■IMiiiii
LIBRARY
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORfW
DAVIS
fi
STATE OP CALIFORNIA
EARL WARREN, Governor
DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES
WARREN T. HANNUM, Director
DIVISION OF MINES
P'ERRY RUILDING, SAN FRANCISCO
OLAF p. JENKINS, Chief
SAN FRANCISCO BULLETIN 134, PART III, CHAPTER 5 AUGUST 1953
GEOLOGICAL INVESTIGATIONS
OF
CHROMITE IN CALIFORNIA
Bulletin 134
PART III— SIERRA NEVADA
CHAPTER 5
CHROMITE DEPOSITS
IN THE NORTHERN SIERRA NEVADA, CALIFORNIA
(PLACER, NEVADA. SIERRA, YUBA, BUTTE, AND PLUMAS COUNTIES)
By Garn a. Rynearson
Geological Survey, U. S. Department of the Interior
CHROMITE DEPOSITS IN THE NORTHERN SIERRA NEVADA,
CALIFORNIA (PLACER, NEVADA, SIERRA, YUBA,
BUTTE, AND PLUMAS COUNTIES)*
By Garx a. Rtnearson **
OUTLINE OF REPORT Page
Abstract 174
Introduction 175
Geology 180
General features '■ 180
Ultramafic rocks 182
Characteristics and occurrence of chromite 185
Composition of chromite 185
Other chromium minerals 186
Ore bodies 188
Primary deposits 188
Detrital deposits 193
Reserves 195
Description of deposits by counties 197
Placer County 197
Introduction 197
History and production 198
Mines and prospects 199
Dutch Flat area 199
Bear River Chrome mine (1, 2) 199
Uvarovitef?) claim (3) 204
Hodge Ranch (4) 204
Beat claim (5) [37] 205
Scott claim (6) 205
Julian claims (7) 206
Dunbar lease (8) 206
Iron Spring claim (9) 206
Oak Patch claim (10) 206
Snakehead (Jumbo) claim (11) 207
Lucky Strike claim (12) 207
Forest Hill Divide area 207
West Chrome mine (13, 14) 207
North Fork Chrome mine (15) 207
Smith and McCullom prospect (16) 208
Sugar Pine Chrome mine [39] 209
Turner and Geisendorfer Chrome and Concentrator Company [38] 210
Victory Chrome Company 211
Esther and Phyllis mine (19, 20) 215
Iowa Hill Chrome mine (23-25) 216
Dart and Braden (29-32, 54a) 217
Sunny Ridge claim (33c) 217
Buzzard and Blue Jay claims (33a, 34a, 34b) 218
Lightning Streak claims (33b, 33d, 33e, 37a, 37b) 218
Wild Canyon claim (35c, 37c, 38a) 218
Chucho claim (3oa, 35b) ^ 218
Sunny Ridge Fraction claim (36) 218
Blue Bell and Bee Bee claims (38c, 38d) 219
Daisy Bell claim (39) 219
ALaralls' CAPCO leases (53a, 53b, 54a) 220
Green's CAPCO leases (48, 49, 52-54) 221
Sunset mine (54b, 55) 221
Kidder Pit (56) 223
Hewes and Jones claims 223
Southern Pacific property (64, 65) 223
Schermeir prospect (66) 224
Bunker mine (67-69) [40] 224
AVashout claim (71) 227
Lehigh Canyon Patent (72, 73) 228
Spanish Mines Consolidated (74) 228
Little Greek claim (77) 228
Black Rock Chrome (70) 228
* Publication authorized by the Director, U. S. Geological Survey.
► Geologist, U. S. Geological Survey.
(171)
172 CHROMITE DEPOSITS — SIERRA NEVADA [Bull. 134, Pt. Ill
Page
Colfax-New England Mills area 228
Black Streak claim (81) 228
Bugg (82) 229
Major prospect (82) 229
Hepburn (83) 229
Gas Canyon area 229
Farmer property (84-88) 229
Dodds Ranch prospect (84) 229
Green (Americus) (85) 229
Gas Canyon claim (86) 280
Fiddler's Green (88) 280
Dry Creek area 280
Parker Ranch (89) [42] 280
Black Arrow Ranch (90) 283
Nevada County 283
Introduction 233
History and production 235
Mines and prospects 235
Washington area 285
Williamson and Cole claim (1) 28.";
Moscatelli No. 2 (2) 28(5
Gillis prospect (3) 2.".(*>
Flintlock claim (4) 286
Moscatelli No. 1 (5) 286
Turtledove Chrome mine (6) 237
Rapid Fire claim (7) 237
Red Ledge mine (8) [32] 237
Victory claim (9) 240
Olsen prospect (10) 240
Lowell Hill area 240
Bartholomew-Simms lease (11) 240
Maguire prospect (12) 240
Nevada City-Grass Valley area I'll
Sherman Ranch (15) [33] I'll
Waite (White) property (16) [33] L' 1 1
Merrifield property (17) [33] 1242
Eden claim (18) 242
Porter property (19) [34] 2 12
Snyder property [34] 2 1 '.
Mulcahy prospect (20) 248
Standard mine (21) 248
Codd prospects (22) 243
Holseman mine (23) 243
Alta Hill mine (24) [35] 244
Davey prospect (26) 244
Baker prospect (27) 244
Spring Hill (28) 245
Golden Gate (29) 245
Geach property (30) 245
Section 19 prospects (31) 245
Chromite concentrating plants (13, 14) 245
Chicago Park area 24(5
Shrull prospect (35) 246
Numitor (36) 24(5
Moulton prospects (37-39) __.: 246
Wolf Creek area 247
Dorsey and Ridge claims (32) 247
Dickerson projterty (33) 247
Bowden prospect (34) 247
Thompson Ranch (41) 247
Half ('hroiiie mine (42) ^ 248
Sweet Ranch (43) [36] 248
Tomkin lease (44) 249
Sierra County 249
Introdtiction 249
History and production 251
Mines and prospects 251
Gibsonville-Poker Flat area 251
Chap. 5] PLACER, NEVADA, SIERRA, YUBA, BUTTE, PLUMAS COUNTIES 173
Page
Gibsonville property (1-3) 251
Poker Flat prospects (4, 5) 252
Downieville area 252
White Bear mine (6) [27] 252
Golconda Fraction claim (7) 253
Oxford mine (9-11) and mill (12) 254
Sierra City area 257
Milton claim (14) [28] 257
Brandy City area 258
Brandy City and/or Luce & Co. deposits (15-17) [29] 258
Roupe property (18) [30] 258
Forest area 259
Dorriss mine (23,24) 259
Evans prospect (22) 259
Finan prospect (21) 259
Macchaus mine (26) [31] 259
Miscellaneous deposits (13, 19, 25, 27, 28) 260
Yuba County 260
Introduction ._ 260
Mines and prospects 261
Strawberry Valley area 261
Magruder prospects (1, 2) 261
Challenge area 261
Arbucco prospects (3, 4) 261
Camptonville area 261
Ironrite claim (5) 261
Butte County 261
Introduction 261
History and production 263
Mines and prospects 266
Upper Butte Creek area 266
Glenn prospect (1) 266
Anti-Axis claim (2) 266
Magalia area 267
Lambert mine (3) [21] 267
Christian Place (4) 273
Parkeson claim (5) . 273
Pulga area 273
Simmons (6) 273
Section 35 mine (7) 274
Lucky Bill (8) 274
Twin Cedars claims (9) 275
King prospects (10, 15, 16) 275
Stewart mine (12) 275
Reynolds No. 1 (13) 275
Stokes prospects (11) 275
Reynolds No. 2 (14) 275
Big Bar Mountain area 276
Little Hope (17) and Mary Jane (19) claims 276
Big Pine claim (18) 276
AVar Bond group (20-23) 277
Section 13 (24) 277
Swayne mine (25) [22] 277
Liberty Bond claim (26) 278
War Eagle (36) and Miller (34,35) deposits 278
River Side claim (37) 279
Miscellaneous deposits 279
Yankee Hill area 279
Hendricks prospect (27) 279
Lockridge property (28) 280
Hendricks No. 1 (29) 280
Green Ridge claim (30) 280
Hendricks No. 2 (31) 281
Taylor property (32)___^ 281
Park's Ranch mine (33) [24] 282
Middle Fork of Feather River area 283
Lone Star claim (39) 283
Big Bend (40) 283
174 CHROMITE DEPOSITS — SIERRA NEVADA [Bull. 134, Pt. Ill
Page
South Fork of Feather River area 283
North Star (41) 283
Dickey and Dreisbach prospect (45) 284
SuzyBell (Lucky Strike) mine (46,47) [25] 284
P. U. P. (Zenith) mine (49) [26] 285
Plumas County 285
Introduction 285
History and production 287
Mines and prospects 287
Greenville area 287
Wolf Creek claim (1) 287
Poodle Dor claim (2) 290
Spillover Placer and Quartz claims (3) 290
Valley View 290
North Fork of Feather River area 291
Blue Jay prospects (4) 291
Red Hill and Skyline claims (5, 6) 291
Meadow Valley area 291
Shennandoah claims (7) 291
Jack Forth claims (8) 291
Fuller claims (9-11) 292
Section 36 (12) 292
Miscellaneous deposits 292
Rock Creek area 292
Cedar Flat claim (14) 292
Cough group (15-17) 292
Pine Flat group (19-21) 293
White Pine mine (22) [19] 293
Spot claim (23) 295
Cattle Springs claims (24) 29(5
Middle Fork of Feather River area 29t>
McCarty mine (27) 290
Clover Leaf claim (28) 297
Fido claim (29) 297
Benner and Barrington group (80-34) 297
Maurezzio group (35-39) 298
Horseshoe claims (40, 41) 299
Last Chance group (42-45) 299
Chicago claims (46) 299
Alphabetical lists of chromite mines and prospects 299
References 318
ABSTRACT
More than 300 chromite deposits have been found in the northern part of the Sierra
Nevada, or in that part included in Placer, Nevada, Sierra, Yuba, Butte, and Plumas
Counties, California. By the end of 1949 these deposits had yielded approximately
32,000 long tons of ore, nearly half of which came from deposits in Placer County.
Ore was shipped from a few deposits in the region as early as the early eighties, but
about 85 percent of the total production is credited to the war years 1915-19 and
1941-45, when exploitation of the deposits was stimulated by higher market prices for
chromite and lower specifications for acceptable ores. All the ore produced in the region
during the postwar period 1940-50 was contributed by one deposit in Butte County.
The chromite occurs in ultramafic rocks, or in serpentine derived from tlieni, and in
detrital material resulting from weathering and erosion of such rooks. The numerous
elongate and steeply dijjping sill-like masses of ultramafic rocks of the region were
intruded into metamorphosed Paleozoic and Mesozoic sedimentary and volcanic rocks
during the early stages of the period of igneous activity that culminated in the intru-
sion of the batholithic masses of granitic rocks now forming the core of the Sierra
Nevada. The striking linear distribution of the ultramafic masses along several north-
to nortliwt'st-t rending belts is a reflection of the regional structures of the older rocks.
The largest of the masses, that constituting the i)rincipal member of the "great ser-
ix'iitine belt," is an essentially continuous mass more than 85 miles long and from a
few hundred to more than 20,000 feet wide in out<TOi). Nearly all the masses have un-
dergone almost complete alteration to serpentine, but in most places the variety of the
original rock can be recognized. However, some masses, notably those in the western
part of the region, are so highly altered and sheared that the original characteristics
of the rocks have been obliterated.
Chap. 5] PLACER, NEVADA, SIERRA, TUBA, BUTTE, PLUMAS COUNTIES 175
Two categories of chromite deposits are recognized in the region. Primary deposits
are those that occur embedded in the original host rocks, and detrital deposits are
those consisting of primary ore that has been more or less disengaged from the original
host rocks by weathering and other erosional processes. Detrital deposits are in the
minority but have contributed appreciable amounts of ore to the production of some
areas. The more abundant and more important primary deposits consist of one or
more ore bodies that occur as pods, lenses, or stringers of ore in or closely associated
with the variety of ultramafic rock called dunite. Such ore bodies consist of two dis-
tinct but intergradational types of ore. Disseminated ore consists of chromite grains
more or less dispersed in dunite ; massive ore consists of a dense aggregate of chromite
grains. The line of demarcation between the two types is arbitrary but, in general, ore
containing more than 80 percent chromite is referred to as massive ore and ore con-
taining less than 80 percent and more than 10 percent chromite is referred to as
disseminated ore. Most ore bodies consist mainly of one type of ore, but some have
components of both types. Deposits of massive ore in the northern Sierra Nevada
range from only a few tons to a maximum of possibly more than 3,500 long tons.
One deposit may contain more than 3,500 long tons of ore, five deposits have been
found that contained more than 1,000 long tons, but most contain less than 100 tons.
The largest deposit of disseminated ore in the region may hold about 20,000 long tons
of ore containing 5,000 to 6,000 tons of chromite, but most contain only a few hundred
tons of ore.
The tenor of the ore in different deposits has a wide range. Of the deposits for which
the tenor of the ore is known, 34 percent consist of ore containing more than 45 percent
Cr203, 47 percent consist of ore containing between 30 and 45 percent CrsOs, and 19
percent consist of ore containing less than 30 percent CrsOs. Most of the deposits
that have yielded ore containing more than 45 percent Cr^Os occur in the "great ser-
pentine belt," whereas most of those whose ore contains less than 35 percent CrzOs
occur in the westernmost ultramafic masses. Almost all the ores that contain less than
40 percent Cr203, including concentrates made from low-grade disseminated ores, have
Cr to Fe ratios less than 2.5.
Most of the known chromite deposits in the northern Sierra Nevada appear to be
worked out because little or no ore is exposed in the workings. Consequently, the
total amount of massive ore or disseminated ore containing more than 35 percent
Cr203 that can be measured in the deposits is relatively small. The indicated ore re-
serve of several deposits in which appreciable amounts of ore is exposed are estimated
to be of the order of 1,000 to 2,000 long tons. With one notable exception, the known
deposits of low-grade disseminated ore appear to be too small or too difficult of access
to justify milling operations ; the excepted deposit is much larger and is more favorably
located and might yield 5,000 to 6,000 long tons of high-iron chromite concentrate. The
dumps of many widely scattered deposits contain at least a few tons of chromite frag-
ments, and perhaps as much as several thousand tons of acceptable concentrate might
he recovered by reworking a large number of the dumps with some simple type of
portable concentrator.
Additional prospecting in the ultramafic rocks of the region probably will be re-
warded with the discovery of a few virgin deposits, but the major part of any future
production will likely come from deposits that have been worked previously. In the
writer's opinion, many of these deposits still contain as much or more ore than has
been taken from them in the past. A large part of this report is devoted to descriptions,
by counties, of most of the known deposits. Many data on the production of individual
deposits are given because the past production of a deposit may be the prime factor
on which an appraisel of its potentialities can be based. Some deposits appear to be
more promising than others, but only by actual exploration can the presence or
absence of additional ore bodies be determined, and several criteria that may help
to orient such exploration are discussed in the text. If sufficient incentive is provided
to encourage thorough exploration of the known deposits and additional prospecting
for virgin deposits, it is conceivable that the future production of chromite in the re-
gion might approximate the past production.
INTRODUCTION
Geographic Features. The chromite deposits described in this report
include those of Placer, Nevada, Sierra, Yuba, Butte, and Plumas
Counties, California — the six counties that embrace the northern part
of the Sierra Nevada (see fig. 1). The region under consideration is
176
CHROMITE DEPOSITS — SIERRA NEVADA [Bull. 134, Pt. Ill
Figure 1. Index map of northern California showing the relative locations of Placer,
Nevada, Sierra, Yuba, Butte, and Plumas Counties and areas covered by plates 12 and 13.
bounded on the west by the Sacramento Valley, on the north by the
Cascade Range, on the east by the Basin Ranges province and the
State of Nevada, and on the south by the Middle Fork of the American
River and El Dorado County. Most of the ehromite deposits occur within
a belt 20 to 30 miles wide trending north to north-northwest through
the west-central part of tliis block of counties. As a group, the deposits
have yielded approximately 32,000 long tons of ore, an amount repre-
senting about one-twelfth of the total ehromite production of California.
Dominating all other topograpliic features of the region is tlie fault
block of the Sierra Nevada. This block emerges from the plains of the
Sacramento Valley as a strip of foothills 1,000 to 2,500 feet liigh and
slopes gently upward to tlic cast in a series of even-topped ridges sepa-
rated by deep canyons to the glaciated and subalpine peaks of the crest-
line, and tlien drops off steeply to the valleys separating it from the
adjoining i)rovince. The eastern slope of tlie Sierra Nevada in this region
is not nearly as precipitous and spectacular as the escarpment farther
south, partly because the summit elevations are several thousand feet
lower, with only tlircc peaks ascending to 9000 feet, and partly because
the bordering structural and erosional valleys are smaller and more
irregular. Ilowevei-, the western slope in this region, its relatively regular
surface scored by numerous deep, V-shaped canyons extending west-
ward or southwestward from the summit, is quite similar to that farther
south.
Chap. 5] PLACER, iSiEVADA, SIERRA, YUBA, BUTTE, PLUMAS COUNTIES 177
A good system of Federal, State, and County highways serve the more
populous areas bordermg the mountainous parts of the region, and three
major and several subordinate highways traverse the range. In addition,
the mountainous part of the region has a substantial network of con-
necting county, forest, timber, and mine roads that extend into all but a
few of the wilder and almost inaccessible areas. Most of these secondary
roads are unsurfaced and those that depart from the ridge tops or the
canyon bottoms usually are steep and tortuous ; nearly all are virtually
impassable during wet weather or after the w^inter snows have fallen.
The main line of the Western Pacific Railroad traverses the northern
part of the region through the Feather River canyon with spur lines to
Quincy, AYestwood, and Calpine. The Ogden route of the Southern
Pacific Railroad traverses the southern margin and is connected at
Colfax with a narrow-gauge line from Nevada City. A branch line of
the same company extends northward along the eastern margin of the
Sacramento Valley with connecting spurs to Oroville and to Stirling
City. Therefore, the transportation system of the region provides ready,
fair-weather access to nearly all points, but the travel pattern is oriented
mainly east and west parallel to the topographic "grain," and travel
between most points situated north and south of each other can be
accomplished only by long and devious routes.
The region has a diversified climate that varies with the elevation of
the land, as well as with the seasons. Except for a few thundershowers.
the summers are dry and are very hot in areas below an altitude of
about 5,000 feet but somewhat cooler in higher areas. During the winter,
heavy snows blanket much of the high eastern half of the region, whereas
the w^estern half receives little or no snow but gets a moderate rainfall.
Mining can be carried on at most of the chromite deposits throughout the
year, although surface workings are difficult to maintain and hauling
is all but impossible during wet weather. Water is available in all the
larger canyons, but the supply is scarce on the tops and upper slopes of
the ridges, especially during the summer. Much of the mountainous part
of the region is forested and supports a large timber industry. Alining
timbers, therefore, are readily obtained either from standing trees or
from one of the numerous sawmills.
Scope of Report and Acknowledgments. As part of a nation-wide
investigation of strategic minerals, the Geological Survey, U. S. Depart-
ment of the Interior, made extensive field studies of chromite deposits in
California during the period 1938-44. These studies were carried on
under the supervision of F. G. Wells. Prevailing emergency conditions
required that priority be given those deposits and areas that seemed to
have the greatest production potential, and the demands thus imposed
on the limited Survey personnel available prevented a systematic ex-
amination of all the deposits in California. Consequently, many of the
known deposits in the northern Sierra Nevada could not be visited, but
some of the operating properties and a few of tlie inactive properties
were examined by D. H. Dow, F. W. Gros, G. A. Rynearson. and F. G.
Wells in 1941, 1942, and 1943. A subsequent decision to prepare a com-
prehensive report on the deposits of the region made it desirable to
obtain additional field information on some deposits, and Rynearson
therefore made brief examinations of many of those in Placer County
and a few in Butte County during parts of 1949 and 1950.
178 CHROMITE DEPOSITS SIERRA NEVADA [Bllll. 1 34, Pt. Ill
This report is based partly on the results of the above work and partly
on published and unpublished data gathered between 1916 and 1918
by R. C. Cameron and Harry Thompson for the U. S. Bureau of Mines.
N. L. Taliaferro for the California State Council on Defense, and C. V.
Averill, C. A. Logan, C. A. Waring, and other engineers of the Cali-
fornia Division of Mines. Supplemental information has been obtained
from other unpublished Federal and State records, scattered references
in the literature, private records, and various other sources. Although
many of the data available are incomplete and obviously out of date,
an attempt has been made to select all the pertinent information and
publish it in one report.
At the end of the description of each deposit the source of information
is indicated by the name of the person reporting, followed by the last
two figures of the year in which the report was made. All published and
some unpublished reports to w^hich reference is made are listed under
"References" at the end of this report.
Many persons have contributed generously of their time and have
provided much valuable information during the various phases of this
investigation. Especially helpful were J. C. Akin, C. H. Brown and Jerry
Grant of the Victory Chrome Co., Joseph Del Mue, C. A. and H. A.
Geisendorfer, Lillian Graham, R. F. Helmke, R. N. Knudsen, D. L.
Sullivan, and personnel of the California Division of Mines, the Capital
Co., and the Southern Pacific Land Co.
History of Mining. Long famed for its rich lode and placer gold de-
posits, the northern Sierra Nevada is but little known for its numerous
though small chromite deposits. The occurrence of chromite in the region
was reported by J. B. Trask (53) in the early 1850 's. Many of the de-
posits, or at least the float from them, must have been noticed but passed
up by some of the thousands of prospectors who combed the hills in the
fifties and sixties in their search for the more lucrative yellow metal. It
was not until the early eighties that the first chromite was produced ; this
was in Placer County to supply a sliort-lived demand for refractory ma-
terial to line the furnaces of a local iron smelter. About 1905 a deposit of
"magnesian chromite" was opened in Sierra County; the ore from this
deposit was shipped for furnace linings also. Large-scnle exploitation of
the deposits has been limited to the war years 1915-19 and 1941-45, when
both the price and the demand were high enough to stimulate production.
About 85 percent of tlic chromite yielded by the deposits was produced
during these two periods. Witli but few exceptions the cliromite miners
have been unable to mine and sell their ore at a profit in tlie peacetime
markets.
Historical highlights of local chromite activities are described in the
sections of this report devoted to individual counties.
Production. Accurate and reliable production figures for many of tlie
deposits in the northern Sierra Nevada are not available in the form of
official records except for the period 1942-45, when the ]\Ietals Reserve
Co. purchased all the ore sold, and even for this period the actual i^ro-
duction of individual deposits often cannot be ascertained from the data
recorded. The importance of knowing the actual production of a chromite
deposit, especially a relatively small one, generally is underestimated. A
record of the amount of ore taken from a deposit has scientific value in
Chap. 5] PLACER, NEVADA, SIERRA, YUBA, BUTTE, PLUMAS COUNTIES 179
that it indicates the size of the ore body or bodies, which is of considerable
geologic interest. The record also has economic importance in that it may
help considerably in appraising the fnture possibilities of the deposit,
and could be the deciding factor in encouraging additional exploration
of a deposit that has been considered worked out because no ore shows in
the workings. Almost 90 percent of the ore produced in the region during
World War IT came from deposits that had been worked previously;
lacking as yet a reliable guide for predicting the presence of ore bodies
that have no surface expression, it is probable that a large part of any
future production will come from ore that may remain in or near known
deposits. To this purpose, many data on the production of individual de-
posits will be given in the various sections of this report. However, any
of these data are based on information of varying reliability, and some
explanation of the shortcomings and interpretation of the source material
seems necessary.
