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McDonald

Past Producer in Alaska, United States with commodity Gold
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Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10002811
MRDS ID A015282
Record type Site
Current site name McDonald
Alternate or previous names Morton, Blue Bird, Blue Bird Fraction, Combination

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -147.99601, 64.85855 (WGS84)
Relative position The McDonald mine is located in the SW1/4NE1/4 sec. 5, T. 1 S., R. 2 W., Fairbanks Meridain. This mine is on the ridge east of Eva Creek, about 1 mile northeast of the town of Ester. The mine is included in locality 19 of Cobb (1972 [MF 410]).
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Geographic areas

Country State
United States Alaska

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Gold Primary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Arsenopyrite Ore
Cervantite Ore
Gold Ore
Stibnite Ore
Scorodite Ore

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Metamorphic Rock > Schist

Nearby scientific data

(1) -147.99601, 64.85855
ListMap

Comments on the geologic information

  • Geologic Description = In 1917, a few shallow pits exposed a quartz vein with arsenopyrite scattered through it and coatings of scorodite and cervantite (Chapin, 1919, p. 323). By 1927, a shaft was sunk that exposed visible gold in schist-hosted quartz veins (Moffit, 1927, p. 12). By 1931, there were several groups of workings on four claims (Hill, 1933, p. 133-135). The Blue Bird incline was 80 feet deep with three levels of drifting on a vein that was oriented N. 35 W., 65 NE; the vein was terminated by a fault on all three levels. The Blue Bird workings produced 240 tons of ore averaging $19 in gold per ton ( 0.92 ounce of gold per ton). The Combination shaft consisted of a 100-foot incline that followed a vein that was oriented N. 20 W., 45 E. The vein had an average width of 3 feet, and ore from it was rich in sulfides, averaging $25 to $40 in gold per ton (1.21 to 1.94 ounces of gold per ton). Large boulders of stibnite-arsenopyrite ore were found on the dump. On the McDonald claim, four, subparallel, nearly vertical veins strike N. 40 E; the ore consists of arsenopyrite and stibnite. Mining was reported from this group of claims in 1931 and 1937 (Hill, 1933; Smith, 1939 [B 910-A]). The gold is 810 to 846 fine (Glover, 1950).

Economic information

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Past Producer
Commodity type Metallic

Comments on exploration

  • Status = Inactive

Mining district

District name Fairbanks

Comments on the production information

  • Production Notes = Prior to 1931, the Blue Bird workings produced 240 tons of ore averaging $19 in gold per ton (0.92 ounce of gold per ton) (Hill, 1933, p. 134). The Combination shaft ore averaged $25 to $40 in gold per ton (1.21 to 1.94 ounces of gold per ton), but the amount produced was not reported. Mine production from 1932 to 1938 was 4,000 tons or ore that netted $80,000 (Kukkola, 1939). No mill was erected on the property; the ore was hauled to the Mohawk mill.

Comments on the workings information

  • Workings / Exploration = The Blue Bird claim was located September 28, 1924, by John McDonald (Kukkola, 1939). The adjoining Blue Bird fraction was located on July 5, 1924, also by John McDonald (Kukkola, 1939). By 1931, there were several groups of workings on four claims (Hill, 1933, p. 133-135). Mining was reported from this group of claims in the 1930's (Hill, 1933; Smith, 1939 [B 910-A]). The Blue Bird incline was 80 feet deep with three levels of drift on a vein that was oriented N. 35 W., 65 NE; the vein was terminated by a fault on all three levels. The Combination shaft consisted of a 100-foot incline that followed a vein that was oriented N. 20 W., 45 E. (Hill, 1933). Kukkola (1939) reported that a shaft was sunk 125 feet to the northwest of the old shaft, but it is unclear if this was the Combination shaft reported by Hill (1933) or another. Mining on this 'new' shaft was carried on to a depth of 210 feet.

Reference information

Links to other databases

Agency Database name Acronym Record ID Notes
USGS Mineral Resources Data System MRDS A015282
USGS Alaska Resource Data File ARDF FB066

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    Chapin, Theodore, 1919, Mining in the Fairbanks district: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 692-F, p. 321-327.

  • Deposit

    Hill, J.M., 1933, Lode deposits of the Fairbanks District, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 849-B, p. 29-163.

  • Deposit

    Kukkola, T., 1939, Report on the Blue Bird mine: Fairbanks, University of Alaska, Bachelor of Mining Engineering thesis, 33 p.

  • Deposit

    Smith, P.S. 1939, Mineral industry in Alaska in 1937: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 910-A, p. 1-113.

  • Deposit

    Joesting, H.R., 1942, Strategic mineral occurences in interior Alaska: Alaska Territorial Department of Mines Pamphlet 1, 46 p.

  • Deposit

    Glover, A.E., 1950, Placer gold fineness: Alaska Territorial Department of Mines Miscellaneous Report 195-1, 38 p.

  • Deposit

    Killeen, P.L., and Mertie, J.B., 1951, Antimony ore in the Fairbanks District, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 51-46, 43 p.

  • Deposit

    Chapman, R.M., and Foster, R.L., 1969, Lode mines and prospects in the Fairbanks district, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 625-D, 25 p., 1 plate.

  • Deposit

    Cobb, E.H., 1972, Metallic mineral resources map of the Fairbanks quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Field Studies Map MF-410, 1 sheet, scale 1:250,000.

  • Deposit

    Cobb, E.H., 1976, Summary of references to mineral occurrences (other than mineral fuels and construction materials) in the Fairbanks quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 76-662, 174 p.

  • Deposit

    Smith, P.S., 1939, Mineral industry of Alaska in 1937: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 910-A, p. 1-113.

  • Deposit

    Moffit, F.H., 1927, Mineral industry in Alaska in 1925: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 792-A, p. 1-39.

Comments on the references

  • Primary Reference = Hill, 1933

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit Model Name = Schist-hosted gold-quartz vein

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 31-JUL-2001 J.R. Guidetti Schaefer Avalon Development Corporation
Reporter 31-JUL-2001 C.J. Freeman Avalon Development Corporation