Arizona Gold Silver Mine Historic Hidden Mining Claim Shaft Au Ag Tailimgs

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MORGAN MINE
Unpatented Lode Mining Claim on Federal Land
The Morgan Mine is about a 40 minute drive Northeast of Wickenburg AZ in the Castle Creek Mining District which is part of the Bradshaw Mountain Range. The area also contains one of the most famous gold mines in Arizona history, The Vulture Mine. The Vulture founded the town of Wickenburg and played a key role in the early development of Phoenix by financing the city’s first highway.
The Morgan claim consists of 20.66 acres of ground on Federal/BLM land and is made up of two mines - an adit and a shaft. The shaft is blocked at a depth of 24 feet, but is reported to be a total of 85-feet deep with a cross-cut at the bottom. The adit is cut at the 24’ level and is probably still intact, although some loose soil does partially block the entrance - which should be fairly easy to re-open with just hand tools. The mine has a documented past production history for gold and copper which was produced from the mine’s main workings.
In the 1890’s, high grade ore outcroppings which contained up to 3 ounces of gold per ton and copper in excess of 20% was discovered in the District. Shortly afterwards, The mines in this area were put into production and rich gold and copper ore was transported off site by horse drawn wagon for milling and processing. Many other discoveries were made in the area, and a number of mines began producing and the Castle Creek Mining District was born. In addition to the famous Vulture Mine and other major gold discoveries in nearby Prescott, the region quickly established it’s reputation as a leading producer.
A 10 stamp mill was built to process the ore and in a short period of time, a small community developed with over one hundred families working and living on their claims.  The Oro Cache was not too far from a little one room school house and today, the old school house still stands along with the original assay building which is a registered historical site. The original mill has been restored to full working condition and is on display and used in mining demonstrations at the Arizona Mining Museum in Phoenix Arizona.
Initially in the early years, mining was done by following the rich high grade copper and gold outcroppings protruding at the surface. Even with the inefficient and comparatively crude methods of extraction and recovery, the earlier miners still managed to get a net gold recovery of at least an ounce per ton and a copper recovery of 20 to 25%.
The Morgan was in production intermittently for a total of 18 years interrupted by World War I, World War II and the Great Depression. Records do not show specific production numbers from this mine, but the nearby Swallow Mine records show a total of 8,300 tons of ore was mined there which produced 2,640 ounces of gold and 3,800,000 pounds of copper.  And that’s not a typo - it was “pounds” of copper, not ounces.
Over the life of the mine, some documentation and geological studies exists from earlier operations including geological evaluations of the district done by the Phelps Dodge Corporation and Cypress Minerals Corporation. These records allowed area miners to save many months of exploration work - and as a result, would make it worth your time to put this mine back into production.
While I was able to get to the mine only using 2-wheel drive, if you do not have good ground clearance and good off-road tread on your tires (not to mention being an experienced off-road driver), then I would suggest that you plan to use a 4-wheel drive vehicle, as every year monsoon rains wash out sections of the dirt road here and there and without a little hand work to fill some ruts, it could be tricky to get to for the non-prepared driver.  If you do plan to use 2-wheel drive, I would strongly recommend bringing a good shovel and a pick in case you do need to make a quick off-road road repair.
Some overhead pictures of the claim and surrounding area
GENERAL GEOLOGY
The area here described is approximately 70 miles long from north to south and 28 miles wide and lies between parallels 34° and 35° and meridians 112° and 112° 30'. The altitude ranges from 1,900 feet at the most southerly point of Agua Fria River to 7,971 feet on the summit of Mount Union, in the Bradshaw Mountains.
