a second. The ores, taken from deposits at or 

near the contact -of dolomite and Silurian limestone, carry fair 

quantities of lead, considerable zinc, some copper, and heavy 

spar, as the chief constituent of the gangue, and·are exceptionally high in silver. The district is favored by the existence of a 

6-foot bed of good bituminous coal, making a good coke carrying 

only 10 per cent of ash; and by the exercise of metallurgical 

skill, a constant watching of the character of the ores and the 

working of the furnace, it has been possible, by running hot, to 

overcome the technical difficulties due to the presence of exceptionally large quantities of baryta and zinc. On the other hand, 

the transportation to railroad is costly, though this is counterbalanced by the exceptionally high silver value of the bullion, 

which carries from 500 to over 1,000 ounces of silver per ton. 

Kirchhoff 70 estimates 15 per cent loss on 3,500 tons 

of lead in 1885. The figures given for silver for that 

67 Burchard, H. C., op. cit. for 1883, pp. 236, 238, 240, 395-401, 1884. 

6s Burchard, H. C., op. cit. for 1884, pp. 177, 235-236, 1885. 

6D Kirchhoff, Charles, jr., Lead: U. S. Geol. Survey Mineral Resources, 1883 and 

1884, p. 422, 1885. 

70 Kirchhoff, Charles, jr., Lead: U S. Geol. Survey Mineral Resources, 1885, 

p. 257, 1886. 

year in the table represent rough estimates on the 

basis of different statements as to proportion of lead 

to silver, giving particular weight to Kirchhoff's. 

figures for lead for 1885 and 1886. 

For 1886 to 1896 the figures here give·n are based 

on reports of agents of the-Mint in annual reports of the· 

Director of the Mint, the gold and silver being prorated to correspond with the figures for the total 

production of the State as corrected by the Directorof the Mint, the lead being prorated to correspond 

with the total production of lead in the State as given. 

in Mineral Resources, and any "unknown production,. 

in the State being distributed proportionately among 

the counties. As with lead so with copper, but as the 

figures ·for copper given in Mineral Resources include 

copper from matte and ores treated in Colorado,. 

though produced in other States, they are subject torevision. 

In his report for 1886 Kirchhoff says: 71 

Aspen pr.oduced very little lead bullion in 1886, and a comparatively small amount of ore. Between 5,000 and 6,000 tons 

were marketed. This was due to a number of causes. The· 

bringing of suits by apex claims, and the consequent injunction 

placed upon claims below the apex, operated to stop productionon several of the most important mines. These injunctions. 

are still in force, and there is no prospect of a final settlement 

during the year 1887. Then the building of the ColoradoMidland Railroad ·has tended to stop shipments of all ores. 

except those of the very highest grade,· because they will be· 

much more valuable as soon as the railroad reaches Aspen in the· 

fall. When railroad transportation has been secured it is 

probable that there will be a great activity in developing 

and working low-g1;ade mines, and a large output of lead is. 

looked for from Aspen in the latter part of 1887 and in 1888. 

According to Spurr, 72 

The Denver & Rio Grande Railroad reached Aspen, October,. 

1887, while the trains of the Colorado Midland did not actually 

reach the town limits until February, 1888. 

For 1887 and 1888 Munson 73 lists the producing 

and nonproducing mines and gives the individual 

production of some of the mines. The gold at the· 

·United _States Mint came from sundry depositso. 

For 1889 to 1892 Smith 74 lists the producing mines. 

and gives individual outputs. The gold in 1891 

came from the Independence mine, in the Independence district. 

The figures for zinc in 1895 represent ore receipts. 

of the American Zinc-Lead, Co. of Canon City, as 

published in the Denver Republican in its yearlyreview for 1895. 

71 Kirchhoff, Charles, jr., Lead: U. S. Geol. Survey Mineral Resources, 1886 •. 

p. 145, 1887. 

12 Spurr, J. E., Geology of the Aspen mining district, Colo.: U. S. Geol. SurveyMan. 31, p. xxi, 1898. 

73 Munson, G. C., agent for Colorado, in Kimball, J.P., Report of the Director· 

of the Mint upon the production of the precious metals in the United States. 

during the calendar year 1887, pp. 179-180, 1888; idem for 1888, pp. 119-120, 1889. 

H Smith, M. E., agent for .Colorado, in Leech, E. 0., Report of the Director of the 

Mint upon the production of the precious metals in the United States during the.· 

calendar year 1889, pp. 151-152, 1890; idem for 1890, pp. 138-139, 1891; idem for 1891,. 

p. 183, 1892; idem for 1892, pp. 128-129, 1893. 
PITI\IN COUNTY 199 

In his report for 1897 Hodges says: 75 

There are four concentrating plants in this district, having 

a total capacity of 500 tons per day, and a stamp and corubination mill at Independence * * * of 100 tons capacity. 

This mill is intended to work a mine carrying gold in quartz 

above the water level, about 150 feet deep. Below, the ore 

changes to a sulphide. 

. F'or 1897 to 1903 (and from 1904 to 1908 for copper 

and from 1904 to 1907 for zinc) the figures, which 

represent smelter and mint receipts~ are taken chiefly 

from the reports of the Colorado State Bureau of 

Mines. For the years 1904 to 1908, with the above 

exceptions, the figures are taken from Mineral Resources (mine reports). 

For 1898 Hodges says: 76 

The system of concentration; * * * the Smuggler, or 

Hallett table, is doing remarkably good work. About 10 per 

cent of the * * * ·shipments are concentrates. Total tonnage for the camp for 1898 was 165,000 tons. 

For 1900 Hodges gives the following details :

77 

The Hallett table used in these mills is the invention of Mr. 

S. I. Hallett, who is the general manager of the Smuggler 

properties, and has been modified, until, to all intents, it is 

simply a Wilfley table with the rifHes set diagonally on the 

tables instead of longitudinally. The driving mechanism is the 

old quick-return movement formerly used on the King-Darrah 

table, the patent for which is now controlled by the Hallett 

Co. It is claimed for this table that the values being carried 

up to its cleaning side, the entire length, less wash water is 

required, and, consequently, less dilution of the pulp is made on . 

the table and less fine values are carried over into the tailings 

trough. The concentrates are carried off about midway on the 

end of the table instead of at the upper corner side, as in the 

Wilfley. 

At the new mill of the Smuggler Co. two sets of tables are 

used, one set following the other, the second set treating the 

middlings from the upper or first set. The middlings from the 

four of the first tables are treated on one table in the second 

set. The barium sulphate in this ore contains so much silver 

that no attempt is made to keep the galena and heavy spar 

separate, although the smelters charge quite a heavy penalty 

for over 5 per cent. 

The Mollie Gibson has a mill in which practically the same 

operations are carried on except that Frue vanners are used in 

place of the Hallett tables. The ores capable of concentraDeep worlcings.-The deepest workings in this district are in tion from the Mollie Gibson and Argentum-Juniata are worked 

the Gibson which has a shaft 1,200 feet in depth but has been conjointly in this mill. 

flooded for' several years past. In order to keep the working Another mill, farther up the Roaring Fork, which was relevels dry, the Mollie Gibson has a very fine pump of the Snow modeled from a lixiviation plant into a concentration mill, is 

pattern, triple expansion, duplex, condensing, and steam jack- now being used as a test mill on the Della S. ore. The ore here 

eted, which pumps 1;800 gallons a minute, raising the water i is pulverized by stamps so as to pass a 40-mesh screen, and the 

1,000 feet to the surface. This also drains the Argentum- pulp then sized by an upward current of water against a deJuniata. scending stream of pulp. The heavier sizes are conveyed to 

Concentrating mills.-A number of concentrating mills have Wilfley tables and the slimes to V-shaped boxes, where the 

been. built * * * Perhaps the best ex~'mple of the work is at , settled pulp is treated on Frue vanners. A claim is made that 

the two Smuggler mills, the old mill having a capacity of 150 1 the combination of these two systems-the Wilfley table for 

tons in a day of 10 hours, and the new mill, * * * 125 tons.· the coarse sand and the Frue vanner for the slimes-effects a 

Neither of these mills work a night shift. ' saving of 70 per cent of the values. 

The Smuggler ore consists of a limestone carrying from 4 to Two sampling works are kept busy in the town and handle 

5 per cent galena, 10 to. 15 per cent zinc carbonate, and an un- , practically all the ore mined before it is sent to the smelter. 

certain percentage of barium sulphate, with a small amount of All the mills, including the sampling works, are run by electric 

silica, and about 4 to 6 ounces of silver per ton. At the old power generated by the Castle Creek Power Co., which also 

n:lill the ore is delivered in the upper part, where it is passed furnishes the illumination for the town. A large quantity of 

through a jaw crusher and rolls, and sized by means of revolving limestone was furnished during the early part of the year to the 

screens, the different sizes passing to a number of Hartz jigs, smelters, which paid for the lime and also for the silver coBmade in Germany specially for this mill. The middlings from tents, which, ·while low, returned a profit. This was made 

the jigs are all conveyed to Bradley pulverizers and ground so possible as the limestone was shipped from the old dumps 

that the coarsest material passes through a 60-mesh screen. without sorting. 

From these pulverizers the pulp is run to a series of large V- The only economic improvement during the past year in the 

shaped classifiers, from which the different sizes are taken to camp is the extending of a railroad spur up Castle Creek to the 

Hallett concentrating tables, which are simply modifications· of Castle Creek tunnel and a branch up the side of Aspen Mountain 

the Wilfley table, and there the ore, practically in the condition for ~ short distance, which will reduce the cost of hauling and 

of slimes, is very successfully separated into a galena and baryta tramming ores. . 

sulphate as the heading, while the zinc carbonate with the iron The outlying districts have been practically idle during the 

are saved as middlings for future treatment, and the lime with year, and the Independence district, of which much was hoped 

some zinc and silver rejected as waste. as a gold-producing section, has not realized the expectations of 

At the Smuggler new mill the same separations are made, i_ts supporters. 

bu't only the Hallett tables are used. The ore, being crushed 

to the size of grains of corn, is pulverized in Bradley mills so For 1901 Hodges 78 gives the following details: 

that the coarsest will pass through a 60-mesh screen. These Tunnel outlets:-The severaltunnels through which the most 

Bradlev mills are modifications of Chilean mills, but on the extensive mining operations are conducted are as follows: The 

Smuggler ore, which pulverizes very readily, their capacity is Cowenhoven, 2~ miles long; Smuggler and A. J., 3,000 feet; 

60 tons a day for each machine. Durant, 8,500 feet; Compromise, 7,000 feet; Newman, 5,000 

76 Hodges, J. L., agent for Colorado, in Roberts, G. E., Report of the' Director of 

the Mint upon the production of the precious metals in the United States during 

the calendar year 1897, pp. 125-126, 1898. · 

1e Hodges, J. L., agent for Colorado, in Roberts, G. E., op. cit. for 1898, p. 92, 1899. 

11 Hodges, J. L., agent for Colorado, in Roberts ,G. E., op. cit. for 1900, pp. 128-

131, 1901. 

feet; Robinson, 3,000 feet. * * * 

Mills.-The Smuggler owns and operates two ore concentrating plants. Their combined capacity is 300 crude tons per 

78 Hodges, J. L., agent for Colorado, in Roberts, G. E., op. cit. for 1901, pp. 13D134,1902 . 
200 MINING IN COLORADO 

day. This company also has a sampling plant ~or treatment 

and shipment of their own ores and concentrates. 

The ore concentrating· mills ar~ in construction specially 

arranged-one for coarse crushing and concentration, the "lead 

mill," and the other fine crushing and c~mcentration, the "zinc 

mill." They are so called because the lead is so finely disseminated in the zinc that a final fine crushing is necessary to 

thorough separation. 

Average value of crude ore treated was 10.7-2 ounces silver, 

8.7'2 per cent lead, and 16.7'2 per cent zinc per ton. 

Average value of mineral c;oncentrates saved was 48.4 ounces 

silver, 59.3 per cent lead, and 9.3 per cent zinc. 

Settlings saved in reservoir, 9.9 ounces silver, 3 per cent lead, 

and 31.7'2 per cent zinc. 

Treatment averaged a reduction of 9.2 tons of ore. to 1 ton 

of mineral concentrates. 

Both of the above-named mills, b_eing of early construction, 

have gradually improved as repairs were needed, and plans are 

now perfected for remodeling in 1902 at an expenditure of not 

less than $30,000. 

Hunter Creek mill is located at mouth of the Cowenhoven 

tunnel, base of Smuggler Mountain, for the purpose of concentration treatment of ores mined and output through the said 

tunnel, which has penetrated Smuggler Mountain a distance of 

2.7'2 'miles, close to what is known as the "contact" between 

the middle (shale) and lower Carboniferous (lime) rock. 

In the bulk of the ore as at present delivered from the Della 

S. mine direct to the Hunter mill the mineral is disseminated so 

finely that it can seldom be directly seen in the mine, but by 

rubbing the ore with~he pick the amount of glossy lead or silver 

stain determines approximately the value for concentration, 

which at present price of silver and lead must equal about 9 

ounces of silver and 4 per cent lead. 

The works were placed in commission late in October, since 

when they have been in active operation, yielding very satisfactory results from a very low grade silver and lead ore, and 

they are evidently a close approach to solving. the problem of 

treatment of low-grade refractory ores, the output of which in 

the Aspen district is large. 

The system of ore concentration was perfected through a 

series of determinative tests; likewise, all machinery and 

mechanical appliances employed, and these of the latest proven 

types and manufacture, were selected and assembled in place 

upon (as near as may be) intelligently .predetermined methods 

The installation is in duplicate, so that ore treatment may be 

ifl check and details adapted to the general varying conditions 

of ore, or ore from two different mines be under treatment at 

one time.· 

Inasmuch as the Hunter mill has been in operation only 60 

days, its full efficiency can not be accepted so determinatively as 

may be after a longer campaign. The operations for December, 

1901, were in the aggregate as follows: Total silver saved in 

concentrates, 20,117 ounces; lead, 150,851 pounds; per cent 

silver saved, 81.1; lead, 84.3; net saving, 83.7 per cent. Average assay of crude ore, 8.4 ounces silver; 3.18 per cent lead. 

In this connection a point of interest is shown in results of 

January, 1902. Briefly, the mill averaged 104 tons crude ore 

per diem, the average saving of silver and lead being 87.5 per 

cent. 

The system of installation at the Hunter mill was furnished 

by the en~ineer, to whom much credit is due in working out and 

perfecting this milling plant, Mr. Charles Anderson,· manager, 

also manager of the Della S. mine, and: rom which mine all ore 

under treatment at present time is supplied. 

The machinery consists of one 6 by 20 inch crusher, two pairs 

of 30 by 14 inch rolls, two 6-foot Huntington mills, twelve 

Wilfley concentrators, four belt machines 6 feet wide, and automatic dryers with automatic sampling apparatus through which 

the whole quantity of ore from the rolls, screened to J\ inch 

mesh, passes into storage bins, thence to the Huntington :rp.ills, 

and is pulverized with pressure of water through a No. 35 mesh 

screen, thence through a V trough, one for each mill, with grade 

to slowly carry the he"avier granulations forward. The bottoms 

of these troughs are fitted with adjustable classifiers in such a 

way that the horizontal surface current of the pulp is not disturbed. The thus partly classified pulp flows into two series 

(six in each series) of table machines. The "middlings" from 

each series of tables are carried by a shaking launder to an 

elevator, thence flow onto another table. 

The slimes flow from the hydraulic classifiers into tanks, and 

after settling are fed automatically for each series of tables. 

The vanners make high-grade slime concentrates· and worthless 

tailings. 

The mineral concentrates from all machines are carried by 

shaking launders to automatic steam dryers, which discharge 

the concentrates into storage bins ready .for shipment. 

When the ore is broken it is loaded into the mine ore cars, 

five forming a train, thence by horses drawn out through the 

Cowenhoven tunnel, a distance of about 272 miles, and unloaded 

upon a grizzly set in top floor of the Hunter mill, thence through 

machinery and appliances, without intervention of hand labor, 

until it is by one man loaded into railway cars for shipment, at 

a whole cost of less than 50 cents per ton. 

· The Hunter mill is lighted and driven by electric power transmitted from the Roaring Fork Electric Lighting & Power Co., 

which employs water power. 

The mill is heated by steam; mineral concentrates also dried 

by steam. 

The mining industry of Aspen is well served by the Denver & 

Rio Grande, also the Midland Railway system, spurs from their 

main tracks being lai4 to all the larger mines, also the concentrating and sampling works, thus affording excellent facilitie& of 

transportation of ores and concentrates without intervening cost 

of wagon haul. 

For 1905 Lindgren says: ~ 

The Smuggler mine shipped a large tonnage of lead-silverzinc ore and slimes to Canon City for the- manufacture of zinclead pigment. 

For 1906 Naramore says: 80 

More than one-half of the crude ore mined in Pitkin County 

in 1906 was concentrated, and in addition, a large tonnage of 

zinc slimes was shipped from a pond where they had accumulated from the concentration of Smuggler ores for several years, 

when zinc was a detriment to the ore. 

For 1909 to 1923 the figures given in the table are 

taken from Mineral Resources (mines reports). 

70 Lindgren, Waldemar, U.S. Geol. Survey Mineral Resources, 1905, p. 208, 1906 

so Naramore, Chester, U.S. Qeol. Survey Mineral Resources, 1906, p. 229, 1907. 
RIO GRANDE COUNTY 201 

Gold, silver1-copper1 lead, and zinc produced in Pitkin ~ounty, 1880-1923. 

Silver 

I Copper 

Ore 

Year treated Lode Aver- Aver-

(short gold Fine age age 

tons) price Value Pounds price ounces per per ounce pound 

1880 ________ ---------- ...................... 010,000 $1.15 $11,500 ...................... ------- 188L _______ ---------- $100,000 23,203 1.13 26,219 ----------- ------- 1882.------- ---------- 1883 ________ 90, 000· 23,203 1.14 26,451 ----------- ------- ---------- 2,000 42,539 1.11 47,218 ----------- ------- 1884_ _______ ---------- 1, 000 464,062 1.11 515, 109 ----------- ................ 1885 ________ -·-------- 1,000 1, 000,000 1.07 1, 070,000 ----------- ------- 1886.------- 5, 500 17, 125 399,094 . 99 395, 103 ----------- ------- 1887.------- .......................... 9,336 612,368 :98 600, 121 ----------- ..................... 

1888_ ------- ---------- 12,716 4, 333,787 . 94 4, 073,760 ----------- ------- 1889.------- ............................ 5, 982,238 . 94 5, 623,304 ................. ----- ------- 1890 ________ ............................. ---------- 4, 944,898 1.05 5, 192, 143 1891_ _______ ----------- ------- ............................. 13,507 6, 979,263 .99 6, 909,470 ----------- ................. 1892 ________ ---------- 8, 138,549 .87 7, 080,538 ----------- ------- 1893 _______ " ---------- ---------- 5, 039,799 • 78 3, 931,043 ----------- ------- 1894_- ---- ---------- 5, 312 5, 996,851 • 63 3, 778,016 ----------- $6:i67- 1895 ________ 1,387 5, 131,792 . 65 3, 335,665 616 

1896.------- ---------- 1, 523 4, 922,360 .68 3, 347,205 52,991 .108 

1897-------- ---------- 164,430 4, 599,946 .60 2, 759,968 8,360 .12 

1898_- ------ 165,000 71,001 3, 977,270 • 59 "2,346, 589 4,553 .124 

1899_------- ............................ 52,233 4, 158,708 .60 2,495, 225 19,351 .171 1900 ________ ---------- 13,.456 4, 119,116 . 62 2, 553,852 6,082 .166 1901_ _______ ............................. 4,692 3, 532,863 .60 2, 119,718 50,786 .167 1902 ________ ---------- 4,899 3, 063,450 . 53 1, 623,629 10,654 .122 1903 ________ ........................... 4, 754 2, 569,862 . 64 1, 387, 72() 11,683 .137 

1904_- ------ 109,770 2,336 2, 129,618 . 58 1, 235,178 9,862 .128 

1905_------- 107,927 248 2,469, 520 • 61 1, 506,407 127,094 .156 1906 ________ 203,400 1, 172 2, 131,374 .68 1,449,334 285,346 .193 1907 ________ 183,836 579 1, 719,446 . 66 1, 134,834 234,493 .20 

1908_ ------- 133,408 538 1, 041,700 . 53 552,101 22,474 .132 1909 ________ 112,448 745 700,038 .52 364,020 26,092 .13 1910 ________ 89,037 646 477,813 .54 258,019 24,843 .127 

191L _ ------ 88,823 542 450,772 .53 238,909 7,408 .125 

1912.------- 91,791 165 528,504 . 615 325,030 22,952 .165 1913 ________ 114,264 29 562,308 .604 339,634 48,852 .155 1914 ________ 118,000 423 372,886 .553 206,206 67,737 .133 

1915.------- 108,579 29 448,915 . 507 227,600 19,983 .175 

1916.------- 114,330 ---------- 577,863 . 658 380,234 28,931 . 246 

1917-------- 124,824 105 662,045 .824 545,525 27,403 . 273 1918 ________ 98,413 2 558,722 1.00 558,722 9,684 • 247 

1919.------- 121,534 ---------- 657,058 1.12 735,905 ----------- ..................... 

1920.------- 125,786 ---------- 625,444 1. 09 681,734 -------233" --.-i29" 1921.------- 60,476 ---------- 474,225 1. 00 474,225 

1922.------- 119,023 ---------- 525, 169 1. 00 525,169 ........................... .................. 1923 .• ------ 58,641 ........................... 429,581 .82 352,256 ----------- ------- ---

---------- 577,930 97,608,222 ------- 73,340,613 1, 128,463 .................... 

a Estimated by C. W. Henderson. 

PUEBLO COUNTY 

The figures for 1894 and 1896 given in -the table 

below are prorated from those given by Puckett. 81 

For 1900 and 1901 the :figlires are taken from the 

reports of the Colorado State Bureau of Mines, but 

the source of this production is in considerable doubt. 

In fact, it is questionable whether this yield has beeri 

properly credited. · 

Gold, silver_, and copper produced in Pueblo County, 1894-1901 

Year Gold 

Silver Copper 

Fine 

ounces Value Pounds Value 

Total 

value 

------------------------

1894----------------

1896- ----·----------- 1900 ---------------- 1901- ·--- -----------

$296 

84 

248 

165 

3 

26 

9 

52 

$2 ---------- ---------- 17 ---------- ----------

() -------------------- 31 210 $35 

$298 

101 

253 

231 

----m-~---90- ---55----;; ---35---s83 

SJ Puckett, W. J., agent for Colorado, in Preston, R. E., Report of the Director of 

the Mint upon the production of the precious metals in the United States during 

the calendar year 1894,. p. 73, 1895; idem for calendar year 1896, p. 158, 1898. 

Le3d Zinc 

Aver- Aver- Total value age age Value Pounds price Value Pounds price Value 

per per pound pound 

---------- 60,000 $0.05 $3,000 ----------- ------- -----·----- $14,500 ..................... 200,000 .048 9, 600 ----------- ------- ---·------- 135,819 

---------- 200,000 .049 9,800 ----------- ----·-- ----------- 126,251 ..................... 450,000 . 043 19,350 ----------- ----------- 68,568 

---------- 1, 200,000 • 037 44,400 ----------- ------- ----------- 560,509 

---------- 5, 950,000 .039 232,050 ----------- ------- ---·------- 1, 303,050 

---------- 800,000 .046 36,800 ----------- ------- ----------- 449,028 

---------- 361,388 .045 16,262 ----------- ------- ----------- 625,719 

---------- 14,349,792 . 044 631,391 ............................. ------- ----------- 4,717,867 

---------- 15, 100,807 .039 588,931 ----------- ------- ----------- 6, 212,235 

---------- 19,703,605 . 045 886,662 ----------- ------- ----------- 6, 078,805 

---------- 16,396,580 . 043 705,053 ----------- ................. ----------- 7, 628,030 

---------- 20,998,701 . 04 839,948 ----------- ------- ................................ 7, 920,486 

---------- 15,000,000 . 037 555,000 ----------- ------- ----------- 4, 486,043 

------$66" 15, 750,000 . 033 519,750 ----------- $6:636- ------$756" 4,303, 078 11, 163,685 .032 357,238 21,000 3, 695, 112 5, 723 16,272,411 .03 488, 172 ----------- ------- ----------- 3,842, 623 1,003 4,456,478 .036 160,433 ----------- ------- ----------- 3, 085,834 565 15,903,682 .038 604,340 ----------- ................... ----------- 3, 022,495 

3,309 25,458,380 .045 1, 145,627 ----------- ------- -------886" 3, 696,394 

1,010 27,452,260 .044 1, 207,899 20,000 . 044 3, 777,097 

8,481 32,749,511 .043 1, 408,229 ----------- ------- ----..................... 3, 541, 120 1, 300 24,973,816 .041 1, 023,926 ............................... ------- ----------- 2, 653,754 

1, 601 33,269,852 .042 1, 397,334 ---593; iiiii- --:65i- ----36;277" 2, 791,414 

1, 262 18,882,901 .043 811,965 2, 081,018 

19,827 22,386, 142 .047 1, 052, 149 3,854,339 . 059 227,406 2, 806,037 

55,072 17,951,674 .057 1, 023,245 3, 276,711 . 061 ·199,879 2, 728,702 

46,899 12,235,230 .053 648,467 4, 688,693 ".059 276,633 2,107,412 

2, 967 7, 568,060 .042 317,859 722,362 . 047 33,951 907,416 

3,392 13, 143,210 .043 565, 158 34,741 . 054 1,876 935,191 

3,155 13,408,250 .044 589,963 ----------- ------- ----------- 851,783 926 11,084,334 .045 498,795 ---484;567" --:o69- ----33;43i" 739,172 

3, 787 8,405,333 .045· 378,240 740,653 

7, 572 17,528,386 .044 771,249 460,161 .056 25,769 1, 144, 253 9,009 23,233,230 .039 906,096 145,431 . 051 7,417 1, 129, 151 3,497 19,265,213 .047 905,465 214,952 .124 26,654 1, 163,245 

7,117 17,519,275 .069 1, 208,830 162,574 . 134 21,785 1, 617,966 

7, 481 14,352,523 .086 1, 234,317 571, 794 .102 58,323 1, 845,751 

2,392 11,666,592 .071 828,328 145,286 . 091 13,221 1, 402, C65 

---------- 5, 310, 170 .053 281,439 80,000 .073 5,840 1, 023,184: 

-------36" 4, 470,300 .08 357,624 617,790 . 081 50,041 1,089, 399 2, 395,622 .045 107,803 283,000 .05 14, 150 596,208 ........................... 3, 555,309 . 055 195,542 ---465,"066" .................. ...... -------- . ' 720,711 

------·--- 2, 972,614 .07 208,083 .068 31,620 . 591,959 

197,443 565, 555, 316 ------- 25,781,812 16,842,002 ..................... 1, 059,909 100, 957, 707 

RIO GRANDE COUNTY 

Patton 82 gives a summary of the mining developments in Rio Grande County for 1870 to 1917. 

In his report for 1875 Raymond 83 reviews the 

history of developn1ent prior to 1876 as follows: 

Rio Grande County, Summit [S1tmmitville] district.-This 

district is usually classed as a part of the San Juan country. 

* * * Summit district, which is the leading gold district of 

the San Juan country, is situated 27 miles southwest of Del 

Norte and lies just within the boundary of Rio Grande County. 

Its approximate latitude is 37° 30'; approximate longitude 106° 

30' west from Greenwich, with a .mean elevation of about 

12,000 feet above the sea. 

The first discovery of gold in the Summit district was made 

in Wightman's Gulch about the last of June, 1870, by a party 

consisting of James L. Wightman, E. Baker, J. Cary French, 

Sylvester Reese, and William Boran, Wightman getting the 

first "prospect." All of the party, with the exception of 

Wightman and Reese, left by the middle of September, the 

82 Patton, H. B., Geology and ore deposits of the Platoro-Summitville district, 

Colo.: Colorado State Geol. Survey Bull. 13, 1917 [1918). 

83 Raymond, R. W., Statistics of mines and mining in the States and Territories 

west of the Rocky Mountains for 1875, pp. 282, 326-334, 1877. 
202 MINING IN COLORADO 

latter remaining, engaged in sluicing, until the 9th of November, 

when they left, heavily packed, a~d made their way out through 

snow waist deep, reaching the Rio Grande in three days. 

In the spring of 1871 a large number of people flocked into 

the Summit, hundreds arriving while the snow was yet very 

deep and work impracticable. A general disgust soon took 

possession of the prospe·ctors, and by the last of August there 

were but three men in the dis~rict-J. L. Wightman, P. J. 

Peterson, and J. P. Johnson. These then remained until about 

the 20th of October, Wightman and Peterson being the last to 

leave. They took the gold realized by sluicing to Denver and 

had it refined at the mint, dividing $170 between the three 

after paying all expenses of the season's operations; not a very 

encouraging yield for a hard summer's work. Several lodes 

had in the meantime been found, or at least lode locations made. 

The specimens found in the gulch indicated to the miners that 

they had not washed far, and they believed that parent ledges 

in place were close by. 

In 1872 a few locations were made, and 1873 witnessed a new 

immigration into the district, and in that year the richest mines 

in the Summit [district] were located. The Esmond and 

Summit lodes were staked during the summer, and on September 13 F. H. Brandt and P. J. Peterson located the Little 

Annie, Del Norte, and Margaretta mines. * * * 

During 1874 a vast number of new locations were made, and 

the attention of the owners was turned to the matter of getting 

in machinery. Dr. Richard F. Ada~s, after locating the 

Summit mine, shipped a small amount of ore to be tested, and, 

having become satisfied that the enterprise would pay, located 

a mill site and ordered a mill, which was brought in and commenced to run the following spring (1&75). 

During the winter of 1874-75 n_egotiations were opened by the 

mine owners with capitalists for the purpose of getting in mills. 

The owners of the Little Annie, Del Norte, and Margaretta, 

of the Golden Queen, and of the Golden Star, entered into contracts by which the parties puttingin the mills were to have an 

interest in the mines. 

The spring of 1875 marked the opening of permanent mining 

operations at the Summit. Dr. Adams's 5-stamp mill began 

. work as early as the season permitted. "In the latter part of 

May [187 5] the machinery for the Little Annie and Golden 

Queen mills reached Del Norte from Chicagq, and was drawn 

by mule teams on a road cut for the purpose over Del Norte 

Mountain, 13,000 feet high, and costing over $4,000. The 

machinery for the two mills weighed more than 50 tons, but was 

successfully transported above the lower cloud belt and placed 

in position before the close of September [1875]. 

The chief gold-producing property of Summit district, and 

of the territory known as the San Juan mining region, is owned 

by the Little Annie Mining Co. and comprises the Little Annie, 

Del Norte, and Margaretta gold mines, and two placer claims 

<>f 20 acres each, situated in the gulch below them, with a 

10-stamp mill, business and assay office, store, bunkhouse, 

mess house, retort house, charcoal ·house, blacksmith shop, 

tramway, substantial mine and mill dumps, dam, flumes, 

sluices, etc. * * * 

The ores of the Del Norte and Margaretta mines have not 

yet been tested in the mill. Average assay value of former, 

.$43.37; of latter $24.20. The Del Norte has yieldE(d exceedingly rich pan prospects, and on the 26th of August, 1876, a 

very rich deposit of flour gold was found on the Margaretta, 

the extent of which has not been determined. * * * 

The Little Annie has had more development than any mine 

in the district, some 1,200 tons of ore having been taken out, 

but it is as yet only an open quarry. * * * Specimens 

have assayed all the way from $70 to $160,000 per ton at the 

Denver Mint and elsewhere. * * * The average value of 

the ore is best shown by the result of last autumn's [1875] mill 

work in which 306 tons taken from the face of the mine, without 

any sorting, yielded $31,444=$102.68 per ton (currency) 

The gold is chiefly in the form of "flour" and for the most part 

invisible, although fine specimens are o·ccasionally taken, some 

being of very large size. The fineness of the retorts has been 

about 980, as shown by certificates from the mint at Denver 

and from the United States assay office at New York. * * * 

The Little Annie mill is a 10-stamp outfit with Blake crusher; 

capacity of latter, 30 tons per day of 10 hours. The mill has 

two batteries of 5 stamps each, 4 dolly tubs or pans, and 1 

agitator. Amalgamation in batteries, on table plates, in pans, 

and on a sec,ond set of table plates on a floor below, over which 

the slimes pass before going into the discharge sluice. Fall of 

stamps, 11 inches. Drop rate, 60. ·weight, 530 pounds. 

Cams, two-armed. Shoes and dies of white iron; weight of 

former 112 pounds, of latter 84 pounds. Length of cams from 

point to point, 29 inches. Battery issue, 10 inches deep. 

Screens, No. 1, fine, slot. Pan revolution, 65 per minute; 

settler, 28 per minute. Engine, 25 horsepower, burning 16 

cubic feet of wood per hour. * * * Frame of mill raised 

lOtli of August, 1875; commenced to ·run 28th of September 

following, and has been in continuous operation since, except 

from 8th of December, 1875, to 20th of May, 1876, during which 

there was no ore on hand. Capacity per day of 24 hours, 5.58 

tons of ore, or 1,100 pounds per stamp. Running time in 1876, 

from 20th of May to 1st of September (the date of this report), 

gross, 103 days; stoppage of all kinds, 470 hours, 17~ minutes, 

net running time, 2,001 hours, 42~ minutes=83 days, 9 hours; 

42~ minutes, during which time the mill has produced 1,710.125 

ounces of gold, worth in coin $34,202.50. 

The Little Annie mill has at present but 10 stamps, but there 

are 64 stamps working under contract on Annie ore at a cost to 

the company of $10 per ton. * * * The product in its own 

mill (at the average so far made of $3,000 per week) is $156,000 

per annum. 

Raymond gives a statement of costs in running the 

mill on page 330 and a balance sheet for September 1, 

1876, on pages 331 and 332. He continues: 

The placers have been worked only at intervals, without 

system and without machinery. In this mode they have yielded 

some very fine nuggets. * * * 

The Golden Queen mine was located in the latter part of 

September, 1873, by Josiah Mann, 0. P. Posey, John Grant, 

and others. It has been extensively worked, and a stamp mill 

has been erected 88 feet east of the Little Annie mill, which is 

a duplicate of the latter, except that the engine is 20 horsepower 

instead of 25. Assays in ore of mine have not hitherto run high, 

and definite information as to mill results is not at present 

accessible. The owners are Johnston Livingston, John J. 

Crooke, Adams & Posey, Arthur Burton, Peter Beeker, Joseph 

S. Reef, John A. McDonald, Lucius A. Winchester, J. S ... 

Partridge, Lewis Crooke, William Beck, James L. Hill, Henry 

B. Clark, F. C. Day, L. C. Smith, R. C. Sheppard, and L. C. 

Baker. Office, Summit, Rio Grande County, Colo. 

The Summit mine was located in 1873 by Dr. Richard F. 

Adams, and his 5-stamp mill, erected in the autumn of 1874, 

was the pioneer of all the machinery now in the district. The 

mine lies high up on the northeastern face of South Mountain, 

and a considerable quantity of surface ore has been taken from 

it. Various assays have ranged from $10 to $200. Yield in 

mill not ascertained. Fifteen more stamps designed for the 

latter are at Del Norte. The power is water, supplemented by 

a steam engine. The owners are R. F. Adams, Lewis Crooke, 

and Le Grande Dodge. 

The Golden Star Gold & Silver Mining Co. owns three mines, 

all located by Isaac Garnett: the Golden Star No. 2, staked 

19th of June, 1874; Eighth Wonder, staked 22d of June, 1874; 

and the Keystone, staked 3d of July, 1874. Assays have been 

had from the former of $20. A superior mill has been erected 
RIO GRANDE COUNTY 203 

'by the company on Wightman's Fork, with ten 650-pound 

stamps, and provision for ten more. The building is 32 feet 

by 48 feet, with addition for boiler of 15 by 30 feet, substantially 

constructed with double-board siding inclosing a layer of tarred 

paper; felt roof. Large Blake crusher; engine, double cyl~nder 

.and 40 horsepower; single-armed cams. Large grinding pan, 

with capacity of eight tons of ·tailings daily. Drop rate, 90; 

high mortars; single discharge (as are all the mills in this 

district); width of issue, 12 inches; amalgamation in battery 

.and on table plates; no blankets. Bumping table on Rittinger 

plan for concentration; one Wheeler & Randall pan for work-

·ing concentrates, with raised patent washers; screen, No. 1 

·fine, slot. Machinery by Morey & Sperry, of New York. 

·Capital stock, $1,000,000. Principal office, Chicago, Ill.; 

branch office, New York. Daniel Barnum, president; C. R. 

Brooke, secretary; J. A. Sperry, builder and agent. Majority 

of stock held in New York. TI:te mill has just commenced to 

run; results of work not ascertained. 

The San ·Juan Consolidated Mining Co. is a combination 

owning over 15,000 linear feet on South Mountain, comprising 

.a large number of locations, of which the Ida, staked out by 

·Colonel Gillette, in July, 187 4, is at present regarded as the best. 

A 30-stamp mill has just been erected and has commenced 

running. Weight of stamps, 500 pounds; fall, 12 inches; rate, 

.37 per minute. Double-armed cams; issue, 13 inches wide. 

Engine, 45 horsepower; steam pressure, 50 pounds. Amalgamation in battery and on table plates. Blankets washed every 

15 minutes. Four Bartola pans; rate of revolution 35 per 

minute; one settler, rate 35; screens, No. 1, fine, slot; Dodge 

crusher, large size. Mill building, 50 feet square. Capital 

stock, $3,000,000. Charles W. Tankersley, president; Thomas 

M. Bowen, secretary. Office of the company, Del Norte, Rio 

Grande County, Colo. 

Cropsey's mill was erected by Col. A. J. Cropsey during the 

present season, to commence operations in the early part of 

July, 1877. The structure is 32 by 60 feet, substantially built 

of logs. It has four batteries of six stamps each. Weight of 

stamps, 500 pounds; fall, 15 inches; drop rate, 30 per minute; 

capacity, 20 tons daily .. Water supplied to batteries and pans 

by a large-sized Knowles steam pump. Engine, 25 horsepower. 

The four silvered table plates have an aggregate surface of 160 

square feet. Blanket tailings run through Bartola pans. The 

mill was built for ·custom work and has up to this time been 

engaged· in sampling the ores of various mines. 

The foregoing comprises the main points of the developments 

in the district. Other mines of more or less prominence are the 

Chicago, located in 1874; present owners, John B. Hoffy, 

W. W. Park, and J. W. Harris; the Dexter, located October, 

1873, by Josiah Mann, Arthur Burton, and John A. McDonald; 

the Golden Eagle, located May, 1875, by Jos. S. Reef, Josiah 

Mann, and Peter Beeker; the Highland Mary, located July, 

1875, by Josiah Mann, P. Beeker, J. S. Reef, and A. J. Sparks; 

The Missionary, located by Benjamin Burroughs, June 18, 

1874; the Yellow Jacket, Rising Sun, Caribou, Little Jessie, 

Little Nellie, Goldie May, Mountain Queen, Wisconsin, Poorman, Des Moines, Esmond, Ellen, Odin, Centennial, Princess, 

Aurora, Narrow Gauge, Grey Eagle, Moltke, Tender Foot, 

Queen Esther, David Fulton, John J. Crooke, Captain Charley, 

Golden Star No.1, Annie E. Benson, McCormick, Independence 

St. Louis, Amazon, St. Mary's, Washington, Columbia, and 

Major, from the last of which have been taken the finest specimens of free gold yet yielded by Summit district. 

The population of the district is about 200. Del Norte, 27 

miles distant, to which access is had by a wagon road built this 

year and by a trail down Pinos Creek, is its supply point. 

Besides the mills and their outbuildings, there are about 50 

cabins in the settlemen~, built of logs and covered with dirt. 

Freight to Del Norte varies from 1~ to 10 cents a pound. 

Wood is the only fuel. Cost of lumber, $30 per M; potatoes 

1 to 8 cents per pound; flour, $8.75 per hundred; tea, $1.25 to 

$1.50 per pound; beef, 7~ cents per potind; bacon, 22~ cents 

per pound; sugar, 18 to 20 cents ·per pound; onions, 12~ 

cents per pound; dried apples, dried peaches, and dried currants, 20 cents per pound; rice, 20 cents per pound; crackers, 

20 cents per pound; cheese, 30 c.ents per pound; kerosene, $1 

per gallon. All supplies must be laid in before winter opens. 

No raising of vegetables has yet b.een attempted in the district, 

though it is possible that a very few of the hardier kinds might 

succeed. There have been so far only two deaths, one from a 

blast and one from debility-an invalid. Water boils at 182°. 

The two accompanying sketches show, one the mountain and 

camp, as seen from the northwest, the other the network of 

locations covering a portion of the northern and eastern face 

of South Mountain. Although 2,300 claims have been recorded 

within its limits, the district so 'far has been orderly and peaceable. The sketch of- the mountain and camp is by Henry 

Learned, associate of the Chicago Academy of Design, and the 

mine map by J. F. Sanders, United States deputy mineral 

surveyor. There are at present 89 stamps in the Summit and 

onE/ arrastre. Two more mills are under contract. With the 

reduction appliances now on the spot or coming, the rank of the 

"district as a gold-producing territory will soon be definitely 

established . 

In his report for 1873 Raymond ·says: 84 

Conejos County: The $an Juan country.-Concerni'ng this 

region a great deal has been said and written in the newspapers 

of the Territory during 1873. 

The Annie, a small mine in Summit district, west of Bakers 

Park, has become famous for rich specimens. Duril)g the· 

summer there was a report of its sale at a high price, on the 

strength of such indications of value. 

The figures for 1873 to 1880 given in the table represent estimates from the· data quoted and are obtained by the elimination of other county figures from 

the total of the San Juan country. 

In his report for 1874 Raymond says: 85 

The San Juan country.-* * * Of the mines on the eastern 

slope, those in Summit and adjacent districts are the most 

prom1smg. What is known a~ the South 'Mountain appears to 

be the center of a broad belt of min( s, mainly aurifero11s, of 

which the Little Annie may be taken as a type. Thi:s location is 

on a broad and well-defined vein of quartz carrying free g9ld 

and pyrites and has already, despite the small amount of work 

done on it, proved of great value. The neighboring veins 

appear to be in almoat. all r~spects similar, and the district on the 

·whole seem,. of unusual promise. 

Burd1ard in his report for 1881 says: 86 

Rio Grande County.-* * * Then. is but one mining district in the county, Summit district, which includes North and 

South Mountains and Lookout Peak. This district has been 

organized for some years, but it was only during 1881 that deposits of ores of extraordinary richness were discovered. The 

formation is porphyry and granite, and much of the ore is free 

gold bearing and readily reduced by the ordinary stamp process. 

In the midst of a group of the principal mines of the dist.rict 

is the Little Ida, the property of the San Juan Consolidated 

Mining Co. At the depth of about 100 feet the vein is reported 

to be 17 feet wide, 10 feet of which is a decompo~eci quartz 

84 Raymond, R. W ., op. cit. for 1873, p. 313, 1874. 

85 Raymond, R. W ., op. cit. for 1874, pp. 358-385, 1875. 

88 Burchard, H. C., Report of the Director of the Mint upon the production of the 

precious metals in the United States during the calendar year 1881,' pp. 354; 424-426, 

1882. . 
204 MINING IN COLORADO 

·yielding from $1,500 to $2,500 per ton. In about four months 

after encountering this rich deposit $250,000 was taken out. 

Arrangements are being made to develop the mine at a greater 

depth by tunnels and also put it in better shape for continuous 

working. 

The Del Norte mine is adjoining the Little Ida on the northwest and is a continuation of the same vein. It is owned by the 

Little Annie Mining Co., which also owns the Little Annie and 

several ·other promising mines. In the Del Norte the vein is 

repmted to be larger than in the Little Ida, the workings, 

however, being 75 feet deeper than in the latter. 

The Golden Vault is a promising mine owned by the Iowa & 

Colorado Consolidated Mining Co., which also owns a number 

of other valuable claims. A tunnel is being run to intersec.t the 

Golden Vault mine, which will be cut within about 700 feet from · 

the mouth of the tunnel. In running into the mountain, a 

vein of good ore was met, w.Pich will probably be exploited. The 

Golconda Co. are running a tunnel, now in 200 feet, to strike the 

Golconda lode. 

At the Aztec mine only development work was done during 

1881, no mill runs of the ore having been made. The mine has 

been put into good condition for the extraction of a large amount 

of ore during 1882. 

Near the foot of the mountain is the Missionary mine, owned 

by B. Burroughs, of Quincy. Ill. The ore is refractory and requires a preparatory roasting before it can be milled. 

A new location on South Mountain is the Stars and Stripes' 

which shows free gold-bearing ore. 

John H. Bush & Co. have made a number of locations in the 

year past upon the belt extending south from South Mountain 

to Lookout Peak, and the similar formation, the same character 

of quartz, and other indications cause them to believe that 

.development will show that they have the same rich ores as are 

found on the north slope of South Mountain. 

The yield of the principal mines during the portion of the 

year that they were in operation was $289,000. It is probable 

that during the coming season a vast amount of prospecting 

will be done and that the development of locations already 

made will show that this county will be an important producer 

of gold in the future. 

At Summitville, the chief town of the district, are located the 

mills of the different companies, all stamp amalgamation mills. 

The size of each mill is indicated by the number of stamps, as 

follows: The San Juan Consolidated, 30; Little Annie, 10; 

Morey & Sperry, 10; Golden Queen, 10; Iowa & Colorado 

Consolidated, 10; Missionary, 10; Aztec, 5; total, 85. 

The Cropsey mill is situated in Cropsey Gulch, and has 24 

stamps, making a total of 109 stamps. 

Jn his report for 1882 Burchard says: 87 

The mining section is in the southwestern part of the county 

and is comprised in Summit district. * * * 

The Ida mine is one of the first discoveries of the district as 

well as one of the largest producers. The ore is honeycombed 

quartz, heavily impregnated with iron oxide and carrying free 

gold in quantities ranging from $500 to $250,000 per ton. 

Owing to the reluctance of the management to furnish information it is impossible to give an extended description of this 

rich property. The company is running two stamp mills, one 

called the San Juan, owned by the company, and the other the 

Odin, working on ore from the Ida mine. 

The Little Annie was also an early discovered mine, and for a 

time was considered to be the most valuable in the district. 

* * * 

A 10-stamp mill was run continuously during the latter part 

of the year, and a 40-stamp mill will be erected during 1883. 

s7 Burchard, H. C., op. cit. for 1882, pp. 391, 394, 538-539, 1883. 

Recently the Golden Queen mill has been leased and is now 

being put in repair for use by this company. 

The Golden Queen was located shortly after the Little Annie 

and is one of the best known mines in the camp. * * * 

Owing to an entanglement of the affairs of this company, it 

remained idle during the year. 

On the Aztec mine steady development has been made, and 

the ore taken out has paid for the w<;>rk from 'the beginning. 

This company has shipped all the ore to the smelting works at 

Pueblo, and the mine has paid large dividends. 

The Golconda comprises the Golconda, Game Cock, Boss,. 

Len, Nick,· and Tunnel, situated on South Mountain. When 

they are systematically developed they will become mines of· 

prominence. 

The Iowa & Colorado Consolidated Co.'s property is of the 

best character. The following description of the very complete 

mill of this company is from the San Juan Prospector: 

The entrance to the ,mill is through the engine .room. _Here 

are two large boilers and two 50-horsepower engines, which 

furnish the power to drive the vast and complicated machinery. 

In the rear of the boilers is placed a No. 5 Knowles plunger 

pump, which furnishes the water for the boilers and batteries 

and for fire protection. 

On the central floor are located the stamps, 50 in number, 20 

of which are 650 pounds in weight, ten 700 pounds, and ten 

850 pounds. In front of the batteries are 8 tables, each having 

2 silver pla~es, and in the rear are 8 Tullup automatic feeders 

which supply the batteries with ore from the ore bins. 

The floor below is largely fitted up as a silver mill, being 

the only mill of this character in this district. Its object is to 

save the silver, with which much of the Summit ore is impregnated. 

There are here four grinding pans and two immense settlers, 

also three "Bee jigs,; for concentrating purposes. These jigs 

will concentrate 15 tons of tailings into one, and the concentrations will be shipped to a smelter. Alongside of the grinding pan is a clean-up funnel, into which the amalgam is placed 

as it comes from the plates. Above the stamp floor is the ore 

bin, which has a capacity of 300 tons; and above the ore bin 

is the Iowa tunnel and the tramway. The tramway is 3,665 

feet in length, and is supported by 36 t:russes, having its upper 

limit at the mouth of the Iowa tunnel. It has 84 buckets, 

which carry 100 pounds of ore at a trip, and its capacity is 150 

to 200 tons of ore per day.. The ore will be crushed at the 

mine by a Blake crusher, which bas a crushing capacity of 150 

tons per day. The power to drive the crusher and also to 

ventilate the mine is furnished by a 25-horsepower engine. It 

will be seen that the ore is crushed at the mine and carried 

direct to the stamps by power, thus saving all handling or 

moving. In fact it has been the design in constructing this 

mill to do it in such a manner as to save by automatic power 

all the manual labor possible, thus saving expense. Near the 

mill is a retort house, 24 by 40, in which is located the assaying 

department of the company. Here also is located a small 

smelting furnace, constructed for testing the ores of the company's mines. 

In his report for 1883 Burchard says: 88 

The only mine in the county in regard to which any information has been obtained is the Golconda, located on the summit 

between More Creek and Crooked River. Some 80 tons of ore 

have been produced during the year by it, averaging $50 to 

the ton. 

·In his report for 1884 Burchard gives the following 

details. 89 

ss Burchard, H. C., op. cit. for 1883, pp. 240, 401, 1884. 

eg Burchard, H. C., op. cit. for 1884, pp. 177, 236-237, 1885. 
RIO GRANDE COUNTY . 205 

The Aztec ·Co. owns considerable property, the principal 

being the Aztec mine, a claim 50 by 1,500 feet, the oldest location in the camp and originally known as the Summit lode. 

The ore is a decomposed jasper, carrying black sulphurets, free 

gold, and tellurium. The mine has shipped ore for over two 

years that has averaged over $200 per ton.· The Aztec mine 

has three shafts and two tunnels and is better developed than 

any mine on that portion of South MouJ?.tain. 

The Iowa & Colorado Mining Co. have been idle tor a long 

time. This company has 19 patented claims, with little work 

done upon them aside from that necessary to secure a patent. 

The main Iowa tunnel, started to cut the Parole lead, is in 

about 1,300 feet. This property was sold at trustee's sale and 

was bought in trust for the bondholders, for $67,838.15, being 

the amount of all their bonds, with interest to date of sale and 

costs and expenses of sale. 

On the property of the Golconda Co. three leads have been 

struck in tunnel No. 1. In tunnel No. 2 fourteen blind leads 

have been struck, and the tunnel has not yet accomplished its 

design. 

The report of the· Golconda Co . shows the indebtedness of the 

company to be $106,000. 

The mill-run of 1884 was far better than was anticipated. 

The ore was taken principally from the middle drift and stopes, 

mining southeasterly from the shaft, which connects the two 

tunnel levels, and was taken out of a width of about 6 feet. 

This ore ran over $18 per ton by raw amalgamation and produced gold 0.816 fine at the United States Mint at Denver, 

which returned to the company, in cash, from this run, $2,800.43. 

Besides this ore, a small lot of about 4 tons was run in one 

battery of 5 stamps from the vein under the ore shaft of No. 1 

tu~nel. This ore ran nearly, if not quite, as 'vell as that from 

the middle drift, and the proceeds are included in the amount 

above named. Tests of ore from other parts of the mine were 

made, all showing up reasonably well. Returns from the 

Omaha and the Grant smelter, at Denver, show the concentrates to contain, per ton, 5 ounces of silver and 40 ounces of 

gold. 

The Little Annie Consolidated Mining & Milling Co. own 

about 70 acres in claims and millsites. 

There will be considerable work done at Summitville during 

the present \vinter, it now being the intention of the Annie Co. 

to run their mine and mill to the full capacity during the cold 

months. The mine has been cleaned out and placed in shape 

for working and employs a small force of miners. The ore is 

crushed and loaded into a bucket tramway at the mine and 

carried to the tramway house on top of the mill, where the ore 

is dumped into a series of chutes that carry it to any of the 12 

batteries of 5 stamps each. Here, through self-feeders, the 

rock is pounded up and washed out over the battery plates, 

which catch a large per cent of the gold, attracted by. quicksilver. The tailings are carried on to the vanner house, where 

16 Frue vanners are working and form the closing process in 

catching the gold. The per cent of gold saved by this company is calculated at about 90. From the mill and vanner 

house the amalgam is tak,en to the retort house, whe·re the 

q uicksilyer is extracted and a gold brick cast. 

The Annie Co. is at present the only company in the camp 

running a mill, though considerable work is done in the mines 

by other parties. The Annie mill has a 125-horsepower Corliss 

engine. The ore of the Annie Co. is being handled at a cost of 

about $3 per ton. The gold will average 0.900 fine and is worth 

$19 [?] per ounce. 

For 1885 the figures given are interpolated to correspond with the total production of the State. 

For 1886 to 1896 the figures given are based on· 

reports of the agents of the mint in annual reports 

of the Director of the Mint, the gold and silver being 

prorated· to correspond with the figures for the total 

production of the State as corrected by the Director 

of the Mint, the lead being prorated to correspond 

with the total production of lead for the State as 

given in Mineral Resources, and any unknown production in the State being distributed proportionately 

among the counties. As with lead so with copper, 

but as the figures for copper give~ in Mineral Resources include copper from matte and ores treated in 

Colorado, though produced in other States, they are 

subject to revision. 

For 1887 and 1888 Munson 90 lists the producing 

and nonproducing mines and gives individual reports 

of the producing mines. 

In his report for 1889 Smith 91 lists the producing 

mines and gives their individual outputs. For 1890 

he gives the total of the confidential reports of individual mines: For 1891. he estimates the production 

of the county. He also says: .. 

The Mammoth mine at Platoro, in Rio Grande County, and 

the Golconda, at Summitville, are doing excellent work. The 

properties of the Little Annie Co., in litigation, promi!3e to be 

released at an early date, and there is a probability of railway 

construction to Summitville camp. 

For 1892 Smith 92 · gives the individual production 

of the Ethel and Holy Moses mines, in Mineral 

County, and the total of the confidential reports from 

Rio Grande County. 

For 1897 to 1904 the figvres given in the table, 

which represent smelter and mint receipts, are taken 

from the reports of the Colorado State Bureau of 

Mines. 

For 1905 to 1923 the figures are taken from Mineral 

Resources (mines reports). 

oo Munson, G. C., agent for Colorado, in Kimball, J. P., Report of the Director 

of the Mint ut5'6n the production of the precious metals in the United States during 

the calendar·year 1887, pp. 18G-181, 1888; idem for 1888, p. 120, 1889. 

01 Smith, M. E., agent for Colorado, in Leech, E. 0., Report of the Director of 

the Mint upon the production of the precious metals in the United States during 

the calendar year 1889, p. 152, 1890; idem for 1890, p 139, 1891; idem for 1891, pp. 174, 

183, 1892. 

u Smith, M. E., agent for Colorado, in Leech, E. 0., op. cit. for 1892, p. 129, 1893. 
206 MINING IN COLORADO 

Gold '(placer and lode), silver, copper, and lead produced in Rio Grande County, 1870-1923 

Gold Silver Copper Lead 

Ore 

treated I I I I ~s::N Placer Lode Total ~~:s :trice:~~~ Value Pounds trice:~~~ Value Pounds trice:~~~ Value , ounce pound pound 

--~-----------·------ I 

Year Total 

value 

·i~~~== === = ==============;=== === == = = ==========I $~)ooo ---iz:ooo· === ======= = =: == ====: ====== :::J: = = ===;'=======~== =====·==-= == ==== ====== =~== ======c======= = ~~. ooo 5,000 

281,634 

130, 119 

204,618 

111, 760 37, 162 6,000 

298,739 

227,635 

188,585 

142,019 

140,486 

157,995 

130,212 

19,008 

39,292 

27,067 

46,266 

25,385 621 17,610 

17,978 

1896 ____________________ ---------+--------_1 1,870 1,870 1,353 .68 .920 1,369 $0.108 $148 451 $0.03 $14 2,952 

1897.-------------------'---------T·--------J 22,592 22,592 8,168 .6o 4,901 627 .12 75 12,oo6 .036 432 28,ooo 

1898.---------------·----------·-·:··--------1 3,720 3,720 1,568 .59 925 9,794 .124 1,214 2,393 .038 91 5,950 

1899-----------·········----------;----------1 19,202 19,202 2,718 .60 1,631 336 .171 57 1,635 .045 74 20,964 

1900 ... -- __ .. _ ----.--- _ .. _ .. . . . . .. .... ...... 107,629 107,629 3, 075 . 62 1, 906 8, 599 I • 166 1, 427 26,280 . 044 1, 155 112, 117 1901 ____________________ ----------!----...... 1 32,927 32,927 6, 926 . 60 4,156 65,603 . 167 10,956 6771 . 043 29 48,068 

1902 ........... -------------------!---------- 14,262 14,262 3,171 .53 1,681 1,260 .122 154 166 .041 7 16,104 1903 ______________________________ ,__________ 12,939 12,939 a,41o .54 1,841! s,o98 .1a1 698 ----------~---------- __________ 1~::I~ 

11:~~::~::~:~:::-::::~~::::::::i:i~~~::~~~~- ~ m !: m ----~~1- --)!-- ____ ':!~_,::::::~:: :::::~m: :::::::~: ~~~~~~ill~~:~~~~~~;~~ ~~~~~~~;;: ~ m 

1912____________________ 133 5,549 5,549 896 .615 551 29,673 .165 4,896 313 .045 14 11,010 

1915____________________ ~~~!==================== 1, 500 ~ ---------- 14,968 14,968 ~~! ~! 325 1~~ • 

:~~ 507 165 6g ------~~~- ---------- ·········· -----~~~~- ......... ····---~-_! ==========~========== __________ ---------- ========== 

---------- 15,133 .. ~ 1917____________________ 16 ---------~1 24 24 fi2 .824 43 ------------------------------1 1,930 .086 166 233 

1923--------------------1 17 ----------1 1,662 1,662 161 .82 132 218 .147 321 929 .07 65 1,891 

----------1 7,000 2,357,739 2,364,739 176,201 1---------- 170,2541 124,005 ---------- ~~==---;,Q58 2,556,909 

"Unrecorded. 

ROUTT AND MOFFAT COUNTIES 

The output o'f Routt and Moffat counties from 

1866 to 1872 and in 1874, whatever it may have been, 

is possibly included in the placer production of Summit County. 

George and Crawford say: 93 

The Hahns Peak placers were discovered by Joseph Hahn 

in 1865 and active work mis begun on them in 1866. While 

tl1e activity with which the placers have been worked has 

varied, probably not a year has passed in whic-h there has not 

been some gold taken. The total production of the region is 

a matter of uncertainty and will never be known. The estimates are the merest guesswork, as is shown by the fact that 

they range from $200,000 to $15,000,000. The more con-

~ervative estimates place the amount at from ~00,000 to 

$500,000. 

For 1873 Raymond says: 94 

The Hahns Peak placer camp is situated between Elk and 

Snake rivers. The gold is worth $15 per ounce. About 30 

men· found. employment there in the summer of 1873. 

In his report for 1875 Raymond 5 gives the following details: 

Poverty Flat.-ln the districts bordering on North Park, in 

the gulches flowing from Hahns Peak, some very promising 

93 George, R. D., and Crawford, R. D., The Hahns Peak region, Routt County, 

Colo.: Colorado Geol. Survey First Rept., 1908, p. 221, 1909: 

g4 Raymqnd, R. W., Statistics of mines and mining in the States and Territories 

West of the Rocky Mountains for 1873, pp. 300, 303, 1874. 

u Raymond, R. W., op. cit. for 1875, pp. 318-319, 187i. 

placers are being opened. Gold was first discovered in this 

camp by Sam Conger, of Caribou fame, in the summer of 1869, 

and, without causing much of an excitement, the district last 

year developed into what will without doubt prove next year 

a very valuable addition to our mineral lands. Two large 

companies, the Hahns Peak and the Purdy, have absorbed, 

by location and purchase, the best parts of the district, owning 

between them about 1 ,2.59 acres, ·located on Poverty Flat and 

Ways Gulch. Their combined capital is $6,000,000, and the 

total amount of improvements up to date have cost in the 

neighborhood of $100,000. Twenty miles. of ditche, liave been 

dug, and it is proposed this year to build several new ones of a 

total length of 12 miles, which will bring 5,000 inches of water 

additional into Ways Gulch. 

