Buffalo Mine (Buffalo vein), Buffalo Hill, Old Dominion vein system, Globe, Globe Hills Mining District, Gila County, Arizona, USAi

Regional Level Types
Buffalo Mine (Buffalo vein)	Mine
Buffalo Hill	Hill
Old Dominion vein system	- not defined -
Globe	- not defined -
Globe Hills Mining District	Mining Sub-district
Gila County	County
Arizona	State
USA	Country

A Ag-Cu mine located on the SE slope of Buffalo Hill about 1 mile north of Globe. The Buffalo and Alice shafts opened in 1880; they became part of the newly formed United Globe Co. in 1892; United Globe merged with the Old Dominion Co. in 1903; sold to the Miami Copper Co. in 1940. Originally worked for silver.

The Buffalo Mining and Smelting Co. was organized in 1882 to work this deposit. Leased to Alex Trippet in 1887, who operated it until November, 1891, when it was purchased by Phelps, Dodge & Co. The latter company consolidated several properties, including the Buffalo, Hoosier, Gray, Cuprite, and other claims adjoining the Old Dominion holdings on the north and east, under the name United Globe Mines Co.

Mineralization is related to an Early Tertiary intrusive period. Two steeply dipping mineralized faults crop out near the crest of Buffalo Hill. The faults join at the SW end of the hill and toward the NE they diverge to a maximum separation of 350 feet. A narrow wedge-shaped graben of Martin limestone between the faults has been inset in Troy Quartzite, which overlies a thick diabase sill and forms the top of Buffalo Hill.

The main fault is probably the east branch. It was formed before the intrusion of diabase, and the block to the SE was relatively depressed. This fault apparently intersects the Old Dominion fault a little NE of "B" shaft. The movement on the west branch that caused the block of Martin limestone to be inset also may have occurred at this time. Later a thick diabase sill was intruded under the conglomerate at the base of the Troy quartzite on both sides of the fault; but on the SE side of the fault, a sill-like apophysis of the main body was intruded into the troy, splitting off the lower part of the depressed block. The top of the apophysis was about on the level of the base of the troy NW of the fault. The displaced block of the Troy under the sill-like apophysis is now bounded on the SE by the Old Dominion fault and is almost completely surrounded by the diabase.

The best ore occurred as replacement bodies in limestone along the two faults.

The mine had three levels entered by 3 adits driven from the SE end of Buffalo Hill. The upper adit, at elevation of 4,025 feet, follows the fault northeastward for about 2,000 feet. The lower adit is 170 feet below the upper. It is entirely in diabase. The intermediate adit is 50 feet below the upper. Production statistics for this mine were included in the totals for the Old Dominion (United Globe) Mine.

Other Databases

Link to USGS MRDS:	10027435

Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality

References