Circular 77 — Directory of Mines of New Mexico

By Lucien A. File, 1965, 188 pages.

This is a list of the active and inactive mines in the state of New Mexico. It was compiled after a study of requests for information to the Bureau of Mines and Mineral Resources indicated a demand for the source material.

This compilation was made in cooperation with William H. Hays, the State Inspector of Mines in Albuquerque. From time to time supplements will be prepared as authenticated mines are called to our attention.

In compiling this directory, a search was made of the technical reports and records of the New Mexico Bureau of Mines and Mineral Resources since its beginning as well as the various reports and records of the State Inspector of Mines. The records of the U. S. Bureau of Mines of the Department of the Interior were checked against New Mexico lists and the resulting lists were doublechecked with the April 25, 1963, and April, 1965, issues of the Mining World, which contain listings of active mines. The Director of the Mint Report for 1883 was also utilized as was R. W. Raymond's (1870) Statistics of Mines and Mining. Counties given are those originally listed, not current boundaries.

The * in front of the mine name indicates that this was an active mine according to Mining World. The t indicates the mine is an active mine according to the State Inspector of Mines' records and the Bureau of Mines and Mineral Resources' records (1964) . Where the mine has been mentioned in the State Bureau of Mines and Mineral Resources' bulletins or publications or other sources, the designation in the reference column gives the bulletin or publication number and page reference. The publications are listed in the bibliography by author, title, and publisher.

The second section is a listing of companies known to have been engaged in the mining business and listed in the publication originally called the Copper Handbook, later called the Mines Handbook & Copper Handbook, still later called the Mines Handbook. The mining companies list is of historic interest and is not complete. A listing of mining corporations that have been active in New Mexico is not available from the Corporation Commission in the state capital, since the corporation records are not kept according to business classifications.

Hundreds of names of mining claims appear in various records but these were not actually worked as mining property. Where names are known to be claim names only, they are so designated in this compilation to distinguish them from active or once active mines. A map showing New Mexico Metal Mining Districts is included in the back pocket of the cover.

Districts, areas, and regions not shown on the map in the jacket pocket are listed in the "Mine Names" or "Mining District" columns. The map contains the standardized district names according to E. C. Anderson. (Bureau of Mines Bulletin 39, plate 1.)

Researchers wishing to find the name and ownership of individual mines in New Mexico may determine source material by referring to Circular 74 of the Bureau of Mines and Mineral Resources. (File, Lucien A., 1962 Cir. 74 Mining Records in County Offices, Bu. Mines & Min. Res.) This is an index to the location of county mining records in the various county seat offices.