New Mexico Mineral Symposium — Abstracts

Historically, the San Pedro mine represents a grand view of New Mexico's history. Five eras of activity by differing or mixed ethnic groups depict this once thriving mining scene of north-central New Mexico. The first of these eras saw the Native Americans foraging for big game and materials for utensil use. The second era, the Colonial Spanish Period, would be represented by Spanish Royals looking for profitable areas to mine precious metals. During the subsequent settlement of land and the use of land grants (the third era, called the Mexican Period), Spanish shepherds, in their daily routine of herding goats and sheep, discovered float gold in both the Ortiz and San Pedro Mountains. The fourth era, which correlates roughly with the opening of the Santa Fe Trail as a trade route in 1821, saw the influx of eastern U.S. citizens, merchants, mining specialists, and fortune seekers. Local as well as non-local companies vied for the right to mine the profitable mineral values. This would be the time of greatest exploration and expansion of mining the state would experience. As the discovery of ore deposits became less frequent, the final era, which began somewhere around 1938, involved only a few large businesses and numerous small or local interest groups who were active at the mine. Some of these ventures were profitable, whereas the majority were only marginally successful. The final pages of history for the San Pedro mine were opened in 1999 when the mine was sold to a former local resident. Reclamation involving recontouring and reseeding of the old tailing piles; bat only entrances where major tunnels once existed; and no trespassing, hunting, or prospecting signs all give evidence to the closing of a grand old mine and the opening of a new era, which may include a museum.

Mineralogically, the San Pedro mine area, commonly known as the New Placers district, has produced 93 different mineral species. Of this large number of species the most common are garnet (andradite), calcite, quartz, hematite (specular), and chalcopyrite. Recent discoveries have added to these: tetradymite, ankerite, powellite, smithsonite (pink), and amethyst sceptered Japan law quartz. Reports of brochantite, molybdenite, talc, and fluorite (green and purple) were verified. This assemblage of minerals is not uncommon for this skarn-type deposit. The fascinating aspect of collecting has been the seemingly endless variety of forms of the common species. Current use of UV equipment will most likely reveal more new species. All current collecting is with the new owner's permission. Planning is underway to put more San Pedro specimens in the Bureau's display and to develop a historical as well as a mineralogical museum at the mine site.