New Mexico Mineral Symposium — Abstracts

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The Atwood Hill Area is located 1.5 miles south of Interstate Highway 10 from Lordsburg, Hidalgo County, New Mexico. Access is south from Shakespeare Road and west from County Road 494 via dirt road just south of the Cemetery. The southern portion of the Lordsburg Mining District produced copper and lesser amounts of lead, zinc, silver and gold starting in the late 1800’s. The mines in the vicinity of Atwood Hill, now inactive, are examined, online species listed and updated as to new species for each locality:

Atwood Mine:

Online Species Listed: Azurite, brochantite, calcite, cerussite, chalcopyrite, chrysocolla, covellite, galena, goethite, hematite, malachite, olivenite, pyromorphite, pyrite, quartz, wulfenite.

New Species for Locality: Aheylite, apatite sp., barite, birnessite, cuprite, corkite, dickite, fluorophlogopite, gormanite, hydroxylpyromorphite, kryzhanovskite, ludjibaite, musco- vite, opal v. hyalite, scholzite, strengite.

General Jerry Boyle Mine:

Online Species Listed: None.

New Species for Locality: Aheylite, apatite sp., azurite, barite, calcite, cerussite, chalco- pyrite, chrysocolla, covellite, fluorite, galena, goethite, ludjibaite, malachite, olivenite, pseudomalachite, quartz, scholzite, sphalerite.

Hidalgo Copper Company Mine:

Online Species Listed: None.

New Species for Locality: Azurite, barite, bornite, chalcopyrite, corkite, goethite, leadhil- lite, ludjibaite, malachite, pseudomalachite, pyromorphite, quartz.

Pole Line Prospect:

Online Species Listed: Barite, cerussite, wulfenite.

New Species for Locality: Anglesite, arsenopyrite,

azurite, calcite, cacoxenite, chalcopyrite, fluorcalciopyrochlore, galena, goethite, gypsum, malachite, mimetite, quartz, strengite.

Pole Line Prospect, West:

Online Species Listed: None.

New Species for Locality: Calcite, Cerussite, chalcopyrite, chrysocolla, galena, goethite, gold, malachite, quartz, wulfenite.

For the most part, the collected materials from the Atwood Hill Area fit the micromount, thumbnail and small cabinet category. Some species available are rare and qualify as the first occurrence for New Mexico as shown below:

Seven unknowns from the Atwood Hill Area remain unanalyzed. These are in the process of being tested via XRD.

Access and collecting opportunities are mostly good. The Atwood and General Jerry Boyle mines are patented mining claims and are private property. However, they are open at present without signage. Existing unpaved roads requiring high clearance vehicles will take you to the vicinity of each locality. The remaining localities are apparently on public lands, but should always be checked for active mining claims before collecting.

References:

1. Lasky, Samuel Grossman, 1938, Geology and Ore Deposits of The Lordsburg Mining District, Hidalgo County, New Mexico, USGS Bulletin 885.