Lost Mines of Arizona and Sonora - 1896

Old Bookaroo

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Lost Mines of Arizona and Sonora.
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[Dan De Quille in the Mining Industry.]


Almost every mining region on the Pacific Coast has its “lost mines” legends. In Nevada, California, Arizona, Colorado, Montana, Idaho — everywhere — we find stories of lost mines. The lost mines, whether of gold or silver, are always represented as being immensely rich. Down in Arizona and New Mexico the lost mines are usually those of silver, while in California and elsewhere they are principally mines of gold. The stories connected with many of the lost mines, as the Breyfogle, Gunsight, Peg Leg and Lost Cabin, are too well known to be repeated here. First and last much money has been expended in searching for one and another of these lost mines. Many expeditions have been fitted out, and often great hardships have been endured. In not a few instances lives have been lost in these searches.

The great region of lost mines as well as of mines that have never been found, is that of Arizona, New Mexico, and indeed all the way down through Central and South America. It is also a region of lost treasure in the shape of hidden hoards of gold — indeed, down that way there are even lost cities and towns. John I. Ginn, an old newspaper man of the Comstock, spent much time in search of the lost mining town of Guaynopa, supposed to be somewhere in the Sierra Madre mountains, but he never was able to penetrate to where the old town was said to be situated. Hundreds of men have lost their lives while trying to find it.

Almost three years ago this lost city was said to have been found by Louis Proto, a French American miner and prospector. Proto says the old ruins are in the Sierra Madre, in the very heart of the Apache country. He went out alone and prowled through the mountains Indian fashion till he found the remains of the old town. He found the ruins of buildings, furnaces, arrastras and a stone church through the floor of which large trees were growing. The whole of the people of Guaynopa were massacred by the Apaches over 200 years ago, and finally even knowledge of its site was lost.

Proto returned to la Trinidad, Sonora, the place whence he set out, with his pack mule loaded with the richest ores of gold and silver seen in that place. The ores were considered good evidence that he told the truth about his discovery. Proto not only saw plenty of rich silver ore in the old tunnels about the ruins, but also rich gold quartz and placer diggings. He stated that the ruins indicated a town of about 1500 in habitants.

Two years ago a party of Sonoraians [sic], headed by one Pedro Encines, came up into Arizona in search of a silver mine described as a “mountain of silver ore.” The mine had been found years before by a “compadre” whose age and bodily infirmity prevented him returning to look up the treasure which he thought might now be taken possession of under the protection of U.S. troops. The party of searchers were provided with letters from the governor of Sonora and other Mexican officials. These documents they presented to Capt. J.L. Bullis, acting Indian agent at San Carlos, and were granted permission to search for the silver mountain, but with the proviso that should it be found to be on the reservation the exploration was to end at once.

On these terms the Sonoraians set out, having with them as guide an old man who had been a companion of the discoverer of the silver mountain, which lay in the vicinity of Fort Apache. After several days travel the party came in sight of a mountain which the guide pointed out as that in which lay the many veins of native silver. It has been hoped that the mountain would be found beyond the northern boundary of the White mountain reservation, but to the great disappointment of the party it was found to lie several miles south within the lines of the reservation. Respecting their promise to Agent Bullis the party turned back when the fortune they had some several hundred miles to seek was almost within their grasp. At the point where they tuned back they found a prospectors[‘] camp in which three men had been killed by the Indians and their bodies burned in their camp fire, where were found their bones and the remains of three saddles and a sack of corn. Three empty cartridge belts were found.

Mojave County Miner [Needles, Cal. and Kingman, Arizona] 15 August 1896 (Vol. XIV. No 42.]

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Editor’s Notes:

“Dan De Quille” (sometimes spelled “DeQuille”) was the pen name of William Wright (1829-1898), a newspaper man who spent three decades writing for and editing Virginia City’s (Territorial) Enterprise. An unsuccessful prospector and miner, he hired Samuel Clemens, who had also failed to find his fortune in the mountains of California and Nevada. Wright is best known today as the author of The History of the Big Bonanza (1876). The “Lords of the Comstock” asked him to write the story of the Silver State’s fabulous lode. “Mark Twain” encouraged Wright to take the job, and he contributed the introduction.

Mountain of Silver — This may be the famous “Sierra Azul.” For a comprehensive history of that fabulous mine, see “The Legend of Sierra Azul; With Special Emphasis Upon the Part it Played in the Reconquest of New Mexico” by José Manual Espinosa, New Mexico Historical Review, April 1934 (Vol. IX, No. 2).
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Good luck to all,

The Old Bookaroo
 

KANACKI

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Hola Amigo Bookaroo

Here is picture of Guaynopa. The mines nearby have never been exploited to its fullest potential.

doymp[ya mexico.JPG

It has been believed to be one of the three Tayopa.

Kanacki
 

Crow

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Hola Amigo Bookaroo

Here is picture of Guaynopa. The mines nearby have never been exploited to its fullest potential.

View attachment 1921869

It has been believed to be one of the three Tayopa.

Kanacki

Gidday Kanacki

The following press release was of Jan 14 2014.


TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - Jan. 14, 2014) - Braeval Mining Corporation (TSX:BVL) ("Braeval Mining" or the "Company") reports it has received initial diamond drilling results from the Guaynopa Project located in the Chihuahua State of Mexico and determined to redirect its efforts in favour of its more prospective assets. The Guaynopa project is located 290km northwest of the city of Chihuahua in the municipality of Madera and is made up of three mineral claims; La Esperanza, Tres Naciones, & Tayopa, totalling 546.67 hectares.

The 2013 drill program was a planned four hole, 1,200 m drill program focused on testing gold-copper skarn targets previously identified on the property. Only 3 drill holes totalling 619.15 m were completed due to limited gold mineralization encountered in the drill core.


