The Bradshaw Mountains in Central Arizona near Prescott produced a series of big strikes in the 1870s and ’80s. The earliest to be developed in the range was the Del Pasco Mine.
It was discovered by Jackson McCrackin, James Fine, Charley Taylor and T.G. Hogle on July 4, 1870. Within a month, two arrastras were employed to extract gold with an initial processing of 112 ounces totaling $1,904. The former placer mine was further developed to access the Del Pasco vein (running 2 to 3 feet in width) which, later heavily worked, necessitated the establishment of a tunnel 1,000 feet in length and stoped to the surface.
Located in the Pine Grove District of Yavapai County on the rugged southern slopes of Tower Mountain overlooking Crown King, the Del Pasco vein, between 6,300 feet and 7,300 feet, strikes north-northeast. The local geology is diorite intruded by rhyolite porphyry and a primary quartz vein with galena, pyrite and sphalerite.
Early ore sampling led to a proclamation in the local Prescott newspaper, The Miner, that a rich mineral wealth could be found in the Bradshaw Mountains. Early mining ventures around the Del Pasco Mine included placer mining, with many miners seeking a small fortune, between $5 and $20 a day, using implements such as rockers and pans to extract gold.
Jesse and Cal Jackson acquired an interest in the Del Pasco from Hogle for $1,000. They improved the operation with a four-stamp mill operated onsite during the early 1870s. The mill also processed ore from the nearby War Eagle Mine. Lack of water proved a hindrance to milling operations and the mill seldom ran at full capacity, averaging 40 to 50 ounces of gold every couple of days.
For the rest of this article: https://tucson.com/news/local/mine-tales-del-pasco-mine-brought-fortune-seekers-in-the/article_27b92b87-d98f-58c3-86f9-8fa56a75cdc8.html