Poverty Flat is on Beaver Creek, one of the tributaries of 

the Elk River. The elevation of the Hahns Peak Co~'s claim, 

which is on this fiat, is about 8,000 feet. Th<:1 ground is from 

10 to 60 feet deep, of gravel, free from large boulders, and pays 

well through its entire depth. Last year but one run of 25 

days with one hydraulic was made, which washed out $3,500 

in gold. The company is now arranging to work 12 hydraulics 

and has a constant water supply equal to about 2,000 inches. 

Five reservoirs have been built, by which means the supply 

can be maintained quite late in the year. 

The Purdy Co., located in Ways Gulch, will put in this year 

a bedrock flume and probably will not take out much gold 

till 1877. The ground is as good as that of the Hahns Peak 

Co., but not so well located as to water. Hence the necessity 

of the 12-mile ditch from the Elk. 

Several very promising gold-bearing lodes have been discovered at Hahns and Ways Peak, upon which work will· be 

done this year. It is expected that the year's ·work will dr-
ROUTT AND MOFFATT COUNTIES 207 

velop a splendid gold district in Grand County, which will 

have the effect not only to draw an agricultural population to 

the valleys of the Bear and Grand but to incite further explora· 

tions in the numerous mountain chains around the North and 

Middle parks, which are as likely to be :rich in minerals as any 

in the Territory. 

The Rabbit Em· mines [Routt, Grand, and Jackson counties].-

In the range of mountains dividing Middle from North Park 

arc the Rabbit Ear mines, about which but little can be said, 

except that the prospects are fair. The mines are numerous, 

large, and easily worked. They carry mainly silver ore, and 

some of them show good veins of argentiferous galena. But 

little development has been made, no workings having been 

extended deeper than 50 feet, and the majority of the claims 

being only sunk .10 feet. Numerous companies have been organized and several tunnel schemes proposed, and next season 

will demonstrate whether the discoveries are of any value. The 

camp is 6d miles from the nearest reducing works. It is proposed to put up a mill in the district next year, should-the supply 

of ore warrant it. 

Routt County was e!'tablished by an act of the legislature approved January 29, 1877.96 

For 1877 to 1880 no records of production have 

l;>een found. 

For 1881 Burchard gives the following detaiJs: 07 

Routt, the extreme northwestern county of the State, makes 

but a small addition to the production of precious metals in 

Colorado. For many years it has been the favorite hunting 

ground of the Ute Indians, who have jealously and successfully 

guarded it against the encroachments of prospectors-the 

advance guard of a mining population. 

During the fall of 1881 silver-bearing ore was found in the 

Gore Range, and also in the mountains about Steamboat Springs, 

but no reliable reports have been received of the quantity or 

quality. 

Placer mining has been conducted for some years, with varying results, in the vicinity of Hahns Peak, in the northeastern 

part of the county. Most of the placers have been worked by 

two companies, the International and the Hahns Peak Mining 

Co., the latter, under the superintendency of Messrs. Mcintosh 

& Cody, having been quite successful during the year. 

It is probable that an increased force of men will be employed 

in placer mining during 1882, and that, as the Indians have been 

removed, systematic prospecting for gold and silver bearing 

lodes will be conducted in the many mountain ranges traversing 

the county. 

The onlY. report of production received from Routt County 

was from the Hahns Peak mine. 

The total production of the county I estimate at $20,000 in 

gold 

For 1882 the figures given in the table represent 

Bm'chard's estimate. 08 . In his report for 1883 he says: 99 

Routt County is more devoted to agricultural pursuits than 

mining, but some mining has been done each year, principally 

'On the Elk River and its forks, and considerable gold is annually 

produced. On Poverty Bar a claim worked by Judge Mcintosh 

is said to have taken out some $16,000 during the past year. 

·Carruthers & Hinman, who have a claim at the upper end of 

Poverty Bar, have done very well during the year. Owing to 

.scarcity of water these claims can only be worked about two 

months in the spring. Mr. Hutchinson has continued work on 

~6 Colorado State Bur. Mines Report for 1897, p. 103, 1898. 

~7 Burchard, H. C., op. cit. for 1881, pp. 354, 425-426, 1882. 

~s Burchard, H. C., op. cit. for 1882, pp. 395, 587, 1883. 

• g~ Burchard, H. C., op. cit. for 1883, pp. 240, 401-402, 1884. 

the Purdy Ground, and Mr. Wood has some rich gro.ul)d, about 

300 acres, on a wash called String Ridge .. I have estimated, 

from the reports furnished by the miners of this section, the production of the county during the calendar year 1883 to have 

been in gold $40,000. 

For 1884 the figures are taken from Burchard's 

report. 1 

For 1885 the figures have been interpolated. The 

deposits at the Denver Mint amounted to $23,104. 

For 1886 the figures are taken from Munson's 

report. 2 

For 1887 to 1896 the figures given are taken from 

reports of the agents of the mip_t in annual reports of 

the Director of the Mint, the gold and silver being prorated to correspond with the figures for the total production of the State as corrected by the Director of the 

Mint, the lead being prorated to correspond with the 

total production of the State as given in annual volumes of Mineral Resources, and any unknown production in the State being distributed proportionately 

among the counties. As with lead, so with copper, but 

as the figures for copper given in Mineral Resources include copper from matte and ores t~eated in Colorado, 

though produced in other States, they are subject to 

revision. 

The report of the Director of the Mint for 1889 gives 

no production for Routt County, but $8,870 in gold 

and 189 ounces of silver were deposited at the Denver 

Mint from mines in the county. 

The report of the Director of the Mint for 1890 

gives no production for Routt County, but $8,133 in 

gold and 176 ounces of silver were deposited at the 

Denver Mint from mines in the county. 

For 1897 to 1904 the figures, which represent smelter and mint receipts, are taken from the reports of the 

Colorado State Bureau of Mines. In its report for 

·1897 the Bureau says: 3 

The clean-up for work done on the north side of the peak 

[Hahns] in the winter of 1896-97 is reported to have yielded over 

$3,600 for four months' work of three men. * * * During 

the year several small shipments have been made that yielded 

a fair profit notwithstanding $30 freight charge with smelter 

charge added. The main value is in silver and lead. 

For 1897 Hodges 4 gives $5,451 deposited at the 

Denver Mint from Routt County; for 1898, $11,728; 

for 1899, $10,693; for.1901, $927; for 1902 Downer 

gives $13,84.5; for 1903, $19~289 in gold and 30 ounces 

of silver; for 1904, for the total production of the 

county, he gives- $22,164 in gold and 85 ounces of silv.er, 

of which $20,648 was gold deposited at the Denver 

Mint. 

t Burchard, H. C., op. cit. for 1884, p. 177, 1885. , 

2 Munson, G. C., agent for Colorado, in Kimball, J. P:, Report of the Director 

of the Mint upon the production of the precious metals in the United States during 

the calendar year 1886, p. 177, 1887. 

a Colorado State Bur. Mines Rept., 1897, p. 104, 1898. . 

• Hodges, J. L., agent for Colorado, 1897-1901, and Downer, F. M.,"agent for 1902-

1904, in Roberts, G. E., Report of the Director of the Mint upon the production of 

the precious metals in the United States during the calendar year 1897, p. 127, 1898; 

idem for 1898, p. 99, 1899; idem for 1899, p. 122, 1900; idem for 1901, p. 147, 1902; idem 

for 1902, p. 132, 1903; idem for 1903' ,p. 81, 1904; idem for 1904 ,p. 123, 1905 . 
208 MINING IN COLORADO 

The figures for 1905-1922 are taken frmn· Mineral 

Resources (mine reports), published by the United 

States Geological Survey. The figures for 1906 to 

1910 represent the output of the Hahns Peak (Routt 

County) and the Lay and Fourmile (Moffat County) 

districta, except for 1908, when. the Lay district is not 

included. For 1912 to 1914 Routt and Moffat counties are combined. In 1912 the output of copper oame 

from Douglas Mountain, in Moffat County, and in 

1913 the copper and lead from Hahns Peak, in Routt 

County. 

In his reportfor 1881 B~rchard says: 7 

Saguache County as a mining section is not more than two 

years old, the first location of a mineral-bearing lode being made 

on Kerber Creek in May, 1880. It was called the Exchequer. 

He also gives descriptions of the Exchequer, Empress 

Josephine, Boss Mammoth, Arkansas, Revenue, Silver 

King, Townsend, Rawley, Rover, Whale, Superior, 

Lawrence, Albert, Bonanza, and other mines. 

Small quantities of lead were possibly produced 

from 1882 to 1886. 

Gold (placer and lode), silver, copper, and lead produced in Routt and Moffat counties, 1866-1922 

Gold Silver 

Ore Copper Lead 

Year treated I T tal (short Average Average Average v~ue t ) Fine 

--------I--o-ns- Placer ~_Total ounces p~~~feer Value Pounds p~~~fJr Value Pounds p~~~ft Value ---

~~~t~~~~=============== ========== $2~:>ooo $2~:>ooo ========== :::::::::: :::::::::: ========== :::::::::: ========== ========== ========== :::::::::: ---$26;ooo 

1875 ____________________ ---------- 3, 500 3, 500 ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 3, 500 

18SL ______________ ; ____ ---------- 20,000 20,000 ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 20,000 1882 ____________________ ---------- 15,000 15,000 ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 15,000 1883 ____________________ ----------1 40,000 40,000 ---------- -~-------- ------------------------------,---------------------------------------- 40,000 1884 ____________________ ---------- 13,000 13,000 -------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 13,000 

~~~g==================== =======::: ~:~8 ~~:g~g ------387- ---··$o:iio -----$383- ========== ===::::::: ========== ========== ========== :::::::::: ~~:~~g 1887 ____________________ ---------- 6, 714 6, 714 214 . 98 210 ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 6, 924 1889 ____________________ ---------- 8, 870 8, 870 189 • 94 178 ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 9, 048 1890 ____________________ ---------- 8,133 8,133 176 1. 05 185 ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ·---------- ---------- 8, 318 

1891_ ___________________ ---------- 13,561 13,561 ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 13,561 1892 ____________________ ---------- 560 560 ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 560 

~~~::=================== ========== ~: ~!~ ~: ~!~ -------97" -----:63"" -------iii"==================== ========== =========-= ========== ========== . g: ~5~ 1895 ____________________ ---------- 5, 930 5, 930 86 • 65 56 ------ ---------- ---------- - ------ ----- - ------ 5, 986 1896____________________ __________ 4, 690 -----$iii9- 4, 859 2, 214 • 68 1, 506 :::: __________________________ -- 22. 111 $tJ:o3- -- - $663 1, o28 

1897-------------------- ---------- 5, 451 4, 326 9, 777 7, 805 . 60 4, 683 958 $0. 12 $115 88,736 • 036 3, 194 17,769 1898 ____________________ ---------- 11,728 1, 025 12,753 2, 173 . 59 1, 282 600 . 124 74 15,477 • 038 588 14,697 

1899 ____________________ ---------- 10,693 862 11,555 1, 271 • 60 763 ---------- ---------- ---------- 3, 405 • 045 153 12,471 1900 ____________________ ---------- b 3,000 287 3, 287 477 • 62 296 5, 765 .166 957 ---------- ---------- ---------- 4, 540 1901 ____________________ ---------- 927 3, 517 4, 444 239 . 60 143 500 • 167 84 2, 193 • 043 94 4, 765 

1902 ____________________ ---------- 13,845 1, 306 15, 151 136 • 53 72. ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 15,223 1903 ____________________ ---------- 19,289 1, 546 20,835 117 . 54 63 ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 20,898 1904 ____________________ ---------- 22, 164 2, 061 24,225 181 • 58 105 ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 24,330 

1905 ____________________ ---------- 6, 905 6, 9051 30 • 61 18 ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 6, 923 1906 ____________________ ---------- 6, 951 6, 951 42 . 68 29 ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 6, 980 1907 ____________________ 3 4, 9os ------ioi- 5, oo9 429 . 66 2s3 __________ __________ __________ __________ __________ __________ 5, 292 

1908____________________ 4 4, 858 349 5, 207 1, 242 • 53 658 ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 5, 865 1909____________________ 24 2, 418 943 3, 361 3, 446 • 52 1, 792 ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 5, 153 1910 ____________________ ---------- 6, 689 6, 689 48 . 54 26 ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 6, 715 1911_ ___________________ ---------- 6,115 6,115 47 • 53 25 ------ --- ------ ---------- --- ------ ---------- ---------- 6,140 

1912____________________ 64 5, 070 5, 070 150 • 615 92 ---25,085 - 1. 65 4, 139 ---=------- ·-------- ---------- 9, 301 191!L__________________ 12 3, 609 ------23i- 3, 840 1, 962 • 604 1, 185 161 1. 55 25 1, 023 • 044 45 5, 095 

1914 ____________________ ---------- 4, 697 4, 697 16 . 553 9 ------ -- ------ ----------- - ------ --------- --------- 4, 706 1915 ____________________ ---------- 2, 984 2, 984 12 • 507 6 ---- - - .175. ---------- -=-=------ ---------= =--------- 2, 990 1916____________________ 542 1, 124 -------is- 1, 142 21s . 658 1s3 41, 175 . 246 10, 129 __________ __________ __________ u, 454 

1917____________________ 75 2,359 1,056 3,415 1,341 .824 1,105 4,326 .273 1,181 ------------------------------ 5, 701 1918____________________ 161 3, 040 698 3, 738 2, 671 1. 00 2, 671 . 247 ---------- 6, 591 . 071 468 6, 877 

1919____________________ 172 312 312 1, 283 1. 12 1, 437 . 186 ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 1, 749 1920____________________ 3 118 44 162 100 1. 09 109 ---------- . 184 ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 271 

1922--------------------~~~~~~=~~=1~1~==~~ 

a Unrecorded. Probably included in Summit County. 

SAGUACHE COUNTY 

The Colorado State Bureau of Mines says of the 

early developments in Saguache County: 5 

Saguache County * * * organized December 26, 1866. 

* * * The mining history practically begins with 1879-80, 

during the great rush to the Gunnison country. Many were attracted by the large silver-lead fissure veins on Kerber Creek, 

and developments seemed to j1,1stify the building of the town of 

Bonanza that had grown to a place of considerable importance 

before the fall of 1880. On the west slope of the Cochetopa 

mountains, the narrow veins of quartz carrying free gold likewise established the camp of Willard on Cochetopa Creek [a 

.tributary to Gunnison River]. 

Patton a gi~es details of the history of the Bonanza 

district. 

5 Colorado State Bur. Mines Rept. for 1897, p .. 106, 1898. 

o Patton, H. B., Geology and ore deposits of the Bonanza district, Saguache 

County: Colorado State Geol. Survey Bull. 9, 1915. 

b Estimated by C. W. Henderson. 

In his report for 1882 Burchard 8 gives a description 

of properties in Saguache County, and in his report 

for 1883 he says: 9 

Columbia mine * * * owns stamp mill (which is now 

being erected). * * * The Exch-equer; * * * a great 

deal of the ore * * * is free milling, carrying from 50 to 

90 ounces silver per ton. * * * The Rawley * * * is 

one of the most productive mines in the county. * * * 

Shipments are regular from the Rawley. * * * The 

Empress Josephine is probably the largest producer in the 

county. * * * 

The Crystal Hill district (Carnevo mining camp) mines [described]. * * * 

Near the town of Crestone the most promising properties are 

the North Andover, ;Lion Mountain, and Garfield. 

7 Burchard, H. C., Report of the Director of the Mint upon the production of tho 

precious metals in the United States during the calendar year 1881, pp. 354, 426-

427, 1882. 

s Burchard, H. C., op. cit. for 1882, pp. 395, 539-545, 1883. 

g Burchard, H. C., op. cit. for 1883, pp. 2~, 402-406, 1884. 
SAGUACHE COUNTY 209 

In his report for 1884 Burchard says: 10 

The old smelter at Bonanza has been idle, owing to its inability to properly treat the ores found here; but during the last 

few months some capitalists have remodeled the United States 

mill, at Parkville, into a smelter. * * * 

is available of the location of placers that made the 

large output credited to lode gold in 1894. 

The Paragon has shipped but a small amount of ore, which 

was concentrated very successfully with the hand jigs in use at 

the Empress Josephine. 

For 1897 to 1904 the figures which represent smelter 

and mint receipts are taken from the report of the 

Colorado State Bureau of Mines. 

In his report for 1900 Hodges says: 11 

This county is divided into three districts. * * * 

For 1885 the figures have been interpolated. 

For 1887 to 1896 the figures given have been taken 

from reports of the agents of the mint in annual reports 'of the Director of the Mint, the gold and silver 

being prorated to correspond with the figures for the 

total production of the State as corrected by the 

Director of the Mint, the lead being prorated to correspond with the total production of lead for the State 

as given in Mineral Resources, and any unknown production in the State being distributed proportionately 

among the counties. As with lead, so with copper; 

but as the figures for copper given in Mineral Resources include copper from matte and ores treated 

in Colorado, though produced in other States, they are 

subject to revision. 

Bonanza district.-* * * During the year two concentrating mills, each having a capacity of 50 tons per day, have 

been erected and successfully operated in the Bonanza district. 

Crestone district.-In the southeastern part of the county is 

located the Crestone district. The old Baca grant, in litigation 

for a quarter of a century, has passed to a wealthy syndicate, 

which immediately prepared to develop its mineral resources. 

A large stamp mill was constructed and equipped with the 

latest appliances. Its daily capacity is 300 tons, but only 

50 are now being treated. * * * Other mills are contemplated, and a railroad is now being constructed into the district. 

Embargo district.-In the Embargo district, in the southwestern part of the county, considerable work has been done 

on old claims. The ores are heavy in iron sulphides and suitable 

for treatment at the matting smelter that will be erected the 

coming year. 

For 1889, 1892, and 1893 the figures, which have 

been interpolated, are of doubtful value. No record 

For 1905 to 1923 the figures are taken from Mineral Resources (mines reports). 

10 Burchard, H. C., op. cit. for 1884, pp. 177, 238-239, 1885. 

u Hodges, J. L., agent for Colorado, in Roberts,. G. E., op. cit. for 1900, p. 131, 

1901. 

Gold, silver, copper, lead, and zinc produced in Saguache County, 1880-1923 

Oro 

treated 

(short 

tons) 

Silver I Copper Lead Zinc 

Lode Aver- I Aver- Aver- Avergold F~ ~ . ~ ~ ~ 

ounces price Value Pounds price Value Pounds price Value Pounds price Value 

per per per per ounce pound pound pound 

1880 ______________ ---------- ---------- $7,734 $1. 15 $8, 8941·--------- ------- ---------- ------------ ------- ---------- ------------ ------- ------~---

ilt============ :::::::::: --$if~~r ~~J:: t H ~iJ~~ :::::~:::: ::::::: :::::::::: :::::::::::: ::::::: =::::::::: :::::::::::: ::::::: :::::::::: 1884 .. ------------ ---------- 1, 000 77, 344 1. 11 85, 852 ---------- ------- ---------- ------------ -.----- ---------- ------------ -.----- ---------- 1885 ••••.•••••.•••••• ------. 1, 000 55, 920 1. 07 59, 834 ---------- ------- ---------- -----.------ ------- ---------- ------------ -----•• ------••• -

~rst:::::::::::: :::::::::: 3

' ~~~ ~: ~~~ : ~~ ~: ~~~ :::::::::: ::::::: :::::::::: -----12:ss2- so:o4s- -----$566- ============ ::::::: :::::::::: 1888 •••••.•.••.••• --~------- 4, 220 36,101 • 94 33,935 __________ _______ __________ iso, 272 . 044 7, 932 ------------ ------- ----------

1889 •.•••..•.••..•...................•.•..•.•......•••••.....•....•... ---------- ------- ---------- a 200,000 . 039 7, 800 -·······---- ------· -·------·- 1890 •.•••••.••..•• ---------- 1, 745 11,988 1. 05 12,587 4, 290 $0.156 $669 176,193 . 045 7, 929 ------------ ------- ---------- I89L .. ---------- ---------- 1, 422 21,285 . 99 21,072 68,047 . 128 8, 710 260,577 . 043 11,205 ------------ ------- ---- ----·- 1892 ..•••...••....••.•.•.... ---------------------- -·--··- -----------------------------.......... a 250,000 .04 10,000 -----·------ .....•.......••.. 1893 •••••..•••..••.•....••.. ---------- ---------------------------------------------------------- a 250,000 .037 9,250 ------------ .••.... ---------- 1894.............. ..... ..... 17, 515 608,224 . 63 383, 181 ---------- .....•. ....•....• a 250,000 • 033 8, 250 

1895 ------------- ---------- 534 3, 939 . 65 2, 560 ---------- ------- ---------- 249,166 . 032 7, 973 1896------------------------ 331 2,447 .68 1,664 241 .108 26 65,465 .03 1,964 1897._______________________ 13,746 2,482 .60 1,489 2,975 .12 357 9,266 .036 334 

1898 ..••..•••••••• ---------- 19,678 2,6I8 .59 1,545! 2I,711 .124 2,692 132,462 .038 5,034 1899 _____________ ---------- 3,886 14,306 .60 8,584 35,319 .17I 6,040 441,095 .045 19,849 

1900 •••.••• -~----- ---------- 7, 979 15, 793 . 62 9, 792 Hi, 129 . 166 2, 677 316,061 . 044 13,907 ------------ ------- ---------- 1901 •• ______________________ 79,972 20,507 .60 12,304 15,253 .167 2,547 235,750 .043 10,137 

1902________________________ 5,023 10,486 .53 5,558 13,669 .122 1,668 454,995 .041 18,655 1903 ______________ ---------- 2, 956 22,424 . 54 . 12,109 67,410 . 137 9, 235 376,711 . 042 15,822 

1904______________ 499 5, 5I9 60,506 . 58 35,093 48,722 .128 6, 236 699, 3I2 . 043 30,070 

1905______________ 496 699 4,401 .61 2,685 1,135 .156 177 203,797 .047 9,578 

1906______________ 999 7,628 737 .68 501 .I93 49,141 .057 2,801 

1907______________ 170 649 6,194 .. 66 4, 088 1, 260 . 20 252 22,528 . 053 1,194 ------------ ------- ---------- 1908._____________ 76 6IO 953 . 53 505 76 . 132 10 27,715 . 042 1, 164 ------------ ------- ----------

----267;ioo· $o.-o4s- --$i2;s2i44, 600 . 054 2, 408 15, 585 . 051 795 2, 917 . 059 172 74, 302 . 061 4, 532 

1909______________ 192 1, 196 2, 260 • 52 1, 175 3, 769 . 13 490 83,463 . 043 3, 589 ------------ ------- ---------- 1910______________ 296 1,025 4,841 .54 2,614 5,362 .I27 68I 161,068 .044 7,087 

1911...___________ 184 512 4, 664 . 53 2, 472 4, 984 . 125 623 74, 556 . 045 3, 355 19I2 .. ____________ 9,459 3,805 19,309 .615 11,875 29,4i9 .165 4,864 504,845 .045 22,718 

1913______________ 980~ 4, 243 8, 694 . 604 5, 251 13, 27i . 155 2, 058 336,886 . 044 14,823. 

1914______________ 1,488. 16,513 18,293 .553 10,116 35,783 .133 4,759 534,872 .039 20,860 

19I5______________ 692 5, 273 11,266 . 507 5, 712 23,360 .175 4, 088 174, 447 . 047 8,199 

1916______________ 3,338 8,024 48,959 .658 32,215 92,581 .246 22,775 255,449 .069 I7,626 -----------------------------

----·4a;56i- ··:o:s7· ---·2;554· 

534, 928 . 069 36, 910 32, 964 . 056 I, 846 8, 941 . 051 456 44, 250 . 124 5, 487 

1917______________ 4, 224 . 10,350 76, OI6 . 824 62,637 144,978 . 273 39,579 310,686 . 086 26,719 ------------ ------- ---------- 1918______________ 1, 716 2, 553 89,510 1. 00 89,510 . 96,866 . 247 23,926 108,253 . 071 7, 686 ------------ ------- ---------- 1919______________ 509 817 37,767 1.12 42,299 36,344 .186 6, 760 52,515 .053 2, 783 ----------------------------- 1920______________ 9, 282 5, 031 94, 655 1. 09 103, 174 88,386 . 184 16, 263 150,063 . OS 12,005 ------------ ------- ---------- 1921............... 6, 412 I, 856 90,871 1. 00 90, 871 49, 5I2 . 129 6, 387 198,-686 . 045 8, 941 •. ------••.. -----.• ---------- 1922.............. 9, 671 4, 849 63,542 1. 00 63,542 4I, 622 .135 5, 6I9 Ill, 782 . 055 6, I48 ------------ ........ ---------- 1923.------------ 34,456 4,229 155,723 .82 127,693 459,477 .147 67,543 2,919,200 .07 204,344 ----------------------------

Total 

value 

$8,894 

34,960 

98,172 

90,852 

86,852 

60,834 

59,297 

8,374 

46,087 

7, 800 22,930 

42,409 

10,000 

9, 250 408,946 

11,067 

3, 985 15,926 

28,949 

38,359 

34,355 

104,960. 

43,725 

42,530 

77,713 

13,311 

15,462 

6,183 

2, 289 6,450 

11,401 

9, 616 80,172 

28,221 

52,704 

28,759 

80,640 

139,285 

123,675 

52,659 

136,473 

108,055 

80, I 58 403,809 

__________ 11 266,oso 1,961,501 1,626,38511,422,o17~ 247,711 10,839;ss9 ------~~ 568,297 1,072,148-~~ 2,776,554 ~, 

"Estimated by C. W. Henderson. 
210 MINING IN COLORADO 

SAN JUAN COUNTY 

Raymond describes the development in the San 

Juan country in 1873 in his report for that year as 

follows: 12 

Conejos County; the San Juan country.-Concerning this 

region a great deal has been said and written in the newspapers of the Territory during 1873. 

The mines are located in Bakers Park, on the headwaters of 

the Las Animas, a tributary of the San Juan River. The 

country is accessible with some difficulty by way of Pueblo 

Del Norte and from there up the Rio Grande to the divide, 

which has to be crossed into Bakers Park. Some of the mines, 

such as the Little Giant, are spoken of as rich gold veins, 

while the majority are lead veins, rich in silver. Considerable 

quantities of the Little Giant ore have been worked in a small 

and imperfect 5-stamp mill, which is reported to have given a 

very satisfactory yield. 

The coming summer will probably witness great activity in 

the San Juan country. I have no doubt smelting works will be 

erected there; I have knowledge of several parties who intend 

to put such schemes into operation immediately. The product -

for 1873 was about $15,000, of which about $12,000 was from 

the Little Giant, the only developed mine. Probably $2,000 

was brought a~y from the district in specimens. 

For 1874 the production of the San Juan country 

has been divided between San Juan, Rio Grande, and 

Hinsdale counties. Raymond gives the following 

details in his report for that year: 13 

The San Juan country.-The first excitement over the San 

Juan mines has died out, but some encouragement "is given 

for future bona fide operators. The entire district of southwestern Colorado is now known to be very prolific of gold and 

silver veins, and there can hardly be a doubt that in a few 

years it will be proved to be a very promising mining field. 

So far the majority of the discoveries are of silver, and the 

mines bear more resemblance to those of Georgetown than to 

those of any other district in Colorado. * * * 

The locations so far number nearly 2,000, four-fifths of which 

are silver lodes. A number of these are, of course, doublethat is, on the same vein-so that the actual number of distinct veins discovered has probably not been over 1,200. The 

country is now divided into the following districts: Summit, 

Decatur, Alamosa, Telluric, Sangre de Cristo, Lake, Uncompahgre, Humboldt, Adams, El Dorado, Mosca, La Plata, 

Mancos, Animas, and. Eureka. 

Geologically, it is divided into two almost equal divisions 

by the main range of the Rocky Mountains, on the western 

slopes of which are the mines around and in Baker Park and 

those on the tributaries of the Uncompahgre and the Gunnison. East of the range are the mines clustered around the 

upper waters of the Alamosa and the Rio Grande del Norte. 

Concerning the first the following extract from a letter 

received by the Georgetown Mining Review will give all that 

I am able to obtain of a reliable and satisfactory nature: 

The mining belt of San Juan is 25 miles broad, commencing 

at Mineral Creek. At Mineral Creek there are a number of 

veins opened. These are the Bakers· Park mines, and the belt 

extends north for a distance of about 3 miles to H~tzelton 

Mountain, which carries the first rich belt, and although the 

veins are narrow (no.t averaging more than 3 to 5 inches of 

ore), a number of them are working to a good profit. The 

best of these are the Grey Eagle, Susquehanna, and Aspen. 

u Raymond, R. W., Statistics of mines and mining in the States and Territories 

west of the Rocky Mountains for 1873, p. 313, 1874. 

ta Raymond, R. W. op. cit. for 1874, pp. 358, 383-386, 1875. 

The gray copper in these veins assays from 500 to 2,300 ounces 

per ton; the galena runs lightly, 50 to 80 ounces. A small 

quantity of native silver has been taken out of the Aspen. 

From here to Minnie Creek the lodes are of huge dimensions, 

carrying galena poor in silver, but this statement has some 

notable exceptions. The Pride of the West, owned by two 

Georgetown miners, is perhaps the best lode in San Juan, the 

ore struck being 7.feet wide, of solid galena, interspersed with 

gray copper, and running well (at least in assays). The Green 

Mountain lode is a similar vein but has not the same true 

vein appearance, nor does it carry. as large a body of ore as 

the Pride of the West. However, its gray copper assays from 

800 to 1,500 ounces per ton, and the galena about 100 ounces. 

These lodes are located a little north of the head of Cunningham Gulch, and from here to Minnie Creek the veins are 

frequent, and many of them are of immense size but assay low 

(from 6 to 40 ounces per ton). 

The mines on Minnie Creek are of large size, carrying considerable rich ore, and crossing each other at every conceivable 

angle. Consequently there are lots of disputes and fine chances 

for lawsuits. I did not take anything here, but went on to 

Eureka district, which, I think, will prove to be the best camp 

in San Juan; Here the veins have regular courses (northeast 

to southwest). The change is sudden and remarkable. Just . 

south .of Eureka Creek they assay light, run in all directions, 

and are almost numberless; while on the north side of Eureka 

and Niagara creeks they have a true course, are large, and about 

300 feet apart. 

Across the Saguache Range, on the Uncompahgre, is another 

good belt, on which is located the Poughkeepsie. Assays have 

been had out of this vein running up to 10,000 ounces per ton. 

It carries silver glance in considerable quantities. 

Summitville district [Rio Grande County].-Of the mines on 

the eastern slope, those in Summit and adjacent districts are 

the most promising. What is known as the South Mountain 

appears to be the center of a broad belt of mines, mainly auriferous, of which the Little Annie may be taken as a type. 

This location is on a broad and well-defined vein of quartz, 

carrying free gold and pyrites, and has already, despite the 

small amount of work done on it, proved of great value. The 

neighboring veins appear to be in almost all respects similar, 

and the district on the whole seems of unusual promise. 

Being located so many hundred miles away from the rest of 

the world, and lying under the many disadvantages caused by 

hard winters and almost impassable mountain barriers, the 

San Juan mines have as yet no market for ores, and, until this 

necessity is supplied, can hardly be expected to add much to 

the bullion product of the Territory. During last year about 

25 tons of silver ore that would reach $300 to $400 per ton were 

shipped to various points in the East for reduction, and several 

minor lots have been smelted at Golden, Denver, and Blackhawk. 

In Bakers Park two smelting furnaces were built in 1874, but 

thev have not proved successful. In Summit district a stamp 

mill for gold quartz has been erected, and several other similar 

mills are contemplated. 

The silver ores appear to be rather complex in composition 

and of that nature which the smelter denominates as "heavy." 

They will therefore give plenty of trouble to inexperienced 

metallurgists and be the cause undoubtedly of many failures. 

The abundance of copper, lead, and zinc in nearly all the mines 

ought·, however, fully to compensate for the extra expense 

involved in a complete process, so soon as connection with the 

rest of the world makes it possible to send them to a market. 

In his report for 187 5 Raymond gives the following 

details: 14 

u Raymond, R. W., op. cit. for 1875, pp. 282, 284, 285, 324-326, 1877. 
SAN JUAN COUNTY 211 

The Golden Smelting Co. (Golden) under Mr. West, the 

Rosita Reduction Works (Rosita, Custer County), the Mount 

Lincoln Smelting Works (Dudley, Park County) and Greene 

& Co.'s Works in Bakers Park [Silverton, San Juan County] 

have been the additions to the smelting capacity of the Territory. * * * 

The production of pig lead for the year has been small; the 

Lincoln City works [Summit County] have been idle for the 

entire year and the Golden works did not open till September. 

Quite a large amount of this metal has been turned out from 

the new works in Bakers Park, and if the run had been one of a 

year, instead of a few months, the total would have been a 

large addition to the product of the Territory. * * * 

San J1wn country.-This vast region of over 30,000 square 

miles has never been prospected or explored to any extent outside of the 5,600 square miles relinquished by the Ute Indians 

in their treaty of September, 1873, and now comprising La 

Plata, San Juan, and Hinsdale counties. The country is 

divided into six mining districts, all of which, except Lake 

and Adams districts, are in San Juan County. 

The Animas district includes all locations made on the Animas 

River and its tributaries to a point 2 miles above Howardsville. 

The Eureka district joins the· Animas at this point and 

extends to the divide between the waters of the Animas and 

those of the Gunnison and Uncompahgre. 

The Uncompahgre district includes all lands drained by the 

Uncompahgre and its tributaries as far north as the Ute Reservation. 

Mount Sneffels district [now in Ouray and San Miguel 

counties] includes the sections drained by the Rio San Miguel. 

Lake district includes all the locations made in Hinsdale 

County, except the mines ·situated in Burrows Park, at the 

extreme head of the Lake Fork of the Gunnison, which constitute what is known as the Adams or Park district. 

Much has been accomplished during the past two years, notwithstanding the great distance from railroad communications, the inaccessibility of the country, and the want of capital 

for the development of a new mining camp. More than 5,000 

locations have been recorded; two good wagon roads have 

been built into the country, one via Del Norte, up the Rio 

Grande, the other up the Gunnison, via Saguache. Several 

flourishing towns have grown up, of which Silverton, the 

county seat of San Juan, and Lake City, the county seat of 

Hinsdale County, are the principal ones, each having a population of some five hundred. The only mines that have been 

worked to considerable extent in the county are the Hotchkiss 

in Lake district; the Silver Wing, in Eureka district; and the 

Highland Mary, Aspen, Prospector, and Little· Giant, in the 

Animas district. * * * 

The Silver Wing mine consists of a group of ten lodes, situated 

on Jones Mountain, 1 mile above the town of Eureka. It is 

developed by one tunnel, 100 feet long; a second tunnel is 

under contract for 1,000 feet. This tunnel cuts all the veins 

from 300 to 1,000 feet below the outcrop. Assays range from 

$130 to $2,800; the ore contains iron, lead, and a large percentage of copper. 

The Highland Mary, Rob Bruce, and Powderhouse claims 

are all located on one vein, all situated at the head of Cunningham Gulch, 3 miles above Howardsville. The workings consist 

of four tunnels, running in and along the vein, 300 feet apart, 

one above the other. · The crevice is 15 feet wide, with an 

ore streak from 9 to 30 inches wide. The ore is argentiferous 

galena. Sample assays from first-class ore gave $2,100; secondclass, $760; third-class, $170. 

The Prospector lode has probably furnished more ore than 

any other in the San Juan country. The mine is located on 

Hazelton Mountain, 2 miles above Silverton. The developments consist of two shafts, 100 and 130 feet deep, with a level 

100 feet long connecting the two, and 100 feet from the surface. 

The Little Giant, located in Arrastre Gulch, was the first 

location made in the San Juan country. The mine has a pay 

streak of 8 inches of gold-bearing quartz. Twenty-seven tons, 

worked by the arrastre, produced $150 per ton. In 1872 a 

company was organjzed in Chicago, known as the Little Giant 

Co., which erected upon this property amalgamation works, 

containing a 12-horsepower engine, Dodge crusher, and ball 

pulverizer. The works were built 1,000 feet below the mine, 

with a wire tramway to bring the ore to the mill. About 100 

tons of ore were milled, producing $14,500, or about 65 per cent 

of the assay value. The property has been involved in litigation since the spring of 1874. 

Raymond then gives a list of producing mines in 

the San Juan country for 1875, with description of 

crevice in feet, pay streak in inches, character of ore, 

percentage of lead, number of ounces of silver per ton, 

coin value· per ton of 2,000 pounds, and improvements. His figures for production are given below: 

Total amount of ore smelted in San Juan for 1875, 

172.5255 tons; average value per ton, $216.59; 

total coin value _____________________________ $37,361. 82 

Total amount shipped for treatment elsewhere, 

48.5765 tons; average value per ton, $805.65; 

total coin value _____ ~----------------------- 39, 135.06 

Total amount of ore extracted, 221.1002 tons; coin 

value______________________________________ 76,496. 88 

Average coin value per ton of all ore extracted and 

treated or shipped__________________________ 345.98 

Total amount of bullion produced from the 172.5255 

tons was 60.25 tons, assaying $540.35 per ton; 

coin value__________________________________ 32, 556. 10 

1,559 ·ounces silver refined in the country; coin 

value______________________________________ 2, 015. 63 

TotaL_________________________________ 34, 571. 73 

Loss in extracting, $2,790.09, equal to 7.2 per cent of the ore 

value. 

He adds: 

The coming season will witness considerable activity in both 

mining and smelting throughout the San Juan country. Seventeen mines are being worked during the present winter, which 

by June 1 will produce 500 tons in the Animas di§trict and 300 

tons in the Lake district. 

The next year's product of bullion, it is estimated, will be 

about as follows: Greene & Co., Silverton, 1,000 tons ore, 

producing 400 tons bullion, value, $550 per ton. San Juan 

Smelting Co., [at the] forks of [the] Animas, 600 tons ore, producing 240 tons bullion, value, $400 per ton. There will be 

no refining done in the country next season, since the bullion 

can be shipped out, the lead paying the cost of transportation. 

Besides the two above works, which will be in operation by the 

first of July, the Rough & Ready Works, at Silverton, which 

have been lying idle for the want of capital, may be put in 

operation. 

For 1876 to 1884 the figures given represent estimates from all available data to correspond with the 

total production of the State. The production of the 

San Juan region has been distributed among the 

several counties. 

For 1879 and 1880 Burchard 15 gives the production 

of the San Juan region, and for 1880 he adds a de-

'" Burchard, H. C., Report of the Director of the Mint upon the production of the 

precious metals in the United States during the calendar year 1880, pp. 155-157,1881 
212 MINING IN COLORADO 

scription of the Silver Wing mines of the Eureka 

mining district. In his report for 1881 he devotes 

five pages to a description of mines in San Juan 

County. 16 

In his report for 1882 Burchard gives the followinodetails: 17 · o 

The completion of the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad to 

Silverton, in July last [1882]. * * * 

The ores of San Juan County are treated at other localities 

exclusively. A considerable amount has been shipped to the 

smelters at Durango, but the larger portion has gone to Pueblo 

and St. Louis, while smaller amounts were sent to Omaha and 

Denver. The only reduction plant in the county is at Silverton. 

During the year the Martha Rose Mining & Smelting Co. 

erected works of 20 tons capacity and provided with excellent 

facilities for handling and tr~ating the ores. After a short and 

unsuccessful run the works closed down. * * * 

The reduction of cost of shipping ores from $35 to $40 per 

ton to $12, which was effected upon the completion of the railroad, has given a wonderful impetus to mining. '* * * 

The North Star No. I, * * * located in 1876, has been 

steadily and successfully worked ever since. * * * All the 

ore taken out averages 70 to 80 ·ounces of silver per ton, and 

35 per cent lead, though with the usual sorting a grade double 

that is readily obtained. The ore which pays is galena, but 

considerable gray copper of a very high grade is taken from the 

mine. All the ore is shipped· in carload lots to St. Louis. The 

mine has produced over 100,000 ounces of silver and 1,500,000 

pounds of lead. * * * 

The Belcher * * * ore is galena, free from refractory 

gangue. The mine has been a constant producer. * * * 

The Empire is an eastern extension of the North Star, and 

is a well-defined vein, carrying gray copper in paying quantities. 

The pay streak * * * averages 100 ounces of silver and 

10 per cent of copper. . 

On Hazelton Mountain, about 3 miles northeast of Silverton, 

is the Aspen Group, which comprises the Aspen, Susquehanna, 

Mammoth, Legal Tender, McGregor, Matchless. * * * 

The veins, of 3 .to 8 feet; carry galena and gray ·copper ore in a 

quartz gangue. * * * The group is the property of the San 

Juan & New York Mining & Smelting Co. The Gray Eagle, 

also on Hazelton Mountain, has produced 106 tons of ore, 

averaging 50 per cent lead and 60 ounces of silver. * * * 

The SilveroLake shipped ore milling 50 ounces of silver and 

60 per cent of lead. * * * · On Green Mountain, in Cunningham Gulch, is the Green · 

Mountain mine. * * * The ore is galena, carrying small 

quantities of very high grade gray copper. The company 

have emplqyed a jig with great success for dressing their fine 

ore. * * * 

The Congress is a new discoverv situated on the divide 

between San Juan and Ouray cou~ties. * * * One hundred and ten tons of ore were shipped from the mine in 30 

days, all taken from the shaft. The ore already shipped has 

netted in Silverton over $100 per ton, having given the 

follo'wing results per ton: 1st, 27 per cent in copper; gold 1~ 

ounces; silver 18 ounces; 2d, copper 33 per cent, gold l;J.-3 

ounces, silver 20 ounces. Occasional assays have yielded 

60 per cent in copper, 33i ounces in gold, and 30 ounces in 

siiver. * * * 

Three hundred feet east of the Congress lode is the Salem. 

This lode shows a different character of ore, running very high 

in copper and gold. * * * Two carloads of ore have been 

shipped. * * * 

10 Burchard, H. C., op. cit. for 1881, pp. 354, 427-432, 442-443, 1882. 

11 Burchard, H. C., op. cit. for 1882, pp. 3\lO, 391, 395, 545-554, 1883. 

The Hudson is a northern extension of the Salem. It wa~ 

located during the summer. * * * The mine has produced 

1 ton of ore per day to the man since work was commenced in 

September. * * * Mill runs gave 32 per cent in copper, 

29 ounces of silver, and one-half ounce gold to the ton. 

The Yankee Girl group [Ouray County] comprises five or six 

locations, chief of which are the Yankee Girl, Orphan Boy, and 

Robinson. The ore is very different from the Hudson, Congress, 

and Salem, being a galena and copper ore running high in 

silver. * * * Four hundred tons of ore have been shipped. 

In Eureka district there are a number of mines rapidly 

becoming steady producers. 

On the Byron a tunnel of over 500 feet has been run on the 

vein, which carries remarkably fine galena with the addition of 

considerable zinc. Associated with the zinc, but not mixed or 

combined, is a streak of very high grade silver ore. * * * 

Animas Forks district includes the mines tributarv to Mineral 

Point.. ~ 

Burchard then gives two pages of descriptions of 

1nines. In his report for 1883 he gives the following 

details: 18 

In the northern portion of the county, in the Red Mountains, 

the formation and character is described in the review of this. 

district under Ouray County. The county line passes on the 

summit of the divide, and for some time there existed considerable doubt regarding which county, Ouray or San Juan, 

quite a number of these mines were in. Regarding the location, 

each mine owner was requested to state whether his property 

was in Ouray or San Juan county, and the production reported 

is accordingly placed to the credit of the county, in which the 

same is located. * * * 

The North Star:No. 2 * · * * [has produced] 550 tons of 

ore that run 100 ounces silver, one-half ounce gold, and 40 per 

cent lead to the ton. * * * 

Belcher mine, * * * since * * * about one year 

ago, [has produced] * * * over 1,700 tons of ore [which] 

has yielded an average of 38 ounces silver and 40 per cent 

lead. * * * 

The Silver Lake, on Round Mountain, * * * shipped to 

Sweet's Sampling Works 72 tons of ore that contained 2,016 

ounces of silver and 7 ounces of gold, and that averaged 55 per 

cent lead. * * * 

On Green Mountain is the property of the Green Mountain 

Mining Co., viz., the Green Mountain and Green Mountain . 

Extension. * * * The production of this mine during 1883 

was about 300 tons of ore, which averaged 38 ounces of silver 

and 45 per cent lead t_o the ton. * * * 

The Lackawanna group of mines, on Kendal Mountain, 

* * * 40 tons have been sampled, and gave an average of 

50 ounces silver and 20 per cent lead. * * * 

The North Star, on Solomon, * * * produced quite a large 

amount of ore prior to the present season of an excellent grade. 

The past summer there have been taken out and shipped 550 

tons of ore, that· run 100 ounces silver, one-half ounce gold, 

and 40 per cent lead. * * * 

The Emerald mine, on Anvil, * * * has produced considerable ore from the date of its discovery. The last year 

some 30 tons were shipped to Sweet's Sampling Works that 

averaged 75 ounces and 20 per cent lead. · 

On Red Mountain, near Red Mountain City, but in San Juan 

County, are the Congress, Senate, Salem, St. Paul, and others, 

and near Chattanooga numerous good prospects. 

The Congress was located during the fall of 1881. Being 

late in the season nothing but the assessment work was done 

in 1881, but early the next spring the owners resumed work and 

IB Burchard, H. C., op. cit. for 1883, pp. 236, 237, 238, 240, 407-417, 1884. 
SAN JUAN COUNTY 213 

sunk a 50-foot shaft all the way through· solid mineral. In 

the summer of 1882 the Congress was bonded for $15,000, and 

it was sold to the present owners six days afterward for $21,000. 

* * * More than 100 tons of ore were shipped before the 

season was over, and fully as much more remains on the dump 

at the present time, making in all nearly 200 tons of solid 

mineral which has been taken out of the Congress shaft, which 

is now only 90 feet deep. The only drifting that has ever been 

done was at the 50-foot level, directly after the purchase, 

when they drifted 18 feet, endeavoring to find the extent of 

the ore body, but nothing save solid mineral was encountered. 

The 200 tons of ore shipped from the Congress last fall netted, 

after paying for mining, shipping, and smelting, $53 per ton. 

The crosscut is 275 feet in length and cuts the vein, intersecting the bottom of the shaft at about 85 feet depth, and runs 

through 15 feet of solid mineral before reaching the shaft. The 

ore is copper pyrites carrying gold and silver, and like the ore 

of the Yankee Girl it needs no sorting-is shipped just as it 

comes from the mine. Average ounces of gold per ton, 1%; 

silver, 20; and copper 30 per cent. For the year the average 

daily output has been about 8 tons per day. * * * 

Near Chattanooga are the Jenny Lind, Windsor, Bertha and 

Ida, Big Four, Bonanza Boy, Dipper, Genesee, Humboldt, 

Providence, Silver Cup, Independence, Silver Ledge, Little 

Maud, and probably 20 others of as good indications. * * * 

Eureka district.-* * * Very little ore has been shipped 

from this part of San Juan County, because the mines as a 

general rule are above timber line and somewhat inaccessible, 

and the ore has to be packed on burros quite a distance, then 

by wagons to Silverton for shipment to outside smelters. Concentrating works are now being erected. * * * 

The Sunnyside, near the Franklin, has been working continuously, filling a contract with the Pueblo smelters for 4,000 

tons of ore. The only drawback to this mine is the large per 

cent of zinc it contains; but for that it would be one of the 

most desirable dry ores found in the State. * * * The ore 

carries considerable gold and only about 5 to 10 per cent lead. 

* * * Animas Forks district includes the mines tributary to 

Mineral Point. 

The Little Dora, in Grouse Gulch * * * shows * * * a streak of bismuth from 2 to 4 inches wide, which yields 1;128 

ounces silver, 3 ounces gold per ton. * * * 

The La Plttta Miner publishes the following resume of the 

year's output of San Juan County: 

While it is impossible to give the entire output in tons and 

its actual value in dollars, yet we have been able to get the 

accurate results of over 5,955 tons of ore, which we present; 

and from this we assume that portion of ore that was shipped 

without sampling to hav~ been of equally good grade. This 

will be more apparent when it is known that by far the larger 

portion of the unsampled ore was from the Yankee Girl [Ouray 

County]. The total output as shown by the Denver & Rio 

Grande shipping books is as follows for each month: 

January _____________ _ 

February ____________ _ 

March ______________ _ 

ApriL ___ ~- __________ _ 

MaY-----------------. June ________________ _ 

July ________________ _ 

Tons 

760 

480 

500 

510 

380 

700 

1, 440 

August_ ____________ _ 

September __________ _ 

October ____________ _ 

November __________ _ 

December __________ _ 

Tons 

2, 130 

1, 780 

1, 770 

1, 240 

550 

12, 230 

In addition to this there were shipped during the same time 

2,110 tons of iron ore to the Durango smelter. Of this amount 

5,955 were sampled in Silverton, from which we have the returns. 

We find that the above amount of ore contained 1,119 ounces of 

gold, 255,394 ounces of ·silver, 591,362 pounds of copper, and 

3,166,860 pounds of lead. * * * 

Of the ores sampled two classes would seem to cover it all-:-

copper and lead. The average percentage of copper in the ores 

sampled and paid for as copper ore was from 15 to 30 per cent, 

while the great bulk of the ore has been lead ore and has averaged 

freely 30 per cent of that metal. 

It will be noticed that this statement includes a large amount 

shipped from Silver.ton which was the production of the Yankee 

Girl. It probably also includes the shipments· of the National 

Belle. Both of these mines are large producers, but neither is 

situated in San Juan but in Ouray. * * * · The Mining Record gives the output of San Juan for the same 

year as follows: 

Since January 1, 1883, there have been shipped from Silverton over the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad over 15,000 tons 

of ore. * * * 

The following is the number of tons shipped: Stoiber Bros. 

sampled and bought 3,171; sampled and shipped 793; unsampled 

and shipped, 927; total 4,891. E. T. Sweet has crushed, 

sampled, and shipped 3, 760 tons, and T. B. Comstock has 

crushed, sampled, and shipped 2,500 tons and concentrated 

800 tons. Messrs. Stoiber, of Silverton, are reported to have 

sampled and shipped 2,089% tons of ore that contained 207 

ounces of gold, 97,011 ounces of silver, 85,212 pounds of copper, 

and 977,899 pounds of lead. ' 

In his report for 1884 Burchard says: 19 

The North Star * * * product for 1884 was 1,100 tons. 

* * '* 

Red Mountain district.-That portion ·of Red Mountain 

· district lying in San Juan County has not' been prolific in its 

output." In the vicinity of Chattanooga not much was done 

in development, and in the vicinity of Red Mountain City 

litigation has caused the closing of many properties. * * * 

The shipments from the county are about 8,000 tons, showing 

an increase of 600 tons over last year, when the shipments 

from the county were about 7,400 tons. The falling off in the 

total shipments by way of Silverton amounts to over 1,000 tons, 

which can be mostly accounted for by the idleness of the 

Congress and Hudson and the reduction in shipments from 

the Yankee Girl and National Belle mines, at Red Mountain. 

For 1885 the figurea given in the table have been 

interpolated to correspond with the total production 

of the State. 

For 1886 to 1896 the figures given have been taken 

from reports of the agents of the mint in annual 

reports of the Director of the Mint, the gold and silver 

being prorated to correspond with the figures for the 

total production for the State as corrected by the 

Director of the Mint, the lead heing prorated to correspond with the total production of lead for the State 

as given in annual volumes of Mineral Resources, and 

any unknown production in the State being distributed 

proportionately among the counties. As with lead so 

with copper, but as the figures given in Mineral 

Resources include copper from matte and ores treated 

in Colorado, although produced in other States, they 

are subject to revision. 

For 1887 and 1888 Munson 20 lists the producing 

and nonproducing mines and gives the individual 

output of the producing mines. The list of smelters 

IP Burchard, H. C., op. cit. for 1884, pp. 177, 239-244, 1885. 

20 Munson, G. C., agent for Colorado, in Kimball, J.P., Report of the Director 

of the Mint upon the production of the precious metals in the United States during 

the calendar year 1887, pp. 181-183, 189, 1888; idem for 1888, pp. 121-123, 1889. 
214 MINING IN COLORADO 

operating in 1887 includes the New York & San Juan 

at Durango but none at Silverton. 

In his report for 1889 Smith 21 gives only the estimated total production of San Juan County, but in 

his reports for 1890, 1891, and 1892 he lists the 

producing mines and gives their individual outputs. 

In his report for 1897 Hodges says: 22 

Eureka district.-* * * Concentration and smelting; one 

10-stamp mill. 

Animas district.-* * * Amalgamation, concentration, 

and smelting processes; 9 mills operating 300 stamps and 2 

mills using Huntington process and jigs; 3. concentrating mills 

projected. · · 

The figures for 1897 to 1904, ·which represent receipts 

at smelters and the mint, are taken from the reports 

of the Colorado State ·Bureau of Mines as are the 

figures for zinc for 1904 to 1907. 

In his report for 1898 Hodges says: 23 

The county does not have [custom] reduction works of any 

character, except one amalgamation mill for free gold ores. The 

ores are almost exclusively smelting ores. The pyritic smelter 

at Silverton closed down during the latter part of 1897, owing 

to the scarcity of iron sulphide ores, it is claimed. 

Las Animas district.-This district, located north and east 

of the town of Silverton, has really but five large producing 

mines, and these properties easily furnish over one-half of the 

county's tonnage. Their product is almost wholly in the form 

of concentrates, their output of crude ore being not less than 

300 tons per day. Several mills are in constant operation. 

Eureka district.-This district has been a large producer for 

years, its heavy lead ores, in addition to their silver contents, 

carrying a fair amount of gold values, which, in several instances, 

is the principal value of the ore mined. Two mills are operated 

this year. 

Ice Lake district.-The production of this district has been 

limited to the rather small output of two mines, operated during 

the summer season. One of these properties has a mill, but it 

closes down as soon as the snow begins. * * * 

Red Mountain, Uncompahgre, and Cascade, the other districts 

in this county, have had some prospecting, but the output has 

been small. 

In his report for 1899 Hodges says: 25 

The Red Mountain Railroad, running from Silverton to Red 

Mountain increased its carload shipments over 1898, the 

amount averaging three to four carloads per day in the fall 

and early winter until the deep snow put a stop to transportation over that line. * * * 

Gladstone-Silverton Railroad.-A feature of the summer work 

was the inauguration and completion of the Gladstone, Silverton, & Northern Railroad, running a distance of 9 miles from 

Silverton to the Gold King group of mines, near Gladstone. * * * 

The Silver Lake tramway, 14,700 feet in length, is one of 

the longest on the American continent. The concentrating 

21 Smith, M. E., agent for Colorado, in Leech, E. 0., Report of the Director of 

the Mint upon the production of the precious metals in the United States during 

the calendar year 1889, p. 152, 1890; idem for 1890, pp. 139-140, 1891; idem for 1891, 

p. 185, 1892; idem for 1892, p. 130, 1893. 

22 Hodges, J. L., agent for Colorado, in Roberts, G. E., Report of the Director 

, lthe Mint upon the production of the precious metals in the United States during 

the calendar year 1897, p. 120, 1898. 

23 Hodges, J. L., agent for Colorado, in Roberts, G. E., op. cit. for 1898, pp. 92-94, 

1899. 

25 Hodges, J. L., agent for Colorado, in Roberrs, 0. E., oo. cit. for ·1899, pp. 108-

110, 1900. 

mill, entirely modern,~ handles 250 tons of crude ore each 

day. * * * 

The Iowa group * * * has a modern concentration 

mill. * * * 

The Sunnyside group, now equipped with a modern concen'-

~ing plant, equal to 100 tons per day. * * * In part 

of the group lead-zinc ore prevails, and this is also to be handled 

in a concentration plant after the system followed at Leadville 

and Creede. 

The new mill of the Gold King group, recently completed, 

will handle 100 t9ns of crude ore each 24 hours. 

·The Empire Consolidated group, Sultan Mountain, * * * 

will have a new 50-ton concentrator ready for work early in the 

year. 

San Juan's new mills.-The Red & Bonita mill in the Gladstone section was started up early in November. It has a 

capacity of 7 5 tons per day. * . * * Among the modern 

mills are the following: 

Tons per day 

Silver Lake____________ 250 

Iowa __________________ 100 

Gold King_____________ 100 

Tons per day 

Boston and Silverton_ _ _ _ 7 5 

Silver Ledge___________ 50 

Sunnyside_____________ 50 

Terry _________________ 100 Silver Wing ____________ 40 

Bonita __ ~---------·---- 75 

840 

The Iowa Gold Mining & Milling Co. shipped in 1899 9,547 

tons of ore, largely concentrates, which contained 5,500 

ounces of gold, 26,000 ounces of silver, and 5,500 tons of 

lead. * * * 

The new smelter at Silverton purposes to treat particularly 

sulphide ore. * * * 

In his report for 1900 Hodges says: 26 

There are in active operation 12 concentration mills, having 

a total capacity of 1,190 tons per day, besides that of the 

pyritic smelter. 

New pyritic smelter.-One of the * * * improvements 

inaugurated is the Kendrick-Gelder pyritic smelter. * * * 

A saving has been made in the cost of treatment by installing 

the Billberton hot-blast matte settling attachment. * * * 

The Silver Lake mines * * * average about 200 tons 

per day. * * * The owners * * * were the first in 

the State to use electric drills in their mines. * o* * 

The Sunnyside * * * has two mills in active operation, 

but owing to scarcity of water the upper one was not run 

continuously. Their combined capacity is 150 tons per day. 

The Gold King * * * present output is about 250 tons 

per day. 

In his report for 1901 Hodges says: 27 

The Silver Lake group, combining 175 mines, mill sites, and 

placer claims, the American Smelting & Refining Co. purchased 

for 273' million dollars from its original owners, E. G. Stoiber 

and wife. * * * . Milling facilities.-The county is well supplied with mills, 

and four railroads from its different sections give ready conveyance to the ores. The mills in active operation and their 

daily capacity are: Tons 

Silver Lake Mill No. !_________________ 250 

Silver Lake Mill No.2---.-------------- 200 

Gold King____________________________ 250 

Iowa Tiger____________________________ 150 

Sunnyside____________________________ 150 

Empire Hercules_______________________ 100 

26 Hodges, J. L., agent for Colorado, in Roberts, G. E., op. cit. for 1900, pp. 132-

133, 1901. 

27 Hodges, J. L., agent for Colorado, in Roberts, G. E., op. cit. for 1901, pp. 134-

137, 1902. 
SAN JUAN COUNTY 215 

'fans 

Yukon--------------------~---------- 75 

Great MoguL ______________ ----------- 7 5 

Terry________________________________ 50 

Sunnyside Extension ________ ---- ___ ---- 50 

Howardsville _______________ ----_------ 40 

San Juan ChieL ___________________ ---- 40 

Silver Queen__________________________ 40 

1, 470 

Pyritic .smelter.-The Kendrick-Gelder smelter, 'vhich was 

operated a portion of the year, proved of advantage in offering 

a market to such low grade as had formerly been practically 

negatived by freight and smelting charges. It largely expedited the development of such bodies of ore and converted 

into copper matte 5,500,000 pounds from ~he upper levels of 

the H eurietta. 

The Gold King Consolidated mines, in the Gladstone district, 

shipped during the year 10,100 tons of concentrates * * * 

Tungsten ores.-* * * Production 12,500 pounds evidencing from 66 to 71 per cent tungstic· acid. 

In his report for 1902 Downer says: 28 

The actual tonnage raised, which includes the ores sent to 

the concentration mills as well as the crude ore shipped direct, 

will not fall short of 230,000 tons. Of this produ.ct there was 

shipped to the Durango smelter and the Pyritic smelter, located 

at Silverton, nearly 40,000 tons of concentrates and about 

10,000 tons of crude ore. 

Gold King Consolidated.-The largest producer in the county, 

both in 'tonnage and values, is the Gold King Consolidated, its 

ore· mined and milled during the year reaching 72,455 tons. 

The mill of the company consists of an amalgamation and concentration plant, with a capacity of about 200 tons a day. The 

80-stamps are of the rapid-drop pattern, weighing 850 pounds 

each, and the screens are especially made of copper wire for 

these batteries and have shown a remarkable life. The gold 

retorts sent from the mill have reached a total value of $400,000, 

and the concentrates shipped amounted to 14,428 tons, with a 

valuation of over $700,000. * * * 

Silver Lake mines.-The Silver Lake mines, which two years 

ago were sold to the Guggenheim Exploration Co., have made 

many improvements. All ore mined is treated in the large 

concentration mill of the company, which handles about 300 

tons a day. This has been enlarged, and the coming year will 

see an increased capacity of 100 tons a day, making a total of 

400 tons. * * * 

The scheme of operation in the mill is first crushing and 

coarse-jigging the ore, the tailings being recrushed and sized 

through revolving screens and sent to Hallett concentrating 

tables. The middlings from these tables are reground in Chilean 

mills and the product passed over stationary canvas slime 

tables. The tonnage shipped from the Silver Lake mills during 

the year was 13,350, entirely lead concentrates. 

The Sunnyside.-The Sunnyside mine has taken third place 

as a producer and during a large part of the year has kept both 

of its mills busy, they being of 30 tons and 100 tons daily 

capacity. Both are amalgamation and concentration. During 

the year they shipped 4,742 tons of concentrates, some 15,000 

ton8 of ore going to both mills. 

North Star.-The North Star, on .Sultan Mountain, at one 

time the greatest producer in the cou.nty, up to the first of the 

year had lain idle for nearly 10 years. It. is claimed that in 

the deep workings a large body of good grade ore was encountered. A concentration mill has been erected. 

2s Downer, F. M., agent for Colorado, in Roberts, G. E., op. cit. for 1902, pp. 

L04-106, 1903 

Grand Mogul.-The Grand Mogul property is located on 

upper Cement Creek, on the system of veins which cross from 

the Gold King to the Sunnyside, and, while not having been a 

heavy producer during the year, has shipped a number of 

cars of ore and kept up continuous development work. A large 

concentration mill will be erected. 

The Esmeralda is a new producer. During the latter half 

of the year it shipped 100 carloads of ore carrying from an 

ounce to 1:;1 ounces in gold and as high as 100 ounces in silver. 

The Highland Mary mine, now incorpora:ted as the Gold 

Tunnel & Railway Co., has become a shipper and is worked 

through the Gold Tunnel. This cuts the vein at a depth of 

1,500 feet. A 150-ton concentrating mill was built and is 

working successfully. · 

Red Mountain district.-In the Red Mountain district a 

great deal of development work and prospecting has been done, 

but no new shippers have been recorded, the low. prices of 

silver and copper preventing in many instances the taking 

out of ore which could be handled under more favorable market 

conditions. 

Among the older mines in this section, which have shipped 

at intervals are the Brooklyn-Bonner, Yankee Girl, Genesee-

. Vanderbilt, and Silver Ledge. The last-named has just completed a 200-ton concentration mill. 

Kendrick-Gelder plant.-The Kendrick-Gelder pyritic smelter, 

at Silverton, has only run during the summer J?Onths. As a 

large part of the ore treated carries considerable copper, the 

production of a very good grade of matte is secured. This is 

concentrated by being resmelted with the addition of copper 

ores so that a matte is finally produced running 50 to 70 per 

cent in copper with high gold and silver contents. This 

furnace is run with a hot blast and does not use over 6 per 

cent of fuel. As the charge can be run with a much higher 

proportion of silica in the slag, and no roasting is required, 

the cost of smelting is materially reduced over the lead furnace. 

A very large part of the crude ore of the cbu~ty found its way 

into the bins of this smelter while it was running. · 

In his report for 1904 Downer says: 29 

The total tonnage shipped from the various districts for 

1904 amounted to 66,288, the values being in gold, silver, lead, 

copper, zinc, and tungsten. There has been a substantial 

increase over 1903, due to improved facilities for handling 

the output, extension of trams to the mills and reduction 

works, as well as economic handling of the properties. 

The proportion of concentrates to crude ore is about 7 to 1. 

The larger producers shipped over 44,000 tons. Amalgam 

and bullion amounting to $571,000 has been s·aved by the mills. 

* * * 

The Old Hundred has built new tramway and installed a 

large Rand compressor. 

The Ruby Basin mill is being increased from 50 to 500 tons 

capacity per day. 

The. Gold King mill has increased its capacity 30 per cent. 

The Silver Ledge has established electric magnetic separators 

to separate zinc from the lead and has demonstrated the 

commercial value by an increase in net returns of about 40 

per cent, shipping a high-grade zinc concentrate that was 

dead loss and expense previously. 

The Green Mountain Co. has almost completed a 300-ton 

mill. A new tramway is being pushed as rapidly as possible 

to replace the one burned on the Silver Lake. 

For 1905 to 1923 the figures in the table have been 

taken from Mineral Reso~rces (mines reports). 

29 Downer, F. M., agent for Colorado, in Roberts, G. E., op. cit. for 1904, P· 119, 

1905 
216 

Year 

1873 

1874 

1875 

1876 

1877 

1878. 

1879 

1880 

1881 

1882 

1883 

1884 

1885 

1886 

1887 

1888 

1889 

1890 

1891 

1892 

1893 

1894 

1895 

1896 

1897 

1898 

1899 

1900 

1901 

1902 

1903 

1904 

1905 

1906 

1907 

1908 

1909 

1910 

1911 

1912 

1913 

1914 

1915 

1916 

1917 

1918 

1919 

1920 

1921 

1922 

19~ 

Ore 

treated 

(short 

I tooo) 

1

---------

---------

7,400 

8,,000 

242,850 

230,000 

233,663 

204,139 

196,438 

235,639 

202,643 

187,041 

206,272 

108,088 

140,917 

123,343 

117,988 

147,878 

146,128 

145,685 

132,927 

64,899 

201,671 

1,164 

8,808 

153,114 

Lode 

gold 

$13,000 

9,540 

10,000 

5,000 

5,000 

6,000 

6,000 

6,000 

5,000 

10,000 

35,000 

40,000 

40,000 

142,799 

121,245 

190,328 

394,873 

187,357 

192,109 

148,908 

260,-668 

340,023 

849,411 

908,707 

694,326 

1, 132,592 

996,273 

757,204 

962,974 

1, 524,226 

1, 710,608 

1, 396,651 

1, 050,971 

900,175 

967,732 

997,824 

683,267 

710,527 

336,463 

523,574 

657,612 

508,477 

583,681 

438,628 

3~8,006 

257,011 

132,560 

266,766 

8,272 

25,759 

241,986 

MINING IN COLORADO 

Gold, silver, copper, lead, and zinc produced in San Juan County, 1873-1923 

Silver I Copper Lead Zinc 

1------~----~------t-------.----~-----l--------,----,-------l-------~--~------l 

Average 

Average 

Average Fine 

ounces 

Average 

price 

per 

ounce 

Value Pounds price Value , Pounds price Value Pounds price Value 

per 

pound per 

pound per 

pound 

----·-a;i66- $i."27s· ---··u;o46- ------------ ------- ----------- ------------ ------- ------------ ------------ ------- -----------

68,547 1. 24 84,998 ============ ======= =========== ----i2o;ooo· $o~o5s- -----$6;96o- ============ ======= =========== 48,465 1. 16 56,219 249,348 . 061 15,210 ------------ ------- ----------- 34,010 1. 20 40,812 ------8;664- $o~iii-- ----$i;646- 4oo, ooo . o55 22, ooo _. ___________ , _________________ _ 

2,4, 569 1. 15 28,254 36, 145 .166 6, 000 400,000 . 036 14,400 I 

3Q, 938 1.12 34,651 100,000 .18!; 18,600 500,000 . 041 20,500 ============!======= =========== 11, 602 1. 15 13, 342 100, 000 . 214 21, 400 430, 000 . 05 21, 500 19,336 1.13 21,850 1.00, 000 .182 18,200 140,000 . 048 6, 720 ------------~------- -----------

2i&: i8~ ~: ~i 3g~: :gg ~gg: ggg : ~~~ ~~: ~gg 1, ~~~: ggg : 8!~ !~: ~~~ ============ ======= =========== 

464,062 1. 11 515,109 300,000 • 13 39,000 3, 400,000 . 037 125,800 ============~======= =========== 700, 000 1. 07 749, 000 100, 000 . 108 10, 800 5, 300,000 . 039 206, 700 I 

718,523 . 99 711,338 100,000 .111 11,100 4, 300,000 . 046 197,800 ============~======= =========== 401,760 . 98 393,725 300,000 .138 41,400 2, 040,145 . 045 91,806 ------------:------- ----------- 223,339 .94 209,939 240,000 .168 40,320 2,382,358 .044 104,824 ------------------------------ 508, 328 . 94 477, 828 135, 018 . 135 18, 227 4, 096, 887 . 039 159, 779 321,340 1,05 337,407 147,354 .156 22,987 3,462,158 .045 155,797 

769, 545 . 99 761, 850 235, 467 . 128 30, 140 6, 857, 544 . 043 294, 874 397, 589 . 87 345, 903 136, 768 . 116 15, 865 6, 406, 665 • 04 256, 267 327, 153 . 78 255, 179 1, 125, 826 . 108 121, 589 8, 000, 000 . 037 296, 000 351, 114 . 63 221, 202 1,118, 222 . 095 106, 231 4, 000, 000 . 033 132, 000 1, 894, 453 . 65 1, 231, 394 2, 057, 588 . 107 220,162 8, 098, 800 . 032 259, 162 2, 228, 031 . 68 1, 515, 061 845, 094 . 108 91, 270 5, 634, 586 . 03 169, 038 1,101,907 .60 661,144 1,435,203 .12 172,224 8,021,414 .036 288,771 

1, 048,499 . 59 618,614 2, 252,421 . 124 279,300 14,659,999 . 038 557,080 

1, 191, 857 . 60 715, 114 . 1, 197, 661 . 171 204, 800 16, 011, 677 . 045 720, 525 681,317 . 62 422,416 1, 972,087 .166 327,367 17,579,177 . 044 773,484 

784,218 . 60 470,531 2, 740,042 . 167 457,587 15,473, 187 . 043 665,347 

838,102 . 53 444,194 3, 012,283 • 122 367,499 7, 699,883 . 041 315,695 

781, 358 . 54 421, 933 2, 939, 018 • 137 402, 645 6, 969, 093 . 042 292, 702 1, 042, 044 • 58 604, 386 3, 467, 124 • 128 443, 792 9, 288, 643 . 043 399, 412 750, 844 • 61 458, 015 2, 274, 109 . 156 354, 761 8, 045, 126 • 047 378, 121 690, 076 . 68 469,252 1, 549,663 • 193 299,085 4, 515,317 . 057 257,373 

1, 175, 176 . 66 775, 616 2, 450, 280 • 20 490, 056 12, 483, 507 . 053 661, 626 1, 004, 287 • 53 532, 272 2, 282, 738 • 132 301, 321 8, 402, 569 • 042 352, 9081 

793, 637 . 52 412, 691 1, 653, 192 . 13 214, 915 9, 085, 068 • 043 390, 658 782, 250 . 54 422, 415 1, 208, 496 . 127 153, 479 10, 688, 386 . 044 470, 289 

325,604 . 53 172,570 470,912 . .125 58,864 6, 933,822 • 045 312,022 

714, 974 .. 615 439, 709 1, 063, 291 . 165 175, 443 9, 114, 334 • 045 410, 145 880, 409 . 604 531, 767 1, 221, 516 . 155 189, 335 9, 508, 979 . 044 418, 395 

493,917 .553 273,136 825,180 .133 109,749 5,199,000 .039 202,761 · 430, 637 . 507 218, 333 1, 054, 463 . 1 Z5 184, 531 6, 791, '596 • 047 319, 205 502, 342 . 658 330, 541 1, 615, 167 . 246 397, 331 7, 285, 304 • 069 502, 686 658, 261 . 824 542, 407 1, 665, 923 . 273 454, 797 10, 515, 535 . 086 904, 336 477, 322 1. 00 477, 322 1, 120, 178 . 247 . 276, 684 9, 485, 775 . 071 673, 490 

279, 667 1. 12 313, 227 661, 667 . 186 123, 070 5, 443, 906 . 053 288, 527 746, 100 1. 09 813, 249 1, 361, 391 . 184 250, 496 16, 601, 025 . 08 1, 328, 082 64, 179 1. 00 64, 179 28, 558 . 129 3, 684 557,555 . 045 25,090 

77,864 1. 00 77,864 110, 348 . 135 14,897 1, 651,982 . 055 90,859 

471, 750 . 82 386, 835 1, 005, 441 . 147 147, 800 10, 738, 943 . 07 751, 726 

I ------------~------- -----------

