Gold Placers and Placering in Arizona Authors Wilson, E.D. Rights Arizona Geological Survey. All rights reserved. Download date 08/10/2021 06:51:07 Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/10150/629779 GOLD PLACERS AND PLACERING IN ARIZONA by Eldred D. Wilson Bulletin 168 Reprinted 1981 - State ofArizona Bureau of Geology and Mineral Technology Geological Survey Branch A Division of the University of Arizona TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE PREFACE 8 PREFACE TO BULLETIN No. 160 . 8 PREFACE TO BULLETIN No. 142 .... 9 PART I ARIZONA GOLD PLACERS GENERAL FEATURES OF GOLD PLACERS ...........................•.........•...........•......._... 11 Origin 11 Distribution of Arizona gold placers.................................................... 12 Relatipn to pediments 12 Relation to streams 14 Relation to geology and types of veins.................................................. 14 Yearly rainy seasons of Arizona.............................................................. 15 HISTORY OF ARIZONA GOLD PLACER MINIm;.................................................... 15 Summary 15 Early production 15 Production after 1900 16 YUMA COUNTY ....•...................•.............•.•.••••...•••••••.••.••••.••••••..••..••••••••.•••••••••••••••• 18 Copyright© 1961 Districts 18 Production 18 The Board of Regents of the Universities and Gila City or Dome placers 18 I,aguna placers 21 State College of Arizona. All rights reserved. Muggins placers 22 Castle DOIne placers 23 Kofa or S. H. placers.................................................................................. 23 Tank Mountains placers 24 Trigo placers 25 La Paz placers 25 Plomosa. district 29 La Cholla placer area 29 Oro Fino placer area 30 Middle Camp placer area 31 PIOlnosa placer area 31 Harquahala placers 32 MOHAVE COUNTY ............•...................••.........•...........•••.•.••..•.••...•......•........•..••••..• 32 Districts and production 32 Chemehuevis placers 32 Silver Creek placers 33 Lewis placer 33 Lookout placers 34 Wright Creek placers 34 Colorado River placers 34 Gold Basin placers 35 IGng Tut placers 37 YAVAPAI COUNTY ••.......................•......••.•••..•.••••..•••.•.••_ ••••••••••••....••._................... 38 Introduction 38 Early History 38 Production 39 Arizona Geological Survey The Arizona Geological Survey (AZGS) became an independent State agency July 1, 1988 in accordance with Senate Bill 1102, which was GOLD PLACERS AND PLACERING enacted in 1987. The purpose of the AZGS - to assist the wise use of lands and mineral resources in Arizona by providing scientific and IN ARIZONA investigative research and information - was essentially unchanged. The ancestral AZGS began in 1881, when the Office of the Terri­ torial Geologist was established by the Territorial Legislature. The Arizona Bureau of Mines* primary duties were to collect and provide information about mineral resources. In 1893 the University of Arizona established a testing lab­ oratory, known informally as the "Bureau of Mines." From then until Bulletin 168 statehood in 1912, Territorial Geologists were also affiliated with the 1961 "Bureau of Mines" and the university. A 1915 statute formally estab­ lished the Arizona Bureau of Mines as a State agency administered by (reprinted 1981 and 1988) the University of Arizona, continuing, essentially unchanged, the func­ tions of the "Bureau of Mines" and. the Territorial Geologist. Data collection and research activities continued to be· concentrated on mineral resources. Sixty-two years later, in 1977, the Bureau's enabling legislation was modernized and its name was changed to the Arizona Bureau of Geology and Mineral Technology. It continued to be admin­ istered as a diVision of the University of Arizona. The Bureau was charged with investigating geologic hazards and limitations, as well as the geologic framework and mineral resources of Arizona, in anticipil­ tion of population growth and increased competition for and conflict over land, mineral resources, and water. The AZGS publishes maps, books, and reports, which are available for inspection at the AZGS office in Tucson and may be purchased through the mail. The AZGS office includes a library that is open to the public during normal working hours. Arizona Geology, published quarterly by the AZGS, contains summaries of AZGS research, announcements of new publications and theses, and short, general­ interest articles on the geology of Arizona. To obtain copies of this publication, contact the Arizona Geological Survey, 845 N. Park Ave., Tucson, AZ 85719; (602) 882-4795. "currently the Arizona Geological Survey 12-88UASOO/1839 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 81 Production 81 ~e~~e;r:~~ tifc~r~Ii"ii"'"i~~~~~''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''' . 