The official chromite production statistics, both Federal and State, are
for the most part compiled from reports received from mine operators
or ore buyers. The Geological Survey or Bureau of Mines and the Cali-
fornia Division of Mines have received reports from most of those who
have produced or purchased ore in the region since 1915, but the reports
received by each agency have not always agreed, even when submitted
by the same person. The production for some deposits was not reported
and for others, the figures are inaccurate. Some production has been
duplicated in the records because two or more operators, or the operator
and an ore buyer, each have submitted reports without indicating the
identity and exact location of the deposit or without specifying the sepa-
rate amounts and sources when the production was for more than one
deposit. Federal production figures have been compiled in long tons,
whereas the State figures have been compiled in short tons. Some dis-
crepancies in the records can be attributed to erroneous assumptions
made when the reports received did not specify the kind of ton measured.
Some discrepancies of this kind have been recognized and corrected for
this report, and figures reported in short tons have been converted to
long tons unless otherwise stated. Since 1919 the State has recalculated
the reported tonnages to equivalent amounts of ore containing 45 percent
Cr203. Thus, 100 tons of ore containing 50 percent Cr^Oa has been re-
corded as 111 tons, and the same amount of ore containing 40 percent
CroO.s has been recorded as 89 tons. Inasmuch as such figures do not
represent the amount of ore actually mined and shipped, all post-1918
State figures used in this report have been reconverted to their original
form.
Detailed production data, by de])osits, are given in descriptive and
tabular form in the sections devoted to separate counties. These data have
been gleaned from all available sources, including published and un-
published records and reports, private records, and first-hand informa-
tion furnished the writer by numerous mine owners and operators or-
others familiar with the mining operations. Unless otherwise indicated,
the figures shown in the main body of each table were derived from the
records used to compile the annual volumes of "Mineral Resources of
the U. S." and "Minerals Yearbook." Figures representing tlie com-
bined production of two or more deposits have been apportioned when-
ever possible. Despite attempts to recognize and eliminate discrepancies
180
CPTROMITE DEPOSITS SIERRA NEVADA [Bull. 134, Pt. Ill
Table 1.
Chromite production, by counties, from the nor
Nevada, Calif ornia (in long tons)*
them Sier
ra
Year
Placer
Nevada
Sierra
Yuba
Butte
Plumas
Total
Pre-1916
2,900
646
2,755
3,383
1,166
679
1,547
1,422
484
447
148
(**)
886
1,089
2,178
980
60
50
16
20
(**)
135
83
905
67
102
125
272
47
39
37
1,344
1,369
1,754
(**)
196
317
78
22
1,222
94
160
125
20
198
317
512
77
2,937-1-
3,105
1916
1917
1918
8,345
2,213
759
1919
1920-40
1941
1,847 +
2,149
1,601
1942
1943
1944
1945
170
1946-49
1,222
Totals
15,577
5,279 +
1,736-1-
39
6,339 -F
1,503
30,473 +
Estimated
totals***
15,620 ±
5,500 ±
2,380 ±
39
6,785 ±
.,«,.
31.810±
* Compiled mostly from official Federal and State records.
** Small production, amount not known.
*** Estimates based on information obtained from all available sources.
and duplications, some figures undoubtedly are inaccurate ; some may be
too high and others too low. To illustrate differences between these com-
pilations and the official compilations. Federal and State totals for pro-
duction prior to 1941 are given separately. Also, columns showing
estimated production have been included in the tables. The figures in
these columns represent an appraisal of all information available, and,
though not official, they are believed to be more representative of the
actual production. Table 1 summarizes, b}^ counties, the production data
given in tables 6 and 9 to 12.
GEOLOGY
General Features
The general geologic features of the whole of the northern Sierra
Nevada liave been mapped; the principal contributions were made by
Waldemar Liudgreii, 11. W. Turner, and J. S. Diller, in some of the
early geologic folios and other publications of the Geological Survey
(see "References"). Later and more detailed work in a few relatively
small areas by II. G. Ferguson and R. W. Gannett, W. D. Johnston, Jr.,
N. L. Taliaferro, and others has shown the geology to be much more
complex than depicted on the early maps, and an enormous amount of
geologic work remains to be done before the complicated stratigraphy
and structure of the region can be undersood fully.
Neither space nor purpo.se permits a detailed and comprehensive
account of the regional geology in this report, but a brief summary of
Chap. 5] PLACER, NEVADA, SIERRA, YUBA, BUTTE, PLUMAS COUNTIES 181
the major geologic units and events is given to provide the reader with
a setting for the occurrence of the ultramafic rocks and associated chro-
mite deposits, which are described in some detail. Plate 12 shows the
geology of the region in a generalized form ; the small scale of the map
precludes showing the individual geologic formations even where these
have been differentiated. Although abandoned for use in publications of
the Geological Survey, the names "Bedrock series" and "Superadjacent
series" have been widely used to denote the two principal groups of
Sierra Nevada rocks and will be retained here because they are par-
ticularly applicable to the generalizations made in this summary and
on plate 12.
The history of the Sierra Nevada began in the Paleozoic era with the
accumulation of a thick sequence of shales, sandstones, cherts, and lime-
stones, together with some volcanic flows and shallow intrusives. Paleo-
zoic formations ranging in age from Silurian to Permian have been
identified in the Taylorsville area, but elsewhere the rocks have been
grouped together and mapped as the Calaveras formation on the sup-
position that the great bulk of them are of Carboniferous (Mississipian)
age. Units corresponding to parts of the Calaveras have been segregated
and named in the northeastern part of the region and in the Colfax
quadrangle in the southern part, but these units have not yet been
correlated definitely or traced across intervening areas. The Calaveras
formation, as mapped, probably includes some pre-Carboniferous rocks
and perhaps some early Mesozoic rocks as well, and the name Calaveras,
therefore, has no stratigraphic significance. The Paleozoic rocks were
dynamically metamorphosed to phyllite, quartzite, recrystallized lime-
stone, and amphibolite schist during a period of intense folding and
uplift at the close of the era.
The beginning of the INIesozoic era is marked by a period of erosion
and the eventual submergence of the Paleozoic terrain, after which
another thick sequence of sedimentary and volcanic rocks were accumu-
lated. These rocks are represented by several Triassic and Jurassic
formations in the Taylorsville area, the Milton (Jurassic?) and Sailor
Canyon formations (Jurassic) in the eastern part of the region, and
the Amador group (^Middle and Upper Jurassic) and Mariposa slate
(Upper Jurassic) in the western part. The Amador group is best de-
veloped in the central Sierra Nevada and apparently is overlapped by
the Mariposa slate a little north of the Middle Fork of the American
River. Widespread volcanic activity during and immediately after the
deposition of Mariposa sediments is evidenced by extensive areas of
andesitic flows and shallow intrusives now exposed mainly in the western
part of the region. This volcanism lieralded the intense igneous activities
accomi.anying the Nevadan orogeny to which the whole of the region
was subjected to late Jurassic and early Cretaceous time. The Nevadan
orogeny began with a period of intense folding accompanied by the
intrusion of masses of ultramafic and gabbroic rocks. It cnlmiiiated in
the invasion of all the pre-existing rocks by great masses and small dikes
of plutonic rocks, ranging in composition and general sequence from
hornblende gabbro and diorite to granodiorite, and subsided with the
formation of the gold-quartz veins. Except for local contact metamor-
phism, the pre-existing sedimentary rocks were only slightly metamor-
phosed by the orogenic processes. Most of the volcanic rocks, however,
were converted to greenstone or amphibolite schist.
182 CHROMITE DEPOSITS SIERRA NEVADA [BuU. 1 'U, Pt. Ill
Thus, before the Cretaceous period the formation of the rocks con-
stituting the ''Bedrock series" of the Sierra Nevada was completed
and the stage was set for the formation of those constituting the ' ' Super- '
jacent series." Erosion was the dominant geologic process during the
Cretaceous period. Thousands of feet of "Bedrock series" were removed
and the debris was deposited in the marine basin to the west. The
granitic core of the Sierra Nevada was uncovered over large areas, and
the region as a whole was reduced to a lowland. Sedimentary deposits of
the Upper Cretaceous Chico formation were laid down, as the oldest
formation of the "Superjacent series."
In the Eocene epoch the Sierra Nevada was uplifted again and tilted
westward, deep valleys were cut by the rejuvenated streams, gold from
the eroded veins was concentrated in the stream gravels, and the wide-
spread volcanic activity of the Tertiary period began. A large part of
the Eocene volcanics and some of the gravels w^ere removed during
Oligocene time, but in Miocene time recurrent outpourings of andesitic
materials, interrupted by short intervals of erosion, buried the older
rocks under a thick volcanic mantle. Marine and nonmarine sedimentary
deposits were laid down in the basin to the west, but their margins barely
lapped the western flanks of the Sierra Nevada.
Voleanism continued north of the region through Pliocene into Pleis-
tocene time and added to the volcanic mantle at the northern and north-
western extremities of the range. In late Tertiary and early Quaternary
time the Sierra Nevada was uplifted and tilted westward once more;
concurrent and subsequent faulting produced the eastern escarpments
of the block. Since then, the rivers and streams, aided for a while by
Pleistocene glaciers, gradually have removed the volcanic mantle from
most of the region and by now have carved their courses deep into the
underl^nng "Bedrock series."
Ultramafic Rocks
Chromite occurs in many kinds of rocks as a minor accessory mineral,
but it is an important primary accessor}^ only in ultramafic rocks or in
serpentine derived from them. Furthermore, the Geological Survey's
recent investigations of chromite deposits in California have indicated
that important primary concentrations of chromite occur only in the
variety of ultramafic rock called dunite. Recognition of this fact has
proved helpful in studying the deposits and can be of considerable aid
in exploiting them. Field identification of dunite as well as other
varieties, therefore, is of particular importance. The characteristics that
distinguish the principal varieties of ultramafic rocks in the northern
Sierra Nevada are given in the following paragraphs, along with descrip-
tions of their alteration, structure, and distribution.
Lithology. Ultramafic rocks are composed chiefly of olivine and
pyroxene, with little or no feldspar, and contain accessory chromite or
magnetite. Those without feldspar are commonest and are known by the
group name peridotite. Because olivine and pyroxene are readily altered
to the various serpentine minerals, masses of peridotite commonly are
altered extensivel}^ to serpentine, and the geologist and layman alike fre-
({uontly refer to them as serpentine. Most previous investigators of the
chj-omite deposits have referred to the enclosing rocks by the general
term serpentine. The writer follows suit, in this report, when using such
Chap. 5] PLACER, NEVADA, SIERRA, YUBA, BUTTE, PLUMAS COUNTIES 183
references without benefit of more specific information, but he prefers to
reserve the name serpentine to denote ultramafic rocks that have been so
altered that their original character cannot be determined by visual
inspection. AVhenever known, the varietal name of the original rock is
used, even though the rock is completely serpentinized, and the term
peridotite is used to denote undiflPerentiated rocks whose general physical
appearance still resembles that of the original rocks.
Peridotite can be differentiated into several varieties on the basis of
mineral composition. The olivine-rich variety, containing more than 95
percent olivine and little or no pyroxene, is called dunite ; whereas the
pyroxene-rich variety, containing more than 95 percent pyroxene, is
called pyroxenite. Kocks containing intermediate proportions of olivine
and pyroxene are called saxonite, wherlite, or Iherzolite, depending on
whether the pyroxene they contain is enstatite or diallage, or both. The
several varieties evidently have genetic as well as mineralogic differences,
and contacts between them usually are rather sharp. Saxonite is by far
the most abundant variety in the northern Sierra Nevada, but dunite and
pyroxenite are common ; wherlite and Iherzolite may occur, but neither
has been reported.
Dunite, saxonite, and pyroxenite are distinguished from one another
in the field mainly by the lack of or relative abundance of pyroxene, and
their identification usually is not difficult unless all evidence of pyroxene
has been obliterated by intense alteration or shearing. In fresh peridotite,
pyroxene is distinguished from olivine by its more perfect cleavage.
Olivine generally alters to antigorite, which has a rather uniform, fine-
grained texture and weathers to a smooth surface. On the other hand,
enstatite usually alters to bastite, which retains the characteristic
pyroxene cleavage and resists weathering to a greater degree than an-
tigorite. Thus, weathered surfaces of moderately altered saxonite are
studded with silvery or bronze-colored bastite pseudomorphs in relief.
The preponderance of weather-resistant pyroxene or bastite in pyrox-
enite gives it a characteristically rough surface, which distinguishes it
from the smooth-surfaced dunite and the studded saxonite.
Both saxonite and dunite are dark grayish-green to black on freshly
broken surfaces ; altered saxonite may be mottled in the weathered zone
by dark remnants of enstatite in a lighter matrix of antigorite. Weather-
ing of both rocks liberates iron oxide, which colors exposed surfaces a
reddish-brown. Exposed outcrops of dunite commonly have a buff color
and are lighter colored than outcrops of saxonite.
In general, the soils on peridotite are thin and support a relatively
sparse and somewhat restricted type of vegetation. In areas of low relief,
however, a thick mantle of red or ocherous residual soil may accumulate
and, in time, this soil will support a heavier and more diverse growth.
It should be noted here that the dikes and the reeflike masses of diorite
and light-colored rodingite (garnet-diopside rock) associated with some
peridotite masses are not varieties of the ultramafic rocks. They are
slightly younger and contain no chromite.
Alteration. All the ultramafic masses in the region are more or less
serpentinized, especially along fractures, faults, shear zones, and con-
tacts. Nevertheless, much of the rock has retained its original physical
appearance, and parts of some masses seem to be quite fresh. In general,
the masses along the western margin of the region have been more thor-
184 CHROMITE DEPOSITS — SIERRA NEVADA [Bull. 134, Pt. Ill
oughly serpcntinized than those elsewhere. Many of these, and a few
small masses elsewhere, have been so completely serpentinized and other-
wise altered and sheared that the rock can be referred to only as serpen-
tine. Such rock has a greenish-gray to black color and weathers to lighter
shades of green and gray. It is relatively incompetent and fractures
easily into irregular blocks having smooth, waxy, slickensided surfaces.
Where thoroughly sheared, it is a mass of glistening ellipsoidal to scale-
like particles and is called "slickentite. "
Most of the serpentinization probably took place at an early stage,
during or not long after intrusion of the masses. Subsequent alterations,
notably along faults and shear zones, in the vicinity of quartz veins, and
at contacts with later intrusive rocks, have developed talc, tremolite,
aukerite, magnesite, and chlorite or clinochlore in the rocks. However,
the alteration to silica-carbonate rock, w^hich is so common in ultramafic
rocks of the Coast Ranges, has not been noted. Small deposits of soap-
stone, magnesite, and amphibole asbestos have been formed in the rocks
by these alterations, and a few have been mined on a small scale.
Structure and Distribution. Areas underlain by ultramafic rocks are
usually conspicuous in the field, and it is probable that all the large
masses and most of the small masses have been delineated on the various
geologic maps that cover the region. Some small masses have not been
mapped, and the general locations of a few are indicated on plate 13 by
unbounded location symbols for chromite deposits. The distribution and
outlines of the masses that have been mapped are shown on plates 12 and
13. Plate 12 shows their distribution with respect to other groups of
rocks in the region, w^hereas plate 13 shows their outcrop outlines in more
detail. It should be noted that much of the mapping done in the region
has been of a reconnaissance type and many ultramafic masses are far
more complex in outline than shown on plate 13. Furthermore, it was
the custom to group all kinds of serpentinized rocks together at the time
most of the mapping was done ; therefore, some areas represented as
ultramafic rock on the two plates include undifferentiated bodies of
partly serpentinized gabbro, a rock that is closely associated with the
ultramafic rocks but is presumed to be slightly younger, as well as some
talc, chlorite, and amphibole schists that may have been derived from
less mafic rocks.
The ultramafic masses vary in size and shape. The smallest masses may
be only a few tens of feet wide and less than 100 feet long, whereas the
largest, that one constituting the principal member of the "great ser-
pentine belt," is an essentially continuous mass more tlian 85 miles long
and a few hundred to more than 20,000 feet wide in outcrop. Most of
the masses are tabular or lenticular and appear to be sill-like in their
contact relations with enclosing rocks, but some are highly irregular in
shape and defi)iitely crosscut the structures of the older rocks.
Without exception, the masses have been sheared and faulted to n
gi-eater or lesser degree. The boi-ders of nearly all masses have been
sheared, in places to wide zones of "slickentite," and some small nuisses
have been sheared to "slickentite" throughout. A tew masses with
weathered surfaces appear to have relatively massive and unbroken
iuteriors, but in the steej) walls of some canyons, where the rocks are bare
<ind devoid of soil and vegetation, it can be seen that the masses are
I'lactui-ed into countless subangular blocks, both huge and small, which
Chap. 5] PLACER, NEVADA, SIERRA, YUBA, BUTTE, PLUMAS COUNTIES 185
have been jostled between numerous shear zones and minor faults. Most
sliear zones and faults are roughly parallel to the contacts in small, nar-
row masses, but may have almost any direction when well within the
largest masses.
Most geologists who have attempted to work out the geologic history
and structure of the western Sierra Nevada agree that the ultramafic
masses underwent at least part of the folding imposed on the pre-Mari-
posa rocks during the early stages of the Nevadan orogeny. However,
it is by no means clear to what extent this period of folding influenced
the distribution pattern of the ultramafic rocks. The outcrop outlines
of some masses, for example, the sinuous body east of Downieville, sug-
gest that the masses either have been folded or were intruded into folded
structures. The probability that the major masses were intruded along
fault zones does not preclude the possibility that some parallel masses
may represent the truncated limbs of folded sills or sills that were in-
truded into pre-existing folds in tlie older rocks. Such an explanation is
given in a geologic section by Taliaferro (43)* to account for similar
parallel and bifurcated masses in the central Sierra Nevada. The arcuate
flexure in the pre-granite rocks between the North Fork and the South
Fork of the Feather River does not appear to be related to the early
l^eriods of folding ; it may have been caused by the intrusion of the
sntellitic batholith of granitic rocks underlying that part of the region.
The conspicuous linear distribution of the ultramafic rocks obviously
reflects features of the regional structure, but far too little is known
about the complex details of the regional structure to permit the formu-
lation of reasonably acceptable explanations of its control on the em-
placement of individual ultramafic masses. Many masses appear to have
been intruded along contacts between units of the older rocks and there-
fore lie roughly parallel to the strike of these rocks. It is not clear,
liowever, whether the masses are truly sill-like or whether they occupy
fault zones that transect dips of the formations [in section]. Ferguson
(:i2), among others, has suggested that the masses of the "great serpen-
tine belt" were intruded along a major zone of reverse faults and that
this zone may represent the northward extension of the Mother Lode
fault zone. This hypothesis seems entirely reasonable to the writer, for
all the ultramafic masses of the belt lie near, but west of, the western
boundary of the Blue Canyon formation, which is in fault contact with
younger (?) formations, at least from Downieville southward almost
to the Bear River. The numerous ultramafic masses west of the main
belt, as well as those along and east of the eastern margin of the Blue
Canyon formation, may occupy subordinate fault zones that also parallel
the strike of the regional structure.
CHARACTERISTICS AND OCCURRENCE OF CHROMITE
Composition of Chromite
Chromite is the only one of many chromium-bearing minerals that
occurs in sufficient quantity to provide a commercial source of chromium.
Furthermore, the mineral itself has special chemical and physical prop-
erties that make it valuable as a refractory material. Most chromite has
* Taliaferro's generalized section along- Cosumnes River is reproduced as fig. 2 in the
report entitled "Chromite deposits of El Dorado County, California," which con.sti-
tutes chapter 4 of part III of this bulletin.
186
CHROMITE DEPOSITS SIERRA NEVADA [Bull. 134, Pt. Ill
Table 2.
Partial analyses of massive chromite ores from deposits in the
northern Sierra Nevada, California
Sample*
Cr20:
Fe..-
Si02-
AI2O3
MgO
CaO-
P....
S_--.
Cr/F
11. 7G
0.22
39.41
11.29
9.25
14.43
18.09
5.33
20.63
14.60
0.05
41.97
11.81
6.80
20.23
40.59
12.01
9.80
16.41
15.43
50.30
10.09
6.84
10.31
16.36
11.95
3.99
12.50
4.39
* Samples are arranged according to increasing Cr:!03 content estimated for pure chromite in samples.
A. Milton claim, Sierra County. Specimen analysed by Smith Emery & Co.
B. Little Hope claim, Butte County. Metals Reserve Co. sample of 12-ton lot.
C. Lambert mine, Butte County. 200-pound sample analysed by the Kaiser Co.
D. Spot claim, Plumas County. Metals Reserve Co. sample of 34-ton lot.
E. Commander claim, Plumas County. Metals Reserve Co. sample of 14-ton lot.
F. White Pine mine, Plumas County. Average of Metals Reserve Co. samples of three lots aggregating 174 tons.
G. Christian Place, Butte County. Metals Reserve Co. sample of 18-ton lot.
H. Sunset mine. Placer County. Average of Metals Reserve Co. samples of seven lots aggregating 182 tons.
an iron-black color and a submetallic to almost vitreous luster, but
chromite that has been sheared or crushed has a brownish-black to
chocolate-brown color and has a dull luster if finely crushed. It has a
specific firavity between 4 and 5 and a hardness of about 5.5 ; it can ho
scratched readily with a knife. Some chromite is slightly magnetic, but a
chocolate-brown streak distinguishes it from magnetite.
Chromite is a member of the spinel group of minerals and crystallizes
in the isometric system. Stevens (44) has shown chromite to be an iso-
morphic compound of the six end members magnesiochromite (MgO.-
Cr.O;0, ferrochromite (FeO.Cr.-Os), spiuel (MgO.AloO.-O, hercynite
(FeO.AlaOs), magnesioferrite (MgO.FeoOs), and magnetite (FeO.-
Fe203). Chromite from different deposits therefore may have widely
different compositions owing to different combinations and jn-oportioiis
of the end members. Even in an individual deposit the chromite may
vary in composition, but ])robably witliin a ratlier restricted range. The
pure mineral may contain less than :?() percent to more than GO percent
(VoO.}. No analyses are available for pui'c chromite from deposits in the
northern Sierra Nevada, but the ore analyses given in table 2 indicate,
in a general way, the compositional \'ariation of the chroinile found in
the region.