The drill holes were planned to test the best surface anomalies at Tres Amigos and Las Chalas zones and did not intersect any significant mineralization. As a result, the drill program was curtailed.


The drill results indicate that the magnetometry anomaly was caused by a magnetic diorite intrusion and not a massive magnetite skarn as previously anticipated.


The results from the drill program have culminated in the decision for the Company to return the project back to the owner and to discontinue any work in the area.


I think it will be a long time before anyone will put money into mineral exploration around Guaynopa again. Perhaps the massacre was not the only reason why the mining settlement was abandoned?

Crow
 

KANACKI

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Hola Bill Amigo

Not exactly a total conclusion amigo.

Don Jose knew the owner of the mining leases there. Its hoped they was also going to look at Don Jose's other Tayopa site. There was high hopes this exploration company could raise funding for a proper exploration of the three leases however they was short of funds to complete the full exploratory drilling program. Kudos to Crow for trying to get some small exploration miners interested in Don Jose's Tayopa prospect.

Guaynopa Project may or may not of been viable project. However no one as far as it has been known tried to search for a buried cache of silver around the ruined foundation of the chapel?

So even if the mines and alluvial gold deposit is worked out there might be treasure still to find at the site. Since the location is remote and virtual no roads to the ruins a search might yield hidden caches dating back to the destruction of village 200 odd years ago.

Here is picture of one of mine tunnels near Guaynopa ruins explored in 1970's

guymopa mine 1970.jpg

Kanacki
 

OP
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Old Bookaroo

Old Bookaroo

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KANACKI -

Is that photo from one of Steve Wilson's articles?

Vic Marcell is an interesting character in the Tayopa story. I've found a few scattered references to him:

Western Treasures

February 1972 – “New Information on Tayopa” letter V. Marcell [Jesuit Gold, 1994]

April 1972 - ”Knows about Tayopa” Letter Milton Rose [JG-94] - About Vic Marcell?

August 1972 – “Barranca Gold” - Article by V. Marcell

April 1973 - "Vic Marcell" - ? No further information available

“Vic Marcell – Bisbee’s Treasure Hunter” Bisbee Review August 24, 1972 [JG-94]

Good luck to all,

The Old Bookaroo
 

KANACKI

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Hi Kanacki, interesting, the geology is complex

where does the buried silver come in?

Hola amigo

There is a story or inventory of an alleged treasure hidden near a church. Since progressively there was 3 Tayopa sites over time. Question remains which one does this alleged church treasure with a vault near the remains of a chapel pertains to?

Kanacki
 

KANACKI

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KANACKI -

Is that photo from one of Steve Wilson's articles?

Vic Marcell is an interesting character in the Tayopa story. I've found a few scattered references to him:

Western Treasures

February 1972 – “New Information on Tayopa” letter V. Marcell [Jesuit Gold, 1994]

April 1972 - ”Knows about Tayopa” Letter Milton Rose [JG-94] - About Vic Marcell?

August 1972 – “Barranca Gold” - Article by V. Marcell

April 1973 - "Vic Marcell" - ? No further information available

“Vic Marcell – Bisbee’s Treasure Hunter” Bisbee Review August 24, 1972 [JG-94]

Good luck to all,

The Old Bookaroo

Hola Bookaroo

Not that I am aware of?

I think it is later photograph taken of the site.

Vic Marcell was an interesting character. I do not know if he is still alive these days? He explored the mine tunnels and old processing plant foundations. Guaynopa was rediscovered towards the end of the 19th century a company was formed and a mill built in 1903.

Dolores-Ltd-17.jpg

iron-boiler-Minas-de-Siete.jpg

spanish-ruins-Guaynopa.jpg

Most American mining efforts was abandoned because of raids during the Mexican civil war.

Kanacki
 

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Old Bookaroo

Old Bookaroo

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KANACKI:

The 1970 Vic Martell photo was published in the ICMJ's Prospecting and Mining Journal May 2008 (Vol. 77, No. 9) in Part II of Steve Wilson's article "The Lost Silver Triangle of the Sierra Madre." The boiler photo and the Guaynopa photo were published in the July 2008 issue ("Conclusion" of that article).

A much longer, more complete version of the article appeared in the Great Plains Journal, 1987-88 (Vols. 26-27) - "Tayopa, Guaynopa, and Guaynopita: Lost Silver Triangle of the Sierra Madre." The Vic Martell photo appears here, as well, along with many other photos - historic and contemporary. In my opinion it's the best piece on the Lost Tayopa since Adrian Westwood's 1994 book Jesuit Gold, because Wilson combines diligent scholarly research with his experiences on the ground.

May I ask where those photos were published? I'd like to read the article.

Good luck to all,

The Old Bookaroo
 

KANACKI

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Hola Bookaroo

Indeed you are correct those pictures is all I have left of the article first published in ICMJ's Prospecting and Mining Journal May 2008 (Vol. 77, No. 9)

Crow had more pictures of ruins somewhere as well of the prospect. I recalled he shared them with Don Jose many years ago about 10 years ago.

Kanacki
 

Crow

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Hola Bookaroo

Indeed you are correct those pictures is all I have left of the article first published in ICMJ's Prospecting and Mining Journal May 2008 (Vol. 77, No. 9)

Crow had more pictures of ruins somewhere as well of the prospect. I recalled he shared them with Don Jose many years ago about 10 years ago.

Kanacki

Gidday Kanacki

I have searched and searched I cannot find the file. The file may of been lost during a computer upgrade? or in one of other computer in one of my other properties. I searched back up files 20 odd memory sticks...

I just have to stop looking for it then I will stumble on it while I am looking for some thing else.

Crow
 

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