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Post by 1dave on Dec 17, 2018 13:23:21 GMT -5
In 1866 John Kemple, an older and experienced prospector and assayer, took a room for the winter at the Harrisburg home of Orson Adams.  While wandering the hills west of town he noticed the green and blue copper stains in the rocks. Assaying samples, he found valuable amounts of silver was present! He sent ore samples to other assayers for conformation. H. H. Smith, of Shaunty, Beaver County said: "Kemple must be crazy to ask me to assay a sand rock."  |
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Don
Cave Dweller 
He wants you too, Malachi.
Member since December 2009
Posts: 2,616
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Post by Don on Dec 18, 2018 10:47:09 GMT -5
Dave, I've really enjoyed your discussion on silver reef. It's a fascinating place.
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Win
spending too much on rocks
Member since June 2017
Posts: 337 
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Post by Win on Dec 18, 2018 11:57:29 GMT -5
Dave, I've really enjoyed your discussion on silver reef. It's a fascinating place. I'll second this, I'll have to go explore the area a little more. The road that leads to Silver Reef goes back into Dixie National Forest. After a few miles it splits and the right takes you to the original Charcoal Kiln. Several miners died in a blizzard while trying to get back to Silver Reef.  |
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Post by 1dave on Dec 18, 2018 14:40:47 GMT -5
John Kemple recorded the first claim in his name as follows: Where was the Orson Adams House?  Sgt Orson Bennett Adams (B. 9 March 1815 Alexander, Genessee County, New York Death: 4 February 1901 Leeds, Washington County, Utah) Veteran of Mormon Battalion in 1846, Original settler in Parowan in 1851. The Adams family was among the nine families "called" in 1861 by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints to settle at the confluence of Leeds and Quail Creeks; the new settlement was named Harrisburg. Orson selected the most western 200 acres on Quail Creek for his home.  Willard G. McMullin, a master stone mason, arrived here in 1862 and constructed the Adams home, as well as many of the other residences of Harrisburg, during the period between 1863 and 1865. From 1864 until the early 1890s, Orson B. Adams, his wife Susannah, two sons, and eventually two granddaughters lived in this two-room sandstone dwelling. The land was donated to the BLM and the house restored in 2009.  Ir is on the road to the Red Cliffs recreation area.    Kemple was getting old and little work was ever done at the mine. |
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bsky4463
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since September 2013
Posts: 1,696
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Post by bsky4463 on Dec 18, 2018 23:15:54 GMT -5
Really enjoying this thread 1dave...thanks for sharing. Cheers |
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Post by 1dave on Dec 19, 2018 1:59:52 GMT -5
Google Earth really makes searches interesting. Did you know you can draw a line between points THEN look at the Elevation Profile?   As you move your mouse along the profile it shows how far you have moved and the elevation at that point!  |
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Post by 1dave on Dec 21, 2018 17:12:33 GMT -5
The Silver Reef rush began with the arrival of William Tecumseh Barbee in July 1875. Proctor - 1953 400 troy ounces of silver in 1 ton (a cube about 2.3 feet per side) of sandstone!  On the Bonanza Flat Road. |
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Post by 1dave on Dec 21, 2018 17:27:19 GMT -5
Where did the silver come from? Downhill here 150 million years ago was toward the northwest, so the silver came from the southeast? Correlating Proctor's rock units with the latest version -  |
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Post by 1dave on Dec 23, 2018 15:28:52 GMT -5
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Post by 1dave on Dec 24, 2018 14:30:16 GMT -5
There may still exist specimens of Silver Reef's Petrified Wood with Horn Silver ! I was looking on line in:  And Read: I went to the Smithsonian search site and found:  After frustrating hours of being referred to the same pages over and over I finally sent them an email requesting photos. The best I found was:  |
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Post by 1dave on Dec 25, 2018 9:44:40 GMT -5
I shared this information with the Silver Reef Museum and received this response:
So the Smithsonian received at least three samples of the pet wood filled with silver -
Barbee, Wall, and Ferris. Hopefully at least one of them will turn up.
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Post by 1dave on Dec 25, 2018 22:27:25 GMT -5
I have been researching the Smithsonian Collections most of the day. A little more rewarding than trying to grow new teeth. So far I have learned that they updated their silver ore collection in 2017 and issued new ID numbers, but they are scattered all over the place and their search engine leaves a lot to be desired. It throws the items in random order mixed with pages of irrelevant junk. So far I have recognized 12 samples listed under Washington County, Harrisburg, Sandstone, and Leeds. So far they haven't bothered to take a single photo. The Catalog numbers CAN FIND OTHER SAMPLES - but are reused in every department so you get tons of junk.    Annual Reports: |
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Post by 1dave on Dec 26, 2018 2:10:30 GMT -5
So far I have found 15 specimens from Silver Reef Utah at the Smithsonian.
Does anyone live near the Smithsonian?
Silver Reef Utah Samples at the Smithsonian
Sub-Collection: Ore Petrology Collection.
IGSN = International Geo Sample Number, CN = Collection Number
IGSN CN Location
NHB003P75 14730 Harrisburg Mining District.
NHB003ZJZ 55322 Barbee And Walker Mine Mining District: Silver Reef
NHB003ZK0 55326 Christy Mine Mining District: Silver Reef
NHB003ZK1 55328 Christy Mine Mining District: Silver Reef
NHB003ZK2 55329 1 Stormont Mine Mining District: Silver Reef
NHB003ZM4 55329 2 Stormont Mine Mining District: Silver Reef
NHB003ZM5 55331 Sto(r)mont Mine Mining District: Silver Reef -Sandstone
NHB003ZM6 55332 1 Washington Co. Mining District: Silver Reef
NHB003ZM7 55332 2 Washington Co. Mining District: Silver Reef
NHB003ZM8 55332 3 Washington Co. Mining District: Silver Reef
NHB003ZM9 55333 Stormont Mine Mining District: Silver Reef
NHB004HRA 87707 1 Leeds Mine Mining District: Silver Reef
NHB004HRB 87707 2 Leeds Mine Mining District: Silver Reef
NHB004RYC 91468 Near Leeds Mine Name: Silver Reef Mine -Sandstone
NHB004RYD 91469 Near Leeds Mine Name: Silver Reef Mine -Stromeyerite
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Post by 1dave on Dec 26, 2018 12:24:53 GMT -5
This morning I found a simpler way to search for Silver Reef samples at the Smithsonian. collections.nmnh.si.edu/search/ms/Takes you to:  Fill in the least amount of info (mineral, state, county):  And voila!  Clicking on each item pops up with the information they are presently willing to share. |
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Post by fernwood on Dec 26, 2018 19:39:26 GMT -5
I wonder why the specimens are not photographed? Have my theories, but most would laugh at them.
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Post by 1dave on Dec 27, 2018 13:45:14 GMT -5
Another thing the miners had to contend with was the ever fluctuating value of silver. Supply and Demand. By 1895 it was only worth half what it was when they started digging in 1873. This is the London price. Who knows what the local price was doing?  |
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Post by 1dave on Dec 20, 2019 9:50:56 GMT -5
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NRG
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since February 2018
Posts: 1,688
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Post by NRG on Dec 25, 2019 12:35:11 GMT -5
Interesting 1dave. That bottom photo REALLY looks like AZ pet wood. I'd have lost a bet with that one. It's the same formation they both formed in. You aren't far off at all. |
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