Other Chromium Minerals
Several economically insignificant but scientifically interesting chro-
mium-bearing minerals occur in small amounts with tlie chromite in many
of the deposits in the northern Sierra Nevada; one and jiossibly two
others occur in tlie ultramafic rocks but apparently are not associated
with the chromite. Perhaps the most common of these is uvarovite, the
emerald-green chromium-bearing garnet, which usually occurs as vein-
Chap. 5] PLACER, NEVADA, SIERRA, YUBA, BUTTE, PLUMAS COUNTIES 187
lets, driisy incrustations, or bright green smears in or on the ehromite.
At one deposit in Placer County the occurrence of uvarovite is unique
in that the garnet constitutes about half the matrix of an ore consisting
of approximately equal parts of gangue minerals and disseminated
ehromite. Another common mineral in the deposits is kammererite, the
purple to pink chromium-bearing chlorite, which also occurs as veinlets
and smears with the ehromite. A similar mineral, kotschubeite, rose-
red in color, has been identified in ore from a deposit on the North Fork
of the American River (Melville and Lindgren 90), and some of the
kammererite reported at other localities might well be kotschubeite in-
stead. The lilac-colored micaceous carbonate, stichtite, has not yet been
reported in this region.
Chromrutile, a new mineral found only at the Red Ledge mine in
Nevada County, has been described by Gordon and Shannon (28). It
contains 16.61 percent Cr20.3 and 69.71 percent TiOo and occurs as
minute brilliant black prismatic crystals with kammererite on massive
ehromite.
Mariposite, the apple-green chromium-bearing mica, occurs in the
quartz veins and adjoining serpentine in the Alleghany district of
Sierra County. This mineral has not been reported in any of the
ehromite deposits, but its chromium content presumably is derived
from ehromite in the ultramafic rocks. The chromium in the bright-
green pyroxene, chrome diopside, may have a similar origin ; chrome
diopside has not been reported in the region, however.
Unlike ehromite, the minerals described above apparently have a
hydrothermal origin, and, with the exception of mariposite and chrome
diopside, are intimately associated with concentrations of ehromite.
Their presence or absence, however, has no significance as an indication
of the amount or tenor of ore in a deposit. It should be noted here that
serpentine and other alteration minerals found in bodies of ultramafic
rocks sometimes have a peculiar greenish or purplish coloration not due
to the presence of chromium. Not a few prospectors have supposed these
so-called "chrome stains" to indicate the proximity of an ore body.
This concept is entirely erroneous and should not be relied on as a
guide for prospecting.
Uses and SiJecifications. Chromite is used mainly in the manufacture
of metallurgical, refractory, and chemical products. The amount of
ehromite consumed by domestic industry for these products varies
from year to year. x\ecording to IMinerals Yearbook for 1949, the con-
sumption that year totaled 511,404 long tons of ore. of which 47 percent
was used for metallurgical products, 40 percent for refractories, and
17 percent for chemicals. Most of the metallurgical chromite is converted
to ferrochromium, which is used in making special steels such as stain-
less, structural, tool, high-speed, bearing, and armor steels. By a patented
process, raw ehromite may be added to the melt in an electric steel
'furnace, thus eliminating the usual conversion to ferrochromium.
Chromite refractories are resistant to both basic and acidic slags and
are used in brick and cement form to line furnaces. Chromite used to
make chemical products usually is converted to sodium bichromate,
which then is used as the source of chromium for various plating pur-
poses, for pigments (red, orange, yellow, and green shades), for tanning
compounds, and for various other chemicals.
188 CHROMITE deposits — sierra NEVADA [Bull. 134, Pt. ill
The specifications for chromite ores vary with the use and also with
the supply and demand. Requirements for ore to be used in making
ferrochromium are : a CroOs content of at least 48 percent, a Cr to Fe
ratio of not less than 3 to 1, a low silica content, and a combined alumina
and magnesia content not exceeding 25 percent. Hard, lumpy ore is
preferred. The specifications are not so high for ore that is to be added
directly to steel furnaces; such ore may contain less than 45 percent
CroO;} and the Cr to Fe ratio may be quite low.
Refractory chromite should have a combined Cr203 and AI2O3 con-
tent between 57 and 63 percent, and not more than 10 percent Fe and
5 percent Si02. Hard lump ore that can be ground to the manufacturer 's
specifications is preferred for making refractory bricks, but fines and
concentrates are suitable for making refractory cements.
Chemical-grade chromite should contain at least 45 percent CroOs
and not more than 5 percent SiOo. Ore with a relatively high iron con-
tent may be used and even may be preferred because it decomposes more
readily. Fines or concentrates also are easier to disintegrate. Sulphur
in excess of 0.50 percent and phosphorus in excess of 0.20 percent make
ore undesirable for all uses, but most ores contain less than these amounts.
The specifications outlined above are those for a normal market and
current industrial practices and preferences. Under conditions of short
supply or increased wartime demand, chromite of lower grade can be
used for most metallurgical and chemical purposes without seriously
affecting the quality of the final product. Although liigh-ehromium
ores are demanded at present, the more abundant high-iron ores should
become more and more acceptable as industrial techniques are improved.
Ore Bodies
Chromite deposits in the northern Sierra Nevada may be grouped
into two categories — primary deposits and detrital deposits. Primary
deposits are those that occur embedded in the original host rocks,
whereas detrital deposits are those that have been more or less disengaged
from the host rocks by weathering and other erosional processes. In-
eluded in the detrital category are deposits in residual soil or saprolite,
deposits of float, and placer deposits. In some areas detrital deposits
have contributed a large share of the chromite produced, but in the
region as a whole the primary deposits are more numerous and are the
most productive.
Primary Deposits
Two distinct but intergradational types of ore are fouud in the pri-
mary deposits. Ore consisting of chromite grains more or less dispersed
in the host rock is called disseminated ore, whereas that consisting of
a dense aggregate of chromite grains is called massive ore. A subordin-
ate type consists of nodular accumulations of chromite, but usually is
considered as one or the other of the main types, depending on the
relative concentration of the nodules. Although the two main types of.
ore grade into one another, ore bodies consisting mainly of disseminated
ore have characteristics that differ somewhat from those of bodies con-
sisting mainly of massive ore.
Disseminated Ore. Disseminated ore consists of chromite grains scat-
tered at random or accumulated into small clots, clusters, sclilieren,
stringers, or layers in dunite. It may contain from 10 to 75 percent
Chap. 5] PLACER, NEVADA, SIERRA, YUBA, BUTTE, PLUMAS COUNTIES
189
chromite, grading into massive ore on the one hand and rock containing
only accessory chromite on the other. The individual as well as the ag-
gregate accumulations of chromite in bodies of disseminated ore com-
monly grade sharply outward into leaner ore or barren dunite. . Indi-
vidual chromite grains in the ore range from 0.1 to 5.0 mm in diameter,
but usually average between 0.5 and 1.0 mm. In general, the evenly dis-
seminated grains are quite uniform in size, and the chromite in the
richest accumulations is coarsest. Most bodies of disseminated ore have
a lenticular or tabular form, but some are highly irregular. Streaks,
schlieren, pencil-like aggregates, and other linear elements exhibited
by the ore commonly indicate the elongate direction of an ore body, and
both linear and planar elements are parallel to corresponding structures
in the enclosing dunite and peridotite.
Massive Ore. Massive ore differs from disseminated ore in that it
consists largely of chromite with little or no interstitial silicates. Bodies
of massive ore, however, may include irregular masses of disseminated
ore or may have disseminated ore on their margins. The chromite grains
in the typical massive ore are rather coarse, ranging from 1 mm to 1
cm in diameter, but some massive ore is so tine-grained that it appears
almost aphanitic. Bodies of massive ore are so variable in form that one
is often hard-pressed to find a suitable term to describe their shape.
The terms lens, pod, kidney, chimney, knocker, and stringer have been
used widely. These and other terms evidently do not represent the same
shapes to the minds of everyone, for different writers have used different
terms to describe identical ore bodies. This writer prefers to use lens
for an ore body that is roughly tabular with tapering edges, pod for one
that is indefinite in shape but bounded by irregular and rounded surfaces,
and stringer for elongate bodies with irregular and ragged edges. Not-
withstanding, in this report the original terms of other writers are
retained in descriptions based solely on their observations.
Size and Grade. In California, deposits of massive ore range from
only a few pounds to almost 20,000 tons, and deposits of disseminated
ore range from a few pounds to more than 300,000 tons. The total amount
of contained chromite in each of the two deposits is approximately the
same. The largest individual body of massive ore yet found in the northern
Sierra Nevada may contain as much as 2,500 long tons of ore, but, as a
rule, the deposits in the region are rather small and most contain less
than 100 long tons of ore. The largest deposit of disseminated ore known
in the region may hold about 20,000 long tons of ore (equivalent to
approximately^ 6,000 long tons of chromite), but most contain only a
few hundred tons of ore.
Table 3 shows the number and distribution of deposits in various
size groups. The figures represent deposits, not individual ore bodies,
and only those deposits whose ore contains more than 30 percent Cr203
are included. Inasmuch as the ultramafic rocks constituting the "great
serpentine belt" are essentially part of one intrusion, the deposits in
the belt are listed in separate columns headed by the Eoman numeral I,
whereas those in all other masses are combined and listed in columns
headed by the Roman numeral II.
The principal production of chromite from deposits in the northern
Sierra Nevada, or, for that matter, from most deposits in California,
190
CIIROMITE DEPOSITS — SIERRA NEVADA [Bull. 134, Pt. Ill
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Chap. 5] PLACEE, NEVADA, SIERRA, YUBA, BUTTE, PLUMAS COUNTIES 191
has been during periods when ore was salable if it contained as little
as 30 or 35 percent CroOs. For this reason, mainly, crude ore that con-
tains 30 percent or more of Cr203 is considered to be shipping-grade
ore for the purposes of this report, and that containing less than 30
percent CroOs is considered to be milling-grade or concentrating ore.
The grade of a chromite ore depends not onlv on the amount of chromite
in the ore but also on the composition of the chromite itself. In general,
the chromite in the deposits of the region is a fair to good quality (see
table 2), and practically all the massive ores and some of the richer
disseminated ores contain more than 35 percent CroOs. Furthermore,
some lower-grade disseminated ores contain richer portions that can
be sorted out as shipping-grade ore. Most of the disseminated ores re-
quire concentration, however.
Table 4 shows the number and distribution of deposits that have yielded
shipping-grade ore. Although information on grade is not available for
all deposits in the region, the data shown probably are representative
for the region as a whole. At least 25 deposits have yielded ore contain-
ing more than 50 percent Cr203 ; the ore from one deposit in Nevada
County reportedly contained 62 percent Cr^Os- All but one of the de-
posits that have yielded ore containing more than 50 percent Cr203
and most of those that have yielded ore containing more than 45 percent
Cr203 occur in the "great serpentine belt." On the other hand, most of
the deposits of disseminated ore of milling grade occur in the western-
most ultramafic masses.
Of the lots of ore purchased by the Metals Reserve Co. during 1942-45,
all those containing more than 50 percent CroOs had Cr to Fe ratios
of 2.5 or higher, and nearly all those containing less than 40 percent
CroOs had Cr to Fe ratios below 2.5.
Table 4- Xumerical and percentage distribution, by tenor range and location, of
chromite deposits in the northern Sierra Nevada, California
Percent CraOa
Number of deposits
County
30-4
5
45-62
Known tenor
Unknown tenor
I
II
I
II
Placer
16
5
5
15
3
16
2
25
2
38
5
8
8
6
26
15
1
31
25
19
Nevada
6
12
Yuba
Butte
8
12
Totals
41
49
59
4
153
57
Percentage of total
deposits of known
tenor
27
32
38.5
3.6
59
„
I. Deposits in "great serpentl
11. Deposits In other ultramafl
ne belt."
: masses.
192 CHROMITE DEPOSITS — SIERRA NEVADA [Bull. 134, Pt. Ill
At this point it should be pointed out that a satisfactory concentrate
cannot be made from all disseminated ores; for the chromite in some,
usually those ores that have a very low percentage of chromite or those
that are very fine grained, apparently has a high iron content that cannot
be eliminated b}^ the usual methods of concentration. For example, con-
centrate made from the low-grade, fine-grained ore of one deposit in
Placer County contained 43.93 percent CrsOs and 19.70 percent Fe
with a Cr to Fe ratio of only 1.53. A sample of ore from the largest
known deposit of disseminated ore in the region (one in Butte County)
assayed 29.81 percent Cr203 and 11.66 percent Fe before concentration ;
and the panned concentrate assayed 42.45 percent Cr203 and 15.50
percent Fe, with a Cr to Fe ratio of only 1.88. These examples are given
to illustrate the importance of determining the compositional character
of the pure chromite in an ore being considered for concentration before
proceeding far with plans to erect a concentrating plant.
Localization. Although many chromite deposits in California have
been studied in detail, few clues pertaining to their localization have been
recognized. It is known that primary deposits are found only in ultra-
mafic rocks, almost always in the variety called dunite. However, a mass
of ultramafic rocks may include many or only one or no dunite bodies ;
if present, the dunite bodies may be either large or small, and may
contain many or only one or no ore bodies. Furthermore, dunite bodies
may occur anywhere in an ultramafic mass and ore bodies may occur
anywhere in a dunite body. Dunite and ore bodies undoubtedly occur at
depth as well as near the surface in many ultramafic masses, but few,
if any, deeply buried ore bodies are likely to be found. Drilling for
them seldom can be justified, and no geophysical method for locating
them has been devised as yet. It follows, therefore, that only those ore
bodies that occur at or near the surface are of real economic significance,
but even the locations of these cannot be predicted unless the presence
of ore is evidenced by float, outcrop, or an old working that has
yielded ore.
Several criteria are recognized that generally prove reliable as guides
in the search for virgin ore bodies whose presence and approximate
location are indicated by float, outcrop, or old workings. Inasmuch as
the ore bodies normally occur only in dunite or serpentine derived from
dunite, exploration in other varieties of ultramafic rocks is not apt to
be fruitful and should be avoided if possible. Some ore bodies, however,
have only a thin border of dunite and may appear to be in another
variety of rock if this border is sheared or altered beyond recognition.
Many ore bodies or groups of ore bodies, especially those composed
of massive ore, are associated with fractures, faults, or shear zones. This
association is an important feature of the deposits, but it must be real-
ized that the fracturing or shearing occui'red oftcr the ore bodies were
formed, not before, as iiumy cliromite miners and prosjiectors assume.
Shear zones tend to develop along zones of weakness in an ultramafic
mass. An ore body or grou]) of ore bodies, being more ineoini)otont tlian
tbe surrounding rocks, constitutes an inherent zone of weakness, and
shearing stresses commonly are localized along such a zone. All shear
zones in ultramafic rocks do not contain ore, however, for most of them
are developed along other elenuMits of incompetence. When ore has been
found in a well-defined fault or shear zone, the search for associated ore
Chap. 5] PLACER, NEVADA, SIERRA, YUBA, BUTTE, PLUMAS COUNTIES 193
bodies should be focused on that particular fault or shear zone rather
than on all faults or shear zones in the vicinity.
A chromite deposit frequently consists of a series of two or more ore
bodies with their long axes in approximate alignment. This alignment
probably is due to rotation of the long axes to the direction of least
resistance, by primary flowage, by later shearing, or by both kinds of
movements. The ore bodies in a group commonly are connected by nar-
row stringers of chromite or by narrow zones of sheared or comminuted
chromite. If present, these "leads" usually are reliable guides to ad-
joining ore bodies, but they also may lead to nothing but barren sheared
rock if there is a large angular discordance between the direction of
elongation of the ore zone and the principal direction of shear. In most
deposits exploration should follow the direction that is pointed out by
the long axes of known ore bodies.
It is seldom possible to determine merely by inspection whether a
known ore body is the sole constituent of the original deposit or whether
it is the first, the last, or an intermediate representative of a group of
ore bodies. The ore bodies of a group may lie within a few feet of each
other or they may be more than 100 feet apart. The extent to which any
deposit should be explored depends partly on the geologic and economic
characteristics of that deposit and partly on the means of an interested
operator and the risk he is willing to take. Each case must be considered
on its own merits. Careful consideration of the criteria given above may
lielp operators to exploit deposits more efficiently than heretofore.
Detrital Deposits
Though small and relatively few, detrital deposits of chromite exhibit
special features deemed worthy of separate description. All the detrital
deposits owe their origin to the primary deposits and, indeed, most
primary deposits are discovered as the result of tracing detrital chromite
to its source. As noted previously, detrital deposits are of three types-
residual, float, and placer — each type in that order representing a
greater degree of transport from the parent deposit.
Residual deposits are the result of in-place weathering and decom-
position of the rocks enclosing a primary deposit at or near the surface.
The host rock is decomposed into clay and soil and the resistant chromite
thus acquires a new habitat with little or no change in position. Residual
ore bodies, especially those composed of massive ore, may retain their
original shape for a time, but those that are broken by fractures or cut
by seams of dunite or serpentine eventually break up into angular or
subangular blocks, and those that contain much interstitial silicate ma-
terial disintegrate into friable masses of chromite grains.
Slow erosional processes, such as soil-creep, frost action, and landslid-
ing, tend to disperse the chromite fragments and may displace the entire
deposit some distance from its original position. Hydraulic erosion, how-
ever, removes the clay and soil at a faster rate than the heavy chromite
and leaves the chromite exposed as float. Float deposits also may be
derived directly from primary deposits if mechanical erosion predom-
inates over chemical erosion. Thus, an ore body that is partly or wholly
exposed by erosion disintegrates into fragments of float, which may
be found scattered near, or considerably distant from, the site of the
original outcrop. Pieces of float ore weighing as much as 20 or 25 long
tons have been found, but most pieces are much smaller, ranging in
194
CHROMITE DEPOSITS — SIERRA NEVADA [Bull. 134, Pt. Ill
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Chap. 5] PLACER, NEVADA, SIERRA, YUBA, BUTTE, PLUMAS COUNTIES 195
weight from a few ounces to a few hundred pounds. The pieces of float
are generally too Avidely dispersed to be of economic value.
Placer chromite deposits are the result of fluvial reconeentration of
the chromite content of eroded ultramafic rocks and include the accessory
chromite grains as well as the chromite eroded from primary, residual,
and float deposits. Placer deposits ordinarily are far removed from the
original sources of the chromite, and the history of concentration may
be long and complicated. Placer chromite has two principal modes of
occurrence, one in the black sands along the courses of rivers and streams
draining areas of ultramafic rocks, and the other in the black sands of
marine beach deposits. The black-sand accumulations along rivers and
streams seldom are large enough to be worked for their chromite con-
tent, but some beach deposits, like those along the southern part of the
coast of Oregon (see Griggs 45), are quite extensive and have been
exploited successfully. In addition to chromite, the black sands of both
rivers and beaches contain other heavy minerals, including magnetite,
ilmenite, hematite, zircon, garnet, olivine, pyroxene, gold, and platinum.
The mineral composition of 10 samples of black sand from the northern
Sierra Nevada is shown in table 5.
Chromite has long been known to occur in the auriferous black sands
along the westward-flowing rivers of the northern Sierra Nevada, but
the amount of chromiferous black sand concentrated in any one place
is so small that no one has attempted to recover the chromite on a com-
mercial scale. On the other hand, residual and float deposits have con-
tributed an appreciable amount of the chromite produced in some parts
of the region. Float ore has been recovered in small amounts in the
vicinity of numerous primary deposits exposed by the vigorous ero-
sional processes operating during Recent time, but the most notable
of the detrital deposits owe their formation and preservation to a com-
bination of conditions that have prevailed since early Tertiary time.
The Sierra Nevada was reduced to a surface of comparatively low relief
by the long period of erosion following the Nevadan orogeny. Float
from primary deposits exposed during the later part of this cycle tended
to remain close to its source. Furthermore, deep weathering of the early
Tertiary land surface produced residual deposits in the thick mantle
of soil developed on some areas of ultramafic rocks, and, because of the
low relief, this soil mantle was not entirely washed away ; a part of it
was buried by the Tertiary volcanic rocks. Many detrital deposits thus
formed were destroyed by Tertiary and Recent streams as they cut
through the protective cover of volcanic rocks into the rocks under-
lying the old land surface; nevertheless, some deposits still remain be-
neath the volcanic rocks capping the present ridge tops, and at least
two of these have been discovered in the course of mining for placer
gold in the buried Tertiary gravels. Parts of others, such as those on
the Forest Hill Divide in Placer County, were preserved even after
the volcanic cover was removed because of favorable locations in wide
upland areas where Recent erosion has been somewhat retarded.
RESERVES
The known or measured reserves of chromite in the northern Sierra
Nevada are small, and neither indicated nor inferred reserves can be
estimated with any degree of accuracy. Shipping-grade ore is exposed
196 CHROMITE DEPOSITS — SIERRA NEVADA [Bull. 134, Pt. Ill
at very few deposits, though some is reported to remain in the old work-
ings of some deposits. At best, one can only speculate on the possibility
that any particular deposit contains more than a few tons of shipping-
grade ore until the ore actually is blocked out or mined. Nevertheless,
the potential reserves of the region should be at least equal in amount
to the past production, or approximately 32,000 long tons of ore. Actual
production of this amount of ore, however, probably would require con-
siderable economic pressure.
Most exposed areas of ultramafic rocks have been prospected quite
thoroughly, but further prospecting undoubtedly will be rewarded
with the discovery of some new ore bodies. The deposits of the region
are characteristically small and offer little hope that many containing
more than 1,000 long tons of shipping-grade ore will be found; most de-
posits probably will contain considerably less than 500 long tons of
shipping-grade ore.
A few deposits of milling-grade ore might be counted on to supply
a relatively large quantity of chromite should the need for high-iron
chromite be great enough to warrant their exploitation. Tlie largest of
these deposits might yield as much as 5,000 or 6,000 long tons of con-
centrates and two or three others each might yield several hundred tons
of concentrates. Additional attempts to concentrate the chromite in
the residual soils likely w^ould prove unsuccessful, as in the past, because
of the difficulty of removing the iron oxides from the concentrates.
The dumps of many old deposits constitute a potential source of per-
haps several thousand tons of chromite. Some of these dumps contain
appreciable amounts of fragmental chromite that might be recovered on
jigs. The dumps are widely scattered and the average dump would
yield but a few tons of chromite. Nevertheless, the recovery of the
chromite from many dumps might be feasible with a simple portable
concentrator.
Although most of the known deposits of shipping-grade ore ap])ear
to be mined out because no ore shows in the workings, the writer firmly
believes that many of them still contain undiscovered ore bodies and
that the greater part of any future production will stem from further
exploitation of the known deposits. He would be hard-pressed, liow-
ever, to furnish valid recommendations as to which of these deposits
might contain more ore. Almost any one of them might be a good pros-
pect, but the fact is that only actual exploration can determine which
are good and which are poor. It is hoped that some of the information
in this report will prove useful to operators who may undertake further
exploration of the deposits.
The reopening of an old deposit, or the opening of a virgin deposit,
involves considerable risk with little or no guarantee that sufficient ore
will be found to repay the operator's investment. Consequently, any
important future production fi*om deposits in the region probably will
rorpiire ample economic stimuli to make the o]ierator's risk appear less
formidable than it does now. Under any circumstances, the amount of
ore that ultiinately can be produced from the deposits will be mainly
of local consequence and can have but little significance as far as na-
tional reqiiirements are concerned.