According to Ransome, Arizona may be divided into three physiographic provinces trending northwest the plateau region of flat-lying Paleozoic sediments; the mountain region, an area of irregular mountain masses, lying southwest of the plateau; and the desert region of short ranges trending north or northwest and separated by wide stretches of desert plains. The limit between plateau and mountain is sharply marked by recessed cliffs of horizontal Paleozoic beds, which are prominent in the landscape and are known as " the breaks." From northwest to southeast there are in succession many such breaks, beginning on Colorado River with the Grand Wash Cliffs, which are succeeded in turn by Music Mountain, by the Verde breaks, in the area here discussed, and by Mogollon Mesa, farther southeast.
Strong fault lines of recent date mark the eastern slope of the Black Hills in fact, the Verde fault, with a throw of at least 1,700 feet can be traced continuously across the whole northeastern part of the Jerome quadrangle far into the plateau province. It is scarcely to be doubted that other older faults outlined the western slope of the Black Hills and all four sides of the Bradshaw Mountains. The plateau province is thus adjoined by a series of pre-Cambrian fault blocks, and few areas offer as good an opportunity to investigate the relation of mountain to plateau.
The top of the plateau attains 6,000 feet in the northeast corner of the Jerome quadrangle. The mountain region includes two main masses the Black Hills and the Bradshaw Mountains. The Black Hills consist of an irregular orographic block capped in part by flat Paleozoic beds and Tertiary lavas, trending north-northwest for about 20 miles and 8 to 12 miles wide. This block is doubt- less outlined by faulting and merges on the north into the flat plateau rocks. On the east it is delimited by the deep Verde Valley, filled by late Tertiary deposits; on the west by the higher plains of Lonesome Valley.
South of this range rises the irregular block of the Bradshaw Mountains, occupying about the whole of the Bradshaw Mountains quadrangle. Essentially these mountains are a series of broad ridges trending north or north-northwest and dissected by a vast number of valleys and gulches that generally drain southward. At the south end of the quadrangle the ridges dip below the lava flows of the lower Agua Fria Kiver, and the topog- raphy of the low-lying pre-Cambrian rocks becomes an intri- cately dissected landscape of irregular ridges and sharp points or " picachos.”
Buyer will receive the following with their completed transaction:
Quitclaim deed showing full ownership of the claim. This will be stamped, recorded and verified with the County and the BLM offices.
Welcome packet with all of the rules and regulations as they relate to the State and BLM where the claim is located.
Educational documents to annually renew your mining claim with the BLM.
A CD of all of the documented images of the claim including maps of the site.
Map of claim marked and GPS coordinates.
Multiple maps showing claim location and surrounding areas for access.
Portable X-Ray Fluorescence field units (also known as XRF guns) are commonly used by large commercial mining operations, well-equipped/funded private prospectors and even the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as well as many other government agencies for the most accurate field sampling in the quickest amount of time. In no way do we advise that you base all of your commercial mining valuations on just one or two samples (regardless of how accurate the method that you use to sample is), but this extremely precise and versatile ,000 device is equipped with powerful X-ray tubes, specialized filters, highly advanced detectors, and multi-beam optimization that efficiently analyzes the chemistry of the rock, soil, and sediment that hosts metals, for a quick and extremely accurate analysis of even trace levels of metals like silver, lead, gold, platinum, copper and many other elements.
Today’s highly sensitive XRF Handhelds (we use the best unit available on the market – an Olympus Delta Premium with a full mining package) work by emitting an x-ray beam with enough energy to displace the electrons in the inner shells of the atoms that differ from the energy it gives off leading to a loss of energy in that atom. The specific loss of energy identifies the elements that are present in the sample. While fire assay is still the most widely used way to gauge how much or a particular metal (like gold and silver) is present in a sample since it can test the entire sample, it is an expensive process and takes many weeks to get an answer. XRF technology is the fastest and most accepted method in existence today for sampling a few millimeters (or deeper depending on the type of host rock sampled) into the surface of even the hardest rock, and the accuracy is measured in 1 to 2 parts per million (PPM)
Come to Hike, Camp, Ride and Shoot - or come to pull some shiny rock$ out of the ground;-)
ABOUT THE MINING DISTRICT
At an early date, about 1863, the Bradshaw Mountains were in- Vaded by gold-seeking placer miners from California. They found some gold deposits of value along Hassayampa River and Lynx Creek and at other places, but compared to those of California the gravels were not rich, and this early placer mining left no permanent imprint on the region. Conditions were unfavorable as to trans- portation, and mining was handicapped by hostile Indians.
