Circular 55—Some scheelite occurrences in the Magdalena mining district of New Mexico

By C. F. Austin, 1960, 17 pp., 2 tables, 8 figs.

The Magdalena mining district of Socorro County, New Mexico, has in past years been a major producer of zinc, lead, and copper, with the accompanying recovery of minor amounts of silver and gold. The district presently produces zinc and lead ores. Tungsten minerals have not been reported in the published literature concerning this district despite years of mining activity in a geologic setting favorable for the deposition of tungsten minerals. The Magdalena mining district is located at the northern end of the Magdalena Mountains. The location of the district is approximately 28 mi west of the town of Socorro, New Mexico. The towns of Magdalena and Kelly lie within the district, although the town of Kelly is abandoned at present. The town of Magdalena, on U.S. Highway 60, is also the terminus of a branch of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway. The site of the former town of Kelly, three mi southeast of Magdalena, is located in the central portion of the Magdalena mining district. Half of the distance to Kelly is traversed by a paved road, the remainder by an excellent graded road. A railroad spur extends to the end of the pavement, at which point there are ore-loading facilities. Individual mine-access roads within the district vary from excellent to impassable. The Magdalena district includes Granite Mountain, to the north, and the northern portion of the Magdalena Range, to the south. Relief within the district is large. The prospects north of the railroad tracks opposite the mouth of Anchor Canyon are located at an altitude of 6,300 ft above sea level, whereas the prospects in the southern portion of the district are at altitudes of over 9,000 ft. Locally, relief reaches 2,000 ft per mile. Many of the higher properties, such as the Cavern and Grand Ledge, the Woodland, the Mistletoe, and the Hardscrabble, were served by tramroads or aerial tramways in former days.