Eureka Mining District, Grant County, New Mexico, USAi

Regional Level Types
Eureka Mining District	Mining District
Grant County	County
New Mexico	State
USA	Country

The Eureka Mining District occurs in the northern part of the Little Hatchet Mountains. Mining activities in the Little Hatchet Mountains began in 1871. However, stone tools found in old turquoise pits are evidence of much earlier activity. Legend has it that the district was named "Eureka" when these old Native American mining tools were found. The American, Hornet, and King claims in the district were located in 1877-1878 at the same time when the Sylvanite district in the southern part of the mountains was prospected. The Eureka and Sylvanite mining districts were originally subdistricts of the Hachita district, which is no longer in use.

The earliest mining was at the Hornet mine; but, Apache Indians were hostile to mining and prospecting and made things difficult. By late 1878, when the U.S. Army visited the district, only 20 people resided there. Protection afforded by the army allowed the miners to return, and in 1881, ore shipments from the American mine were being recorded. In the early 188Os, smelters were built at both the American and Hornet mines, but neither smelter operated for very long due to technical difficulties. In 1885, a drop in the price of silver caused mining activities to subside until 1902, when the railroad connected the smelter towns of Douglas, Arizona, and El Paso, Texas, and stimulated production. The total value of ore produced to 1906 was not more than $500,000. Total estimated production from the Laramide veins is approximately $1.59 million, including 2.9 million lbs Pb, 1.7 million lbs Zn, 500,000 lbs Cu, 5,000 ounces Au, and 450,000 ounces Ag.