Chap. 5] PLACER, NEVADA, SIERRA, YUBA, BUTTE, PLUMAS COUNTIES 197
DESCRIPTION OF DEPOSITS BY COUNTIES
The following- pages are devoted mainly to detailed descriptions of
the ehromite mining activities and deposits in each of the counties of
the northern Sierra Nevada. The counties are taken up in a south to
north sequence and the deposits within each county are considered
geographically by areas bearing the name or names of well-known local
features. Deposits whose locations are shown on plates 13 and 14 are
numbered in approximate order from north to south and, except for
a few convenient deviations, are described in numerical order. Further-
more, deposits that are identified by number on the Economic Mineral
Map of California * are indicated by the corresponding number in
brackets.
]\Iany of the deposits have been known by more than one name, but
these are described here under the most recent name known unless an
older name has local preference because of long-continued common
usage. If the old and new names of a deposit or a group of deposits
cannot be correlated definitely, a separate description is given under
each name. Tabulated and cross-referenced lists of all reported names
of the deposits are given at the end of this report.
Placer County
Introduction
Placer County comprises an irregular elongate area of 1,431 square
miles that spans the Sierra Nevada between the Bear River on the north
and the Middle Fork of the American River and the Rubicon River on
the south (see pi. 12). The western part of the county, including a strip
of the Great Valley about 10 miles wide and a strip of foothills about 15
miles wide, embraces the larger communities and industries and supports
the greater part of the population, which the 1950 census shows as 41,266.
The central part of the county is a region of forested ridges separated by
deep canyons, whose inhabitants are employed mainly in mining and
lumbering. The eastern part is a sparsely settled region of high peaks,
lakes, and mountain valleys, noted as a resort and recreational area.
All the ehromite deposits occur in three roughly parallel belts of ultra-
mafic rocks that trend northward across the central part of the county,
and all but about a dozen of the known deposits are in the large, steeply
dipping ultramafic mass that constitutes the easternmost belt, called the
"great serpentine belt." This mass lies along the western margin of the
Blue Canyon formation, possibly in a fault zone, but is separated from
other formations corresponding to the Calaveras formation to the west
by masses of gabbro and schistose amphibolitic rocks. From the IMiddle
Fork of the American River northward across the Forest Hill Divide to
the Noi'th Fork of the American River, the "great serpentine belt" ap-
parently is represented by a single continuous body of ultramafic rocks ;
but this body is split along the strike into several segments in the Dutch
Flat area between the North Fork of the American River and the Bear
River.
The central belt includes several ultramafic masses intruded in or along
the borders of a band of Mariposa slate about 3 miles wide that trends
* Outline geologic map of California, showing locations of ehromite properties: Cali-
fornia Div. Mines, Economic mineral map of California, No. 3 — Chromite, 1942.
198 CHROMITE DEPOSITS^^SIERRA NEVADA [Bull. 134, Pt. Ill
north-northwestward across the county from the Gas Canyon area
through the Colfax-Xew England Mills area and into Nevada County.
Although 9 or 10 chromite deposits have been found in these masses, all
are small and the ore is of low grade.
The western belt comprises a series of highly sheared serpentine masses
intruded into diabase and amphibolite schist east of the Auburn-Grass
Valley highway. Only two chromite deposits, one of disseminated ore and
one of massive ore, have been found in this belt ; both are in the serpentine
between the north and south forks of Dry Creek.
History and Production
Placer County ranks ninth among the chromite-producing counties of
California and first among the counties of the northern Sierra Nevada
by virtue of a total production of approximately 15,645 long tons of ore.
Of more than 120 deposits that have been reported, only two have yielded
as much as 1 ,000 long tons of ore and only four others have yielded more
than 500 long tons. More than two-thirds of the deposits have yielded
less than 100 long tons of ore, and some of these contributed only a few
tons each. Detailed production figures for deposits in the county are
shown in table 6.
The earliest recorded chromite production in Placer County was dur-
ing the early eighties. Approximately 2,000 long tons of the 4,900 long
tons of ore credited to the county for this period, however, probably came
from El Dorado County. The early production apparently was induced
by demands for refractory material to line the furnaces of an iron smelter
located near ITotaling on the north fork of Dry Creek. The deposit on the
south fork of Dry Creek probably supplied a little ore to the smelter,
and one or two deposits in the Dutch Flat area may have contributed also.
According to "old timers, " however, the early chromite mining activities
were restricted mainly to deposits in the vicinity of IMichigan Bluff and
deposits in an area northeast of Forest Hill called Brimstone Plains in
those days. Much of the ore taken from the latter area consisted of float
that is said to have been scattered about the area in relative abundance.
The ore was collected in two stockpiles near the main wagon roads in each
area and was picked up in small lots by empty wagons returning to
Colfax or Auburn for supplies. "A little of the stockpiled ore was shipped
as late as T890, but production practically ceased when the smelter closed
down in the middle eighties.
The deposits lay idle until lOlfi, when the market for chromite was
stimulated by wartime demands. Most of the deposits now known were
found and exploited dnring World AVar I, and more tlian two-thirds of
the total prodnction credited to the county was shipped dnring the period
1916-19. Float, residual, and primary deposits were worked and two con-
centrating plants were operated. One plant in the Forest Hill Divide area
recovered chromite from residual soil and from discarded fines in dumps
around several deposits. Another plant with a capacity of 50 tons per
day concentrated disseminated ore from a deposit in the Dry Creek area.
TTnlike most chromite-prodncing counties in California, Placer County
continued to sup|)ly chromite in small amonnis dnring many of the years
l)ct\V(M>n World Wars T and 11. A few shipments, notably those made in
191!) and 1920, consisted of ore stocks left over after the Armistice, but
most of the sn])se(|nent shijiments were made by one operator from several
deposits of high-grade ore in the Dutch Flat area.
Chap. 5] PLACEK, NEVADA, SIERRA, YUBA, BUTTE, PLUMAS COUNTIES 199
The establishment of a purchasing depot and stockpile at Auburn by
the U. S. Vanadium Corp. in 19-11, together with an increase in the mar-
ket price of chromite, stimulated numerous operators to revive produc-
tion. Early in 1912 the Metals Reserve Co. began to purchase ore at its
Sacramento stockpile and later in the same year it established a more
convenient purchasing depot at Auburn, with stockpiling facilities at
nearby Bowman. Production in 1912, however, fell short of that in 1941
and continued to fall off during 1913, 1944, and 1945. No ore has been
shipped from the county since 1945.
With the exception of a little desultory prospecting in the central belt
and an unsuccessful attempt to produce acceptable concentrates from
low-grade disseminated ore in a deposit in the western belt, chromite
mining in Placer County during World War II was confined to the Dutch
Flat and Forest Hill Divide areas in the ' ' great serpentine belt. ' ' As dur-
ing the two previous periods of notable production, an appreciable
amount of the ore mined in the Forest Hill Divide area during 1941-45
was detrital ore from float and residual deposits. Such deposits have been
searched out and worked thoroughly by now and are not likely to con-
tribute much ore to future operators. In 1942 interest was aroused con-
cerning the possibilities of recovering chromite from low-grade concen-
trations in the residual clay and soil on the upland surface of the Forest
Hill Divide. Three washing plants operated on such material for a short
time and produced some high-iron concentrates from the richest material
found, but plans to treat the very low-grade material were abandoned
because no simple way could be devised for removing the deleterious iron
oxide from the concentrate.
The outlook for future production in the county would seem to depend
largely on what success may be attained by further exploration of known
primary deposits. Several of these in the Forest Hill Divide area are
considered to be quite promising, but many others in the eastern belt also
may hold additional ore of a good quality. The most promising area to
prospect for virgin deposits is that section of the eastern belt that crosses
the steep canyon of the North Fork of the American River. This section
may not have been prospected thoroughly in the past, owing to its relative
inaccessibility.
Mines and Prospects
Dutch Flat Area
Bear River Chrome Mine (1, 2)
The Bear River Chrome mine has been referred to also as the Sullivan
Chrome mine and as the Sullivan-Hemphill-Nobel mine. The first mining
was done by a man known as Cap Gallatin, who mined an immense
1 boulder of ore in the early eighties. D. J. Sullivan, W. F. Hemphill, and
R. E, Nobel operated the mine during the period 1917-22. The property
comprised the N^NE^ and the NE^NW^ sec. 19, T. 16 N., R. 11 E., leased
from the Central Pacific Railroad Co., and one located claim adjoining
in sec. 18. In 1949 the Pacific Gas & Electric Co. owned the XW^ and
Clarence Klug of Los Angeles owned the N^NE^I of sec. 19. Jack H.
Hancock located the Black Nugget claim during World War II on the
east side of Bear River near the line between sees. 18 and 19, and this
claim may include part of the old Bear River Chrome property. The
principal workings made during World War I were located near the
200
CHROMITE DEPOSITS — SIERRA NEVADA [BuU. 134, Pt. Ill
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Chap. 5] PLACER, NEVADA, SIERRA, YUBA, BUTTE, PLUMAS COUNTIES 201
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CHROMITE DEPOSITS — SIERRA NEVADA [Bull. 134, Pt. Ill
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Chap. 5] PLACER, NEVADA, SIERRA, YUBA, BUTTE, PLUMAS COUNTIES 203
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204 CHROMITE DEPOSITS — SIERRA NEVADA [Bull. 134, Pt. Ill
center of the north edge of the NE^NW^ sec. 19 and consisted of two
adits, a crosscut, and a short raise. Numerous open cuts and pits were
made on other parts of the property.
When Waring visited the property in June 1917 he found that an adit
65 feet long had been driven along a lens or series of lenses of ore about
2 feet Avide. The strike of this ore was N. 25° B. From this adit a cross-
cut had been driven 25 feet to work a raise 10 feet high. A ''cross vein"
of ore, 2 feet wide at one place, had been follow^ed by another adit 50
feet long. The strike of this ore was N. 60° W. and the dip was 50° SW.
A pit about 6 feet in diameter, 60 feet higher than the level of the adits,
had yielded about 1 ton of "granular" ore. Some float ore had been
gathered up for shipment; one boulder of this float ore weighed about
3 tons.
Cameron reported in September 1918 that four lenses of ore from 2
to 4 feet wide had been mined up to that time ; two lenses came from a
crosscut adit and two from pits. He said no ore was showing in the pits,
but much float remained on the property.
The lessor's records show that 111.2 short tons of ore was shipped from
the property in 1917, 51.4 tons in 1918, 40 tons in 1919 (mined in 1918),
and 40 tons in 1920. Approximately 20 short tons of ore stocked on the
property in 1922 probably was shipped in a subsequent year. (Southern
Pacific Land Co. 49; Cameron 18; Bradley 18; Waring 17)
Uvarovite(7) Claim (3)
According to D. J. Sullivan, several operators produced ore during
AVorld War I from one or two deposits on the Uvarovite ( 1 ) claim in the
SEJ sec. 24, T. 16 N., R. 10 E. R. B. Linder and J. R. Hodges may have
obtained about 40 tons of ore that had been mined prior to 1917 ; George
Scott mined 20 or 30 tons in 1918; Charles Kempster and R. E. Linder
mined about 30 tons from an open cut and tunnel in 1918; and an
unidentified lessee mined about 10 tons in 1918. (Rynearson 49)
Hodge Ranch (4)
R. B. Linder and J. R. Hodges exploited two chromite deposits in
1916-18 on patented land they held in sec. 25, T. 16 N., R. 10 E. The
property is known locally as the Hodge Ranch. At one deposit, which
was located at an altitude of about 3,560 feet in the NW^ sec. 25, they
mined 25 tons of ore from an adit 30 feet long and a raise 10 feet high
and they gathered up 157 tons of float ore in 1916. The otlier deposit
was about a qnarter of a mile northeast at an altitude of about 3,950
feet and about 200 feet lower than the Pacific Cas & Electric Co. ditch.
When Waring visited tlie latter deposit in 1917 a lens of ore striking
N. 20° W. was partly exposed in a face 3 feet wide and 5 feet long. It ap-
peared to him that the ore in this exposure might have slipped from an
original position about 10 feet up the gulch, where some similar ore was
exposed in a face 2 feet wide and 3 feet long. Waring reported that about
10 tons of ore containing about 35 percent CroQ.., had been mined from
the woT'kings and he estimated that about 15 tons remained in place.
The total amonnt of ore eventually yielded by the deposit is not known
accurately, but the records available indicate that the deposits yielded
approximately 1()3 long tons of ore in 1!)16, 80 tons in 1917, and 41 tons
ill 19LS. About 40 long tons of the ore shipped in 1917 or 1918 may have
come from deposits on the Uvarovite claim in sec. 24. (Bradley 18;
Waring 16, 17)
Chap. 5] PLACER, NEVADA, SIERRA, YUBA, BUTTE, PLUMAS COUNTIES 205
Beat Claim (5) [37]
The Beat ehromite deposit is one of the few deposits in the Sierra
Xevada region from which ehromite was mined and shipped during the
years between World Wars I and II. It is located in the northwest
corner of lot 18, see. 6, T. 15 N., K. 11 E. Ore was discovered on the
property by a man named Allen in 1917. D. J. Sullivan bought the claim
from Allen in 1919 and has exploited the deposit intermittently since.
L. J. Dunn leased and worked the claim for a short time during 1911.
The deposit occurs at and near the surface of what appears to be a
weathered and somewhat eroded slide block. Part of the ore that has
been taken from the deposit was mined from a system of tunnels driven
a short distance below the pre-mining ground surface ; the largest ore
bod}^ mined in this way was about 4 feet wide, 6 feet high, and 30 feet
long. Later, the area over and adjacent to the underground workings
was sluiced to recover pieces of float ore in the weathered material and
fragmental blocks of ore in the broken serpentine at the surface of the
slide block. Dunn used a bulldozer to work the surface area to greater
depths and recovered about 13 long tons of float ore. Although no ore
could be seen in place in 1919, a few tons of float ore was piled on the
property along with a few tons of low-grade ore from the Julian deposit.
The ore in the float pile is massive and some is coarse-grained; the
largest ciystals of ehromite are about one-half inch in diameter. A little
uvarovite occurs in the ore. Most of the ore taken from the deposit to
date has averaged about oo percent CroOs.
Allen mined and sold 20 tons of ore to R. E. Linder and D. J. Sullivan
and 20 tons to George Scott in 1918. Sullivan shipped ore from the Beat
claim in 10 of the years of the period 1920-15 ; the following figures
indicate the approximate amounts of the shipments and the years they
were made : 15 tons in 1920, 90 tons in 1921, 142 tons in 1922, 50 tons
in 1923, 24 tons in 1925, 100 tons in 1931, 38 tons in 1933, 13 tons in
1935, 35 tons by Sullivan and 13 tons bj' Dunn in 1941, and 15 tons in
1945. Figures for 1920-31 are in short tons and those for 1933-45 are in
long tons. Some of Sullivan 's shipments included a little ore from other
deposits, but he cannot recall the exact amounts. It is estimated that
about 500 long tons of the total of the amounts of ore noted above came
from the Beat deposits.
A few tons of ore in the soil and mining debris undoubtedly could be
recovered by bulldozer or hydraulic mining methods, but no estimate
of additional reserves can be made until more work has indicated the
presence of more ore in place. One approach to the search for additional
ore would involve the removal of the overburden and mining debris at
the northern and southern ends of the area already worked in an effort
to demonstrate or disprove the possibility that other ore bodies occur
along the strike of those already mined. Another approach could be an
attempt to trace the float occurring north of the deposit to an ore bodj^
that still may remain in the northern part of the slide block. (Rj'uearson
49; Averill41, 42)
Scott Claim (6)
George Scott mined some ehromite in 1917 from a claim he held in
the northwest corner of lot 19, sec. 6, T. 15 N., R. 11 E. His workings
consisted of a series of shallow pits dug along a line about 150 feet
long, a short drift underneath the southwestern pits, and a shallow
20G CIIROMITE DEPOSITS — SIERRA NEVADA [Bull. 134, Pt. Ill
shaft in one of the northeastern pits. These workings are now caved or
partly filled with waste, and no ore can be seen in place. The deposit
apparently consisted of a series of small lenses of ore occurring along
a sheared zone in the serpentine. Scott shipped 160 short tons of ore
from the deposit in 1917. D. J. Sullivan mixed a few tons of Scott ore
with the ore he shipped from the Beat claim in 1923 and 1925. A little
work with a bulldozer at the northeast end of the series of pits could
easilj^ determine whether additional ore occurs along the strike of the
ore zone. (Rynearson 49)
Julian Claims (7)
Charles Kempster and R. E. Linder located two claims during World
War I on what is known as the Julian deposit. This deposit lies just
north of the Southern Pacific railroad tracks near the line between
sees. 5 and 6, T. 15 N., R. 11 E. A series of small open cuts and pits
along a line trending N. 15° W. expose low-grade layered ore in a dis-
continuous ore zone from 4 to 6 feet wide and about 200 feet long.
At one time the ore probably occurred in one continuous ore body, but
shearing movements along the zone have broken the original ore body
into many irregular and contorted segments. Some of the best ore in
the zone probably contains 30 or 35 percent CroO^, but the tenor of
the average ore is much lower.
Kempster and Linder sorted about 1 ton of low-grade shipping ore
from 30 to 40 tons of milling-grade ore they mined in 1918. About 10
tons of the ore mined in 1918 has been hauled to the Beat claim for
possible "sweetening" with the higher-grade ore from that deposit.
Perhaps one or two thousand tons of milling-grade ore remains in the
ore zone. The reserves are not sufficient to justify e\en a small milling
operation, and it is probable that only a few tons of low-grade shipping
ore could be sorted profitably from the most promising parts of the ore
zone. (Rynearson 49; Cameron 18)
Dunbar Lease (8)
The Dunbar chromite deposit is near the east edge of lot 3, sec. 6, T.
15 N., R. 11 E., about 350 feet south of the railroad. The property was
leased from the U. S. Forest Service (by a person named Dunbar?) and
prospected by making an open cut about 50 feet long, 5 to 20 feet wide,
and 2 to 10 feet deep at the contact between the old erosion surface on
the serpentine and the overlying volcanic rocks. No ore was found in
place but 2 or 3 tons of float was recovered. (Rynearson 49)
Iron Spring Claim (9)
D. J. Sullivan discovered a 7- or 8-ton Ijouldei- of chromite on the
Iron Spring claim near the west edge of sec. 5, T. 15 N., R. 11 E., about
250 feet east of the southeast corner of lot 20, sec. 0. Charles Kempster
and R. E. Linder broke up the boulder and shipped the ore in 1918.
(Rynearson 49)
Oak Patch Claim (10)
D. J. Sullivan found two small chromite deposits near the crest of a
spur ridge on the Oak Patch claim in sec. 5, T. 15 N., R. 11 E., about
500 feet southeast of the Iron Spi-iug dejwsit. The lowest deposit was
opened in ]f)19 or 1!)2() by an open cut 18 feet long and 2 to fi feet wide
with a shaft 12 feet deep in the bottom. Sullivan mined about IG tons
Chap. 5] PLACER, NEVADA, SIERRA, YUBA, BUTTE, PLUMAS COUNTIES 207
of ore from a pod about 10 feet long and 5 feet in diameter. The ore
body pitched steeply to the north in a shear zone that strikes north and
dips about 85° W. A little disseminated ore was present along the
margins of the main ore body, and some uvarovite and talc were asso-
ciated with the ore. A pit 10 feet long, 6 feet wide, and 4 feet deep at
the other deposit on the claim yielded 7 or 8 tons of ore in 1942. (Ry-
nearson 49)
Snakehead (Jumbo) Claim (11)
The Snakehead or Jumbo claim is in lot 27, sec. 6, T. 15 N., R. 11 E.
R. E. Linder and D. J. Sullivan mined two carloads (about 65 or 70 tons)
of ore in 1918 from a deposit in a small outlying mass of serpentine on
the claim. One kidney of ore near the surface was mined from an open
cut about 30 feet long and 8 feet wide. A narrow stringer of ore below
the upper kidney was followed down for about 5 feet to another kidney,
which was mined from a shaft 25 or 30 feet deep. The ore contained
about 47 percent Cr203. (Rynearson 49)
Lucky strike Claim (12)
According to D. J. Sullivan, a small chromite deposit near the center
of sec. 6, T. 15 N., R. 11 E., was mined from the Lucky Strike claim
in 1918. The deposit yielded 15 or 20 tons of ore from one open cut 25
feet long and 8 feet wide, another open cut 10 feet long and 6 feet
wide, and a shaft about 10 feet deep. The writer has not been able to
find out who mined and shipped the ore. (Rynearson 49)
Forest Hill Divide Area
West Chrome Mine (13, 14)
W. N. West opened three chromite deposits in the canyon of the North
Fork of the American River during World War I. The largest of these
(Knob Hill?) is located in the northwest corner of the NE^ sec. 12,
T. 15 N., R. 10 E., on the west side of a canyon tributary to the river.
A much smaller deposit (also known as the West prospect) is located
on the same side but near the mouth of this canyon in sec. 1. The location
of the third deposit is not known. West made one open cut in mining part
of the ore in the larger deposit. H. A. and C. A. Geisendorfer enlarged
this cut during 1942. The deposit in sec. 1 was prospected by a small open
cut, but only a little ore was found.
Records of the U. S. Geological Survey show that West reported ship-
ments of 67 long tons of ore in 1916, 134 tons in 1917, and stocks of 54
long tons on hand in 1918. Records of the California Division of Mines,
however, indicate that he shipped 88 short tons of ore in 1918. The ore
shipped in 1917 reportedly contained 54 percent CroOs and that shipped
in 1918 contained 42 to 52 percent Cr203. The Geisendorfer brothers
mined and shipped 27.3 long tons of ore from the deposit in 1942. This
ore contained 44.84 percent Cr203 and 11.44 percent Fe with a Cr to
Fe ratio of 2.66. All the ore shipped was packed by horses over a trail
to Towle on the north side of the river. According to H. A. Geisendorfer,
some ore remains in the larger deposit, but it is "bunchy" and would
be difficult to mine. (Rynearson 49; Bradley 18; Waring 16)
North Fork Chrome Mine (15)
The North Fork Chrome mine is in the SE^NWi sec. 7, T. 15 N.,
R. 11 E., on the west side of a tributarv canyon south of the North Fork
208
CHROMITE DEPOSITS — SIERRA NEVADA [Bull. 134, Pt. Ill
of the American Kiver. The deposit was opened originally by Joseph
Wherry, Prank Bonham, and Melvin Russel in 1918 under a lease from
the Central Pacific Kailroad Co. Althoujih these men retained their lease
until 1931, they did not ship any of the 63 tons of ore mined by them in
1918. H. A. and C. A. Geisendorfer worked the deposit durinj? 1940-43
under a lease from the Southern Pacific Land Co. They built a bulldozer
trail to the deposit and enlarged the old open cut to a hole about 15
feet long and 15 feet deep (fig. 2). The ore was packed by horses (fig. 3)
Figure 2. Open cut at North Fork Chrome mine, Placer County. Photo taken in 19-12.
up the bulldozer trail to the road on the rim of the Forest Hill Divide.
