Skip to main content

Oregon State Flag An official website of the State of Oregon »

Oregon Historical Mining Information

Oregon DMA, DMEA, OME Dockets

According to the USGS (https://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/ds1004),

"The Defense Minerals Administration (DMA), Defense Minerals Exploration Administration (DMEA), and Office of Minerals Exploration (OME) mineral exploration programs were active over the period 1950?1974. Under these programs, the Federal Government contributed financial assistance in the exploration for certain strategic and critical minerals. The information about a mining property that was collected under these programs was placed in files called dockets. A docket is a collection of material (application, contract, correspondence, maps, reports, results) about a property for which an individual applied for exploration assistance from the Federal Government. Information found in dockets describe where mineral deposits were examined, what was found, and whether it was mined. As such, they provide very useful information to private industry regarding potential and non-potential prospect areas, provide the U.S. Geological Survey with useful information on mineral occurrences that are used in national assessments for particular mineral deposits, and provide other U.S. Federal agencies (Bureau of Indian Affairs, Bureau of Land Management, and Environmental Protection Agency) information relevant to land management, permitting, and leasing."

This list of Oregon dockets is reproduced from the USGS Historical Files from Federal Government Mineral Exploration-Assistance Programs, 1950 to 1974 - All Dockets Listed by [Oregon] County page

Also see USGS Open-File Report 98-464, Mining Properties in Oregon That Were Involved in the DMA, DMEA, OME Mineral Exploration Programs, 1950-1974, by Thor Kiilsgaard, 1998

Disclaimer: Mining sites are included for informational purposes only and should not be used to infer acceptable or permitted land use actions. Interested parties should contact their local land use authority to verify zoning and applicable land use ordinances. Respect the rights of private property owners. Understand that recreation in or around inactive mine sites is extremely dangerous and can result in serious injury or death. Stay out and stay alive! No warranty expressed or implied is made regarding the accuracy or utility of the data on any other system or for general or scientific purposes, nor shall the act of distribution constitute any such warranty. These data should not be used for site-specific studies. The Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries shall not be held liable for improper or incorrect use of the data described and/or contained herein.

File sizes of scanned dockets vary from less than 1MB to nearly 500MB. Download times for large files will vary based on internet connection speed, network traffic, and computer processor speed. File size is shown, download scan by selecting the property name link. All scans are in Portable Document Format (.pdf) which require Adobe Acrobat Reader for viewing. If the linked file shows the message: "Multiple files are bound together in this PDF Package" and you cannot see the PDF content, download the PDF file and open it in Acrobat instead of atempting to view the PDF in a browser window.

OR Dockets in Excel spreadsheet format.