The first lode mining began about 1875, when many of the rich silver-gold mines in the district were located for instance, the Tiger, Tiptop, War Eagle, Del Pasco, Peck, Silver Belt, and Bigbug. The earliest locations in the Verde district, near Jerome, are said to have been made in 1876. This second epoch of discoveries and mining was initiated by prospectors from the Comstock and other recently discovered rich gold camps in the Western States. The development was, of course, stimulated by the building of the Southern Pacific and Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe railroads in 1881.
The transportation of ore, which had been laboriously and expensively sent to Swansea, Wales, by way of Colorado River and the Gulf of California, now became easier, and the shipments were sent to Denver and San Francisco. Soon, many small mills and smelting works were being built. Such smelters were located at Copper Mountain, Walker, Blue Dick, Briggs, Whipsaw, Mayer, and other places, but not all of them were successful. The earliest successful plant was the one near Mayer, built in 1901 by the Val Verde Copper Co. The mills were more productive; pan amalgamation and plate amalgamation were tried in succession and were later followed by the cyanide and flotation process. The larger part of the gold and silver produced in the earlier years was derived from local mills.
In the Bradshaw Mountains quadrangle most of the mines were idle by 1918 due to WWI, and only one small mill was in operation in 1922.
The mainstay of the region is the Humboldt smelter, a few miles north of Mayer. This plant had been closed during the war, but the furnaces were started again in July, 1922, by the Southwest Metals Co., successors to the Consolidated Arizona Smelting Co. The principal source of ore for this smelter was the Blue Bell mine, which with the De Soto and Binghampton mines has in later years furnished a large amount of gold and pyritic copper ore. Such of the smaller mines as are in operation generally ship their ore to this smelter. Most of the shipments are small, but in the aggregate they form a considerable quantity.
PRODUCTION
The two quadrangles here described contain the greater part of the workable oleposits in Yavapai County. In the adjacent Congress quadrangle, to the west, also in this county, there are a considerable number of mines, though most of them are now closed. Among these are the Octave and Congress gold mines, which about a decade or two ago were notable producers. Of late years the production of Yavapai County is not far from representing that of the Jerome and Bradshaw Mountains quadrangles.
This yield is annually recorded by the United States Bureau of Mines through V. C. Heikes, of Salt Lake City, who is in charge of the statistics for Arizona and certain other Western States. For the earlier years no separate record of the several metals was kept, and the figures given are taken from the re- ports of the Director of the Mint. They are incomplete and often omit the gold and silver produced from lead and copper bullion. Since 1894 the production from the United Verde mine and since 1915 that from the United Verde Extension have overshadowed the production, from the Bradshaw Mountains almost completely. In the Jerome quadrangle practically the whole production is derived from these two mines, but that from the Bradshaw Mountains quadrangle is obtained from about a hundred small mines.
The whole production of the two quadrangles to the end of 1923 probably approaches 0,000,000, including the total value of gold, silver, copper, lead, and zinc. No other metals are produced in noteworthy amounts. Jaggar and Palache estimate the total production of gold and silver in the Bradshaw Mountains quadrangle to the end of 1901 at ,500,000, which I am convinced is too low. The output scarcely reaches ,000,000 in any one year and in many years it falls very much below that figure. From the approximately known production of 23 mines in this quadrangle I have obtained the sum of ,000,000, and I believe that the total gold and silver from 1875 to the end of 1923, or almost 50 years, is not less than ,000,000, which would represent an average annual output of 0,000. Of course the production has fluctuated greatly and some placer gold was produced before 1875.
