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Ruth Creek

Past Producer in Alaska, United States with commodities Gold, Chromium, Mercury, Antimony, Tungsten
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Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10308890
MRDS ID A015483
Record type Site
Current site name Ruth Creek
Related records 10160462, 10002981

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -148.54304, 65.52167 (WGS84)
Relative position Cobb (1972, MF-413), loc. 65; SE1/4NE1/4 sec. 15, T. 8 N., R. 5 W., of the Fairbanks Meridian. The Ruth Creek placer mine is near the mouth of Ruth Creek, a tributary of Livengood Creek, near the old town of Livengood.
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Geographic areas

Country State
United States Alaska

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Gold Primary
Chromium Secondary
Mercury Secondary
Antimony Secondary
Tungsten Secondary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Chromite Ore
Cinnabar Ore
Gold Ore
Monazite Ore
Scheelite Ore
Stibnite Ore

Mineral occurrence model information

Model code 119
USGS model code 39a
BC deposit profile C01. C02
Deposit model name Placer Au-PGE
Mark3 model number 54

Nearby scientific data

(1) -148.54304, 65.52167
ListMap

Comments on the geologic information

  • Geologic Description = Gold is found at the base of the gravels and in the top 2 feet of bedrock with a paystreak 30 to 40 feet wide (Mertie, 1918). Black crystalline limestone with calcite and quartz veins slopes away from the creek on both sides (Mertie, 1918). Gold was reportedly high grade, netting $18/oz after charges (Mertie, 1918). Placer mining took place from as early as 1916 to as late as 1940 (Cobb, 1976; OFR 76-633). Concentrates contain gold, scheelite, magnetite, cinnabar, chromite, pyrite, arsenopyrite, zircon, monazite, chrome spinels and stibnite (Cobb, 1976; OFR 76-633, p. 164-166).

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 Tolovana

Comments on the production information

  • Production Notes = Foster (1968) reported that Ruth Creek had been a major placer-gold producer, but there is no data on the amount produced.

Comments on the workings information

  • Workings / Exploration = Placer mining took place from as early as 1916 to as late as 1940 (Cobb, 1976; OFR 76-633).

Reference information

Links to other databases

Agency Database name Acronym Record ID Notes
USGS Alaska Resource Data File ARDF LG009
USGS Mineral Resources Data System MRDS A015483
USGS Mineral Resources Data System MRDS D002627

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    Smith, P.S., 1917, The mining industry in the territory of Alaska during the calendar year 1916: U.S. Bureau of Mines Bulletin 153, 89 p.

  • Deposit

    Brooks, A.H., 1918, Mineral resources of Alaska, 1916: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 662, 469 p.

  • Deposit

    Martin, G.C., 1920, The Alaska mining industry in 1918: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 712-A, p. 1-52.

  • Deposit

    Overbeck, R M., 1920, Placer mining in the Tolovana district: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 712, p. 177-184.

  • Deposit

    Smith, P.S., 1926, Mineral industry of Alaska in 1924: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 783-A, p. 1-39.

  • Deposit

    Smith, P.S., 1929, Mineral industry of Alaska in 1926: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 797, p. 1-50.

  • Deposit

    Smith, P.S., 1930, Mineral industry of Alaska in 1928: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 813, p. 1-72.

  • Deposit

    Smith, P.S., 1932, Mineral industry of Alaska in 1929, in Smith, P.S., and others Mineral resources of Alaska, report on progress of investigations in 1929: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 824-A, p. 1-81.

  • Deposit

    Smith, P.S., 1933, Mineral industry of Alaska in 1930: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 836, p. 1-83.

  • Deposit

    Smith, P.S., 1933, Mineral industry of Alaska in 1931: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 844-A, p. 1-81.

  • Deposit

    Smith, P.S., 1934, Mineral industry of Alaska in 1933: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 864-A, p. 1-94.

  • Deposit

    Smith, P.S., 1936, Mineral industry in Alaska in 1934: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 868-A, p. 1-91.

  • Deposit

    Smith, P.S., 1937, Mineral industry in Alaska in 1935: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 880-A, p. 1-95.

  • Deposit

    Smith, P.S., 1938, Mineral industry of Alaska in 1936: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 897-A, p. 1-107.

  • Deposit

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

  • Deposit

    Smith, P.S., 1939, Mineral industry of Alaska in 1938: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 917-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

    Bates, R.G. and Wedow, H. Jr., 1953, Preliminary summary review of thorium-bearing mineral occurrences in Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Circular 202, 13 p.

  • Deposit

    Wedow, Helmuth, Jr., Killeen, P. L., and others, 1954, Reconnaissance for radioactive deposits in eastern interior Alaska, 1946: U.S. Geological Survey Circular 331, 36 p.

  • Deposit

    Berg, H.C., and Cobb, E.H., 1967, Metalliferous Lode Deposits of Alaska. U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 1246, 254 p.

  • Deposit

    Foster, R.L. and Chapman, R.M., 1967, Locations and descriptions of lode prospects in the Livengood area, east-central Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 275, 5 p.

  • Deposit

    Overstreet, W.C., 1967, The geologic occurrence of monazite: U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 530, 327 p.

  • Deposit

    Foster, R.L., 1968, Descriptions of the Ruth Creek, Lillian Creek, Griffin, Old Smoky, Sunshine No. 2, and Olive Creek lode prospects, Livengood District, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 68-104, 21 p.

  • Deposit

    Koschmann, A.H. and Bergendahl, M.H., 1968, Principal gold producing districts of the United States: U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 610, 283 p.

  • Deposit

    Cobb, E.H., 1973, Placer deposits of Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 1374, 213 p.

  • Deposit

    Cobb, E.H., 1976, Summary of references to mineral occurrences (other than mineral fuels and construction materials) in the Circle quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 76-633, 72 p.

  • Deposit

    Burand, W.M., 1966, A geochemical investigation of stream sediments in the Elliot Highway area, Alaska: Alaska Division of Mines and Minerals Geochemical Report 11, 33 p.

  • Deposit

    Cobb, E.H., 1972, Metallic mineral resources map of the Livengood quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Field Studies Map MF-413, 2 sheets, scale 1:250,000.

  • Deposit

    Cobb, E.H., 1976, Summary of references to mineral occurrences (other than mineral fuels and construction materials) in the Livengood quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 76-819, 241 p.

  • Deposit

    Joesting, H. R., 1942, Strategic mineral occurrences in interior Alaska: Alaska Territorial Department of Mines Pamphlet no. 1, 50 p.

  • Deposit

    Joesting, H.R., 1943, Strategic mineral occurrences in interior Alaska, supplement to pamphlet no. 1: Alaska Territorial Department of Mines Pamphlet 2, 26 p.

  • Deposit

    Mertie, J.B., Jr., 1918, Lode mining in the Fairbanks district, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 662-H, p. 403-424.

  • Deposit

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

  • Deposit

    Smith, P.S., 1930, Mineral industry of Alaska in 1928: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 813-A, p. 1-72.

  • Deposit

    Smith, P.S., 1933, Mineral industry of Alaska in 1930: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 836-A, p. 1-83.

  • Deposit

    Smith, P.S., 1941, Mineral industry of Alaska in 1939: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 926-A, p. 1-106.

  • Deposit

    Smith, P.S., 1942, Mineral industry of Alaska in 1940: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 933-A, p. 1-102.

Comments on the references

  • Primary Reference = Mertie, 1918

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit Model Name = Placer gold deposit (Cox and Singer, 1986; model 39a).

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 04-MAY-1999 C.J. Freeman, J.R. Guidetti Schaefer Avalon Development Corporation