The Geisendorfer brothers shipped 58.6 long tons of ore mined by the
previous operators and 113.7 long tons of ncAvly mined ore to Auburn
in 1941 ; this ore averaged 46.64 percent Cr^O.s. They shii)ped 45.9 long
tons of ore containing 45.18 percent CroO.s and 11.89 percent Pe, with
a Or to Pe ratio of 2.60, to Auburn in 1942. (Rynearson 49; Southern
Pacific Land Co. 49 ; Averill 41, 42)
Smith and McCullom Prospect (16)
H. A. Smith and Bruce McCullom prospected a small low-grade chro- j
mite deposit in 1941 in the extreme northwest corner of sec. 18, T. 15 N.,
R. 11 E. They apparently found that the deposit was small and the ore
Chap. 5] PLACER, yrEVADA, sierra, YUBA, BUTTE, PLUMAS COUXTIES 209
Figure :J. Loading ore on a pack horse at Xorth Fork Chrome mine, Placer Countv.
Photo taken in 1942.
very low in oracle, as none of the ore was shipped. (Southern Pacific
Land Co. 49)
Sugar Pine Chrome Mine [39]
One of the principal chromite mining enterprises in the central part
of the Forest Hill Divide area during; AYorld War I was operated by R. C.
Turner et al., under the name of Sugar Pine Chrome mine. This "mine''
included many scattered deposits in sees. 19, 20, 29, and 31, T. 15 X.,
R. 11 E., on lands leased from the Power Timber Co. Information con-
cerning the operation and organization of the Sugar Pine enterprise is
scanty. Turner apparently acted principally as an agent and shipped ore
for several other people who participated in the actual mining operations
under contracts and subleases. Among those who mined the ore were
Jessie Butler, Ed Turnbull and Ed Powell and Joseph Del ^lue. Harold
Power, the owner of most of the property that was worked, evidently
mined some of the deposits independently.
The largest of the Sugar Pine deposits was that mined by Butler from
the Boiler Pit in the SE^SAY:^ sec. 29. Most of the other principal de-
posits Avere in the W^XE,^ and the E-iXAVj sec. 31, and included some
of those that were worked subsequently by C. L. Mathews. Dart and
Braden, V. S. and H. R. Marall, and T. C. Green. AVaring (17) examined
and reported on some of the deposits that were being worked in 1917.
Although some of the old workings still were evident when the writer
visited the area in 1943, 1949, and 1950, many had been modified and.
some obliterated, and it is impossible to correlate all tlie deposits de-
scribed by Waring with those that were reworked during World War II.
The Boiler Pit deposit is the only one that has been correlated definitely,
and it is described under a subheading under Victory Chrome Co. Be-
cause of uncertainty in identification, Waring 's other descriptions have
210 CHROMITE DEPOSITS — SIERRA NEVADA [Bull. 134, Pt. Ill
not been incorporated in the separate descriptions of the deposits worked
during the World War II. However, his descriptions may provide clues
that will be useful in planning any further exploitation of the deposits,
and they are quoted below with added reference [in brackets] linking
tliem to groups of deposits that are described elsewhere in this report.
"At an elevation of 3600', in Sec. 31, a IG' shaft exposes soil carrying decom-
posed chrome for a depth of 10' and solid chrome ore for the lower 6'. The ore
body is S' wide, has been opened up for a distance of 14', and appears to strike east-
west with a pitch of 50° to the south. Approximately 40 tons of ore had been
corded, which appeared to carry about 50% Cr203. [Maralls' CAPCO leases and
Green's CAPCO leases]
"On a ridge about J mile above the last working a 16' incline had been run in
weathered chrome. The ore body strikes east-west, at an elevation of 3700', and
the upper portion of it has apparently migrated down the hill in course of weather-
ing. The main ore body pitches rather steeply to the south, at an angle of about
65°, while the upper portion pitches only 10°-20° south. About 40 tons of ore
had been taken out up to June 17, 1917. The surface rock carries a great deal of
iron oxide, much of which is in shot-like nodules; this is red on the surface and
yellow below. [Dart and Braden, Maralls' CAPCO leases, and Green's CAPCO
leases]
"Six men were employed in these scattered workings (includes the Boiler Pit).
The upper, fine ore was more or less mixed with soil and was being concentrated
by R. L. Turner and C. A. Geisendorfer.
"A large pit in Sec. 31, at an elevation of 3520' and southwest of the last work-
ings, exposed an ore body striking N. 80° AV. and pitching 80° N. The upper 6'
of ore had only a slight northerly pitch. About 60 tons of ore were corded. In
an old open cut 6' deep and 50' long ore was exposed 2' wide for a distance of 30'.
Just south of the pit, open cut work had been done, over an area 20'x40', and con-
siderable float chrome recovered. About 40 tons are said to have been shipped in
the fall of 1916 and 30 tons more were piled for shipment from an area 150'
farther east. Still farther south is an old shaft, filled with water, which had been
worked in 1884-85. Northwest of the pit an open cut, made in early days, had
been run N. 40° W. for a distance of 250' ; at the southeast end of it a pit 14'
in diameter and 10' deep had been sunk and considerable ore taken out. [Sunset]
"Farther north in the same section, at an elevation of 3510', an open cut had
been made in a line N. 50° W. The open cut was 5' deep and 150' long and 20
tons of ore had been taken out, which assayed 55% CrzOa and 2% SiOa."
[Sunset ?]
R. C. Turner is credited with a total production of 1,394 long tons of
ore by the U. S. Geological Survey and 1,422 tons by the California
Division of Mines. It is likely, however, that at least a small part of the
ore Turner shipped came from deposits other than those described above.
(Cameron 18; Bradley 18; Waring 17)
Turner and Geisendorfer Chrome and Concentrator Company [38]
Another of the major chromite mining enterprises in the central part
of the Forest Hill Divide area during World War I was operated by
R. L. Turner and C. A. Geisendorfer, who mined or purchased ore from
numerous deposits and also concentrated low-grade material from their
own as well as otlier de])osits. As in the case of the Sugar Pine Chrome
mine, the details of the Turner and Geisendorfer enterprise are not
available. Their operations were centered around deposits in the S.'NE],
SWiSEi and SF^SW^ sec. 30, T. 15 N., R. 11 E., but they also worked
deposits in the adjoining sees. 20, 31, and 32 and in sec. 5, T. 14 N., R.
HE. Some of these deposits are shown on plate 14 at localities num-
bered 26(?), 35c, 37b, 37c, 38a, 38c, 38d, 39, and 5fi. As most of these
deposits were reworked during World War II, they are described else-
where under separate headings.
Chap. 5] PLACER, XEVADA, SIERRA, YUBA. BUTTE, PLUMAS COUNTIES 211
The concentrator (38b on pi. 14) was located in the sonthwest corner
of the SE^ sec. 30. It was nsed to concentrate "fines" and chromite-
bearing: soil from tlie upper portions of weathered ore bodies in nearby
deposits. The coarse fragments were screened from the low-grade ma-
terial, and the material that passed the screen was concentrated on two
Dykes tables. The total amount of concentrate made is not kno\\'n.
Records of the l\ S. Geological Survey credit Turner and Geisen-
dorf er with a total production of 1 .051 long tons of ore, w^hereas those
of the California Division of ]klines credit them with 1,527 tons. A large
part of the ore .shipped by Turner and Geisendorfer was purchased
from other operators. (Eynearson 49 ; Cameron 18 ; Bradley 18 ; Louder-
back 18; Waring 17)
Victory Chrome Company
The Victory Chrome Co., a partnership of Charles Hopper Brown,
Jerry Grant, Ray Graetz, and J. L. Garnette (until 1942), carried on
the most extensive of the chromite mining operations in the Forest
Hill Divide area during World War II. Most of the ore produced by
this company came from deposits on properties leased from others.
Properties in T. 15 N., R. 11 E., that were worked by the company in-
cluded Capital Co. holdings in parts of sees. 19, 28, 29. and 32, the
Iowa Hill Xo. 1 claim in sec. 19, and the Bessie B. and Lightning Ridge
claims in sec. 30. Those in T. 14 N., R. 11 E., included holdings of
Charles L. Finning et al. in parts of sees. 5 and 6 and Ben Schuler's
Mountain View claims in sec. 20. The company also constructed and
operated a small washing and concentrating plant in the southwest
corner of sec. 28, T. 15 N., R. 11 E., which was used to recover chromite
from detrital material.
Like several other operators who produced chromite from the area
during World War II, the Victory Chrome Co. used the bulldozer ex-
tensively in its mining operations. In numerous places, where chromite
float was found or where chromite had been mined previously, pros-
pecting was done by using a bulldozer to make trenches at intervals
across the chromite-bearing areas or to scrape off the soil and weathered
rock adjacent to known deposits. In most of the areas so prospected the
overburden of red and yellow clay and soil was quite thick and it was
necessary to make some of the bulldozer workings as much as 15 feet
deep to expose the underlying bedrock. While prospecting for ore bodies
in place, the operators unearthed many chunks of lump chromite, some
as much as a foot in diameter ; the larger chunks were grubbed from
the loo.sened soil by hand. Such prospecting led to the discovery of
several ore bodies in place, and these were mined from small open cuts
and pits or from shallow shafts. In at least two deposits tlie upper por-
tions of the ore bodies were partly disintegrated as a result of weather-
ing in place, and this friable ore was rich enough to be shoveled up
and shipped directly without .sorting or other concentration. The .soil
adjacent to these disintegrated ore bodies and the soil in a few other
places, where ore bodies were not found actually in place but were
broken up and the chromite was dispersed through the top soil, con-
tained sufficient chromite (5 to 20 percent CroO:?) to warrant concen-
tration at the washing plant. Perhaps 1,000 tons or more of such ma-
terial was trucked to the plant for concentration.
212
CHROMITE DEPOSITS— SIERRA NEVADA [Bull. 134, Pt. Ill
The washiuf? plant (47), which was constructed rather roughly, con-
sisted of a trommel 20 feet long and 4.5 feet in diameter with one-half
inch perforations in a section 5 feet long at the discharge end, a battery
of jigs, and a belt stacker that doubled as a picking belt. The loose
chromite-bearing material was fed into the trommel and washed with
a heavy charge of water. The minus one-half inch material M-as cir-
cuited over a double-cell Pan American jig and thence over two Miner's
Foundry jigs. The oversize from the trommel was discharged onto
the stacker, where the larger fragments of chromite were picked off
by hand. Although the plant was relatively efficient in concentrating the
chromite, the washing process did not completely remove the limonitic
coating from the chromite fragments and the jig concentrate contained
a considerable amount of limonite "shot" — small pellets of hydrous
iron oxides commonly found in soils developed from serpentine. Con-
sequently, the concentrates, though high in chromic oxide, were also
high in iron. Although many thousands of yards of soil containing more
than 10 percent chromite probably could have been mined from various
localities within hauling distance of the plant, any concentrates made
from such material would have had an undesirable Cr to Fe ratio.
Furthermore, the water supply was scarce and limited to the rainy
season, when mining and trucking the low-grade material would have
been difficult. Therefore, the company treated only the richest material
from two or three deposits close to the plant.
Complete and accurate records of the amounts of ore produced by
the Victory Chrome Co. from deposits in Placer County are not avail-
able, and the discrepancies in the figures that have been recorded by
State and Federal agencies cannot be reconciled. The figures tabulated
below were compiled from data supplied by the company and by stock-
pile agents for the years 1941 and 1942 and from Metals Reserve Co.
records for 1943 and 1944. Although these figures may not be complete,
it is believed that they are representative of the actual production.
Table 7. Placer County chromite production hy Victory Chrome Company
Year
Kind of ore
Long tons
Percent
CrjO,
Percent
Fe
Cr/Fe
1941
Lump (mostly)
295.5
171.0
131.1
127.5
8.9
42.9
47.52
41.44
49.28
47.06
46.55
48.37
13"49
19.79
18.83
15.07
12.65
1942
2.10
1943
1944 --.
Fine (friable ore)
Concentrates
Lump
1.70
1.71
2.11
2.62
Total
776.9
Descriptive information is not available for all the deposits in the
Forest Ilill Divide area that were Avorked by the Victory Chrome Co.
Many of the localities prospected seem to warrant no separate descrip-
tion. Most of the principal workings have been visited bj^ Federal repre-
sentatives, but these visits were not generally made until after the
workings had been abandoned and had sloughed or caved. Consequently,
but little information on the geologic details of the deposits is known.
However, it seems worth while to attempt a brief description of each of
Chap. 5] PLACER, NEVADA, SIERRA, TUBA, BUTTE, PLUMAS COUNTIES 213
the principal deposits — giving their location, production, and what is
known about the size, shape, and occurrence of the ore bodies — in the
hope that such information, though sketchy and incomplete, may be
useful in the further exploitation of these deposits. It should be noted
that estimates of the amounts of ore yielded by individual deposits
are approximate ; some may be too high and others too low.
Section 19 (17). A chromite deposit in the NE^NWi sec. 19. T. 15
N., R. 11 E., yielded about 90 long tons of ore to the Victory Chrome Co.
in 1941. This ore was mined from an old shaft that had been made during
World War I. This deposit is probably identical with one worked later
by the War Metals Development Co., which mined about 36 long tons of
ore from two shafts about 25 feet deep. These two shafts are about 50 feet
apart and, although they were not accessible when the deposit was visited
by the writer in 1943 and 1949, they appear to be connected underground
by irregular stopes. It is said that a small lens of ore remains in the bottom
of one shaft. The ore occurs in relatively unaltered duuite and consists
of irregular stringers, small masses of poorly formed nodules, and coarse,
disseminated grains of chromite. Neither the grade nor the total amount
of the ore shipped from this deposit are known. (Rynearson 43, 49)
Randall Claims (28). xVccording to C. H. Brown, the Victory Chrome
Co. produced about 35 long tons of ore from D. 0. Randall's claims in the
NW:|NE:J sec. 30. Presumably these are the same claims that Randall
called the Randall Xo. 1 and Xo. 2 and from which, in 1942. he himself
shipped 20 long tons of ore containing 51.37 percent CroOs and 13.9
percent Fe with a Cr to Fe ratio of 2.57. The workings consist of several
shallow pits and trenches south of a small gully and a wide, shallow cut
and a shaft (now filled) north of the gully. A little disseminated ore is
on the dump near the shaft and numerous small pieces of float can be
found in the vicinity of the workings, but no ore can be seen in place.
(Rynearson 49)
Bessie B. (40) and Lightning Ridge Claims. The Victory Chrome Co.
reported that the 42.9 long tons of ore it shipped in 1944 came from the
Bessie B. and Lightning Ridge claims, but did not report the amounts
that came from each. The Bessie B. claim adjoins the Daisy Bell and the
Blue Bell and/or Bee Bee claims in the southeast corner of the SW^SE^
sec. 30. The Victory Chrome Co. workings are those just east of the road.
About 25 tons of the ore mined in 1944 came from a shaft about 20 feet
deep, and a few tons of ore was taken from surface workings near the
shaft by C. H. Brown and an additional few tons by Joseph Del Mue
afterwards. The location of the Lightning Ridge claim has not been veri-
fied, but the name possibly alludes to the Lightning Streak No. 1 claim
(37a) in the SE^SW^ sec. 30, from which Brown is said to have mined
a few tons of ore. (R\Tiearson 49)
High-grade Pit (45). Most of the friable ore shipped by the Victory
Chrome Co. came from a deposit at the High-grade Pit on the west edge
of the road in the XE^SE^ sec. 29. The ore bodies in the deposit were
found essentially in place, and the friable character of the ore was the
result of decomposition by weathering processes. The chromite at the
margins of the ore bodies was mixed with soil, and some of this low-grade
material was concentrated at the washing plant. Xo hard lump ore was
214 ClIROMITE DEPOSITS — SIERRA NEVADA [Bull. 134, Pt. Ill
foiuul in place but about 12 long tons of hard float ore was grubbed out
of the soil dug up in the vicinity by a bulldozer. This deposit yielded an
estimated 130 long tons of ore. (Hynearson 43, 49)
Red Pit (46). A large area near the multiple road intersection in the
southwest corner of see. 28 was scraped with a bulldozer. The red soil in
a part of these workings known as the Red Pit was relatively rich in
chromite (averaging about 7 percent Cr20;{) and was trucked to the
washing plant; it yielded about 50 long tons of concentrate. (Rynear-
son 43 )
Long Pit and Yellow Pit (49). In the southeast corner of sec. 29 an
area about 400 feet long and 30 feet wide was trenched and scraped with
a bulldozer to depths of 1 to 8 feet. The scraped area in the northern part
of these workings was called the Long Pit, and near the north end of
this pit a small lens of ore was mined from a small open cut in the ser-
pentine exposed by the bulldozer. This ore body was about 2 feet wide
and 8 feet long and yielded about 30 long tons of ore. The southern part
of the workings, known as the Yellow Pit, yielded 50 or 60 long tons of
lump and friable chromite. A roughly equivalent amount of concentrate
was made from the chromite-rich portions of the yellow soil (averaging
about 10 percent CroOy) mined from the pit. Some of the ore mined by
T. C. Green in 1944 may have come from these same workings after they
had been abandoned by the Victory Chrome Co. (Rynearson 43, 49;
Robertson 42)
Twin Shafts (50). The company made a bulldozer pit about 50 feet
long, 30 feet wide, and 4 feet deep and exposed two small, irregular ore
bodies about 20 feet apart in the serpentine in the SW^^SE:! sec. 29.
Robertson reported that about 23 long tons of ore had been mined from
two shafts 20 feet deep in September 1942 and that ore about 2 feet wide
was being mined at the bottom of one shaft. It is assumed that all the ore
in both ore bodies was mined out. (Robertson 42)
Capp's Pit (51). A small deposit known as Capp's Pit is located in
the southeast corner of the SB^SAVi sec. 29. In 1942 the Victory Chrome
Co. mined about 20 long tons of ore from a small open cut near the bottom
of the shallow gulch. (Rynearson 49 ; Robertson 42)
Boiler Pit (41). The Boiler Pit deposit in the northwest corner of the
SE^SW^ sec. 29 was opened in 1916 by Jessie Butler for R. L. Turner.
It has the distinction of being the largest individual deposit that has been
found thus far in the Forest Hill Divide area, and it is the only one that
has yielded more than 1,000 tons of ore. The workings are in the bottom
of a gully just north of the road. In 1949 the surface workings consisted
of a nan'ow, irregular open cut about 100 feet long with two deeper holes
(sto])e openings?) about 15 feet apart at the southeast end. About 25
feet south of the two holes is the collar of a shaft or incline, which maj^ be
the incline that Waring described as being about 40 feet deep. The two
holes and the shaft are flooded. No ore can be seen in any of the accessible
workings. According to Waring 's description, the ore body mined by
Butler was from 3 to !) feet thick, about 50 feet long, and extended to a
depth of at least 40 feet. This ore body yitdded approximately 1,000 long
tons of ore containing about 45 percent CroQ;,. All of this ore was mined
Chap. 5] PLACER, NEVADA, SIERRA, YUBA. BUTTE, PLUMAS COUNTIES 215
in 1916 and 1917, and it is not known if any ore was left in the bottom of
the World War I workings. In 1941 the Victory Chrome Co. prodnced
12 or 15 long tons of ore from the northwestern end of the open cut. but
apparently no attempt was made to reopen the old underground work-
ings. Because of the relatively large size of this deposit, additional ex-
ploration at the ends of the cut and below the old workings might disclose
the presence of a considerable amount of ore. (Rynearson 49 ; Bradley 18 ;
Waring 17)
Finning Property (60, 63). In 1941 the Victory Chrome Co. reopened
two small deposits that had been worked during World War I, possibly
by W. I. Hewes and 0. H. Jones. Both deposits are on property owned
by Charles L. Finning et al. One is in the northeast corner of the
NWiSWi sec. 5, T. 14, N., R. 11 E. It yielded about 25 long tons of ore,
about 20 tons of which had been piled at the deposit since 1918. The other
deposit is in the southwest corner of the XE^XEi sec. 6. The old work-
ings yielded about 5 long tons of ore in 1941. (Rynearson 50)
Mountain View Group (70). Ben Schuler owns the Mountain View
group of three claims in the SW^SWi sec. 20, T. 14 N.. R. 11 E. The
property was called the Manzanita Chrome mine in 1918 when it was
o-uTied by ]\I. F. Hoffman and operated by Henry Schermeir. The work-
ings comprise several pits and bulldozer trenches, a short inclined drift,
and a shaft about 18 feet deep. No ore can be seen in place in the surface
workings, but Schuler claims that narrow stringers of ehromite remain
in the bottoms of the underground workings. The small ore bodies ap-
parently occur along an east-trending zone in dunite and in residual
soil derived from dunite. It is reported that about 60 tons of ore was
shipped from the deposit during World War I. An unidentified operator
shipped 16 long tons of ore in 1941. The Victory Chrome Co. shipped 46
long tons of ore containing 47.8 percent CroOs from the deposit in 1941
and about 9 tons of similar ore in 1943. Much float ore is scattered about
the workings and some has been collected into small piles. Several tons
of float ore could be recovered with little effort. Additional prospecting
with a bulldozer might uncover other ore bodies. The most effective way
to initiate further exploration would be to cut several deep trenches
across the apparent trend of the ore zone. (Rynearson 50; Averill 42)
Miscellaneous Prospects. In addition to the deposits described above,
the Victory Chrome Co. prospected occurrences of float ore at numerous
scattered localities in sees. 19, 20, 28, 29, 30, T. 15 N., R. 11 E. Some of
these prospects are shown on plate 14 as localities numbered 18, 21a, 21b,
21c, 42, 43, and 44. About 35 long tons of float ore was gathered up near
locality 42 and about 12 long tons near locality 41. Most of the other
pro.spects yielded no ore. (Rynearson 49)
Esther and Phyllis Mine (19, 20)
The Esther and Phyllis mine is the name that was adopted by the War
Metpls Development Co., Ltd.. of which D. D. Pettigrew was the prin-
cipal, for its ehromite mining operations in the Forest Hills Divide area
during 1941-43. This company worked deposits on Capital Co. lands in
sees. 19 and 20, T. 15 N., R. 11 E.. under a sublease from the Victory
Chrome Co. Joseph Del Mue's Lucky Hunter claim (22) in the SW^
sec. 20 also was leased.
