‡Ref.: Hill, J.M. (1910), Notes on the placer deposits of Greaterville, Arizona, USGS Bull. 430: 11-22.
Schrader, F.C. & J.M. Hill (1915), Mineral deposits of the Santa Rita and Patagonia Mountains, Arizona, USGS Bull. 582: 158-166.
University of Arizona Bull. 41 (1916-17), Mineralogy of Useful Minerals in Arizona: 26.
Wilson, E.D. (1927), Arizona Gold Placers, 2nd. ed. (revised), University of Arizona Bull. 124: 33-41.
Wilson, E.D. (1937) Arizona Gold Placers and Placering. Arizona Bureau of Mines Bull. 142: 53.
Keith, Stanton B. (1974), Arizona Bureau of Geology & Mineral Technology, Geological Survey Branch Bull. 189, Index of Mining Properties in Pima County, Arizona: 121 (Table 4).
Cox, L.J. (1994) Geology of the gold placers in the Greaterville District, Arizona, in Thorman, C.H., and Lane, D.E., eds., USGS Research on Mineral Resources - 1994, Part B - Guidebook for Field Trips, Ninth V.E. McKelvey Forum on Mineral and Energy Resources: U.S. Geological Survey Circular 1103-B, p. 53-60.
Anthony, J.W., et al (1995), Mineralogy of Arizona, 3rd. ed.: 236.
USGS Empire Mountains Quadrangle topo map.
USGS Sahuarita Quadrangle topo map.
Arizona Bureau of Mines File Data.
MRDS database Dep. ID file #10259524, MRDS ID #M002091, MAS ID #0040190240.
A former surface Au-Ag mine/placer deposits area located in the North ½ sec. 26, T.19S., R.15E. & the South ½ secs. 17-19, the South ½ secs. 29-30 & the NE ¼ sec. 31, T.19S., R.16E, on land of mixed status. The placers are contained in a nearly equilateral triangular area with each side about 4½ miles long, and its base to the south. The area contains about 10 square miles but the deposits actually cover only about 8 square miles. Greaterville is situated a little north of the center of the area. Discovered in 1874 by A. Smith. Operated from 1875 to 1878, when it employed some 200 men. Owned at times, or in part, or in places by the Stetson Co.; the El Oro Mining Co.; and the Greaterville Dredge Gold Mining Co. The placer deposits occur primarily in the Ophir, Louisiana, Sucker, Kentucky Boston, Hughes, and Empire Gulches and tributaries.
Mineralization is mostly coarse flake and nugget gold with minor combined silver and some attached galena in medium-sized gravel along recent and older buried channels and terraces close to the mountain front.
Major operations were undertaken from 1875 to the early 1900's and small and sporadic since then. Estimated production for the area (1874-1927) is some 30,000 oz. of gold, or more, with about 6,000 oz. of silver.
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