This section of this website deals with specific mines in the Black Range. For a variety of purposes, mines are grouped into “Mining Districts”. There were several mining districts in the Black Range. The names of individual mines (and mining districts) changed over time, cross-references are provided when known. Individual mines in the Black Range are listed on the pages dedicated to the following mining districts:
The Chloride Mining District is located west and north of the town of Chloride. It was once known as the Apache Mining District. Mines in this area were covered extensively by the Black Range newspaper in the late 1800’s.
The Cooke’s Peak Mining District (includes the Cooke’s Peak District, the Old Hadley District, the Graphic District, the Fluorite Ridge District, and the Starkey Group).
The Georgetown Mining District is located in the Mimbres Valley on the west side of the Black Range.
The Minerals
When known, we list the minerals which were mined at each site and include links to a variety of references. Since mines are about minerals, the minerals mined at each are listed. In addition, a listing of minerals and the the mines where they were extracted is also included here.
In some cases, a website page has been developed on a specific mineral, including photographs of mineral samples mined in the black range. That series of pages is found here.
The Hermosa Mining District is located on the east side of the Black Range, north of the Hillsboro District and south of the Chloride District. This section includes the Taylor Creek Tin District.
- The Hermosa Mining District is where the Ingersoll Mine is located, on Bald Hill, west of Forest Road 157 and north of the North Fork of Percha Creek. It is referenced heavily in The Spell of the Black Range.
The Hillsboro Mining District located northeast of the community of Hillsboro. There are descriptions of many of the mines in this mining district which can be accessed at the specific mine reference at the link above.
The Kingston Mining District is located on the east side of the Black Range, west of Hillsboro.
The Lake Valley, Macho, and Tierra Blanca Mining Districts are located in the southeast “corner” of the Black Range.
The Sierra Cuchillo Mining District is located south and east of the Chloride District. Mines in this area were covered extensively by the Black Range newspaper in the late 1800’s.
A photograph gallery for mines in the Black Range depicts the variety of mines/mining techniques in the area.
The Black Range Newspaper regularly reported on mining activity in the area, but where were the mines. Our listings of Mining Districts (esp. Chloride Mining District and Taylor Creek and Hermosa) include frequent references to articles in that newspaper.
WHERE WERE THE MINES?
The following map may help sort things out. It is from page 261 of “The Ore Deposits of New Mexico (Professional Paper 68 of the United States Geological Survey)” published in 1910.
Note several things about this map: 1) The claims stretch end to end for miles, reflecting the veins which the miners were following and leading to many names for the same basic area; 2) The towns all seem to built along streams; 3) The towns tend to be built every three to five miles and are sometimes associated with a lot of claims in the immediate area, sometimes not; and 4) Getting from town to town was generally longer than the distance that the crow flies.
The Mining Districts were close together, which probably explains why they morphed in size over time. The map below makes it easier to locate specific mines, the numbers within the arrows are the same as those in the mine key in the upper left of the graphic.
Fairview is now named Winston, Robinson, Grafton, and Phillipsburg no longer exist.
How does this help with finding mines you may ask. Well, it points to a common problem in finding mines, many times there are a lot of diggings in a very small area and coordinates (although official) given for mines in many references may be inaccurate. Sometimes you simply have to say, this mine is on this hillside, there were a lot of claims, maybe some played out, maybe some never came to anything, maybe a number of them were grouped together and give a new name, maybe….