‡Ref.: Schrader, F.C. (1915) Mineral deposits of the Santa Rita and Patagonia Mountains, Arizona, with contributions by J.M. Hill: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 582, 373 p., 3 sheets, scale 1:125,000: 252-253.
Kartchner, W.E. (1944) The geology and ore deposits of a portion of the Harshaw district, Patagonia Mountains, Arizona: Tucson, University of Arizona, Ph.D. dissertation, 100 p.
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, p. E21-E22.
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: 59 (Table 4).
U.S. Bureau of Mines - Arizona Bureau of Geology and Mineral Technology file data.
U.S. Bureau of Mines Coronado National Forest Study Report.
Arizona Bureau of Mines card file Santa Cruz County.
MRDS database Dep. ID file #10048339, MRDS ID #M899926; and, Dep. ID #10235029, MAS ID #0040230061.
A former small underground Zn-Pb-Ag-Cu-Au-(Mn) mine group located on 2 patented claims, in the SE ¼ sec. 32, T.22S. R.16E, 1¼ miles NW of Harshaw, just E of the Flux Canyon Road, on National Forest land. The Red Bird Mine, also known as the Uncle Grorge or Norton Mine, is just E of the road. The January Mine is about 1/3 mile N of the Red Bird, on the NE side of Flux Canyon. Discovered 1875 by Padrez (?). Mines relocated by the Blue Flag Mining Co. in 1882. Produced 1925-1949. Owned at times, or in part, by Blue Flag Mining Co.; Frank Gallagher and Associates; Farrell; January Mines Co.; Big Jim Mines, Inc.; and the American Smelting and Refining Corp. (ASARCO). Owned by Mr. J. Nash and Mr. E. Mc Farland (1954).
Mineralization is strong and persistent quartz vein, with rich argentiferous cerussite in the oxide zone with sulfides in depth, in a fault zone cutting altered Cretaceous andesite. The so-called January-Norton vein lies to the NE of the Trench vein system. The ore zone is 762 meters long, 6.1 meters wide, with a depth to bottom of 137.16 meters, striking N53W and dipping 75NE. Wall rock is locally strongly pyritized and propylitized. Manganese and iron oxide gossan. Alum and sulfur are found leaching from the dump. Ore control was the contact of the rhyolite dike with diorite country rock. Veins are associated with the dike. Ore concentration was secondary enrichment. Mineralization is not uniform in the dike and some sections are barren of ore. A associated rock unit is the Josephine Canyon Diorite. Isolated outcrops of limestone occur near the dike. Rhyolite is similar to that of Red Mountain.
The mineralized rhyolite dike is 15-20 feet wide. Considerable Mn contained in the diorite, as much as 4 feet from the contact on the NE or hanging wall side. The January Mine is located on the northern continuation of the Red Dike or vein, which strikes N30W, dips 75NE, and is 6-7 feet wide.
Tectonic elements include the Meadow Valley Trachyandesite Flow and thick lava flows of the Harshaw-Trench Camp area.
Workings include operations from shafts and the neighboring Trench Mine. Workings are 152.4 meters in depth and include 2 vertical, timbered shafts, several cross-cuts; one shaft on the Red Bird claim. The January shaft is 500 feet deep; the Norton shaft (north end of the property) is 120 feet deep. A tnnel connects the 500 foot level of the January shaft with the Trench shaft. Worked from the early 1870's for high-grade silver ore and in 1925-1928 and 1944-1949 for zinc and lead. Total production was probably some 71,000 tons of ore. Early 1900's assay values averaged 35% Pb, 60 oz/ton Ag. 1940 values averaged about 6% Zn, 4% Pb, 7 oz. Ag/T, and minor copper and gold.
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Map Reference: 31°28'20"N , 110°43'45"W
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