~~~~=j~ j~ H-~ ~ ~-!~ =~~---=:=~; 

~ ~ ~~ ~== ~ =~J ::~: ~ ~ : ~~ ~ :: ~ ~= ~~ ::::::::::::1::::::: ::::::::::: 

317,254 $0.051 $16,180 

163, 845 . 059 9, 667 718; 192 . 061 43, 810 1, 772, 764 . 059 104, 593' 

10, 131 . 047 476 786, 518 . 054 42, 472 3, 781, 259 . 054 204, 188 2, 224, 351 • 057 126, 788 2, 478,594 . 069 171,023 

1, 664, 999 . 056 93, 240 971, 177 . 051 49, 530 2, 259,226 . 124 280, 144 4, 014, 403 • 134 537, 930 

3, 270,500 • 102 333,591 

3, 410, 308 . 091 310, 338 1, 833, 768 . 073 133, 865 11, 837, 395 • 081 958, 829 

--i;aoo;ooo· : 8~5 ----74;ioo· 

9, 540, 000 • 068 648, 720 

I 22, 711, 113 28, 651, 577 ------- 20, 432, 222 50, 024, 498 ------- 7. 726, 049 !316, 426, 293 ------- 15, 373, 023 52, 3.14, 684 1------- 4, 139,484 

Total 

value 

$13,000 

13,586-

101, 95S. 

76,42\} 

69,458. 

54, 654· 79,751 

6,&242' 

51,770 

97,683 

400,871 

719, 901} 

1,006,500 

1,063,037 

648,176 

545,411 

1, 050,707 

703,548 

1, 278,973 

766,943 

933,436 

799,456 

2, 560,129 

2, 684,076 

1, 816,465 

2, 587,586 

2,636, 712 2, 280,471 

2, 556,439 

2, 651,614 

2, 827,888 

2,860, 421 2, 251,535 . 1, 969,695 

2, 999,623 

2,184,801 

1, 744,003 

1, 960,898 

1, 006,707 

1, 719,894 

1,890, 349 

I, 143,653 

1,585,894 

2, 207,116 

2, 553,137 

1, 994,845 

991,249 

3, 617,422 

101,225 

283,479 

2, 177,067 

70,381,891 

--------------

SAN MIGUEL COUNTY 

Purington 30 gives the following details of early 

developments in the Telluride region in chronologie 

order: 

~87 5. First (?) prospector entered region. Location made 

on what is now the Smuggler vein, and a ton of ore worth 

$2,000 was shipped to the smelter at Alamosa. Mter this 

about 60 tons of ore were shipped, of which the yield is unknown. 

1876. Nevada and What Cheer claims located. 

1877 .. Small shipments made principally to Silverton,· the 

ores beinEr mined for silver and running from 75 to 125 ounces to 

the ton. 

1878. Marshall Basin produced 200 tons, and small lots 

were sent to the Silverton smelter from the mines about Ophir, 

some of the ore being exceedingly rich in silver. 

1879. First attempt at milling the ores. Two arrastres 

were built in the vicinity of Ophir, and to one the Gold King 

shipped 3 tons of gold ore daily in 1879. 

1881-82. The Virginius mine, at the head of Canyon Creek 

(Ouray County), in 1881 was worked by three levels and two 

shafts, and in 1882 the development amounted to 2,000 feet, 

with a product of $75,000 in silver. 

so Purington, C. W., Preliminary report on the mining industries of the Telluride 

quadrangle, Colo.: U. S. Geol. Survey Eighteenth Ann. Rept., pt. 3, pp. 752-7 54 

1897 

By 1883, one hundred men were at work in Marshall Basin, 

and a small smelter was built at the old town of Ames. This 

apparently did not prove successful, as it ran only a year. At 

this time it is noted that a shipment of 4 tons of ore from the 

Smuggler vein gave a return of 800 ounces of silver and 18 

ounces in gold to the ton. * * * 

The total placer production to 1896 has been estimated at 

$100,000. 

In another publication Purington gives the following 

note: 31 

Whether or not the early Spanish explorers of southwestern 

Colorado actually passed through this district is uncertain. 

At any rate no traces remain to indicate that exploration for 

the precious metals was prosecuted before the middle of the 

present century, and the first active search for gold and silver 

in the Telluride district was in 1875. In that year locations 

were made on the vein now called the Smuggler. At that 

time and in following years, down to 1882, many locations 

were made and small amounts of the precious metals were 

produced. Although the available data concerning the early 

developments are of the most fragmentary character, it is 

probable that the total product of the quadrangle previous to 

1882 did not exceed $50,000. The region did not attain 

i1 Cross, Whitman, and Purington, C. W., U.S. Geol. Survey Geol. Atlas, Tellu· 

ride folio (No. 57), 1899. 
SAN MIGUEL COUNTY 217 

importance * * * until 1890, when the Rio Grande 

Southern Railroad was completed from Ridgway to the town 

of Telluride. 

For 187 5 to 1882 the figures given in the table on 

page 226 are estimates, corresponding to the total 

production of the State. The figures for placer 

production from 1878 to Hl02 are also estimates made 

on this basis. 

In his report for 18~1 Burchard says: 32 

South of Ouray is San Miguel district, on the North Fork 

of the San Miguel River. The principal mines shipping ore 

are the Smuggler, Mendota, Cimarron, and Argentine. A 

number of others have been developed and contain pay ore but 

have not been shipping. Among them may be mentioned the 

Boomerang, Alta, Quail, Palmyra, Big Elephant, Silver Chief, 

Ausbury, Shamrock, and Hyacinth. 

The Pandora & Oriental has a 40-stamp mill on the ground, 

and a .mill on the Gold King has been completed. The mill about 

to be erected by the Pandora & Oriental Co. wl.ll have 16 Frtle 

varmers, 2 to each 5-stamp battery, driven by a separate engine. 

The stamps weigh 825 pounds and will be driven by a 120-

horsepower engine, which is of double the capacity required, 

it being the intention of the company to erect an additional 

40 stamps, should developments on the. property justify it. 

* * * 

In the vicinity of Ophir, ·in Iron Springs district, 10 miles 

south of San Miguel, are a number of mines located on Silver 

and Yell ow Mountains and on Wilson Creek. The ore is high 

grade, although the veins are narrow, the widest being that of 

the Osceola mine. * * * 

In the valley of the San Miguel, the Keystone Co. was 

engaged most of last season in erecting flumes and other 

preparations for washing on an extensive scale. They ran just 

a month before closing down and cleaned up about $3,500 in 

gold, worth about $16 per ounce. On Bar No. 1, the St. 

Louis Co. ran three weeks and cleaned up about $1,500 gold. 

A few other groups of men working in a small way with toms, 

rockers, and sluices obtained lesser amounts. 

At the head of the San Miguel a deposit of very rich float 

rock was discovered, which was crushed in mortars and washed 

by hand, yielding, it ~s said, about $10,000. The tract of 

country carrying this float rock is doubtless quite limited. 

For 1882, Burchard gives the following details: 33 

The Upper San Miguel district, with Telluride as its central 

point: comprises that section of Ouray County drained by the 

North Fork of the San Miguel River and its tributaries and 

Turkey Creek, emptying into South Fork. The first discoveries 

were .made in 1875, but owing to the inaccessibility, distance 

from railroads, and disadvantages arising from these sources, 

very little ore was shipped until 1881, when Gunnison, the 

nearest railroad point, was 140 miles distant, the cost of transportation then being not less than $45 per ton. * * * 

Following up the river on the north side, the following tributaries empty into it: Remine, Eder, Park [Mill], Butcher, 

Cornet, Marshall. Remine and Eder basins have .not been 

prospected to any extent. A few good lodes have been opened 

on Park Creek. * * * 

In Marshall Basin the most prominent vein is the Smuggler, 

upon which the followinglocations have been made: Mendota, 

Sheridan, Smuggler, Union, and Cleveland. The first three of 

these have been working and shipping ore all the season, but 

l am unable· to learn results. 

12 Burchard, H. C., Report of the Director or the Mint upon. the production of 

the precious metals in the United States during. the calendar year 1881, p. 420, 

1882. 

33 Burchard, H. C., op. cit. for 1882, pp, 515-523, 1883. 

The Pandora & Oriental is owned and operated by e. French 

company, which has expended about $300,000 in their develop-· 

ment and in surface· improvements. The mine has upward of 

1,500 feet of development; the mill is equipped with 20 stamps 

and 16 Frue vanners. 

In the Bridal Veil Basin are prospects with from io to 50 

feet development, carrying both gold and silver. The Lewis 

has 140 feet of development and 40 tons of ore on dump. 

This mine shipped some ore in 1882, the average value of which 

was $60 per ton. 

On Mount Wilson there are a number of prospects carrying 

galena and gray copper. Among the principal ones may be 

mentioned the Cow Boy, Fanny Forest, American Girl, Western 

Wonder, Black Prince, Lone Star, and St. Julian. 

In South or Gold King Basin are the Gold King and Minnie 

Myrtle. 

The Gold King has a 4-foot pay streak, the ore from which 

averages by mill run $50 in gold per ton. 

The Minnie Myrtle has about' 250 feet of development. 

The ore carries both gold and silver. The owners of these 

mines erected a 10-stamp mill w·ith vanners in 1880 and are increasing the ·capacity by 10 stamps. Their mines are located 

high on the mountain, and the ore is taken to the mill by a tram 

2,600 feet in length. 

The Alta belongs to the Silver Mountain Mining Co., which 

has been actively developing it since 1881. The present workings consist of 3 levels aggregating 700 feet. The ore is gray 

copper and sulphuret, which is found in streaks and pockets. 

Placers.-The Keystone placer during the past two seasons 

has been operated continuously with very successful results. 

·The St. Louis & Lower San Miguel Placer Mining Co., after 

expending $30,000 and making a trial run, with the result of 

cleaning up $1,300 from 2,200 cubic yards of gravel, became 

involved in litigation and was forced to suspend operations. 

The Keokuk Hydraulic Mining Co., purchased during the 

past 18 months the large bodies of gravel known as the Kansas 

City and Montana bars and proceeded to develop them by a 

ditch 11 miles in length, which they have recently completed. 

Four miles above the mouth of Leopard Creek are situated 

the Wheeler bar.s, upon which a tunnel 8 feet high, 5 feet wide, 

and 96 feet long produced over $4,000. The Willow Creek 

bar, owned and operated by a party of Pennsylvania capitalists, 

has produced an average of ·75 cents per cubic yard of gravel for 

all washings upon their claim. 

Imn Springs district is situated in the southern part of the 

county, covering the drainage of Howards and Lake forks of 

the South Fork of the San Miguel River, with Ophir as the 

center. 

He then gives descriptions of development work on 

the Summit, Tip Top, Lookout, Nevada, Carribeau, 

Butler, Vulcan, Silver Bell, Tidal Wave, Magnolia, 

Mohawk,. San Juan, Globe, and Osceola properties at 

Ophir. 

Burchard's report for 1883 gives the following details: 34 

San Miguel County was created by the legislature of this 

State during its last session, it having been a portion of Ouray 

County. * * * 

The county is divided into three mining districts: Lower 

San Miguel, Upper San Miguel, and Iron Springs districts. 

In Lower San Miguel placer mines are the chief source of 

production, but owing to the scarcity of water these have been 

worked but little during the past year. 

Upper San Miguel includes Marshall Basin, Pandora, and the 

mines triht,ttary to Telluride. · 

u Burchard, H. C., op. cit. Cor 1883, pp. 236, 238, 240, 417-426, 1884. 
218 MINING IN COLORADO 

Iron Springs district embraces those mines in the vicinity of 

Ophir and Ames. 

In Upper San Miguel district, immediately over the crest of 

the divide that separates Ouray and San Miguel counties, on 

the west.ern slope of Virginius Pass, is Marshall Basin, and here 

is located the celebrated vein on which three adjoining claims, 

the Mendota, Sheridan, and Smuggler, * * * [have been 

developed]. 

Beginning at the Mendota, which is just over the divide 

from the Virginius, the claims on the vein going in a southerly 

direction are as follows: Mendota, Sheridan, Smuggler, Uni·on, 

Cleveland, Bullion, Hidden Treasure, Ajax, and five others. 

He next gives descriptions of development on the 

Mendota, Sheridan, and Smuggler. 

The Union and the adjoining claim, the Revenue, are owned 

by the Dolobran Mining Co. * * * On the Cleveland, 

Bullion, and Hidden Treasure a small amount of work has been 

done and a very small amount produced. * * * 

Adjoining the Hidden Treasure, and running into the Cleveland, is the Cimarron mine, one of the rare mines which has 

paid for its own development, and at a time when Marshall 

Basin was r;omparatively inaccessible. 

The Pandora & Oriental * * * owns a 40-stamp mill. 

* * * 

The ·Cincinnati * * * ore sampled by Munn Bros., 

Ouray, and sold to * * * Pueblo Smelting & Refining 

Co., 1,266 pounds, 78U ounces gold, 2371! silver. * * * 

The Argentine, which has been worked for several months 

past; * * * during the summer a large amount of ore 

has been reduced by a mill above Telluride, with satisfactory 

results. * * * Bear Creek possesses numerous prospects. 

* * * The Ballard has been one of the steady producers. 

During the past summer * * * taking out a large amount 

of gold-bearing quartz, which was packed down to the Golden 

group and Andrus mills. * * * The Nellie has shipped 

some ore. * * * In Turkey Creek the Gold King * * * 

has been Qontinuously at work. * * * The company owns 

* * * a 20-stamp mill. 

In Lower San Miguel district most of the placers have been 

idle and but few of the mines have been worked. 

Iron Springs district, or Ophir district, the first name being 

used only in location certificates. * * * Since 1877 the 

town has continued to advance in prosperity. 

Ore shipped during 1883 from Iron Springs district 

Name of mine 

Ore 

(short 

tons) 

Silver 

(ounces) 

Gold Lead 

(value) (pounds) 

-------------1------------

~E~~~~~~~~~~ ~~ ~~~~~~~~ ~~ ~ ~~~~~~~~ ~ ~~~~ ------~1~6-~0-- Lookout and Tip Top __________________ _ 

Mohawk-------------------------------- 2 Globe and Suffolk_______________________ 7 

~~~~g~~;===== = = = = == ==: ====: = ==: == ==== 3i 

Butler---------- _____ --- ___ --------------

::lpar -----·------•• ----------------------· Deadwood.----------------------------· 

21 

32,650 

16,800 

10,000 

18,480 

9,600 232 

3,600 

300 

2,800 

2,100 

155,000 

67,300 

200,000 

140,000 

160,000 

---------- 960 $910 ---------- 2,400 

. 2, 000 

36 21,000 

12,600 ~f~n~-~~~===== === == === === ========= === ~ ) 

Staatsburg _________________________________________ _ 

716 96,562 946 761,260 

The ore shipped from Trout Lake mining district, a~d also 

from vicinity of Ames, San Miguel County (late part of Ouray 

County), Colo .• during year 1883 was: From San Juan, 

Fox, Garibaldi, Beatty's, and Jones & Co.'s mines, Trout Lake 

district 2,500 ounces silver, and 6,400 pounds lead, and 5 per 

cent copper; from Hard Cash, Colonel Keirn's, and Sunlight 

mines, vicinity of Ames, 3,400 ounces silver and 4,000 pounds 

lead. 

In his report for 1884 Burchard gives the following 

details: 35 

The Gold King 20-stamp mill has been steadily operated 

and shipped over $50,000 in gold bullion. 

The Golden group mill turned out $53,000 in gold from ore 

of the Nellie mine. 

The Belle 10-stamp mill and· the Bossick & Leslie mill, of 

10 stamps and six Frue vanners, have been completed and 

will handle both gold and silver ore. 

The Boomerang is erecting a tramway and has made arrangements for a 20-stamp mill and concentrator. 

The 20-stamp mill of the Pandora Co. has beeti. run on ores 

of that and the Oriental mine and has also been concentrating 

low-grade ores of the Sheridan, Cimarron, Smuggler, and 

Mendota. 

The McFarlane 5-stamp mill has been busy during the 

season, as has also that of Goebel & Lane, at Ophir. 

In Marshall Basin the mines that produced in 1883 have 

continued to improve with each foot of development. On the 

vein known as the Smuggler, which can be traced over 2 miles, 

are located the Mendota, Sheridan, Union, Cleveland, Bullion, 

and Hidden Treasure. The Cimarron, Revenue, and Grand 

Central, which cross it, are equally rich in quantity and quality. 

The Sheridan, on this same vein and south of the Mendota, 

has been a lively shipper during 1884. * * * The season's 

work has been almost wholly in the line of development. 

* * * From this work have been taken 1,400 tons of ore, 

nearly 400 of which have averaged $225 to the ton. The 

balance of the output, averaging from $50 to $55 per ton, has 

been concentrated at the Pandora mill, the concentrates running. 

up to $400 to $450 per ton. * * * 

The Union and the Revenue have been doing considerable 

dead work. On the Cleveland, Bullion, and Hidden Treasure 

but a small amount of work was done during the year, and 

no ore shipment reported. 

The Cimarron has produced a large amount of ore rich in gold, 

of which 320 tons were shipped to Denver and Pueblo, and over 

600 tons of concentrates were worked at the Pandora mill. 

It has three levels, the lowest reacheq by a crosscut of 98 feet 

in length, from whence a drift has been run 176 feet on the vein, 

from which a winze is being raised to the second level. The 

drift has been continued about 200 feet from this winze and is 

now in ore carrying rich copper. * * * 

The Flora mine, in the same basin, has been worked under 

contract. Work on the main shaft having been completed, 

the shaft being down 110 feet, another contract has been let 

to run a 100-foot drift on the vein, beginning at a point 150 feet 

from the top of the main shaft. * * * 

From the levels of the Pandora & Oriental considerable ore 

has been stoped in 1884, which was crushed by stamps belonging 

to the company. Over 3,000 tons of ore have been removed, 

partly from the opening of the galleries and partly from the 

stopes. The character of the ore is a copper and iron pyrites, 

carrying free gold. * * * 

In Bridal Veil Basin are numerous prospects. * * * 

The Summit Creek mine, though possessing but a small 

amount of development, has shipped considerable ore that 

was rich in gold. 

On Bear Creek is the Nellie, a mine on which dead work 

has been done for some years, and fx:om which in two mont~s' 

~the shipments were such that the owners were reimbursed 

for all expenditures, and the company now has a good working 

capital. * * * 

u Burchard, H. C., op. cit. for 1884, pp. 177, 244-247, 1885 
SAN MIGUEL COUNTY 219 

Trout Lakes is a new district in the southern part of the 

county. 

The San Bernardo and Honduras, two locations on the same 

vein in the Lake Fork Pass, and the Garibaldi, Fox, and Kent, 

and many others have produced some high-grade mineral. 

in the vicinity of Ames is the Gold King mine. The mine 

·was worked this season from about the first of July. The last 

run of the mill was very satisfactory, and although only 5 and 

10 stamps were kept going the gold produced more than paid 

the ordinary running expenses. The mill has 20 stamps. The 

Hard Cash has been worked during the season, the development * * * consisting of a shaft 175 feet deep. Some rich 

. shipments were made last fall. Seven tons, in two lots, returned 

119 and 122 ounces in silver per ton. · 

Ophir district has now quite a number of producing mines 

and has added during 1884 considerable to the output of tha 

State. The Nevada has been a steady producer in. 1884. The 

second-class mineral runs 157 ounces; first-class, 254; while 

choice lots reach as high as 500 and 600. The first shipment 

made to Silverton this season crossed the range June l5; since 

then regular shipments have been made. Five tons of ore were 

sent to Montrose, being the first lot shipped that way. 

For 1886 to 1896 the figures given .are taken from 

reports of the agents of the mint in annual repor-ts 

of the Director of the Mint, the gold and silver being 

prorated to correspond with the figures for the total 

production of the State as corrected by the Director 

of. the Mint, the lead being prorated to correspond 

with the total production of lead in the State as given 

in Mineral Resources, and any unknown production 

in the State being distributed proportionately among 

the counties. As with lead so with copper, but as the 

figures for copper given in Mineral Resources include 

copper from matte and ores treated in Colorado, 

although produced in other States, they are subject 

to revision. 

In his report for 1885 Wilson 36 gives a statement 

of the gold and silver of domestic production deposited 

. at the Denver Mint during 1885 by counties of Colorado. 

In Munson's report for 1887 he gives a list of producing and nonproducing mines which shows the individual output of the producing minesY In this list 

he credits the San Miguel I-Iydraulic Placer Mining 

Co. with $2,600 in gold. 

In his report for 1888 Munson 38 lists the producing 

and nonproducing mines and gives the individual output of the producing mines. 

In S1nith's report for 1889 he gives the estimated 

total production of San Miguel County. 99 

In his reports for 1890, 1891, and. 1892 he lists the 

producing mines and gives t~eir individual outputs.40 

36 Wilson, P. S. ,agent for Colorado, in Kimball, J.P. ,Report of the Director of 

the Mint upon the production of the precious metals in the United States during 

the calendar year 1885, p. 136, 1886. 

37 Munson, G. C., agent for Colorado, in Kimball, J.P., op. cit. for 1887, pp. 184-

185, 1888. 

38 Munson, G. C., agent for Colorado, in Leech, E. 0., Report of the Director of 

the Mint upon the production of the precious metals in the United States during 

the calendar year 1888, pp. 124-125, 1889. 

39 Smith, M. E., agent for Colorado, in Leech, E. 0., op. cit. for 1889, p. 152, 1890. 

10 Smith, M. E., agent for Colorado, in Leech, E. 0., op. cit. for 1890, pp. 128, 140, 

1891; idem for 1891, p. 184, 1892; idem for 1892, p. 129, 1893. 

He credits the Keystone placers with $18,000 in gold 

in 1890 and the San Miguel Hydraulic Placer Co. 

with $93 in 1891. 

In his report for 1897, Hodges says: 41 

Irori Springs district.-* * * Concentration and amalgamation; two 10-stamp mills, one 10-stamp mill in course of 

erection. 

Iron Springs district, at Ophir.-* * * Concentration and 

amalgamation; three mills, operating 60 stamps; one 30-stamp 

mill in course of erection. 

New camp of Sawpit.-* * * No mills . 

Upper San Miguel district.-* * * Concentration, amalgamation; and smelting; six stamp mills, operating 280 stamps, 

and one Huntington plant, representing eight Huntington 

mills; one 10-stamp mill in course of erection. · 

Mount Wilson district.-* * * Amalgamation and concentration; one stamp mill. 

For 1897 to 1904 (and for 1897 to 1908 for copper) 

the figures ·which represent smelter and mint receipts, 

. are taken from the reports of the Colorado State 

Bureau of Mines. 

In his report for 1898 Hodges gives the following 

details: 42 

The county of San Miguel is divided into four mining districts, known as Upper San Miguel, Lower San Miguel, Iron 

Springs, and Mount Wilson. Of these the Upper San Miguel 

district, in which the town of Telluride, the county seat, is 

located, contains the greatest amount of development work 

and the largest number of producing mines. * * * T~he Upper San Miguel district has been subdivided into 

sections, known locally as Marshall Basin, Savage Basin, Bridal 

Veil Basin, Bear Creek, and Turkey Creek Basin. * * * 

Marshall Basin is perhaps the best known of these different 

localities from the famous Smuggler-Union vein. * * * 

There are three mills in operation connected with the mines of 

this basin. Formerly the mills were used as amalgamation 

mills, but for several years no attempt has been made to 

amalgamate the ores of Marshall Basin, tlie mills being used 

entirely for concentration of the lower· grades of ore. * * * 

Savage Basin, lying just beyond Marshall Basin, contains 

several * * * gold producers, and at the same time others 

are producing silver-lead· ores in good quantity. These mines 

are in several instances provided with mills for amalgamation 

and concentration in the case of gold ores and for concentration il1 the silver-lead properties. 

The largest of these properties has been in active operation 

for about five years, and owing to its location has heretofore 

been worked through a tunnel from its mill, a distance of nearly 

3,000 feet. · During the past year a great deal of development 

has been accomplished, and it is estimated that the mine has 

several years of work for its mill in the ground already blocked 

out. The mill has a capacity of 160 tons every 24 hours and 

is in constant operation. * * * 

Another of the steady producers in this basin has a very 

high grade gold and silver ore and concentrates its lower grades, 

having a 10-stamp.mill operated by electricity. 

The Bridal Veil district, while long known as in the gold belt of 

this section, has been comparatively neglected until this year. 

This section can almost be considered new territory, and, 

although no ore has been shipped from the basin, yet a mill 

41 Hodges, J. L., agent for Colorado, in Roberts, G. E., Report of the Director of 

the Mint upon the production of the precious metals in the United St~tes during 

the calendar year 1897, p. 120, 1898. 

12 Hodges, J. L., agent for Colorado, in Roberts, G. E., op. cit. for 1898, pp. 94-98 

1899. 
220 MINING IN COLORADO 

has been built consisting of 10 stamps, making three mills in 

this section during the past season, and the probabilities are that 

the coming season will see a very material addition to the gold 

output of the county from these claims. 

Bear Cre.ek lies directly west of Bridal Veil Basin. * * * 

One of the largest mills in the county, located here, has until 

recently been shut dO\vn, but is now leasi-ng 40 of its stamps to a 

contiguous producing property. 

Another property in this basin, which has a large vein .of 

refractory ore, has erected a concentration mill of 40 tons 

daily capacity, but so arranged that its output can easily be 

doubled. 

A 10-stamp concentrating mill of 20 tons capacity has been 

·erected on another property, and a tramway fro:rp_ the mine 

nearly 3,000 feet long. 

Turkey Creek Basin has produced gold ore for a number of 

years. It boasts a very strong free-milling vein, which has 

been worked more or less extensively for the past 18 years. 

The principal claim on .this * * * vein is connected with 

its mill by a surface tramway. The mill is provided with 40 

stamps and plates for amalgamating, the tailings being treated 

on concentrating machinery. Both at the mine and the mill 

the machinery is run by electricity. During the past year a 

new and very complete mill has been erected in this basin 

of 200 tons daily capacity. The crushing capacity of the mill 

is 300 tons per diem, and roasting furnaces of over 200 tons 

daily capacity are also in place. The ore passes into a 12 by 22 

-crusher, then through a dryer of same capacity, thence through 

high-speed rolls, where it is further crushed and passed through 

.a one-eighth-inch screen. It is then sent through Bruckner 

roasters and again passed through rolls, being reduced to a 

"fineness of 20 mesh, passing again through a set of finishing 

rolls, leaving them at a fineness of 40 mesh, when it is fed into 

Huntington mills and then passes over amalgamated plates. 

The Iron Springs district lies in the southern part of the 

-county of San Miguel, and includes the large number of mines 

.and mills which have the town of Ophir as their distributing 

·center. The mines of this section are principally gold produc-

:ing, although some very rich argentiferous galena veins are 

worked. Some 6-stamp mills are in operation, all provided 

·with concentrating machinery. * * * 

The Mount Wilson district lies west of the Iron Springs 

-district, on the southern line, dividing Dolores and San Miguel 

-counties. A number of very good prospects are being devel-

·oped. The most important producing property [the Silver 

, Pick] is located on the north slope of Mount Wilson, about 

10 miles due west of the town of Telluride, and is one of the 

nighest located mines in Colorado. * . * * This property 

bas been worked continuously for 10 years and is opened by 

nine levels, the lowest of which is at an altitude of over 13,000 

·feet. * * * The mill is over a mile from the mine, connected 

by a wire-rope tramway. 

Tlie Lower San Miguel district is north of Telluride. Very 

1ittle work was done during the year. Its principal town is a 

camp called Saw Pit. The minesare more of the character of 

-deposits in the lime formation. * * * As a rule, the ores 

. are low in grade and values chiefly in silver and lead. Some 

·desultory placer mining has been carried on during the past 

:Season on the San Miguel River. * * * 

Electric power.-Probably no section has- so much machinery 

.moved by electricity as * * * San Miguel County. 

The Telluride Power Transmission Co. has its generating 

:Station at Ames, utilizfng the confluence of Lake and Howards 

forks of San Miguel River, which forrris South Fork and is 

.about 10 miles from Telluride. This company also controls the water from Trout Lake, some 2% miles from the 

generating station, and obtains a fall of 1,500 feet. in that 

distance. The fall from the waters of South Fork IS about 

'900 feet. The * * * pressure obtained is used on two 

Pelton water wheels, which drive a line shaft actuating two 

generators. * * * Their combined capacity is estimated 

at 1,500 horsepower. The greatest distance to which the 

current is carried is to the Camp Bird mill and mine, in Ouray 

County, 17 miles, where 100 horsepower is used. 

In Savage Basin the Tom Boy mine uses * * * 170 

horsepower for its mill, from this source. The Japan mine, in 

the same basin, uses a 50-horsepower motor for its mill and 

20 horsepower for its mine. Near by, the Columbia Menona 

uses two 60-horsepower motors in its mill; the Valley View 

mill 20 horsepower. Crossing to Bear Creek, there is the 120-

stamp mill of the San Miguel Consolidated Co. using 80 horsepower; but the Nellie mine and mill are operated and lighted 

by their own power generator at their station on Bear Creek. 

The Euclid A venue mill is furnished by power from the Transmission Company. This is 10 miles from the plant. In the 

Turkey Creek basin the Bessie mine and mill use 100 horsepower, and the Gold King mine and mill are lighted and worked 

by a 40-horsepower motor. At the Liberty Bell mill, just 

above Telluride, a 50-horsepower motor is used, while in the 

town of Telluride several small shops use the power in addition 

to 15 arc lights and about 1,500 incandescent lamps for illuminating the town. 

Tunnels.-Several tunnel enterprises have been pushed, 

notably the Meldrum tunnel, which will cut through the main 

range from Pandora, some 2 miles from Telluride to Ironton, 

in Ouray County. This tunnel will cut the veins of Marshall 

and Savage basins in San Miguel County and the producing 

properties· near Ironton, in Ouray County. The bore will be 

about 43-i miles in length by 12 feet in height and 12 feet in 

breadth, and will cost between $4,000,000 and $5,000,000. 

It is the intention to utilize this tunnel for railroad purposes 

as well as for mining and drainage. 

In his report for 1899 Hodges gives the following 

details: 43 

In 1898 the Telluride shipments reached 17,908 tons, and 

· Ophir, 6,850 tons. Saw Pit was credited with an output of 

$75,000 at the mills and smelters. * * * 

Shipments by months from Telluride, Colo., 1898-1899, in 

carload lots 

Months 1898 1899 Months 1898 1899 

January _______ --------- 94 90 August ________________ 184 131 February ______ -------- 87 92 September_----------- 161 240 March __________________ 94 123 October--~------------ 150 124 April__ _________________ 103 102 November------------ 163 125 

May------------------- 134 114 December------------- 160 130 June ______ -~ ____________ 141 34 ------ July--------------------~ 152 5 Total for year--- 1, 628 1, 310 

At 11 tons to the car, the average figure, it will be seen that 

Telluride shipped 14,410 tons in 1899, compared with 17,908 in 

the year previous. At Ophir the Carribeau, Shoemaker, and 

Butterfly were closed part of the summer, hence the shipments 

from that camp fell from 6,850 tons in 1898 to 5,480 in 1899 . 

* * * 

As has been the case for some years past, the Smuggler Union 

occupies first place as shipper. The year's output from this 

well-developed property again approximated $1,000,000 in value 

[but see table, p. 224.-C. W. H.]. Early in May the Smuggler Union property was sold by its Denver and China owners 

to the New England Exploration Co., made up of Boston men, 

on an estimated basis of $2,000,000. A crushing plant was installed at the plant so that the ore is now crushed before being 

tramm-ed to the reduction plant. The latter during the sumn1er 

u Hodges, J. L., agent for Colorado, in Roberts, G. "P.., op. cit. for 1899, pp. 104-

107, 1900. 
SAN MIGUEL COUNTY 221 

months was doubled in size, which means a largely increased 

output for 1900. * * * 

The second shipper on San Miguel's list is the famous Tom 

Boy, * * * [which was offered] in London in December, 

1896, at a valuation of $2,000,000. 

In June a London company, known as the Tom Boy Gold 

Mines, was incorporated and took the property. * * * 

In his [report the manager] places the output at $13,000 to 

$15,000 per week, with development proceeding rapidly from 

the 300-foot, 500-foot, and 700-foot levels. The main shaft, 

now over 800 feet in depth, is being sunk still further. * * * 

[The Japan-Mikado group] became prominent in 1897, when 

it produced $112,500 in silver, $87,500 in gold, and $50,000 in 

lead. In 1898 it showed a gain of 25 per cent [with a] total for 

the year [of] $312,500. The property includes nine patented 

claims on the extension of the Tom Boy vein and near it, and 

also the Park placers north of the Japan property. The output 

for 1899 was stated as $420,000. There is a concentrating plant 

attached. * * * 

The Liberty Bell Mining Co. * •* * commenced extensive development last spring and has a large area of milling ore 

blocked out ready for the treatment plant it proposes to erect 

early this year. The capacity will equal200 to 300 tons per day, 

which the mine can easily supply. [The ores contain] gold, 

silver, and lead * * * extracted by pan amalgamation and 

cyanidation, the latter [method being used] for the mill tailings .. 

The Liberty Bell Co. owns half a dozen claims in San Miguel 

and as many more on the Ouray side. The company is a subdivision of the United States & British American Exploration 

Co. 

In 1898 the Nellie and Ella group, on Bear Creek, produced 

gold at the rate of $30,000 per mo~th, but litigation over the territory caused the mine to stop shipping early last spring and cut 

its output for the year by 50 per cent. 

In Mount Wilson district the [Silver Pick mine] is prominent. 

It paid nothing last y·ear because of labor and other troubles of 

an unexpected nature. The property * * * includes 13 

claims. Concentrates produced at the company's mill are 

worth $200 per ton .. The mine was closed during the eighthour discussion. When this was arranged, water was met near 

the surface in stoping out the ore. This caused another delay, 

the year showing a loss of 50 per cent in output. The concentrates show90 per cent gold and 10 per cent copper and silver. 

As the ore is of the arsenical-iron class, it is not easily treated. 

The mine is 13,000 feet above sea level. 

During the second week of November last the Carribeau 

and Klondike properties, both in the Ophir district, changed 

hands. In the case of the Carribeau, the Venture Corporation 

(Ltd.), of London, were the purchasers. For years the Carribeau has been the chief producer of the camp, affording employment to about 100 miners. * * * There is a milling 

plant of 20 stamps attached. The net value of 386 samples 

was $20.75 per ton. The new owners will increase the concentration plant to 50 rf!,pid-drop stamps, which will be ready 

for the ore by the first of May. 

The following mills were in operation in San Miguel County: 

Tons per day 

Smuggler Union_______ 400 

Power Company's. 

(mill) Plant _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 250 

Liberty BelL _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 240 

Bessie Cyanide____ _ _ _ _ 200 

Torn Boy_____________ 200 

Japan Concentration.:__ 100 

Gold King____________ 80 

Suffolk_______________ 80 

IIector_______________ 75 

Butterfly_____________ 60 

Colurnbia-Menona ____ 60 

5653-26t-15 

Tons per day 

Allegheny____________ 50 

San Bernardo_________ 50 

Silver Pick____________ 45 

Turkey Creek_________ 40 

!Ilium________________ 25 · 

Butterfield____________ 20 

Euclid Avenue _____ .___ 20 

Carribeau____________ · 20 

Little Mary___________ 20 

Total tons per day__ 2, 035 

This shows a gain of 575 tons capacity per day over 1898, 

which will be increased largely. The use of electricity as 

motive power and its transmission long distances by wire are 

features of mining and milling in San Miguel [County]. The 

Telluride Power Transmission Co. [also] maintains one of the 

largest mills in the county. The [electric] plant dates back to 

1890 and has recently extended its wires to the Camp Bird 

group, in Ouray County. * * * The plant's location is at 

the junction of two forks of the San Miguel River, 12 miles 

from Telluride. The waters of IIowards Fork and Trout Lake 

are aided by a flume of 4,400 feet in length, with a head of 525 

feet. The Trout Lake Reservoir covers 160 acres. The power 

is carried 13~ miles to the Tom Boy mill, and it furnished 

light to the residences and business houses in Ophir and Telluride. ·* * * 

In Middle Basin, the Montana group, with gold, silver, and 

lead as the values, is being exploited by the Virginius Co. 

The ore vein has been cut at * * * depth by the Ophir 

tunnel at a point where the body is 25 feet in width. The new 

buildings at the mine were destroyed by fire last fall, but will 

be speedily replaced. The ore is treated at the Cimarron mill, 

which will be increased to handle from 250 to 300 tons per day. 

Hodges mentions the developments in 1900 in his 

report for that year as follows: 44 

Ophir district.-In the Ophir mining district, the GlobeSuffolk Mining Co.'s property is one of the most extensively 

developed and perhaps the best equipped in the district, but 

owing to litigation it has not produced largely. It has installed 

a new 40-stamp mill with the latest improved- amalgamating 

appliances and two Frue vanners for concentration. * * * 

The Butterfly-Terrible group has made rapid strides during 

the year. It is an old property, which was worked in a desultory 

manner, but under new ownership and management development work has been actively carried forward. A new 30-

stamp mill has been recently erected, containing Frue vanners 

and concentrating appliances of latest designs. * * * 

Upper San Miguel district.-The Tom Boy Gold Mines Co. 

has' accomplished about 4,000 feet of development during the 

year. The shaft is equipped with a double-drum hoisting 

plant capable of hoisting 500 tons per day. The machinery is 

drivep by compressed air and electric power. * * * The 

mill, with a capacity of 200 tons per day, is situated at the 

mouth of the tunnel on the 600-foot level. The ore as it comes 

from the mine is dumped into the bins, passing thence through 

three crushers and two sets of rolls. From here it passes 

through automatic feeders into eight IIuntington mills, thence 

to the amalgamating plates: From the plates the pulp is 

.treated by Frue vanners, any values remaining being concentrated in this process. The ore is practically free-milling, and 

the mine produced the past year 73,741 tons. * * * · The Liberty Bell Gold Mining Co. has put into operation a 

milling process of cyaniding the ore that is unlike any other 

process now in operation in the State. The cyanide process is 

what is known as the South Mrican method of direct treatment. 

As the ore leaves the mine it is fed into the crushers and then 

loaded into the tramway buckets automatically and conveyed 

to the mill, some 2 miles away. It is transported at a cost of 

about 20 cents per ton. * * * 

At the mill the ore is discharged into bins, and from here into 

automatic feeders to the batteries. From the batteries the 

ore passes over amalgamating plates * * * and then to the 

Wilfley concentrating tables. From the concentrators the 

tailings pass into the cyaniding department. This method is 

designed to save the refractory contents that usually escape. 

The tailings from the Wilfley tables are received into tanks 

33 feet in diameter and 8 feet deep, with a capacity of 300 :tops. 

u Hodges, J. L., agent for Colorado, in Roberts, G. E., op. cit. for 1900, pp. 133-

136, 1901. 
222 MINING IN COLORADO 

Western San Miguel County.-During the year there have 

been made a few * * * discoveries of ore deposits carrying a fair percentage of copper, in the western end of the county, 

close to the Utah line, and extending north into Montrose 

·.County. The long distance the ore requires to be hauled by 

wagons to raih.:oad has greatly retarded development work. 

From tests made it * * * is believed that the lixiviation 

process is best adapted for treating the ores, and one plant was 

erected the past year. 

In his report for 1901 Hodges gives the following 

details :45 

In the mining districts of San Miguel County during the 

. year 1901 * * * the tonnage [fell] off only about 10 per 

cent from that of the year previous, despite the bitter labor 

trouble in the spring of the year, which practically tied up the 

county's leading producer~the 'Smuggler Union-for more 

than three months, and the disastrous fire in November, which 

destroyed the buildings and tramway terminals of the same 

company at the mouth of Bullion tunnel, and caused the loss 

· of 24 lives by suffocation, the tunnel acting as a strong flue for 

the ingress of heavy smoke from the burning buildings. 

Happily the labor difficulty was finally adjusted, an agreement being concluded as to wages and hours of labor which is 

to be held inviolate for the term of three years and appears to 

guarantee stability of labor conditions in the Telluride district 

for at least that period. * * * • 

The tonnage loss for the year was confined to the Telluride 

district; the only one affected by the discouraging incidents 

recited. Ophir, Placerville, and Saw Pit shipping points actually advanced their records some 55 carloads over 1900 .. 

Concentrates formed about 90 per cent of the shipments, and 

as high as 20 tons of crude ore were resolved into one of shipping 

product by the Liberty Bell, which now successfully cyanides 

its tailings, thereafter passing the slimes over * * * canvas 

tables. * * * 

The holdings of the Ophir Consolidated Co. [consist] of 71 

claims, covering all the acreage between the Butterfly-Terrible 

and Carribeau. * * * Development has been heretofore 

limited to the Silver Bell and Butler veins. 

Fifty stamps additional to the 20 now in operation at the 

mill completed in midsummer will be * * * -supplied, thus 

increasing its capacity to 250 tons. The concentrates are 

produced 1 ton from 5, and bring a smelter return of $350 to 

$500- per car, about 40 cars monthly having been shipped and 

four of crude ore yielding $400 per car. * * * 

The Smuggler Union Co., notwithstanding the handicaps of 

an extended labor strike and disastrous conflagration, fell off 

but little in its gross product from· the year previous, having 

milled 106,389 tons crude ore, shipped to smelter at Durango. 

15,246 tons crude ore and 9,546 tons of concentrates· (dry 

weight), consigned bullion to mint 23,799 ounces, the total 

valuation exceeding $800,000. Development work consisted 

of extending drifts and sinking shafts 3,500 feet. 

The Smuggler mills.-The older of its two mills at Pandora 

was substantially renewed and enlarged from 60 to 80 stamps, 

30 of these crushing good-grade gold ore from the Contention 

mine, up Bear Creek, which property was purchased by the 

Smuggler for $100,000 and connected with its mills by a Bleichert tramway over 15,000 ·feet in length. * * * The completion of its modern cyanide plant of 98 by 225 feet ground 

dimensions, capable of treating 400 tons of tailings daily, will 

materially increase its showing the coming year. * * * · Tomboy. gold mines.-The Tomboy Co. during 1901 shipped 

over 4,800 tons of concentrates and nearly 50,000 ounces of 

gold ,bullion, the total valuation of its production exceeding 

45 Hodges, J. L., agent for Coiorado in Roberts, G.E., op. cit. for 1901, pp. 137-140, 

1922. 

$800,000. The mine levels were extended over 4,000 feet, and 

in the different workings 7,000 feet of development done. 

Much of the tonnage was from the stopes over the 300-foot 

level, the reserve there having been depleted about 30,000· 

tons. Manager Herron's estimate of available ote over the 

300-foot level is 25,000 tons. Toward the year's close milling 

was inaugurated from the low-grade stopes over the 500-foot 

level, a large body· having been proven iri. that territory. The 

present stopes of the shaft levels are believed to indicate 15,000· 

available tons. 

This company has purchased the Argentine Nos. 1 and Z 

lode claims, Fraction and Red Cloud claims, and Argentine 

Nos. 1 and 2 mill sites. Two thousand feet of development 

was accomplished on the Argentine and 1,000 feet on the Cincinnati, also carrying the Argentine vein. 

The Tomboy Co., purposes the speedy erection of a 60-stamp 

mill, which will virtually double its milling capacity. 

The mill of the Liberty Ben·Gold-Mining Co., ·located jus~ 

without the city limit of Telluride, treated during 1901 approximately· 70,000 tons of ore', which yielded 1,020 tons of dry concentrates, 21,550 ounces gold bullion, and 35,000 ounces 

bullion from cyanide plant. The Liberty Bell milling plant 

* * * comprises 80 stamps, extensive concentrating machinery, and a cyanide adjunct, with daily capacity of 300 tons. 

A * * * slimes plant of 100 tons capacity is handling the 

residuum of the cyanide plant. 

Placers.-The Keystone Hydraulic Mining Co., is prepared 

to begin extensive operations on San Miguel River in the spring 

of 1902. It has under construction a dam across East Fork of 

San Miguel River, a 2,500-foot flume 6 by 12, and is installing 

an adequate ·pipe line. Two 10-inch giant nozzles will be 

placed, capable of was_hing 12;000 to 20,000 cubic feet of gravel 

daily, which has been sampled and shown to carry from 10 

cents iri surface dirt per yard to $1.50 in bedrock. * * * 

The Butterfly-Terrible properties, on the western extremity 

of Yellow Mountain during the year advanced development 

about 1,000 feet, laid a 1,200-foot pipe line from Wilson Creek 

to the mill flume, and strengthened its milling plant, which 

tr.eated 14,825 tons of ore, yielding 20 per cent in concentrates 

and the remainder free gold. 

In his report for 1902 Downer says: 46 

The output of 1902 in San Miguel County has been confined 

to a comparatively few mines, the Smuggler Union, Liberty 

Bell, and Tomboy being by far the largest producers. In 

addition to these, the Ophir Consolidated Mines Co., the 

Ella Gold Mining Co., the San Miguel Consolidated Gold 

Mining Co., the Alta Mines Co., and San Bernardo have all 

been running intermittently. 

The Smuggler Union Co., had an active year in spite of the 

closing down of all their works during the latter part of 1902, 

owing to labor troubles and the assassination of the general 

manager, Mr. Arthur Collins. 

The Contention mine, one of the properties owned by the 

Smuggler and situated in Bear Gulch, is connected with the 

mills of the company by a long aerial tramway. This, in connection with the other trams belonging to the company, all 

of which enter the mill from the different upper terminals,. 

gives a total length of aerial tram of over 5~ miles. 

Smuggler mills at Pandora.-The large company mill at 

Pandora is worked in conjunction with their smaller mill. At 

the upper terminals of the different tramways the ore is crushed 

to pass a 2~-inch ring and carried direct to the storage bins at 

the mills, where it is fed automatically to the stamps.. These 

weigh 1,050 pounds each and drop 100 times a minute, discharging through a 20-mesh screen of 24 wire gage. The ore 

4G Downer, F. M., agent for Colorado, in Roberts, G. E., op. cit. for 1902, pp. 

98-103, 1903. 
SAN MIGUEL COUNTY 223 

then passes over oopper plates to amalgamate any gold contained, and the tailings, after being * * * sized and recrushed, 

are sent over Wilfley and Triumph tables. The tailings from 

these tables are then conveyed to the cyanide plant, and slimes 

and sand are distributed in the large percolation tanks. These 

are wooden tanks 40 feet in diameter and 8 feet high, capable 

of holding 450 tons of material each. * * * 

The overflow slimes, when filling these tanks, are conveyed in 

launders to the canvas-table plant, which is very extensive, 

each table being 12 feet square. The concentrates from the 

canvas tables are sized again and treated on Frue v9.nners, the 

concentrates from these concentrated slimes reaching as high 

as $70 a ton. All the concentrates from the mills are shipped 

direct to the Durango smelter, and the retorted amalgam and 

· zinc precipitates, after refining, are melted into bars and the 

former sent to the United States Mint at Denver, while the 

latter are shipped to the plant at Omaha. * * * 

The Liberty Bell mine has been working nearly all the year, 

but during the month of February on one day three snowslides 

came down over the company's property, killing 18 men and 

carrying away the ore bins at the upper terminals of the tramway, and with the ore houses two 10-ton crushers were carried 

down the hill. It required some time to rebuild .the upper 

terminal, and, in consequence,· very little work was done at 

the mill. During February, March, and April the output was 

very much restricted. For the year, however, the total amount 

of ore mined and treated at the mill was 73,916 dry tons. Instead of crushing at the mine, as formerly, the crushers have 

been moved to the mill and the crude ore crushed at that 

point, being delivered on to a belt conveyor. * * * Mter crushing to pass a 2%-inch ring the ore is fed by automatic feeders 

to the stamps and passed through a 20-mesh screen, as much 

free gold as possible is plated, and the tailings are then delivered to a double row of Wilfley tables for concentration. The 

mill has 80 stamps, each weighing 1,050 pounds, with 100 drops 

per minute. * * * The plates to the batteries are arranged in 

three steps, with a concave trough in front of the second step 

for catching any rusty gold or amalgam. The tailings from the 

concentrating tables are taken by launders to the cyanide plant 

and fed into large wooden tanks, the slimes overflowing and 

being conveyed to the canvas-table plant.· 

The method used in the cyaniding plant is similar to that 

in the Smuggler Union plant. As soon as the tank is filled 

with the tailings the required amount of lime is added, and 

the charge, which averages from 150 to 200 tons, is treated 

with a dilute solution of cyanide. Mter percolation the sands 

are dried by a pneumatic exhaust, which leaves about· 15 per 

cent of water in the charge. When sufficiently dry, the charge 

is shoveled out through gates in the bottom of the tank and 

dropped into a corresponding tank directly below the one 

being discharged. Here the sands are again subjected to 

treatment of strong solution of cyanide. Of the total ore 

crushed, 30 per cent of the weight is in * * * the slimes. 

These are treated in the canvas plant, which consists of a 

building 200 feet in length and contains three banks of tables, . 

each table being 12 feet square. The first two banks of tables 

face each other and have a grade of 178 inches to the foot. 

The third bank is on a lower level and has a grade of 17.4: 

inches to the foot. When the slimes are received into the 

building they are sized by passitlg through four spitzkasten, 

which make two sizes * * * of the slimes, each of the 

spitzkasten receiving the same pressure in the upcast stream: 

The overflow from these sizers is sent to the first two banks of 

tables and the bottom discharge goes on the lower. bank. The 

material caught on the tables is washed into a launder carrying 

the pulp to four belt machines of the Triumph pattern, but is 

first sized again by settling in four spitzkasten, one over each 

belt machine. About $1 per ton is extracted from the. slimes 

on the canvas tables, and the product of the belt machines is 

very clean iron, giving a value of about $70 per ton. 

The overflow from the final spitzkasten is again treated in 

a canvas plant of about 12 tables, and the concentrate from 

this set of tables gives the remarkable value of $60 per ton. 

The quantity recovered, however, is comparatively small. The 

amalgam is retorted and run into bars, which. are shipped 

to the mint. * * * The zinc precipitates from the cyanide 

plant are treated with sulphuric acid and melted into bars, 

weighing on an average 250 pounds, and sent to the Omaha 

refinery. * * * 

The Tomboy mine, located in Savage Basin, at an altitude of 

11,500 feet, should perhaps be cla!?sed first in this district as a 

dividend producer but does not rank as high in point of 

tonnage as either of the mines above mentioned during the past 

year. The ore, however, is of better grade and comes mainly 

from the Argentine and Cincinnati lodes, situated some half a 

mile from the Tomboy proper. 

The vein mined averages from 8 feet to 16 feet in width and 

is all claBsed as milling ore and averages from $15 to $16 a ton, 

almost all of which is gold. During the past year this vein 

produced 35,408 tons of ore, all treated at the new mill of the 

company, which yielded $534,797, at an expense of $242,960. 

The same year the Tomboy produced 48,644 tons, yielding 

$329,232, giving an av~rage of $6.77 per ton treated, at an 

expense of $257,958. . 

This company does not cyanide its tailings, the two mills 

being of the same character, amalgamation and concentration, 

the crushing being accomplished by 1,050-pound stamps and 

following the general practice of this district in using 20-mesh 

screens. 

The new mill, which was completed during the early part of 

the season, has 60 stamps, and its record shows that it has 

averaged 4.32 tons to the stamp each 24 hours. The principal 

difficulty the mills have to contend with is a scarcity of water 

during the winter months. * * * 

The Ella Gold-Mining Co. has been working during the last 

half of the year in taking out ore· from the Nellie mine. I?evelopment work has been kept up during the entire year, and consists of between 6,000 and 7,000 feet of main upraises and levels. 

This company has in Gold King Basin a 125-stamp mill, of which 

35 stamps were devoted to treating the Nellie ore. * * * 

In the Ophir district nearly all the work was done by the 

. Ophir Consolidated Mines Co., which operated the Silver 

Bell-Butler properties. To their 20-stamp concentrating mill 

they added 30 stamps, and. in this part of the mill the ore is 

plated as well as concentrated. The capacity of the mills is 

130 tons daily, and the average value of the ore treated is from 

$5 to $6 per ton, which is concentrated about 10 into 1. The 

ore is sized in Hallett sizers. and in the Dimmick classifier, 

being handled on 4 Wilfl.ey tables and 18 Frue vanners. 

The Telluride Electric Light & Power Co.'s plant, located 

at Ames's station, a few miles below Telluride, furnishes the 

power used by nearly all the mills in operation within a radius 

of 20 miles. · 

In his report for 1904 Downer gives only a brief note 

in regard to conditions in San Miguel CountyY 

For 1905 to 1923 (except for copper for 1905 to 

1908 from the Colorado Bureau of Mines) the figures 

are taken from Mineral Resources (mines reports). 

4

7 Downer, F. M., agent for Colorado, in Rob~rts, G. E., op. cit. for 1904, pp. 

116-117, 1905. 
224 MINING IN COLORADO 

Prod.uction of the Tomboy Gold Mines Co. (Ltd.) from date of incorporation, June 7, 1899, to June 30, 1923 

[Compiled by Chas. W. Henderson] 

Period 

Combined Value of Tons of Value of value of concen- Value of Value of Value of Total ore amalgam amalgam trates from concen- cyanide cyanide value of bullion crushed bullion and con- pulsating trates bullion slag products 

centrates classifier 

June 7, 1899, to June 30, 1899 •••••••••.•••••••••••••.• ·----------------- 4, 063 ------------ $52,983 ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------ $52,983 

~~~~:~~55:~~~~: gg: ~:~::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 52,216 ------------ 577,660 ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------ 577,660 

July 1, 1901, to June 30, 1902·------------------------------------------ ~~: ~g :::::::::::: ~g; ~g 1:::::::::::: ============ ============ ==========~= r~; :g July 1, 1902, to June 30, 1903 •••• ----------------------------- ____ ------ 82,437 $600, 415 -------·---- _. ___ ------- $131, 246 _ ----------- ------------ 731, 661 

July 1, 1903, to June 30, 1904·----------------------------------·-------- 69,580 330,278 ------------ ------------ 156,324 ------------ ------------ 486,602 July 1, 1904, to June 30, 1905 _____________ ---------------------- _ _____ __ 102, 953 484, 508 ------. _____ _ ___ _ ___ ___ _ 253,430 ____________ ------ ______ 737, 938 

July 1,1905, to June30,1906___________________________________________ 104,063 574,366 ------------------------ 373,615 ------------------------ 947,981 

July 1, 1906, to June 30, 1907 ------------------------~---------- ------ __ 110, 597 873, 011 ------- ________________ • 408, 677 ------------ ------------ 1, 281, 688 

July 1, 1907, to June 30, 1908 •••. --------------------------------------- 104, 091 657, 562 ------- ___________ ------ 341,459 __ ---------- ----------·- 999, 021 

July 1,1908, to June 30, 1909 ••.• -----~--------------------------------- 102,844 487,486 ------------ ------------ 332,971 ------------ ------------ 820,457 

July 1, 1909, to June 30, 1910 .••.•. ------------------------------------- 110,560 488,304 ------------ ------------ 328,061 ------------ ------------ 816,365 

July 1, 1910, to June 30, 1911 •••••• ------------------------------------- 116,222 462,774 ------------ $31,590 318,550 ------------ ------------ 812,914 

July 1, 1911, to June 30, 1912------------------------------------------- 107,577 401,432 ------------ 32,861 520,688 ------------ ------------ 954,981 

July 1, 1912, to June 30, 1913 •••• --------------------------------------- 129,618 358,732 ------------ ------------ 681,625 ------------ ------------ 1, 040,357 

July 1,1913, to June 30, 1914·------------------------------------------ 137,456 385,612 ------------ ------------ 573,446 ------------ ------------ 959,058 July 1, 1914, to June 30, 1915------------------------- ___ ---------. ..• .. 145, 857 414, 114 ______ ...••. ------ ____ .• 537, 494 $75, 916 ___ • -------- 1, 027, 524 

July 1,1915, to June 30, 1916·------------------------------------------ 150,488 327,519 ------------ -----------• 586,093 160,476 ------------ 1,074,088 

July 1, 1916, to June 30, 1917·------------------------------------------ 148,939 314,823 ------------ ------------ 675,674 160,114 ------------ 1, 150,611 

July 1, 1917, to June 30, 1918·------------------------------------------ 151,028 306,003 ------------ ------------ 661,683 166,569 $1,134 1,135, 389 

July 1, 1918, to June 30, 1919·------------------------------------------ 155,334 265,796 ------------ ------------ 437,713 158,223 2, 967 864,699 

July 1, 1919, to June 30, 1920 •••• --------------------------------------- · 146,006 107,920 ------------ ------------ 672,735 28,647 2, 688 811,990 

July 1, 1920, to June 30, 192L·--------------~-------------------------- 197,557 o 83, 145 ------------ ------------ o 793,211 ------------ ------------ 876,356 

July 1, 1921, to June 30, 1922·-------------~---------------------------- 211,003 o 299,085 ------------ ------------ o 575,188 310 ------------ 874,583 

·July 1, 1922, to June 30, 1923·------------------------------------------ 206,146 248,599 ------------ ------------ 691,615 ------------ ------------ 940,214 July 1, 1923, to June 30, 192-i__________________________________________ 215,598 176,232 ------------ ------------ 579,185 ------------ ···------··· 755,417 l---------l---------l·---------l--------:---------l'---------1--------~-------- 3, 203, 805 8, 647, 716 2, 135, 98S 64, 451 110, 630, 683 750, 255 6, 789 22, 235, 883 

o Includes clean·up of 60-stamp amalgamation mill, abandoned Nov. 22, 1919; replaced by new flotation plant set in full operation January, 1920. 