The deposits of this region are remarkable for the variety and beauty of minerals. A total of 51 species have been identified.
ACCESS / MAPS
A couple of spare tires or an air compressor and patch kit or at least a couple of cans of tire sealant is strongly recommended for obvious reasons! Also, be sure to bring in whatever water you may need, as there are almost no water sources in the area 10 months out of the year.
I advise caution whenever driving or hiking on this claim – the entire valley is dotted with abandoned mines – some of them are easy to see from a distance, and some of them are impossible to see until you are right on top of them. I would estimate that only 20% of them are roped or fenced off – the rest are wide open and you should be extremely careful if entering them.
Note that all of the pictures of this claim were taken by the team on a recent visit to this property.
All Pictures are of the actual property – no stock photographs were used
Mining claims are a tangible asset just like any other Real property (real estate) and show a lifetime proof of all interests in minerals in the area specified by the above claim. Once you own this claim and the associated mineral rights, you will own them for life as long as you keep up with the annual fees. This claim can be bought, sold, leased or used as collateral, just like any other piece of real estate.
A mining claim can be willed or passed down to future generations as part of a trust or your estate, or you can trade it, lease it out for a period or time (or indefinitely), gift it to a family member or friend and you can also transfer or sell just an interest in it in part or in its entirety just like any other real property using a quitclaim deed which is a recordable conveyance. In other words, you could sell a 25% or a 50% share in it if you wanted in order to bring on a partner in the future - or you could sell the entire claim in whole.
This Buy It Now is for full/all interest in this 20.66 acre lode mining claim (unless the acreage indicated in the above mine description is different). This claim covers the entire site, (unless the claim description above describes different measurements), and includes full rights to all minerals, gems and just about whatever else you may find of value on the property (except oil and gas, which are handled separately). The buyer of this mine will receive a notarized quitclaim deed to the full claim and all associated documentation showing full ownership of the claim. We pay ALL fees associated with transferring this claim into your name - legal fees, title transfer fees, document fees, notary costs, recording fees and even shipping fees, so all you will pay is the final price of the auction, not a penny more.
In order to hold on to your claim for life, you will need to pay an annual maintenance fee to the Government (BLM, not us) every year.  Currently the maintenance fee is 5 per year per claim that you own, and it is due on September 1st of every year.
NOTE that if you own fewer than 10 claims nationwide, we can assist you in filing the paperwork to waive the maintenance fee every year. That means you will only pay per year for your maintenance fee instead of 5.  We guarantee that all past fees have been paid in full and there are no outstanding debts or amounts owed on the claim prior to the transfer of ownership into your name.
The federal government retains ownership of the land - so this means that you will not have any annual real estate taxes due on your mining claim, and you will not have to maintain liability insurance in case someone gets injured on your claim due to no fault of your own.
How do Transfers of Ownership in Mining Claims work if I decide to sell my claim in the future?
First, we handle all the paperwork and costs associated with transferring this claim into your name should you win this auction. But if you decide to sell this claim at some point in the future, interest in a properly recorded mining claim or site may be transferred (i.e sold) in part or its entirety. A quitclaim deed or recordable conveyance document is required and if you do sell your claim someday and the transfer documents should be filed within 60 days after the transfer.
We can and will help you with the paperwork for no cost should you need a hand selling your claim in the future if you pay all of the County, State and Federal fees (usually less than to ).
But again - with regard to transferring this claim initially into your name, we take care of all the paperwork at our expense. You do not have to worry about anything. we handle the BLM transfer documentation and the county recording.
Can you build / camp on your claim?
