Monument Creek Mine, Ruby Mining District, Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area, Alaska, USAi

Regional Level Types
Monument Creek Mine	Mine
Ruby Mining District	Mining District
Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area	Census Area
Alaska	State
USA	Country

Location: Monument Creek flows through the southwestern corner of the Ruby (B-5) Quadrangle. The area of interest is approximately 5 1/2 miles south of VABM Monument (USGS topographic map, 1952, minor revisions in 1973), which corresponds to location 24 of Cobb (1972 [MF405]). Coordinates are for the approximate midpoint of placer ground in section 13, T. 14 S., R. 17 E. of the Kateel River meridian. The placer ground extends for about a mile downstream from a point 1/2 mile above the tributary Rabbit Creek. The discovery claim was made at the mouth of Rabbit Creek. The location is accurate.
Geology: The bedrock underlying Monument Creek is likely intermediate to mafic intrusive rocks (Puchner and others, 1998). Granite is present on a headwater divide to the north of the creek, and rocks peripheral to this body may be the source of the metals in the placer gravels (Eberlein and others, 1977). Gold was discovered along Monument Creek during the winter of 1912-13 (Eakin, 1914). About 1,450 ounces of gold and some byproduct silver were recovered between 1913 and 1933 (Mertie, 1936). Monument Creek was also explored from 1990 to 1993 (Swainbank and others, 1991; Bundtzen and others, 1992; Swainbank and others, 1993; Swainbank and others, 1995). The gold is found in an irregular, spotty pay streak 20 to 50 feet wide, about 1/2 mile above and below the mouth of Rabbit Creek (Mertie, 1936). At 1/4 mile below the mouth of Rabbit Creek (Discovery claim) 25 feet of muck is underlain by 15 feet of gravel. Gold is found in irregularly distributed, 3-to-6-inch-thick streaks of fine gravel. There is little or no gold on bedrock (Mertie, 1936). The gold is both fine and coarse, and the largest nugget weighed a little more than an ounce. The average of three assays showed 853 parts gold per thousand and 139 parts silver per thousand (Mertie, 1936). Cassiterite is also present with the gold (Mertie and Harrington, 1916; Chapin, 1919; Joesting, 1942).
Workings: Monument Creek was mined from 1913 to about 1933 (Mertie, 1936) and from 1990 to 1994 (Swainbank and others, 1991; Bundtzen and others, 1992; Swainbank and others, 1993; Swainbank and others, 1995).
Age: Quaternary.
Production: Total production for Monument Creek through 1933 was about 1,450 ounces (Mertie, 1936).

Commodities (Major) - Au; (Minor) - Ag, Sn
Development Status: Yes; small
Deposit Model: Placer Au (Cox and Singer, 1986; model 39a).

Other Databases

Link to USGS - Alaska:	RB024

Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality

References