Year 

Partial production of the Smuggler Union Mining Co., Telluride, Colo., 1882-1923 

Ore 

treated 

(short tons) Fine 

Gold 

ounces Gross 

value 

Fine 

ounces 

Silver 

Gross 

value 

Lead 

Pounds Gross 

value 

Copper 

Pounds Gross 

value 

Total 

gross 

value Prope:rty 

----------------l---------l---------l-------1---------l---------l------------------------------l---------·:-----------------------

1882 •••••• ---~------- ------------ 31.00 8, 949 -----------· ------------ ---------- ---------- ---------- 10,089 

1883_________________ 105 94.50 18,864 ------------------------------------------------------ 20,196 1884 °................ ............ ............ .......... ............ ............ ............ .......... .......... .......... 75,000 

1885.~--------------- 266 361.00 ---------- 59,805 ------------ ------------ ---------- ---------- ---------- 71,946 1885-1890____________ 1, 927 15,724.00 ---------- 334,334 ------------ ------------ ---------- ---------- ---------- 598,161 

~~~::::::::::::::::: ----·--i;o26- 4, ~or~ :::::::::: 2~~: ~~ :::::::::::: :::::::::::: :::::::::: :::::::::: :::::::::: ----s35;4so· 

1882 b __ ._ _____________ ------------ ------------ ---------- ------------ ------------ ------------ ---------- ---------- ---------- ------------

1883 _________________ ------------ ------------ ---------- ------------ ------------ ------------ ---------- ---------- ---------- -----------~ 

1884 _________________ ------------ ------------ ---------- ------------ ------------ ------------ ---------- ---------- ---------- ------------ 1885 ••• ______________ ------------ ------------ ---------- ------------ ------------ ------------ ---------- ---------- ---------- ------------ 1886. ________________ ------------ ---------------------- ------------ ------------------------ ---------- ---------- ---------------------- 1887 .••.••••••.••.... ------------ ------------ ---------- "----------- ------------ ------------ ---------- ---------- ---------- ------------

~==:::::::::::::::: :::::::::::: :::::::::::: :::::::::::::::::::::: :::::::::::: :::;::::::::: :::::::::: :::::::::: :::::::::: ----4i2;ooo~ 

i~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ;;;;;;~;~~; ;;;~;~~: ~~=~~~~~=~ ;;;;~~~~~~; ::~~~~~~~~J;;;;;~~~: ~~=:::~~~: ~~~~~~:::~ :~~~~~:::: :;;~~~; 1894 _________________ ------------------------ ---------- ________ . ____ ------------ ------------ ---------- ---------- ---------- ------------

~~~~::::::::::::::::: -----63;848- --2i;6s5~39~ :::::::::: ----566;sos· :::::::::::: :::::::::::: :::::::::: :::::::::: ::::::::~: ---;684;592-

1897 _________ . ___ . _____ ------------------------ --~------- ------------ ------------ ------------ ---------- ---------- ----------------------

t~gg::::::::::::::::: :::::::::::: :::::::::::: :::::::::: :::::::::::: :::::::::::: :::::::::::: ~::::::::: :::::::::: :::::::::: ----47o;777- 19oo_________________ 10,916 ______________________ ------------ ____________ ------------ __________ __________ __________ 564,980 1 

}~8k:::::::::::::::: ~g: ~5~ ------------ ---------- ----72o:ooo· :::::::::::: :::::::::::: ::·:::::::: :::::::::: :::::::::: ~~: ~~ 19o3_________________ 114,419 --2i;7ii2."oo· -------- 637,121 ____________ ____________ __________ __________ __________ 635,53 

im:I\\~~~~~m~~~~= :1. m tt; ~ '· ~ m ~-~-~-~-~-~-:~-~-~-:~-~-~- ~--~--~-~-:-~-~-~-j-~-~---~~~-~-j-~_~_j_:_=~--~-~- :===;~ :.6= 

1

1909_________________ 186,688 37,650.75 - 1, 210,500 5=t1= j_· ~_:_:_~-~-j-~-~-~- i 637, r~ 79 

1910 d________________ 151,203 28, 451. 59 "$565, 493" 509, 232 $272, 368 445,749 $20,059 1, 113 . $79 857,99 9 

1911. .•. ------------- . 92,183 14,635. 11 291,988 355, 169 186,636 ------------ ---------- 481 35 478,65 9 

1913 1912.---------------- ~~5· ~~ ~~· ~~- ~ g~g: ~~~ ~~~· ~g ~gg: ~: ~~: ~g~ ~i: 85~ ========== ========== ~~~· ~5 ·---------------- 125' 800 18' 586.04 374, on 50S: 552 262,372 195,329 2, 458 638' 841 

~g~~= ::::============ 105:493 21:625:00 437,640 363,568 172,853 1, 023, 100 20, 718 :::::::::: ========== 631: 21i 

1916.---------------- 52,804 14,834. 00 296,773 92,593 57, 847" 1, 257,900 67,721 ---------- ---------- 422,93094 . 1917----------------- 50,356 11,635.62 232,824 102,526 80,727 1, 026,412 59,358 ---------- ---------- 372,042 

1918_________________ .157, 682 211,384.8000 228,089 417807.604997 512591,' 993795 21., 839596.,270657 9537', 599724 ---------- ---------- 1 440165,440 1919_________________ 03,826 0, 127. 339,913 • ---------- ---------- • , 1920----------------- 112,389 21,631.24 433,072 417,198 423,822 3, 087,919 128,709 ---------- ---------- 985,604 1921.________________ 160,633 21,842.81 435,320 1,065,708 1,006,388 3,698,357 62,029 1,852 46 1,503,783 

1922.---------------- 128,823 13,935.45 1, 086,808 ------------ 3, 061, 107 129,894 ---------- ------------ "1923. ---------------- 169, 18~ 19,024.00 811, 198 ------------ 2, 944,522 ---------- ---------- ---------- -------- --

o Record of gross returns with no year recorded; assumes year 1884. & For seven years prior to 1889 there is no record for Smuggler claim except gross ore sales. • Value less smelting charge and freight. d There is a slight discrepancy between 1908 and 1910, due to ov:erlapping o! reports •. 

Mendota claim. 

Do. 

Do. 

Do. 

Union claim .. Mendota claim. 

Sheridan claim. 

Smuggler 10:Iai.m. 

Do, 

Do. 

Do. 

Do. 

Do. 

Do. 

Do. 

Do. 

Smuggler Union Mining~ Co. 

Do. 

Do. 

Do. 

Do. 

Do. 

Do. 

Do. 

Do. 

Do. 

Do. 

Do. 

Do. 

Do. 

Do. 

Do. 

Do. 

Do. 

Do. 

Do. 

Do. 

Do. 

Do. 

Do. 

Do. 

Do. 

Do. 

Dd. 

Do. 

Do. 

Do. 

Do. 

Do. 
The following table shows in detail the production of the Liberty Bell Gold Mining Co. from December, 1898, to September 30, 1924: 

Pe_riod 

Ore 

milled 

(dry 

short 

tons) 

Concentrates 

(dry short tons) 

Production of Liberty Bell Gold Mining Co., Telluride, Colo. 

[Compiled by C. W. Henderson] 

Gold (fine ounces) Silver (fine ounces) 

Concentrates Cya- J Concentrates I Cya. 

Con- I I nide Con- nide cen- C id precipi- cen- C . precipi-

. cyamde and . cyanide and Wilfiey Canvas bullion cyanide WilfieY. Canvas bullion cyanide 

Total 

Gross value of ore 

Total Per WilfieyJ Canvas! Amalgam! I I tra~ ton bi:fftone tates Total Amalgam tra~e I bi:fi~~~e tates 

slag I slag 

--------------l---1--l---l--~1--l--l---1---l--- ------------------1---11----

.... 2631$< 01 114, 134 5. 31 312, 221 5. 76 .482, 427 7. 15 581, 422 6. 97 

11,420 --------~-------- ----------~-------- 13,414 10,475 -------- -------- ---------- 8, 721 22,076 

28,607 -------- -------- 26,583 6, 677 69, 160 47,328 12,008 -------- 43,730 1,330 115,362 

61,316 32,605 -------- 50, 568 230 157,622 

December, 1898, to Sept. 30, 1899 ---------- 16,0261 202 -------- ~ .48

1 

... _ _ ____ ---------r-------- ________ 

1 

.. "'I 1,994 Year ended Sept. 30, 1900 __________________ 21,500 200 3, 912 379 -------- ---------- ---------- 553 4,844 2,880 

1901.. ------·---------- . 54,197 883 9, 802 1,439 -------- ---------- 1,436 326 13,003 7,293 

1902.----------------- 67, 439 1, 200 247 15, 276 2, 047 450 ---------- 2, 425 299 20,497 10,966 

1903_----------------- 83, 373 1, 739 632 17,471 2, 503 1, 114 ---------- 3, 032 15 24, 135 12,903 

1904 ___ --------------- 45,811 938 371 13,820 I 1, 58o· 656 __________ 2, 044 ________ 

1905 ______ ----~ ------- 27,379 243 107 6, 738 269 145 ---------- 506 1, 265 1906 ___ --------------- 92,900 ................... 763 21,940 -------- 272 ---------- 5,106 1, 848 1907------------------ 102,104 1,415 18,622 455 ---------- 8, 494 -------- 1908 ________ ---------- 116,353 1, 758 20, 244 682 ---------- 12, 128 107 1909 ____ -------------- 125,681 1,518 17,960 1,206 ---------- 9, 723 102 1910 _____ ------------- 133,899 2,503 23,893 3,441 ---------- 11,569 141 

1911 ___ --------------- 155,950 2,511 34,213 4, 668 ---------- 20,061 31 

1912.----------------- 175,340 2,892 I 26,147 4,402 18,444 -------- 1913 _______ ----------- 179,216 1,854 18,083 2, 743 1, 695 14, 172 -------- 1914 _______ ----------- 173,840 559 10,461 412 1, 612 20,665 -------- 1915 .. ---------------- 174,100 3,018 99 1,407 (a) 22,549 -------- 1916 ______ ------------ 165,300 3,558 b24 1, 737 

~=~ 28,780 -------- 1917------------------ 143,100 3,410 ---------- 1, 605 29,565 

1918 ____ -------------- 90,700 2, 349 ---------- 2, 349 (a~ 44,512 -------- 1919 ____ -------------- 110,700 88 ---------- 55 ( 0 39,221 · 1920.----------------- 56,100 147 ---------- 664 (a 18,275 1921_ _________________ • 55,285 3, 357 156 13,397 ---------- 669 

2, 366,293 38, 462 261, 209 50, 442 3, 307 313, 376 4,687 

===-=== 1922. _________________ 

1 

(d) 1, 038 412 1, 387 ---------- . 13 1923 ____ -------------- (d) 68 200 398 ---------- ---------- 1924 ____ -------------- (d) 59 . 106 378 ---------- ----------

==========-=== 1,165 718 a 11;3 ----------r 13 39, 627 261, 927 52, 605 3, 307 313, 389 4,687. 

18,100 10.197 

8,923 8,296 

29,166 48,273 

27,571 41,494 

33, 161 43,514 

28,991 27,625 

39,044 33,976 

58,973 42,012 

48,993 41,979 

>a "'I 50,034 

33, 150 24,734 

24,055 272 30,541 b78 

31, 170 46,861 

39,276 

18,939 

14,2221 102 

633,021.1 408,622 

1, 812 289 

598 133 

4841 105 

~~ 

635, 915' t 409, 149 

42,560 19,927 -------- 34,708 -------- 107,392 

10,861 5,511 -------- 9, 756 16,635 51,059 -------- 47,408 -------- 83,446 27,385 206,512 

75,714 -------- 108,685 -------- 225,893 

83,691 -------- 153,956 2, 308 283,469 . 46,110 -------- 116,251 1, 667 191,653 

87,231 -------- 153,078 3,858 278,143 

87,652 -------- 201,420 668 331,752 

91,784 180,082 313,845 

59,241 16,466 162,861 -------- 288,602 

8,593 21,176 261,416 -------- 315,919 

38,863 (0 ) 275,297 -------- 314,432 

35,322 (4 ) 221,278 -------- 256,678 

31,628 (0 ) I 229,666 -------- 261,294 22,430 · (a) 176,161 -------- 198,591 

245,064 -------- 5, 571 _____ ___[ 250,737 

752 (a) 130,358 -------- 131, 110 15,529 ( 0 ) 133,047 -------- 148,576 

1, 259,630 

7,491 

1, 936 

1,454 

37, 642 J2, 757, 918 1 69, 479 !4, 533, 291 

7, 780 

2,069 

1, 559 

436,246 9.52 

215,416 7.87 741,128 7.98 

728,261 7.13 844,226 7. 26 702,835 5. 59 

959,874 7.17 1,399, 636 8.97 

1, 203,726 6.87 938,733 5.24 862,662 4. 96 662,028 3.80 791,788 4. 79 847,360 5.92 

1, 153,043 12.71 949,967 8. 58 565,536 _10,08 

543,555 9.83 ----- 16, 100, 4871 6. 80 

45,269 ------ 14,299 ------ 11,034 

10,881 --------,----------,--------1 11,40811 70,602 

1, 270,511 37,642 2, 757,918 69, 479,4, 544,699 J6,.171, 089 i------

o Not precipitated separately and included in cyanide bullion. b Amalgamation was discontinued in 1916; the amalgam shown in 1916 was derived from the melting of old copper plates. • Company dissolved in 1920 and since then in process of liquidation. d Lessees' operations. 

Ul 

~ 

21 

~ H 

§ 

t;l 

~ 

c 

0 

q 

21 

~ 

t{) 

t{) 

01 
Gold, silver, copper, lead, and zinc produced in San Miguel County, 18?"5-1923 

Gold Silver Copper Lea9. 

Ore 

y.., J treat•d (short I I Fine I Av&agel IAV&~I I Av&ag, I 1--=- Pia~" I"'d' Total ounces price per Value Pounds price per Value Pounds price per ounc~ pound pound 

3,867 $1.24 $4,795 gt ~ ~ =~~ =~~ :~: ~: ~~ :~ ~~~=~ ::J::=~;~~: =~=~=~== ~~~~ ::::: ~ ~;: ------------ ---------- ------------ ------------ ---------- 3,867 1.16 4,486 ------------ ---------- ------------ ------------ ---------- 3,867 1. 20 4,640 ------------ ---------- ------------ ------------ ---------- 3,867 1.15 4,447 ----.-------- ---------- ------------ 50,000 $0.036 1879·-----------~------ ---------- 7,000 ------------ 7,000 7, 734 1. 12 8,662 ------------ ---------- ------------ 350,000 .041 1880: __________________ ---------- 5,000 ------------ 5,000 7, 734 1. 15 8,894 ------------ ---·------ ------------ 482,500 .05 188L __ ---------------- ---------- 5, 500 $9, 500 15,000 19,336 1.13 21,850 ------------ ------------ 200,000 .048 1882 ___________________ ---------- 8,000 2,000 10,000 38,672 1.14 44,086 ------------ ---------- ------------ 200,000 .049 1883 __ - ---------------- ---------- 2, 000 123,000 125,000 193,359 1.11 214,628 ------------ ---------- ------------ 782,000 .043 1884 ___________________ ---------- 3,000 97,000 100,000 309,375 1.11 343,406 ------------ ------------ 300,000 .037 1885 ___________________ ---------- 3,000 97,000 .. 100,000 G 400,000 1.07 428;000 ------------ ---------- ------------ 300,000 .039 1886 ___________________ ---------- 3,000 214,570 217,570 430,805 .99 426,497 ------------ ---------- ------------ 300,000 .046 1887------------------- ---------- 2, 600" 167,0.96 169,696 492,725 . 98 482,871 ------------ ---------- ------------ 537,144 ·.045 1888·----.-------------- ---------- 7,500 417,206 424,706 663,354 . 94 623,553 ------------ ------------ 636,514 .044 1889_-- ---------------- ---------- 7, 000 425, 588 432,588 726,456 .94 682,869 ------------ ---------- ------------ 1, 166,346 .039 18!10 ___________________ ---------- 18,000 737,380 755,380 907,148 1.05 952,505 ------------ ---------- ------------ 414,522 . 045 189L __ ---------------- ---------- 5, 000 641,993 646,993 1,410, 903 . 99 1, 397,525 ------------ ------------ 139,344 .043 1892_-- ---------------- ---------- 5, 000 689, 177 694, 177 1,-501,898 .87 . 1, 306,651 100,000 $0.116 $11, 6QO 815,842 .04 1893_-- ---------------- ---------- 5, 000 677,680 682,680 932,568 . 78 727,403 200,000 .108 21,600 700,000 .037 1894_--- --------------- ---------- 5, 000 789, 218 794,218 570,023 .63 359,115 173,191 .095 16,453 858,830 .033 1895_-- ---------------- ---------- 5, 000 1, 421, 159 1, 426, 159 602,039 .65 391,325 147,727 .107 15,807 756,809 .032 1896_-- ---------------- ---------- 5, 000 1, 372,829 1, 377,829 1, 109,875 .68 754,715 21,698 .108 2,343 2, 284, 191 .03 1897------------------- ---------- 5, 000 1, 453, 144 1, 458, 144 869,079 . 60 521,447 354,781 .12 42,574 4, 143,767 . 036 1898_-- ---------------- ---------- 2, 000 1, 570,677 1, 572,677 2,129,082 . 59 1, 256, 158 360,831 .124 44,743 ·6,699, 712 .038 

~g~================·=== ========== ========== ~:~~~:~g~ ~:~~:~~~ 1, 208,395 . 60 725,037 160,239 .171 27,401 3, 918,883 .045 1, 136,692 . 62 704,749 311,045 .166 51,633 3,353,425 .044 1901_-- ---------------- ---------- ---------- 2, 049,472 2, 049,472 916,245 . 60 549,747 308,322 .167 51,490 3,309, 517 .043 1902 ___________________ ---------- ---------- 2, 007,656 2, 007,656 1, 056,640 . 53 560,019 454,790 .122 55,484 4, 296,849 . 041 1903 ___________________ ---------- 3,100 1, 173,705 1,176,805 737,028 .54 397,995 466,264 .137 63,878 3, 704,201 .042 1904 __ - ---------------- 233,316 44,957 1, 486,111 1, 531,068 667,710 .58 387,272 239,520 .128 30,659 5, 704,708 . 043 1905_-- ---------------- 291,338 21,587 1, 690,266 1, 711,853 1, 275,079 . 61 777,798 272,513 .156 42,512 6, 970,152 . 047 1906_------------------ 386,735 1, 766 2,446;024 2, 447,790 1,672,522 • 68 1, 137,315 319,692 . 193 61,701 7, 158,189 . 057 1907------------------- 407,491 293 2,467, 223 2, 467,516 1,438, 299 . 66 949,277 381,437 . 20 76,287 6,499, 957 .053 1908_-- ------------.--- 428, 231 2,892 2,314, 759 2, 317,651 1, 543,187 .53 817,889 562,888 .132 74,301 7,135,863 .042 1909_------------------ 423,609 440 2, 284._611 2, 285,051 1, 344, 152 . 52 698,959 501,285 . 13 65,167 4, 941,370 . 043 1910_------------------ 481,000 ---------- 2,494, 793 2,494, 793 1,144,050 . 54 617,787 544,189 .127 69,112 7, 791,841 .044 1911_------------------ 429,354 ---------- 2,447,841 2,447,841 1,000,834 .53 530,442 971,064 . 125 121,383 6, 456,333 .045 1912_------------------ 455,696 ---------- 2,399, 234 2, 399,234 1, 153,709 . 615 709,531 845,497 .165 139,507 7,429, 622 .045 1913.------------------ 509,175 ---------- 2,129,371 2,129,371 1,051,096 .604 634,862 736,374 .155 114,138 6, 967,136 .044 1914_-- ---------------- 495,742 ---------- 2, 114,916 2, 114,916 1, 280,461 . 553 708,095 324,105 .133 43, 106 4, 039,769 . 039 1915 __ -- --------------- 483,954 ---------- 2,069, 362 2, 069,362 1, 096,641 . 507 555,997 562,554 .175 98,447 5, 240,277 .047 1916_---.-------------- 428,651 ---------- 2, 072,393 2,072, 393 812,041 . 658 534,323 581,427 . 246 143,031 6, 126,551 .069 1917------------------- 389,293 1918 ___________________ ---------- 2,009, 961 2, 009,961 779,364 .824 642,196 920,425 . 273 251,276 6, 205,326 .086 374,134 ---------- 2,127,634 2, 127,634 836,570 1. 00 836,570 992,814 . 247 245,225 6,044, 085 .071 1919_------------------ 428,565 ---------- 2, 105,490 2,105,490 1, 100,942 1.12 1, 233,055 913,925 .186 169,990 7, 636,790 • 053 1920_-- ---------------- 374,169 ---------- 1, 340,226 1,340, 226 1, 064,667 1. 09 1, 160,487 948,696 .184 174,560 7, 571,875 . 08 1921_-- ---------------- 455,281 ---------- 1,468,820 1, 468,820 1, 776,963 1. 00 1, 776,963 921,573 .129 118,883 8,436, 244 .045 1922_-- ---------------- 397,840 -------- __ I. 077,84611,077,846 1, 645,459 1. o<i 1,645,459 673,867 .135 90,972 7, 060,891 . 055 1923·----.----- -··------. 484,064 ---------- 1,373,968 1,373,968 1,606,344 . 82 1, 317:,202 1, 408,980 .147 207,120 10,695,814 .07 

188, 635 59, 261, 956 59, 450, 591 42,682,723 ---------- 31,579,554 16,681,713 ---------- 2, 742,383 176, 813, 189 -.---------

"Interpolated by C. W. Henderson to correspond with total production of the State. 

Zinc 

Value Pounds lA·-· price per I Value 

pound 

------------ ------------ __________ ! ____________ 

------------ ------------ ---------- ------------ ------------ ------------ ---------- ------------ $1,800 --·--------- ---------- ------------ 14,350 ---"--------- ---------- ------------ 24,125 ------------ ---------- ------------ 9,600 ------------ ---------- ------------ 9,800 ------------ ---------- ------.------ 33,626 ------------ ---------- ------------ 11,100 ------------ ---------- ------------ 11,700 ------------ ---------- ------------ 13,800 ------------ ---------- ------------ 24,171 ------------ ---------- ------------ 28,007 ------------ ------------ 45,488 ------------ ---------- ------------ 18,653 ------------ ---------- ------------ 5,992 ------------ ---------- ------------ 32.634 ------------ ---------- ------------ 25,900 ------------ ---------- ------------ 28,341 ------------ ---------- ------------ 24,218 ------------ ---------- ------------ 68,526 ------------ ---------- ------------ 149, 176 ------------ ---------- ------------ 254,589 ------------ ---------- ------------ 176,350 ------------ ---------- ------------ .147, 551 ------------- ---------- ------------ 142,309 ------------ ---------- ------------ 176, 171 ------------ ---------- ------------ 155,576 ------------ ---------- ------------ 245,302 -----i7;2i4" ---$ii:ii59" -----$i;iii6" 327,597 

408,017 ------------ ---------- ------------ 344,498 ------------ ---------- ------------ 299, 706 952, 872 . 047 44, 785 212, 479 804, 296 . 054 43, 432 342,841 2, 193,981 . 054 118,475 

290, 535 3, 386, 088 . 057 193, 007 334, 333 2, 943, 783 . 069 203, 121 306, 554 2, 405,750 . 056 134,722 

157,551 ------------ . 051 ------------ 246, 293 1, 040, 121 . 124 128, 975 422,732 1, 098,485 . 134 147, 197 533, 658 1, 810, 245 • 102 184, 645 429, 130 797, 648 . 091 72, 586 404, 750 515, 082 . 073 37, 601 

605, 750 175, 6171 • 081 14, "" 379,631 ------------ . 05 ------------

~:: ~~~ ============ -----~~~~- ============ 9,061, 966 18,141,1821----------1 1, 323,787 

I Total 

value 

$4,795 

4,486 

4,640 

11,247 

30,012 

38,019 

46,450 

63,886 

373,254 

454,506 

539,700 

657,867 

676,738 

1,076, 266 1, 160,945 

1, 726,538 

2,050, 510 2, 045,062 

1,457, 583 1, 198,127 

1,857, 509 2, 203,413 

2,171,341 

3, 128,167 

2, 305,493 

2, 731,285 

2, 793,018 

2, 799,330 

1, 794,254 

2, 194,301 

2,860, 776 4, 054,823 

3, 837,578 

3, 554,332 

3, 305,088 

3,643,008 

3, 583,208 

3, 785,726 

3, 319,647 

3,023,668 

3,099, 074 ·3,319,676 

3,621, 736 3, 711, 145 3, 950,886 

3, 295,248 

3, 744,297 

3, 202,626 

3, 646,997 

104, 158, 281 

1:¢ 

t:-0 

~ 

~ H 

z 

H 

z 

Q 

H 

z 

0 

0 

~ 

0 

~ 

~ 0 
SUMMlT COUNTY 227 

SUMMIT COUNTY 

Ransome 49 has given a detailed history of mining 

in Sun1mit County from 1860 to· 1909. According 

to Kimball, 5° the placers of Summit County produced 

:$5,500,000 in gold from 1860 to 1869. 

· Raymond 51 gives the following note in his report 

for 1869: 

The silver mines of Summit County have not been developed 

to any extent; they are mostly strong galena-bearing veins. 

Silver ores proper, especially brittle silver and ruby silver, are 

also found; a piece of the latter kind weighing 7 pounds was 

taken from the Anglo-Norman lode. From a couple of hundred 

assays made by different parties, the probable average value 

of the galena ores is indicated to be about $100 per ton. It 

must be borne in mind, however, that the value of ores can not. 

reliably be ascertained for a whole vein by assays made of 

pieces. A great hindrance to the development of the lodes 

in this country and the beneficiation of th~ ores has been the 

enormous cost of transportation. At present, however (September, 1869), .a wagon road is building from Georgetown to the 

Snake River mines, which will be completed within a few weeks; 

and doubtless the improved facilities for communjcation will 

reduce prices in every respect. 

R~yn1ond gives the following details in his report 

for 1870: 52 

This county is principally noted at the present time for its 

rich and extensive placer deposits. Commencing at the 

headwaters of Swan River, extending around to the head of 

the Blue, and down the latter stream for at least 20 miles, there 

is almost a continuous placer, carrying gold in profitable 

quantities. The ground varies in richness, paying from $3 to 

$30 per day per hand. Less than $5 per day per hand will 

probably not pay expenses where labor has to be hired. The 

report of the United States assistant marshal to. the Census 

Bureau mentions but four claims in Summit County as worked 

during the year ending June 1, 1870, and gives less than $9,000 

as the aggregate product, being about $7 per day per hand. 

The extreme imperfection of this return may perhaps result 

from the attempt to obtain information at so unfortunate a 

period as the 1st of June, when the season has scarcely opened 

and the miners can not be found. I am indebted to William P. 

Pollock, Esq., county clerk and recorder, for trustworthy information concerning the operations of 1870, and· to Mr. · R. J. 

Burns, of Austin, Nev., for valuable notes of a personal visit to 

the county. 

Montezuma and Breckenridge are the principal mining 

towns, the former being the· headquarters of quartz and the 

latter of placer mining. The most productive gulches near 

Breckenridge are Illinois, Iowa, French, Gold Run, Galena, 

and Georgia, and Buffalo and Delaware flats. Mr. Pollock 

says that Georgia Gulch alone produced about $3,000,000 from 

its discovery in 1859 to the close of 1862. 

The placer mining season is very brief, lasting. but little over 

five months in the year, yet several claims have each yielded 

$10,000 per season for several seasons past, and as high as 90 

ounces, or $1,575, has been obtained from one week's run of 49 

days' work. Several gold nuggets were taken out during last 

season; one from Georgia Gulch, weighing 9 ounces 3 pennyo Ransome, F. L., Geology and ore deposits of the Breckenridge district, Colo.: 

U. S. Oeol. ·Survey Prof. Paper 75, pp. 16-20, 1911. 

&o Kimball, J. P., Report or the Director or the Mint upon the production or the 

precious metals in the United States during the calendar year 1887, p. 151, 1888. 

&1 Raymond, R. W., Statistics of mines and mining in the States and Territorieswest of the Rocky Mountains for 1869, p. 378, 1870. 

&2 Raymond, R. W., op. cit. for 1870, pp. 328-332, 1872. 

weights and 9 grains; one from Galena Gulch, weighing 872 

ounces; and one from Lincoln City, weighing 972 ounces.· 

The amount of bullion taken out the past season, exclusive of 

silver, is estimated by ·the recorder at $350,000. _The Georgetown Miner, at the close of the season, said it was nearly or 

quite $500,000. 

The county contains 100 miles of excellently constructed 

ditches, many of them having several thousand inches capacity, 

for c'onveying the water to work the claims, and declarations 

are on file for the construction of 40 miles more next season. 

Two hundred and eighty thousand feet linear measure of 

placer ground has been preempted since the 1st of May, 1870 .. 

The greater part of this new ground prospects very well and 

gives abundant indications of a large yield with proper management. The claims which have been successfully worked in past 

seasons, as well as those recently developed, still contain sufficient 

gold to occupy the miners for years, and as there is an immense 

quantity· of ground yet unclaimed and known to contain 

mineral wealth in quantities which will repay active and economical working, there is no doubt that Summit County will 

continue to produce annually increasing amounts of gold. 

There are on the county records over 4,000 lodes recorded; 

but very few of them have been sufficiently developed to show 

their real value, as the owners of most of them are working their 

placer mines. The majority of the lodes now under exploitation 

are situated at Montezuma and St. Johns, in Snake River 

mining district. 

Montezuma is ·reached by stage from Denver or Idaho 

[Springs], or by a direct road from Georgetown across the range 

* * * crossing near Grays Peak. * * * In one of these 

parks, through which flows the South Fork of the Snake, 

Montezuma is situated, while Breckenridge is about 20 miles 

southwest. * * * · The leading mine is, at Montezuma, the Comstock, owned by 

the Boston Silver Mining Association, Col. W. L: Chandler, 

superintendent. It is situated on the southwestern . face of 

Glacier Mountain, nearly 12,000 feet above sea level. Mr. 

Burns describes his visit to the mine as follows: 

"Following up the toilsome trail, we reached and entered the 

lower tunnel of the min.e. This tunnel is 150 feet long, from 

which a level extends 425 fee't. We saw masses of ore ready for 

the hands of the stopers along nearly the whole length of this 

level. A shaft or winze 70 feet deep connects this level with the 

lower one, which is 200 feet long, in which we examined the 

same massive vein loaded with ore. Ascending to the level 

again, we climbed into a 'stope,' and observed a large body of 

ground in which the miners had been busy extracting the 

abundant ore. A winze of 70 feet also connects the lower and 

upper tunnels, and in the works of the latter the ore occurred in 

wide strata. The vein of the Comstock stands nearly perpendic- . 

ular and varies in size. At one point it spread out to 8 feet and 

at another it contracted to a few feet, but it preserved a general 

width of 4 to 5 feet. At the point of greatest width there was 

a stratum of compact ore 2 feet thick upon the headwall; the. 

same upon the footwall; while ore was disseminated through 

the intervening mass of feldspathic gangue. In the different 

works disclosing the vein the solid ore ranged from 4 inches to 

2 feet thick, and I should judge it fairly averaged 18 inches. The 

galena was massive and formed perhaps one-third of the ore. 

Zinc blende. and iron and copper pyrites occur also abundantly, 

and in the deepest works silver glance and brittle silver are not 

uncommon. Handsome crystals of heavy spar are of frequent 

occurrence. Tests of the value of the different kinds of ore 

ranged from $40 to $400 per ton. . * * * Captain Ware 

informed us that it was part of his project to open the mine by 

a tunnel 450 feet below the present lowest tunnel, which will 

be 550 feet long and will cut the vein nearly 700 feet from the 

surface. If this plan is carried out it will open avenues to 

bodies of ore that will require years to extract. The amount of 
228 MINING IN COLORADO 

ore ready for reduction and piled at the mouth of the tunnel, 

in the ore house near by, and at the mill, was estimated at 3,000 

tons: And if occasion should require it, Captain Ware told 

us he could easily set 50 men to stoping ore. 

·u The ore will be delivered from the mine to the mill over a 

tramway about 2,200 feet long. This tramway, which was 

building under the direction of Captain Ware, will connect 

with the present lowest tunnel and ultimately with the projected deep tunnel. Not only ore but the miners and all 

supplies for the mines will be carried over the tramway. It will 

be capable of discharging 100 tons of ore from the mine to the 

.mill daily. 

"* * * The reduction works of the company are of a 

very inferior ·character, * * * wholly inadequate to the 

treatment of the ore. They consist of a crusher and rollers, a 

small concentrator, and a reverberatory and a cupola furnace." 

According to later reports, the mine has about 1,000 feet of 

stoping ground and can work 75 miners underground: Sixty 

tons of ore can be raised to the surface daily and delivered at the 

mill by the tramway at a cost of about $3.75 per ton for mining 

and 20 cents for transportation. The company has reduced 

during the summer 50 tons of ore, at a reduction cost of about· 

$22 per ton. The average yield was $100 per ton. The imperfect apparatus was capable of treating only the galena oresabout one-fifth of the vein material; the remainder, containing 

from 30 to 40 ounces of silver per ton, being thrown aside. 

It is proposed to construct a new mill, combining amalgamation 

with smelting, so that the ores can be reduced. 

The Chenango Co. owns the Favre, Chloride, Coley, and 

G. T. Clark, all highly esteemed lodes. The mine is in Glacier 

Mountain, about a quarter of a mile farther down the canyon 

than the Comstock. A tunnel, about 460 feet long in December 

last, had cut through two veins, assaying about 50 ounces of 

silver per ton. A short distance below the mine the company 

has a mill, which is idle, and reported to be of no value. 

The S\lkey lode, belonging to the Sukey Silver Mining Co., 

Hon. J. T. Lynch, superintendent, is opened by two tunnels, one 

260 feet and the other (150 feet above) 96 feet long. One 

hundred and eighty feet above the upper tunnel is the discovery 

shaft, 40 feet deep. The vein is from 4 to 6 feet in width, with 

an ore streak of 20 inches to 3 feet. · The ore exhibits very rich 

specimens, but the great bulk of it is of a low grade, the 

~verage point being between $35 and $40 per ton. The capacity 

of the Sukey for the production of this grade of ore is very 

great. The company owns a small mill, 30 by 80 feet in size, 

·and containing five stamps, one roasting furnace, and two 

Blatchley pans for amalgamation. It is run by water power. 

Seventy. tons, reduced during the summer, averaged 60 ounces 

of silver per ton, the cost of reduction $22 to $24 per ton. 

It is proposed to increase the capacity of the miil to 15 tons per 

day, which will reduce the cost to $15 per ton. 

The St. Lawrence Silver Mining Co. owns the Silver Wing 

and Napoleon lodes, on the north face of Glacier Mountain, a 

few hundred feet above the South Fork of the Snake. The 

former is tunneled 30 feet, showing a vein 4 feet wide between 

walls with an ore streak varying from 10 to 20 inches and 

carrying by average assay 35 ounces of silver per ton. The 

Napoleon is tunneled 65 feet, with a crevice similar to the 

Silver Wing, and assaying about 60 ounces of silver per ton. 

During the past summer the company has been completing its 

mill, a very good one, containing a 12-stamp battery and two 

pans for amalgamating. Arrangements are said to have been 

made for the erection of a Stewart and Airey furnace for roasting and chloridizing. 

The Old Settler lode, owned by Black & Milner, is tunneled 

260 feet, and shows an ore streak 2 feet wide, composed of lead, 

zinc, gray copper, and iron sulphurets. Assays range from 20 

to 100 ounces of silver per ton. 

The Dysart lode, owned by George W. Packard, has a shaft 

30 feet deep, showing a vein 4 feet wide between walls, and 

an ore streak of 18 inches. Assays give from 30 to 100 ounces 

of silver per ton. 

The Umpire lode, owned by Sharrat & Morrow, has a shaft 

20 feet deep, showing a vein 4 feet wide. Assays give from 

20 to 60 ounces of silver per ton. 

The North Star lode, owned by Lynch, Pratt & Co., is 4~ 

feet between walls, with 12 inches of ore, composed of lead, 

zinc, and copper sulphurets. It assays from 80 to 240 ounces 

of silver per ton. 

Guibor's extension of the Coley lode, owned by Guibor & Co., 

has a shaft 60 feet deep, a vein 4 feet wide, and an ore-streak 

of 20 inches, assaying from 50 to 200 ounces of silver per toL. 

The Tiger lode, owned by Lynch, Pratt & Co., has a shaft 

20 feet deep, a vein between walls 6 feet wide, and two pay 

streaks, one next the north wail, 10 inches wide (heavy galena), 

assaying 100 ounces of silver per ton, and the other next the 

south wall, 6 inches wide, assaying from 1,000 to 2,500 ounces 

of silver per ton. The intermediate rock assays from 16 to 30 

ounces of silver per ton. 

The Walker lode, owned by Fix & Hewitt, is opened by a 

shaft and tunnel and worked by the latter, which is in 60 

feet. The vein is 2 feet wide and the pay streak about 4 

inches. An assay from several tons of ore reduced in the 

Sukey Co.'s mill gave 206 ounces of silver per ton. 

The Chautauqua lode, owned by Teller & Bull, has a shaft 

32 feet deep and an ore vein 6 feet wide. About 100 tons of 

ore are extracted, all of which contains more or less gray 

copper. Four samples taken from the pile-two from the inferior and two from the best quality-were assayed by Hon. 

J. T. Lynch, with the following result: 

No. 1: 41>i ounces of silver; coin 

value ____________________ per ton__ $54.08 

. No. 2: 22M ounces of silver; coin 

value_.;. ___________________ per ton__ 29. 12 

No. 3: 716Ys ounces of silver; coin 

value ____________________ perton __ 931.84 

No. 4: 672 ounces of silver; coin 

value _____________________ per ton__ 873. 00 

Making an average of 363'2'2ll' ounces of silver per ton. 

The average of 34 assays, made by Mr. Lynch, agent of the 

Sukey Co., during the summer, from various lodes in this 

vicinity, as shown by the assay book, was $143.35 per ton. 

Each of the mines above named has ore on the dump ranging 

from 20 to 200 tons; and there are many other lodes in the 

district which contain ore in paying quantities. It is believed 

that as soon as the late improvement made by Mr. Stetefeldt, 

of Nevada, for roasting and chloridizing ores, is introduced into 

Snake River district, which is contemplated next summer, it 

· will be one of the most important silver-producing districts in 

Colorado. 

There are numerous other lodes in all stages of development 

in other portions of the county, many of them exceedingly 

rich. The Bullion & Incas Mining Co., near the head of 

Clinton Gulch, in Tenmile district,· owns some very good 

veins, and has run a tunnel 800 feet, passing through several 

lodes which are said to "prospect" very handsomely. A 

large number of lodes of decomposed quartz, containing free 

gold, have been discovered near the sources of our placer 

mines, and will, it is hoped, be thoroughly developed and 

practically worked next season. The lodes. of Summit County 

have been neglected· in the past, but the coming year will 

witness an era of development, both in placer mines and lodes, 

never before known; and it is expected that the yield of the 

precious metals will double that of any previous year since the 

settlement of the county. 
SUMMIT COUNTY 229 

Raymond's report for 1871 gives the following 

information: 53 

In Summit County the placer mining season of 1871 has 

not been as prosperous as heretofore, owing to the small amount 

-of snow that fell during the winter and also to the scanty rain 

-of the summer. The supply of available water has been much 

less than in average years, and, as a necessary consequence, 

the amount of bullion produced has been less than usual. 

Still, the yield of gold per hand per day is reported as nearly 

one-half ounce, and the total shipments of gold from the 

county are given as 3,700 ounces. Considerable new placer 

ground has been discovered and developed; many new ditches 

have been built, and some companies have made very extensive 

preparations for next season. Although there were not as 

many companies at work in French Gulch as the year before, 

a fair share of placer mining has been done here. * * * 

French Gulch is about 5 miles long and, with Stilson Patch, 

has about 17 miles of ditches, 6, 700 feet of flume, 5 hydraulics, 

and in. July had a population of 165. 

About the same time Gold Run Gulch was worked by several 

companies, working 43 men in all and averaging about $10 per 

day to the man. Buffalo Flats, situated· at the lower end of 

Gold Run, were worked by 14 men. Gold Run and Buffalo 

.Flats are covered by 2;J.1 miles of large ditches and use seven 

hydraulics. Delaware Flats was being worked by nine men, 

and has about 6 miles of ditches and 2 hydraulics. Galena 

Gulch was worked by two companies-one working 10 men 

and running two flumes and the other, working the upper 

portion of ·the gulch, employed a number of men-both companies doing well. Galena is covered by a 5-mile ditch and 

uses two hydraulics. Georgia, Humbug, and American gulches 

were owned by six companies, and considered the richest in 

the county, as they yielded from 1 to 2 ounces a day to the 

man, with a few inches of water. One company was running 

a bedrock flume in the Swan, near the mouth of Georgia, 

for the purpose of striking the pay streak in each. 

In Illinois Gulch 'William McFadden was working six men. 

He averaged $10 per hand per day-more than in previous 

seasons. In Salt Lick Gulch the yield was satisfactory. 

Toward the end of August, T. H. Fuller & Co. had finished 

their extensive preparations in Mayo Gulch and commenced 

working by the booming process, which gave them good results. 

They were, however, at the same time constructing a ditch 

from Indiana Gulch, which they hoped would give them 

sufficient water for groundsluicing during the next season. 

At the same time Greenleaf & Co. were mining extensively 

in Utah Gulch. They were building a ditch from the Blue 

River to the head of the gulch, and expected by this means to 

do the largest placer-mining business in the county during the 

next season. In Hoosier Gulch, in the extreme southeastern 

end of the county, Bemrose & Co. have been mining with 

good results, their ground, an old channel, being ·very rich. 

Many new lodes have been discovered during· the year in. 

the county, especially in Tenmile district, but the principal 

work in lode-mining was done by the old companies mentioned 

in my last report. Prominent among these stand the Boston 

Silver Mining Association and the St. Lawrence Silver Mining 

Co. 

The Comstock, the property of the Boston Silver M!ning 

Association, was reported, in August, in shape to furnish 20 

tons a day, and 1,500 tons of ore were on the dump. The 

company employed 100 men. A substantial tramway was 

constructed from the. mine to the new mill, which was under 

construction. It is 'to have a capacity of 20 tons per day and 

will include smelting furnaces· for the beneficiation of the 

galena ores, while the greater portion of the ore is to be roasted 

63 Raymond, R. W., op. cit. !or 1871, pp. 361-364, 1873. 

5653-26t-16 

and amalgamated. * * * The mine was, at the time mentioned, 260 feet deep, ·and about 1,200 feet of stoping ground 

was exposed. · 

The St. Lawrence Silver Mining Co. has also been energetically at work. Their Silver Wing mine is about 500 feet above 

the ~o~k·s o~Gla-Cie; Mo~tai~A~ t~~"'-e(~s'being'"'" dr.i;efi 

in August, which was expected to be 200 feet by the ·1st of 

September and which will give 200 feet of stoping ground. The 

crevice is 5 feet wide, and the vein of solid mineral about 17 

inches in width, which produces about 1 ton of ore to the foot 

advanced in the tunnel. The ore assays from 30 to 180 ounces 

of silver per ton and contains brittle silver, zinc blende, antimony, gray copper, and galena. The ore ~as so far increased 

in quantity as the tunnel progressed. 

About 300 feet northward is the Napoleon lode, in which 

a tunnel is also being driven, which will be as long and open 

as much stoping ground as that in the Silver Wing when the 

contract for running it is completed. The ore is similar to 

that of the Silver Wing but gives a higher assay. A track 

covered with sheds wi11 connect the Napoleon with the Silver 

Wing. Atthetunnelentranceofthelatter * * * orehouses 

are being built for the reception of the ore from the two lodes, 

and from here a double-track tramway will be laid, on which 

the ore will be conveyed through the ore houses to the rock 

breaker. The ore will then pass from the rock breaker on tq 

the drying floor, which will be heated by the escape gases from 

the furnace. From this it passes to the stamps and is then 

conveyed by two endless-chain conveyances into the weighing 

hopper. After weighing it is dumped into the receiving hopper 

at the base of the furnace. The ore is then raised by an elevator to the feeding hopper at the top of the furnace. After 

roasting and chloridizing it is drawn from the base of the furnace and conveyed to the cooling floor. After cooling it is 

passed into the concentrator, then into the amalgamation pans, 

after which the amalgam is retorted. 

The main puilding is 30 by 50, contains one of Howland's 

10-stamp rotary batteries, two of Wheeler & Randall's amalgamating pans (all cast iron), settler, and retorts. The furnace 

building will be 35 by 40 and 50 feet high, ore house 20 by 40, 

and the blacksmith and tool shops will be adjacent. The 

works will be operated by a 50-horsepower engine; their capacity will be 10 tons per day, and next spring another battery 

of stamps and two additional pans will be put in, which will 

double the capacity. The Airey furnace, conveyances, etc., 

wili be similar to Stewart's works at Georgetown, and the furnace will be constructed by the same men who built that of 

Mr. Stewart. By the arrangement above described it will be 

seen that most of the labor will be performed by simple mechanical agencies and machinery. 

The works were expected to be completed in September, but 

they were not ready to start at the end of the year. 

Of other mines which have become well known during the . 

year, the Chautauqua, Register, Tiger, Coley Extension, and 

Walker should be mentioned. They· are, however, not nearly 

as well developed as the mines of the two companies above 

spoken of. 

The completion of the reduction works in the early future 

will undoubtedly do much for the further development of the 

quartz interests of the county, which have so far principally 

suffered from want of a market for the ores. 

In his report for 1872 Raymond gives the review of 

conditions in Summit County: 54 

This county; is the extreme northwestern county in C<?lorado 

. and embraces the area west of the main range and north of 39° 

31' north latitude, being about 150 miles in an east and west and 

u Raymond, R. W., op. cit. for 1872, pp. 266, 282-286, 1873. 
230 MINING IN COLORADO 

115 miles in a north and south direction and including, within 

these limits, about 17,000 square miles of surface. 

·A number of passes across the main range afford an entrance 

into Summit County, the principal one of which is the Tarryall 

Pass, from the head of Tarryall Creek (a tributary of the Platte) 

to Breckenridge. A wagon road from Georgetown to Montezuma .also exists, but, owing to its unfortunate location and the 

steep grade on which it is built,· it is but little used, except during the summer months, and then only as a trail for jack trains 

and for travel on horseback. 

Aside from a partial development of a few of the mineral resources of the county, and this, too, in. the small area around the 

headwaters of the Snake, Swan, and Blue rivers, the county is 

to-day nearly as wild and unimproved as it was when first entered by white men. Dense bodies of timber cover the mountains, extending from the timber line, which is on an average 

about 11,000 feet above sea level, to the valleys of the streams. 

The principal towns of the county are Breckenridge, the 

county seat and headquarters of the placer-mining interest, 

situated on the Blue River, and Montezuma, a small mining 

camp on the Snake, the post office and depot of supplies for the 

Snake River mines. 

The pri.p.cipal business of the county is placer mining, which 

has been steadily prosecuted since 1860 and which has been 

generally remunerative to those engaged therein. 

· Within the scope of country extending from the head of the 

Swan to the head of the Blue River, and down this latter stream 

for a distance of about 20 miles, are a number of tributary 

gulches emptying into the Swan and Blue rivers, and it is in 

these gulches that most of the placer mines of the county are to 

be found. Aside from the mineral resources of the county, the 

most prominent objects of interest are the Hot Springs [Glenwood], situated on the Grand River and reached by a good trail 

from Breckenridge. These springs are remarkable for their 

size and for the temperature of their waters, which is 112° F. at 

the point where the water issues from the earth. The water has 

a decided sulphurous taste and a not unpleasant sparkle. The 

springs are in good repute and are much frequented by Indians 

as well as whites. 

The population of Summit County is extremely variable, 

being greatest in summer, when the mining is at its height, and 

dwindling down to a comparatively small number in the winter 

months, a condition of affairs peculiar to a country that relies 

solely upon an industry which is dependent on the seasons for 

its successful prosecution. 

Labor, during the mining season, commands from $3 to $5 

per day, averaging about $3.50 per day for the season. During 

the past year about 250 men have been engaged in mining and 

accessory work, such as ditch building, etc. The total product 

for the year, including the value of the ore and lead riches 

shipped from the Snake River mining camps, will not exceed. 

$125,000 coin value. 

During the past season the process of booming has been 

inaugurated in Summit County. This consists in collecting 

water in a proper reservoir, of large capacity, and discharging 

a great volume of it at once, thereby removing an amount of 

gravel impracticable by any other means. Notwithstanding the 

great volume of water used, and the amount of gravel kept in 

motion in the flume in a state of thick mud, the results seem 

to be favorable as regards the collection of gold. Large areas 

of ground can be worked by this method which can not be 

mined. profitably by other ways. Ground which by the ordinary 

hydraulic process pays $3 per day to the hand can be made to 

yield $25 per day. The extensive application of booming to 

many· .of the gulches of Summit County can not fail to raise 

the gold yield of the county. 

Commencing in the extreme southern part of the mining 

districts of the county, and on the head of the Blue River, he 

first mining camp is that of Bemrose & Co., in Hoosier Gulch,. 

a tributary of the Blue River. * * * The ground pays about 

$12 per day to the hand employed. 

In this immediate neighborhood is situated· the Vanderbilt, a. 

free-gold lode in quartzite. The crevice is irregular, varying 

from 6 to 12 inches in width. The ore averages well, and many 

exceedingly rich specimens have been found. The lode is not 

being actively worked. 

On the hillside of the second gulch north of Hoosier Gulch is 

situated the Hunter lode, a vein of silver-bearing ore, opened. 

by a shaft of 30 feet in depth. The ore vein varies from 3 to 

8 inches in thickness. The ore consists of galena, gray copper,. 

and blue and green carbonate of copper, and carries from 40 to 

1,000 ounces of silver per ton. Sev~ral tons have been shipped 

to Newark, N. J., averaging about 300 ounces per ton. 

On the Blue River, a short distance above, south of Breckenridge, Messrs. Crone & Fuller are sluicing on a side bar, em..: 

playing three men, for an average season of four months, the 

ground paying about $5 per day to the man. 

Below this claim Messrs. Sheppard & McNasser have ground 

opened preparatory to booming next season. 

Immediately below Breckenridge, in what is known as 

"Klack's Gulch," probably an old side channel of the Blue 

River, Greenleaf & Co. (Springfield Mining Co.), are employing 

twelve men. They. are using a 3-foot flume, dumping into 

Blue River. The ground is paying finely. 

Opposite Breckenridge, in Lomax Gulch, the same firm is 

booming, employing three men, with fair results. 

On Corkscrew patch the same firm is booming, employing 

two men. The ground is not yet fairly opened but prospects 

well. 

Jones & Hunter are mining in Yuba Dam patch, below Breckenridge, employing two men in booming; pay averages $7 per. 

day to the hand. 

In Iowa Gulch Adams & Stahl are booming, employing six 

men. During the past season the gulch has produced about 

$6,000, the length of the season being about four months. 

On the same hill, and south of Iowa Gulch, Hopkins & Hoopes 

have opened ground preparatory to booming. The ground 

prospects well. 

In Illinois . Gulch, a tributary of the Blue, and emptying 

into that stream just above Breckenridge, Colonel Fuller is 

mining. He is also booming ih Mayo Gulch, a tributary of 

Illinois. He employs four men. The ground pays about 

$10 per day to the man. 

Above Mayo is Pacific Gul~h, also a tributary of Illinois. 

Me~srs. Hopkins, Hoopes & Blair have here opened ground 

preparatory to booming. The ground prospects well. 

In French Gulch, emptying into the Blue, a short distance 

below Breckenridge, a number of companies are mining. In 

the head of the gulch Messrs. Martin Day & Co. are sluicing 

in the gulch and booming in the hillside, employing four men; 

pay good. Conners & Cobb, in Rich Gulch, a tributary of 

·French, are preparing to boom during the next season. 

C. P. Clark is sluicing in French Gulch and booming in 

Lilian Vail patch. He employs eight men with good ~esults. 

McFarland & Todd are next below, in French Gulch, employ:-

ing two men; pay fair. The Badger Flume Co. comes next. 

TheJ>ay here is poor, the bedrock not having been reached. 

In Negro Gulch, a tributary of French, T. H. Fuller is preparing to boom, with very favorable prospects. 

Mower & Hangs, on Stillson's patch, in French Gulch, are 

sluicing with three men, using a hydraulic; pay good. 

Sisler & Co., below, use sluices, employing two men, with 

fair results. · 

The Blue River Mining Co. come next in French Gulch,. 

using sluices and a hydraulic. They employ five men; pay 

fair. 
SUMMIT COUNTY 231 

The U. S. Grant Mining & Smelting Co. is the lowest company in French Gulch, employing .seven men; pay fair. 

