The Blanchard mine group lies in a remote area of the northern Oscura Mountains of eastern Socorro County, New Mexico. It is bounded on the west by the Jornada del Muerto (Journey of Death), the great rift valley in which the Rio Grande lies; on the south by the White Sands Missile Range; and on the north 'and east by sparsely populated ranch lands. Although mining activity, for lead has existed in the Hansonburg mining district, which includes the Blanchard mine, since 1872 (Jones ...