The Cooke's Peak Mining District

Mines and mining districts are ill defined.  Geographic coverage and names have varied over time.  In general, the mines listed here are those found in the Cooke’s Range and adjacent Fluorite Ridge, New Mexico; specifically the Cooke’s Peak District, the Old Hadley District, the Graphic District, the Fluorite Ridge District, and the Starkey Group.  The Southern Roads page on the Black Range website has an extensive discussion of mining in this area.  The New Mexico Bureau of Mines and Mineral Resources Bulletin 21 - Fluorspar Resources of New Mexico - prepared by the US Geological Survey. pp 123 - 142 (Fluorite Ridge Mines) contains a description of several mines in the area.  Extensive information is also available in The Fluorite Ridge Fluorspar Mines, Luna County, New Mexico.

The following is a listing of the mines of this area, the minerals that were taken from the mines, and other sources of information about the mines. 

Mines of the Area

85 Group (Cooke’s Peak District)

Alum Cave (Cooke’s Peak District)
     Alunogen was one of the minerals mined at this mine.

Bond Prospect
     See 
Fluorite Ridge Mines p. 124

Contention Group (Cooke’s Peak District)

Cooke’s Peak Area (Cooke’s Peak District)
     Calcite,
FluoritePsilomelane, and Quartz (Carnelian) were mined at this site.

Copper Mine (a.k.a. Copperton Mine) (Old Hadley Mining District/Graphic Mining District)
     Baryte, Chrysocolla, CreaseyiteDioptase, Fornacite, MurdochitePlancheite, Quartz (Jasper),  
     Shattukite, and Vanadinite were mined at this site.

Copperton Mine (See Copper Mine)

Cox Prospect (See Green Spar Mine)

Deckert Mine (a.k.a. Deckert Shaft, Spar No. 2 Prospect) (Fluorite Ridge District)
   See 
Fluorite Ridge Mines pp. 124, 127, and 140-141

Desdemona Mine (Cooke’s Peak District)

Dorthy (Fluorite Ridge District)
    See 
Fluorite Ridge Mines - listed as claim on p. 127

Dorthy Bell (Fluorite Ridge District)
   See 
Fluorite Ridge Mines - listed as claim on p. 127

Duke of Luxembourg Prospect (Fluorite Ridge District)

El Paso Mine (Cooke’s Peak District)

Faywood Mine (Cooke’s Peak District)
   Quartz and Vanadinite were mined at this site.

Fern (Fluorite Ridge District)
   
 See Fluorite Ridge Mines - listed as claim on p. 127

Ft. Cummings (Cooke’s Peak District)
   Geode, Heulandite, Iddingsite, and Thomsonite-ca were mined at this site.

Fluorite (Fluorite Ridge District)
    See 
Fluorite Ridge Mines - listed as claim on p. 127

Goat Ridge Prospect (Fluorite Ridge District)
   
Fluorite and Quartz were mined at this site. 

Graphic Lode (Old Hadley [Graphic] District)
    BaryteChrysocolla, Copper, Cuprite, and Tenorite were mined at this site.

Grattan Mine (a.k.a. Sadler No. 2 Mine)  (Fluorite Ridge District)
   Fluorite, Pyriteand Quartz were mined at this site.
   See 
Fluorite Ridge Mines pp. 124, 127, 139, and 140a      

Fluorite CaF2 from the Gratten Mine Cookes Peak District Luna County, NM
Specimen at the Mineral Museum New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology Socorro, New Mexico

Grattan State Land (See: Green Spar Mine) (Fluorite Ridge District)

Greenleaf Mine  (Fluorite Ridge District)
   Fluorite, Psilomelane, and  Quartz were mined at this site. 
   See 
Fluorite Ridge Mines pp. 124, 127, 130, 133-136, and 137 

Green Spar Mine (a.k.a. Grattan State Land or Cox Prospect) (Fluorite Ridge District)
    
Fluorite was mined at this site.
    See 
Fluorite Ridge Mines pp. 124, 127, and 140a-141 (Listings as Grattan State Land)

Hilltop Spar Prospect (Fluorite Ridge District)
    
Fluorite was mined at this site.
    See 
Fluorite Ridge Mines pp. 124, 127, 130, and 138-139

Hub Mine (Old Hadley [Graphic] District)

Inez Mine (Cooke’s Peak District)

Jackson’s Tunnel  (See: Kieft Cave)

Jośe District  (Cooke’s Peak District)

   Galena, PyriteQuartzSphalerite, and Vanadinite were mined at this site.