North of French Gulch is Gold Run, a somewhat noted 

gulch. In this locality D. Walker with three men, Moffat & 

Co. with four men, the Tiffin Gold-Mining Co. with four men, 

L. Peabody with six men, and G. Mumford-with ten men are 

sluicing with excellent results. 

On Delaware Flats, east of Gold Run, A. Delaine with three 

men, and Canfield & Johnson with two mEm are doing well. 

On the sidehill, between Delaware Flats and Galena, the 

claiins of Twibill & Stogsdale are located. The firm employs 

eight men and has the best paying ground in the county, the 

gross yield of which for the past. season has been nearly $25,000. 

In Galena Gulch the Galena Mining Co. with eight. men, 

and !Gland & Coatney, with four men, are sluicing with good 

results. 

On the Swan· River, below the. mouth of Georgia Gulch, 

Clegg & Young are putting in a bedrock flume, employing four 

men. The bedrock has not yet been reached. The prospects 

of the enterprise are favorable. 

In Georgia Gulch George Twist is working three men; pay 

good. 

In Humbug Gulch P. Iverson employs two men; pay fair. 

In American Gulch Hitchcock & Stomes are employing three 

men in sluicing; pay good. 

Messrs. Greenleaf & Co. are building a large ditch to carry 

the water of the three forks of Swan River to the head of Humbug Gulch. The ditch, when fully completed, will be about 

13 miles in length; it is 4 feet wide and 4 feet high, flumed for 

the entire distance, and will carry 1,500 miner's inches of water. 

The ditch has throughout a grade of a quarter of an inch to 

carry 12 feet. This ditch will command the largest extent of 

ground l'eft unworked in the county and will doubtless prove 

a remunerative enterprise. 

Twelve miles below Breckenridge Salt Lick Gulch is being 

worked by four men. Water is brought from Tenmile Creek. 

The pay is good. · 

Comparatively little lode mining was done in the county 

during the past season. In Snake River district considerable 

prospecting was done and with favorable results. In Montezuma the St. Lawrence Co. worked the Silver Wing lode, and 

succeeded in developing a fair-sized vein of pay ore, specimens 

from which were remarkable for the amount of ruby silver 

contained therein. The mill of the company is a substantial 

structure, containing 10 stamps and an Airey furnace, which, 

however, has not been tested yet. The mill is not. quite in· 

running order. On Bear Creek, a tributary of the Snake, and 

about 1% miles above Montezuma, is located St. John, the 

seat of operations of the Boston Silver Mining Association, 

W. L. Chandler, superintendent. This organization, although 

owning much other valuable property, is developing only the 

Comstock lode, a large vein, the ore of which carries much 

galena. The development of the mine has been described in 

former reports, since which time, except stoping ore and the 

commencement of another tunnel designed to cut the vein at 

a depth of 700 feet from the surface, but little has been done 

in the mine. Since the last report a large mill has been built, 

finished. late in 1872, and a few tons of ore treated before the 

severity of the winter suspended operations. 

The mill is built so as to receive the ore from th~ ore house, 

where it is dumped from the tramway conveying it from the 

mine. On its entrance into the mill it is· dumped by the side . 

of a large Blake crusher and then either fed into the stamp 

battery of 10 stamps or passed through the cru.sher and rollers 

and then elevated to screens preparatory to dressing. If the 

ore is :suited for amalgamation it is passed from the crusher to 

the ball grinder, and from this machine to the proper bins, 

from which it is conveyed to the roasting furnace. 

Such of the ore as consists of galena associated with baryta 

and quartz and carrying but little gray copper or other brittle 

ore of silver is passed through the sizing and dressing machinery. 

:;r'he latter consists of, first, two continuously working jiggers 

on the same floor with the stamps. These jiggers are designed 

for stuff of from one-fourth to 1~ inches diameter and ·pass 

their tailings, if worthy of further treatment, directly to the 

stamps. From the stamps the now finely crushed stuff passes, 

secondly, three "spitz cutters," which size it, the coarsest 

going, thirdly, to two other continuously acting jiggers, designed 

for stuff of from one-half millimeter to 1 millimeter in size; 

and the finest, fourthly, to two of Rittenger's continuously 

working shaking tables, which treat the slimes. The ore now 

being prepared for smelting is dried and passed to the roasting 

furnaces, two in number. These . furnaces have three floors 

and are designed each to treat 8 tons in 24 hours. Passing 

from one floor to the other the ore is desulphurized. * * * 

The charge is drawn in a liquid condition into a sand-bed on 

the ground floor of the furnace house, and, when cold, is broken 

up and taken to the shaft furnace, which is about 10 feet in 

height and having three common tuyeres. This furnace is 

built of fire bricks made of material found near the works, 

which have stood perfectly the test imposed upon them. The 

furnace walls are one brick thick, and are bound with hoop and 

flat iron. The blast is supplied by a McKenzie blower, driven 

by a small steam engine. What lime is necessary for a flux is 

obtained in the Snake River Valley, a few miles below the 

works. The working results of this method of beneficiating the 

ores of the Comstock lode are most excellent. The slag from 

the shaft furnace is clear of silver or lead, and the lead produced 

is soft and of a good quality. At this point the operations of 

the company cease and the pigs of lead * * * are shipped 

to the East for separation. 

The amalgamation ore, after being subjected to a chloridizing roasting, is further treated in two of Wheeler & 

Randall's pans, furnished with proper settiers, etc. The amalgam, after retorting, is smelted into bars, assayed, and ·stamped, 

and in this state shipped East. 

Among the prominent discoveries of the year may be mentioned the veins found in what is known as Geneva district, a 

section of country embracing the main range between Peru district and one of the numerous heads of the Platte River. The 

district, geographically, is p3:rtly in Park and partly in Summit 

County, but owing to its distance from the settled portion of 

Park County is practically a Summit County mining camp. 

A number of promising veins have been located, prominent 

among which are the Revenue,· Starr, Overland, and Loraine 

lodes. The Revenue has two shafts of about 20 feet in depth 

and carries a vein of pay ore of about 1 foot in thickness. The 

ore consists of gray copper and galena and is rich in silver, 

assays varying from 100 to 800 ounces of silver per ton. The 

returns from a lot of al;>out 8 tons shipped to Georgetown and 

there crushed show that the first-class ore yields nearly 500 

ounces per ton. The lode is remarkable for the large amount 

of gray copper contained in it and for the presence of beautiful 

specimens of native sulphate of copper. The other lodes of 

this district have been but little developed, but all show more 

or less of the same characteristics as the Revenue. The Overland carries 6 feet of mixed galena and gangue, and assays 

nearly 1,000 ounces to the ton. 

In his report for 1873 Raymond gives the following 

details: 55 

Since my last report there has been but little change in 

mining affairs in this county. · The various placer mines of the 

county continue to be worked, but with a slightly diminished 

~6 Raymond, R. W., op. cit. for 1873, pp. 284, 299-303, 1874. 
232 MINING IN COLORADO 

force as compared with the previous year. An increased interest in lode mining is to be noticed, and a considerable amount 

of .prospecting has been done in various parts of the county. 

The erection of a smelting furnace in French Gulch has 

turned some attention toward the galena lodes in the vicinity 

of French and Illinois gulches. If the operations of the furnace 

prove successful, and a· demand for galena ores springs up, 

there is no reasonable doubt that the large lodes of such ores 

already known to exist in that locality could be worked with 

profit, furnishing winter employment for the placer miners. 

The season has been only a moderately good one for the 

county. The practice of booming has permitted the successful working of poorer ground than has been before worked in 

the county. 

The large ditch of Fuller & Co. to carry the water of the 

South Swan to the Georgia Gulch country is as yet unfinished, 

·and a large amount of ground, that will yield a fair revenue 

with a proper supply of water, remains unworked. The population' of the county does not exceed 350, the larger part of 

whom are engaged in placer mining. 

The production of the county for the past year has been as 

follows: · 

Placer gold, going to Denver __________ $75,000 

Placer gold, going north to Union Pacific Railroad______________________ 26, 000 

Ores sold ___________________________ · 5, 000 

106,000 

This [placer gold sent to the Union Pacific Railroad] is the 

product of new diggings at the base of Hausers Peaks [Hahns 

Peak, Routt County], in the extreme northeastern part of the 

county, near the Wyoming line. The total product of the 

county is given by the Georgetown Mining Review (good authority) at $111,000; but, with the concurrence of the editor, 

Mr. Van Wagenen, I have transferred $5,000, the product of 

the Ounnison River diggings, from this county to Lake County 

[transferred to Gunnison County by C. W. H.], where, according to Hollister's map, these diggings lie. [R. W. R. in footnote.] 

The different placer claims in the county, more fully described in last year's report, will be briefly reviewed. 

On the Upper Blue River and in Hoosier Gulch, Bemrose & 

Co. and others have mined during the short season (the altitude 

being over 9,500 feet above sea level and the supply of water 

scanty), and have realized remunerative returns. 

Next below, and about 2 miles above (south of) Breckenridge, 

is the claim of Mr. McLeod, which has been worked to a slight 

extent during the summer. Below the McLeod claim is the 

ground owned and worked by Fuller & Crome. This claim is 

on a Blue River bar, the bedrock is comparatively shallow 

and the pay good. Messrs. Fuller & Crome work four men 

during the season, and during the low water of the fall months 

work in the bed of the river. Silver nuggets are found ln this 

part of the Blue River, some of which have weighed as much 

as 1% ounces. Immediately west of Breckenridge is the booming claim of Messrs: Jones· & Greenleaf. This claim employs 

two men, with good results, in ground that previous to the 

introduction of the booming process could not be successfully 

worked. Below Breckenridge and on the west side of the 

Blue River is Iowa Gulch, owned by Adams & Twibell. This 

is also a booming claim and one that has yielded:well. Under 

the old system of working the ground scarcely paid expenses. 

Two men are employed. Just above the mouth of Tenmile 

Creek, ground is being opened by Izzard & Co., but no returns 

will be realized until next year. Below the mouth of Tenm.ile, 

and emptying into Blue River, is Salt Lick Gulch, which employs 

four men during a season, which is longer than the rest· of the 

county usually enjoys. The ground is good and the water 

abundant: The 'yield during the past season has been about 

one-half ounce of gold per day per man. On the east side of 

the Blue, and immediately above Snake River, are Soda Gulch 

and its tributaries. This ground yields at least $5 a day to the 

hand but is sadly in need of more water. There is a ·very 

considerable area of sidehill ground around this gulch which 

·would pay well for booming if water was brought to it. 

The Springfield Mining Co., working on the east side of the 

Blue River, just below Breckenridge, is running two flumes 

and employs four men. The pay is good. 

In French Gulch about the same amount of mining has been 

done .as in former years. In the upper part of the gulch, 

Cobb & Co. are running 6 flumes, employing 24 men. The 

ground is somewhat spotted, but where pay is found it is rich. 

Calvin Clark, next below, is running a flume in the gulch 

and also a boom on the sidehill, in both of which he has good 

pay. Water is somewhat ·scarce. · 

The McFarland claim, next below, has been worked during 

a part of the summer, and has yielded about one-half ounce 

per day per man. If work had been commenced during the 

flush of the water, in the early summer, the returns would have 

been much larger. The ground of the Badger Co. (a Denver 

* * * organization) comes next. Bedrock ·has been struck 

in this claim at a depth of 25 feet, and good pay found. 

In Nigger Gulch, a tributary of French Gulch, a boom has 

been in running order for a short time during the season. Ten 

men have been employed, with fair results. 

On Stilson's patch, on the west side of French Gulch, Messrs. 

Sissler & Mower and Mr. Hangs have been working by the 

hydraulic method and realizing about $6 a day to the hand. 

Next below is the ground of the Blue River Mining Co., employing six men, and in good pay. 

Immediately below, and at the mouth of French· Gulch, is 

the General Grant flume, employing four men and yielding 

about $6 a day to the man. 

In Georgia Gulch, Mr. Hitchcock and Messrs. Iverson & 

Furth are working on good pay. Eli Young & Co. are running 

a bedrock flume up the Swan River, with the intention of 

reaching bedrock below the mouth of Georgia Gulch. This is 

a good enterprise and has been steadily prosecuted for several 

years. Bedrock has not yet been reached, although the ground 

now pays expenses. It is highly probable that this flume will 

develop some exceedingly rich ground, as it will drain the 

mouth of Georgia Gulch, once the richest placer fields in the 

county. 

In Galena Gulch, Messrs. Riland and· Twibell & Co. are 

mining with fair results. Between Delaware Flats and Galena 

Gulch is Strogsdale's patch, owned and worked by Strogsdale & 

Twibell. This is the best placer ground in the county. The 

yield will average fully 1 ounce per day to the man. Five 

men were employed during the past season. 

A. Delaine, at Delaware Flats, has employed three men during the season, and realized about one-half ounce per day to 

the man. 

In Gold Run mining has been steadily carried on during the 

season. 

Walker & Majors have employed three men, the pay being 

one-half ounce a day to the man. Moffat & Canfield, three 

men; pay $7 a day. L. Peabody, six men; pay $7 a day. 

Tiffin Mining Co., five men; pay fair. J. Nolan, three men; 

.pay fair. G. Mumford, five men; pay $7 a day. . . 

Booming.-This method of mining poor placer ground. is 

rapidly· coming into favor in Summit County. · In Mayo, 

Nigger, Lomax, and Iowa gulches mining is carried on in this 

manner with remunerative results, and it is highly probable 

that other localities will also adopt this process. The introduction of the "self-acting gate," whereby the opening and shutting 

of the gate of the reservoir is made automatic, leaves scarcely 
SUMMIT COUNTY 233 

any further economy to be introduced into this method of 

mmmg. The self-acting gate now considered the best, consists of a water box suspended in guides, the rope from which 

passes over two pulleys, one of 12 feet and one of 5 feet, to the 

lower edge of the canvas gate (barred with strips of iron or 

2-inch timber). When the water in the reservoir reaches the 

proper height, a small flume conducts it to the box, which, 

when full. of water, has weight enough to roll up the canvas 

gate at the bottom of the reservoir from the bottom, allowing 

the water in the reservoir to issue through a gate (generally 

4 by 6 feet in size). By the time the reservoir is nearly empty, 

the water in the weight box has discharged itself through holes 

made for that purpose in the bottom, and a weighted arm on 

the second pulley drops the gate td its place, where the pressure 

of the water in the reservoir keeps it in place, water tight. 

One man is now considered ample force to run a boom, and his 

duties consist mostly in clearing timber from the ground to 

be worked and in breaking the larger boulders into sizes small 

enough to go through the flume, which is usuaily 4 feet wide, 

with a grade of 1 foot in 12. The use of a boom permits the 

working of ground that could by no other means be made to 

pay. The experience of the Summit County mines goes to 

prove that notwithstanding the large amount of water used 

and the velocity with which it rushes through the flume, the 

gold collects readily in the upper boxes of the flume, in which 

mercury is generally placed. Booming may be considered as 

the best labor-saving invention introduced into the country 

of late years, and while it is not adapted to all placer claims, 

it permits the working of claims that would otherwise be 

valueloos. 

Lode mining.-Aside from the work done in the Snake River 

mines but little lode mining has been done. The Vanderbilt, 

a free-gold quartz lode in the quartzite in the Upper Blue, has 

been worked a little, but no ore has been treated. Arrastres 

will probably be erected during the coming year. The ore is 

rich and of a character easily treated, and good working results 

ate therefore to be expected. The Hunter, east of Hoosier 

Gulch, has been worked during a part of the summer. The 

ore is good quality and will mill about 200 ounces in silver 

per to:n. 

The Cincinnati lode, on Mineral Hill, French· Gulch, has 

been opened by Messrs. Sears & Conap.t. The lode has been 

traced for about 900 feet on the surface, and the deepest shaft 

is now about 40 feet. Two hundred tons of mineral are on the 

various dumps, and the ore vein, wherever opened, shows from 

2 to 16 inches. The ore is a clean, coarse galena, free from 

zinc, and carries from 30 to 40 ounces of silver per ton. 

A reverberatory furnace has been erected in French Gulch, 

and a few pigs of lead have been made. It is-proposed to erect 

a shaft furnace for the treatment of this and ores from neighboring lodes. 

Some work bas been done on lodes around the bead of 

Illinois Gulch. The ore is generally a pure galena, mixed with 

sulphate and carbonate of lead, assaying from 40 to 700 ounces 

in silver and from a trace to 6 ounces in" gold per ton. The 

lodes around Breckenridge almost all carry galena (and its 

oxidized products) with traces of copper~ The size of the 

veins is good, and the ore varies in value from 10 to 700 ounces 

in silver. The erection of'smelting furnaces at or near Breckenridge, where water power could be obtained, would do more 

for the development of the-mine.ral resources of the Blue River 

country than anything else that could be devised. The 

supply of lumber for both timber ·and fuel is ample, and good 

clay for bricks is close.at hand. · The ores to be treated.are of a 

fafr ·average. ~alue and·o{a.class to furnish a pig lead of purity, 

containing from 100 to ·:50,0 ounces· of silver arid considerable 

gold per ton.· :The 'supply of· ore would be ample for at least 

one 10-ton furnace. : · : • ." . 

In the vicinity of Montezuma much prospecting has been 

done and some ore shipped to Georgetown. The mill of the 

St. Lawrence Co. is not yet in order, and work has ceased on 

the mines for the winter. On Bear Creek the Boston Silver 

Mining Association is still working on the cross-cut tunnel to 

strike the Comstock lode at a considerable depth. 

At the head of Decatur Gulch, about 3 miles from Montezuma, several valuable lodes have been opened. The Revenue, 

Starr, and Congress carry gray copper and galena ores, and the 

Treasure Vaults and others yield what is supposed to be a new 

ore, containing bismuth, sulphur, and silver. The graycopper lodes have received most attention and development. 

The Revenue has three shafts, 60, 38, and 60 feet in depth. 

Work will be· carried on in this and Congress lode during the 

winter. The Revenue shows from 3 to 18 inches of solid ore, 

which is of good quality and mills from 100 to 450 ounces per 

ton, the first-class ore carrying also 10 per cent of copper, and 

the second-class ore over 50 per cent of lead. 

Of the bismuth-bearing lodes but little can yet be said. 

The pure ore assays from 6,000 to 7,000 ounces in silver per 

ton and contains 40 per cent of bismuth. The ore, which 

shows a slight tendency toward crystallization, is intimately 

mixed with well-defined quartz crystals. Comparatively little 

work has been done on these lodes. They are ·situated immediately on top of the range and were discovered late in the 

summer of 1873. These, as well as the gray-copper veins, are 

on the main range, at an elevation of fully 12,000 feet above 

the sea level, and are partially in Park County, the veins 

crossing the range diagonally. The district [Geneva] is a new 

one, and bids fair to be a flourishing mining camp. 

With the completion of a railroad into South Park, which 

would give the Summit County section of the Territory freights 

at reduced rates, and with the successful working of a smelting 

furnace at or near Breckenridge, there can be no doubt that 

Summit County would rapidly increase in population and: 

wealth. At present, however, with only placer mines at work, 

and these only during the summer, the progress of the county 

is far from satisfactory. The resources of the county in the 

form of placer and lode mines, coal, agricultural and grazing 

land, are ample for the support of a large population, and the 

amount of land on the streams in the northern and western 

part of the county suitable for cultivation is much larger 

than is generally supposed. 

In his report for 187 4 Raymond says: 56 

Placer workings, Blue.-Nothing new of note is t.o be ·reported 

from the placer workings of this valley. The production of 

187 4 amounted to $70,000 and was taken from the old and 

standard claims in French, Illinois, Iowa, Lomax, .Georgia,· 

Swan, and. Indiana gulches. Early in the year a project was 

set on foot to carry a ditch from the Upper Swan River into 

the head of Georgia Gulch, which is the richest gulch in this 

valley. It bas not yet been completed, nor am I able to ascertain whether it was commenced: The new ground to· be won· 

would amply warrant a large expenditure of money to bring 

water into it. In the operations on the Blue and its tributaries· 

the system of booming, which was introduced some two yearS. 

ago, has almost completely superseded all other methods of 

washing where there is sufficient inclination of the ground. 

Lode workings, Snake River district.-This district, one of the 

earliest discovered in Colorado, has developed more slowly: 

than any other, principally by reason of its great inaccessibility 

and the heavy and unpromising character of the ore. In fact.· 

it was in· the Coaley lode, on Glacier Mountain, t~at -the first 

discovery of silver in the Territory was made; but the quantity: 

was small, and for many.years it bas only been known in the·· 

dreams of. prospectors. The distric~ includes 'the camps of, 

ao Raymond, R. W., op. cit. Cor 1874, pp. 358, 359, 375, 376, 1875. 
234 MINING IN COLORADO 

Montezuma and Peru. The ores are heavy, carrying both 

zinc and lead, and as a rule are not rich in silver. There is no 

market as yet nearer than Georgetown, and transportation 

across the Snowy Range is only possible in summer, and then 

at a cost of $18 to $20 per ton. Early in 1874 an excitement 

sprang up concerning the mines, and the district was invaded 

by about 200 prospectors from Georgetown, .South Park, and 

Denver, who continued there until driven out by the deepening 

snows on the range. The result of the excitement was the 

discovery of a number of new lodes, the reopening of many of 

the old ones, and a lively interest among SJ;nelters and millers. 

There is now a company formed, with the purpose, as soon as 

the weather will permit, of erecting smelting works at Peru to 

handle the heavy galena ores of that and neighboring camps. 

Last year these Peru lodes were considerably developed. They 

are undoubtedly of great strength and value, carrying very 

heavy bodies of galena, that will assay from 20 to 60 ounces 

of silver per ton. 

The Comstock property is the only claim in this district upon 

which continuous work has been done for· the past two years. 

It is owned by the Boston Silver Mining Co., which has a large 

and fine mill, and is now engaged in driving a tunnel for the 

vein, which will cut it 600 feet deep. It is now within 300 feet 

of the lode. It is reported that the company will open its works 

for custom ore next season. 

Breckenridge district.-The ores of this district are of low grade 

(in silver) but very pure galenas. The veins are numerous, but 

onlv a few have been worked, as until lately no .market has 

bee"n found for the ores. In the summer of 1873 Messrs. 

Spears & Conant put up a small reverberatory furnace at 

Lincoln City (French Gulch), which, however, did not prove 

successful. In 1874 the mode of treatment was altered by the 

introduction of a blast furnace, which, not proving satisfactory 

alone, was supplemented by the addition of two Drummond 

lead furnaces. These last did well, and by September they were 

fired up in earnest and continued running steadily and successfully until the close of the year. The product of the four 

months' run was 216 tons of work lead, carrying fro'm 60 to 80 

ounces of silver per ton. The ore is derived mainly from the 

Cincinnati or Robley lode, which has been developed to a considerable extent and is capable of producing 10 tons daily of 

almost pure galena. The works having proved successful, 

owners of other similar veins are preparing to open them next 

summer, and the company will probably enlarge its facilities 

in order to work the increased supply.· The work lead is shipped 

by train across Hamilton Pass to the South Park, and from there 

it is carried to Denver, where it takes rail to Chicago, bringing 

5 cents .to 6 cents per pound, after refining, exclusive of the 

value of silver contained in it. Breckenridge district contains 

also a number of gold veins, but none are being worked. 

In his report for 1875 Rayrnond says: 57 

Bismuth has been found to a high percentage in the argentiferous galena of the Geneva and Snake River mines. 

The metallic product of this county is placed at $76,000, 

being wholly gold dust from placers. There has been also a 

yield of probably $10,000 from the Snake River mines, which 

would belong to Summit but which is included in the statement of Clear Creek, nearly all of it being sold there. The 

properties worked during the year ar·e the same as those of last 

.:aeason, with a few additions. The Summit County placers, 

:being located at so high an altitude, can be worked successfully 

in good seasons only. The last season was but a tolerable one, 

:and expectations were as a rule not realized. Fully as much 

;ground as usual was opened, but the water supply gave out 

nearly· a month earlier than usual, and all ground worked by 

booming had to be aba~doned. This system of washing is 

:a7 Raymond, R. w.; op. cit. for 1875, pp. 282, 285,317-321, 1876. 

doing good work in the Blue Valley, and though it may be., considered, in comparison with the more extensive and compli-· 

cated systems of California, as rather primitive, it has peculiar 

merits of its own not to be despised. It has been described in 

former reports. 

In French Gulch and its tributaries, Dry, Mayo, Humboldt,. 

and Nigger gulches, Calvin Clark, I. H. Fuller, J. J. Cobb, 

and the Badger Co. have been at work as usual. The production of the gulch (which is by far the best at· present in the Blue 

Valley) has amounted to about $40,000. Georgia. Gulch and 

Gold Run have together yielded about $13,000; about $4,000 

have come from other minor localities, such as Galena, Iowa, 

and Lomax gulches, and Stilson, Buffalo, and Delaware Flats; 

and $15,000 may be credited to claims located directly in the 

main valley. * * * 

The Lincoln City Lead Works have been idle during the year, 

having faUen into legal troubles. 

Snake River .district has been steadily but slowly improving, 

and of Peru district the same may be said. The Champion, 

Tiger, Printer's Pool, Peruvian, Blanche, Orphan Boy, Silver 

Wing, Potosi, Cony, Sukey, and the Comstock tunnel mines 

have been worked with considerable regularity during the 

year, and all but the last have shipped ore. 

The Sukey mill made a short run in the summer but was unsuccessful. The St. Lawrence mill has been transported to 

Georgetown and sold to the Pelican Co. 

The operations of the Boston Silver Co., at St. John's, 

* * * have been steadily prosecuted during the season. 

The company continued to drive its long tunnel into Glacier 

Mountain until, on the 20th of November, it had reached a 

length of 1,075 feet. It is well constructed throughout, being . 

7 feet wide by 9 feet high, and in all places where the rock is not 

sufficiently hard, timbered in the most s'ubstantial manner. 

Eight veins have been crossed so far, Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4, an'd 6~ 

showing at the points of intersection q'uartzose gangue and iron 

pyrites; Nos. 5 and 8, a similar gangue, with zinc blende and 

galena; and No. 7, heavy spar, galena, and blende, with little 

iron pyrites. All the veins, with the exception of No. 8, are 

very large, some of them extraordinarily so, as, for instance, 

No. 5, whicli at the point of intersection is about 20 feet, and 

N 0. 2, which is 83 feet thick. The latter carries such soft vein 

material (broken quartz; with iron pyrites) and delivered when 

opened such volumes of water that it was found necessary to 

timber closely the whole 83 feet, sides, top, and bottom, with 

12-inch timbers (sets of 10-inch timbers 3 feet apart, which had 

first been inserted,.having been broken like reeds by the enormous 

pressure). Just before the driving of the tunnel was temporarily 

stopped, a ninth vein had been struck and entered int.o for. 3 

feet, which carried quartz and iron pyrites. The opposite wall 

not having been reached, the value of the vein is unknown. 

At the time above mentioned positive orders from the 

directors of the company in Boston forbade the continuation 

of the tunnel for the present and ordered the development of 

Nos. 5 and 7 by. drifts and rises. This work has been going on 

uninterruptedly, 30 miners having been employed on an average, 

and with most unexpected results. The north drift of No. 5 

was 200 feet long at the end of the year, the vein material 

having been soft throughout that distance. When the drift 

had ·progressed so far, a very serious cave occurred about 170 

feet from the entrance of the drift, which delayed further 

driving for a ~onth, and required timbers 2 feet in diameter 

for a distance of 50 feet to overcome it. A rise was started at 

the end of the year a little south of the cave. While at the 

intersection of the tunnel with No. 5, only galena, blende, and 

a. little iron pyrites were found, containing, when solid, 60 to 70 

ounces of silver per ton; the vein carried beyond a point 75 

feet from the entran.ce northward, besides the minerals named, 

rich silver ores,. such as. ruby silver, stephanite, polybasite, and 
SUMMIT COUN'l'Y 2"35 

tetrahedrite in considerable quantity, so that the average value 

of the ores was more than doul;>led. The south drift on No. 5 

was in about 50 feet at the end of the year and has since been 

driven to the intersection with No. 7, 140 feet from the tunnel. 

In this drift only one pocket of ruby silver, stephanite, and 

fahlore was found. The drift ori No. 7 north of the tunnel was, 

at the end of the year, about 60 feet long, and is throughout in 

very soft and dangerous ground, carrying no ore. The south 

drift was in about 200 feet and showed ore (zinc blende and 

galena in heavy spar) for almost the whole distance, the vein 

being on an average 4 to· 5 feet wide and the ore streak varying 

from 1 to 3 feet. At a distance of about 180 feet from the 

entrance, the drift encountered a horizontal fault of 8 feet 

(the vein being thrown to the east), and 12 feet farther a 

second fault of 6 feet in the same direction. Between the two 

the vein carried very good galena. About 6 feet beyond the 

second fault the galena became very solid and contained much 

native silver, which continued for a distance of 30 feet. The 

ore in No. 7, at the intersection with the tunnel, contained in 

solid galena from 48 to 50 ounces of silver; at the further end 

of the drift, where native silver was· visible, it contained f~om 

lo'O to 500 ounces, and in ordinary galena from 70 to 80 ounces. 

Since the end of the year two rises have been started on No. 

5, 170 feet apart, the northern one being at the time of this 

writing 80 feet and the southern 114 feet high. In the latter 

north and south drifts 100 feet above drift No. 1 are being 

started. Besides this, stoping ground for 10 men is opened, and 

extraordinarily rich silver ores, carrying, however, little galena, 

are now being extracted. · 

On No. 7 one rise, now 120 feet high, has been made, and 

drifts will be started north and south ·in a few days. There 

are three stapes opened on No. 7, two of which produce ore. 

Little work has been done during the year in the upper mine 

on the Comstock lode (probably No. 7 of the tunnel) beyond 

the extraction of about 60 tons of solid galena. The stapes 

there opened will probably be worked during this year, but no 

extensive work is intended there until the connection has been 

made from the tunnel below. 

At the. end of the year the company had about 800 tons of 

ore on hand, three-fourths of which is dressing ore, to be concentrate{! in its very systematic establishment and to be smelted 

into pig lead. . ' 

A dozen or more veins have been worked in Snake River 

district by other parties at intervals during the year, and some 

of the veins have produce~ rich lead ores in small quantities. 

No large developments have, however, been made. The ores 

mined have mostly been bought by the Boston Silver Co. 

Burchard gives the production of Summit <'County 

from 1860 to 1881 in his reports for 1880 and 1881.58 

The production of the area now comprised in Eagle 

County has been deducted to obtain the figures for 

these years given in the table on page 245. In his 

report for 1881 Burchard says: 

Within the last two years lode mining commenced on an 

extensive scale· and during the last year assumed such proportions as to place Summit County high on the list as a bullionproducing county of the State. 

Tenmile district is the chief point of production. It covers 

the headwaters of Tenmile Creek, in the southeastern part of 

the county. 

~a Burchard, H. C., Report ofthe Director of the· Mint upon the production of 

the precious metals in the United States during the calendar year 1880, pp. 156-

157, 1881; idem for 1881, pp.354, 432-437,442-443,1882. 

The principal sections of Tenmile district are Chalk, Sheep, 

Chicago, Elk, and Jacque mountains. 

On Sheep Mountain is the most noted mine of the county, the 

Robinson. Reports as to the condition of this mine are conflicting and highly unsatisfactory. In November last the 

drifts ran into a column of very low-grade ore, the manager 

resigned, the usual dividend was postponed, and a general 

crash occurred. * * * 

The Idalia, Ballarat, She.ep Mountain, and Minnie are on the 

same ledge as the Robinson. They will doubtless soon become 

producers, as systematic development is going on. . 

The Gray Eagle has been continuously worked, and the ore 

extracted sent to the Argo and Lead ville smelters. 

The Wheel of Fortune mine contains some high-grade ore, 

a quantity of which was extracted during the past year and 

smelted at Kokomo. 

The Monitor is on Sheep Moun.tain, between the Robinson 

and Gray Eagle mines, and consists of six claims, the Aetna·, 

Galena, Regatta, Bonanza, Pride of the West, and Tabor. 

The property has not yet been worked, but there is no reason 

to doubt that the Monitor will be one of the leading min.es of 

the Ten:rpile district. 

The Crown Point, Kearsarge, Tiger, Snow Bank, and Michigan are prominent mines, and in condition to make a good 

future showing of production. 

On Elk Mountain there are a number of well-known producing mines, the Mtermath, Milo, White Quail, Badger, 

Silver Wave, Raven, and Colonel Sellers. They are contact 

veins, and large bodies of ore have been exposed by the development work of the year. 

The Thunderbolt Consolidated, Meily, Lennox, Sabbath 

Rest, and Mercantile companies have all been organized for 

the purpose of opening up promising groups of mines on this 

mountain. The Bledsoe, at the foot of Elk Mountain, in 

Searle's Gulch, is one of the earliest locations. A tunnel has 

been run in upon it a distance of 80 feet, which shows an 8-foot 

body of iron. Th~ last work on this shows the ore turning to 

galet;~a, and several good seams have been developed. Assays 

in gold ancl silver have been made, returning as high as $100 

to the ton. The mine has the same characteristics as those of 

the other prominent mines of the district and apparently needs 

but little development to put it on a paying basis. 

The Queen of the West, Mayflower, and Ida L., on Jacque 

Mountain, have been actively worked and commenced shipping 

ore. The Mayflower has about 500 feet of dead-work development but only 90 feet· of the vein. The Ida L. carries 

15 per cent copper. 

On Copper Mountain there are no shipping mines, only 

development work having been done during the year. There 

are a number of strong lodes,· all having the same general 

characteristics of ·the ores of this section; among them may be 

mentioned the Ida May, Reconstruction, Graff, and Hattie. 

Of the mines of Gold Hill the same may be said. The 

Caledonia group has been systematically worked, arid some 

ore is on the dump awaiting shipment. The Minnie Lee, 

Union Consolidated, Fisher, Grand View, and Ocean Wave 

are other properties which have attracted a fair share of attention. The last named carries 30 per cent of copper. 

The Gilpin, Golden Cork, Homestake, Mountain Stake, 

Spring Well, "76 ", Argenta, Big Injun, Aztec, Lady Alice, 

Little Alice, Aetna, Vesuvius, El Dorado, Falcon, Pelican, Nova 

Scotia Bay, Alpine, and Matchless, on Fletcher Mountain,.and 

the Charley Ross, Condor, and Sub-Treasury, on Pacific Mountain, are locations upon which but little development work was 

done until late in the season of 1881. They are mostly situated 

high up on the rugged sides of these lofty mountains and are 
236 MINING IN COLORADO 

inaccessible except for pack trains, the trails for which in many 

instances have not yet been completed. With facilities for 

extracting the ore and getting it to market these mines will 

prove of undoubted value. 

Northwest and 1 mile distant from Boreas is the Warrior's 

Mark, a late discovery, which contains an ore of gray copper 

of exceeding high grade. It is worked by an open cut, and 

ore to the value of nearly $40,000 has been taken out and 

worked in a concentrating mill. 

The Snow Drift is in the same vicinity and is taking out 

consideraole rich ore, which is piled on the dump, no shipments 

having yet been made. 

The Rochester Queen is another new mine of fair promise. 

It is worked by a tunnel connected by crosscut and incline with 

the shaft. High-grade ore has been extracted, and, during 

three months, the product averaged $5,000 per month from 

shipments. 

The Ontario, on Farncomb Mountain, north of Lincoln, is 

reported to have struck a large body of exceedingly rich ore. 

The following table from the Denver Republican shows the 

output of the leading prod:ucing mines of Tenmile district: 

Name I 

Number Present Capable . of tons daily daily Mountam produced output output 

in 1881 (tons) (tons) 

-------------1-:-----------------

Robinson Consolidated ________________ Sheep _____ ---------- 115 ---------- Gray Eagle ____________________________ .•• do .•••••• -------------------- 25 

WheelofFortune ••• ------·------------ ___ do_______ 2,500 ---------- 30 

Crown Point. •••• ---------------~----- .•• do .•••.•• -------------------- 15 

Tiger·--------------------·------------ ___ do _______ ---------- ---------- 60 

Snow Bank---------------------------- .•• do _______ ---------- ---------· 20 Kearsarge ________________________________ do •• _____ ---------- ---------- 5 

Aftermath----------------------------- Elk _______ ---------- 25 100 White Quail ___________________________ .•• do_______ 9, 000 10 100 

MilO---------------------------------- ..• do_______ 3, 520 15 100 Badger ________________________________ ..• do_______ 4, 800 35 70 

Silver Wave--------------------------- ••. do ••••••. -------------------- 40 Eagle and Raven ______________________ ••. do_______ 550 ---------- 150 

Colonel Sellers Consolidated. __________ .•• do~-------------------------- 60 

Queen of the West--------------------- Jacque____ ISO ---------- 4 May Flower·----------------------···· ••• do....... 150 ---------- 10 

Ida L---------------------------------- ___ do _______ --······------------ 15 

Gilpin Matchless .•••• -------·-------------------- Fletcher __ -------------------- 10 ________________________________ do_______ 225 ---------- 2 

The following is an approximate statement of the weekly 

output of the leading producing mines of Tenmile, Colo.: -

Tons 

Aftermath____________________________ 480 

Badger_______________________________ 210 

Eagle and Raven_______________________ 60 

Fletcher Mountain_____________________ 20 

Gray Eagle___________________________ 30 

Ida L---------------------~---------- 90 Little Chicago _________ ... _______________ 15 

Milo_________________________________ 240 

Robinson_____________________________ 800 

Silver Wave___________________________ 90 

White QuaiL ____ . _____ :..________________ 150 

Wheel of Fortune______________________ 180 

Total weekly output _____________ 2, 365 

Chihuahua is one of the early camps and contains a large 

number of valuable mines, which were worked to a greater or 

less extent during the year. Some ore was shipped, and a 

considerable amount extracted in process of development 

remains on the dumps awaiting shipment. 

Production of Chihuahua district, 1881 

~ c. '0' aQ;l "'- "' f;:!O f;:l ~ i=li 0 oEl 0 .s ~Z' ~§ ~0 ........ 0 

o,.. .Q p 

0~ l>o'Cil 

~-S Q)Q:l -o '0~ ~ .... -o ::=:t:~ 

I>~ o .... 0 ~0 Name of mine 0-o ........... Character of ore '0~ ... ~;:.. t-5 o 'O;B .... Q;lp, 

2~ .... f;:l ... Q;)Q;l 

§Q;l car-. 

b!/Q;l ~g;~ .0 

Q;l 

0. 

0. .... 

f;:l .0~ ~~ 

~0 ~0. ~~ OS r-.Q 

Q;l El:a s ~~g 0. El I> t:Soorn z ell z -< -< z z 0 -- -------- Delaware ________ 

:, 300 Galena and cop- $100.00 25'--·--- 751 10 

per. Orphan Boy _____ 325 Lead _____________ 92.00 20 25 30 10 

Blue Lodll------- 3. 100 Brittle silver----- 694.00 4 10 7~1 1~ Peruvian ________ 4 700 Gray copper __ • __ 45.00 100 ------ 10 Bullion _______ .•• , 3 100 Galena and gray 290.00 ............... 2 10! 1 

copper. Eliza II Jane _______ 2 75 Gray copper _____ 500.00 2 2 ~ Chicago Lode. __ 4 2001 Lead _____________ 65.00 ------ 10 10' 1 