CountyDocketFile sizeProperty nameAll commodities
Baker0137No scanNone identifiedCopper
Baker0253No scanTrickle-Bull Run MineManganese
Baker03221 MB Lucky Strike ClaimsAntimony
Baker14848 MB Argonaut & Wilmot Claim GroupsLead-zinc, copper, gold
Baker20142 MB Nickel Dome No. 1 & 2 ClaimsNickel, asbestos
Baker208110 MB Cliff Gold MineTungsten
Baker24873 MB San Luis ClaimsAntimony
Baker278624 MB Oliver & Pierce LeaseCopper
Baker31896 MB Jewell Black Manganese ClaimsManganese
Baker32435 MB Red Mound Claims No. 1 & 2Copper
Baker41067 MB Nickel ClaimsNickel, tungsten
Baker64612 MB Silver Queen ProspectSilver, gold
Baker659740 MB Argonaut ClaimsGold, silver
Baker661615 MB Pine Creek PropertyGold
Baker670211 MB Bourne Group of ClaimsGold, silver
Clackamas608625 MB Nisbet MineMercury
Coos330810 MB North Bend, Myrtle Point, and Coquille Group of ClChromium
Coos6149<1 MB Galena PropertyGold, silver
Crook22223 MB Planter Mercury MineMercury
Crook262852 MB Strickland Butte MineMercury
Crook338224 MB Pinkey No. 1 & 2 ClaimsMercury
Crook34994 MB Stickland Butte MineMercury
Crook35374 MB Endicott MineMercury
Crook36171 MB Farmer and McManmon PropertyMercury
Crook393838 MB Log Cabin, Ridge, and Camp ClaimsMercury
Crook442811 MB Mother Lode Quicksilver MineMercury
Crook443412 MB Independence Claims Mercury
Crook47521 MB Mother Lode ClaimsMercury
Crook47573 MB Platner MineMercury
Crook614189 MB Mother Lode, Cobar, and Lookout Mountain GroupMercury
Crook645615 MB Maury Mountain MineMercury
Curry14351 MB None identifiedCopper
Curry24136 MB Horseshoe and Blue Grouse ClaimsTungsten
Curry305223 MB Red Flats
Curry30803 MB Agness Mining DistrictNickel
Curry37739 MB Red Flat, et al., ClaimsNickel
Curry477425 MB Red Flat ClaimsNickel
Curry65339 MB Canyon Consolidation ClaimsGold
Douglas2920134 MB Bonanza MineMercury
Douglas295321 MB Silver Peak MineCopper
Douglas441312 MB Nonpareil Quicksilver MineMercury
Douglas495336 MB Elkhead MineMercury
Douglas64431 MB Bonanza MineMercury
Grant02066 MB Standard MineCobalt, gold
Grant0681<1 MB Yankee Boy, et al.Cobalt
Grant13555 MB Tillicum GroupCopper, lead, zinc, gold, silver
Grant234945 MB Roba and WestfallMercury
Grant255322 MB Standard MineCobalt
Grant265913 MB Stithen ProspectAsbestos
Grant30173 MB Thornton MineTungsten
Grant48237 MB Berry ProspectNickel
Grant50067 MB Dixie Mt.Cobalt
Grant63118 MB Star, et al., Placer ClaimsGold
Grant67902 MB Portland Consolidated MineSilver
Grant68341 MB Boulder Ridge ClaimGold, silver, platinum
Harney23477 MB Farnham-Cooney Copper PropertyCopper
Harney476024 MB Timber Beast GroupUranium
Jackson00313 MB Blue Jay MineAntimony
Jackson0319<1 MB T. & M. Antimony ProspectAntimony
Jackson17842 MB War Eagle MineMercury
Jackson40115 MB Blue Star ProspectTungsten
Jackson45742 MB Stibnite No. 1 & 2 ClaimsAntimony
Jackson46009 MB Grand Cove ClaimsCopper
Jackson47232 MB Sec. 25, T. 35 S., R. 3 W.Uranium
Jackson63131 MB Gold Plate No. 1 & 2 ClaimsGold, platinum
Jackson63351 MB Chisholm MineManganese, cinnabar
Jackson63361 MB Flora Belle MineMercury
Jackson64382 MB Ashland MineGold, silver
Jackson675314 MB Ashland MineGold, silver
Jackson67807 MB Iron Hat MineGold, silver
Jefferson464132 MB Axehandle MineMercury
Jefferson602736 MB Big Muddy Cinnabar ProspectMercury
Jefferson631956 MB Oregon King MineSilver, gold
Jefferson677214 MB Horse Heaven West PropertyMercury
Jefferson683522 MB Roy Mining ProspectSilver
Josephine01303 MB Horsehead Limestone DepositLimestone
Josephine15348 MB South Queen of Bronze MineCopper
Josephine19077 MB Ray Consolidated Placer MinePlatinum, gold
Josephine31859 MB No. 1 Chrome DomeChromium
Josephine44654 MB Blackbird 1, 2, and 3 ClaimsChromium
Josephine60441 MB Estate of Ida G. Archerd
Josephine6157<1 MB Mint and Bullion, et al., GroupsGold
Josephine64215 MB Oak MineGold, copper, lead, zinc
Josephine67546 MB Siskron MinesGold
Josephine68425 MB Brass Ledge MineCopper, gold
Lake380810 MB Glass Buttes ProspectMercury
Lake38194 MB Fremont PropertyMercury
Lake45453 MB Digmore HoldingsMercury, uranium
Lake47183 MB S & S & Cascade Group of ClaimsCinnabar
Lake47252 MB Marty K ClaimsUranium
Lane426368 MB Black Butte MineMercury
Lane611193 MB Musick MineLead-zinc, copper
Linn66756 MB Forty Four ProspectSilver, gold, copper
Malheur00767 MB Cayote GroupAntimony
Malheur377839 MB Bretz MineMercury
Malheur405084 MB Jordan MineMercury
Malheur42904 MB Brandon Mining ClaimsMercury
Malheur44406 MB Ontario & Pearl GroupsMercury
Malheur6318<1 MB Sugar Quartz ClaimsGold
Malheur63751 MB Cat TrackSilver, antimony, bismuth
Marion23724 MB Crown MineCopper
Unknown County0077<1 MB Bohemia District