Jumbo Prospect (Old Hadley [Graphic] District)

Kieft Cave (aka jackson’s tunnel) (Cooke’s Peak District)
   
Calcite was mined at this site.

La Purissima (Fluorite Ridge District)
   
 See Fluorite Ridge Mines - listed as claim on p. 127

Lead King (Cooke’s Peak District)

Little Flat Mine (Cooke’s Peak District)
   Acanthite and Chlorargyrite were mined at this site.

Lookout Prospect (Cooke’s Peak District)
    
Calcite was mined at this site.
    See also: 
Fluorite Ridge Mines pp. 124 & 126  

Lucky Mine (Fluorite Ridge District)
   
Fluorite was mined at this site.
   See 
Fluorite Ridge Mines pp. 124, 127, 130, and 137-138

Manganese District (Cooke’s Range)
   
Calcite, Fluorite, Manganese Oxides (Dentrites)PsilomelaneQuartz (Carnelian)Quartz (Chalcedony),
   
Quartz (Jasper), and Wad were mined at this site.  

Monte Cristo Mine (Cooke’s Peak District)

Montezuma Mine (Cooke’s Peak District)
   
Acanthite and Chlorargyrite were mined at this site.
   See also the May 11, 1883 edition of The Black Range newspaper.

Othello Mine (Cooke’s Peak District)

Poe Group (Cooke’s Peak District)
   
Sphalerite was mined at this site.

Rattlesnake Canyon (Old Hadley [Graphic] District)

Rock Island Mine (Old Hadley [Graphic] District)

   Vanadinite was mined at this site.

Ruth’s Ridge (See: Starkey Group)
    Calcite and Wad were mined at this site.

Sadler Mine (Fluorite Ridge District)
   
Fluorite was mined at this site.
   Specific information about this mine.
   See also: 
Fluorite Ridge Mines pp 124, 127, 130, and 131-133

Sadler No. 2 Mine (See: Grattan Mine) (Fluorite Ridge District)

San Juan Mine (Fluorite Ridge District)
   Fluorite and Quartz were mined at this site.
   See 
Fluorite Ridge Mines pp. 124, 127, 130, and 136-137

Section 2 Mine (Fluorite Ridge District)

Section 27 Prospect (Cooke’s Peak District)
   
Fluorite was mined at this site.

Sierra (Fluorite Ridge District)
    See 
Fluorite Ridge Mines - listed as claim on p. 127

Silver Cave (Cooke’s Peak District)

Starkey Group (a.k.a. Ruth’s Ridge) (Cooke’s Range)
    
Calcite and Wad were mined at this site. 

Summit Group (See: Poe Group (Cooke’s Peak District)

Surprise and Mahonney Number 1 Shaft (Cooke’s Peak District)
   
Fluorite was mined at this site.  

Fluorite CaF2 from the Surprise # 1 Mine
 Cooke's Peak Mining District, New Mexico
Specimen at the Mineral Museum New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology Socorro, New Mexico

Susan No. 1 and Susan No. 2 (Fluorite Ridge District)
   See 
Fluorite Ridge Mines - listed as claim on p. 127

Tiptop Prospect (Fluorite Ridge District)
   
Fluorite was mined at this site.
   See 
Fluorite Ridge Mines pp. 124, 127, and 141-142  

Valley Mine (Valley No. 1 and Valley No. 2) (Fluorite Ridge District)
   
Fluorite and Quartz were mined at this site.
   See 
Fluorite Ridge Mines - listed as claim on p. 127 

White Bluff Prospect (Fluorite Ridge District)
    CalciteFluorite and Quartz were mined at this site.  

Whitehill Prospect (Fluorite Ridge District)
   Fluorite was mined at this site.
   See 
Fluorite Ridge Mines pp. 124, 127, and 140-140a (map)

White Oaks (Cooke’s Peak District)

Williams Brothers No. 2  & No. 5 (Fluorite Ridge District)
    See 
Fluorite Ridge Mines - listed as claims on p. 127




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