Little ChieL _ --- 1 58~ -A"iit?~<iliY.:-su~e~; 35.00 4 2 4~1 ~ Silver Ledge _____ 9 96.00 

~~~~] 5 50 

and galena. Jennie 

Telephone 

B ________ 

_______ 5 200 Gray copper _____ 204.00 3 5 ~ 3 75 Galena and yel- 187.00 ------1 2 3 ~ 

Atlantic & Palow .copper. 

cific tunneL ___ 12 500 Lead .•. ---------- 94.00 ------1 5 lOg! 20 

New Discovery_ 3 100 Gray copper _____ 210.00 II 9 1 Frenchman ______ 2 100 Lead ------------ 56.00 ------1 2 18 5 

Below Tenmile is Frisco, containing some excellent mines discovered in recent times and upon which comparatively but little 

work has been done. 

· The Frisco Belle shows a large body of mineral, principally 

galena. 

The Mountain Chief and Leetsdale show well for the amount 

of development. 

The following is a list of the stamp mills in Summit County, 

with their capacity: 

Name Location 

Number of 

stamps 

Remarks 

Brooks & Snyder __ Breckenridge _________ _ Lawrence _______________ do. ___ ------------ Gold Park ________ Gold Park (Eagle 

County). Lincoln____________ Lincoln. ______ ------ __ Little Chief. _______ Red Cliff (Eagle 

County). 

20 

10 

40 Owned by the Gold Park 

Mining Co. 

10 

30 Anglo-American mine. 

'The smelters of the county, with their capacity and amount 

of production, are as follows: 

I 

NumTons berof Tons 

Name of works Location capac- days of Remarks in bul- ity opera- lion 

tion ~ 

--

White Quail smelter __ Kokomo. _____ 30 140 950 Present owner took 

charge April 15. 

Value of bullion, $475,000. 

Greer smelting works. _____ do _________ 40 76 240 Silver in bullion, 125 ounces. Carbonateville Carbonateville 30 ------ Never used. 

smelter. 

Summit smelter (two Robinson. ____ 80 180 ---·-- Treated Robinson ore, stacks). using low-grade bullion for flux. 

Wilson smelter (two Breckenridge._ ................ ------ ------ Produces matte. stacks). I . Boston & Colorado _____ do ________ _____ ... ------ ::::::

1 

(two stacks). No':." obtained. 

Elyria (two ·stacks) ___ ___ .• do _________ 

Sissapo (two stacks) •. _ Montezuma .•. ------ Do. Lincoln (two stacks) __ Lincoln _______ ------ Do. Battle Mountain(two Red Cliff _____ ------~ No figures obtai ned · stacks). [now Eagle County]. 
SUMMIT COUNTY 237 

The Kokomo Times estimates that the ore output for Summit County for 1881 will run from $;3,500,000 to $4,000,000. Of 

this immense production, Tenmile will fqrnish about $2,000,000, 

while the Battle Mountain district [now in Eagle County] will 

probably be the next heaviest producer. Decatur and Montezuma have done reasonably well, and Breckenridge, coming in 

as she did in the, summer and fall, will doubtless add materially to it. 

The Breckenridge Leader publishes the following statement 

of the yield of the mines of Summit County for -the years 

1860 to 1880: 

Production of Summit County, Colo., 1860-1881 

Gold from placers, 1860 to 1869 _____ $5, 500, 000 

Gold from placers, 1870 __ $100, 000 · 

Gold from placers, 187L _ 70, 000 

Gold from placers, 1872_ _ 60, 000 

Gold from placers, 1873 __ a101, 000 

Silver and lead, 1869 to 

1874 __________________ 200,000 

Gold from placers, 1874 __ Silver and lead _________ _ 76,408 

50,000 

Gold from placers, 1875_ _ 72, 413 

Silver __________________ • 50, 000 

Gold from placers, 1876 __ 

Silver and lead _________ _ 

Gold from placers, 1877 __ Silver and lead _________ _ 

Gold from placers, 1878 __ Silver and lead _________ _ 

Gold from placers, 1879 __ Silver and lead _________ _ 

Gold from placers, 1880 __ 

Silver and lead, 1880 ____ _ 

150, 000 

200,000 

150, 000 

40,000 

165, 774 

155, 000 

100,000 

375,000 

50,000 

400,000 

531,000 

126,408 

122,413 

350,000 

190,000 

320,774 

475,000 

450,000 

Silver, gold, and lead, 1881._________ 3, 250, 000 

Total for 21 years _______________ 11, 315, 595 

• Includes Hahns Pcak.-0. W. H. 

The following smelting works, mills, and mines have returned 

reports of production, viz: L. W. Aldrich, Lincoln City, Summit, White Quail, Greer, Wilson, Badger, Central Fluming, 

Gray Eagle Consolidated, J. L. Fuller, Matchless, Robinson 

Consolidated, Silver King, Silver Wave, Blue River, Bell, 

Gold Park [Eagle· County], and Belden [Eagle County]. 

In his report for 1882 Burchard gives the produc.:. 

tion of Summit. County, and from his figures the production of the area now comprised in Eagle County 

has been deducted to obtain the figures for 1882 given 

in the table on page 245. Burchard says: 59 

The principal district of Summit County is Tenmile district, which embraces the valley of Tenmile Creek from the 

summit of the Continental Divide, west to the summits of 

Sheep, Elk, Chalk, Jacque, Tucker, and Cooper Mountains. 

The principal mining towns are Kokomo, Recen,. Robinso n 

Carbonateville, and Wheeler's. Kokomo and Recen adjoin 

and are practically one town. * * * 

40 Burchard, H. C., op. cit. for 1882, pp. 390, 391, 395, 554-559, 59G-593, 1883 .. 

The average grade of ore is about 30 ounces in silver and 35 

per cent lead. This is the showing of the producers. 

He then gives descriptions of the Robinson, Idalia,· 

Gray Eagle, Ballarat (which was located 1878, but no 

work of consequence was· done until 1881), Wheel of 

Fortune, Rambler, Sarsfield, Bay City, Crown ~oint, 

Little Chief, Lucky Boy, Michigan, Snow Bank, Aftermath ("which has produced 11,000 tons of ore1 averaging 30 ounces silver and 20 per cent lead; ·* * * 

the ore is chiefly sand carbonates"), Milo ("adjoining 

the Aftermath, * * * so far taken $200,000; 

* * * the output is about 5 tons per day, part of 

which goes to Greer's concentrating works and part 

to Doncaster's"), White Quail ("commenced output 

just below the surface,· and to the present has produced 

6,750 tons, of an average of 30 ounces silver, 1 ounce 

gold, and 4 per cent lead to the ton; the ore is treated 

at the White Quail Co.'s smelter, which has a capacity of 40 tons daily") 1 Raven and Eagle, Badger, 

Little Ida, Queen of the West, Mayflower, Ida Lee, 

Delmonico, and Selma mines. He continues: 

On Fletcher Mountain, about 6 miles from Kokomo, the 

principal locations are owned by the Croesus Co., Peerless Co., 

and Matchless Co. They are fissure veins above timber line. 

The ores are high-grade galena, carrying native and· brittle 

silver. * * * 

The Colorado Land & Mineral Co. owns the Bernadotte, 

Maximus, Maximus Extension, and Orestes, known as the 

Maxim~s mines. * * * They have taken out * * * a 

quantity of fine mineral from the surface by opening cuts on 

the veins, which have given returns from the smelter running 

from $150 to $200 per ton. 

Union district is situated northeast of Breckenridge, and comprises Gold Run basin and the adjacent slopes. Gold Run is 

a· tributary of the Swan River~ having a northwesterly course, 

east of Gibson Hill and west of Silver Hill, a spur from Mineral 

Hill running north between Galena Gulch and Gold Run. Its 

length is about 4 miles from its mouth to the northeast flank 

of Mineral Hill. In this gulch, in the early history of gulch 

mining, a large amount of gold was taken out. Several properties are still being operated, the principal being the central 

portion of the gulch owned by L. Peabody. * * . * Its area 

is one-half mile from north to south, and three-fifths of a mile 

from east to west. The water to operate this property is conveyed from the Blue River at a point 4 miles south of Breckenridge, by a ditch 9Y2 miles long. George A. Mumford owns 

the lower and northern portion, embracing Buffalo and Kentucky fiats, comprising 650 acres, which is regularly worked. 

* * * South of Peabody's claims the upper portion of the 

basin is the property of the Gold Run Placer Mining Co., 

represented by * * * 50 acres of patented ground. 

In digging the ditches and working the placers, deposits of 

galena were disco'vered, and at one point carbonates were 

uncovered. This was near the last-named property, on the 

slope of Silver Hill. This was located as a claim and called the 

Wilkes-Barre. Other locations were made at an early day but 

were subsequently abandoned. During the last year some of 

the old workings were reopened and new discoveries made that 

gave an impetus to lode mining in the district. 

He gives descriptions of the Orphan Boy, John J., . 

Hard Times, Iron, Ohio· (located 1881), Wild. Cat, 

Cooper, Reese, Highland Mary, Lafayette, Ida, 

Lexington. 
238 MINING IN COLORADO 

In his report for 1883· Burchard says: 60 

Summit County lies on the Pacific slope of the Snowy Range. 

The area of this county is much smaller than formerly, as the 

legislature during its last session created from -the western 

portion Eagle and Garfield counties. With the exception of · 

Eagle County, this county still retains the principal mining 

districts, viz, Union and Tenmile. 

Tenmile district embraces the valley of Tenmile Creek, 

within whose boundaries are Jacque, Sheep, Elk, Chalk, and 

Cooper mountains. 

Union district lies east of Tenmile and embraces Montezuma, 

Decatur, Chihuahua, Breckenridge, and the Blue River. 

Although some of the largest producing mines of _this county 

were not worked, and others to a limited extent, the year was 

successful, owing to the fact that a number of new prospects 

became producing mines during the year. This is apparent 

more especially in the vicinity of Breck~nridge and Montezuma, 

whose season has been a progressive one, and the stability of 

these camps has been strengthened by the improvements and 

developments in the mines as well as by the advent of thE; 

railroad. But in Tenmile district there is either a lack of 

energy, confidence, or capital among the mine owners that has 

thrown the district into a dormant state, from which it will 

require considerable time to recuperate. 

The first silver-bearing lode discovered in Colorado was in this 

county, on Glacier Mountain, near Montezuma, in July, 1864, 

and though it has·never amounted to anything as a producer, 

it led tq the great silver excitement and development of the 

Clear Creek County silver district. 

In the early years of Colorado the placers along the tributaries 

of the Blue River were among the most productive in the State, 

Georgia, Frenci:t, Humbug, and Gold Run gulches being the 

richest; yet large quantities of the precious metal were produced 

from Swan River, Tenmile Creek[?], Illinois, Iowa, and Ryan 

gulches. The yield of the placers in this county has always 

been good, and mining has been carried on there every summer 

since the first discoveries. Tenmile district does not show the 

life it possessed two years ago. .A,lmost every branch of mining: 

is at a standstill, with a future equally dark. The ores as a 

general rule are low grade in silver, and on account of the lead 

and iron contained they are desirable ores for smelting purposes. 

The formation of the veins are principally contact, averaging 

4 feet thick, composed mostly of carbonate of lead and carbonate 

of iron. 

On Sheep Mountain is the property of the Robinson Consolidated Mining Co., that during 1881 and 1882 created great 

excitement on account of the wonderful production that was 

the principal cause of swelling the Summit County production 

in 1881. This property is now worked under lease. According 

to the terms of the latest lease the lessee agrees to pay the 

company the following royalties: On ore under 35 ounces to the 

·ton, $3 per ton; ore of 35 ounces and not exceeding 40, $4 per 

ton; ore of 40 ounces and not exceeding 45, $6 per ton; ore of 45 

ounces and not exceeding 50, $9 per ton; ore of 50 ounces and not 

exceeding 55, $12 per ton; ore of 55 ounces and not exceeding 

60, $18 per ton; on all ores over 60 ounces, in· the proportion 

of $18 per ton per 60 ounces. Settlements are to be rp.ade 

with the company on the first of every month. The lessee 

agrees to employ a force of not less than 65 men, and extract 

at least 1,500 tons a month, providing the ore is contained in 

the mine and available. He also agrees to diligently prosecute 

development work on the line of the ore shoots below the 

thirteenth, level and keep development work at least 50 feet 

ahead of the extraction of the ore. 

eo Burchard, H. C., op. cit. for 1883, pp. 236, 237, 238, 240, 426-433, 1884. 

The lda1ia, an adjoining property to the Robinson, has been 

idle most of the time, and ~ut little advancement in development has been made. 

The Wheel of Fortune, on top of Sh~ep Mountain, has been 

worked and some ore shipped. Developments have been 

pushed, and large bodies of ore are now blocked out ready for 

extraction. The ore is a carbonate of lead, found in the contact, 

and is about 4 feet thick. The grade is only fair, averaging 

something like 20 ounces silver per ton. 

On the Gray Eagle some exploration and development work 

has been done, and, as reported, the prospects for finding a large 

body of ore are good. This property is worked by lessees, who 

have spent some $6,000 or $7,000 in their researches. 

The Crown Point, owned by the Graphic Mining Co., has 

been put in good shape and is now one of the largest producers 

in this district. In tunnel, drifts, and levels is an aggregate 

of over 1,000 feet of . development. The ore is better grade 

than found anywhere jn this vicinity, the average per shipment 

being about $100 per ton. 

The Snow Bank is developed by a shaft 100 feet deep, with 

an aggregate of 100 feet in l~vels. The ore body is from 4 to 

10 feet thick, it being read carbonates and sulphates of iron, 

that run from.12 to 15 ounces silver and 20 per cent lead per 

ton. The ore is refractory and requires concentrating to be 

made.marketable. No shipments were made during 1883, but 

over 3,000 tons of ore was exilracted and now lies on the dump. 

The Boston & Sheep Mountain Miriing co·. own seven claims 

on this mountain, all adjacent to the Robinson Consolidated 

Mining Co.'s property. No ore has been mined from this group 

during 1883. The principal development, and that which 

promises best results, was a shaft sunk 162 feet on the Zonars 

lode and designed to tap the Robinson ore shoot on its dip, but 

the work was discontinued before the desired result was attained, 

the necessary depth to catch this ore shoot being 320 feet. 

The Little Chicago is developed by an incline shaft on the 

vein 288 feet deep. A tunnel 640 feet lorig cuts the vein intersecting the shaft at the 240 foot level. At this point there is 

700 feet of drifting on the vein, which is a contact, with an 

almost vertical dip, and radically different from any other 

mineral vein on Sheep Mountain. It has a sedimentary rock, 

giving a strong lime reaction, for a footwall and a yellowcolored porphyry for a hanging wall. The bulk of the vein· 

filling is feldspar and decomposed porphyry, the ore when it 

occurs being a coarse cube galena intimately associated with 

pyrites of iron. 

The Nettie B. Forrest mine is being worked by an incline 

120 feet long. The drifts and upraises from this inc1ine aggregate 450 feet. From the bottom of the shaft, which is 34 

feet, there are about 250 feet of drifts on the vein. The Nettie 

B., as it is mostly called, is a contact vein, between a micaceous 

sandstone cap and a lime footwall. One of the peculiarities of 

this vein is that it dips with the contour of the mountain at 

an angle of about 20°, attaining greater depth as it descends 

the hill, the contour of the mountain being about 15°. The 

vein from the outcrops to about 90 feet from the surface is badly 

broken, the ore being bunchy, the bulk of it being an oxide 

of iron of good quality, and is in demand as a smelting flux, 

·running 45 per cent excess in iron and about 9 ounces in silver; 

the ore associated with it being a carbonate of lead running 

about 40 ounces silver and 15 per cent lead per ton. The main 

objection to this ore is its excessive moisture. Below the 90-

foot level the character of the ore radically changes into an 

iron, heavy in sulphur and void of either silver or lead. 

The West si~e, on Fletcher Mountain, was, during the early 

part of the year, worked by lessees, but on account of litigation 

w:as closed down. The ore is a sulphuret in quartz, running 

from 50 to 80 ounces silver per ton. 
SUMMIT COUNTY . 239 

The Nova Scotia Boy No. 2, owned by the Croesus· Mining 

<Co., is being put in condition for production in 1884. Until 

-recently the development consisted of a few open cuts and a 

-tunnel 25 feet long lower down the mountain. This tunnel 

·will be pushed until the contact is found. 

But very little is being done on Jacque Mountain. The Ida 

L. Bledsoe, Queen of the West, and the Delmonica have been 

worked but very little and but a very small quantity of ore 

. shipped. 

On Copper Mountain, the Reconstruction and Storm King 

·have been shipping SOI!le ore and pushing explorations. The 

-ore is a low-grade carbonate of lead. 

The Aftermath, the property of the American Mining & 

-Smelting Co. on Elk Mountain, has been producing regularly 

under lessees. The property is worked through an incline 

-tunnel 690 feet long, having 11 .levels, or a total of 2,500 feet. 

The ore, which is carbonate of lead, averages 25 ounces ·of 

. silver and 25 per cent lead. 

The Milo mine, adjoining the Mtermath, has an outlet for 

its production through the tenth level of the Aftermath. The 

-ore is a carbonate of lead and sulphuret of iron, averaging 

·25 ounces silver per ton. The developments consist of a shaft, 

-or rather an incline shaft, 550 feet deep, with levels at every 

.50 feet, which in all aggregate about 1,500 feet. 

Of the White Quail, one of the best producers in this district, 

no accurate information of the amount of development or of 

-the character of the ore has been obtained. 

The Matchless mine has been idle. 

Union district embraces that portion of Summit County in 

-the vicinity of and to the northeast of Breckenridge; the 

principal camps in addjtion to Breckenridge are Montezuma, 

Lincoln, Decatur, and Chihuahua. The placers have not 

been yielding as largely as formerly, many of them being idle 

·Or being put in condition for future working. 

The Peabody Placer, owned by Lilon Peabody, in Gold Run, 

has been worked with some success. The property possesses 

-three short flumes, 200, 300, and 400 feet long, respectively; 

-these flumes are 2 ffet wide, 20 inches high, and give a supply 

·of about 130 miner's inches. 

The property of the Gold Run Placer Mining Co. was not 

worked during the year, but preparations are now being made 

for extensive work. 

The Galena & Delaware Gulch placer was worked but very 

little on account of litigation; the property is well supplied 

with sluices and a Little Giant hydraulic. 

The Ryan Gulch placer has likewise been idle, litigation 

'being the cause. This property is well supplied with hydraulic~, 

.and if sufficient water could be obtained, the property would 

:be equal in production to any in this district. 

The Fuller Placer Mining Co. consists of the Maggie placer, 

122 acres; the Fuller & Crome placer, about 160 acres; the 

May lode claim, on which is a tunnel 130 feet, the formation 

"being quartzite and lime; the character of the ore· is galena 

.and gray copper, carrying native silver, the mill runs averaging 

150 ounces silver per ton; the Nannie Houston lode, developed 

by a shaft 40 feet deep, showing a 20-inch pay streak similar 

in ch~racter to .the May lode; the Germania lode, which is 

developed by a tunnel 280 feet long, the pay streak being from 

10 to 20 inches wide, carrying sulphurets and carbonates that 

.average 90 ounces silver per ton. None of this property has 

been worked during the year beyond working the annual 

.assessment. From reliable information obtained, I understand 

-that machinery has. been purchased, and as soon as erected 

the property' both placer and lode claims, will begin to produce. 

The Salt Lick placer has been successfully worked. This 

property possesses a flume about 600 feet long, the water 

.supply being about 60 miner's i?ches. 

The Blue River Mining Co. owns about 400 acres of good 

placer ground on Blue River. The surface only has been 

worked, the property possessing but very little development. 

On Negro Hill, east of Breckenridge, is·the Bunker Hill mine. 

The formation is porphyry hanging wall and lime footwall. 

The vein, which is 3 feet wide, runs due east· and west. The 

ore averages 6 inches to a foot, the character being mostly a 

lead carbonate, averaging from 40 to 60 per cent lead and from 

20 to 45 ounces silver and one-fourth ounce gold per ton . 

The developments consist of two shafts, one being 100 feet 

deep, the other 75 feet. A drift 30 feet below the surface extends between the two shafts, which are about 100 feet apart. 

A drift also extends about 20 feet west from the 100-foot 

shaft. Another drift, 20 feet below the one just mentioned, 

extends 20 feet at present but is being rapidly pushed. About 

300 tons of ore were extracted while running these developments, which, on account of the. low price of lead, still remains 

upon the .dump . 

The Washington mine, adjoining the Bunker Hill, together 

with the Uncle Sam and Ella, adjoining properties, are owned 

by Joseph Watson. These mines are thoroughly developed 

and equipped, nearly $90,000 having been expended upon 

them. In addition to the hoisting plant is a concentrating 

miU employing 20 stamps and other auxiliaries providing the 

facilities necessary for dressing the low-grade ores and rendering the entire product marketable. But a very small amount 

of ore was shipped during 1883, but the indications are that 

during the coming year the production will be quite large. 

The Mayo is showing signs of improvement as development 

progresses. The ore, which is. carbonate of lead, is of higher 

grade than that found in the Washington. . Machinery has 

recently been erected, and development work will be pushed 

the entire winter. 

On Mineral Hill the Cincinnati has been a regular shipper. 

The developments in tunnels and shafts aggregarte over 1,000 

·feet. 'rhe mineral being a carbonate of lead averaging 65 per 

cent lead and 16 ounces silver per ton. 

The Pennsylvania Breckenridge Mining Co. is working 

quite a large force in developing. 

On the Seymore developments continue, and a small quantity. of ore has been shipped. 

The Mineral Hill Tunnel Co.'s tunnel is now about 1,225 

feet long and is the most extensive continuous workings on 

the hill. But a very small amount of ore is extracted and 

shipped, the company wishing to first get their property in 

shape. 

The Seventy-Nine has shipped some ore, although the developments hardly aggregate 100 feet. Their ore is galena, which 

averages 40 per cent lead, 25 ounces silver, and some gold. 

The Gibson Hill Mining Co.'s property is composed of 20 

patented claims, situated on the slope of Gibson Hill, McKay 

mining district, about a mile from Breckenridge. They are 

working 12 men steadily and are doing development work 

principally but are taking out enough ore to pay all expenses. 

The ore is a galena, and the coarser part is shipped as taken 

out and nets from $60 to $75 per ton. The second-class ore is 

being concentrated by Messrs. Newcomb ·& Musgrove at the 

Elyria concentrator. 

The Elkhorn, on the west slope of Negro Hill, near the town 

of Breckenridge, has an aggregate of 490 feet of development 

in shafts, tunnels, and levels. About 60 or 70 tons of ore were 

extracted while making these developments; the average value 

of that extracted being $45 silver, $13 gold, and 65 per cent 

lead. In the workings some 300 or 400 tons of ore of equal 

value are in sight that will probably be extracted and shipped 

as soon as the mine can be cleared of water. 
240 MINING IN COLORADO 

The Hildebrand is developed by a tunnel 175 feet long, extending through a hard quartz with small veins of mineral 

crossing at intervals, carrying copper pyrites and antimonial 

silver. This tunnel will be extended to catch a larger vein 

some 60 feet farther on. 

. The Rose of Breckenridge is developed by a tunnel 850 feet 

in length running to crosscut that vein, which it is expected to 

do in the next 50 feet. This tunnel is the Colorado & New 

Mexico Consolidated Mining & Smelting Co.'s property, which 

in its course has cut half a dozen veins that show but small pay 

streaks of very rich ore, the character being mostly galena and 

zinc blende, although some gray copper is found. · 

On Argentine Hill, the Fredonia, the property of the Lake 

Shore Silver Mining Co., is developed by an incline on the vein 

100 feet. About 150 feet below and to the northwest another 

incline has been driven, cutting the vein about 150 feet from the 

surface. From this point levels are being run and stoping 

commenced. T~e vein is about 8 feet wide and the entire vein 

matter will average 26 ounces silver per ton. The ore is a 

sulphuret and lies between porphyry and dolomite. In addition to the regular shipments, fully $30,000 worth of low-grade 

·ore has been thrown on the dump, which will be concentrated 

during the coming season. 

About 10 miles from Breckenridge is the Warrior's Mark, 

which. is agatn coming to the front as a producer. The ore 

averages $100 per ton, carrying brittle silver, copper glance, 

and baryta. The mine is said to be in a condition to continue 

shipments for some time to come. 

On the Swan the Rochester Queen has been idle and the 

I XL has come to the front as~ producer. This mine is probably the best developed in this locality, possessing, in addition 

to a tunnel 200 feet long, about 600 feet in shafts, winzes, and 

levels. The I XL Mining Co. owns five locations, through which 

the presence and continuity of a fissure vein 91 feet in width 

have been established. It is one of the most remarkable leads 

in this section, and contains throughout its entire width a very 

fair average grade of material, principally of .a free milling 

character. 

On.Brewery Hill is the Sac Tunnel, the property of the New 

York & Summit County Mining Co. This tunnel and the 

workings aggregate about 650 feet; contracts for additional work 

have been let, and arrangements are now being made for active 

operations. 

The Rock Island piacer, comprising 90 acres, has been idle. 

This placer is well supplied with water, and the timber is unequaled by any in the State. 

The Silver Eel and Silver Eel Extension are being extensively developed by a crosscut tunnel, which, when finished, 

will be 450 feet long, cutting the vein at a depth of 250 feet 

from the surface; the ore, which is free milling, yields $40 per 

ton silver and gold. The width ·of pay streak averages 30 

inches .. 

The railroad passing near Montezuma has awakened mine 

owners, and during the past season more activity and real good 

has been accomplished than ever before during the existence of 

this camp. Numerous prospects have blossomed into producing 

mines, the only drawback being the lack of cars to transport 

the ores to market. · 

The Coaly, on Glacier Mountain, named after the discoverer, 

was located in July, 1864, and was the first discovery of silver 

in Colorado. This mine has yielded but a very small amount 

of bullion and has been worked but very little, save by open cuts 

along the surface. 

·The Harrison, the property of the Gem City Mining Co., on 

the eastern slope of . Glacier Mountain, that has been idle so 

long on account of litigation, has finally settled all dispute and 

is now one of the big producers of this section. The develop- . 

ments on the lode are two tunnels or adits. which have been 

driven on the vein, and three open cuts showing the crevice, 

and the discovery shaft-the aggregate being about 200_feet in 

all. Ore is shown in all the workings and improves with depth, 

the character being gray copper and galena which averages 

about 60 ounces silver per ton. 

The Belle East has shipped about 300 tons of ore during the 

year, it being a gray copper and galena. This property is 

developed by three levels, they being 85 feet, one above the 

other. The level No. 1, or upper level, is 120 feet long. Level 

No. 2 is 200 feet long, and level No. 3 is rather a drift, being 

750 feet long and having an opening on the eastern slope of 

the mountain. Winzes connect these levels, and the outlet is 

through level No. 3. 

The Herman mine, owned by the Herman Mining Co., has 

been shipping some ore. The crevice is about 6 feet wide and 

all the crevice matter pays for shipment, the average grade 

being between 60 and 70 ounces silver per ton. This is probably 

the largest ore body in the district, and with development will 

probably be one of the largest producers. The present developments consist of a drift on the vein 70 feet. About 35 feet 

below this drift an incline shaft has been started which will 

be sunk 100 feet, when levels will be run. 

The Silver King was developed considerably some years ago 

and has lain idle until the present management took hold of 

the property. The developments consist of three adit levels 

with connecting winzes that aggregate 1,500 feet. The upper 

level, or level A, is 100 feet long; level B is 500 feet long; and 

level C is 600 feet long. Contracts have been recently let to 

extend levels B and C each 50 feet more. Work has been confined to the two lower levels, the ore streak having increased 

both in quality and quantity, it having widened from 1 inch in 

the upper level to nearly 2 feet in the lower, or C level. The 

grade of the mineral is good, carrying ruby silver, gray copper, 

and galena. The body of mineral in sight has warranted the 

compaB.y_ in putting the Silver King mill in thorough repair 

by putting in crushers, Cornish rolls, Hartz jigs, and buddies. 

On the St. Elmo the drifts aggregate 450 feet long on the vein. 

The Mark Twain is now developed with capacity for working 

150 men in the stapes, but on account of the railroad not supplying sufficient number of cars; only about 14 men have been 

employed. The developments consist of a crosscut tunnel 400 

feet long, cutting the Mark Twain lode and St. Elmo veins. 

On the Mark Twain lode is a shaft 205 feet deep and an aggregate of 630 feet in levels. The pay streak averages 8 inches 

wide, of galena and gray copper, carrying about 140 ounce~ 

silver per ton. The workings are supplied with T rails, ventilators, etc. Charles Buckland is manager. 

The Mark Twain extension has been worked during the year. 

The Montezuma Silver Mining Co. owns the Radical, Chautauqua, Erie, General Teller, and several other lodes on Glacier 

and Teller mountains, all of which are more or less developed 

by shafts, levels, and tunnels. The Radical and Chautauqua 

have been worked the most during the year. On the Radical 

the developments aggregate 400 feet of development in drifts. 

and on the Chautauqua the aggregate is about 1,500 feet. The 

shaft is 150 feet deep and the upper drift is 150 feet long. A 

crosscut tunnel, which at present is about 1,000 feet, is being run 

to intersect this lode at a depth of 350 feet. The ore found in 

both of these claims is galena and gray copper, carrying on an 

average 90 ounces silver per ton. 

The Blanche has been idle most of the year. For about two 

months the mine was worked, and some ore extracted and 

shipped. The deveiopments consist of a.shaft 75 feet in depth, 

and an adit on the vein 180 feet long. The ore is a galena 

averaging 80 ounce~ silver J?er ton. 

On Lenawee Mountain the Eliza Jane is being systematically 

developed. At present the only work doJle consists of a shaft _: 

70 feet deep and a crosscut 40 feet long; but these are being 

pushed to put the mine in a condition for production. 
SUMMIT COUNTY 241 

On Collier Mountain the Waterman is developed by ~ drift 

200 feet long and an open cut on the surface 75 feet. Lower 

down the mountain another drift has just been started, which 

is being pushed as 'fast as possible. The pay streak averages 

10 inches of galena and gray copper that runs about 90 ounces 

silver per ton. 

· On Independence Mountain the Gre~t Republic is developed 

by an adit 200 feet and a crosscut 100 feet long; the vein is 

badly broken, but with depth the mineral is more solid, it 

befng galena that averages 50 ounce~ silver per ton. 

In the Horseshoe, in Peru district, near Decatur, the Bufa 

Mining & Milling Co. is pushing development on the Bufa 

lode. Water filled the shaft and upper workings, and the 

company is now running a crosscut tunnel, which at present 

is 195 feet long. This tunnel will drain this property, and the 

ore is high-grade sulphurets, carrying gold and silver. 

The Consolidated Silver ·Ledge Mining Co. is not working 

at present. They have now between 400 and 500 tons of ore 

on the dump ready for shipment. The ore consists of galena, 

gray copper, and gold, and gives returns from mill-runs of from 

60 to 150 ounces per ton. The property is splendidly located 

for working. 

The Royal Gorge Mining Co. has a very valuable property 

situatedin close proximity to the Silver Ledge, but the ore is 

very different from the Ledge, as it consists of an arsenical 

iron, carrying gray copper, ruby silver, brittle silver, silver 

glance, gold, and copper. The lode is exposed by nature for a 

distance of 106 feet and is 2 feet in width where it crops out. 

At a depth of 10 feet it is 4 feet and 2 inches of the same character 

of mineral. The lode is clearly traceable for a distance of 1,200 

feet and is being worked by two adits. The property has paid 

from the first hour's work, as the ore was obtained at the 

surface and will average in value from 114 ounces to 325 ounces 

in silver valuP. 

. The Delaware and Commodore mines, near Decatur, have 

been extracting and shipping large quantities of ore. 

The Piqua also has shipped considerable ore, it being galena 

and gray copper that carried on an average 115 ounces silver 

per ton. This mine is developed by a drift 200 feet long and a 

shaft 30 feet deep. 

The Hunkidori has been steadily worked. The ore shipped· 

averaged $120 per ton. Developments consist of two drifts 

that aggregate 390 feet. 

In his report for 1884 Burchard says: 61 

While the output of mineral from some portions of this 

county was insignificant and the total production smaller than 

usual, the strikes made in the latter half of the year have stimu~ 

lated mining industries, and prospecting and exploring have been 

extensively carried on. In the Tenmile district, especially 

around Robinson, explorations have disclosed large ore bodies. 

Gibson Hill, near Breckenridge, is booming because of the 

discovery of gold lodes. Chihuahua is coming to the front 

with new producing mines. 

The South Park Railroad is offering very low rates to shippers; old mills are being repaired and new ones built; in fact, 

the whole county seems to have new life enthused into it, and 

the managers and owners are working hard through this winter 

to enable them, when the snow is gone and the roads open, to 

take their ore to market. 

A strike is reported to have been made by E. C. Moody at the 

head of Georgia and American gulches, near Breckenridge, 

Summit County. 

The Boston Mining Co., at St. John's, has been producing 

a small amount of ore. 

The Blanche mine is being successfully worked, connection 

having been made with the shaft at a depth of 140 feet by drift61 Burchard, H. c .. op. cit. for 1884, pp. 177, 248-249, 1885. 

ing on the vein a distance of 300 feet. The vein is galena, 

carrying 40 per cent lead and 35 ounces silver, and showing 

ore all the way. 

Chihuahua district.-Mining is said to be improving. A 

number of mines carrying high-grade ore are being worked, 

among them the Pickwick, which is said to have produced 

$3,000 ·in sinking the shaft 50 feet. The Eliza Jane has also 

produced some ore. The Maid of Orleans, Rothschild, Winning Card, Chihuahua, Queen, and Edith are said to be promising properties. 

The Silver Queen mine, near the summit of Argentine Pass, 

is working a force of 10 miners, and sinking and stoping are 

being vigorously prosecuted. A ton of ore a day is being produced, which mill runs $400 silver. The pay streak averages 

from 3 to 10 inches of solid mineral, the character of which is 

gray copper and sulphurets. 

The Rochester Queen mine employs a few men. The I X L 

is thought to be a fine property and has a concentrating Jl!,ill of . 

40 tons capacity, worked by a wheel. Owing to litigation, it 

has not been producing. 

About 2 miles below Swan City the Our_ay Placer Co. are 

making preparations for mining gold placers. They have a 

saw-mill in operation cutting lumber for flumes, et~., and have 

built a ditch 131 miles in length. 

The Boss mine employs a few men on a vein yielding gold. 

On the apex of the mountain, at an altitude of· some 11,000 

feet, is the Ontario, and just below, on French Gulch, the 

Elephant, employing a dozen men. 

In Tenmile district, at Felicia Grace mine, ore was discovered 

at a depth of 85 feet in an ore shoot similar to the old Robinson, 

an adjoining property, which has induced a large amount of 

prospecting to be done.· 

On neighboring claims about 100 men are employed. Three 

of these properties are shipping ore. The ore is sulphide and 

is from 12 to 18 feet thick and mills from 40 to 90 ounces in 

. carload lots. The Felicia Grace has shipped' over 700 tons of 

ore and is still shipping at the rate of 10 tons per day; the 

Result about 400 tons and averages 8 tons per day; the Last 

Chance 100 tons and is shipping 3 tons per day; the shipments 

from Felicia Grace are to the Argo works, at Denver. ';I.'hese 

shipments averaged 55 ounces of sHver, leaving a handsome 

margin after the payment of $20 freight and reduction charges 

and 10 per cent off the silver. The lessees are now sinking 

another shaft near the end line of the claim upon the dip of 

the shoot. 

The value of placer gold from 1884 to 1903 given 

in the table on page 245 has been estimated on .the 

basis of all the information available. 

The figures for gold and silver in 1885 have been 

interpolated to correspond with the total production 

of t.he State -and with deposits of gold at the Denver 

Mint. 

According to Wilson,62 the gold produced in Summit 

County and deposited at the United States Mint at · 

Denver during the calendar year 1885 amounted to 

$198,525, and the silver to $3,700 (coining value). 

The figure for lead in 1886 is derived from a preliminary estimate published in Mineral Resources. 63 

For 1886 to 1896 the figures have been taken from 

reports of the agents of the Mint in annual reports 

of the Director of the Mint, the gold and silver being 

s2 Wilson, P.· S., agent for Colorado, in Kimball, J. P., Report of the Director 

of the Mint upon the production of the precious metals in the United States during 

the calendar year 1885, p. 136, 1886. 

sa U. S. Geol. Survey Mineral Resources, 1885, p. 257, 1886. 
242 MINING IN COLORADO 

prorated to correspond with the figures for the total 

production of the State as corrected by the Director 

of the Mint, the lead being prorated to correspond 

with the total production of lead in the State as 

given in Mineral Resources and any unknown production in the State being distributed proportionately 

among the counties. As with lead so with copper, 

but as the figures for copper given in Mineral Resources 

include copper from. matte and ores treated in 

Colorado, though mined in other .States, they are 

subject to revision. 

In his reports for 1887 and 1888 Munson 64 gives 

lists of producing and nonproducing mines and shows 

the individual output of the producing mines: Most 

. of the lead produced in 1887 came from the White 

Quail mine, at Kokomo. The output of the Robinson mine is included in the total of confidential reports, 

in which lead is not shown separately. In 1888 the 

Victoria mine (Tenmile district) produced $100,000 

in gold; the Boss (Breckenridge), $40,000 in gold; the 

Jumbo (Tenmile), $53,000 in gold. The Iron Mask 

(Tenmile), Minnie (Breckenridge), Oro (Breckenridge), Delphos (Tenmile), and Lucky (Bre~kenridge) 

mines were large producers of lead. 

In his reports for 1889, 1890, 1891, and 1892 Smith 65 

gives lists of the producing mines and shows their 

individual outputs. In 1889 the Victoria produced 

$68,173 ingold, and the Delphos $60,340 in gold, and 

$125,724 (coiJfing value) in silver. The Delphos, 

_ Iron Mask, and Sultana and the Boss group were large 

producers of lead. The report for the Robinson was 

confidential. In 1890 the Delphos produced $43,740 

in gold, and $88,721 in silver; the Boss group $126,061 · 

in· silver; the Juniata, $10,000 in gold and $10,343 in 

silver; the White Quail, $57,800 in gold and $144,000 

in silver; the Victoria, $21,420 in gold. The value 

stated for silver is the coining value. The Chautauqua, Delphos, Juniata, Oro group, Ouray, Washington, 

and White Quail were large producers of lead. - The 

Robinson mine is mentioned, but its production is riot 

shown. In 1891 the Ouray, Pennsylvania, Sts. John, 

and Surprise were large producers of lead. Much of 

the production of the county is included in con-

. fidential reports. The Wilfley Co.'s large mill at 

Kokomo was burned. In 1892 the Decatur Mines 

. Syndicate produced $9,000 in gold, $319,275 in silver, 

$58,725 in lead (at $87 per ton), and $1.9,800 in copper 

(at $220 per tqn); the Juniata, $25,107 in gold, $3,534 

in silver, and $5,525 in lead; the Ouray group (Breckenridge), $29,000 in gold, $154,800 in silver and $60,900 

in ·lead; the Sts. John, $32,493 in silver and $18,105 in 

lead; and the White Quail, $12,420 in gold, $60,181 in 

M Munson, G. C., agent for Colorado in Kimball, J. P., op. cit. for 1887, pp. 

185-188, 192-193, 1888; idem for 1888, pp. 125-128, 1889. 

6.1 Smith, M. E., agent for Colorado, in Leech, E. 0., Report of the Director of the 

Mint upon the production of the precious metals in the United States during the 

calendar year 1889, pp. 152-155, 1890; idem for 1890, pp. 127, 14Q-141, 1891; idem for 

1891, pp. 175, 184-185, 1.892; idem for 1892, pp. 119, 130, 1893. 

silver, and $60,378 in lead. The value stated for 

silver is the coining value. 

In his reports for 1894, 1895, and 1896 Puckett 6o: 

gives the deposits at the Denver Mint from mines in 

Summit County as follows: 

In 1894, $86,257 in gold and $857 in silver; in 1895, $70,589 in 

gold and $663 in silver; in 1896, $59,033 in gold and $489 in. 

silver. · The value given for the silver is its coining va~ue~ 

For 1897 to 1904 (and for zinc for 1906 and 1907) 1 

the figures given in the table on page 245, which represent smelter arid mint receipts, are taken from. the 

reports of the Colorado State Bureau of Mines. 

In his· reports for 1897 and 1898 Hodges 67 gives the 

deposits at the Denver Mint from mines in Summit 

County. In 1897 the value of the gold was $49,485, 

and the coining value of the silver was $489. In 

.1898 the value of the gold was $30,643, and the coining 

value of the silver was $319. In the report for i899 

Hodges says: 68 

The large output of placer gold from Summit County in the 

early sixties was one of the factors in spreading the fame of 

Colorado as a mining country, and it is estimated that about & 

per cent of its placer deposits have been worked and in a, 

coarse and primitive manner. The bedrock on nearly all 

its streams and gulches is from 20 to 70 feet in depth, and only 

the high bars and benches have been worked, but in the last 

year several large companies have acquired nearly all the accessible placer ground and after having prospected thoroughly 

have erected large hydraulic appliances and dredges on the Blue 

and Swan and are now in such condition that the coming year 

promises a considerable increase in the yield of precious metal. 

The old-time sluice boxes and giants are still worked by 

those who have neither the acreage nor means to equip their 

ground with modern appliances. * * * Several large 

milling plants have been built during. 1899, equipped with the 

latest improvements especially ad~pted to meet the requirements 

of the ore of each mine, and are almost automatic in action. 

In the camps of Robinson and Kokomo the production was 

not as large as expected, as all the large mines were compelled 

to shut down during the railroad blockade for lack of fuel. 

This district is in the western side of the county and about 

15 miles from Leadville, to which point all ore is shipped. * * * 

Frisco distric.t.-One of tlie districts of Summit County is . 

Frisco, situated a few miles from Breckenridge, in the heart of 

the Tenmile Range. A number of mines here are constant 

shippers. The ore is pyritic copper, iron, and lead, ranging 

from $10 to $300 per ton . 

.In the Montezuma, Rathbone, and Smoke River districts a 

number of important strikes of good grade silver-lead ore were 

made, and this section showed more activity than for many 

years. Several of the properties were worked at a fair profit . 

In the Swandyke region development was large. * * * 

There is but one public sampler in the county, that at 

Breckenridge, owned by the Denver Smelting & Refining Co., 

and it has proved a great convenience to the smelting-ore 

producers. 

During the blockade of last winter it continued to purchase 

all ore offered. 

66 Puckett, W. J., agent for Colorado, in Preston, R. E., Report of the Director of 

the Mint upon the production of the precious metals in the United States· during the 

calendar year 1894, p. 72, 1895; idem for 1895, p. 75, 1896; idem for 1896, p. 159, 1897. 

67 Hodges, i. L., agent for Colorado, in Roberts, G. E., Report of the Director 

of the Mint upon the precious metals in the United States during the calendar year 

1897, p. 127, 1898; idem for 1898, p. 99, 1899. 

68 Hodges, J. L., agent for Colorado, in Roberts, G. E., op. cit. for 1899, pp. 119-

120, 122, 1900. 
SUMMIT COUNTY 243 

The deposits at the Denver Mint from Summit 

County were $34,812 in gold and $326 in silver (coining 

value). 

. In his report for 1901 Hodges says: 69 

Tenmile district * * * embraces the camps of Frisco 

Robinson, and Kokomo.· Considerable high and fow grade 

smelting ore was produced during the year, carrying values in 

silver and lead with some gold. The Robinson Mining & Smelting Co. has nearly finished its new smelter, which will be an 

important addition to the district. This plant will handle the 

low grades of iron and sulphide ore. 

· Nigger and Mineral HWs have some good producers of lead 

and silver, carrying fair values in gold. 

Montezuma district is handicapped by the lack' of railroad 

transportation, a long wagon haul being necessary to market 

the ores. The veins are large and are rich in silver with some 

gold. 

Fa'rncomb Hill continues to produce rich free and crystallized 

gold, but with a limited output. Properties worked principally 

by lessees. During the year many mines made small shipments 

and are well developed for future operations. 

The Denver Smelting & Milling Co. handles about 90 per 

cent of the Breckenridge ores. Numerous private mills treat 

the ores of their own properties. 

Gold Pan placers.-The Gold Pan Mining Co., at Breckenridge, has the most complete plant for placer mining in the 

State. The company owns about 1,700 acres with ample water 

.rights. Water is taken out of the Blue River about 4 miles 

above the lower end of the placer, by means of ditches and 

about 2 miles of steel pipe 5 feet in diameter. At the end of 

this pipe line a system of Evans hydraulic elevators has been 

installed. These elevators work down to bedrock and carry 

the gravel to the sluices above. Through these elevators the 

water will have a pressure of 150 pounds to the square inch 

under a head of 350 feet. With the four Evans elevators and 

giants already in place, the company proposes to start the 

coming season with capacity to handle 6,000 to 8,000 cubic 

yards of gravel a day. Two steel derricks over 100 feet high 

are to be used in removing boulders and heavy debris. Each 

derrick will be equipped with guy ropes, carriers, and necessary 

engines. * * * During the year the gravel beds were 

thoroughly prospected by means of ·drills and sand pumps. 

* * * The average depth of gravel is 60 feet. * * * 

The Mecca Placer Co. is in French Gulch, at Breckenridge. 

The company has put in 3,000 feet of 60-inch pipe and installed 

Evans hydraulic elevators. In the past this ground has 

~urnished large returns in nuggets and fine gold. 

The Blue River Co. owns a large acreage of placer ground 

north of Breckenridge. During the season steam ex;cavators 

made a good opening to bedrock, and the company is in shape 

to make a fine showing next season. 

The Oro Grande Placer Co. has put in a hydraulic elevator 

and a new pipe line. This property is near Dillon. 

The American Gold Dredging Co. is on the Swan River. The 

operations of the last year were highly successful. Evans elevators, giants, and dredges were used. 

The deposits of bullion at the· Denver Mint from 

Summit County were $67,015 gold and $492 in silver 

(coining value). 

69 Hodges, J. L., agent for Colorado, in Roberts, G. E., op. cit. for 1901, pp. 141-

142, 147, 1902. 

In his report for 1902 Downer says: 70 

At Robinson, during a few months, the Robinson smelter· 

produced some matte. * * * Altogether, some 200 tons of 

ore were shipped from this camp for the year . 

At Kokomo considerable activity was evidenced. The bulk. 

of the ore mined at this point is of just sufficient value to permit 

of mining and shipping, the principal value being in silver and 

iron contained. 

On Elk Mountain the following properties shipped: Eagle, 

Delaware, Summit, Kimberly, and Wilfley. The Eagle Co. 

probably produced the largest tonnage, averaging about 40 tons 

a day, but the ore rather depreciated, running about $10 a ton. 

The Summit Mining & Smelting Co. has been a constant 

producer, its ore carrying a large percentage of zinc. It has· a 

mill. After being crushed the ore is handled on Wilfley tables, 

and the concentrates are passed over a Wetherill magnetic 

separator to extract the iron from the zinc sulphide. A roasting 

furnace will be added, giving a slight roast to the concentrates 

with the expectation of rendering more of the iron magnetic 

and taking out a larger percentage of that metal. As the iron 

contents decrease the zinc percentage increases; a higher price is 

paid for the cleaner ore. The average output of this company 

was about 25 tons a day. 

The Kimberly mine produced about 3,000 tons during the 

year and the Wilfley mine about 2,500 tons. 

On Sheep Mountain the following properties produced: 

Michigan, Washington, Snow Bank, and United States. 

On Jacque Mountain, the Queen of the West, which in the 

past produced· some high-grade silver ore, has been working 

intermittently. 

The Wintergreen shipped about 3,000 tons of very low grade 

iron sulphide ore. 

In the Mayflower district, on Fletcher Mountain, the Bird's 

Nest group shipped about 200 tons of ore, averaging as high as 

2~ ounces in gold and 20 ounces in silver to the ton. 

In the district surrounding Breckenridge the principal work 

has been the completion and operation of the American Dredging 

Co.'s placer plant on Swan River.· During the short season ·of 

five months in which the dredges were operated it is stated· 

that fully $100,000 in gold was saved, the first year of operations, 

. and as only the beginning of their ground ha::; been touched, 

the future of this company seems to be very bright. 

The Gold Pan Co., which owns a large territory on Blue 

River, just above Breckenridge, has spent much money in construction of an immense dumping ground, as all of their tailings 

have to be elevated. A large.pit was excavated to reach bedrock 

and a long flume built to take the entire water of the Blue, 

around the pit. The season was consumed in getting down to 

bedrock, at this point 40 feet below the surface, and the work 

was impeded by the presence of boulders, many of which weighed 

several tons. But the work of lifting these out of the pit with 

a very large stone bolt is accomplished by a fine mechanical 

arrangement of cables and cranes, the stone bolt depositing 

its load at the desired point automatically. The Evans hydraulic elevator has been installed and is being used successfully in the pit. · 

On French Gulch some very rich placer deposits were found 

on the Mecca Co.'s property, the pay streak averaging from 

$10 to $15 to the cubic yard, and at one place running as high 

as $42. 

In the vicinity of Breckenridge lode-mining interests were 

not very active. 

70 Downer, F. M., agent for Colorado, in Roberts, G. E., op. cit. for 1902, pp. 

118-120, 132, 1901. 
244 MINING IN COLORADO 

Probably the mine which produced the largest amount of 

value was the Cashier, in Browns Gulch. This property is 

·equipped with a 20-stamp mill. 

On Bald Mountain the Mountain Pride started work in 

April and shipped 503 tons of ore, which averaged about $27 

to the ton. 

. -In the Swandyke district a good deal of prospecting was 

done. 

The only new producer in the vicinity of Breckenridge was 

Carbonate mine, on Nigger Hill, which sent out three carloads 

of ore ·averaging $50 to the ton in gold, silver, and lead. 

On Mineral Hill the June Bug had four cars, averaging $70 

to the ton. · 

Montezuma was fairly active during the year. The Pride 

shipped 1,000 tons to the smelter, and the Mines Development 

Co., working the California Bell tunnel, produced 350 tons of 

good grade. 

At Rathbone the only regularly producing property was the 

Pennsylvania, which put out 800 tons of ore an,d concentrates. 

Bullion from Summit County was deposited at the 

Denver Mint amounting to $90,702 in gold and $615 

in silver (coinage value). 

In his report for 1903 Downer 71 gives the bullion 

from Summit County deposited at the Denver Mint 

as $121,451 in gold and $838 in silver (coinage value). 

In his report for 1904 Downer says: 72 

n Downer, F. M., agent for Colorado, in Roberts, G. E., op. cit. for 1903, p. 81, 

1904. 

72 Downer, F. M., agent for Colorado, in Roberts, G. E., op. cit. for 1904, pp. 

20-121, 124, 1905. 

The Gold Pan Mining Co. owns 1,700 acres of rich territory, 

and washed several acres of 75 feet to bedrock during the 

season. The company expended a large sum in the installation 

of a modern plant, which is the most complete in the State. 

The American Gold Dredging Co. uses both dredge boat and 

hydraulic giants in operating. 

The Reliance Gold Dredging Co. is constructing a $75,000 

gold dredge, which will be completed for next season. 

The Summit Banner Mining Co. and the Mekka Placer are 

each·installing plants for the season of 1905. 

The Masonton G. M. & M. Co. has completed a 20-ton 

cyanide plant to treat new ore bodies. 

The old Union M. & M. Co. has under construction a 100-ton 

zinc concentrator to handle the ores.from the Union and Wellington mines. 

The Col6rado & Wyoming Development Co., operating the 

Wellington and other properties on Mineral Hill, has discovered a 10-foot vein of zinc-lead ore in a 700-foot crosscut, 

which has been driven on 600 feet and upraised on 350 feet. 

Shipments of 800 tons per month have been made for the last 

half of the year, returns averaging 28 per cent zinc and 12 per 

cent lead. · 

The deposits of bullion from Summit County at 

the Denver Mint amounted to $75,557 in gold and 

$619 in silver (coinage value). 

The figures for 1905 to 1923 (except for zinc for 

1906 and 1907 from the Colorado Bureau of Mines), 

given in the table, are taken from Mineral Resources 

(mines reports). 
Gold (placer and lode), silver, copper, lead, and zinc produced in Summit County, 1859-1923 

Ore Gold Silver Copper I Lead ., Zinc 

tonnage 

I Average 

Total Year treated Average Average Average value (short Fine 

tons) Placer Lode Total ounces price per Value Pounds price per Value Pounds price per Value Pounds price per Value ounce pound pound ·pound 

1859-67__ _______ ---------- "$5, 150, 000 ------------ "$5, 150, 000 -----·------ ---------- ------------- ------------ ---------- ------------ -------------- ---------- ------------ -------------- ---------- ------------- $5,150,000 

1868 __ - -------- "150, 000 ------------ "150, 000 .......................... ------------· ............................. ------------ -------------- ------------ -------------- ------------- 150,000 1869 ___________ ---------- "200, 000 ------------ "200, 000 "7, 547 $1.325 0$10,000 ------------ ---------- ------------ 50,000 $0.06 $3,000 -------------- ---------- ------------- 213,000 

1870_-- -------- ---------· 500,000 ------------ 500,000 07,907 1.328 o10, 500 ------------ ---------- ------------ 050,000 .06 3,000 ---------·---- ---------- ------------- 513,500 1871_ __________ ---------- 70,000 ------------ 70,000 ------------ ---------- ------------- ------------ ---------- ------------ -------------- ---------- ------------ -------------- ---------- ------------- 70,000 

1872_---------- ---------- 120,000 ------------ 120,000 o3, 782 1.322 05,000 ------------ ....................... ................................. "100,000 .064 6,400 -----·-------- .. ......................... ------------- 131,400 

1873_---------- ---------- 75,000 ------------ 75,000 o3,855 1.297 o5,000 ------------ ---------- ------------ 0100,000 .06 6,000 -----·-------- ---------- ------------- 86,000 

1874_-- -------- ---------- 70,000 ------------ 70,000 23,784 1. 278 30,396 ------------ ---------- ------------ 423,950 .06 25,437 -------------- ---------- ------------- 125,833 

1875_-- -------- ---------- 72,012 ------·----- 72,012 7, 734 1.24 9,590 ------------ ---------- ------------ "141, 000 .058 8,178 -------------- ---------- ------------- 89,780 

1876_-- -------- ---------- 150,000 ------------ 150,000 154,688 1.16 179,438 ------------ ---------- ------------ 0100,000 .061 6,100 ~-------------- ---·------ ------------- 335,538 

1877----------- ---------- 150,000 ------------ 150,000 30,938 1.20 37,126 ------------ ---------- ------------ "100,000 .055 5, 500 -------------- ------------- 192,626 

1878_-- -------- ---------- 165,774 ------------ 165,774 119,883 1.15 137,865 ------------ ---------- ------------ 0100,000 .036 3, 600 -------------- ------------- 307,239 

1879_-- -------- ---------- 75,000 ------------ 75,000 154,688 1.12 173,251 ..................................... ---------- ------------ oJOO,OOO .041 4,100 -------------- ------------- 252,351 

1880_-- -------- ------·--- 44,000 "$5,000 49,000 317, 109 1.15 364,675 ------------ ---------- -----·------ o500,000 .05 25,000 -------------- ------------- . 438,675 1881_ __________ ---------- 26,000 "5, 000 31,000 1, 560,344 1.13 1, 763, 189 ------------ ---------- ------------ G 16, 773, 000 .048 805,104 -------------- ------------- 2,599, 293 

1882_--- ------- ---------- 50,000 05,000 55,000 674,757 1.14 769,223 ------------ ------------ "5, 773,000 .049 282,877 -------------- ---------- ------------- 1, 107,100 

1883~--- ------- ---------- 10,000 o5,000 15,000 270,703 1.11 300,480 ------------ ---·------- ------------ 02,773,000 .043 119,239 -------------- ---------- ------------- 434,719 

1884_--- ------- ---------- 010,000 10,000 20,000 232,031 1.11 257,554 ------------ ---------- ------------ 985,250 .037 36,454 ....................................... ............................ ------------- 314,008 1885 ___________ ---------- 015,000 185,000 200,000 234,351 1.07 250,756 ------------ ---------- ------------ 0985,250 .039 38,425 025,000 $0.043 $1,075 490,256 

1886_---------- -----·---- 015,000 149,222 164,222 422,298 .99 418,075 ------------ ---------· ------------ 1, 546,000 .046 71,116 025,000 .044 1,100 654,513 

1887----------- ______ : __ !_ 0 15,000 225,520 240,520 220,120 .98 215,718 ------------ ---------- ------------ 1, 754, 132 .045 78,936 025,000 .046) 1,150 536,324 

1888_--- ------- ---------- 010,000 272,209 282,209 394,058 .94 370,415 ------------ ---------- ------------ 2,126,887 .044 93,583 o75,000 .049 3,675 749,882 

1889_-- -------- 0 16,000 206,724 222,724 519,842 .94 488,651 2,066 $0.135 $278 3,055, 981 .039 119,183 "75,000 .05 3, 750 834,586 1890 ___________ "7,000 222,830 229,830 516,358 1.05 542,176 ------------ ---------- ------------ .7, 775,765 .045 349,909 o75,000 .055 4,125 1,126,040 1891_ _________ { 0 10,000 79, 132 89, 132 523,658 .99 518,421 ------------ ---------- ------------ 10,591,152 .043 455,420 o75,000 .05 3, 750 1,066, 723 

1892_-- -------- 010,000 116,046 126,046 563,417 .87 490,173 166,799 .116 19,349 6, 371,637 .04 254,865 0212,500 .046 9, 775 900,208 

1893_---------- ---------- 010,000 106, 168 116,168 421,566 • 78 328,821 ------------ ---·-------- 6, 277,000 .037 232,249 0415,000 .o4 16,600 693,838 

1894_-- -------- ---------- 0 10,000 214,791 224,791 432,794 • 63 272,660 ------------ ---------- ------------ 5, 500,000 .033 o• 181,500 0200,000 .035 7,000 685,951 1895 _________ c_ ---------- 0 10,000 225, 591 235,591 288,242 .65 187,357 1, 058 .107 113 5, 477,117 .032 175,268 65,000 .036 2,340 600,669 

1896_---------- ---------- 010,000 200,202 210,202 441,448 • 68 300,185 54,081 .108 5,8U 3, 950,040 .03 118,501 "100,000 .039 3,900 638,629 

1897----------- ---------- 010,000 263,650 273,650 514,107 .60 308,464 133,482 .12 16,018 1, 748,761 .036 62,955 082,489 .041 3,382 664,469" 

1898_---------- ---------- aJO,OOO 333,825 343,825 415,687 .59 245,255 9,825 .124 1, 218 4,889, 204 .038 185,790 0 227,156 .046 10,449 786,537 1899 _________ "_ --------·- "10,000 250,566 260,566 264,872 .60 158, 92a 65,531 .171 11,205 4, 032,431 .045 181,459 •125, 416 .058 7,274 619,427 

1900_-- -------- ---------- o25, 000 313,182 338,182 403,330 .62 250,065 53,030 .166 8,803 5, 610,710 .044 246,871 •491, 055 .044 21; 606 865,527 1901 ___________ ---------- o35,000 303,719 338,719 368,887 .60 221,332 17,062 .167 2,849 4, 342,437 .043 186,725 •1,000,000 .041 41,000 790,625 1902 ___________ ---------- o43, 000 199,583 242,583 274,571 . 53 145,523 93,609 .122 11,420 3,092, 387 .041 126,788 1,329,180 .048 63,801 590,115 1903 ___________ ---------- o60, 000 162,265 222,265 220,543 .54 119,093 41,447 .137 5,678 1, 523,703 .042 63,996 550,800 . 054 29,743 440,775 1904 ___________ 35,475 94,240 113,886 208,126 180,554 . 58 104,721 7, 510 .128 961 2, 178, 182 .043 93,662 1,884, 584 • 051 96,114 503,584 

1905_---------- 36,930 33,728 123,748 157,476 209,356 • 61 127,707 44,033 .156 6,869 2, 181,660 .047 102,538 3,320, 237 .059 195,894 590,484 

1906"_-- -------- 34,050 53,199 86,574 139,773 107,752 . 68 73,271 27,120 .193 5, 234 1, 301,912 .057 74,209 3, 363,740 . 061 205,188 497,675 

1907----------- 25,127 37,214 69,376 106,590 127,847 .66 84,379 21,865 • 20 4,373 1, 915,133 •. 053 101,502 2, 970,991 .059 175,288 472,132 1908 ___________ 14,631 l45, 370 41,571 186,941 66,025 .53 34,993 28,523 .132 3, 765 1, 719, 190 • 042 72,206 1, 232,149 • 047 57,911 355,816 

1909_--- ------- 31,098 405,360 47,406 452,766 99,763 • 52 51,877 3,839 .13 499 3, 559,278 .043 153,049 5, 798,167 .054 313,101 971,292 1910 ___________ 47,040 347,204 21,562 368,766 152,250 . 54 82,215 21,740 .127 2, 761 5,015, 409 . 044 220,678 5, 542,685 .054 299,305 973,725 

1911_---------- 55,904 257,422 26,819 284,241 182,957 .53 96,967 22,888 .125 2,861 6, 024,867 . 045 271,119 7, 675,175 . 057 437,485 1,092, 673 1912 ___________ 46,606 392,739 33,276 426,015 164,665 . 615 101,269 16,412 .165 2, 708 4,402, 422 .045 198, 109 9,342, 725 .069 644,648 1,372, 749 1913 ___________ 40,360 386,196 76,032 462,228 167,490 .604 101,164 18, 170 .155 2,816 3, 944,268. .<>44 173,548 6, 931,074 .056 388,140 1, 127,896 1914 ___________ 22,199 608,567 60,043 668,610 67,009 • 553 37,056 7,339 .133 976 1, 565,231 .039 ·61,044 5, 111,941 . 051 260,709 1,028,395 1915 ___________ 44,602 607, 195 72,949 680,144 64,223 • 507 32,561 8,646 .175 1, 513 1, 916,298 .047 90,066 8, 597,411 .124 1,066, 079 1,870,363 1916 ___________ 65,117 579,050 94,841 673,891 120,207 • 658 79,096 14,581 .246 3,587 . 1,688,637 .069 116,516 13,940,948 .134 1, 868,087 2, 741, 177 

1917----------- 66,768 540,951 62,486 603,437 175,699 .824 144,776 25,033 • 273 6,834 915,535 .086 78,736 19,868,814 .102 2,026,619 2, 860,402 1918 ___________ 58,185 431,023 36, 116 467, 139 117,326 1. 00 117,326 13,206 • 247 3,262 777,338 .071 55,191 15,696,264 .091 1,428,360 2,071, 278 1919 ___________ 17,567 464,540 11,351 475,891 87,676 1.12 98,197 6,086 .186 1,132 ...... 1 I .053 23,664 4,047,096 .073 295,438 894,322 1920 ___________ 48,328 374,882 30,422 405,304 106,422 1.09 116,000 359 .184 66 477,462 .08 38,197 8, 335,963 • 081 675,213 1, 234,780 

1921_ __ -------- 17,291 337,980 20,850 358,830 104,198 1. 00 104, 198" 27,550 .129 3,554 504,957 .045 22,723 -------------- .05 ------55;689- 489,305 1922 ___________ 17,894 255,298 26,464 281,762 119,604 1.00 119,604 94,413 .135 12,746 559,330 .055 30,763 977,000 .057 500,564 

1923_---------- 48,965 203,379 32,663 236,042 142,548 .82 116,889 17,823 .147 2,620 3,892, 271 .07 272,459 7, ~35, 000 .068 498,780 1, 126,790 

-·-------- b 13,974, 323 5, 148,660 19,122,983 13,573,470 ----------1 11,709,616 1, 065,126 ---------- 151,909 153,705,6651---------- 6,813,507 137, 145,560 1--·------- 11,223,543 49,021,558 

--------

o Estimated by 0. W. Henderson. b With the exception of an unknown quantity of placer gold in the early sixties and a small quantity in 1921 and 1922 from McNulty Gulch, in the Consolidated Tenmile district, this figure represents placer gold from the Breckenridge district. 

rn 

0 

is: 

is: 

~ 

1-3 

a 

g 

z 

~ 

1-:) 

~ 

01 
246 MINING IN COLORADO 

TELLER COUNTY 

The figures given for 1891 to 1896 are taken from the 

reports of the agents of the Director of the Mint for 

counties of Colorado, adjusted and prorated to agr~e 

with the estimate for the State of Colorado made by 

the Director of the Mint in his annual reports upon 

the production of the precious metals. 

For 1897 to 1909 the figures for gold and silver, 

which represent smelter and mint receipts and are 

equivalent to mine shipments to smelters and mill 

shipments to smelters and the mint, are taken from 

reports of the Colorado State Bureau of Mines. 

For 1901 and 1902 the figures given by the Colorado 

State Bureau of Mines for the production of gold in · 

El Paso (all from Cripple Creek district) and Teller 

counties have been combined. The silver for the two 

counties has also been combined for 1901. 

For 1910 to 1923 the figures are taken from Mineral 

Resources. The figur_es showing quantity of ore 

treated from 1904 to 1910 are taken from mines 

ieports, and those from 1911 to 1923 from reports of 

mills and smelters. The figures ·for gold, silver, copper, 

and lead from 1910 to 1923 represent smelter and mint 

receipts and are equivalent to mine shipments direct to 

smelt~rs and mill shipments to smelters and the mint. 

Total gross production of Stratton's Independence mine, from 

1891 to June 30, 1915 a 

By late W. S. Stratton _________________________ $3, 985, 440 

By first English company operating on company 

account, 1898-1904 __________________________ 11, 049; 030 

By the same company operating by lessees, 1904-

1908_______________________________________ 4, 015,290 

By the Argall company, operating 1908-1915_____ 4, 571, 968 

23, 621, 728 

Earnings of Stratton's Independence mine 

Profit by Mr. Stratton _________________________ $2,402, 164 

Dividends by first English company, 1898-1904___ 4, 142, 739 

Dividends by the same company, lessor, 1904-1908 606, 250 

Dividends by the Argall company, operation 1908-

1915----------~---------------------------- Cash as of Sept. 30, 1915 (approximately) ________ _ 

455,625 

510, 000 -----

8, li6, 778 

Ore produced and sold from Stratton's Independence mine 

By W. S. Stratton _____________________________ _ 

By first English company ______________________ _ 

By first English company, lessor_ _______________ _ 

By the present company _______________________ _ 

Tons 

41, 694 

323,270 

104,040 

104, 729 ---- Total shipping ore________________________ 573, 733 

Ore milled by the · Argall company, operating 

1908-1915 ___ -------------------------------- 685, 130 

Total production to June 30, 1915 __________ 1, 258,863 

" This mine and ~ill were sold June 30, 1915, to the Portland Gold Mining Co. 

() 
I' 

TELLER COUNTY 247 

Recapitulation of production of ore Recorded production of gold from certain individual mines at 

Cripple Creek, Colo., to December 31, 1921 

Short tons Value 

[Compiled by C. W. Henderson, with the help of the operators] 

Portland mine: 

April! to December 31, 1894-------------------------- 7, 826 $553,976 ' Calendar yenr1895. --------------------------------------------- 31,516 1, 700,095 

1896.--------------------------------------------- 23,598 1, 116, 128 

1897---------------------------------------------- 18, 852 1, 177, 643 

1898_ --------------------------------------------- 27, 799 1, 879, 682 

1899.--------------------------------------------- 38,548 1, 951, 219 

1900.--------------------------------------------- 60, 787 2, 351, 396 

190L -------- -----------------------~------------- 76,906. 2, 408,413 

1902.--------------------------------------------- 89, 664 2, 334, 024 

1903. --------------------------------------------- 90, 245 2, 608, 994 

1904. --------------------------------------------- 96, 521 2, 598, 725 

1905.--------------------------------------------- 109, 234 2, 422, 033 

1906.--------------------------------------------- 103, 614 1, 932, 083 

1907---------------------------------------------- 79,960 1, 600,950 

1908.--------------------------------------------- 94,311 1, 834,081 

1909.--------------------------------------------- 83,909 1, 438,650 

1910.--------------------------------------------- 67, 515 1, 241, 168 

191L --------------------------------------------- 50,258 1, 140,054 

1912.--------------------------------------------- 44,562 987,416 

1913.--------------------------------------------- 53, 246 1, 380, 713 

1914.--------------------------------------------- 62, 998 1, 467, 005 

1915. --------------------------------------------- 72, 192 1, 710, 277 

1916.--------------------------------------------- 06, 046 2, 236, 842 

1917- ----------------------------------~---------- 86,688 1, 768,972 

1918.--------------------------------------------- 53, 887 1, 120, 851 

1919---------------------------------------------- 45, 417 1, 173, 616 

1920. --------------------------------------------- 31, 426 867, 381 192L--------------- __ -- __ --- _________________ ---- 7, 806 223, 667 

1922. ~--- ----------------------------------------- 27, 336 576, 328 

1923.---------------------------------------------1--:-3_0;_, 3_4_6 -:--6_7_5,;_2_18 

TotaL__________________________________________ 1, 763,014/ 46,477,600 

Average value per ton for the period ____________ ------------ $26.36 

·Victor Mills: !=====:===== 

Julyl to December 31, 1910___________________________ 46,237 113,253 

Calendar year- 191L ---------.-------. _______ --- __ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ __ ___ _ 120, 961 424, 489 

1912.--------------------------------------------- 173,361 ·547, 424 1913. --------------------------------------------- 178, 162 526, 187 

1914.--------------------------------------------- 210, 132 539, 131 

191.'i 0 --------------------------------------------- 282, 192 819, 433 

1916.-----------------------------------------· --- 322,892 803,381 

1917---- -~- --------------------------------------- 471, 873 966, 765 

1918.--------------------------------------------- fi22; 756 I, 071,924 

1919- --------------------------------------------- 327, 776 645. 645 

1920.--------------------------------------------- 205, 498 509, 998 

192L.--.------- __ -- _ --------------- __ --- _ _ _ ____ _ _ 208, 051 1, 005, 294 

1922.--------------------------------------------- 163, 842 497, 578 

19~~~t~~~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 1-3-, -~:-:-: ~-~-!-· --8-,-~-~~...:.: -::-: Grand total or ore production to Jan. 1, 1924___ _ 5, 147,829 55,451,465 

Average value per ton at the Victor Mills ______ ------------ $2.65 

Total dividends paid to January 1, 1024 ________ ------------ $11,692,080 

Percentage of gross production paid in dividends 1· ________ -.- _ 26 

a Includes six months' operation of the Independence Mill. 

Mine Ounces 

Acacia______________________________________________ 108, 638. 10 

Ajax·----------------------------------------------- 247,917.46 Anchoria-Leland _______________ -• ____ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 131, 983. 09 

Blue Bird._________________________________________ 78, 770. 36 

Carbonate Queen___________________________________ 48,292.03 

Christmas.----------------------------------------- 64,589.45 Climax ___ --------__________________________________ 13, 435. 58 

Colorado Boss _______________________________ ------- 12,787.84 

Cresson·------------------------------------------- 981,272.03 Dante _____________________ ------------------------- 61,687. 07 

Deadwood.________________________________________ 90, 251. 32 

Doctor Jackpot. ___________ ------------------------- 344,728.41 Elkton _______________________________________ :_____ 663, !lOS. 43 

El Paso. ____________________________ -------________ 479, 592. 82 

Gold Dollar---------------------------------------- 199,997.36 

Gold King __ --------------------------------------- 157,248.93 Gold Sovereign_____________________________________ 59,662.92 

Golden Cycle._------------------------------------ 1, 088,931.05 

Granite.------------------------------------------- 765,689.51 Findley ____________________________ ------__________ 151, 777. 11 

Hoosier ___ ----------------------------------------- 8, 572.58 

Hull City_----------------------------~------------ 194,016.65 Index. _____________________ ------__________________ 44, 669. 25 

Isabella-Victor ____________________ ------___________ 710, 333. 34 

Jerry Johnson _______ ·----------------------------__ 242, 109. 66 Joe Dandy_---·------------------------------------- 60,429.36 

Lady CampbelL----------------------------------- 166.55 

Last Dollar-Modoc·---------------------------~---- 250,452.03 Lillie ___ ------------ ________________ ------__________ 89, 589 .. 89 

Lincoln.------------------------------------------- 20,957.81 Little Nell_________________________________________ 127.73 

Moose ______________ -------------- __ ------__________ 28, 523. 63 

Mary McKinneY----------------------------------- 517,621.10 

Midget-Bonanza._--------------------------------- 159, 151. 98 

Pinnacle._------------- ______ -----------___________ 16, 589. 84 

Portland.------------------------------------------ 2, 594,866.94 Raaler _________________ ------------- ________ -------- 143, 843. 95 

Rose NichoL-------------------------·------------- 46,472.39 Savage-Gold King__________________________________ 24,924.35 

Sheriff __ ------------- ___________ ----- ________ ------ 8, 489. 96 Stratton's Independence ____________________________ 1, 209,375.00 

Strong ___________________________ ------_------______ 538, 385. 92 

Sunshine-Sedan.----------------------------------- 2, 206. 27 

School Section •••. ---.------------------------------- 43,629.67 

TraiL---------------------------------------------- 88,460. 35 

Theresa.------------------------------------------_ 29,031.07 Vindicator._--------------------------------------- 1, 026,200.99 

W. P. :a--------------------------------------------------------- Wild Horse·---------------------------------------- 84,466.96 Bull Hill (Stratton Cripple Creek Mining & Dredg- ing Co.)__________________________________________ 256, 184.73 

Globe Hill (Stratton Cripple Creek Mining & Dredging Co.) _________________ ._.________________ 177, 081. 57 

Production of gold, silver, copper, and lead in Teller County .(Cripple Creek district), 1891-1922 

Year 

Ore treated 

(short 

tons) 

Lode gold Fine 

ounces 

Silver 

Average 

price per ounce 

Copper Lead 

Value Pounds price per Value Pounds price per Value 

pound pound 

Value 

$2, 245, 748.83 

5, 124, 919. 06 

2, 728, 332. 61 

1, 628, 327. 85 

998,284.57 

1, 335, 182. 43 

277,738.09 

264,348.11 

20, 284, 693. 10 

1, 275, 184. 91 

1, 865,660. 36 

7, 126, 168. 67 13, 724, 205. 25 

9, 914,063.45 

4,"134, 312.35 

3, 250, 623. 87 

1, 233,342.01 

22, 510, 202. 56 

15, 828, 206. 91 

3, 137, 511. 31 

177,210.96 

4, 010, 680. 10 

923,395.35 

14,683,893.32 

5, 004, 850. 85 

1, 249, 185. 73 

3, 442.89 

5, 177, 302. 94 

1, 851, 987. 39 

433,236.38 

2, 640.41 

589,635.76 

10, 700, 177. 76 3, 289, 963. 41 342,942.43 

53,640,660. 19 

2, 973, 518. 34 

960,669.56 

515,232.04 

175,503.05 

25, 000, 000. 00 

11, 029, 424. 69 

45,607.65 

901,905.32 

1, 828, 637. 72 

600,125.48 

21, 213, 457. 13 

3, 000, 000. 00 

1, 746, 087. 03 

5, 295, 808. 36 

3, 373, 85i. 98 

299, 628, 090. 52 

Total value Average Average I 

-----------1·----;-----1-----1----------------------------1------

1891_ __________________________ ------------ $1,930 

~~~i::::::::::::::::::::::::::: :::::=:::::: 2, g~~ g~~ ------5;68()" ---$0:78"" -----$4;43()" ::=:==:::: ::::::==== ======:=== ~========= ==:======= ========== 

1894.-------------------------- ------------ 2, 61!!, 388 25, 335 . 63 15, 961 ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 1895 ___________________________ ------------ 6, 166, 144 68,428 . 65 44,478 ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 1896 ___________________________ ------------ 7, 413,493 63,617 . 68 43,260 ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ----------

1897--------------------------- ------------ 10, 131, 855 59, 879 . 60 35, 927 ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 1898 ___ ------------------------ ------------ 13. 507, 349 67, 799 . 59 40, 001 ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 1899 ••• _: _________________ ----- ·------------ 16,058,564 82,299 . 60 49,379 

1900. __________________________ ------------ 18,149,645 80,792 . 62 50,091 

190L ________ ------------------ ------------ 17,234,294 89,560 .60 53,736 1902 ___________________________ ------------ 16,932,416 62,780 • 53 33,273 

1903 _____________ -------------- ------------ 11,840,2721 41,605 . 54 22,467 1904___________________________ 597,819 14,456,536 47,817 . 58 27,734 

1905 _____ ---------------------- 716,358 15,641,7541 56,951 . 61 34, 740 

1906___________________________ 702,069 13,930,526 67,943 . 68 46,201 

1907--------------------------- 451,082 10,370,284 51,630 . 66 34,076 

1908 __ ------------------------- 601, 173 13, 031, 917 52, 270 . 53 27, 703 ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 1909___________________________ 575,670 11,466, 227 63,204 . 52 32,866 ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ----------

mL~ ~ ~: =~ ~ = ~:: ~ :: ~ ~: ~ ~~: :~~ ~' m its m *:fff : ~ 1 ~ m :~~ ~:~ ~::~ ~~ ~ ~~ ~ ~~: ~ :~ ~== ~ =~~~ ~ ~ ~~: :~ =~: =: :~: =~~ ~~ ~=~~~= ~~ ~~ 1914___________________________ 939,423 11,996, 116. 89,056 • 553 49,248 ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 1915 ___ ------------------------ 948,082 13,683,494 87, 767 • 507 44,498 ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 1916___________________________ 945,820 12, 119,550 79,804 . 658 52,511 ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 1917___________________________ 1, 084,656 10,394,847 64, 5tJ8 . 824 53,204 ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 1918___________________________ 936,326 8, 119,747 5o, 66o 1. oo 5o, 665 ___________________________________________________________ _ 

1919___________________________ 775,986 5, 827,816 35,442 1.12 39,695 192o___________________________ 448,618 4, 323,998 33,789 1. o9 36, s3o ------45i- ---$0:184- ------ss3- ------612- ----$0:o8- ------349· 

1921___________________________ 484, 110 4, 291,883 37,335 1. 00 37,335 ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 1922___________________________ 432,129 4,037,582 24,462 1.00 24,462 ------------------------------------------------------------ 1923___________________________ 382,739 4,047,008 22,606 .82 18,537 ------------------------------------------------------------

:;::~: :~~: ::: ;;;:;;: ::~::: :~:: : ~::: ::::: ;; : :~ ::: ::r: ::: ~: :::: ---------- ---------- ·--------- ---------- ---·------ ----------

1---------1----------1--------1 323, 850, 845 1, 762,595 1, 146,992 451 ---------- 83 612 ---------- 49 

$1,930 

557,851 

2, 025,518 

2, 634,349 

6,210,622 

7,456, 753 

10,167,782 

13, 547, 350 

16, 107,943 

18, 199,736 

17,288,030 

16,965,689 

11,862,739 

14,484,270 

15,676,494 

13,976,727 

10,404,360 

13,059,620 

11,499,093 

11,031, 555 

10,593,278 

11,049,024 

10,948,098 

12,045,364 

13,727,992 

12, 172,061. 

10,448,051 

8,170,412 

5, 867,511 4,~0,960 

4, 329,218 

4, 062,044 

4, 065,545 

324,997,969 
248 MINING IN COLORADO 

BIBLIOGRAPHY 

Many interesting details concerning the settlement 

of Colorado are given in Hall's, Smiley's, and Stone's 

histories of Colorado. The proceedings of the Colorado 

Scientific Society contain much information concerning the mining industry. In the preparation of this 

report the works listed below have been consulted. 

BAIN, H. F., Zinc and lead ores in 1905: U. S. Geol. Survey 

Mineral Resources, 1905, pp. 379-392, 1906. 

BANCROFT, .H. H., History of Nevada, Colorado, ~nd Wyoming, 

San Francisco, 1890. 

BASTIN, E. S., and HILL, J. M., Economic geology of Gilpin 

County and adjacent parts of Clear Creek and Boulder 

counties, Colo.: U. S. Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 94, 379 

pp., 23 pls., 1917. 

BuREAU OF"THE MINT, Report of the Director of the Mint upon 

the production of gold and silver in the United States 

during the calendar years, l880-1923. (Separate report 

for each year.) 

BuRTON, H. E., Leadville, Colo., zinc deposits: ·Mines and 

Minerals, vol. 31, p. 436, 1911. 

-- History of the zinc industry in Colorado: Min. Sci., vol. 

64, p. 85, 1911. 

BuTLER·, B. S., Notes on the Unaweep copper district, Colo.: 

U. S. Geol. Survey Bull. 580, pp. 19-23, 1915. 

CoLORADO STATE BuREAU OF MINES Reports and Bulletins, 

1897-1923. The publications of this bureau give statistics 

and general information concerning the mining industry 

of the State. 

CoPPER HANDBOOK, vols. 1-11, 1900-1913, succeeded by 

Mines Handbook, vols. 12-15, 1915-1922. 

Presents statistics and gives details concerning mining 

operations in the years mentioned. 

CRAWFORD, R. D., Geology and ore deposits of the .Monarch 

- and Tomichi districts, Colo.: Colorado Geol. Survey Bull. 

4, 317 pp., 25 pls., 1913. · 

CRAWFORD, R. D., and GIBSON, RussELL, Geology and ore 

deposits of the Red Cliff district, Eagle County, Colo.: 

Colorado Geol. Survey Bull. 30, Boulder, 1925. 

CRoss, WHITMAN, U. S. Geol. Survey Geol. Atlas, La ·Plata {olio 

(No. 60), 1899. 

--and PuRINGTON, C. W., U. S. Geol. Survey Geol. Atlas, 

Telluride folio (No. 57), 1899. 

CusHMAN, SAMUEL,· and WATERMAN, J. P., The gold mines of 

Gilpin County, Colo., Central City, 1876. 

DAVIS, C. C., Olden times in Colorado, Los Angeles, Calif., 1916. 

Contains chapter on mines with review and statistics 

affecting the building of the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad to Leadville. 

DENVER REPUBLICAN, Reviews of mining industry for the 

preceding calendar year published at the beginning of 

each year from 1893 to 1913. 

EGLESTON, THOMAs, The Boston & Colorado smelting works: 

Am. lnst. Min. Eng. Trans., vol. 4, pp. 276-298, 1876. 

EMMONs, S. F., The mines of Custer County, Colo.: U. S. Geol. 

