Christmas Gift mine

Mining District and Mines

Harshaw Area

Mine tailings piles

Description

The Christmas Gift mine is half a mile east of the Elevation group and a quarter of a mile west of Harshaw Creek and the United States Geological Survey bench mark 4223, at an elevation of 4,500 feet. It was worked in 1887 by Frank La Monte and is now controlled by the Bland Mining Co., of Kansas City, Mo.

At least two carloads of ore are knwn to have been shipped from this mine and are reported to have averaged 90 ounces in silver to the ton. The property is opened by three shafts, the west one of which is timbered and is said to be 100 feet deep. The country rock is dark red to black andesite, it is cut by a fissure that strikes N. 65° W. and dips 87° SW. The ore from the dump is very siliceous and is cream to lemon-yellow in color, apparently from lead carbonate and iron oxide2.

Department of Mineral Resources, Arizona State notes: http://docs.azgs.az.gov/OnlineAccessMineFiles/C-F/ChristmasgiftSantacruz81b.pdf

Alternate Names

Horseshoe, Gypsy

Owners

Bland Mg. Co., Henderson, Rhea Mg. Co.⁵

Mining District and Mines

Harshaw District

Location

31.49402N, 111.27013W⁴

22S 16E N. Cen. 16⁵

Mineral Products

USBM: Ag, Pb, Cu- Au-.¹

Geology

Spotty and irregular argentiferous lead carbonate with minor copper and gold in a narrow fissure vein in Laramide andesite.⁵

Type of Operation and Production

Relatively shallow shaft operations. Produced intermittently, from 1890 to 1938, some 100 tons of ore averaging about 40 oz. Ag/T, 20% Pb, and minor copper and gold.⁵

Photographs

Mine tailings piles

Location: 31.525366 ,-110.716633 ³

Views of Loading Shaft

Location: 31.525694 ,-110.717922 ³

Upper tailings pile

Location: 31.526042 ,-110.718319 ³

shaft

Location: 31.528029 ,-110.717701 ³

Shaft by lower tailings pile

Location: 31.528211 ,-110.717150 ³

References

1. Mineral Appraisal of Coronado National Forest, Part 12, Santa Rita Mountains Unit, MLA11-94 (1994). SR 591-609
   http://repository.azgs.az.gov/sites/default/files/dlio/files/nid1813/usbm_mla_011-94.pdf
2. Mining in the Santa Rita and Patagonia Mountains of Arizona, U.S. Department of Interior, 1915. Republished 2014 by Kerby Jackson.
3. Photographs and GPS readings by Mike Bertram, 1/4/2024
4. USGS Mineral Resources Data System - possibly using NAD72 (https://mrdata.usgs.gov/mrds/map-commodity.html#home).
5. Index of Mining Properties in Santa Cruz County, Arizona, by Staton B. Keith, Bulletin 191, Arizona Geological Survey, 1975.