McMorris Mine (Mack Morris Mine; Blue Quail Mine; Lake claims; Richmond Mine; LaPlata shaft; Jumbo shaft; Inca group; Helena and Nugget; Gila Monster), Richmond Basin, Richmond Basin District, Apache Peaks, Gila Co., Arizona, USA

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A former underground Ag-Cu-Pb-Au mine located in the center sec. 10, T2N, R15E, 2 miles NNE of Nugget Mountain, immediately SE of Richmond Basin. Production began in 1875. Also known as / designated: Gila Monster Mining Co. claims. The McMorris Mining Co. owned the area (1875 to 1893); the Gila Monster Mining Co. owned it from 1913 to 1923; and, part of it was owned by the Inca Mining Corp. in 1969. Owned by the Blue Quail Mining Co. (1962); and by Mr. Victor Kilpatrick (1965) (Mc Morris).

Mineralization is the McMorris vein hosted in the Mescal Limestone and the Pioneer Formation (quartzite). The Jumbo vein is approximately 100 meters E of the McMorris vein. The ore zone is 2286 meters long, 2.13 meters wide, strikes E-W and dips vertically. Early reported as an 8 foot wide vein comprised of silver, silver glance & bromide of silver (sic - 1881 descriptions). Ore control was fault fissures, some intersecting, and the granite-Gila Conglomerate contact.

The only detailed geological map is that of O.M. Bishop, 1935, who describes quartz diorite intrusives, not diabase mineralization related to Lower Cretaceous-Paleozoic intrusions and associated faulting. This form describes most of the district, other than the Raven and Del Shay groups which are less than a mile NE.

Area structures include fractures that cut the diabase and limestone, with E-W and NW strikes, the main zone of mineralization is E-W. The mineralized zone was characterized as a contact vein with a diabase hanging wall and quartz diorite footwall, a thick diabase sill containing inclusions of limestone. A body of quartz diorite or diabase 1/2 mile in diameter outcrops immediately south of the Jumbo and McMorris shafts (Arizona Mining Journal, 1919).

Workings include 3 old vertical shafts, one deepened to 150 feet by Blue Quail in 1963. The La Plata shaft is 450 feet deep, E of the Mc Morris. The Jumbo tunnel is 300 feet long (in 1922). Other shafts are 650 and 200 feet deep, 100 feet of tunnels plus 3 levels of workings aggregating 700 feet. There are various drifts and tunnels throughout the area. They reached a depth of 198.12 meters. A 10-stamp mill & steam hoist were erected on site.

Mineral List

Mineral list contains entries from the region specified including sub-localities

Baryte Bromargyrite

Chalcopyrite Chlorargyrite

Silver Stephanite

Stromeyerite

8 entries listed. 7 valid minerals.

Localities in this Region

USA Arizona Gila Co. Apache Peaks Richmond Basin District Richmond Basin McMorris Mine (Mack Morris Mine; Blue Quail Mine; Lake claims; Richmond Mine; LaPlata shaft; Jumbo shaft; Inca group; Helena and Nugget; Gila Monster) Jumbo vein La Plata Mine West Richmond Mine

References