Survey Seventeenth Ann. Rept., ·pt. 2,. pp. 405-472, pl. 

xxxvii, 189.6. · 

-- Geology and mining industry of Leadville, Colo.: U. S. 

Geol. Survey Mon. 12, xxix, 770 pp., 45 pls., and atlas of 

35 sheets folio. 

-- U. S. Geol. Survey Geol. Atlas, Tenmile district folio 

. (No. 48), 1898. 

EMMONS, W. H., The Cashin mine, Montrose County, Colo.: 

U.S. Geol. Survey Bull. 285,pp. 125-128, 1906. 

--and LARSEN, E. S., Geology and ore deposits of the Creede 

district, Colo.: U. S. GeoJ. Survey Bull. 718, pp. 9-10, 

1913. 

ENDLICH, F. M., Report as geologist of San Juan division: U.S. 

Geol. and Geog. Survey Terr. Ann. Rept. for 1874, pp. 

181-240, 1876. 

ENGINEERING AND MINING JOURNAL (editorial), The revelation of a metallurgical secret, vol. 87, pp. 464, 963, 1909. 

FossETT, FRANK, Colorado-a historical, descriptive, and statistical work on the Rocky Mountain gold and silver mining region, Denver, 1876. 

FossETT, FRANK, Colorado-its gold and silver mines, 1879. 

-- Same, -1880. 

GEORGE, R. D., and ORA WFORD, R. D., The Hahns Peak 

region, Routt County, Colo.: Colorado Geol. Survey 

First Rept., 1908, pp. 189-229, 1 pl., 1909. 

HALL, FRANK, History of the State of Colorado, 1889. 

HENDERSON, C. W., Gold, silver, copper, lead, and zinc in 

Colorado (mines reports): U. S. Geol. Survey Mineral 

Resources, 1908-H)23. 

The reviews by counties in these volumes give a detailed 

synopsis of mining activity during the years 1908-1923, 

which are covered only briefly in Professional Paper 138. 

HoLLISTER, 0. J., The mines of Colorado, Springfield, Mass .. 

1867. 

IRVING, J. D., and BANCROFT, HowLAND, Geology and ore deposits near Lake City, Colo.: U. S. Geol. Survey Bull. 

478, 128 pp., 8 pls., 1911. 

JoNES, 0. M., Bibliography of Colorado geology and mining, 

with subject index, from the earliest explorations to 1912: 

Color&do Geol. Survey Bull. 7, 493 pp., 1914. 

KIRCHHOFF, CHARLES, Lead: U. S. Geol. Survey Mineral Resources, 1882-1905, inclusive. 

-- Zinc: U. S. Geol. Survey Mineral Resources, 1900, pp. 

213-227, 1901. 

-- Zinc: U. S. Geol. Survey Mineral Resources, 1902, pp 

217-229, 1904. 

LEADVILI.E HERALD-DEMOCRAT, Reviews of mining industry 

for the preceding calendar year published at the beginning 

of each year from 1897 to the present. 

LINDGREN, WALDEMAR, [Gold and silver] Colorado: U. S. 

Geol. Survey Mineral Resources, 1905, pp. 185-214, 1906. 

--. Notes on copper deposits in Chaffee, Fremont, and Jefferson counties, Colo.: U. S. Geol. Survey Bull. 340, pp. 

157-174, 1908. 

LouGHLIN, G. F., Prices of silver, copper, lead, and zinc, 1850-

1922: U. S. Geol. Survey Mineral Resources, 1922, pt. 1, 

p. 127 A, 1925. 

MINERAL INDUSTRY, vols. 1-29, 1892-1920. 

Presents statistics and gives details in regard to mining 

in the years mentioned. 

MINING IN BouLDER CouNTY, Boulder County Mining Association, Boulder, Colo., 1910. 

NARAMORE, CHESTER, [Gold and silver] Colorado: U. S. Geol. 

Survey Mineral Resources, 1906, pp. 199-240, 1907. 

--[Gold, silver, copper, etc., in Western States] Colorado: 

U. S. Geol. Survey Mineral Resources, 1907, pp. 235-279, 

1908. 

PATTON, H. B., Geology and ore deposits of the PlatoroSummitviile mining district, Colo.: Colorado Geol. 

Survey Bull. 13, 122 pp., 40 pls., 1918. 

-- and others, Geology of the Grayback mining district, 

Costilla County, Colo.: Colorado Geol. Survey Bull. 2, 

111 pp., 9 pls., 1910. 

PEARCE, H. V., The Pearce gold-separation process: Am. 

Inst. Min. Eng. Trans., vol. 39, pp. 722-734, i908. 

PURINGTON, C. W., Preliminary report on the mining industries of the Telluride quadrangle, Colo.: U. S. Geol. 

Survey Eighteenth Ann. Rept., pt. 3, pp. 745-850, pls. 

ciii-cxviii, 1898. 
CONCLUSIONS 249 

RANSOME, F. L., The ore deposits of the Rico Mountains, Colo.: 

U. S. Geol. Survey ·Twenty-second Ann. Rept., pt. 2, 

pp. 229-397, pls. 26-41, 1901. 

-- A report on the economic geology of the Silverton quadrangle, Colo.: U.S. Geol. Survey Bull. 182, 265 pp., 16 pls., 

1901. .. 

-- Geology and ore deposits of the Breckenridge district, 

Colo.: U. S. Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 75, 187 pp., 33 pls., 

1911. 

RAYMOND, R. W., Statistics ·of mines and mining in the States 

and Territories west of the Rocky Mountains, 1869-1875. 

RICKARD, T. A., Across the San Juan Mountains: Eng. and 

Min. Jour., vol. 76, pp. 307-308, 1903. 

--Two famous mines; The Camp Bird: Min. and Sci. Press, 

vol. 103, pp. 827-828, 1911. 

-- The development of Colorado's mining industry: Am. 

Inst. Min. Eng. Trans., vol. 26, pp. 834-848, 1896. 

RICo NEWS, June, 1892, The early trail blazers. 

RocKAFELLow, B. F., History of Fremont County, in History 

of the Arkansas Valley, Baskin & Co., 1881. 

SMILEY, J. C., History of Denver, with outlines of the earlier 

history of the Rocky Mountain country, 1903. 

SPENCER, A. C., Reconnaissance examination of the copper 

deposits at Pearl, Colo.: U. S. Geol. Survey Bull. 213, 

pp. 163-169, 1903. 

SPURR, J. E., and GARREY, G. H., Economic geology of the 

Georgetown quadrangle (together with the Empire district), 

Colo., with general geology by S.· H. Ball: U. S. Geol. 

Survey Prof. Paper 63, 422 pp., 87 pls., 1908. 

SPURR, J. E., Geology of the Aspen mining district, Colo.: 

U. S. Geol. Survey Mon. 31, xxxv, 260 pp., 43 pls., and atlas 

of 30 sheets folio, 1898. 

STONE, W. F. (editor), History of Colorado, vol. 1, S. J. Clarke 

· Publishing Co., Chicago, 1918. 

A list of works on Colorado is given on pp. 877-890, 

under the heading "Colorado • literature," by Eugene 

Parsons. 

CONCLUSIONS 

This history of mining in Colorado will be useless 

unless the facts set forth for the period 1859-1923· 

can point in some way to the future. That Colorado 

has been a large producer of metals is definitely known. 

That it has been chiefly a producer of gold and silver 

is shown by the fact that of the calculated gross value 

of recovered gold, silver, copper, lead, and zinc, 

amounting to $1,531,000,000, $673,000,000 in gold, 

or 44 per cent of the total, and 628,850,000 ounces of 

silver, with a commercial value of $501,734,000, or 33 

per cent, represent the gold and silver added to the 

world's supply. Thus 77 per cent of the total gross 

value of Colorado's production of these five metals is 

represented by gold and silver. Most of the gold is 

still in existence. A great part of the silver was 

coined and in this form represents a value of $1.29 an 

ounce. The copper produced, chiefly as a· by-product . 

·of gold and silver mining, amounting to 263,000,000 

pounds, with a gross ·Calculated value of $40,328,000, 

has not all been dissipated. The . enormous quantity of lead recovered, 4,200,000,000 pounds, with a 

gross value of $189,662,000, and the large quantity of 

zinc recovered, 1,740,000,000 pounds, with a gross 

calculated value of $126,216,000, have probably been 

largely used up in paint, brass, chemicals, and automobile tires. Probably little of the lead and zinc 

remains for the use of humanity. It seems hardly a 

mere coincidence that the total gross value of these 

five metals-$1,531,000,000 to the end of 1923, is 

very close to the assessed valuation of the State of 

Colorado for 1923, $1,550,000,000. The fact that 

the curve of the assessed value from the early days 

of Colorado-when mining or labors dependent on 

mining had developed the only assessable wealth-to 

the present time not only parallels but actually coincides with the curve of the gross production of the 

five metals can not be a mere accident. Denver in 

particular owes its growth to mining. Colorado 

Springs owes a great part of its development to min- . 

ing. · Pueblo owes its industrial existence to mining 

and metallurgy. These three cities are still the first 

three in the State. 

That the surface of Colorado "has not been 

scratched" is· a statement not borne out by facts. 

The surface has been well scratched a.nd even inten- r 

sively perforated with holes ranging from 10 to 3,000 

feet in depth, and with tunnels as much as 5 miles in 

length. Much of this "scratching" was misdirected. 

With the exception of the men from' Georgia and 

California most of the early gold seekers were ignorant 

of minerals or mining. It is a tribute to their energy 

that they found nearly all the placer-gold dep'osits in 

the first two years and worked out in the first fiv-e 

yea~ the more easily worked deposits, n1aking enormous outputs, such as $6,000,000 in California, Cache, 

Colorado, and other gulches of Chaffee and Lake 

counties, $5,500,000 in the vicinity of Breckenridge, 

$750,000 in the vicinity of Idaho Springs, $2,500,000 

in the vicinity of Fairplay and Tarryall, and $200,000 

at Hahns Peak after 1865. The oxidized decomposed 

portions of the lode veins they. treated by placer 

methods and other laborious mechanical appliances, 

making consta,nt improvements with development of 

the stamp mill. From 1859 to 1865 by these methods 

$7,741,361 in gold was recovered in Gilpin County, 

$1,500,000 at Empire, Clear Creek County, about 

$6.00,000 in Park County, and about $150,000 in 

Boulder County. They reached sulphides in the lode 

mines at a depth of 40 feet at Empire, at 40 to 180 

feet in Gilpin County, and at similar depths in Boulder 

and Park counties. Later in Clear Creek and Park 

counties they found the oxidized outcrops of silver ore 

which changed to sulphides within 5 to 50 feet. They 

developed smelters in 1868 to treat both gold and 

silver ores. The oxidized silver-lead ores discovered 

at Leadville in 1877 in bedded deposits were enormous, 

and the depth of oxidation can not be expressed in 

terms of average depth, but where these bedded deposits cropped out, oxidation extended down the beds 

as far as 1,000 feet. At Red Cliff. the oxidation followed the dip of the bed. down 1,000 feet. Where the 

surface .was grassy, as at Cripple Creek, the soil ex-
252 MINING IN COLORADO 

Mine production of metals from crude ore shipped to smelters, by 

counties and years, 1909-1923-Continued 

· Clear Creek County-Continued 

Ore 

Year Gold· (fine Silver (fine Copper Lead Zinc (short 

tons) ounces) ounces) (pounds) (pounds) (pounds) 

---

1917------ 7,600 4,600.69 143,986 198,050 1,068, 412 8,891 1918 ______ 5,513 3,056.11 125,427 99,813 1, 149, 165 ------------ 1919_ ----- 4,085 1, 683.88 87,461 59,765 492,158 1920 ______ ------------ 3,873 1, 144.48 103,182 38,036 945,424 ------------ 192L ----- 1, 763 829.75 43,804 14,361 333,457 1922 ______ ------------ 1,090 559.541 31,877 4,305 225,402 ------------ 1923 ______ 1, 728 638.53 88,402 19,917 237,048 ------------ 160,395 111,825.96 I 2, 582,399 3, 186, 429116, 497, 075 1, 025,597 

Custer County 

1909 ______ 276 3. 61 7, 258 700 I 

41,721 89,593 1910 ______ 128 5.63 3,368 1, 539 7,300 ------------ 1911_ _____ 350 23.91 11,033 1, 640 11,649 ............................... 1912.----- 830 255.01 22,641 2,006 10,444 1913 ______ ------------ 309 13.93 6,812 4,052 5, 273 ------------ 1914 ______ 551 102.98 15,516 3, 481 9, 692 ------------ 1915.----- 1,075 106.33 30,981 12, 640· 89,808 1916 ____ :_ ------io;97o 2, 245 303.51 36,959 44,004 123,536 

1917------1 5,381 325.50 85,303 86,167 217,670 ------i3;5i6 ~~~g= =====i 4,251 210.00 107,766 51,292 281,070 

4,049 230.80 94,995 72,979 153,455 ........................... 1920.----- 1, 500 38.60 34,256 28,033 171,562 ------------ 192L _____ 568 8. 90 19,191 37,690 106,022 ------------ 1922.----- 547 8.08 14,520 32,141 60,618 1923 ______ ------------ 700 19.98 27,126 11,436 80,800 ----·------- 22,760 1, 656.77 517,725 389, 8oo 1 1, 370,620 1 114,079 

Delta County 

[No shipments of crude ore to smelters in 1909 and 1911-1923] 

1910 ______ , 5.321 1391------------1------------1------------

Dolores County 

1909------ 1,563 756.66 88,225 ·37, 280 312,040 167,574 

1910---"-- 973 475.05 71,621 96,988 126,856 87,000 

191L ••••. 1,431 114.80 41,389 3, 288 700,241 525,333 1912 ______ 6,498 159.77 82,063 689,838 1, 082,521 700,773 1913 ______ 11,419 533.21 115,266 799,537 917,039 395,340 1914 ______ 6,498 367.79 85,226 350,278 395,908 218,178 1915 ______ 14,192 577.21 127,933 1,032,480 268,447 35,936 1916 ______ 6,398 353.93 77,269 419,500 588,333 182,306 

1917------ 13,422 240.75 85,490 516,493 1, 634,136 1, 662,513 1918 ______ 9,272 151.70 54,249 618,012 517,394 661,253 1919 ______ 4,461 121.76 I 35,225 264,968 98,700 67,027 1920 ______ 2, 752 113.68 32,167 6,804 772,588 229,865 1921_ _____ . 386 89.78 14,499 744 18,624 ------------ 1922.----- 678 94.48 30,267 24,089 87,200 1923 ______ -----ias;ooo 1,393 139.79 39,408 56,823 162,414 

81,336 4, 290.36 980,297 4, 917,122 7, 682,441 5, 071,098 

Eagle County 

1909 ______ 6,366 2,378. 21 118,866 285,567 70,131 11,910 

1910.----- 5,148 991.30 74,158 209,551 30,327 ------------ 191L ----- 5,585 1,896. 23 108,252 66,608 314,056 ------57;652 1912.----- 5,906 2, 294.55 156,417 147,048 702,365 1913 ______ 6,448 1, 724.53 286,284 41,368 355,206 317,256 1914 ______ 3, 701 2, 077.98 112,809 26,847 71,299 95,069 1915 ______ 5,407 4, 353.59 151,175 59,345 59,519 681,665 1916 ______ - 13,724 3, 932.92 171,330 98,348 53,493 4, 588,981 

1917------ 14,992 1, 354.70 97,437 38,253 614,547 2, 921,564 1918 ______ 20,864 1, 702.60 202,703 352,957 408,318 746,025 1919 ______ 3,423 867.05 43,462 123,306 12,755 1920 ______ -----io6;6si 13,517 979.30 252,508 517,109 -----i2;578- 192L ----- 38,785 3, 130.98 682,550 1,833, 078 1922 ______ 71,892 3, 488.37 583,737 --ii;ooo;ooo 1,330, 2961 322,818 

1923------ 32,720 1, 791.08 290,808 613,582 123,964 ------------ 248,478 32,963.39 3, 332,796 5, 743,2631 3, 151, 37~ 1 20,526,803 

El Paso County 

[No shipments of crude ore to smelters reported for 1909-1912 and 1915-19231 

8, 595 ------------~'------------ 2, 644 ------------ ------------

11,239 ------------ ------------

1913 ______ . 

1914 _____ _ 214 ------------ ------------ 25 

239 ------------ ------------

Mine production of metals from crude ore shipped to smelters, by· 

counties and years, 1909-1923-Continued 

Year 

1909 ______ 

1910_ ----- 1911_ _____ 1912 ______ 

1913 ______ 1914 ______ 

1915_ ----- 1916 ______ 

1917------ 1918 ______ 

1922 ______ 1923 ______ 

1909 ______ 1910 ______ 

1911 ______ 

1912_ ----- 1913.----- 1914 ______ 1915 ______ 

1916 ______ 1917 ______ 1918 ______ 

1919 ___ --- 1920 ______ 

1921_ _____ 1922 ______ 

1923 ______ 

Fremont County 

[No shipments of crude ore to smelters in 1919-1921] 

Ore 

(short 

tons) 

5 

29 

382 

1,015 

28 

706 

1, 600 

1, 734 

429 

235 

7 

44 

6,214 

Gold (fine Silver (fine I Copper I Lead 

ounces) ounces) (pounds) (pounds) 

4.11 ------------ 677 ------------ -------8:6i- ------------ -----13;976- -----19;iio4- 1, 345 12.24 3,439 35,903 55,956 4.45 63 4,677 --------308- 71.40 1, 066 191,917 32.61 3,168 127,303 30,894 38.02 4, 529 101,041 31,710 28.54 664 59,857 ------------ 15.09 639 22,377 1,113 1. 02 174 348 4, 273 1. 31 184 ------------ 1, 999 

217.40 15,271 558,076 146, 157 

Garfield County 

Zinc 

(pounds) 

------1s;o72 

140,526 

447,507 

------------

-----22s;17o 

------------

------------

------------

------2o;ooo 

854,275 

[No shipments of crude ore in 1910, 1911, 1915, and 1918-19231 

92 174.30 25 43.05 73 116.25 123 256.82 18 34.88 15 44.89 

346 1 670.19 

15,777 17,904. 47 16,845 21,115.43 

18,885 21,066.99 

15, 114 21,317.25 

16,094 18,704.35 

9,624 14,790.69 

6,538 10,720.50 

6, 739 9, 706.85 

6, 553 7, 270.49 

2,343 2, 351.10 4,263 4, 886.27 2,032 2, 468,67 

676 1, 027.68 1,133 1, 320.25 1, 031 613.37 

123,647 155,264.36 

113 

35 

80 

112 

~~ '============ ============ 291 ------------ ------------17 ------------ ------------ ------------ 15 

372 1, 044 ------------ ------------

Gilpin County 

101,858 342,021 411,530 ------------ 83,905 339,184 247,346 ........................... 119, 117 460,807 116 180 -·---------- 112,861 531,488 142,354 ------------ 104,701 442,811 247,277 ------------ 97,103 522,812 318,018 ------------ 71,594 340,692 360,315 ------------ 83,988 415,372 298,113 ------------ 68,974 87,998 430,161 ---------·-- 35,273 87,998 243,142 ............................. 48,908 135,235 334,082 ------------ 32,738 74,648 214,318 ------------ 13, 138 9,831 69,080 ------------ 29,935 18,408 111, 146 ------------ 39, 417 16,994 181,167 ------------ 1, 043,510 4,156,453 3, 724,229 ........................... 

Grand County 

(No shipments of crude ore in 1909, 1911-1913, 1915, 1917, 1921, and 1922] 

1910_-----

1914_ ----- 1916 _____ _ 1919 _____ _ 

1920_ ----- 1923 _____ _ 

1909 ______ 

1910.----- 1911_ _____ 

1912.----- 1913 ______ 1914 ______ 1915 ______ 1916 ______ 

1917 ______ 

1918 ______ 1919 ______ 

1920_ -----

192L ----- 1922.----- 1923 ______ 

10 1 -------o:i5- ------1;747- ____________ 56 ------------ 1, 563 ------------___________ _ 

~ --------.-o5- 1g~ --------~~~- --------453- :::::::::::: 3 ------------ 856 ------------ 525 ------------ 2 ------------ 323 ------------ 314 ------------ -------l--------1-------~J---------I!--------·I---------

21 .20 3, 568 816 2,~55 

Gunnison County 

878 152.53 25,979 51,815 271,996 212,093 

531 36.61 14,939 4,076 184,549 176,815 

1,119 458.33 20,611 4, 690 399,486 508,561 

724 95.03 15,056 6,180 134,683 253,857 

2,460 179.31 85,249 15, 131 147,335 32,328 

1,579 99.94 54,164 564 279,320 345,500 

3,816 1,269. 06 17,935 8,861 177,905 1, 750,944 

5,649 1,084. 29 18,032 83,024 123,568 1,829,434 

8,021 201.26 19,370 164,029 267,019 2, 531,712 

6,064 377.32 11,928 42,927 298,511 2,349,538 

4,958 1, 443.12 15,006 1,812 99,999 2, 456,479 

3,927 1, 164.39 8,844 ------------ 423,758 1, 530,691 

498 869.69 10,362 --------526- 51,955 ------------ 189 379.10 3,692 13,382 ---2;ss9;ooo 7, 701 41.55 20,455 1, 788 1, 684,631 

48,114 7,851. 53. 341,622 385,423 4, 558,097 16,866,952 
APPENDIX 253 

Mine production of metals from crude ore shipped to smelters, by 

counties and years, 1909-1923-Continued 

Hinsdale County 

Ore Gold (fine I Silver (fine Copper Lead Zinc Year (short 

tons) ounces) ounces) (pounds) (pounds) (pounds) 

---

1909 ______ 1,697 274.77 75,656 714,569 106,327 _ __________ .,. 

1910 ______ 1, 255 258.67 50,689 452,077 93,405 ------------ 1911_ _____ 223 161.05 6,543 13,060 9,844 ------------ 1912 ______ 334 141.60 14,171 17,691 53,019 ------is; 475 1913_ ----- 606 159.73 22,540 64,443 153,541 1914 ______ 118 8. 22 5, 987 17,098 5, 723 ------------ 1915 ______ 488 35.65 9, 621 9,114 266,128 1916 ______ ------i2;575 377 65.11 10,030 16,248 75,638 

1917------ "517 54.95 7, 721 6,099 209,616 4,117 

1918.----- 952 202.27 10,425 13,632 286,490 ------------ 1919 ____ -- 719 368.78 22,001 7,654 53,259 ------------ 1920 ______ 568 297.55 21,522 2,625 80,625 ------------ 192!_ _____ 495 165.68 32,039 9,357 65,756 ------------ 1922 ______ 850 53.79 47,827 10,612 66,572 ------------ 1923 ______ 489 29.71 26,833 8, 916 17,996 ------------ 9,688 2, 277.53 363,605 1, 363,195 1, 543,939 32,167 

Jackson County 

[No shipments of crude ore to smelters in 1909-1916 and 1918-1923] 

1917------1 2291 19.40 1 591 1 23, 7251~-----------1------------

Jefferson County 

[No shipments or crude ore to smelters reported for 191Q-1917 and 1919-1923] 

1909 ______ 1 

1918 •••••• 1 

2~ -------~~~~-1----------g- ------i;ooo- :::::::::::::::::::::::: 

24 • 781 9 1, 000 ------------ ------------

Lake County 

1909 ______ 329,316 65,338.64 3, 200,379 5,180,000 17,790,952 18,696,394 

1910.----- 324,261 53,722.65 3,044,053 3, 624,237 12,424,001 16,869,270 1911. _____ 375,829 51,335.01 2, 822,522 3, 926,396 12,922,845 51,138,383 

1912.----- 426,659 49,557.87 2, 579,156 1, 937,221 16,480,884 82,254,957 1913 ______ 453,567 44,252.76 3,009, 982 1,846, 675 2(), 283, 586 75,316,137 1914 ______ 472,713 67,152.03 3, 552,427 2,331,476 19,752,247 63,970,666 1915 ______ 377,888 97,972.08 2, 214,599 1, 796,078 11,801,775 45,563,916 

1916.----- 354,665 70,341.48 2, 624,792 2, 616,644 10,973,143 45,136,89.0 

1917------ 298,831 47,514.22 1, 871,870 2,155,057 9, 199,015 30,906,551 1918 ______ 256,386 34, 511. 72 2,054, 923 1, 626,534 16,801,933 16,601,986 19HL ____ 190, 145 24,398.44 1, 491,991 886,072 10,147,046 13,260,881 

1920.----- 165,977 26,943.37 1,086, 059 799,744 8,451, 945 17,600,155 1921. _____ 80,501 14,047. u 1, Q43, 219 1, 107,295 3, 537,889 1,821,000 1922 ______ 112,547 17,235.67 951,298 871,370 5, 521,818 9,003,000 

1923.----- 97,855 10,004.48 641,291 511,054 5,449, 539 9, 257,000 

4, 317, 140 674,327.53 32,188,561 31,215,853 181, 538, 618 497, 397, 186 

La Plata County 

1909 ______ 3,035 6,018. 58 72,528 256 2,980 .............................. 1910 ______ 6,050 18,782.52 141,349 142 273 1911 ______ ------------ 7,058 13,651.04 65,264 73,728 1, 511 ------------ 1912.----- 2, 761 6, 312.07 47,863 918 6, 756 ------------ 1913.----- 7,403 14,966.67 121,096 113,897 4,455 1914 ______ ------------ 5,083 5, 999.42 60,220 26,038 11,410 ------------ 1915.----- 2, 952 3, 333.88 46,363 4,114 23,362 ............................. 1916 ______ 1,602 1,495.88 29, 177 12,024 6, 551 ------------ 1917------ 1, 648 I, 222.97 15,324 25,795 3, 745 ------------ 1918.----- 300 356.91 6,415 668 3,000 1919 ______ ------------ 405 288.60 6,075 167 2,283 1920 ______ ------------ 717 533.09 10,578 ------------ 937 ------------ 1921.----- 1, 279 2,180. 40 20,289 ------------ 8, 734 ------------ 1922.----- 791 1, 542.02 10,500 --------siii- ------i;soo· ------------ 1923.----- 838 769.40 17,138 -----·------ ---- 41,922 77,453.45 670,179 258,563 72,797 ------------

Larimer County 

[No shipments of crude ore to smel.ters in 191Q-1923] 

1009.-----1 48 1------------1---------- __ , ___ ---------/------------1 30,722 

Mesa County 

[No shipments of crude ore to smelters reported for 1909-1911 and 1913-1923] 

1912 ______ , 

20 1------------

5653-26t-17 

Mine production of metals from crude ore shipped to smelters, by 

counties and years, 1909-1923-Continued 

Mineral CQ!lJltY 

Ore Gold (fine Silver (fine Copper Lead I Zinc Year (short 

tons) ounces) ounces) (pounds) (pounds) (pounds) 

---

1909 ______ 26,468 914.09 795,852 10,581 1, 851,088 58, 131 

1910.----- 25,791 238.45 722, ~42 11,357 1,057, 703 .................. .; .............. 

1911.----- 20,404 1,059.12 488,054 13,735 1,137,063 ------------ 1912_ ----- 29,968 837.82 677,569 13,039 1, 374,856 .................................... 1913 ______ 29,59'* 803.87 723,591 20,800 1, 121, 138 ------------ 1914 ______ 27,952 933.83 615,734 32,586 1, 401,795 ------------ 1915 ______ 10,864 699.26 279,785 6,143 636,022 ------------ 1916 ______ 19,677 711.43 358,402 7,569 618,324 ------------ 1917------ 18,420 166.23 355,266 15,438 549,379 ------------ 1918 ______ 27,151 644.59 640,373 3,490 924,686 -------·---- 1919 ______ 14,492 324.29 366,994 355 571,829 -------·---- 1920 ______ 12,597 276.22 272,322 1,120 531,537 ------------ 1921_ _____ 7,076 184.60 192,468 1.899 156,778 -----·------ 1922.----- 3,978 80.01 106,903 3,422 153,455 1923 ______ ------4i~ooo 6,462 115.81 228,867 1,088 237,557 

280,894 7,989. 62 6,824, 322 142,622 12,323,210 99,131 

~ 

Moffat County 

[No shipments of crude ore to smelters in 1909-1911, 1913-1915, and 1918-1923] 

1912.----- 1916 _____ _ 

1917------

g~ -------o:i9- 15 ------------

104 .19 

1241 38 

23 

185 i 

25,085 

9,033 

4,326 

38,444 

Montezuma County 

{No shipments of crude ore to smelters in 1912-1914 and 1918-1923] 

1909 ______ ---------- 4.16 8 

1910.----- 320 353.44 189 --------i23" ::=:::::::=: =======::::: 1911 ______ 1 ------2a:9o- 5 1915 ______ 14 103 183 ------------ ------------ ------------ 170 ------------ 1916 86 67.82 193 3, 118 116 ------------ 1917------ 124 129.21 188 2,538 ------------ ------------

545 578.53 .686 5, 962 286 -·-----------

Montrose County 

[No shipments of crude ore to smelters in 1909-1912 and 1918-1921] 

1913 _____ _ 

1914.----- 1915 _____ _ 

1916 _____ _ 

1917------

1922.-----

1923 ______ 1 

1909.-----

1910.-----

191L ----- 1912 ______ 

1913.----- 1914 ______ 

1915.-----

1916.-----

1917------

1918.-----

1919.----- 1920 ______ 

1921.----- 1922 ______ 1923 ______ 

1909 ______ 

1910.----- 1911. _____ 

1912.-----

1913.----- 1914 ______ 1915 ______ 1916 ______ 

1917------ 1918 ______ 

1919.----- 192Q ______ 

1921. ••••• 1922 ______ 

1923 ______ 

49 

66 

169 

197 

64 

251 

101 

897 

3,459 

4, 739 

4,194 

3, 331 5,101 

24,536 

35,783 

7,856 

7,419 

5,445 

2, 779 1,662 

513 

471 

333 

107,621 

13,013 

12,092 

5,630 

. 2, 422 

5, 728 

1, 758 

2,620 

2,975 

1, 793 1,334 

1,805 

4,352 

4,929 

1,120 

371 

61,942 

0. 24 

• 53 

.88 

.48 

------------

------------

------------ 2.13 

I 

1, 881.73 

1, 382.76 

1, 832.32 

1, 148. 13 1, 392.61 

9, 531.18 

7, 116.54 

908.27 

382.06 

981.26 

286.50 

. 405.76 

21.38 

52.10 

134.47 

27,457.07 

25,211.52 

12, 118.65 

1, 639.02 

2,301. 01 1, 593.58 

2, 102.35 

7,083. 94 10,823.05 

5, 324.87 

3, 051.73 6. 025. 10 6,898.52 

1, 974.72 

2, 063.39 

773.10 

88,984.115 

427 

510 

1,057 

1,132 

653 17,964 

10,521 

32,2641 

24,058 

32,414 

57,320 

100,008 

21,275 

61,119 

17,857 

314,051 

Ouray County 

110,946 478,777 

178,388 167,568 

178,642 49,123 

190,360 46,868 

150,648 111,680 

171,225 537,176 

193,663 627,140 

116,751 313,256 

190,300 134,035 

228; 109 95,811 

180,602 93,056 

127,053 58,673 

79,535 39,807 

36,223 8,984 

17,493 3, 707 

2, 149,938 2, 765,661 1 

Park County 

97,055 61,023 

116,878 88,748 

69,014 24,216 

31,026 10,321 

94,118 29,161 

20,004 8,023 

9,131 12,303 

13,062 22,598 

12, 199 12.380 12,221 11,048 

13,332 13,319 

45,263 17,016 

47,543 7,550 

14,529 4,215 

17,195 5,558 

612,570 327,479 

458,752 19,148 

773,323 -------~----

976,300 ------------ 458,873 ------i4;i58 233,692 

366,756 8,Q84 

460,237 7,282 

550,983 51,028 

798,995 522,524 

1, 040,604 ------i2;1)iii 561, 170 414,769 ------------ 216,862 ------------ 94,664 ------------ 62,246 ------------ 7, 468,226 634,285 

2, 237,093 366,574 

2, (M1, 204 659,796 

·923,089 407,772 

167,756 132,275 

506,046 98.623 168,154 57,940 

190,830 472,992 

330,609 47,560 

259,071 -·---------- 191,754 ------------ 207,661 ..... __________ 

1,043,203 ------------ 654,090 ------------ 155,982 ------------ 19,401 ----------·- 9,095,943 2,243, 532 
254 MINING IN COLORADO 

Mine production of metals from crude ore shipped to smelters, by 

counties and years, 1909-1923-Continued 

Pitkin County 

Ore Gold (fine Silver (fine I Copper Lead Zinc Year . (short 

tons) ounces) ounces) (pounds) (pounds) (pounds) 

---

1909 ______ 46,558 29.90 571,402 372 6,657, 255 ------------ 1910_ ----- 33,181 ------------ 366,685 327 7,499, 775 1911 ______ ------------ 20,738 -------7.-98- 338,188 --------934- 3, 061,968 -------·---- 1912_ ----- 36,688 457,060 2,448, 733 484,507 

1913_ ----- 42,442 . 38 445,180 13,173 8, 128,145 460, 161 1914 ______ 38,525 ------------ 256,800 27,560 10,207,264 145,431 1915 ______ 24,270 1.40 284,440 8.446 5, 795,368 214,952 

1916_ ----- 35,046 -----·------ 363,215 19,397 7,356, 212 162,574 1917- _: ___ 49,425 2.84 453,036 19,512 6, 887,569 290,514 1918 ______ _41, 200 .10 348.071 9,684 6,821,194 145,286 

1919_ ----- 31,634 ------------ 471,091 ------------ 3, 148,665 80,000 

1920_ ----- 34,453 ------------ 416,329 --------233- 2,814, 716 617,790 192!_ _____ 36,779 ------------ 425,643 1, 925,777 283,000 

1922_ ----- 40,617 ------------ 401,023 ------------ 2,238,182 1923 ______ -----4ii5,oiiii 40,579 ------------ 367,411 ------------ 2, 261,775 

552, 135 42.60 5;965, 574 99,638 77,252,598 3, 349,215 

--- ---

Rio Grande 'County 

[No shipments of crude ore to smelters in 1909, 1911, 1916, and 1918-1922] 

--------- .-----,-------------.-----~-------

1910 ______ 12 63.18' ro1 87 250 ................................... 1912 ______ 133 246.511 896 29,673 313 .................................... 1913 ______ 6 9.29 109 568 ·----------- ------------ 1914 ______ 8 22.93 16 ------------ ------------ ------------ 1915_ ----- 1 1. 08 16 .................................... ------i,-930- ------------ 1917------ 16 1.16 52 --------2i8- ................................... 

1923_ ----- 17 80.40 161 929 ------------ 193 424.55 1,311 30,546 3,422 ------------

Routt County 

[No shipments of crude ore to smelters in 191G-1912, 1914, 1915, 1922, 1923] 

1909 _____ _ 1913 _____ _ 

1916 _____ _ 

1917------

1918_ ----- 1919_ ----~ 1920 _____ _ 

192L -----

1909_ ----- 1910 ______ 1911 ______ 

1912_ ----- 1913------ 1914 ______ 1915 ______ 1916 ______ 

1917------

1918_ ----- 1919 __ ---- 1920 ______ 1921_ _____ 

1922_ ----- 1923 ______ 

24 

12 

517 

10 

25 

2 

3 

1 

594 

171 

296 

184 

760 

697 

1,488 

692 

3,338 

4,224 

1, 716 

509 

852 

722 

471 

286 

16,406 

45.62 

11.18 

.68 

11.37 

3.30 

2.13 

74.28 

3,417 

1,954 

234 

1,075 

1,272 

222 

100 

82 

8,356 

--------iai- ------i;o23- ============ 32,142 ------------ ------------

============ ------ii;59i- ============ 

32,303 7,614 

!--I 

Saguache County 

43.79 2,258 3, 769 83,463 ------------ 49.58 4,841 5,362 161,068 21.11 4,664 4,984 74,556 ------4ii~5iii 

117.29 9,825 22,395 80,488 24,400 192.48 8,279 13,124 318,632 24,391 798.82 18,293 35,783 534,872 8,941 255.08 11,266 23,360 174,447 44,250 388.16 48,959 92,581 255,449 ------------ 500.69 76,016 144,978 310,686 ------------ 123.50 89,510 96,866 108,253 ------------ 39.52 37,767 36,344 52,515 ------------ 116.72 46,958 51,304 36,220 ------------ 57.90 60,786 39,742 148,483 ------------ 216.07 31,978 41,432 102,109 ------------ 20.781 9,394 6,278 81,657 --·---------

2, 941.49 460,794 618,3021 2, 522,8981 148,543 

Mine production of metals from crude ore shipped to smelters, by 

counties and years, 1909-1923-Continued 

San Juan County 

Ore Gold (fine Silver (fine Copper Lead Zinc Year (short 

tons) ounces) ounces) (pounds) (pounds) (pounds) 

---

1909 ______ 6,100 2, 015.01 432,172 306,474 1, 935,14:4 ------37: iiis 1910_ ----- 6,052 1, 730.26 406,218 211,223 2,116, 963 1911_ _____ 1, 919 955.52 118,453 66,257 355,940 105,273 

1912_ ----- 6, 621 3,259. 93 421,618 419,313 1,410,085 ------------ 1913_ ----- 10,832 3, 732.49 640,490 693,389 2,543,186 ______ .. _____ 

1914_ ----- 4,675 3,181. 76 198,300 159,776 1,249,027 .. ----------- 1915 ______ 5,952 4, 676.17 120,777 162,340 1, 523,751 ------------ 1916 ______ 11,748 4,502. 00 181,278 664,055 1, 650,102 ------------ 1917------ 11,247 2, 603.43 280,867 574,987 1, 938,599 ------------ 1918_ ----- . 4,152 1,475. 44 130,896 297,954 812,146 _________ ,.. __ 

1919_ ----- 2,849 656.74 115,761 166,316 738,101 32,104 

1920_ ----- 2,016 328.98 107,142 86,226 663,950 ------------ 1921_ _____ 1,164 382.07 64,178 28,558 557,555 1922 ______ 2, 758 548.11 67,187 66,890 798,858 ---i;aoo;iioo 1923 ______ 627 220.01 19,4GO 10,003 246, 7GO -·----------

78,712 30,267.92 3,304, 7971 3, 913, 761 118, 540, 167 1, 475,295 

--------- ---------- ------ - ~ 

San Miguel County --·-- -- -- -- ---- 1909 ______ 2,471 2,653. 55 56,492 143,833 1,012,397 ------------ 1910.----- 1,396 430.60 57,333 14,556 499,593 ------------ 191L ----- 1,348 108.50 95,185 16,263 715,798 ------------ 1912 ______ 1,210 303.44 70,643 12,822 601,160 ------------ 1913_ ----- 907 80.75 52,462 4,394 403,761 ------------ 1914_ ----- 411 117.21 13,491 2,448 105,601 ------------ 1915_ ----- 332 121.99 7,190 6, 711 144,535 56, 6_25 1916 ______ 504 286.66 9,362 18,277 96,777 34,394 

1917------ 578 411.21 18,335 20,798 83,784 ------------ 1918_ ----- 1,089 189.32 34,167 43,870 420,697 7,011 1919 ______ 747 60.79 35,415 15,804 - 395,778 ------------ 1920 ______ 629 82.10 28,557 10,134 263,656 ------------ 1921_ _____ 1,309 223.62 97,783 28,573 731,420 ------------ 1922_ ----- 651 302.25 46,172 15,814 163,472 ------------ 1923 ______ 1,228 97.18 57,877 25,538 637,774 ------------

14,810 5,469.17 680,464 379,841 6,276,203 98,030 

Summit County 

19Q9 ______ 10,535 1,025. 38 32,392 3,431 198,650 3,493,523 191Q ______ 2,660 345.64 28.316 6,122 238.856 834,104 1911 ______ 1, 615 406.45 21,084 6,394 296,548 113,681 1912 ______ 5,042 1, 089.29 83,693 11,898 867,056 742,226 1913 ______ 6,559 1, 805.55 112,550 9, 770 1, 353,482 302,120 1914 ______ 1,926 893.86 31,612 4,810 389,568 277,898 

1915_- ---- 2,234 1, 172. 74 22,539 5,05~ 309,678 109,151 

1916_ ----- 8, 756 2, 845.26 64,391 8,531 785,704 1, 729,925 

1917------ 20,680 2, 296.08 122,851 23,810 752,261 4, 105,527 1918 ______ 9,666 634.57 81,017 9, 765 439,844 1, 506,814 1919 ______ 4,357 501.34 74,806 6,086 335,647 141,785 1920 ______ 11,344 1, 002.91 87,573 359 275,997 192!_ _____ ------------ 8, 711 776.88 64,538 13,513 289,233 1922 ______ -----677;ooii 15,780 1, 271.69 114,346 94,413 457,330 1923 ______ 5,233 733.49 87,4421 17,823 853,767 45,600 

115,098 16,801.13 1,029,150 221,779 7, 843,621 14,079,354 

Teller County 

[No shipments of crude ore to smelters in 1921] 

1909------ 45,474 1910 ______ 32,309 

1911------ 33,245 

1912------ 36,617 1913 ______ 28,584 1914 ______ 32,460 1915 ______ 40,926 

1916------ 37,111 

1917------ 6, 233 1918 ______ 837 

1919------ 50 

1920------ . 99 1922 ______ 2 1923 ______ 6 

293,953 

108,373.88 

73,261.54 

69,772.14 

82,717.86 

64,665.23 

68,644.40 

99,385.27 

84,570.24 

8,974. 57 1, 352.00 

278.40 

732.92 

28.90 

33.68 

662,791. o3j 

36,157 j 

im ~mmm=- m~=-mml'~=mmm~ 38, 765 ------------ ------------ ------------ 31,603 ------------ ------------ ------------ 6,243 ------------ ------------ ------------

6~h ============ ============ ============ 1,817 451 612 ------------

3 ------------ ------------ ------------ 342 ------------ ------------ ------------

240,546 451 612 ------------
APPENDIX 255 

The following tables show, by counties, the mine production of gold, silver, copper, lead, and zinc from gold 

and silver mills and from concentrating mills during the period 1909-1923. 

Mine production of metals from gold and silver mills and from concentrating mills, by counties, 1909-1923, in terms of recovered metals o 

County 

Ore to gold and silver mills 

Short 

tons 

Goldin 

bullion 

(fine 

ounces) 

Silver in 

bullion 

(fine 

ounces) 

-------------------------l--------l---------1 -------

Boulder __________ -------------------- 63,441 16,066. 20 38,863 

Chaffee •. _---------~----------------- 141,698 839.85 457 

Clear Creek __________ ---------------- 339, 557 23, 192. 52 23,430 

Custer_------------------------------ 24,848 2, 846. 64 24, 121 Dolores.-----------------------~----- 1 72.72 44 

~r~:so Fremont ~ ==== 

_____________________________ === = ===== = === = ======= ==== ======= ·----------- ===== --------=~~:: _ -------------_____ ------------ ------~- Gilpin. __ ------------------------____ 338,495 48,843.49 15,032 Gunnison____________________________ 66,722 16,514.18 9,878 Hinsdale. _______________ • ________ .___ _ _ _ ___ _ _____ 92. 25 75 

Lake ... __________________________ .___ 41,404 37,800. 10 11, 506 

La Plata_____________________________ 4, 100 955.51 477 

Larimer______________________________ 50 9. 00 11 Mineral______________________________ 200 17.83. 2, 060 

Montezuma __________________________ ------------ 0. 77 1 

OuraY------------------------------- 829,815 378,225.70 282,854 

~rf~ii--~===========================~= Rio Grande__________________________ ------~:::~- 1, 499 ~i: 744.96 ~ 5, ~ 309 

Routt·-----------------------------·- 50 38.20 12 Saguache_____________________________ 21 17.72 2 San Juan_____________________________ 600,181 63,623,63 24,507 

San MigueL ________ ---------------- 5, 815,309 870,601.90 3, 999,888 

Summit.----------------------------- 17,783 9, 034.51 4, 313 

Teller-------------------------------- 10, ~98, 777 5, 626,687.62 533,449 

Ore to Concentrates produced 

concantrating 

mills Gold (fine Silver (fine Copper Lead Zinc (short Short tons tons) ounces) ounces) (pounds) (pounds) (rounds) 

92,233 5,600 7,261. 95 329,5341 23,657 1, 169, 575 

131,535 34,942 36,108.02 288,073 844,309 11, 110, 720 ----i2;siio,"ii66 

793,656 130,796 91,202.91 2, 725,648 1, 945,397 25,239,991 18,301,665 

68,119 2,846 14.33 5,967 4,392 3, 435, 198 41,677 

16,409 6, 535 1, 073.87 132,696 12,115 2, 678,770 2,499, 259 

589,898 259,213 3, 198. 35 306,378 51,657 11,744,658 132, 085, 487 

84 27 -------------- ------·----- 2,037 -------------- -------------- 25 18 ----·--------- 15 --2;8io;963- 4, 59L 7, 161 

303,929 118,934 116,773.58 983,642 6, 047,.562 250,623 

20,133 12,086 16,370.17 128,209 62,855 2, 356,815 1, 377,686 

21,321 3, 610 499.02 51,652 79,483 2, 678,641 87,622 

979,376 714,410 23,984.33 3,025,083 415, 181 77,611,450 266, 177' 568 

300 145 241.76 5,854 228 _______ ., ____ -- -------------- ----23s;o7o- -----38,"828" --·-24;677:3i" ----358,"204" -----78,"664" ---32; i.So; 562 · -------------- 6, 68L, 012 

128 64 70.52 26 97 

468,670 149,612 204,266.38 ---26,"887,"i96" ------ "442,"298 7, 457,631 3,185,092 

13,059 881 105.36 76,860 10,875 202,426 

993,834 248,539 15.82 -------316,"621 2,080,507 184,480 91,057,763 

--------366" ---------4i" --------47:67" ------2,"679" ------------ -------------- -------------- 66,472 11, 1os 44o. 4o 265,574 ----567,"478- ----3;453;873- -------5i9;ioi 

1,207,030 186,812 181,433.28 4,369,588 11,151,962 101,061,043 47,897,203 

780, 408 442, 915 551, 787. 96 13, 012,937 11, 466,934 96, 367, 721 17, 073, 066 

495, 043 200, 275 5, 766. 75 761, 608 76, 306 27, 846, 173 105, 120, 909 

53,248 67,740 156,368.68 52,159 ------------ -------------- --------------

19, 087, 247 7, 097, 207. 26 4, 976, 946 7, 333, 286 2, 735, 977 1, 421, 708. 34 36, 420, 524 32, 913, 562 523, 104, 728 611, 739, 024 

a For explanation see footnote to Table 1, p. 69. 

Mine production of metals from gold and silver mills and from concentrating mills, by counties and years, 1909-1923 

Boulder County 

Ore to gold and silver mills Concentrates produced 

I--------~------~--------IOretocon- 1 ________ ~------.-------.--------.------~--------

Year Gold in I Silver in cen!~~ng Short tons 

1909.---------------------------------·------ 4,149 

~910 __ -----------------.-------------------- 7,498 

1911.--------------------------------------- 7,946 

1912.--------------------------------------- 4,058 

1913.--------------------------------------- .1,065 

1914.--------------------------------------- 7,160 

1915.--.-----.------------------------------ 11,285 

1916 •. -------------------------------------- 14,666 

1917---.------------------------------------ 2,671 

1918 __ ---.---------------------------------- 410 

1919 .. ---------.---------------------------- 163 

1920_---------------------.----------------- 404 192L _______ • ________ • _______ • _. ___________ • 578 

1922.--------------------------------------- 526 

1923 __ -------------------------------------- 862 

63,441 

141,698 

bullion bullion (fine (short tons) Short tons (fine ounces) ounces) 

1, 212.65 808 5,088 518 

1, 452.14 682 373 202 

1, 785.07 620 62 254 1,070.02 577 222 54 

616.21 232 40 23 

787.65 315 102 286 

684.37 32,619 23,171 1,499 

2,914. 90 1,594 14,248 764 

1,010. 53 746 9,375 485 

183.50 90 6, 795 245 

784.65 43 1;671 116 

633.24 10 17,565 439 

950.08 11 11,806 . 609 

1,139.03 373 950 48 

842.16 143 765 58 

16,066.20 38,863 92,233 5,600 

Chaffee County 

Gold 

(fine 

ounces) 

122.76 

473.92 

200.86 

71.33 

24.87 

512.37 

3,209.04 

491.54 

118.39 

822.80 

122.70 

520.68 

395.65 

1.88 

83.16 

7,261. 95 

[No production in 1909, 1910, 1912, 1920, 1921, and 1923] 

4 4,077 """4;635~55-

5,970 5, 131.08 

8,581 9,405. 77 7, 743 7, 753.20 

3,669 4,444. 85 

3,628 3,660. 90 

1,170 1,673. 77 100 2. 90 

839.85 457 131,535 34,942 36,108.02 

Silver 

(fine 

ounces) 

12,854 

1,061 

3,207 

236 

131 

20,431 

77,382 

74,295 

25,322 

2,410 

8, 741 

45,883 

46,008 

7,295 

4,278 

329,534 

84 

31,693 

42,791 

64,466 

65,192 

33,522 

30,522 

14,016 

5, 787 

288,073 

Copper 

(pounds) 

2,193 

1, 253 

284 

104 

------2;547" 

5,575 

1, 793 

7, 719 

1,364 

825 

------------

------------

------------

-----·------

23,657 

-----76;42i" 

153,108 

227,475 

224,360 

66,779 

63,283 

30,344 

2,539 

844,309 

Lead 

(pounds) 

390,'257 

'"' 37 

31,414 

~ 132 

r- 172 

48,512 

228,355 

79,293 

37,673 

----·aa;o56-

177,019 

102,240 

34,701 

6, 720 

1, 169,575 

2,219 

1, 580,013 

2,077,639 

2, 652,923 

2, 447,398 

1,047,488 

953,304 

326,719 

23,017 

11,110,720 

Zinc 

(pounds). 

--------·---

------------

------------

--·---------

------------

------------

------------

---·--------

------.------

------------

------------

------------

------------

............................. 

-·-----------

I.------.--_·_ 

I 

---i;494~835 

1, 960,851 

3, 256,623 

3,015,474 

1, 202,060 

1,431,165 

499,658 

------------

12,860,666 

l 

:'I 
256 MINING IN COLORADO 

Mine production of metals from gold and silver mills and from concentrating mills, by counties and years, 1909-1923-Continued 

Clear Creek County 

Ore to gold and silver mills Concentrates produc~d 

Ore to con- ----- Year centrating 

Goldin Silver in mills Gold Silver Copper Lead Zinc Short tons bullion bullion(fine (short tons) Short tons (fine (fine 

(fine ounces) ounces) ounces) ounces) (pounds) (pounds) (pounds) 

--~---

1909 ••.•.•••.. -•·•·•·• ---------·······------ 52,702 2, 745.18 1,160 49,576 11,221 10,835.95 193,422 117,038 2,005,474 677,290 

1910 .• ---------------.------------•. --------- 47,248 2,833.83 1, 293 41,569 8,115 5, 854.13 176,444 131,572 1,462, 977 962,588 

1911. .... --.-------------------------------- 40,489 3,498. 01 2,362 41,767 9,088 5, 726.01 154,697 98,923 1, 660,435 1,154,244 

1912 ...• ------------------------------------ 40,798 3, 158.07 4,473 42,934 9,669 6, 681.33 119,868 121,948 1, 751,011 1, 505,454 

1913 ..• --------------------------•.. -------- 47,541 2,373. 59 2, 542 39,628 9,999 6, 704.25 153,659 90,814 1, 876,419 1, 438,217 

1914.--------------------- ~--------------- -- 42,593 3, 106. 10 5,854 44,479 11,336 9, 589.05 149,557 145,430 1, 163,678 1,052,303 

1915 .• --------------------.------.-------.-- 31,665 2, 538.57 4,329 76,933 12, 170 11,235.93 158,528 191, 133 1, 234, 175 1, 441}, 965 

1916 .• -----.-----------------------------••• 21,369 1,460.44 835 61,812 15,123 10,839.38 257,274 292,934 2, 594,534 2, 535,172 

1917-------.---.------------------------..•• 7,115 372.41 210 69,734 16,372 9, 711.08 382,549 372,041 3, 768, 2{)5 3, 144,139 

11H8 •••..•••.•.•.•.•...•.....•.• -........••• 1,396 281.04 155 50,899 9,846 7,841. 20 245,306 243,434 2, 720,187 1, 812,846 

1919.--.-.-.-•.. -.-------------------------- 1, 212 371.78 90 111,058 4,686 2,352. 61 269,888 93,160 1,024, 976 603,027 

1920 ••..••.• ---------------------------..••• 1,474 198. 27 54 46, 147 3,387 1, 005.37 116,664 23,942 1,511,676 372,420 

1921. •.. ---•. --. ---•••••. ------.-••. ----•••• 2,021 146.50 41 28,983 2, 767· 903.17 88,022 7,158 867,474 217,000 

1922.- ~ •.• -.---.-.••. -.• -•.• -. -----.-.. --.•• 138 23.04 4 68, 197 4, 204 1, 168.55 164,326 3,569 817,089 800,000 

1923 ••... --.-----------.-...• ------.-.. ----- 1, 796 85.69 28 19,940 2,813 754.90 95,444 12,301 779,681 577,000 

339,557 23,192.52 23,430 793,656 130,796 91,202.91 2, 725,6481 1, 945, 397 1 25, 239, 991 18,301,665 

Custer County 

[No production reportedJor 1920 and 1921] 

1909........................................ 5, 595 614.33 7, 538 

1910........................................ 6, 800 467.98 4, 100 

1911._______________________________________ 3, 275 244.43 2, 020 

1912........................................ 3, 500 562.43 2, 785 

1913........................................ 4, 353 696.41 4, 501 I 

1914 ••.••••• -------------------------------- 300 59.80 459 ---------i9" ---------"7" ============ ::::::::::::c:::::::::: :::::::::::: -------4;470 

~g~~============:::::::::::::::::::::::::::: --------~~- gt ~~ 6~~ --------~~- ---------~~- :::::::::::: ::::::::::::!:::::::::::: :::::::::::: ------~~~~~~ 1917 .•.•. -----------------·----------------- ------------ 4. 96 6 500 206 11.36 3, 378 I 2, 049 10,633 ------------

~g~g:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ---------~~- :::::::::::::: --------~=~- --------572· ---------35· :::::::::::: ---·-:z;i64- :::::::::::: ------i;679- :::::::::::: 

1922 •• -------------------------------------- ------------ -------------- ------------ 16,665 450 ------------ ------------ ------------ 600,000 ------------ 1923 ••••.••. -------------------------------- 500 102.70 1, 358 50,000 2, 042 ------------ ------------ ------------ 2, 809,528 ------------

24,848 2, 846.64 24,121 68,119 2,846 14.33 5,967 4, 392 3, 435, 198 41,677 

Dolores County 

[No production in 1915 and 1918-1923] 

1909---------------------------------------- 1 52.71 31 3, 223 373 267.75 15,390 6, 258 150,333 ------------ 1910 .••..•....•......••................•••.• ------------ -------------- ------------ 1, 960 95 266.39 16,688 75 1, 053 ------------ 1911 •••..•...•.••.•..••...•.............•••. ------------ -------------- ------------ 1, 845 90 251.16 14,813 ------------ 1, 003 ------------ 1912 •• -------------------------------------- ------------ -------------- ------------ 1, 987 341 205.75 18,225 77 129,879 111,256 1913---------------------------~------------ ------------ -------------- ------------ 6, 383 5, 063 68. 19 63,550 2, 282 2, 162,302 2, 200,892 

1914---------------------------------·------- ------------ 14.71 2 407 278 3. 20 1, 298 ------------ 96, 115 148, 271 

1916---------------------------------------- ------------ 5. 30 11 ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------ -----------~ 1917---------------------------------------- ------------ -----~-------- ------------ 604 295 11.43 2, 732 3, 423 138,085 38,840 

72.72 44 16; 409 6, 535 1, 073.87 132,696 12, 115 2, 678, 770 2, 499,259 

-------·--------'-----'-----------''------'-----'-----------------·----~-----------

Eagle County 

[No production in 1921 and 1922] 

::.::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ::::::::::::1:::::::::::::: :::::::::::: ,t ~n ~ w, Mt ~ .t m ------·~-·~~r- JN~ ~~ ~~~ ~~ 1911. .......• ------------------------------· .••......... 5.18 1 27,592 7, 480 87.97 7, 856 ------------ 541,833 5, 097,597 

1912---------------------------------------- ------------ 6. 38 ------------ 28,258 7, 467 82.70 7, 318 1281 537,791 5, 601,609 

1913 .•. ------------------------------------- ------------ -------------- ------------ 41, 040 11, 604 269. 49 15, 096 ------------ 995, 999 6, 366, 387 

1914 •... ·------------------------------------ ------------ -------------- ------------ 45,676 11,737 205.03 14, 271· 1, 258 1, 106,086 7, 427,029 

1915 .. -------------------------------------- ------------ -------------- ------------ 68,790 18,214 262.65 26,075 741 . 1, 334,524 10,460,085 

1916 ....... ·-------------------------------- ------------ 12.80 5 91,4.25 54,944 691.02 50,791 14,26211,463,869 23,849,071 

1911.--------------------------------------------------- 3.93 1 85,883 44,235 631.23 38,585 14,883 1,812,441 20,793,848 

1918 •.. ------------------------------------- ------------ -------------- ---.--------- 68, 811 31, 894 37. 69 38, 703 84 2, 518, 781 14,099, 316 

1919 .. -------------------------------------- -·---------- ----------··"· ------------ 18,825 9,003 97.31 28,697 ------------ 365,358 3,367,548 

;~~~========:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ============ ============== ============ :~: M~ ~~: ~:: ~~ gb ~i: ~~~ -----is;9s:n ~~~: ~g~ . 2~: ~68: zz6 l-------:-------i-----l·-------l--------l-------l-------l--------:-------·l~------ ------------1 28.291 589,898 25~, 213 3, 198. 35 306,378 51,657111,744,658 132,085,487 

--------------------~-·-

El Paso County 

[~o production in 1909-1912 and 1914-1923] 

1.9l3-----.------.----·-----------------------I------------1--.-----------I·-----------I 27 1------------1-----------~1 2, 0371------------1------------

Fremont County 

[No production in 1909-1912 and 1914-1923] 

1913 •• --------------------------------------1------------I-.. -----------I------------I 181------------1 151------------1 4, 591 1 7,161 
APPENDIX 257 

Mine production of metals from gold and silver mills and from concentrating mills, by counties and years, 1909-1923-Continued 

GUpin County 

Ore to gold and silver mills Concentrates produced 

I--------~------~--------IOretocon- 1 ________ ~------~------~---------~------~------- centrating Year Gold in Silver in mills 

Short tons bullion bullion (fine (short tons) Short tons Gold 

(fine (fine ounces) ounces) ounces) 

1909 ______ ---------------------------------- 79,778 11,827.22 2,382 15,563 13,988 13,191.98 

1910 _____ ----------------------------------- 47,211 5,576.14 1, 275 19,575 9,066 6, 548.20 

1911 _____ ----------------------------------- 29,507 4,321. 68 1,125 54,646 17,300 12,262.46 

1912 ______ ---------------------------------- 40,771 5, 505.58 1, 417 62,767 24,095 16,932.60 

1913 ______ ---------------------------------- 33,634 4, 552.38 1, 204 44,428 16,988 9, 958.46 

1914 ____ ------------------------------------ 27,749 4, 010.39 3,454 15,466 6,870 8, 944.55 

1915 ____ ------------------------------------ 31,527 5, 642.92 1, 683 15,987 9,387 10,865.80 

1916 •••• ------------------------------------ 13,109 2, 208.83 954 19,065 5, 685 10,010.73 

1917 -~------ -------------------------------- 5, 912 996.55 308 22,824 5, 943 10,942.04 

1918.- ~------------------------------------- 6,525 852.06 308 14,786 4, 782 10,408.79 

1919 ____ ------------------------------------ 7,041 1, 041.11 307 5, 714 2,544 4, 216.04 

1920.--------------------------------------- 6,221 674.59 156 2,567 1,002 1, 281.55 

1921. •• ------------------- ·----------------- 1,846 625.18 158 1,031 318 263.27 

1922 ____ ------------------------------------ 3, 781 626.02 190 8, 793 582 537.40 

1923 ___ ------------------------------------- 3,883 382.84 111 717 384 409.71 

338,495 48,843.49 15,032 303,929 118,934 116, 773. 581 

Gunnison County 

------------------------

1,249 2,170.40 

2, 700 6, 390.60 

1,329 3, 737.62 

2,045 2, 981.04 

474 107.46 

354 76.43 

1909---------------------------------------- 8,193 2, 925.42 1, 851 ------------ 1910--~------------------------------------- 23,468 4, 891.19 2, 991 1, 204 1911________________________________________ 10,390 2, 751.76 756 417 