216 CHROMITE DEPOSITS — SIERRA NEVADA [Bull. 134, Pt. Ill
The operations, which were carried on by Pettigrew, were similar to
those by tlie Victory Chrome ('o. but were not nearly as extensive. Petti-
grew mined some ore from the Section 19 deposit (17) in the NE^NW^
sec. 19 (see Victory Chrome Co.) and a little ore from the Lucky Hunter
claim in sec. 20, but most of the ore he produced came from a group of
workings in the AV-iSE^ sec. 19 (20b-20f). These workings comprise a
series of bulldozer pits, small open cuts, and a shallow shaft (20f ) ex-
tending for about 1,500 feet along a line trending N. 45° W. About 10
long tons of ore was taken from an ore body found in place in the serpen-
tine in one open cut (20d). A few tons of disseminated ore containing
25 to 35 percent CroOs was taken fi'om the same cut and from the shaft
but was not shipped. ]\Iost of the ore produced from these workings con-
sisted of float and small bodies of weathered chromite occurring at the
surface or in the red residual soil. Some of the soil also contained enough
detrital chromite (5 to 20 percent CroOs) to induce the company to
construct a washing and concentrating plant (19) in the hope that a
considerable amount of such chromite could be recovered. The plant was
similar to the one operated by the Victor^' Chrome Co. and had the same
disadvantages in that the process could not eliminate the limonitic coat-
ing and limonite pellets from the concentrate. Up to February 1943
about 15 tons of concentrate, 11 tons of which contained 39.9 percent
Cr203 and 24.8 percent Fe. had been produced in the plant.
The Esther and Phyllis mine is credited with a production of 137 long
tons of ore averaging 47.67 percent CroOs for 1941, 47 tons averaging
46.89 percent CroOg and 10.52 percent Fe with a Cr to Fe ratio of 3.05
for 1942, and 32 tons averaging 44.73 percent Cr203 and 15.62 percent
Fe with a Cr to Fe ratio of 1.96 for 1943. The accredited production
totals 216 long tons, but some additional ore mined by tlie company prob-
ably has been included in the production credited to others who operated
in the same area. (Rynearson 43, 49)
Iowa Hill Chrome Mine (23-25)
W. S. Macy, "Wm. Hales, and W. S. Hales owned the four patented
Iowa Hill Chrome claims in the S^Yi sec. 19 and the NWi sec. 30, T. 15 N.,
R. 11 E., during World War I. 0. S. Williamson and C. Beck leased and
operated the Iowa Hill No. 2 claim in 1917, but the owners worked the
property themselves in 1918.
Waring visited the property in June 1917 and reported that about 5
tons of float had been taken from a pit on the southwest side of the old
road in the northwest corner of the SW:|SW:| sec. 19 and that 2 tons of
float ore was piled near an old shaft about 300 feet east of the i)it. The
lessees were mining a lens of ore about 5 feet wide and 16 feet long in
another deposit at the south end of the claim in sec. 30. They also had
opened still another lens of ore about 10 feet to the north in a small cut
3 feet wide and 12 feet long. Waring was told that 100 tons of ore had
been mined several years previously from still another deposit in a large
cut over the hill to the south of the sec. 30 workings. This last deposit
probably was not on the Iowa Hill proi)erty.
The owners were working the deposits in sec. 19 when Cameron vis-
ited the property in June 1918. They had miiu^d about 30 tons of ore, and
some ore still showed in tlu' bottoms of a series of pits that extended for
150 feet along a line trending N. 30" W. Apparently no ore was mined
after 1918, and in 1949 only a few Inmps of t-hromite and a little dis-
Chap. 5] PLACER, NEVADA, SIERRA, YUBA, BUTTE, PLUMAS COUNTIES 217
seminated ore could be seen scattered about the workings. The Victory
Chrome Co. prospected some float with a bulldozer at one locality (23),
but did not find enough ore to make a shipment.
Records of the U. S. Geological Survey credit Williamson and Beck
with a production of 201 long tons of ore in 1917 and the ^Macy Bros, with
96 long tons in 1918. The Macy Bros, reported their ore stocks to be 29
long tons at the end of 1918, but this ore probably was shipped at a later
date, as no evidence of it could be seen on the property in 1949. (Rynear-
son 49 ; Bradley 18 ; Cameron 18 ; Louderback 18 ; Waring 17)
Dart and Braden (29-32, 54a)
Durinsf 1941-42 H. A. Dart and W. L. Braden held leases on the Port
Wine (29) and Horseshoe (30) claims of L. E., E. D., and J. W. Drone
as well as leases on several other claims in the E? sec. 30, T. 15 N., R.
HE., and at various intervals during the same period thej^ held leases
from the Capital Co. on about 500 acres of land in sec. 31 and 120 acres
in sec 32. Dart and Braden 's mining operations were confined largely to
several deposits on the claims in sec. 30 and one deposit in the SW^NE^
see. 31. They constructed and operated a small washing plant (31) on
the Horseshoe claim in the NE^NE:^ sec. 30.
Dart and Braden and several other operators gathered up float ore
and also mined a number of small lenses of ore in place at scattered
localities in sec. 30 during 1941. Most of this ore was shipped by R. N.
Knudsen to the U. S. Vanadium Co. stockpile at Auburn, but no records
were kept of the amounts of ore taken from each deposit or of the total
amount produced. According to Knudsen, he shipped well over 150 long
tons of ore from the deposits.
The washing plant (31) on the Horseshoe claim was erected to con-
centrate some of the ore found in a deposit on the hillside above the
plant. The ore in this deposit consisted partly of float and partly of
stringers and disseminated crystals of friable chromite occurring in a
small, irregular mass of dunite in saxonite. About 12 long tons of the
float was gathered up and shipped. An irregular open cut about 200 feet
long, 5 to 30 feet wide, and 5 to 15 feet deep was made in mining the
remainder of the ore. Most of the mining was done by means of a stream
of water from a 2-inch nozzle. First the detrital material and then the
decomposed ore in place was sluiced into a flume, which transported the
material to a series of eight riffle boxes, which discharged onto two Pan
American jigs. The plant was operated during the first six months of
1942 and produced 62.7 long tons of concentrate averaging 47.39 percent
CroOs and 15.71 percent Fe with a Cr to Fe ratio of 2.06.
Dart and Braden also mined some ore in 1942 from an old shaft in the
SW:jNE J sec. 31 on the ridge east of the Sunset mine (Dart and Braden 's
Capco lease (54a)). This shaft probably was a part of the old Sugar
Pine workings (see Sugar Pine Chrome mine), from which more than 40
long tons of ore was mined during World War I. Dart and Braden found
some more ore in or adjacent to the old workings and took out 49.2 long
tons of ore containing 50.39 percent CroO.-? and 15 percent Fe. This same
deposit mav have yielded some additional ore to V. S. and H. R. Marall
or to T. C' Green ni 1943 or 1944. (Rynearson 43, 49; Averill 43)
Sunny Ridge Claim (33c)
Joseph Del Mue mined some ore in 1942 or 1944 from deposits on the
Sunny Ridge claim in the northeast corner of the SW^SWJ sec. 30, T.
218 CHROMITE DEPOSITS — SIERRA NEVADA [Bull. 134, Pt. Ill
15 N., R. 11 E. Ed De Krnse and others had mined ore from these
deposits dnrinjr World War T. Del Mne extracted about 10 lon^: tons
of ore from one pit above the road ; he states that a little ore about 1 foot
wide still remains in the bottom of this pit. He also mined about 4.5 lonjr
tons of ore from another pit just below the road. The total amount of
ore production from these deposits is not known. (Rynearson 49)
Buzzard and Blue Jay Claims (33a, 34a, 34b)
The Buzzard and Blue Jay claims include several ])its in the southwest
corner of the NE]SW| and perhaps another pit in the NW|SW^ sec.
30, T. 15 N., R. 11 E. Several small deposits in this area were worked by
a man named Webber durinnf World War I and reworked by V. S. and
n. R. Marall durinir World War TT. The early production is not known,
but 79.3 lonjr tons of ore containing: 49.47 percent CroO^ and 12.15 per-
cent Fe with a Cr to Fe ratio of 2.78 was shipped from two of the
deposits by the Maralls during 1942-43. (Rynearson 49; Averill 43)
Lightning Streak Claims (33b, 33d, 33e, 37a, 37b)
The Lijrhtninj? Streak claims are in the SW] see. 30, T. 15 N., R. 11 E.
The Victory Chrome Co. mined 2 or 3 tons of ore from a small deposit
(37a) on the No. 1 claim in the SE|SW:| sec. 30. Another small deposit
(37b) a short distance to the south yielded about 5 tons of ore to R. L.
Turner and C. A. Geisendorfer durinp: World War T.
Joseph Del Mue mined about 25 lonp' tons of ore from a pit (33b) close
to the road on the No. 2 claim near the south edfre of the NW:^SW| sec.
30. John and /or Arthur Watts mined 50 to 75 tons of ore from this same
deposit, which they called the Black Cat (?), during; World War T.
Their ore probably was sold to one of several buyers, as the production
has not been recorded separately.
Del Mue also mined about 8 loufj tons of ore in 1945 from a shaft
(33d) 25 feet deep at a deposit about 300 feet southeast of the pit men-
tioned above. However, it is not known whether this shaft is on the
No. 2 or on some other claim. (Rynearson 49)
Wild Canyon Claim (35c, 37c, 38a)
The Wild Canyon claim apparently includes a shaft (38a) about 20
feet deep and several small pits (35c, 37c) near the east edge of the
SEASW] sec. 30, T. 15 N., R. 11 E. R. L. Turner and C. A. Geisendorfer
mined ore from some of these workings during World War I. They took
60 or 70 tons of ore from the shaft and smaller amounts from other
places. T. C. Green prospected around some of the old workings with a
bulldozer, but recovered only about 2 tons of ore from one locality (37c).
Joseph Del IMue and W. Zimdars also mined a few tons of ore from this
claim in 1942.
Chucho Claim (35a, 35b)
The Chucho claim lies north and a little west of the Wild Canyon claim
and is in the southeast corner of the NEjSW:! sec. 30, T. 15 N.". R. 11 E.
The ])r()spects on this claim yielded about 1.5 tons of ore to Ij. J. Dunn
in 1941, about 2 tons to Del Mue and Zimdars in 1942, and about half a
ton to T. C. Green.
Sunny Ridge Fraction Claim (36)
The Sunnv Ridge Fraction claim in the northern part of the SWjSE.j;
sec. 30, T. 15 N., R. 11 E., was held by eToseph Del Mue et al, in 1942.
Chap. 5] PLACER, NEVADA, SIERRA, YUBA, BUTTE, PLUMAS COUNTIES 219
Ed Drone mined an nnkno^A^^ amount of ore from an open cut and a
short drift near the southeast end of the claim during World "War I, and
Del Mne produced about 30 long tons of ore from other parts of the claim
in 1942. Most of Del Mue's ore consisted of float derived from small ore
bodies that had been eroded out of the highly sheared serpentine. (Ry-
nearson 49)
Blue Bell and Bee Bee Claims (3Sc, 38d)
In 1941 L. J. Dunn reworked several deposits on two claims he called
Blue Bell and Bee Bee (or B. B.). These deposits lie on both sides of the
Forest Hill-Iowa Hill road near the south edge of the SW^SE^ sec. 30,
T. 15 N., R. 11 E. Jessie Butler had dug some float during World War I
from one deposit below the road. Dunn used a bulldozer to rework the
s'ame deposit and produced about 25 long tons of ore from several small
ore bodies that the bulldozer uncovered in one cut and also a few tons of
float. He also used his bulldozer to prospect one or two deposits that
Turner and Geisendorfer, H. T. Powers, and perhaps others had opened
on the southeast side of the road, and he probably recovered a few tons
of ore during the course of this prospecting. Dunn's total production
from these deposits amounted to about 35 long tons of ore averaging
49.87 percent CroOs; all the ore was shipped by R. N. Knudsen. (Ry-
nearson 49)
Daisy Bell Claim (39)
The Daisy Bell claim, which is owned by Joseph Del Mue et al., is on
the south edge of the SE^ sec. 30, T. 15 N., R. 11 E., and adjoins the
Bessie B. and Blue Bell or Bee Bee claims. A series of deposits along the
bottom and sides of a gulch on the claim apparently represent a south-
eastward continuation of the ore zones worked by Dunn and the Victory
Chrome Co. According to Del Mue, considerable ore was mined from
several of the deposits during World War I. A few of the old workings
still are evident, but most have been obliterated or covered up by more
recent work. Outcrops are scarce and so deeply weathered that but little
can be ascertained regarding the geology of the deposits. However, the
distribution pattern of the known deposits suggests that the ore bodies
occur along at least two parallel ore zones in the serpentine. Because these
ore zones may contain other ore bodies not yet discovered, it seems worth-
while to relate what is known about the size and location of the ore bodies
that have been mined already, as such information might help to guide
future exploration.
Del Mue mined about 15 long tons of ore from a shallow shaft at tlie
northwestern end of the claim and only a short distance up the gulch
from the shaft on the Bessie B. claim. A small open cut near the collar
of the shaft yielded about 50 long tons of ore from another ore body. A
cut farther up the gulch also yielded about 50 long tons of ore. A little
farther up the gulch Del Mue sank an inclined shaft 40 feet deep (now
filled), but was able to recover only about 5 tons of ore from the ore
stringer he followed. Near the collar of this shaft, however, an open cut
yielded one chromite pod containing 10 tons of ore and another pod
containing 20 tons. He ran a short drift into the heading of this cut and
assertedly opened a face of ore 6 feet wide and 4 feet high in another
ore body. Although this ore was not mined out, it was not visible in 1949,
as the drift had caved. Farther up the gulch from these workings is an
220
CHROMITE DEPOSITS — SIERRA NEVADA [Bull. 134, Pt. Ill
old cut made by the Cox Bros, for Turner and Geisendorfer during:
World War I. Del Mue estimates that as much as 500 tons of ore may
have been taken from this old cut. South of the Cox cut is another deposit
that was opened by H. T. Powers durin^? World War I and prospected
by L. J. Dunn during World War II. The amount of ore taken from this
last deposit is not known.
Tlie various deposits on the Daisy Bell claim apparentlj- have yielded
a total of 600 to 700 tons of ore, and ore is known to remain in at least
one of the ore bodies that have been found thus far. Nearly all of the
mining has been confined to the upper, weathered parts of the ore zones.
Additional systematic exploration along the ore zones at greater depths
might well result in the discovery of a number of ore bodies similar to
those already mined. (Rynearson 49)
Maralls' CAPCO Leases (53a, 53b, 54a)
V. S. and H. R. Marall leased each of the quarters of the NE^ sec. 31,
T. 15 N., R. 11 E., from the Capital Co. at various times during 1944-45.
T. C. Green also leased the same areas, but at different times, during
1943-45. The information at hand does not permit positive identification
of the specific deposits worked by each lessee. An anal3^sis of data ob-
tained from the records of the Metals Reserve Co. and the Capital Co.
indicates that the Maralls mined ore from at least three different deposits.
When the writer visited the area in 1950 he saw only three deposits that
might have been worked by these lessees. Although one or two other
deposits may have escaped detection, it is assumed that each of the de-
posits seen was worked by both lessees at different times.
Tahle 8. Chromite production from the Maralls' CAPCO leases, 1944-4^
Group
Long tons
Percent
CrjOa
Percent
Fe
Cr/Fe
Source
1
2
20.6
15.8
10.5
37.3
22.2
12.0
26.7
26.2
57.20
58.34
48.71
54.97
53.31
55.61
50.94
51.05
11.28
11.67
11.49
13.01
13.12
11.49
13.05
13.54
3.47
3.42
2.90
2178
3.31
2.67
2.58
NEMNEK sec. 31
Do.
Do.
SEMNEM sec. 31
Do.
3
Do.
SWMNEJi sec. 31
Do.
Total- --
171.3
The workings at two of the deposits visited (53a, 53b) consisted of
})ull(lo/,('r cuts and liand pits in deej) residual soil. No ore could be found
in place, but a few pieces were seen in the soil scraped by the bulldozer.
Evidently the ore mined from these deposits occurred as float and/or
residual ore bodies in the residual soil. If either of these deposits was
worked during World War I, all evidence of the old workings has been
destroyed. The third deposit (54a), however, probably was one of those
included in the Sugar Pine mine during World War T. The workings at
this deposit comprise two shafts inclined southward, a large bulldozer
(lit in the deep red and yellow soil around the shafts, and several hand
pits, Jill above the access road, and another inclined shaft in the bottom
Chap. 5] PLACER, NEVADA, SIERRA, YUBA, BUTTE, PLUMAS COUNTIES 221
of the gully below the road. No ore can be seen in place in the surface
working's, which do not penetrate the thick mantle of soil, and the under-
ground workings are inaccessible. The upper shafts, at least, followed
ore downward into bedrock, as pieces of dunite on the dumps contain
small stringers of massive chromite and some disseminated chromite.
It is not known if any ore remained in the underground workings when
they were abandoned. (See also Sugar Pine mine.)
The data shown in table 8 indicate the amount, grade and reported
source of the ore shipped by the Maralls from deposits on their CAPCO
leases. The data are presented in detail mainly to illustrate the varia-
tions in the grade of chromite ores from different deposits in a relatively
small area. Note the unusually high chromic-oxide content of two lots
in group 1. The lots in groups 1 and 2 were shipped in 1944 and those in
group 3 were shipped in 1945. (Rynearson 50)
Green's CAPCO (48, 49, 52-54)
Thad C. Green leased various quarter-quarter parts of sees. 29, 31, and
32, T. 15 N., R. 11 E., from the Capital Co. during 1943-45. He produced
ore from deposits in the SE^SE^ sec. 29, the W^NE^ sec. 31, and the
NE^NE^ and SW:iNW:^ sec. 32. He may have mined some ore in the
SE^NEi sec. 31 also. It is assumed that he worked at least one or two of
the deposits worked by V. S. and H. R. Marall in sec. 31 (see Marall's
CAPCO leases) . No information is available as to the nature or extent of
his workings or to the character of the ore bodies he mined on the leases
in sees. 29 and 32.
The workings in the SW^NE:| sec. 31 yielded 20 long tons of ore in
1943 and 66.5 tons plus a few tons of a mixed lot in 1944. Several lots
of this ore, aggregating 81.1 long tons, averaged 50.16 percent CroOs
and 13.26 percent Pe with a Cr to Fe ratio of 2.59. The workings in the
NW^NE] sec. 31 yielded 10.6 long tons of ore plus part of a mixed lot of
16.9 long tons in'l944. Those in the SB^SE^ sec. 29 (may be same as
Yellow Pit?) yielded 21.9 long tons of ore plus part of a mixed lot of
16.9 long tons in 1944. One lot of 16.6 long tons of this ore contained 41.97
percent Cr203 and 10.09 percent Fe with a Cr to Fe ratio of 2.85. The
workings in the SWiNW:J sec. 32 yielded about 58 long tons of ore plus
part of a mixed lot of 30.6 long tons in 1944. In 1945 those in NE^NE^
sec. 32 yielded 25.8 long tons of ore containing 48.85 percent CroOs and
12.55 percent Fe with a Cr to Fe ratio of 2.66. Green's shipments from
deposits on lands leased from the Capital Co. total 251 long tons. (Ry-
nearson 50)
Sunset Mine (54b, 55)
The Sunset mine propertv comprises about 20 acres of patented land,
the N^SE^NWi sec. 31, T. 15 N., R. 11 E. Chromite deposits on the
property were first worked in the early eighties (by a Mr. Braden?).
During World War I the property was considered a part of the Sugar
Pine Chrome mine and was operated mainly by Ed Turnbull and Ed
Powell. Joseph Del Mue mined some of the ore on a contract basis in
1918 ; Turner and Geisendorfer and H. T. Powers are supposed to have
mined some ore also. Del ]\Iue owned and operated the property in 1941,
but sold out to C. L. Mathews, who carried on the mining operations
during 1942-43. Y. S. and H. R. Marall produced some ore from the
222 CHROMITE DEPOSITS SIERRA NEVADA [Bull. 134, Pt. Ill
property in 1944, as did T. C. Green in 1945. The property has been
idle since 1945.
The workings consist of several pits and bulldozer trenches above, or
east of, the Forest II ill-Iowa Hill road and several pits, trenches, and
open cuts and four or five shafts below the road. The deepest shaft bot-
toms at about 42 feet. All those workings were partly filled with waste
or water when the writer visited the property early in 1943 and again in
the summer of 1950.
Some experimental concentrating equipment was assembled on the
property late in 1942 in the hope that it could be used to recover frag-
ments of chromite from the dumps and also from the soil in the vicinity
of the workings. It it doubtful that more than a few tons of concentrate
was made, because water was available only during the rainy season
and even then the supply was limited.
Although numerous workings have been made to exploit the deposits,
the geologic features are not readily apparent because critical areas are
obscured by soil, water, or mining debris. Therefore, a detailed and
integrated geologic description of the deposits cannot be made, but the
following statements include most of the relevant information that is
available. The northern group of shafts are spaced about 60 feet apart
in an open cut or slope opening about 150 feet long. These workings
were made to mine a series of ore bodies localized along a zone that trends
about N. 55° AV. The pits and trenches on both sides of the road lie
approximately astride a line projected southeastward along the trend of
this zone. The two southern shafts are about 25 feet apart in an open
cut or slope opening about 50 feet long. These southern workings are
about 150 feet south of the northern cut and appear to be on another ore
zone striking almost due north toward the center of the northern cut.
Except for a few pieces of float, no ore can be seen in or around the
surface workings. However, information supplied by Mathews and Del
Mue indicates that the ore occurred as small pods and lenses in small
bodies of dunite in the serpentinized saxonite country rock and as float
eroded from similar bodies. The largest pod mined by Mathews con-
tained about 40 long tons of ore, and the smallest contained only 1 or 2
tons. The main bulk of the ore bodies mined has consisted of massive
chromite, but the margins consisted of streaks and stringers of chromite
and some disseminated chromite. The serpentine adjacent to the ore was
sheared, but it adhered to the ore and had to be cobbed away. The ore
shipped during World War II averaged about 54 percent CroO.} and
had a Cr to Fe ratio of about 2.99 ; scmie of the best ore shipped contained
as much as 56 percent CroO;;.
Xo accurate and complete recoi'ds of the production prior to 1941
exist. Some of Waring 's descriptions, which are quoted under the head-
ing of Sugar Pine Chrome mine, give some indication of the nuignitude
of the eai'ly ]u-odu('tion, and estimates furnished by Del Mne seem to
substantiate Waring's figures. Del Mue recalls that he mined about 60
tons of ore from one of the northern shafts and about 9 tons from a cut
near this shaft ; that Turnbull and Powell mined about 25 tons from
another of the northern shafts; aiul that various operators, including
II. T. Powers and Tui'uer and Oeisendorfer, mined about 50 tons of
ore from the pits at the east end of the pro]ierty. Thus, the early pro-
duction ])robably amounted Jo at least 150 tons of ore, and may have
been twice as much. (See also Sngai" Pine Chrome mine.)
Chap. 5] PLACER, NEVADA, SIERRA, YUBA, BUTTE, PLUMAS COUXTIES 223
Del Mue mined about 12 tons of ore from another shaft (the northern- .
most shaft in the southern cut?) and about 10 tons from the third pit
east of the road in 1941 ; R. N. Knudsen shipped this ore. Mathews
shipped 181.8 long tons of ore in 1942 and 14.3 tons in 1943, most of
which came from the southernmost shaft. The Maralls shipped 23.3 long
tons of ore (float?) from the property in 1944 and T. C. Green shipped
19.7 tons in 1945, but the specific workings from which the}' obtained
their ore are not known. The production during World War II totals
261 long tons, and the all-time production probably amounts to at least
400 or 500 tons.
