American Mine (Virginia Hay claims), American Peak, Harshaw District, Patagonia Mts, Santa Cruz Co., Arizona, USA

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‡Ref.: The Resources of Arizona - A Manual of Reliable Information Concerning the Territory, compiled by Patrick Hamilton (1881), Scottsdale, AZ: 43.

Schrader, F.C. & J.M. Hill (1915), Mineral deposits of the Santa Rita and Patagonia Mountains, Arizona, USGS Bull. 582: 277-278.

Schrader, F.C. (1917), The geologic distribution and genesis of the metals in the Santa Rita-Patagonia Mountains, Arizona, Economic Geology: 12: 237-269.

Galbraith, F.W. (1947), Minerals of Arizona, Arizona Bureau of Mines Bull. 153: 15.

Galbraith, F.W. & Brennan (1959), Minerals of Arizona: 42.

Baker (1962);

Moores, R.C., III (1972) The geology and ore deposits of a portion of the Harshaw district, Santa Cruz County, Arizona: Tucson, University of Arizona, M.S. thesis, 98 p.: 74.

Simons, F.S. (1972) Mesozoic stratigraphy of the Patagonia Mountains and adjoining areas, Santa Cruz County, Arizona, in Mesozoic stratigraphy in southeastern Arizona: U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 658-E: E8-E9.

Simons, F.S. (1974) Geologic map and sections of the Nogales and Lochiel quadrangles, Santa Cruz County, Arizona: U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Investigations Series Map I-762, 9 p., 1 sheet, scale 1:48,000.

Keith, Stanton B. (1975), Arizona Bureau of Mines Bull. 191, Index of Mining Properties in Santa Cruz County Arizona: 56.

U.S. Bureau of Mines files, American Mine.

U.S. Bureau of Mines Coronado National Forest Study.

U.S. Bureau of Mines - Arizona Bureau of Geology and Mineral Technology file data.

Arizona Department of Mineral Resources file data, Big Jim Mine.

Arizona Bureau of Mines file data.

MRDS database Dep. ID file #10048358, MRDS ID #M899947; and, Dep. ID #10137423, MAS ID #0040230030.

A former small underground Ag-Pb-Zn-Cu-Au-Mn mine located in West-central (SW¼SW¼SW¼) sec. 4, T.23S., R.16E (protracted), 13 miles S of Patagonia, 1½ miles SSW of Harshaw, ½ mile SW of the Hardshell Mine, about ¼ mile east of the old Mowry stagecoach road, in the short, steep gulch at the NW slope of American Peak, at an elevation of about 5,400 feet. The property is comprised of 1 patented claim and one patented millsite claim. Discovered in 1880. Produced 1880-1943. Owned by Virginia Hay (?-1974). Operated by the Marcia Brothers; Mr. Tony Garcia; American Lease; and, Giacoma.

Mineralization is a WNW-trending lensing quartz vein and replacement lenses with argentite, chlorargyrite, pyrite, sphalerite, galena, and tetrahedrite in a silicified limestone conglomerate within Cretaceous andesite. Rhyolite is locally much altered to sericite, epidote, carbonate, and chlorite. Spotty high-grade silver values are found in the oxidized surface zone. Closely associated with Jurassic-triassic volcanics. Surface oxidation exists to 90 feet of depth. The ore zone is 45.72 meters long, 9.14 meters wide, striking WNW and dipping N.

Geology involves a contact of silicified limestone, or quartzite, with intrusive porphyritic brecciated rhyolite. The dominant structure in the sedimentary rocks dips steeply to the SE, and the rhyolite shows a north-south vertical flow structure and banding. Rhyolite occurs in considerable amount in the north slope of American Peak south of the mine. Blue limestone is said to form the hanging wall on the north in the mine, and the Paleozoic limestone is well exposed in the mountain above and in the gulch below the mine. The vein seems to trend WNW and dips to the north. The vein is normally about 3 feet in width but is reported to widen to 10 feet or more in places, forming pockets or lenses which carry good ore. Most ore was mined from a lens that dips N and is 75 feet long and 14 feet wide.

Tectonic elements are the American Mine Fault Block with upthrow to the NE.

The mine was developed to a depth of 112 feet (circa 1915). Workings totaled some 500 feet (152.4 meters)(circa 1915), including 3 shafts at 90 feet deep each, all connected by drifts on the 90 level, to a total depth of 34.14 meters. Gloryhole operations open the vein for a length of 150 feet and a width of 50 feet. There are 200 feet of drifts and stopes. Almost all ore mined between the surface and the 90 foot level. This mine produced intermittently from the 1880's to 1943. Some 7,800 tons of ore averaging about 21 oz. Ag/T, 2% Pb, minor copper and gold, and some oxidized zinc ore.

Mineral List

Acanthite Chalcopyrite Chlorargyrite

'Chlorite Group' Epidote Galena

Muscovite var: Sericite Pyrite Sphalerite

Tetrahedrite

10 entries listed. 8 valid minerals.