1912 .. -------------------------------------- 12,793 2, 955.14 2, 079 529 

1913---------------------------------------- 1,146 177.05 165 695 1914________________________________________ 4, 000 242.03 192 439 

230 272.42 

733 221.00 

1915---------------------------------------- 2, 630 1, 370.55 921 ------------ 1916---------------------------------------- 477 117.03 76 4, 293 

1911---------------------------------------- ------------ -------------- ------------ 4, 650 2,027 103.89 

1918------------------------· --------------- 280 85.59 64 ------------ 28 35.11 

1919 ________________________________________ ------------ -------------- ------------ 3, 390 215 83.40 

1920~------ --------------------------------- ------------ -------------- ------------ 4, 516 603 ------------

Silver 

(fine 

ounces) 

67,770 

47,449 

172,413 

201,927 

167,299 

44,680 

52,388 

41,611 

43,303 

89,348 

22,485 

9,106 

4,667 

13,782 

5,414 

983,6421 

9,593 

31,259 

11,148 

11,873 

2,066 

4,165 

6,036 

10,883 

20,898 

888 

3,419 

11,711 

Copper 

(pounds) 

157,125 

195,060 

489,433 

494,282 

395,163 

203,767 

135,691 

141,945 

126,496 

368,046 

76,303 

11,955 

3,355 

6,452 

5,890 

2, 810,9631 

------------ 16,948 

5,238 

1, 917 

6, 733 

10,624 

230 

1, 655 

16,092 

106 

3,312 

------------

Lead 

(pounds) 

253,051 

328,131 

1, 123,176 

1, 209,246 

963,064 

181,700 

230,812 

223,221 

385,745 

531,830 

189,539 

220,694 

22,564 

135,799 

48,990 

6,047, 562 

221,074 

397,292 

232,447 

172,184 

49,393 

38,654 

12,095 

189,649 

483,981 

2,249 

17,455 

534,543 

Zinc 

(pounds) 

------------

------23;ii88 

25,377 

8, 589 

12,980 

11,000 

------------ 141,490 

28,099 

------------

------------

------------

------------

------------

250,623 

------------

------------ 48,895 

230,027 

260,547 

17?, 500 

-----i35;439 

523.278 

------------

------------

-·---------- 1921---------------------------------------- ------------ 11.85 8 ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------ 1922------.. --------------------------------- 32 64.98 111 ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------- ------------ 1923-----------------------~---------------- 3, 318 921.59 664 ------------ 99 190.80 3, 820 ------------ 5, 799 ------------

66, 722 16,514.181 9, 878 20,1331 12,086 16,370. 171 128,2091 62,8551 2, 356,8151 1, 377,686 

Hinsdale County 

[No production in 1914-1917, 1920, and 1921] 

1909 ________________________________________ ------------ 92.25 75 ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------

1910 ________________ ------------------------ ------------ -------------- ------------ . 2, 213 245 47. 06 3, 733 13, 395 202, 777 ------------ 1911_ _______________________________________ ------------ -------------- ------------ 500 188 24.22 I, 210 8, 636 108,801 36,439 

191!~---------------------------------------- ------------ -------------- ------------ 9, 220 1, 433 187.88 20,551 36, 048· 1, 204,781 11,926 1913.------------------------~-------------- ------------ -------------- ------------ 3, 723 810 95.69 7, 937 11,861 628,777 39,257 

1918----------------------------------------- ------------ -------------- ------------ 4, 270 798 100.03 11,820 4, 676 481,482 ------------ 1919 _________________________ "-------------- ------------ -------------- ------------ 500 24 29.44 941 51 2, 420 ------------

:~::: :::::::::::::: '::::: :::::::::::::: ::r ~:: ~~::: ~: ::::: :::~: ;~: :::::::: :;~: "· : ... : .: : .~ :: ,~ ::: ~ .:~ :: ::::::;;~~~ 

1909 __ -------------------------------------- ------------ 2, 973. 66 1910 ________________________________________ ------------ 3, 920.90 

1911________________________________________ 50 2, 245.21 

1912.--------------------------------------- 845 1, 743.90 

1913---------------------------------------- 9, 749 2, 722.59 

1914---------------------------------------- 11,080 6, 019.02 

1915---------------------------------------- 6, 968 4, 906.21 1916------------------------------------~--- 11,233 2, 855.11 

1917 -----------------------------------·----- ------------ 1,179.17 1918 ________ . ------------------------------- ------------ 780. 74 

1919 ______________________ ------------------ ------------ 1, 810. 82 

1920---------------------------------------- 1, 479 2, 990.85 

1921.--------------------------------------- ------------ 608. 58 

1922---------------------------------------- ------------ 2, 730.77 

1923---------------------------------------- ------------ 812.57 

Lake County 

842 

1,307 

729 

750 

740 

1, 603 

1, 747 

716 

562 

260 

587 

628 

198 

750 

87 

87,981 

137,772 

62,540 

80,087 

64,995 

63,670 

96,764 

111,342 

123,597 

99,454 

27,522 

5,532 

------------

-----is;i2ii38,056 1,112.84 

86,577 873.38 

52,745 1, 250.04 

69,230 2, 066.98 

57,168 2, 542.80 

54,908 2,847. 89 

75,607 2,441.00 

93,863 4, 264.90 

84,109 2,820.86 

73,879 1,045. 54 

19,597 119.70 

4,196 517.90 

------------ ---------·-- -----"3,"475" ---2: oso: 5ii222,419 2,608 3, 283,040 19,940,921 

276,594 20,920 6,825, 502 39,498,175 

184,045 91,108 5, 576,244 20,.472, 073 

420,491 128,579 9, 753,360 23, 69p, 826 

389,596 77,312 9, 002,597 18,526.720 

256,800 51,434 7,032, 368 14,792,668 

353,597 7,345 9,155, 629 26,_929, 262 

303,992 5,031 10,746,249 31,648,677 

309,960 27,566 9,102, 787 29,347,782 

233,648 ------------ 5, 667,982 30;'113, 750 

48,580 2, 556 1,155, 030 9,:904,338 

11,101 ------------ 138,243 1,154, 376 

------------ ------------ ------------ ------------ -----i4;26ii" --------722" ----i75;4i9" -----i5s;iioii l---------l----------l--------·l--~-----l--------l--------:---------l·--------l--------·l---------

41, 404 37, 800. 10 11,506 979,376 714,410 23,984.331 

1909.--------------------------------------- 1, 100 

1910 _____ --------.-------------------------- -----------· 1911_ _______________ -----------------------· 3, 000 

1912 •• -------------------------------------. ------------ 1913.------------------------.-------------. ------------

~~i~=:= =: = = === = = = ======::::::::::::::::: == :: = = =: = ::::::: 

1916.----------.--------------------- ~ ------ -----------· 1921.------.-------------------------------· -------.---- 1922.--------------------------------------- ----------.-

4,100 

La Plata County 

[No production in 1917-1920 and 1923] 

45.67 

115.18 

82.29 

237.47 

169.43 

119.92 

126.38 

35.33 

5.23 

18.61 

955,51 1 

3, 025,083 415,181 77,611,450 266, 177. 568 

• 

0 

' . 
0 

·I 

258 MINING IN COLORADO 

Mine production of metals from gold and silver mills and from conc~ntrating mills, by counties and year ... , 1909-1923-Continued 

Year 

Larimer County 

[No production in 1909-1916 and 1918-1923) 

Ore to gold and silver mills Concentrates produced 

1-----:------:-----IOretocon- ----.,-------:-------.,.-----.------;------- centrating 

Short tons Goldin bullion 

(fine ounces) 

Silver in mills 

bullion (fine (short tons) Short tons ounces) 

Gold 

(fine 

ounces) 

Silver 

(fine 

ounces) 

Copper 

(pounds) 

Lead 

(pounds) 

Zinc 

(pounds) 

1917-------"-------------------------------- 50 9.00 11 ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------

Mineral County 

[No production in 1914 and 192(}-1923) 

1909 •••• ------------------------------------ ------------ -------------- ------------ 1910 •••• ------------------------------------ ------------ -------------- ------------ 191L _____ • _. _. ___ • ___ • _ •• __ • _____ • ___ • _______ ------ _. ___ --- _____ --- ___ • _ ----- ___ • 

1912.~- ------------------------------------- ------------ -------------- ------------ 1913 ____ ------------------------------------ ------------ -------------- ------------ 1915.--------------------------------------- ------------ -------------- ------------ 1916________________________________________ 200 17.83 2, 060 

1917---------------------------------------- ------------ -------------- ------------ 1918 _______ --------------------------------- ------------ -------------- ------------ 1919 ____ ------------------------------------ ------------ -------------- ------------

200 17.83 2,060 

38,473 

37,165 

45,528 

36,520 

27,169 

17,207 

18,226 

14,335 

1, 221 2,226 

238,070 

Montezuma County 

7, 751 

8, 752 

7,373 

5,014 

3,347 

2,274 

2,459 

1,230 111 

517 

38,8281 

[No production in 1909 and 1912-1923) 

4,350. 32 

5,623. 68 

7, 609.49 

3,322. 53 

1, 628.52 

899.00 

776.36 

322.41 

29.90 

115.10 

24,677.31 1 

95,333 6,820 7, 185,728 1, 759,165 

51,580 17,674 7, 188,297 2,421,926 

57,265 19,649 6, 537,493 1, 258,561 

37,340 10,846 4,355,366 308,681 

81,752 10,847 2, 277,226 454,875 

12,022 2,800 1, 746,106 85,984 

13,494 5,569 1,676, 763 240,575 

6,251 3,859 756,365 54,971 

586 ------------ 64,934 ------96;274 2,581 ------------ 362,284 

358,204 78,064 32,150,562 6, 681,012 

:g:L::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ::::::::::::1---------o:n· ---------T --------~~- ---------~-~------:~~~- ---------~- ---------~:-1:::::::::::: :::::::::::: 1 o. 77 1 128 64 70.52 26 971------------ ___________ _ 

Ouray County 

1909---------------------------------------- 100,405 117,095.86 57,321 ------------ 10,259 28,315.82 177,5481 505,492 2, 355,180 -----·------ 1910 •••• ------------------------------------ 102,971 76,122.77 47,593 3,535 12,268 28,718.57 188,269 452,668 3,231,405 ------------ 1911 .•• ------------------------------------- 102,376 62,389.22 40,315 26,682 17,387 30,252,80 293,843 515,150 2,973,522 ___________ .. 

1912.--------------------------------------- 56,593 22,963.84 10,269 30,051 16,234 26,661.95 344,548 353,684 2,530,171 140,667 

1913 ••. ------------------------------------- 54,932 21,977.31 8, 210 37,303 16,462 23,039.94 378,776 388,649 1, 946,899 186,271 

1914.--------------------------------------- 48,991 28,407.34 8,813 32,033 12,496 20,691.64 414,251 316,862 1, 752,808 36,524 

1915 .• -------------------------------------- 35,411 30,999.03 8,699 32,064 9,150 15,968.45 374,259 236,711 1, 530,444 ------------ 1916.--------------------------------------- 61,412 14,153.90 97,766 41,924 8,912 8, 698.42 588,944 130,825 1, 788,046 17,987 

1917---------------------------------------- 47,480 600.05 560 31,624 7,290 3, 508.59 677,237 45,518 1, 232,726 10,270 

1918.--------------------------------------- 36,790 454. 13 531 37,418 7,018 3, 771.94 572,719 57,306 1, 547,311 39,297 

1919.--------------------------------------- 35,558 37.00 95 26,128 4,409 4, 143.35 446,962 19,132 1,221,698 11,282 

1920.--------------------------------------- ------------ -------------- ------------ 38,533 3,334 1, 228.20 338,524 28,208 919,806 ------------ 1921.--------------------------------------- 31,144 222.00 407 37,575 6,020 3, 299.07 651,028 45,232 991,537 ------------ 1922.--------------------------------------- 74,373 1, 686.25 1,020 48,252 9,997 4,354. 97 1,189,427 49,165 1, 389,862 ------------ 1923.--------------------------------------. 41,379 1, 117.00 1,255 45,548 8,376 1, 612.67 821,296 40,490 1, 475,781 __________ ...... 

829,815 378,~.70 282,854 468,670 149,612 204,266.38 7, 457,631 3,185,092 26,887,196 442,298 

Park County 

[No production in 1921 and 1922) 

1909---------------------------------------- 735 302.99 82 1910-----------------~--------------------~- 237 105.77 31 

1911---------------------------------------- 150 26.10 9 

1912---------------------------------------- 264 57.64 19 1913--------------------------------------~- 870 113. 23 36 1914------~--------------------------------- 200 33.46 5 

1915---------------------------------------- 200 150.39 23 

1916---------------------------------------- 30 7. 05 102 

1917---------------------------------------- 500 33.21 13 

1918---------------------------------------- 10 . 4. 31 1 

1919 ••• ------------------------------------- ------------ -------------- ------------ 1920 •• ---------------- -~-------- ------------ ------------ -------------- ------------ 1923---------------------------------------- 100 48.02 67 

:::::: ~-:~:1 ::::::: :~~~: :::::: :~: ~: :::::: ~=~= =:=:::::: ::: =::::::::::: :=: ::::::::: 

--------400- ---------71)" ------55."42" ------2;463" --------444- -----i9;638" ============ 

960 101 0.10 6, 058 1, 656 42,119 ------------ 9,405. 485 42.19 57,584 7,117 98,247 ------------ 996 78 1. 30 5, 757 1, 658 42,422 ------------

l---------l----------l--------1---------l---------l--------l---------l---------l--------l·--------

3, 296 882.17 388 13,0591 881 105.36 76,860 10,875 202,426 ------------
APPENDIX 259 

Mine production of metals from gold and silver mills and from concentrating mills, by counties and years, 1909-1923-Continued 

Pitkin County 

Ore to gold and silver mills Concentrates produced 

1--------~--------~-------IOretocon-l--------~------~--------~------.-------~-------­ centrating Year Gold in Silver in mills 

Short tons bullion bullion (fine (short tons) Short tons (fine ounces) ounces) 

1909 ____ ------------------------------------ ------------ 36. 04 63 65,890 12,884 

1910 _____ ---------:------------------------- ------------ -------------- ------------ 55,856 13,995 

1911. •• ------------------------------------- ------------ 13. 98 620 1912.--------------------------------------- ------------ -------------- ------------

68,085 17,703 

55,003 14,129 

1913 •••• ------------------------------------ ------------ 1. 02 1, 576 1914·--------------------------------------- ------------ 0. 46 153 . 1915 _____ ----------------------------------- ------------ -------------- ------------

71,822 22,100 

79,475 25,720 

84,309 28,103 

1916 _____ ----------------------------------- ------------ -------------- ------------ 1917---------------------------------------- ------------ -------------- 56 1918.--------------------------------------- ------------ -------------- ------------

79,284 26,428 

75,399 25,133 

57,213 19,071 

1919 _____ ----------------------------------- ---------- -~ -------------- 823 89,900 12,673 

1920 •• -------------------------------------- ------------ -------------- 798 91,333 12,602 

1921_ _____ --------------.-------------------- ------------ -------------- 683 

1922 •• ------------------------------- _·_--- -- ------------ -------------- 490 1923 _________ ------------------------------- ------------ -------------- ------------

23,697 2,808 

78,406 10,416 

18,062 4, 774 

71.50 5, 262 993,834 248,539 

Rio Grande County 

Gold 

(fine 

ounces) 

------------ 1. 35 12.23 

------------

------------

------------

............................ 

------------ 2. 24 

------------

------------

------------

------------

------------

------------

lli. 82 

[No production in 1909-1911, 1913, 1914, and 1916-1923] 

Silver 

(fine 

ounces) 

128,573 

111,128 

111,964 

70,444 

115,552 

115,933 

164,475 

214,648 

208,953 

210,651 

185, 144 208,317 

47,899 

123,656 

62,170 

2, 080,507 

Copper 

(pounds) 

25,720 

24,516 

7,408 

22,018 

35,679 

40,177 

11,537 

9,534 

7, 891 

------------

------------

------------

------------

------------

------------

184,480 

Lead 

(pounds) 

6,485, 955 5, 908,475 

8, 022,366 

5, 956,600 

9, 400,241 

13,025,966 

13,469,845 

10,063,063 

7,464, 954 4, 845,398 

2, 161,505 

1, 655, 584 469,845 

1, 317, 127 710,839 

91,057,763 

Zinc 

(pounds) 

34,741 

------------

------------

------------

------------

------------

------------

------------ 281,280 

------------

------------

------------

............................. 

------------

------------

316,021 

l:l~:: :::: ::: :-::::: :::: :::: ::: ::: :::: :::: :: :1~---_-_--_-_i,-_4_99_-.1 ____ 7~-~-: ~_g_ _--_-_--_-_-·_a_o9_-1_:_:_:_: :_:_:_:_: =-~-=-=_= :_:_:_:_:_:_:1 _: :_:_:_:_:_: _:_: 1_: _:_: _: =_= _:_: -_-=-~-=-= =_=_= -_-:_: _: =_= ---: 1._= =_= _= =_= -.,..-=_= _= :_: 

1

_: _= :_: _:_: _:_: _: = 

1 1,499 744.96 309 ________________ : _______________________________ -----------+---~------- ___________ _ 

Routt County 

[No production In 1909-1916 and 192o-1923] 

1917 ----~----------------------------------- 50 34.22 9 ------------ 1918 ________________________________________ ------------ 3. 98 3 136 

1919 •• -------------------------------------- ------------ -------------- ------------ 170 

50 38.20 12 306 

Saguache County 

[No. production in 1910 and 1914-1919] 

7 

17 

17 

41 

5.49 

26.49 

15.09 

47.07 

l: ~! /::::: :=: :::: :::: =::: :::: :::::::::::: 

2, 679 1------------ ----------- ~ ------------

liim::::::::::::: :::~::=~mmm:=:::~: == ~~==~~=;!~ = ==~ = = }mh== ~ ~~=~=1= ====== ~m= ======;.=~= =====i~= ====~::=ill= =====~;:m= ====:~m= ~:::=i:ifi~ 1921---------------------------------------- ------------ ---·----------- -----~------ 5, 690 217 31.88 30,085 9, 770 50,203 ------------ 1922 ________________________________________ ------------ -------------- ------------ 9, 200 184 18.50 31,564 190 9, 673 ------------ 1923 ________________________________________ ------------ -------------- ------------ 34,170 9, 032 183.80 146,329 453,199 2, 837,543 ------------

21 17. 721 2 66,472 11, 108 440.40 265,574 507,478 3, 453, 8731 519, 101 

1909________________________________________ 127,774 12,817.74 

1910________________________________________ 131,593 13,953.69 

1911..-------------------------------------- 62,473 5, 751.24 1912---------------------------------------- 44,774 4, 661.25 1913---------------------------------------- 52,056 8, 790.35 1914---------------------------------------- 55,700 6, 053.24 1915.--------------------------------------- 51, 842 4, 864. 87 1916---------------------------------------- 52,195 3, 182.00 1917---------------------------------------- 2, 000 1, 195. 48 1!)18 _______ --------------------------------- ------------ 1, 651. 83 

1919---------------------------------------- ------------ 14.14 

1920 •• -------------------------------------- 19,214 197.31 1921 ••. ------------------------------------- ------------ 18. 09 1922 •• -------------------------------------- ------------ 302. 08 1923·--------------------------------------- 560 170.32 

San Juan County 

4,091 

5, 752 2,357 

1, 876 

3,137 

2,629 

2,087 

1,173 

366 

783 1 

23 

:rJ1 

159 

72 

53,167 

68,627 

43, 6P6 89,522 

60,455 

57,613 

90,084 

82,185 

132,438 

128,775 

62,050 

180,441 

------6;05o· 

I 

28,360 18,220.29 

32,713 18,645.22 

17,916 9,558. 56 20,693 17,406.71 

19,058 19,289.14 

16,337 15,362.58 

20,758 18,694.53 

20,809 13,534.63 

22,682 11,584.63 

17,936 9, 305.64 9,836 5, 741.71 34,734 12,378.52 

------i;2io· -----395: iio357,374 1,346, 718 7, 149,924 786.518 370,265 997,273 8,571,423 3, 743,341 

204,788 404,655 6,577,882 2, 224,351 

291,480 643,978 7, 704,249 2, 373,321 

236,782 528,127 6, 965,793 1, 664,999 

292,988 665,404 3, 949,973 971,177 

307,773 892,123 5, 267,845 2,259,226 

319,891 951,112 5, 635,202 4, 014,403 

377,028 1,090, 936 8,576, 936 3, 270,500 

345,643 822,224 8, 673,629 3,410,308 

163,905 495,351 4, 705,805 1,801,664 

638,935 1,275,165 15,937,075 11,837,395 

----Ho; sis- -----43,"458~ ----853,"i24" ------------

r-------r---------r--------r--------r---~---r--------r----~-r---~---r---~--:--~~-

151, 927] 23,770 11,315.74 r 452,218 995,438 10,492,183 ---9;54o;ooo 

600, 181 63, 623. 63 24,507 1,207,030 286,812 181,433.80 4,369,588 11,151,962 101, 061, 043 1 47,897,203 
260 MINING IN COLORADO 

Mine production of metals from gold and silver mills and from concentrating mills, by counties and years, 1909-1923-Continued 

San Miguel County 

-

Ore to gold and silver mllls Concentrates produced 

Ore to conYear centrating Goldin Silver In mills Gold Silver Copper Lead Zinc Short tons bullion bullion(fine (short tons) Short tons (fine (fine (fine ounces) ounces) ounces) ounces) (pounds) (pounds) (pounds) 

1909. _______________________________________ I 402,114 80,272.68 189,550 19,024 23,156 27,591.83 1,098,106 357,452 3, 928,973 804,296 

m~~~~~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ = ~ ~~ = ~ =~ ~ = ~ ~ = ~~= ~ = ~ ~ ~=~ ~ ~= ~ ~) 452,240 87,222.11 304,722 27,364 32,251 33,032.90 781,995 529,633 7,292, 248 2, 193,981 

390,568 91,123.25 319,976 37,438 25,994 27,182.56 585,673 954,801 5, 740,535 3, 386,088 

418,886 72,589.08 305,614 35,600 31,154 43,170.42 777,452 832,675 6,828,462 2, 943,783 

480,609 62,939.61 377,110 26,659 31,330 39,987.96 621,524 731, ~80 6,563,375 2, 405,750 

1914.--------------------------------------- ~ 476,240 68,717.64 598,193 I 19,091 26,576 33,474.21 668,777 321,657 3, 934,168 -----983;496 1915 •.. -- _ .. ---------.---------... _._._._--.I 473,986 62,013.15 507,913 9,636 27,284 37,970.25 581,538 555,837 5,095, 742 

1916----------------------------------------! 411,887 61,413.15 385, so5 1 16,260 26,930 38,552.20 417,874 563,150 6,029, 774 1,064,091 

1917----------------------------------------! 341,793 61,664.47 344,273 46,922 29,527 35,156.18 416,756 899,627 6,121,542 1,810, 245 

1918.-------------------------------------- _, 360,276 70,428.81 294,267 12,769 27,912 32,306.16 508,136 948,944 5,623,388 790,637 1919 ________________________________________ 1 376,076 65,588.86 208,426 51,742 26,863 36,203.43 857,101 898,121 7, 241,012 515,082 

1920----------------------------------------1 145,189 20,884.28 108,813 228,351 27,649 43,867.05 927,297 938,562 7,308, 219 175,617 

1921 .• --... ----.-•• ---------------.------... 1 364,964 22,886.32 20,703 89,008 32,277 47,944.23 1, 658,477 893,000 7, 704,824 --------·---

i~~~:::: = = == = = = == = = = = = ===== =: =: =: =: = == = =====I 

338,284 21,559.53 17,315 58,905 30,478 30,297.02 1,581, 972 658,053 6,897,419 ------------ 382,197 21,298.96 18,208 ' 100,639 43,534 45,069.56 1,530, 259 1,383,442 10,058,040 ............................. 

I 5, 815,3091 870,601.90 1 3, 999,8881 780,4081 442,915 551,787.96 13, 012, 937,11, 466, 934,96, 367, 721 17,073,066 

--

Summit County 

1909____________________________________ ____ 7, 348 330. oo 89 I 13,215 3,606 

1910 ___ ------------------------------------- 85 165. 89 79 44,295 17,205 1911 ________________________________________ ------------ 332.53 82 54,289 22,867 

1912.--------------------------------------------------- 130.22 44 41,464 17,264 

1913.--------------------------------------- ------------ 1, 443. 38 927 33,801 13,089 

1914 __ -------------------------------------- ------------ 1, 834. 72 876 20,273 7, 748 

1915________________________________________ 240 2, 163.68 931 42,128 13,291 

1916---------------------------------------- 100 1,350.10 636 56,261 21,543 

1917---------------------------------------- I. 310 299.46 143 44,778 30,229 

1918 ____ ------------------------------------ 4, 200 684. 43 366 44,319 20,626 

1919---- ------------------------------------ -- --- -- ----- -------------- ------------ 15,210 5,206 

1920.--------------------------------------- ' 4, 400 236.38 113 32,584 11,625 1921________________________________________ 100 63.72 27 8,480 968 

2,114 588 

43,732 14,420 

937.89 61,955 

531.53 119,362 

558.39 158,423 

390.21. 76,116 

429.13 49,634 

175.98 27,503 

192.49 33,266 

392.57 47,888 

427.22 46,069 

428.11 30,590 

47.76 6,928 

232.37 13,925 

168.02 35,275 

8. 50 2,040 

846.58 52,634 

408 3, 360, 628 

15, 618 4, 776, 553 

16, 494 5, 728, 319 

4, 514 3, 535.366 

8, 400 2, 590, 786 

2, 529 1, 175,663 

3, 592 1, 606, 620 

6, 050 902, 933 

1, 223 163, 274 

3, 441 337, 494 

------------ 110,844 ------------ 201,465 14,037 215,724 

2,304, 644 

4, 708,581 

7, 561,494 

8,600,499 

6, 628,954 

4,834, 043 

8,488, 260 

12,211,023 

15,763,287 

14, 189,450 

3, 905,311 

8,335, 963 

i~:=: =:: =:: =: =: =:: = = ~= = =: =: =: =: =: =: = =: = = =:: : =: =: =: =:::: =: =: =: =:=:=:==I===:======== 

17,783 9. 034.51 -~---4,-3-13-l---~- 495,043 200,275 5, 766.75 761,608 

------------1 102,000 

-----;~:;~- ';: ::::: 300,000 

7, 289,490 

105, 120, 900 

I 

1900 .. --------------------------------------: 1910 ___ ------------------------------------- 1911 _____ ---- -~- ---------------------------.: 

!!!!~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~: 1916.-------------------------------------- _, 1917----------------------------------------

1918 ____ ------------------------------------ 1919_ --------------------------------------- 1920 ____ ------------------------------------ 1921 ____ ------------------------------------ 1922.---------------------------------------

1923_ ---------------------------------------

530,196 

636,632 

723,655 

812,555 

888,822 

906,963 

907,156 

855,461 

1, 078,423 

935,489 

775,936 

448,519 

484,110 

452, 127 

382,733 

446,519.93 

.. 431, 052. 24 b 424,214.22 

• 429,087.95 

447,880.88 

492,418.66 

545,955.69 

491,342.74 

486,083.05 

379,865.76 

276,387.20 

197,547.88 

193,192.76 

189,398.33 

195, 740,33 

10,798,777 5, 626,687. 62 

Teller County 

23,860 

0 26,515 

b 30,558 

• 30,502 

42,853 

53,486 

46,118 

45,972 

52,817 

47,762 

31,897 

27,712 

~o. 296 

20,837 

22,264 

533,449 

============ ------6;276- --i4;s6s:7s- ------i;sss· :::::======= ============ ============ -------- ·--- 2, 823 10,865.18 1, 878 ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------ 4, 804 13,600.40 7,161 ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------ 6,620 14,983.41 5,304 ------------------------------------ ------------ 8,147 19,249.05 4, 662 ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------ 7, 352 16,598.06 2, 884 ------------ ------------ ------------ 53,248 5, 275 10,370.25 2, 229 ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------ 6, 054 7, 793.10 5, 508 ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------ 8, 400 . 11,575.00 2, 220 ·----------- ------------ ------------ ------------ 3, 378 5, 255.00 3, 524 ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------ 3, 495 10,892.60 4, 260 ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------ 3,156 14,427.08 7, 039 ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------ 1, 960 5, 890.80 3, 622 ------------ ------------ ------------

53,248 67, 740 156, 368. 68 52, 159 ------------1------------ ------------

o In addition 13,051,46 ounces of gold was produced from old tailings. bIn addition 6,116.80 ounces of gold and 3,275 ounces of silver was produced from old tailing!.'. • In addition 7,123.30 ounces of gold and 5.574 ounces of silver was prodced from old tailings. 
INDEX 

A Page 

Adams County, location and area oL ..•.•. --------------------------------- 17-18 

production in •••• --------.----·--------..•.. _ •. ·-·----··-----·-·--·----- 104 

Alamosa County, location and area of. •.••. ----·-···-·---·------------------ 18 

Arapahoe County, development in •.•••••• ----··--·------------------------ 27,104 

location and area oL ................... ----------------------------- 18-19,104 

production in .••.•• ~----·-···-·-·-·-·-····-- ___ ·------··----------________ 104 

Archuleta County, location and area oL .. --------------------------------- 19,104 production in ••••••.•.•••••••..•..••.•... ________________ ----- _________ 104-105 

Arrastre, first in Colorado set UP-------------------------------------------- 29 

Aspen, mining at and near·-·---·-----------·---------------------------- 44,45-46 

Auraria, laying·out of. •• ··-·-·-·-··----·------------------------------------ 3, 8 

B 

:baca County, location and area oL·---------------------------------------- 19 

production in·------------------------ ______ ----- ______ ---- ___ .----- ___ 105, 251 

:bain, H. F., cited ••••••••••••.•.. _____ --------- _____ -------- __ ---··.------__ 162 

Bakers Park, exploration of. ••••••••••••... ----------------------·---------- 48 

Bancroft, Howland, with Irving, J.D., cited •. -------------------·---·----- 50,126 

Bartlett, F. L., cited ..••••• ·--·---------·--------------------------------- 150-151 Bibliography __ •..••••••••••• __ •. _ •••••.. _. _____ • __________________________ 248-249 

Bismuth, production of ..•••••••.•.•• ·---------------------------------- 152,155,158 Blackhawk, smelting at.---------------- ______________________________ ---· __ 3G-3f 

Blue River, mining on and near------------------------------------------ 33, il4-35 

;tlobtail Lode, development of a claim on .•. --------------------------------- 28 

~/"'Bonanza, mining at and near------------------------------------------------ 55 

Booming, description of.····----···--·-···---------·-···---------- 186,230,232-233 

Boulder County, development in.·--·-----·------------------------- 38-40,105,250 

location and area of------------------------------------------------------ 19 

production in •••••••••••••••• ~--------------------------------- 105-106,251,255 

:boulder Creek, South, placer ~ining on •••• --------------------------------- 28 

Breckenridge, mining at and near------------------------------------------- 32-36 

Brush Creek, mining on ..•••..•.•.• : .••..•• --------------------------------- 47 

Burchard, H. C., cited .••.••• 107,108, 118-119, 124, 125, 127, 136-142, 177, 182-184, 

188, 191-193, 197-198, 203~205, 207, 208-209, 211-213, 217-21~, 235-241 

c 

bache Creek, mining on and near------------------------------------------- 131 

California Gulch, mining in and near----------······ 40-41,131-132,133, 134, 135-136 

Camp Bird mine, story oL~---------------------------------------------- 184-185 Canadian commission cited •.•..• ______ • ___ . ___ .--.-. ______ •. _______ ••• _____ 144-146 

Cantrell,-, report of discovery carried bY------·--·------------------------- 2-3,8 

Cap, use of term •••••••••••••.•••••.•••.•.. ____ -~----- .. ---·· ______ .•.•. ----- 27 

Caribou, mining at and near--------------------------·--··--·-------------- 38-39 

Chaffee County, development in·-------------------------------------·· 43-44,107 

location and area of •••••• ·--·----·····-------------·---------------·---·- 19 

production in ••••.•••••••••••••••••.•. __ ------ _____ .. __ ·---. ___ 107-108, 251, 255 

Chalk Creek, mining on and near-----------------------------·------------- 43-44 

Chemicals, manufacture of.------------------------------------------------- 6G-61 

Cherry Creek, discovery of gold on •••••..•. --------------------------------- 1, 8 

Chronologie record.---------------------------------------------------·_____ 8-17 

Civil War, events and effects or. ••• ----------------------------·--·-----~--- 9, 30 

Claims, Jaws governing .•••••••••••.•••••.•.. ----.---_---------·-_-------- ___ .• 28 

Clear Creek County, development in •••..• --------------------------------·- 31~3~ 

location and area of.·---------------------------------------------------- 19 

production in.·-·--······---------------------------------- 108-109,251-252,256 

Colorado Gulch, mining in •• ·--·---------------------"-·------------------ 132, 134 

Colorado State Bureau of mines cited·--------------------------------------- 104, 

109-110, 114, 117, 121, 122-123, 124, 128, 129, 179, 181, 207, 208 

Concentrates, production from ______ ----------------------- _______ ---------- 74 

Conejos County, location and area or. ••.... ---------·------------------- 19-20,109 

production ln ••••••.•.•.•.•••••.•.•••.. _·---·-·-·---------..• ____ ------ 109-110 

Copper, production of, by counties •••• ----------------------------- 87, 103, 105-247 

production of, by years, features of curves showing •. ----------------- 78, 83,84 

by years, sources of figures for ••.. __ -------------------------------- 70 

by years and counties .••••••••••••••••••••.•••••••••••••••••••••.•• 88-103 

sources of figures for •••••••••••••••••••.••• -······-·············· 72-73 

totaL •••.•••••••••••••••••••••••• __ •••.••••••••••.•••••••••••••••••• 84 

CostUla County, development in •••••••••••••..•••••••••.•••••.•••••.••••• no-111 

location and area of...................................................... 20 

production ln .... ------------------------------------------------------- 111 

Counties, original number and additions tO---------------------------------- 17 

production by---············------------------------ ____ 86-87, 103-247, 251-260 

Cradles, use of. ••• --~--- -----------------------------·-------------------- 29 Crawford, R. D., with George, R. D., clted •••••••••••••••.•••••••• u~~~~~~~ ~ 

5653-26t-18 

Page 

Creede, discovery at •.•.• ·~---·--------------------------_-------------------- 11 

mining at and near.·---------------------------------------------------- 55-56 

Cripple Creek district, discovery in------------------------------------·---- 11 

drainage tunnels in •••••••••••••••••••• _._. __ ••••••••••••••• _ ••••••••• _ •• 57-59 

milling in ••••••••• ___ ••. ___ ..• ___ • ___ ••• _. ___ • ___ ••• ___ •••.••• _._ ••••• __ 59-60 

mining in ••• -----·--------------·--------------------------------------- 56-57 strikes in •••••••••••••••• _____ .•••••••. ___ •.• _ .•••• _ •.•••••• _............ 57 

Custer County, development ln .......... ------------------------------- 47-48, 112 

location and area ot.·---------------------------------------.i.----------- 20 

production ~n ----------------------------------------------~-- 112-113, 2?2, 256 

D 

Delta County, location and area of-----------------------------------------· 114 

production in .... --------------------·-------------------- ____ -------- 114, 252 

Denver, founding of. ••.•.•.•.•••••••••.•••. -------------------.~----------- __ 3-4, 8 

Denver County, development in·-·····-----------------------~-----------·-. 27 

location and area of •...••••••• ·-·---------------------------------------- 20 Denver Republican cited ______________________ 149, 150, 151, 152; 154, 157, 159,161, i62 

Discoveries of gold, earliest ••••••.•••.•.•••••••.•. ----·--··--······---------- 1-8 

Districts, mining, names and locations of. •.•.•.• --------·------------------- 62-68 

Dolores County, development in •• _ ------------------------·--'t···· 51-52, 114-116 

location and area ot .••••.•.•• ·-·······----------------------·------------ 20 

production in .•.•• --------------------------------------------\ 116-117, 252, 256 

Douglas County, development ln-----------------c·--------·---·-\.·-z-···· 117 

location and area of·-------------------------------------------------·--- 20 

production in .••• --------·-···-····-----------.••••••• -------·----------117-118 

Downer, F. M., cited .••••••••••.•.••• 120,159-160,161-162,195,215,222-223,243-24:4:\. 

Drilling, testing gravel for gold bY------------------------------------·--···· 34 \ 

E \ \ 

Eagle County, development ln .............................................................................................................. 46-47, liS ' 

location and area of. ..•.•.•••••••• ·-···---------------------------------- 21 

production in •••. -----------------------------.• ___ ----------- 118-119, 252, 256 El Paso County, location and area of._______________________________________ 21 

production ot copper in·------·---·---·---------------------------- 119,252,256 

Emmons, S. F., cited.------··········-------------·------------·---······ 112,180 

Emmons, W. H., cited--------------------------------------------·-········ 181 

Engineering and Mining Journal cited---------------------------- 153-154,156-157 

Explorations, early-------------------·------------------- ____ -------------- 1-9, 19 

F 

Fairplay, mining at and near·----------------------------------------------- 36-87 

Fourmile Creek, mining on and near_------------·-------------------------- 38-40 

Fremont County, location and area of..------------------------------------- 21 

production in.-------•-------------------------------------------- 120,252,256 Future of mining ___________________________ .•... ------- _______ •.•. -------- 249-250 

G 

Gamble Gulch, mining in.---------------·-- _____ ------------------.-------- 31 

Garfield County, development in-------------------------------------------- 121 

location and area or. •.••••• -----------------------·---------------------- 21 

production in ••••••• ···------------------------~-------------------- .• 121, 252 

George, R. D., and Crawford, R. D., cited .•.• ----------------------------- 206 

Georgetown, mining at and near •• ------------------------------------------ 31,32 

Gilpin County, development in •••••••••••••••••••••••.•••••••••••••••.••••• 27-31 

location and area or. ••••••• -------------------------------------·.:........ 21 

production in .•..••.•••• ···········--------------------------- 121-122, 252, 257 

Gold, earliest discoveries oL.·----------··········-----------------.:........ 1-8 

production of, by counties •.••••••••••••••••• ----------------------· 77, 103-247. 

by years, features of curves showing •.•••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 76, 83, s_4 

sources of'figures for--~------------------------------------------ 70 

by years and connties ••••••••••••••••• ---·---·-·······------------- 88-103 

sources of figures for--------------------------------------------- 7()-72 

totaL •••.•••••••••••••••••••••••• __ ••• ~-- •. --~- •••••••••.••• ~ ••• ----- 84 

Gold Dirt, mining at. •••••••••••••••••••••••••••• :. ••••• ·-·-------·--------~- 31 

Grand County, location and area of. ••••••••••••••••••••••••••.••••• 21-22,122-123 

production in._ •• ················------------------·····-···-·····---- 123, 252 

Granite, mining at and near................................................. 43 

Gregory, John H., discovery of Gregory lode by------------·-···········-··- 4, 7, 9 

Gregory diggings, development of.-----------------·--------------------- 27-28,29 

Griffith, George, discovery oflode bY--------------------------------·-------- 31 

Gunnison County, development in •••• ·--------------------------·-- 44-45,124-125 

location and area of ••••••••••••• '--················-----~-~----· •• :.:· ••••• .:. 22,124 

~rod~ctiql\ ~~- _ ••• ,, •••• --~~-~---,-·-······------------------· 125-126, 252, 25? 

~6l 
262 INDEX 

H 

Page 

Hahns Peak, discovery of gold at base oL----------------------------·----- 2G 

Hinsdale County, development in ___________________________________ 5Q-51, 126-127 

location and area oL ____ ------------------------------------------------ 22 pro~uction in _________________________________________________ 127-128, 253, 2.57 

Hodges, J. L., cited------------------------------------------ 151,152-153,154-155, 

157-158, 181, 194-195, 199-200,209,214-215,219-222,242-243 

Hollister, 0. J., account of early prospecting expeditions_____________________ 5 

cited. _________ ------ ______________________________________________ 124, 13Q-132 

Hotchkiss lode, discovery oL__ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ ___ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ ___ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ ___ _ __ 126 

Huerfano County, location and area oL ____________________________________ 22,128 

production in _________________________________________________________ 128-12\J 

Idaho Springs, early minipg ncar_ ___________________________________________ 31,32 

Irving, J.D., and Bancroft, Howland, cited ________________________________ 50,126 

J 

Jackson, George A., diggings discovered by__________________________________ 5, 31 

Jackson County, location and area oL_______________________________________ 22 

production in ____ ------ ___________________________________________ 178-179, 253 

Jamestown, mining at and near ___ ------------------------------------______ 40 Jefferson County, development in __________________________________________ 27,129 

location, area, and organization oL ____________________________ :_________ 22 

production in. ___ ------------------------------------------------- 129-130, 253 

K 

Kirchhoff, Charles, jr., cited _____ 125, 142-144,146, 147, 149, 151-152, 153, 156, 160, 198 

L 

La Plata County, development In___________________________________________ 52 

location and area oL _________________ ·_ __ _ __ _ __ __ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ __ __ ___ ___ _ _ __ __ 23 

production in ____ --------------------------------------------- 177-178, 253, 257 Labor troubles. _____ ------- _______________________________________________ 150, 151 

Lake City, mining at and near.·-------------------------------------------- 5Q-51 Lake County, description oL ______________________________________________ 23, 130 

development in __________________________________________________ 40-43, 13Q-132 

discovery of lead carbonates in ___ --------------------------------------- 10 

gold production increased in____________________________________________ 149 

labor troubles in------------------------------------------------------ 150,151 

mining and milling in __ --------------------------------~---------------- 41-43 in 1871. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 133 

in 1872. ___________________________________________________________ 133-134 

in 1873. _________________________________ ------- _ __ _ __ _ __ __ _ _ __ __ _ _ _ _ 134 

in 1874_ _ _ _ _ ____ ___ _ _ __ ___ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ __ _ _ __ ___ _ __ __ _ _ _ _ ____ __ _ _ _ __ _ _ __ _ 134 

in 1875. _________ ------ __________________________________ .• ________ 134-136 

in 1880 ____________________________________________________________ 136-137 

in 188L ____ --------------------------------------------------------- 137 in 1882. ___ -------------- ___________ ----- __________________________ 137-138 

in 1883. ___________________________________________________________ 138-140 

in 1884. ___________________________________________________________ 14Q-142 

in 1885. ___________________________________________________________ 142-144 

in 1886. _____________________________________________ ..... __ _ ___ _ __ _ _ _ 146 

in 1887 _____________________________________________________________ 145-147 

in 1888_____ __ _ ___ __ _ _ ___ _ __ __ __ _ __ _ _ _ _____ ___ _ __ _ ___ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ __ __ 147 

in 1890_____ ___ ___ _ __ __ _ _ _ ___ __ ___ _ __ _ ___ ___ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ ___ _ _ _ _ __ __ _ __ __ 147 

in 1891_ _________________ ------- _________________ -~ _ __ _ __ __ _ ___ _ ____ _ _ 148 

in 1892 ______________________ ------ _________________________________ 148, 149 

in 1893 _____ ----- __________________________________ -"- __ _ __ __ _ __ ___ ___ 149 

in 1894_____ __ __ ___ ____ ____ _ ___ __ _ _ ____ _ ____ __ __ _ _ _ _ ____ _ _____ __ ___ _ _ _ 149 

in 1895 ________ ----- _____________________________________________ ~- _ 149-150 

in 1896 _________ ----- __________________________________ ------- _ __ __ _ _ _ 150 

in 1897 ________ -·- __ __ _ ____ _ ___ _ __ __ __ __ _ ___ __ __ __ _ __ ___ ____ _ _ _ ___ _ __ _ 151 

in 1898 _____________________________________________________ ~ _______ 151-152 

in 1899 _____________________________________________________________ 152-154 

in 1900 __________________ • __________________________________________ 154-157 

in 190L _______________________________ --·-- _________________________ 157-159 

in 1902 ______________ •• _____________________________________________ 159-161 

in 1903_____ ___ _ _ _ ___ _ _ _ _ _ ___ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ __ _ __ _ __ _ __ _ __ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ ___ _ _ _ _ 161 

in 1904 ________ ---. _________________________________________________ 161-162 

in 1905 _________ ---------- ____________ -~ ___ ------- __________________ 162-163 

in 19()6 _____ -------- _____________________ -~ _________ --" _ __ __ _ ___ __ _ __ _ 163 

in 19()7 ----- ___________ ----- __ ____ __ _ _ _ ___ _ __ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ ___ __ 163 

in 1908 ________ ~ --- __ --- __ _ __ ___ __ ___ _ _ _ __ _ __ _ __ _ ___ __ _ _ _ ___ _ __ ___ __ _ _ 163 

in 1909 _____ ---------- __ ----- ______ ----- _ ___ __ ___ _ __ ___ _ _ __ __ _ _ _ ___ __ _ 164 

in 1910_____ ____ ___ ___ __ __ _ ___ ____ _ _ __ _ __ _ __ __ _ _ _ _ _ __ ___ _ ___ __ _ _ ____ _ _ 164 

in 191L _____ ------ _________________________________________________ 164-165 

mining localities of, in 1867. _________________ ---·- ______________________ 13Q-132 

placer ground in ____________________________________________________ :____ 142 

production in ____________ ----- _______________ ------ ____________________ 253, 257 

in 1912 _____ ----- ______ --------- ___ _ _ _ _ _ __ ____ _ __ _ __ _ _ _ _ __ _ __ __ _ ___ _ _ _ 165 

in 1913 _____ -------- _ ----------- _____ -~------- _ ___ _ _ _ _____ __ _ _____ __ _ _ 166 

in 1914 ••••• __________________________ ------ ________________________ 166--167 

in 1915 _____ •• _ •••• __ • _______ • _. ______________ -·- ___________________ 167-168 

Page 

Lake County, production in, in 1916--------------------------------------- 168--169 production in, in 1917__ ________________________________________________ 169-170 

in 1918 _____________________________________________________________ 17Q-171 

in 1919 _____________________________________________________________ 171-172 

in 1920 _____________________________________________________________ 172-173 

in 192L ______ --------- _ ____ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ __ _ ___ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ __ __ _ 173 

in 1922 _______ --------- _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ ___ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ __ _ __ _ _ __ _ _ ___ _ _ _ _ _ _ 174 

in 1923_____ __ ___ ___ ____ ___ ___ _ _ _ _ __ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ 17.5 

sources of information on __________________________________________ 132-133 

pumping out mines in _________________________________________ 151,152,154-155 

zinc produced in _________________________________ ------------------------ 149 

Lake Creek, mining on or ncar_--------------------------------------------- 131 

Larimer County, location and area oL______________________________________ 23 

production in __________________________________________________ 178-179, 253, 258 

Las Animas Qounty, location and area oL__________________________________ 23 

production in____________________________________________________________ 179 

Laws governing districts and claims, origin and extension oL _________ 28-29, 30, 62 

Lead, production of, by counties ____________________________________ 87,103,106-247 

production of, by years, features of curves showing ____________________ 80, 83,84 

by years, sources of figures for_______________________________________ 70 

by ypars and counties _______________________________________________ 88--103 

sources of figures for_____________________________________________ 73 

totaL ____________________________________ ------______________________ 84 

Leadville. See Lake County. 

Leadville Herald-Democrat cited--~---------·------------------ 151, 152, 153, 156, 159 

Leasing of mines, origin oL------------------------------------------------- 27 

practices in Lake CountY---------------------------------------------- 155, 158 

Lee, H. A., cited.----------------------------------------------------------- 155 

Leftharid Creek, mining on and near_--------------------------------------- 38 

Liberty Bell Gold Mining Co., production oL______________________________ 225 

Lindgren, Waldemar, cited ____________________________________________ 123, 162, 200 

and Ransome, F. L., cited ________________ : ___________________________ 56, 57,59 

Lodes, early yields oL------------------------------------------------------ 28 

M 

Manganese, production oL ________________________________________ • _. ___ • _ 152, 155 

Manganiferous iron ores, nature and production oL.________________________ 148 

Manganiferous silver ores, nature and production oL,_______________________ 148 

Mesa County, location and area oL----------------------------------------- 23 production in ______________________________ ------ __________________ 179-180, 253 

Mineral County, dCV(ilopmcnt in ________________________________________ 55-56,180 

location and area oL. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ ___ _ __ ___ _ ___ __ _ __ ___ _ __ _ _ _ _ ___ _ _ _ _ _ ____ _ 23 

production in __________________________________________________ 18Q-181, 253,258 

Mineral Industry cited ____________________ 149,151,152,154,156,158-159,160,161,180 

Mines, prpducing, 1919-1923, by counties.------·--------------------------- 102-103 

Moffat County, location and area oL________________________________________ 24 

production in ______________________________________________________ 206--208, 253 

Molybdenum, occurrence oL ______ ------- ___ __ ____ __ _ _ __ _ _ __ _ _ ___ _ _ ___ _ _ ____ 250 

Monarch, mining at and near _______ --------- _____________________________ .__ 43 

Montezuma, mining at and near·-------------------------------------------- 33 

Montezuma County, location and area oL----------------------------------- 24 production in ___________ -------- _________________________ • _____ 177-178, 253, 258 

Montrose County, description oL __________________ --- _______ --------- _ ---- 181 

location and area oL---------------------------------------------------- 24 production in _____________________________________________________ 18Q-181, 253 

Munson, G. C., cited--------------------------------------------- 146--147,194,205 

N 

Naramore, Chester, cited ______________________________________ -- __________ 163, 200 

0 

Oak Creek, mining on _______________________________________________________ 4 7-48 

O'Farrell, James Andrew, narrative of Russell's expedition by_______________ 4-5 

Ohio City, mining at and near_--------------------------------------------- 44-45 

Ores, market prices of, in 1885.-------------------------------------------- 142-143 

production from, 1909-1923, by years.------------------------------------ 74 

recovered content of, 191Q-1923, by years ... --------------------"--------- 75-76 

sold or treated, by years and counties---------------------------------- 89-103 

treated at mills, 1909-1923, by years ..•• ---------------------------------- 74 

Ouray County, development in ___ ---------------------------------- 54-55, 182-185 

location and area of______________________________________________________ 24 

production in ___ -------------------- ______ -------------------_ 185-186, 253, 258 

Ovoca Zinc Ore Co., plan of, for utilizing silver-bearing, lead-zinc ores ..• 147-148 

p 

Park County, development in _____________________________ ; _________ 36--38,186--189 

location and area oL ____ - _- _- _______ -- _______ c --------------- __ - -------- 24 

mining and milling in, in 1870.------------------------------------------ 186 in 1871. _________________________________ c _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ___ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ ___ _ ___ _ _ 186 

in 1872 ______________________________________________ -- ____________ 186--188 

in 1873. _________________________________ -" ________ --- _ --- _________ 188--189 

in 1874. _________________________________________________________ -- 189-191 

in 1875. __________________ . _______________________ ------ _ -- __ --- __ -- _- 191 

in 1881. _______ ------- _____ ---------- __ _ ___ _ ___ _____ ___ _ _ _ ____ _____ _ _ 191 
INDEX 263 

Page 

Park County, mining and milling in, ;n 1882_ ·---------------------------- 191-192 

mining and milling in, in 1883-----------~----------------------------- 192-193 in 1884. _ _ ___ __ _ ___ __ ___ __ _ _ _ __ _ _ __ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ __ _ _ ____ _ _ _ __ _ _ 193 

in 1887 _ _ _ __ _ ____ _ __ __ _ __ __ ___ ____ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ ____ 194 

in 189!L _______________________________________________________ ~ ___ 194-195 

in 1901. _ _ __ __ __ ___ __ _ __ _ __ ___ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ __ _ _____ _ _ ___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ 195 

in 1902. _ _ __ ___ __ _ _ _ __ __ _ __ ___ _ _ __ ___ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ __ _ _ _ _ _ ___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 195 

production in._----------------------------- _________ -~- __ 194, J!JIH96, 2.53, 21)8 

Patton, H. B., and others cited _____________________________________________ 11Q-111 

Pearce, lUchard, smelting process invented by _________ ;-___________________ 31 

Peters, Edward D., jr., smelter operated bY-----------------------·-------- 188-189 

Pctzitc ore, production oL----------------------------------------------- 39, 40, .'\1 

Pierce, James H., narrative of Russell's expedition by_---------------------- 1-4 

Pikes Peak region, rush of 1859 tO------------------------------------------- 3, 6-9 rush of 1860 to___________________________________________________________ 9, 30 

Pitkin, mining at and near-------------------------------------------------- 44-45 

Pitkin County, development in_------------------------------------ 4.5-46,197-200 

location and area oL----------------------------------------------,----- 25 

production in· __ ------- -------------------- __ -------------- ______ 201,254, i59 

Placer mining, beginnings oL----------------------------------------------- f1-8 

Production of gold, silver, copper, lead, and zinc, accuracy of the figures given. 68,70 

by counties ________________________________ -,------------ 86-87, 103-247, 251-260 

by ymus ______________ ----- _________________________________ • __________ -- 69 

Puckett, W. J., cited ________________ ----------- __ ---------------------- 149, 150, 242 

Pueblo County, location and area oL-----------------------------·--------- 25 production in _________________________________ . _________ .,_______________ 201 

Purington, C. W., cited------------------------------------------- 177,182,216-217 

R 

Railroads, building of. _________________ :' ______________________ 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 46,61 

Ransome, F. L., cited-------------------------------- ___ 33-35,48-49, 51, 5.'\, 114-115 

with Lindgren, Waldemar, cited------------------------------------- 56, 57,59 

Raymond, R. \V., cited---------------------------------------------- 105,108,124, 

126-127, 133-136, 182, 186-188, 188-191, 201-203,206-207, 210-211,227-235 

Red Clilf, mining at and near_---------------------------------------------- 47 

Red 1\'[ountaiu Review, cited. __ --------------- _________ -------------------- 184 Hickard, '1'. A., cited __________________ • _____________ -- _____ -- _____ -- ___ 56, 184-185 

Rico, mining at and near---------------------------------------------------- 51-52 

Rio Blanco County, location and area oL----------------------------------- 25 Hio Grande County, development in ___________________________________ 48,201-205 

loctltion and area or__ ____________________________ ---------- __ ------- ___ -- 25 

production in __________________________________________________ 205-206, 254, 259 

Roaring Fork, mining on and ncflr_ __________________________________________ 44,45 

Rockers, usc oL ___________________ --- _________________________ . _______ - _ _ _ _ _ 29 

Roosevelt drainage tunnel, driving of__ ______________________________________ 57-59 

Rosita, mining at and neaL---------------~--------------------------------- 47 

Routt County, location and area oL---------------------------------------- 25-26 production in ___________ -- _______ ----- _________________________ 206-208, 254, 259 

Russell, William Green, discovery of Russell Gulch by--------------------- ·1, 9, 28 

expedition oL __ --------------------------------------------------------·- 1-6,8 

s 

Snguacho County, development in __________________ · ____________________ 55,208-209 

location and area or__ ____ -- ____ --_- __ -- ________ ---- __ --_--- ____ --_-______ 26 

production in ______________________________________________________ 209, 254, 2.'\9 

Salida, copper minim~ ncar__________________________________________________ 41 

San Juan County, development in ___________________________________ 48-50, 21Q-215 

exploration and settlement of. _____________________________ .______________ 2!\ 

location and area or__ _______________________ ·---------------------------- 2& 

production in ______________________________ --------- _____ ------ 21Q-216, 254, 259 

San Miguel County, development in ________________________________ 52-54,216-217 

location and area or__ __________________ . _________________________________ 26-27 

mining and milling in, in 188L----------------------------------------~- 217 in 1882____ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ __ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 217 

in 1883 __________________ ------- ________ ---------------------------- 217-218 in 1884 _____________________________________________________________ 218-219 

in 1897 ____ __ _ __ __ __ _ _ __ __ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ __ __ __ _ __ _ _ __ __ __ __ _ _ __ __ 219 

in 1898 _____________________________________________________________ 219-220 

in 1899 _____________________________________________________________ 220-221 

in 1900 _______________________________________ ... ____________________ 221-222 

in 1901____ __ _ _ _ _ __ __ __ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ______ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ____ _ _ _ _ 222 

in 1902 _____________________________________________________________ 222-223 

product.iop in-----_ •• __ --·-._ •. __ .-· __ .•. __ .:. __ ._-- ____ -- _____ 224-226, 254, 260 

• 

0 

.Page 

Silver, early discoveries oL _________ .. ______ . _______ . ___________________ ----- 9 

production of, by counties ______________ --------------------------- 87,103-247 

by years, features of curves showing.----------------------------- 76, 83,84 

sources of figures for_----------- ____________________________ ----- 70 

by years and. counties.--------------------------------------------- 88-103 

sources of figures for_-------------------------------------------- 7Q-72 total ________________________ ------- __ ------_-~_______________________ 84 

Silver Cliff, mining aL------------------------------------------------------ 47 Silverton, mining at and near _________________ -------- _____________ ._ ... _____ 48-49 

Smelting, introduction oL ___ ------ ____ . ______________________ . _____________ 30-31 

Smelting companies, consolidation oL------------------------------------- 151-152 

Smiley, J. C., account of early prospecting expeditions_______________________ 5-6 

Smith, M. E., cited·------------------------------------------------------ 148,205 

Smuggler Union Mining Co., production oL _______________________ ·_________ 224 

Spurr, J. E., cited ________________ ----- ______________________ ._______________ 198 

Stage coaches, Denver-Golden Gate-Dory Hill line oL-------~-------------- 30 

Sulphuric acid, manufacture oL --------------------------------------------- 6Q-61 Summit County, development in ____________________________________________ 32-36 

location and area oL. _____ . ______ . __ . __________________________ . _ _ _ _____ · 27 

mining and milling in, in 1869------------------------------------------- 227 in 1870 _______ . ______________________________________ . _______ . _. ____ 227-228 

in 187L--------------------------,-·---------------------------------- 229 in 1872 ______________________________________________ . ______________ 229-231 

in 1873 ________________________________________________________ . ____ 231-233 

in 1874 _______________ . ___________________________________ . _________ 233-234 

in 1875 ______________________________ . ___________________________ . __ 234-235 

in 188L __________________________ . c ____________________________ -.- __ 235-237 

in 1882 ________________ . ______ . __ _ _ _ ___ _ _ _ __ ___ _ __ __ _ _ __ __ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ ___ 237 

in 1883 _____________________________________________________________ 238-241 

in 1884 ______________________________________________________ . __ _ ___ __ 241 

in 1885-1898 ________________________________________________________ 241-242 

in 1899 _______ . _______________ . ___________________________________ ---.- 242 

in 190L _____________ -------------- ______________________ :____________ 243 

in 1902 _____________ . _____________________________ • __________ ~ ______ 243-244 

in 1904 ___________________ -------------------------------------------- 244 production in _________________________________ . _______ . ________ 241-245, 254, 260 

Swan Hiver, mining on and ncar. ________________________ " _____________ 32-33,34,35 

T 

'rarryall, min,ing at and ncar. ___________________________________ -· __________ 36-37 

Taylor River, mining on and near___________________________________________ 44 

Teller County, development in _____________________________________________ ._ 56-60 

location and area oL __________________________ . _____________________ . ___ 27 

production in ______ ----- _______________________________________ 246-247, 254, 260 

Telluride, mining at and near---------------~-----------.--------------------- 10,53 

Telluride ore, discoveries oL------------------------------------------ ·39, 40, 51,52 

Tenmile Creek, mining on___________________________________________________ 36 

Territory of Colorado organized __ ------------------------------------------- 9, 30 

Toms, use oL---------------------------------------------------------------- 29 

Tomboy Gold Mines Co. (Ltd.), production of._----------------------------- 224 

Tonopah Placers Co., production bY----------------------------------------- 35-36 

'l'ungsten, occurrence oL _ ------------------------- _ ------------------------- 250 

u 

Ute Indians, difficulties with ... ------------------------------------------- 25, 48,50 

w 

Weeks, J. D., cited__________________________________________________________ 148 

White River, exploration oL------------------------------------------------ 46 

Wightmans Gulch, mining in________________________________________________ 48 

Wilfley, A. R., invention of Wilfley table bY-------------------------------- 36 

z 

Zinc, beginning of mining____________________________________________________ 12 

production of, by counties ______________________________________ 87,103,107-247 

by years, features of curves showing_----------------------------- 82, 83,84 

sources of figu.res for.____________________________________________ 70 

by years and counties _______________________________________________ 91-103 

sources of figures for--------------·------------------------------ 73-74 totaL ____________________________________ . ____________ : __________ . __ . 84 

recovery oL _______ -- __ . _________________________ . __________ . __ . __ _ __ _ _ __ 50 

Zinc and lead pigments, utilization of ores in _________ _... __________________ 15Q-151, 154 

Zinc ores, export oL.------------------------------------------ 153,154,155,156,157 

utilization oL •.•. _____ . _ ---- __ • _. _ ·-. _. -·-. -· _ .-·- 144-146, 150-151, 154, 158-159