The road to the mine is rough and will require a high clearance 4WD or UTV or ATV. It is passable and used occasionally. Location is EXTREMELY remote. This is not an area where anyone will accidentally come upon your claim. - 9 miles outside of Tonto Basin, Arizona.

The Bluebird claim is a rare and undisturbed glimpse back into a nearly untouched mining camp as it was left in late 1940. The claim has been known by a few other names but the first and most historic was as the Bluebird. The claim was reportedly named for the deep blue copper ore that first came out of the workings in the 1860-1870s. As the years went on the claim was worked for gold and copper as well. Actual numbers of production were not defined. The basin and the district are known for production of gold and copper and it is the surveyors opinion that this was and is a gold/copper mine with fluorspar as a byproduct. This opinion is further validated by the fact that the owner of the claim took a substantial federal subsidy in 1944 to further develop his “fluorspar” mine. The historical accounts of the mine and the area do not match at all what was seen inside the mine. The historical measurements are completely wrong and not even close to the actual measurements of the workings. Our surveyors professional opinion is that this is a gold and copper mine that has been worked for gold and copper over the years. Most recently in 1981-2 with the spike in gold prices. The buildings and construction materials match this era and make sense for an operation to be in place for gold at a time when fluorspar was not a valued commodity. This claim is very remote and not one that will be accidentally happened upon. Pack in all that you need and then some, just in case. This claim is located just about 9 miles outside of the Tonto Basin area. This area consists of a few small towns that should have most amenities. There is a river that must be crossed between the towns of Punkin and Rancho Del Escondido. Please make note and be sure that your vehicles can make the crossing. Once you leave the town of Rancho Del Escondido you will enter onto dirt roads. 4 miles of the roads are very easy flat dirt roads. The final mile or two to the claim are rough, rocky and steep, high clearance 4WD roads. There are two access roads. The southern route is straight forward and steep. The north route is the easier access, there is just one wash crossing that requires extreme care to cross from this side. The claim site has multiple flat spots you can park equipment or vehicles with care. Getting large trailers or equipment to the site require some technique. We recommend that you scout the roads before trying to bring equipment or trailers to the site. This is a very beautiful claim site. The purple fluorite in the mine was very impressive. All openings at the surface of the mine appear to connect inside the mine. Historically this claim has been called the Bluebird or Packard claim. The Arizona Department of Mines and Mineral Resources has done an excellent job of documenting the Bluebird mine, including documented specimens of fluorite, fluorspar, azurite pendants etc. that were on exhibit in museums.

From a 1958 report
“The vein varies from 1.5 feet to 5 feet in width and is clean fluorite throughout, no breccia material of consequence observed. The material now being mined is relatively high grade…the main adit is in 75 feet and has encountered 1.5 feet of fluorspar which is predominantly purple in color. The fluorspar in the main adit is mostly white in color. The fluorite is massive with only very small crystals being observed in fractures. Four men are employed at the mine.”

Earlier in 1944 the owner applied for government funds. Fluorspar was needed for the war effort, and the owner was able to secure those funds. From that application we learn that the ore in the drift averaged 85% CaF2. Other samples were taken that averaged 1.98% Calcium, 17.1% Silica and 80.9% Spar CaF2. The spar was crystalline white and frequently sprinkled in the Bluebird croppings with greenish acid grade.

Vein Occurrence:
Referring to the Bluebird ledge, this may be classed as a fault fissure in a granitic country rock; there is little evidence of deformation or surface enrichment; the granite crest of the hold hill skirting the south side of the Walnut creek, is faulted by the spar vein with distinct wall structures on both sides of the nearly vertical vein.
The wall selvage and continuity of the surface cropping may indicate, that the Fluorspar ledge will carry to considerable depth, the presence of fluorspar in the Walnut prospect shaft at a horizon 300′ below the Bluebird cropping, is indicative of depth.

Early History
From the Mining Journal of Arizona – “David L. Roscoe of Tombstone holds a lease and option to purchase of the Walnut and the Bluebird 2, 3, and 4 claims located near Tonto Basin. Development of the Walnut claim consists of a 14 ft. shaft and a 5 ft. test pit. Mrs. Rhoda A. Packard, Mrs. Nora J. Cline and C. H. Pettengill, all of Tonto Basin, are the owners of the property.”

Thursday, June 15, 1972
Glen Walker went to the fluorspar operation of Tonto Basin Mining & Milling Company at Punkin Center. He had the following to report: “The second ball mill was placed in operation June 12. It has increased the capacity to 125 tpd. Their Blue Bird mine about 5 miles E. of mill is developed on two levels approximately 100′ apart by adit drifts. In the lower adit there are 9 chutes, the first about 300′ from the portal. They are approximately 30′ apart. Beyond the last chute it is about 105′ to the face, which is barricaded off. Although the stopes were not visited, the foreman, Mr . William McKenzie said they are about 300′ long and broken thru to the surface for a length of about 25′. The trend of this adit varies from N 65W to N 85W. The vein dips steeply north and is 3-6 feet wide in red medium grained granite.”

“The upper adit trends S75 degrees -80 degrees W for about 150′ then turns to about N80W. Here there are 2 raise & chutes about 100′ apart; the first being 130′ from the portal. Present work is stoping between the two levels as most of the minable ore above the upper level has been removed. The equipment consists of a 250 cfm Le Roi portable compressor. Two 14 cu. ft. 18″ gauge end dump cars, a l2B Eimco mucker, with an undetermined number of jack-legs and stopers, tungsten insert, solid 7/8″ shank steel is used throughout. A Bobcat mucker and a 5 HP air slusher were outside the lower portal. At the upper adit is a 250 cfm G-D portable compressor.”

“The company is trying to get 22 degree inclined shaft sunk in a steep, narrow canyon 300 to 400 feet NW of the lower adit. It is 212 feet deep and they are wanting to contract the balance of it. No drill holes were put down therefore, the remaining depth is unknown.”

“As stated above,the mineralization occurs along a fault in red granite which can be traced at least 1500 feet. From 400-1000 feet east of the lower portal, the fault is in a wash from which about 1000 tons of spar has been mined.”