About 3 tons of ore, mostly float, is piled near the remains of the
concentrating equipment, but no ore can be seen in the surface workings
and, according to Mathews and Del Mue, very little ore was left in the
underground workings. Most of the float ore on the property seems to
have been recovered. It seems, therefore, that the possibility of any
future production will depend on the success of exploration for other
ore bodies that may occur in the unexplored ground between and adjacent
to the mined-out workings. (Rynearson 43, 50; Waring 17)
Kidder Pit (56)
The Kidder Pit is a large irregular open cut on a chromite deposit
east of and about 50 feet above the Forest Hill-Iowa Hill road in the
southeast corner of the SW^^SE^ sec. 31, T. 15 N., R. 11 E., on property
owned by the Capital Co. The deposit was opened during World War I,
but it is not known by whom. Several operators, including W. C. Crit-
tenden, H. A. Smith and Bruce McCoUum, AYeiler and Del Mue, and
T. C. Green, held leases on the SW^SE-^- sec. 31 at various times during
1941-45, but apparently- none of them mined any ore from the Kidder
Pit. Del Mue thinks that about 75 tons of ore was mined from the deposit
prior to World War II. The open cut has sloughed and no ore could be
seen in place in 1949, but the dumps may contain a few tons of frag-
mental chromite, and many small pieces of float ore are scattered on the
hillside for several hundred feet below the deposit. (Rynearson 49)
Hewes and Jones Claims
W. I. Hewes and 0. II. Jones mined chromite from several claims in
sees. 5 and 8, T. 14 X., R. 11 E., during World War I. Although the
specific locations of the deposits they mined cannot be given with cer-
tainty, some may be represented by locality numbers 59, 61, 62 and 63
on plate 14. Three pits about 12 feet deep on the New Hope claim yielded
60 to 70 tons of very high grade ore in 1918. One carload lot of this ore
contained 56.3 percent CrsOs, and some of the ore assayed as high as
60 percent CroOs. The Pitt deposit yielded some ore in the eighties and
5 or 6 tons in 1918. The Hazel and Snow claims each yielded about 10
tons of float ore in 1918. Apparently no ore has been mined from any of
these deposits since 1918. (Cameron 18; Louderback 18)
Southern Pacific Property (64, 65)
The Southern Pacific Land Co. leased the NW^ sec. 9, T. 14 N., R. 11
E., to G. A. Muller and M. T. Mathews in 1941. Muller mined some ore
from one deposit on the property in 1941 and assigned the lease to R.
Fitzgerald and R. Russel in 1942. Fitzgerald and Russel also leased the
NWi sec. 5 from the Mayflower Gravel Mining Co. and the N^ SE^ sec.
224 ciiro:miti: deposits— -sierra Nevada [Bull. 184, Pt. Ill
5, T. 14 N., R. 11 E., from C. L. Finning et al., but confined their mining
activities mainly to the deposits in sec. 9. Henry Kirchmann held the
NE| sec. 9 under lease during i)arts of 1943 and 1944 and mined a few
tons of ore. The deposits in sec. 9 also were worked during World War I,
and may represent the Gore, Bell, and King deposits of G. H. Garrison.
The early workings on the deposits in sec. 9 consisted of one shaft
and several trenches in the NE|NWi and two parallel series of shallow
pits and trenches extending northward from the N|SW:{NWj into the
NW|NW:J. It is reported that about 125 long tons of ore was shipped
from these workings during 1917-18, and it is likely that a large part
of this ore consisted of float picked up on the surface or dug out of the
red soil.
One of the old pits in the NiSWiNW^ still had some ore in the bottom
when jMuller leased the property. He enlarged the pit until it was about
30 feet long, 20 feet wide, and 18 feet deep and took out about 33 long
tons of ore. This ore and about 5 tons of ore from the Lucky Hunter
claim was shipped to Tacoma, Washington, but was rejected because the
Cr to Pe ratio of 1.84 was too low to meet the prevailing specifications.
Averill (41) reported that a small amount of ore remained in the bottom
of the pit and about 5 tons was piled on the dump when Muller assigned
the lease.
The old shaft in the NE^NW^ was about 10 feet deep with ore about
2 feet wide exposed in the bottom when Fitzgerald and Russel started
mining in 1942. They deepened the shaft to about 25 feet and made a
stope about 25 feet long and 6 feet wide while taking out 11.7 long tons
of ore containing 38.75 percent CroOs with a Cr to Fe ratio of 2.27.
Kirchmann supposedly mined 4.3 long tons of ore from this same ore
body in 1943. His ore contained 39.41 percent Cr203 and had a Cr to
Fe ratio of 2.48. A little ore probably remained in the bottom of the
stope when Kirchmann terminated his lease.
The Humphreys Gold Corp. took about 100 auger samples of the soil
in the areas between the two groups of workings on the property. Evi-
dently these samples contained very little chromite, as no attempts were
made to work the soil for its chromite content. (Southern Pacific Land
Co. 49 ; Brown 42 ; Averill 41 ; Hayes 25)
Schermeir Prospect (66)
A small chromite deposit back of Wm. Hoffman's house on the east
edge of sec. 21, T. 14 N., K. 11 E., yielded about 3 tons of ore in 1918.
Herman Schermeir mined the ore from a small pit in sheared talcose
serpentine, but the ore was not disposed of until World War IT, when
it was purchased and shipped by L. G. Embree. Although a few very
small stringers of chromite remain in the i)it, the deposit does not war-
rant further prospecting. (Rynearson 50; Bradley 18; Waring 17)
Bunker Mine (67-69) [40]
The Bunker mine includes the deposits on several claims in the SJSEj
and SEjSW.l sec. 20, T. 14 N., R. 11 E. These deposits were among the
first to ix' expolited in Placer County, having been worked by Frank
Hoffman in the early eighties when, for a few years, the ore was in
demand for nsc in the furnaces of an iron smelter. The ore mined during
this early period was stockpiled on the top of tlie ridge near the Michigan
Bluff-Forest Hill road, where supply wagons returning from Michigan
Chap. 5] PLACER, NEVADA, SIERRA, YUBA, BUTTE, PLUMAS COUNTIES 225
Bluff could pick up small lots for a pay road on their return trip. Some
ore (about 75 tons?) remaining in the stockpile was claimed and sold
by a man named Ed Hill during World War I. The property was known
as the Blue Bird mine in 1917-18 when it was owned by H. H. Bunker
and operated b}" the Union Chrome Co. In later years the property be-
came known as the Bunker mine and Herman Schermeir acquired the
title to the Bunker claims. He leased the Bunker No. 1 and No. 2 claims
to L. G. Embree, who worked the deposits during 1942-43. Embree also
located and prospected the Coal Pit, Bay Tree, and Sunnyside claims
nearby.
The writer made a brief examination of the principal workings of the
mine with Wm. Hoffman in 1950, but none of the underground work-
ings were accessible and the surface workings had sloughed so much
that very little detailed information could be obtained at that time.
However, previous reports by Waring (17), Averill (42), and Dow (43)
include descriptions of some of the deposits and workings, and an at-
tempt has been made to incorporate their descriptions in the statements
that follow.
At least 10, and perhaps more, occurrences of chromite have been
mined or prospected on the property. The ore occurs as lenses, pods, and
small stringers of both massive and disseminated chromite in small bodies
of altered dunite. The ore bodies and the enclosing dunite masses appear
to be localized along more or less definite zones that trend from N. 60°
to 90° W. Perhaps four such zones contain the deposits on the Bunker
claims.
On the south edge of the Bunker No. 1 claim, several hundred feet
east and north of Embree 's cabin, is an old pit dug entirely in dunite.
The pit is about 25 feet in diameter and 10 feet deep, but waste in the
bottom may conceal a shallow shaft, as the amount of material on the
dump appears to be greater than that which could have been taken from
the present opening. Neither the amount nor the character of the ore
mined from this deposit is known. Some disseminated ore on the dump
probably represents low-grade material sorted from the ore that was
shipped.
The main workings of the mine are along an ore zone a few hundred
feet northeast of the pit described above. This ore zone has been traced
by workings from the bottom of a gulch westward up the hillside for
about 400 feet. A narrow, shallow open cut about 200 feet long was
made along the central part of the zone in the early eighties. About
100 feet west of the cut is an irregular open cut with a shaft in the bottom
and a drift extending westward from the west end; these were made
during World War I. The shaft either is filled or is covered over, but
the remains of the whim used to hoist from the shaft can be seen on the
south edge of the cut. Apparently this shaft is the one that previous
reports describe as being 80 to 85 feet deep. Dow was informed that
it was sunk in ore 2 feet wide. The entrance to the drift is also covered,
but the drift seems to be the one that Waring was referring to when he
wrote the following :
"... a SCK tunnel had exposed an ore body 40' lonj; striking' east-west. The
body pinches out in tlie face of the tunnel, but is exposed 30" wide for a distance
of 30' along both the floor and roof of the tunnel. About 100 tons of 45% ore
were piled and there was at least 65 tons in sight to be mined."
226 CHROIMITE DEPOSITS SIERRA NEVADA [Bull. 134, Pt. Ill
At the east end of the old cut is a shaft sunk by Embree in 1942-43.
This shaft, Avhich may be about 50 feet deep, is flooded below the 20-foot
level. Accordinp: to Dow, the shaft was started on a strinper of ore about
18 inches wide, which led to a pod of ore 6 feet wide at a depth of 15
feet. Embree followed this pod to a depth of 30 feet and then ran a
short drift westward along' the strike of the ore. According to Hoffman,
Embree did not extend his workings to the limits of the ore body because
most of the ore in the lower levels was almost too low in grade to ship.
Most of the 132 long- tons of ore produced by Embree came from these
underground workings.
Waring described two other tunnels, one 10 feet higher than the other,
but the openings to these evidently have been covered. The openings
probably were located in the old cut at or just west of the collar of
Embree 's shaft. Waring reported that the upper tunnel was 64 feet
long and it exposed ore 18 inches wide for 12 feet along the roof (near
the portal?) ; approximately 60 tons of ore containing about 40 percent
CroOn had been mined from the tunnel and 10 tons more was in sight.
The lower tunnel had been driven along the same ore body for 10 feet
in ore that was 4 feet wide ; 35 tons of this ore was in sight. No informa-
tion is available as to the ultimate extent of these workings or the
total amount of ore mined from them.
Although the ore zone along w^hieh the main workings lie may contain
appreciable reserves of ore in those ore bodies that already have been
worked, as well as in other undiscovered bodies, it is likely that the bulk
of the ore contains less than 35 to 40 percent CrsO;,. Essentially, the ore is
of a disseminated type, with a wide range in chromite content. The aver-
age ore probably contains only 30 to 35 percent CroOn. Some parts of the
ore bodies, however, contain irregular stringers of coarse-grained, nearly
massive chromite, and these parts, along with parts in which the per-
centage of disseminated chromite is high, have constituted the ore that
has been shipped in the past. Several hundred tons of the lower-grade,
rejected ore remains on the dumps. One lot of 24 long tons of ore shipped
by Embree contained 45.20 percent Cr203 and 12.20 percent Fe with a
Or to Fe ratio of 2.53. However, his total production averaged only 40.64
percent CroO.-, and 12.23 percent Fe with a Cr to Fe ratio of 2.27. A
unique feature of the ore in tliis zone is that the matrix of the chromite
consists largely of uvarovite, w^hich has a relatively high specific gravity.
Consequently, attempts to concentrate the low-grade ore by gravity
methods might not be successful.
Another ore zone a few hundred feet to the north and somewhat west
of the upper shaft of the main workings has been opened by several shal-
low open cuts and pits and two shafts. The most inipoi'tant of these are
located near the top of the ridge on the edge of Coal Pit Flat. During
World War T a shaft was sunk on an ore body in the slickentite of a shear
zone striking about N. 60° W. This shaft probably is the one that Waring
described as being 50 feet deep in 1917. According to him, the shaft was
sunk on an ore body pitching 70° SE., and a 2-foot width of on> was ex-
posed along the northwest wall of the shaft and along the lower .30 feet
of the southeast wall. About 60 tons of ore had been mined and 30 tons of
unniincd oi-e was in sight. Later re]iorts by A verill and Dow indicate that
this shaft may hav(> been sunk to a depth of 90 feet before i1 was aban-
doned. Kiiil)i-ee sunk anofher shaft 20 to 25 feet deej) on the shear zone
Chap. 5] PLACER, XEVADA, SIERRA, YUBA, BUTTE, PLUMAS COUNTIES 227
about 15 feet northwest of the old shaft, but he found only about 5 tons
of ore.
Some ore was mined during World War I from workings at the wye of
the roads on the Coal Pit claim in the SE^SWA sec. 20. One old shaft has
been covered up and an inclined shaft or drift is partly caved and was
inaccessible in 1950. Embree did a little work in these old workings but
did not find enough ore to make a shipment. A thick mantle of residual
soil covers the area and obscures the geology of the deposit. Although a
few pieces of soft, altered dunite on the dump near the pit contain only
small stringers of massive chromite and a little disseminated chromite,
it is likely that some larger masses of massive chromite contributed the
ore that was shipped.
A few other small pits are scattered over the property. Some of these
have opened small lenses or narrow stringers of ore in place and some
have been made on occurrences of abundant float. Several of these pros-
pects warrant further exploration, as do the two principal ore zones.
Although much massive chromite float is scattered over the hillside area
between the two principal ore zones, the area has not been thoroughly
prospected. Reserves of the deposits might well be equal to or even greater
than the amount of ore already produced.
The total production of the Bunker mine is not known with certainty.
One estimate of 3.000 tons has been made, but this figure seems much too
high. The production during the early eighties probably did not amount
to more than a few hundred tons. Records of the California Division of
Mines indicate a production of 570 long tons of ore by the Union Chrome
Co. in 1917, and records of the U. S. Geological Survey credit Bunker
with a production of 132 long tons in 1918. Embree shipped 129 long tons
of ore in 1942-43. Therefore, the total production of the mine is probably
1,000 to 1.500 long tons of ore. (Rynearson 50 ; Dow 43 ; Averill 42 ; Brad-
ley 18; Cameron 18; Louderback 18; Waring 17)
Washout Claim (71)
The Washout chromite deposit is located near the line between the
XEi and XW^ sec. 30, T. 14 X., R. 11 E., about a quarter of a mile north
of the Paragon gold mine. G. S. Ford, J. S. Lower, and B. Myers owned
and operated the property from 1940 to 1944. The deposit was discovered
in 1940, when a ditch carrying water for hydraulic mining overflowed
and the errant stream washed away the soil covering a lens of ore at the
surface of the bedrock. Early in 1943 the workings comprised a large
open cut, a crosscut beneath the original outcrop, and a shaft 25 feet
deep. At that time, while water was available, the operators were recov-
ering some of the chromite from the dumps and from the soft dissemi-
nated ore by washing the material through a series of sluice boxes. It is
believed that subsequent operations were restricted mainly to additional
mining in the shaft.
The ore occurred as irregular bodies containing disseminated chromite
and as lenses and stringers of massive chromite along a zone about 125
feet long. This zone had a strike of X. 40° W. and a dip that varied from
60° SE. to vertical. The largest lens of massive ore found in the deposit
contained about 50 long tons of ore.
The deposit is credited with shipments of 206 long tons of ore in 1941,
63.8 tons in 1942, 156.4 tons in 1943, and 10.6 tons in 1944. This ore aver-
aged 47.29 percent CroO.s and had a Cr to Fe ratio of about 2.51. In addi-
228 CHRO^riTE DEPOSITS SIERRA NEVADA [Bull. 134, Pt. Ill
tion to the ore shipments given above, about 30 long tons of ore mined in
1942 was nsed to "sweeten " ore from deposits in Humboldt and Siskiyou
Counties. Therefore, the total production amounts to approximately 470
long tons. (Rynearson 43 ; Averill 41, 43)
Lehigh Canyon Patent (72, 73)
F. R. Bowers, in partnership with E. W. Drummond and M. D. House,
worked two small chromite deposits in 1918 in sec. 30, T. 14 N., R. 11 E.,
on the Lehigh Canyon Patent property. One deposit was at or near the
Poco Tiempo Quartz mine (73) in the SW^ sec. 30. Bowers and Drum-
mond made several short adits and small open cuts or pits in this deposit
and mined approximately 35 tons of ore containing about 40 percent
Cr20.j. The other deposit was in the NE^ sec. 30 and was called Buttercup
Chrome (72). Nothing is known about the nature or extent of the work-
ings made to exploit this deposit, but Bowers and House mined at least
55 tons of ore containing about 43 percent CrsOa, and they may have pro-
duced as much as 150 tons of ore from the deposit. No ore has been mined
from either deposit since 1918. (Cameron 18; Louderback 18)
Spanish Mines Consolidated (74)
E. A. Garrison mined chromite during World War I from pits on the
Spanish and Esmeralda claims of the Spanish Mines Consolidated gold
property in the southeast corner of sec. 25, T. 14 N., R. 10 E. Records of
the U. S. Geological Survey credit Garrison with shipments of 46 tons
of ore in 1917 and 36 tons in 1918 and with 18 tons stocked at the end of
1918. No ore has been produced from the deposits since 1918. (Bradley
18; Louderback 18; Waring 17)
Little Greek Claim (77)
L. G. Embree located the Little Greek claim in 1942 on a small chro-
mite deposit in the northeast corner of sec. 31, T. 14 N., R. 11 E. An
unidentified operator reportedly mined and shipped two carloads of
ore during World War I from a shaft sunk 25 feet through soil and
weathered rock. Embree sank one shaft 15 feet deep and another 12 feet
deep with a drift extending 12 feet from the bottom. The shafts were
flooded when Dow visited the property early in 1943, and the only ore
he saw was some disseminated chromite in weathered duiiite on tlie dump.
On the basis of information given by Embree, Dow concluded that the
ore occurred along a vertical zone striking about N. 70° W. Embree did
not ship any ore from the deposit. (Dow 43)
Black Rock Chrome (79)
R. P. Craig and Orin H. Jones opened two chromite deposits during
World War I on the Black Rock Chrome property in the southwest cor-
ner of see. 36, T. 14 N., R. 10 E., and the northwest corner of see. 6,
T. 13 N., R. 11 E. Tlieir workings consisted of one pit 12 feet deep and
another pit 25 feet deep. Nothing is known about the geology of these
deposits. According to Louderback (18), the deposits yielded 32 tons of
ore in 1917 and 85 tons in 1918. Tliis ore contained from 45 to 52 percent
Cr20:!. (Cameron 18; Louderback 18)
Colfax-New England Mills Area
Black Streak Claim (81)
Willis D. Pai-ker and William N. Kelley located the Black Streak
chromite claim in 1942 in the N^NElSIili sec. 2, T. 14 N., R. 9 E. They
Chap. 5] PLACER, NEVADA, SIERRA, YUBA, BUTTE, PLUMAS COUNTIES 229
apparently could not find a minable ore body, as no ore was shipped
from the claim. (Gros 42)
Bugg (82)
Chares E. Bugg reported a production of 67 long tons of ore in 1916
from a deposit near Weimar. Bryner's report lists the Bugg deposit as
being in sec. 21, T. 14 N., R. 9 E. Bugg reportedly mined 8 long tons of
ore in 1918 from the Fred Meyer property, also near Weimar. No other
information is available concerning these deposits. (Bryner 40 ; Brad-
ley 18)
Major Prospect (82)
W. B. Swares and W. B. DuBois held a lease in 1918 on 40 acres of
patented land owned by E. N. Major in the eastern part of sec. 21,
T. 14 N., R. 9 E. The lessees found float on the property, but their efforts
to locate the source of the float apparentl.y were not successful, as no
shipments of ore have been credited to them. (Cameron 18)
Hepburn (83)
About one ton of chromite was taken in 1918 from the topsoil on the
property of G. C. Hepburn in the SW^SEK ?) sec. 5, T. 13 N., R. 9 E.
One small pit and several trenches failed to uncover additional ore.
(Cameron 18)
Gas Canyon Area
Farmer Property (84-88)
R. H. Farmer and J. G. Dodds of the Placer Chrome Co. purchased
or leased the mining rights to 415 acres of land in sees. 12, 13, 18, and 24,
T. 13 N., R. 9 E., during the latter part of 1918. His holdings included
all the deposits that had been found in the Gas Canyon area. These
deposits are described separately below. All were small, and Farmer
apparently could not develop any large reserves of ore, as the infor-
mation concerning his operations in the area is sketchy. Although the
Placer Chrome Co. estimated that about 500 long tons of its total 1918
production came from Placer County, it is doubtful that more than
50 or 100 tons of this ore came from the Gas Canyon area. Probably
most of the company's Placer County ore was purchased from other
operators in the county. (Louderback 18; Cameron 18)
Dodds Ranch Prospect (84)
A small open cut was made in 1917 on a chromite prospect six or
seven hundred feet southeast of tlie house of J. G. Dodds near the center
of sec. 12, T. 13 N., R. 9 E. A little low-grade ore containing 20.4 percent
Cr203 and 18.0 percent SiOo was found, but, so far as is known, none
of the ore was rich enough to ship. (Waring 17)
Green (Americus) (85)
The Green, or Americus, deposit in the SEJ sec. 12, T. 13 N., R. 9 E.,
was leased by Guy Walsh and a Mr. Hall of Auburn during 1917 and
part of 1918 from J. G. Dodds et al. R. H. Farmer leased the property
during the later part of 1918. Walsli and Hall made a shaft 24 feet
deep with 12 feet of short drifts at the bottom. The ore occurred as a
series of small lenses striking about N. 35° W. No ore was exposed in
the workings when Waring visited the deposit in 1917, but some contain-
ing 21.1 percent CroOs and 12.0 percent SiO^ had been mixed and shipped
230 ClIROMITE DEPOSITS SIERRA NEVADA [ Bull. 1 84, Pt. Ill
with ore from the Gas Canj-on claim. The total amount of such ore
yielded by the deposit is not known. (Logan 27 ; Bradley 18 ; Waring 17)
Gas Canyon Claim (86)
Walsh and Hall worked a chromite deposit on the Gas Canyon claim in
the EiNWi sec. 13, T. 13 N., R. 9 E., during 1917 and possibly 1918.
R. H. Farmer also may have mined some ore from this claim in 1918.
Walsh and Hall mined a nearly vertical, chimneylike ore body from a
shaft that was 10 feet deep when Waring visited the claim. At the
10-foot level in the shaft the ore body had a cross section measuring 4
feet by 6 feet, with the longer axis of the section oriented almost due east.
A little uvarovite was present in the ore. Walsh and Hall produced be-
tween 50 and 100 long tons of ore from deposits in the Gas Canyon area,
and most of this ore came from the Gas Canyon claim. A carload ship-
ment of mixed ore from the Gas Canyon and Green deposits averaged
about 34 percent Cr203. (Logan 27; Bradley 18; Waring 17)
Fiddler's Green (88)
Walsh and Hall also opened two small chromite deposits on the
Fiddler's Green property, which they leased in 1917. R. H. Farmer
acquired their interests in the property in 1918. Waring reported the
location of the deposits as sec. 29, T. 13 N., R. 9 E., but the writer believes
that the section number was erroneously recorded and should be 24
instead of 29.