39 Oro Blanco placers 82 43 Patagonia or Mowry placers 83 46 Harshaw placers 83 ~~~:~;~:~~~~~fi::=~·:::~:::::::::::::~::::~::~~~:::::: ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 48 Tyndall placers 83 52 _._.~~~~~~~:~:~::::~:~::~:~~::::~~~:~~:~:~:~:.~ Nogales placers 84 Groom Creek placers __ __ .. 52 Palmetto placers 84 Walnut Grove placers . 54 Minnehaha placers . 55 55 COCONINO, NAVAJO, AND APACHE CoUNTIES , ·.. ·· .. ············· ·········· 84 ~~~~l t~~~e:~ p"i~~~~~ :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 56 Granite Creek placers ,. 56 REFERENCES CITED IN PART I 85 Eureka placers . 57 Humbug placers .. 57 other Yavapai placers ::::: , 57 MARICOPA COUNTY -- - ---.-- _-.-.- . 58 58 PART II 58 t~!t~~~~~~~~·~~~~~~::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 59 Hassayampa placers . 60 SMALL SCALE GOLD PLACERING Other Maricopa County placers :::::::.:::::::::::::: 61 INTRODUCTION . 87 PINA~t~~J~~ro~···:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ~~ FACTS ABOUT GOLD . 87 anada del Oro or Old Hat placers 61 Identification of placer gold ,. 87 Color . 87 Specific gravity . 87 Malleability and ductility . 88 Solubility . 88 G,u~~~~:~i~J~;;~~~-~_ ••-............... i! Physical properties of gold . 88 Payson placers 63 Gravity concentration . 88 ...................................................................................... 64 Amalgamation . 88 Interfering factors . 89 GRAHAM COUNTY 65 Size of gold particles . 89 ~fad~i~~~ pi";;~.~~~........................................................................................ 65 ...................................................................................... 65 ~ ~ ~ 90 SEEKING PLACER GOLD ....,. --_ .. , , --.. GREENLEE COUNTY 65 PLACER EQUIPMENT AND METHODS 91 Clifton-MorenciProduction ,placers . 65 ............................................................................ 65 Gra\'ity concentration 91 Panning Utensils 91 Pan, miner's 91 COCHISE COUNTy .................. _- -_ . 67 Batea 91 67 :Miner's spoon 92 E1;~~~i~~~c~~~~~;::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: . 67 Other panning utensils 92 69 Panning 92 g~fJh~~~chl~l~cse~···~i;~~~:::ii:~~~i~::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 69 Cleaning concentrates 93 70 Amalgamation 93 ~~:~~~n J~~~~rs : ~:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 70 Copper amalgamating pans 94 ••••• _ •• _ _. _'••• ' u ~.~~ •••••••••• ~ •••• ~ •••••••• ~ •••• ~ •••• 71 Instructions for amalgamating copper pans 94 Panning with an amalgamated pan 94 Quantity of gravel that can be panned in eight hours............ 96 PIMA COUNTY ....... ~~ ~"' .. ~ .. ~~~ ~ ~ ~.~ ~ _ . 71 Production 71 Rocker (Cradle) 96 72 Capacity 96 ~!j~~~~r;~~~~~~~i::~~~i~~~:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 77 Construction details 96 78 Apron 98 ~~~a:l~: A~:~~t~··Pi"~~~~~······:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: . 80 Riffles 98 80 Hopper or screen box ,....... 98 ~~oa;~~:rl~f:~:r~·················:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 80 Slope of bottom 98 81 Amalgamation 99 81 ~~~:~ ~:~o~o~~~~er~;~~~~~:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 81 ~l~~_t~:: ~~:::~~~~:~:~:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 1~~ ILLUSTRATIONS .. PLATE L-MoTOR-DHIVEN DRY-WASHER, SEARLES GROUP, GOLD BASIN 36 Construction details for knock-down rocker 100 The Long Tom ...................•............................•.............::::::::::::::::::::::::.::::: 100 PLATE Il.-SAMpLING OPERATIONS IN KING TUT PLACERS . 38 Operation :: 101 PLATE IlI.-DREDGING OPERATION ON LOWER LYNX CREEK. 40 Sluic~1ffl~~ :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: i~ ~ Slope 104 PLATE IV.-TypICAL GRAVELS OF WEAVER CREEK PLACERS . 45 Water consumption and capacity 104 PLATE V.-Top OF RICH HILL . 46 Amalgamation ....•................................................................................. 105 Clean-ups 105 PLATE VI.-GOLD STAR COMPANY PLANT, COPPER BASIN . 49 Small sluices ..........................•............................................................. 105 Wet Methods vs. Dry Methods 107 PLATE VII.-AINLAY BOWL CONCENTHATOR, PANTLE BROS. LEASE, BIG BUG CHEEK . 51 Dry Concentration 108 Dry Concentrators 109 PLATE VIlI.-NUGGETS FROM YAVAPAI COUNTy . 53 Blanket 109 Dry panning and blowing 109 PLATE lX.-TypICAL PLACER WORK ON SAN DOMINGO WASH ····· 60 Dry-washers 109 PLATE X.-GOLD GULCH MINING COMPANY OPERATIONS, TEVISTON Separating Gold from Golci Amalgam III DISTRICT . 68 Retorting III 95 Retorts III PLATE XI.-ROCKER IN OPERATION . Charging