Montezuma Mine

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From "Mines and Prospects of the Andrews Mountain, Mazourka, and Paiute Roadless Areas, Inyo County, California," U.S. Geological Survey, 1987, by Steven W. Schmauch:

Summary: Northeast- to northwest trending faults have displaced, tilted, and locally overturned limestone, argillite, and dolomite strata. Faults, landslides, bulldozer trenches, and the westerly dip of the strata, which is coincident with slope angles, all obscure geologic detail. Irregular replacement bodies of lead-zinc-silver ore were found in the Monola Formation limestone. Because sediments are overturned, sulfide bodies were positioned above previously oxidized carbonate bodies. Sulfide bodies were reported to be 30 feet wide and 50 feet long. Oxidized carbonate bodies were 200 feet long and 200 feet wide. Thicknesses range from 7 to 12 feet.

The sulfide ore body consisted of finely disseminated galena, sphalerite, pyrite, and tetrahedrite. Larger intergrown crystals of sphalerite and galena also are present. In addition to the above, the carbonate body contained vuggy, crusty forms of cerrusite, smithsonite, and azurite. Much of the galena was argentiferous.

Workings: Two upper adits, an intermediate, and a lower adit are all caved. They were reported to be 200, 400, 400, and 1,400 feet long. A 35-foot-long adit near the millsite was used for storing explosives. Switchback access roads and a series of bulldozer trenches and open cuts are the most recent development. Production was intermittent from 1893 to 1968, and at least 1,023.7 oz gold, 4,964 oz silver, 52,244 lb lead, 38,872 lb zinc, and 47 lb of copper were produced (U.S. Bureau of Mines production files).