Without an approved plan of operations, you have the same rights and restrictions as the public. If the area is open to camping to the public, then it is permissible. However, you need to check with the BLM Field Office or the local District Ranger for areas open to camping. Under Federal law in order to occupy the public lands under the mining laws for more than 14 calendar days in any 90 day period, a claimant must be involved in certain activities that (a) are reasonably incident; (b) constitute substantially regular work; (c) are reasonably calculated to lead to the extraction and beneficiation of minerals; (d) involve observable on-the-ground activity that can be verified; and (e) use appropriate equipment that is presently operable, subject to the need for reasonable assembly, maintenance, repair or fabrication of replacement parts. All five of these requirements must be met for occupancy to be permissible.
Although it is possible to build a permanent structure on a mining claim, it is extremely expensive and you will have to jump through way too many hoops to consider it easy to do. It would have to be in support of a commercial, year-round mining operation for starters, and you would need to post a large reclamation bond to insure that if you ever abandoned your claim, the bond would pay for the removal of the structure and the reclamation or the area. So in short, it is technically possible to build on your mining claim, but just be aware that it is very difficult and expensive to do - however, camping is almost always involved unless your claim is in a wilderness area, which is not very common at all.
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In addition to handling all of the paperwork to transfer this claim into your name, as well as paying all of the fees so you do not have any costs other than the final price of the claim, we also pay all of the costs associated with mailing the paperwork to you as well as to the County and Federal Government for recording and sending you back certified copies.
We will ship you a folder with all paperwork, claim coordinates, maps and information on your claim, including a CD-Rom with all of the pictures of your claim upon your payment in full clearing. We ship everything to you the same business day (if payment is received by 1:00 PM Pacific Standard Time) - and we will always provide you with the tracking information so you are always informed.
You initial claim packet that we mail has an unrecorded deed so that you can show ownership immediately after payment and be able to visit your claim. A second original deed goes to the County for recording the same day, and a third original deed goes to the BLM for certification as well. Both of those originals will be returned to you so you will wind up with several original deeds - but the County and BLM deeds can take 3 to 6 weeks to be returned to you, which is why we send you the initial original on day one.
Your payment of this eBay item  gives you 100% ownership of this entire claim, with no other fees and/or other costs for the transfer of ownership required. This is NOT an auction for the down payment, this is NOT a partnership arrangement where someone else will own part of the claim with you, and there are NO other fees or costs for the transfer of this claim in your name.
eBay does not allow checkout on the eBay website for any Real Estate transactions - simply because it is not like selling a widget - the transfer of real estate is complicated and requires notary work, licensed professionals and recording. Note that this is eBay’s rules and not ours and it is the same for any mining claim seller on eBay
We also are not able to accept PayPal payments for mining claims, as claims are real estate and PayPal does not allow payments to be made on any real estate items, including single family homes, condos, mining claim or land purchases. We DO accept just about every other kind of payment method you can think of: Personal Checks, Business Checks, Cashier's Checks, Money Orders, Bank Wires, ACH payments, Direct Bank Deposit at any Bank of America Branch, Gold or Silver Bullion (at the day’s SPOT prices), etc. After the auction close, we will send you a secure link to handle the payment safely online if you prefer, and we can also take care of payment by mail or telephone, as we are a traditional Brick and Mortar business - so whichever method you prefer is perfectly fine with us.
We provide financing plans with no interest or fees. Financing terms are minimum of 0 down with the balance will due within 90-days via three equal monthly payments of the remaining balance after the down payment has been paid.
With all financing plans, we do not transfer the final deed into your name until the claim has been paid in full. In the event of a default on a payment plan, we do not refund your down payment - however, we do allow you to put that down payment towards any other purchase as a store credit in full. If you are financing a climate and there is less than 90 days until September 1st (i.e. from June 1st through September 1st), when the annual fee for mining claims is due to the Federal Government, we will add the 5 maintenance fee to your down payment and pay it to the BLM on your behalf thereby increasing your down payment to 5 instead of 0 - however, the 5 portion of the down payment does not go towards your principle balance since it is used to pay the annual fees to the government, therefore the actual down payment credit will still be 0.
Approval for financing is automatic as long as you have a valid eBay account in good standing