New Mexico Mineral Symposium — Abstracts

The Hansonburg mining district is located in southeastern Socorro County, New Mexico, is bounded on the west by the large desert valley known as the Jornada del Muerto, and includes the northern portion of the Oscura Mountains as an eastern boundary. Remote from population centers and isolated from development by lack of water and location on the northern extension of White Sands Missile Range, the Hansonburg mining district has gained notoriety primarily because of the occurrence of rare and attractive minerals.

The district was developed initially in 1901 from a copper mine. That was followed in 1916 by the development of lead mining in the northern Oscura Mountains. The original copper mine, located six miles east of the lead mine in the Jornada del Muerto, ceased production in 1917, and for the next six decades mining activity was focused on lead (with minor silver) and barite production. From a mining perspective these decades must be viewed as marginally successful at best.

In April 1987 the mineral-producing areas of the Hansonburg mining district entered a new era. The unpatented claims previously held by mining companies were abandoned, and control was assumed by a group of individuals whose primary motivation was the recovery of minerals as specimens.

Recent activity in the Blanchard mine has centered on the Sunshine #1 tunnel that had gained instant notoriety in 1980 for yielding world-class linarite crystals. Most recently, a pocket in this tunnel has produced two-inch lavender cubes of fluorite that rival the best that the Blanchard produced. Additionally, some specimens of the newly approved polymorph of PbO₂, scrutinyite (J. Taggart, pers. comm.), have been found. The Sunshine #1 tunnel of the Blanchard mine is the type location for this mineral. Also of interest has been the confirmation of the mineral caledonite, which had been reported previously but not observed for longer than 30 years, and the recovery of large selenite crystals more than 40 cm in length.

A rare opportunity to visit the Hansonburg copper mine on October 2, 1987 was made possible by Jim Eckles, Public Affairs Officer for White Sands Missile Range. Specimens collected on this visit confirm that the primary ore mineral at this mine was tennantite as reported by Samuel G. Lasky (1932, The ore deposits of Socorro County, New Mexico: New Mexico Bureau of Mines and Mineral Resources, Bulletin 8). More recent reports had refuted the occurrence of tennantite at the Hansonburg copper mine, but these determinations were made without the benefit of sample analysis. Secondary copper arsenates along with azurite were also found, and preliminary analysis (microprobe) indicates that olivenite and conichalcite are the predominant minerals.

The recent discovery of superb smoky quartz crystals with chrysocolla and lustrous bright-green microcrystals of antlerite has stimulated the search for new species and attractive specimens. The Blanchard mine has a long history of producing excellent mineral specimens. Today the mine is open to collectors on a fee basis for the surface areas (no underground collecting permitted) and in the foreseeable future the present owners intend that this rich collecting area will remain open for the enjoyment of all mineral collectors.

HANSONBURG MINING DISTRICT CHRONOLOGY
(Refer to Figures 1 and 2 following the table.)
1872 First attracted attention of prospectors.
Apparently discovered by Pat Higgins. Received name from old prospector Hanson.

1885-1901 Copper deposits were worked at frequent intervals.

1901 Hansonburg copper mine property developed by Alcazar Copper Company. One carload of ore shipped.

1916 Western Mineral Products Company takes over
Hansonburg lead mine and erects a 50-ton dry mill on property to extract galena.

1916-17 Fifteen carloads of ore shipped from the
Hansonburg copper mine.

1917 Several carloads of lead concentrates shipped from
Hansonburg lead mine.

1917-33 Hansonburg district inactive.

1938 Louis & Halstead shipped a small, unknown amount
of lead-silver ore.

1939 Globe Mining Company shipped nine tons of lead-
silver ore.

1943 F. L. Blanchard of Roswell assumes ownership of
six unpatented claims in area of Hansonburg lead mine.

1947 Portales Mining Company working the Hansonburg
lead mine (Blanchard mine).

Dec. 1947 Mex-Tex and Royal Flush Nos. 1 and 2 claims are
located.

1948 Portales Mining Company builds a mill
approximately one mile east of San Antonio and hauls ore to it by truck.

Feb. 1949 Royal Flush Nos. 3 and 4 added to other Royal
Flush claims and sold to Ben B. Scott, who organizes the Scott Mineral Company. Ships two or three carloads of lead ore to El Paso smelter.

1949 Mex-Tex Mining Company of Artesia begins work on
30 claims north of the Hansonburg lead mine.

Late 1949 Royal Flush group is sold by Scott Mineral Company
to Erwin & Bishop of Houston.

Early 1950 Erwin & Bishop purchase the Mex-Tex group and add
it to their Royal Flush claims. Mex-Tex Mining Company name retained.

1950 Portales Mining Company processes and markets
14,377 tons of lead ore at San Antonio mill. Mex-Tex Mining Company constructs a 200-ton/day barite mill near San Antonio.

1952 Portales Mining Company and the Mex-Tex Company
(from open pits) truck about 150 tons/day to their respective mills in San Antonio. Hurlow Mining & Milling Company erects a mill on
the northeast end of the district. Clarence Barrett from Portales operates surface workings above and south of Blanchard claims. Legal conflict with the Blanchards develops.

1954 Portales Mining Company mill in San Antonio burns
down.

Nov. 1958 Sunshine Mining Company begins exploratory
drilling, drifting, crosscutting, and raising in vicinity of Hansonburg lead mine.

July 1959 Atomic Mineral Corporation purchases the Mex-Tex
property (Galber, Inc. of Carlsbad, operating). Company produces 812 tons of barite in 1959 and 1960.

June 1960 Sunshine Mining Company completes operations (six
adits containing cross drifts, raises, and winzes). Linear footage excavated totaled approximately 2300 ft. No ore marketed.

Early 1960's Galber, Inc. mines and explores the Mex-Tex, Royal Flush, Mountain Canyon, and Malachite mines; several carloads of lead concentrate shipped by truck and rail to the ASARCO smelter in El Paso.

1960-66 Sporadic mining and exploration continues.

1968 Ora Blanchard passes away.

1972 Basic Earth Science Systems, Inc. conducts exploration, including core drilling, for several years.

1977 Hansonburg Mines, Inc. begins extensive
exploration. Ore reserves estimated at one million tons containing an average of 6% galena, 20% barite, and about 10% fluorite.

1979 Hansonburq Mines, Inc. construct mill projected to
handle 400 tons/day with recovery of silver, galena, barite, and fluorite.

1980 World-class linarite specimens recovered from
Sunshine #1 tunnel of the Blanchard mine.

1983 Wayne Thompson and Delma Perry under contract from
Western General Resources, Inc. mine Sunshine #1 tunnel for mineral specimens. Operation closed down by OSHA.

1984-85 Exploratory drilling of 1,000-ft holes conducted
by Ozark-Mahoning Co.

Jan. 1987 Hansonburg district claims are abandoned and
revert to public domain.

April 1987 Blanchard, Mex-Tex, and Royal Flush properties
claimed by private individuals interested in the recovery of mineral specimens.
 

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