Madison Creek Gold Mine

Geology

BEDROCK IN THE VICINITY OF MADISON CREEK IS MOSTLY TERTIARY VOLCANIC ROCKS; THE HEADWATERS DRAIN AN AREA UNDERLAIN BY CHERT AND ARGILLITE INTRUDED BY CRETACEOUS OR TERTIARY MONZONITE (CHAPMAN AND OTHERS, 1985 ). THE DEPTH TO BEDROCK IN MADISON CREEK IS 31 FEET (BROOKS, 1908 ). IN 1917, TWO CLAIMS WERE BEING MINED; THE LOWER CLAIM CONTAINED FINE GOLD AND THE UPPER CLAIM CONTAINED COARSE GOLD (HARRINGTON, 1919 ). THE GOLD IN MADISON CREEK IS 881 FINE (METZ AND HAWKINS, 1981 ). MINERALS IN PAN CONCENTRATES INCLUDE MAGNETITE, ILMENITE, AUGITE, HORNBLENDE, GARNET, AND ZIRCON (HARRINGTON, 1919 ). THE SOURCE OF THE GOLD IS PROBABLY THE MONZONITE INTRUSION AT ITS HEADWATERS (BUNDTZEN AND OTHERS, 1987 ). GOLD WAS DISCOVERED IN MADISON CREEK IN 1907 BUT IT MAY NOT HAVE BEEN ACTIVELY MINED UNTIL 1917 (BROOKS, 1908; HARRINGTON, 1919 ). INTERMITTENT, SMALL-SCALE MINING OCCURRED UNTIL AT LEAST AFTER WORLD WAR II (BROOKS, 1922; BROOKS AND CAPPS, 1924; SMITH, 1939 [B 910-A]; COBB, 1973 [B 1374]; COBB, 1976 [OFR 76-576] ). MORE RECENT PRODUCTION FROM MADISON CREEK IS REPORTED IN 1989 (BUNDTZEN AND OTHERS, 1990 ), 1991 (BUNDTZEN AND OTHERS, 1992 ), AND 1992 (SWAINBANK AND OTHERS, 1993 ). THE PRODUCTION FROM MADISON CREEK FROM 1917 TO 1947 AND 1982 TO 1984 WAS 3, 103 OUNCES OF GOLD AND 338 OUNCES OF SILVER (BUNDTZEN AND OTHERS, 1987 ). ALSO SEE OP007, 008, 010, AND 011.

QUATERNARY. THE PROBABLE SOURCE OF GOLD IN MADISON CREEK IS THE CRETACEOUS OR TERTIARY MONZONITE INTRUSION AT ITS HEADWATERS (BUNDTZEN AND OTHERS, 1987).