The workings on the original discovery consisted of four open cuts
about 10 feet long and 4 feet deep and a shaft 12 feet deep. These work-
ings opened a series of small "bunches" of ore striking N. 80° E. along
the contact between the serpentine and amphibolite schist. Waring re-
ported that the ore was fine-grained and contained magnetite. One assay
showed that the ore contained 32.3 percent CroOs and 13.0 percent SiOo.
About 5 tons of similar ore was on the dump in June 1917.
At the other deposit, which was about 50 feet lower in altitude than
the original discovery, a shallow open cut about 30 feet long exposed
a stringer of low-grade ore (disseminated ore?) striking N. 60° E. and
dipping 60° SE. About 4 tons of the ore was on the dump at the time
of Waring 's visit. It is not known if any of the ore from either deposit
was shipped. (Logan 27; Bradley 18; Waring 17)
Dry Creek Area
Parker Ranch (89) [42]
The Parker Ranch chromite deposit, also known as the Meadowbrook
Ranch, McNear, or Auburn Chrome mine, is located in the S4NE|
see. 17, T. 13 N., R. 8 E., about half a mile east of Highway 49" The
deposit, first discovered in 1917, was worked in 1918 and again in 1943-44.
Ivan II. Parker owned the property in 1918 and leased to F. W. McNear.
who developed the mine and operated a small mill to concentrate the
ore. Chester C. Butler and John C. Wold obtained a lease from Herman
Oest, the present owner, and reopened the old workings in 1943 with
the aid of a development loan from the Reconstruction Finance Corp.
Butler and AVold made a few tons ol" concentrate in a small mill about
3 miles from the mine, but were forced to abaiulon their operations
early in 1944, ostensibly because they lacked an adequate supply of
water to run the mill.
Chap. 5] PLACER, NEVADA, SIERRA, YUBA, BUTTE, PLUMAS COUNTIES 231
The workings made by McNear consisted of an access tunnel about
140 feet long leading to two interconnected open stopes or glory holes,
a shaft 31 feet deep into the floor of the larger glory hole, two short
crosscuts and a short drift from near the bottom of the shaft, two open
cuts, and three small trenches (see fig. 4). An earl}- report by Taliaferro
mentions three shafts. One of these undoubtedly was the shaft described
above, and the other two probably rei:)resented early development work
at the sites of the glory holes. Butler and "Wold cleaned out the access
tunnel and the caved areas in and between the glory holes, pumped
out the shaft, and cleaned out parts of the three sublevel openings.
The deposit consists of a zone of streaks and small lenses of dissemi-
nated ore occurring in a small mass of serpentine near the contact with
a mass of diabase ( ?). Although but little ore is exposed in the present
workings, the information contained in previous reports and the data
shown on figure 4 indicate the general features of the deposit. The ore
zone strikes north with an over-all dip of about 80° E.. but locally the
dip is more moderate. Cameron was told that the ore zone was 40 feet
wide in the large glory hole, but this figure probably represents a max-
imum width as the average width does not seem to be more than about
20 feet. The average depth of the zone appears to be about 50 feet.
Figure 4 shows the strike length of the zone to be approximately 150
feet. The chromite in the ore is fine-grained and, although Taliaferro
noted the lack of marked banding in the ore, the tenor evidently ranges
widely, as the ore that was milled averaged about 8 percent Cr203 and
small amounts of ore containing about 40 percent Cr203 was sorted
from the lower-grade material and shipped as lump ore.
McNear reported to the State that he shipped 448 tons of ore in 1918,
including the ore he mined from the nearby Black Arrow Kanch. How-
ever, judging from the amount of royalty Mr. Parker says he received,
the actual amount shipped must have been much larger. The ore shipped
by McXear contained 39 to 40 percent CroO.s and the major part con-
sisted of concentrate made from the Parker Ranch ore. Butler and \Yold
milled 30 tons of low-grade ore and made 5 long tons of concentrate
containing 43.93 percent Cr203 and 19.70 percent Fe, with a Cr to Fe
ratio of 1.53.
When Cameron visited the property in June 1918 he estimated the
deposit to contain 21,000 long tons of milling ore and 500 tons of shipping
ore. These estimates seem to be rather high, especially for the amount
of shipping ore. At least 5,000 long tons of the ore in the original deposit
must have been mined and milled to obtain the amount of concentrate
produced in 1918. Very little ore remains in the ground above the floor
level of the stopes, but Brown's report indicates that considerable ore
remains below the floors of the stopes. Assuming that the ore remaining
averages 20 feet in width and 25 feet in depth for 100 feet along the
strike, about 5,000 long tons of ore containing about 8 percent CroOa
is inferred. The concentrate made by Butler and Wold contained an
exceptionally high percentage of Fe, and this feature, if characteristic
of all the ore, will be a serious handicap to future operators. (Ryneareon
49 ; Averill 43 ; Brown 43 ; Louderback 18 ; Cameron 18 ; Taliaferro,
in Louderback 18; Bradley 18.)
232
CIIROMITE DEPOSITS— SIERRA NEVADA [Bull. 134, Pt. Ill
4pprox. elevation I400„
/
floor of glory hole
Disseminated ore reported
in honging wall of foult
^■^jj^f';;^-' in woll of subl
_^^' I |\r~~ — end floor of 5
Oisseminoted ore exposed
in walls and floor of
glory holes
Approi. slavation 1450
Disseminated ore reported
level
glory ttole
\VJ! X Approx. elevation 1425
SECTION ALONG LINE A-A'
Compiled from skelclies by
R C. Brown, September 1943, and
G A. Rynearson, December 1949
FuaiuK 4. Geologic .sketch map of the Parker Rancli chromite iiihie, Placer County
Cliap. 5] PLACER, NEVADA, SIERRA, YUBA, BUTTE, PLUMAS COUNTIES 233
Black Arrow Ranch (90)
The Black Arrow deposit, on the property of the Black Arrow Ranch
Co. in sec. 16, T. 13 N., K. 8 E., was leased and operated by F. W. McNear
in 1918. The workings made to exploit the deposit consisted of an inclined
shaft 50 feet deep and several small open cuts. According to Cameron,
the ore occurred as small lenses 6 inches to 3^ feet wide. Taliaferro
reported that most of the ore exposed in the workings in May 1918
consisted of "leopard ore" (nodular ore) containing about 40 percent
CroOs, but that some massive ore had been found in the cuts and as
float. Some of the blocks of float were as much as 3 feet in diameter.
Some of the float ore was gathered up and shipped prior to 1916. Accord-
ing to Louderback, 100 tons of ore had been shipped from the deposit
b}' May 1918 and 40 tons of ore was in sight at that time. Apparently
no ore has been shipped from the property since 1918. (Cameron 18;
Louderback 18; Taliaferro, in Louderback 18.)
Nevada County
Introduction
Nevada County is a long, narrow land unit occupying 979 square
miles between the Middle Fork of the Yuba River and the Bear River
(see pi. 12). It extends from the low western foothills of the Sierra
Nevada eastward across the summit of the range to the valleys and ridges
of the Basin Ranges province along the California-Nevada border.
Most of the county's 19,300 inhabitants (1950 census) live in and near
the communities of Nevada City and Grass Valley in the western part
of the county. Mining, farming, and lumbering are the county's prin-
cipal industries.
j\Iuch of the eastern part of the county is covered by Tertiary and
Quaternary volcanic rocks and Quaternary alluvium, lake beds, and
glacial deposits, all of which overlie a basement composed largely of
granitic rocks. The geology of the west-central part of the county is
dominated by a wide belt of the Calaveras formation, which is split by
the "great serpentine belt" and partly covered by remnants of the
eroded mantle of Tertiary and Quaternary volcanic rocks and stream
gravels. The western part is a geologically complex area consisting
mainly of basic intrusive and extrusive igneous rocks — equivalent to or
slightly later in age than the Mariposa slate — intruded by small masses
of ultramafic, gabbroic, and dioritic rocks and large masses of granitic
rocks.
The ultramafic rocks of Nevada County all occur in the western half
of the county in three belts that correspond to the three belts in Placer
County. The western belt is represented mainly b}- a group of lenticular
serpentine masses near the south edge of the county. The structural
relation of these masses to each other, to several small unmapped masses
to the north and to the northwest, and to other rocks in the area is not
readily apparent from the mapping that has been done. The belt as a
whole appears to trend north, but the serpentine masses trend northwest.
Perhaps the masses occupy northwest-trending structures near their
intersection with north-trending structures that controlled the position
of the belt as a whole.
The central belt is represented by several small ultramafic masses
associated with rocks of the Mariposa slate in the Chicago Park area
3—76778
234 CHROMITE DEPOSITS — SIERRA NEVADA [Bull. 134, Pt. Ill { I
li
Table 9. Chromite production from Nevada County, California (in long tons)
Property
Map
No.
Total
unofficial
estimate*
Alta Hill
Bartholomew-Simnis leas
Bowden
Codd prospects
Davey prospect
Dickerson
Dorsey and Ridge
Eden
Geach :
Gillis prospect
Half Chrome
Holseman (and others) _ -
Lucky Bob
Maguire prospect
Merrifield
Moscatelli No. 1
Moscatelli No. 2
Mulcahy prospect
Olsen
Platz
Porter
Raab
Rapid Fire
Red Ledge
Rolpholm Ranch
Schmidt
Sherman Ranch
Sleeman
Snyder
Spring Hill
Standard
Sweet Ranch
Thompson Ranch
Tomkin
Turtledove Chrome
Victory
Waite
Weisgien
Williamson and Cole
Totals
Federal totals
State totals
■(54)
bl61
«(13)
^(10)
'178
1943
1942
2,971
5
43
43
22
196
196
748
750
5
25
139
140
50
50
20
20
20
5
1,071
900 ±
5
3
50 +
1,380
1,265
200 ±
10
30
712
725 +
30 ±
33
33
116
120
437
425
3
3
60
5,500 =
* Totaled separately. Estimates based on information obtained from all available sources.
» Ore reported stocked at end of previous year, not added because most is lielow shipping grade.
•> Ore reported stocked at end of previous year, presumably shipped during year shown.
<^ Amount reported to California Division of Mines.
1 Some produc'tinii k pditid. hut amount not specified. May he inchidi'il in prodnction credited to other properties.
2 Included in produition (if Waite property.
'■ Included in production of Red Ledge mine.
* Included in production of Porter property.
and bj^ several masses, both lar<>e and small, in and north-northwost of
the Grass Valle3^-Nevada City area. The masses in tlie latter area occur in
a structurall.y and litliolo<iically complex environment that includes
many of the pre-Tertiary and some of the post-Tertiary rock types found
in the northern Sierra Nevada.
The large ultramafic mass that constitutes the principal member of
the "great serpentine belt" in Placer ('oiiiity extends nortliward across
Nevada County along tlie west sich' of Ihc niiijor raiiK that inai-ks tlie
Chap. 5] PLACER, NEVADA, SIERRA, YUBA, BUTTE, PLUMAS COUNTIES 235
western margin of the Blue Canyon formation. This mass narrows con-
siderably in the northern part of the connty, but the belt as a whole
flares out west of the fault to include a wide zone of gabbro and amphib-
olitic rocks and several small masses of ultramafic rocks.
Chromite deposits have been found and exploited in all three belts.
Nearh' all the deposits in the eastern belt consist of massive ore of
medium to high grade. Most of the deposits in the central and western
belts consist of disseminated ore and a few stringers of massive ore.
The chromite in most of the deposits in the central and western belts
is notably high in iron.
History and Production
Among the chromite-producing counties of California, Nevada County
stands thirteenth in amount of ore produced, with a total production of
approximately 5,500 long tons. The occurrence of chromite near Nevada
City was noted by Trask (53) in the early 1850 's but the first mining
done was in 1898, when some ore was taken from a deposit on the Sweet
Ranch in the Wolf Creek area. However, little interest was taken in
the county's deposits until 1916, when production was stimulated by
the high wartime market for chromite. Deposits of both massive ore and
disseminated ore were worked extensively during 1916-18, and two large
stamp mills near Nevada City were utilized to produce several hundred
tons of low-grade chromite concentrates from several thousand tons of
the low-grade disseminated ores or nearby deposits. Plans to treat similar
ores from more distant deposits were abandoned because the ores would
not yield concentrates of a high enough quality to justify the long haul
to the mills. But little ore has been mined in the county since 1918. Most
of the ore sold in 1919 and all of the ore sold in 1937 consisted of stocks
left over at the end of 1918. Only 86 long tons of ore was shipped from
the four deposits worked during World War II. Detailed production
figures for the deposits in the county are given in table 9.
Although more than 40 deposits have been opened in Nevada County,
nearly one-fourth of tlie total chromite production has come from one
mine in the eastern belt, and over one-half from four other deposits in
the central and western belts. Many of the other deposits yielded only
a few tons of ore each. The very small production during World War II
indicates that most of the known deposits either are worked out or the
ore remaining in them is too low in grade to ship. It would seem, there-
fore, that the prospects are not bright for any important future produc-
tion of chromite in the county. Small amounts of shipping-grade ore
might be sorted from the low-grade ores in a few deposits in the central
and western belts, but it is doubtful that the amount of ore that could
be sorted from any one deposit would justify the high cost of such mining.
On the other hand, further exploration of the higher-grade deposits in
the eastern belt might result in the discovery of other ore bodies holding
appreciable amounts of good ore.
Mines and Prospects
Washington Area
Williamson and Cole Claim (1)
The partnership of T. B., R. F., and J. M. Williamson, and C. M. Cole
mined chromite from an unidentified claim in the northern part of the
Washington area in 1918. References to the location of the claim are
236 CHROMITE DEPOSITS SIERRA NEVADA [Bull. 134, Pt. Ill
conflicting-. The tentative location in sec. 25, T. 18 N., R. 10 E., as shown
on plate 13, is based on Cameron's description of the location with
respect to the Nevada City-Graniteville road. One ore bod}^ on the claim
yielded 45 long tons of high-grade ore. In addition, 15 long tons or more
of ore was taken from smaller lenses or collected as float. The total
amonnt of ore shipped from these deposits is not known, as the production
figures for the several properties operated by the partnership were not
reported separately. (Louderback 18; Cameron 18)
Moscatelli No. 2 (2)
During World War I the Moscatelli No. 2 property consisted of the
Lucky Friday and Lucky Bluff claims located in sec. 36, T. 18 N., R. 10 E.
The property was owned by Peter Moscatelli and H. 0. Kohler during
1917-18 and by Robert Moscatelli in 1944. About 13 long tons of ore was
mined from an open cut in 1917 and 11 tons from an inclined shaft in
1918. The owners reported they had 6 long tons of ore containing 42.31
percent Cr203 on hand at the end of 1918, but this ore probably was sold
during 1919. Robert Moscatelli shipped 20.4 long tons of ore from the
property in 1944. His ore contained 39.21 percent CroOs and 10.1 percent
Fe and had a Cr to Fe ratio of 2.66. (MacBoyle 19 ; Bradley 18)
Gillis Prospect (3)
C. A. Gillis, deceased, located a chromite deposit in the NWi( ?) NW^
sec. 1, T. 17 N., R. 10 E., during World War I. Gillis told the writer that
a small lens of high-grade ore projected about 5 feet above the ground
level when discovered. He mined 22 long tons of ore from the lens, leav-
ing a small open cut with no ore showing in it, but did not ship the ore.
Another person, believed to be Sam Schwartz, removed the ore from the
property after the Armistice. According to Gillis, the ore, or at least the
sample he took, contained 62 percent CroO;?. This is the highest per-
centage of CroOs recorded for any of tlie chromite found in the northern
Sierra Nevada region, if not in the State. (Rynearson 43)
Flintlock Claim (4)
A single chromite claim, called the Flintlock No. 1, was located on the
north side of Poorman Creek in the NW] sec. 1, T. 17 N., R. 10 E., by
Henry Adams about 194L Four lenses of disseminated ore were pros-
pected along a zone striking N. 20° W. and dipping, almost vertically,
to the soutliwest. The individual lenses pitched steeply to the northwest.
The largest lens was 6 feet wide, 10 feet long, and had been mined to a
depth of 4 feet; the smallest was 18 inches wide, 3 feet long, and had
been mined to a depth of 2 feet. Gros estimated the ore to contain not
more than 35 percent Cr:,0;^, and said only about 10 long tons of such
ore was in sight in 1942. No ore was shipped from tlie deposit. (Gros 42)
Moscatelli No. 1 (5)
During World War I, Robert Moscatelli of Washington owned a
chromite claim on the south side of a spur ridge west of Poorman Creek
in N|SW} sec. 1, T. 17 N., R. 10 E. The Union Chrome Co. leased and
worked the deposit in 1917-18. A sliaft and several small pits constituted
the only workings. Several small lenses and one relatively large lens of
ore were found. The large ore body was 8 feet wide in the center and 20
feet long, tapering to a point at either end. The strike of this ore body
was N. 15° W. Althongh samples of the ore from the outcrop assayed 54
Chap. 5] PLACER, NEVADA, SIERRA, TUBA, BUTTE, PLUMAS COUNTIES 23?
percent CroOa, the ore was diluted with waste in mining and that shipped
contained only about 42 percent Cr203. Production records reported
for the deposit do not agree, but they indicate that approximately 85
long tons of ore was mined and shipped in 1917 and that 54 long tons of
ore was mined but only 29 tons was shipped in 1918. It is not known if
the 25 tons of ore stocked in 1918 was shipped at some later date. (Mac-
Boyle 19; Bradley 18; Louderback 18; Waring 17)
Turtledove Chrome Mine (6)
A chromite deposit known as the Turtledove Chrome mine in 1917-18
was located on the east side of Poorman Creek in the NE^( "?) SW:^ sec. 1,
T. 17 N., Pv. 10 E. Walter Xiles, Fred Miller, and H. 0. Kohler of Wash-
ington owned and operated this property. The main working was on the
south side of a spur ridge and consisted of an open cut from 2 to 4 feet
wide, 25 feet long, and 4 feet deep. A lens of massive ore with a strike
of N. 10° E. was mined from the cut in 1917. On the north side of the
spur ridge about 75 feet from the open cut a pit 4 feet wide, 6 feet long,
and 5 feet deep was made in prospecting a very thin stringer of chromite.
In 1917 the deposit yielded 24 long tons of ore containing about 52 per-
cent CroOa. Xiles made one report stating that 9 long tons of ore had
been mined and stocked in 1918 and another report stating that 5 tons
had been shipped in that year. The total production, therefore, amounts
to about 30 or 35 long tons of ore, most of which came from the ore body
mined from the open cut. (MacBo^'le 19 ; Bradley 18 ; Waring 17)
Rapid Fire Claim (7)
The Kapid Fire claim was located on a chromite deposit in the SW^
sec. 12, T. 17 N., R. 10 E., by the partnership of T. B., R. F., and J. M.
Williamson, and C. M. Cole in 1918. Cameron visited the property a few
weeks after mining operations had begun and reported that a small open
cut had exposed a lens of ore about 2.5 feet wide and 10 feet long. The
production of this deposit probably was included wdth that of the Red
Ledge and other deposits operated by the partnership, as it was not
reported separately. However, the reserve estimates given by Cameron
and Louderback indicate that the deposit could have yielded as much
as 50 and perhaps even 100 long tons of ore. (Louderback 18 ; Cam-
eron 18)
Red Ledge Mine (8) [32]
The Red Ledge property, consisting of a group of claims covering 150
acres, was developed originally as a gold mine. However, chromite occurs
on the Red Ledge and Red Ledge Extension claims in the NW^XEi
sec. 13, T. 17 X"^., R. 10 E., and this deposit has contributed the major
part of the chromite produced from the Washington area. T. B.. R. F.,
and J. M. Williamson, and C. jM. Cole were the owners when chromite
was mined during World War I. T. B. Williamson of Oakland, C. M. Cole
of Washington, and E. A. Langford of San Rafael were the owners in
1949. The principal chromite mining operations were carried on from
1916 to 1918, and the workings made during that period consisted of a
drift and some stopes below the western edge of a large open cut on
the northwest side of the old road to Washington, a drift ending in a
short raise that led into a stope that in turn opened into a smaller open
cut at the surface on the southeast side of the road, and several small
pits (see fig 5). The old underground workings have long since caved
238
CHROMITE DEPOSITS — SIERRA NEVADA [Bull. 134, Pt. Ill
'/t-ton chromite moss
found in road cut
Approx. troc* of
adit (coved)
600-ton chromite lens
mined from open cut
Small chromite lens
occurred about tiere
Geology by D. H. Dow
April 1943
Ore stoped out abov»
and below adit level
gg Symbol indicates strike
y and dip of stieor planes
in serpentine
150-ton chromite lens
stoped out between
open cut and adit level
Approx. trace of
adit (caved)
Chroroite stringer,
showing dip
200 Feet
PiGURK 5. Geologic sketcli map of the Red Ledge cliroinite mine, Nevada County
and now are inaccessible. In 1942 the surface of a small area at the south-
east end of the deposit was scraped oil' with a bulldozer in an unsuccessful
attempt to find another large ore body.
The deposit occurs near the eastern edge of the serpentine mass.
Figure 5 siiows that tlie deposit as a whole has a general strike of about
N. 30° W. and a dip of r)()''-(i()° SW., but tlie orientations of the Individ-
Chap. 5] PLACER, NEVADA, SIERRA, YUBA, BUTTE, PLUMAS COUNTIES 239
ual ore bodies, and of the shear planes in the serpentine enclosing them,
vary considerably from the average and from each other.
Most of the ore mined during World "War I came from the v^orkings
northwest of the road. A large body of ore about 50 feet long and 20 feet
wide at the surface was mined in the open cut to a depth of 10 to 30 feet,
where it narrowed to a width of about 10 inches. An adit then was run
southward from one side of the open end of the cut to provide better
access to the ore at depth. This adit encountered either a downward con-
tinuation of the large ore body or else other discrete ore bodies, which
were sloped out above and below the adit. A small ore body only 2 feet
wide and 8 feet long was found about 8 feet from the footwall of the
large ore body, and was mined from the open cut. The ore bodies mined
from these workings yielded approximately 1,100 long tons of ore.
Another ore body was mined from the workings southeast of the road.
An open cut about 20 feet wide and 40 feet long was made on the outcrop,
then an adit was driven beneath the cut and the ore remaining was stoped
out from below. Approximately 150 long tons of ore came out of these
workings.
A bulldozer uncovered a thin stringer of chromite near the southeast
end of the deposit in 1942. This stringer was only about 4 inches wide,
except at one place, where it swelled out into a pod of ore that weighed
about 3 tons. Five tons of ore had been mined from the stringer and pod
and was piled nearby in 1943.
A small mass of chromite weighing about 1,000 pounds was found in
the sheared serpentine at the northwest end of the deposit while the new
road to Washington was being constructed.
Although the ore in the deposit consisted largely of massive chromite,
much of it was shattered and broken and the pieces were coated with talc
and kammererite and a little uvarovite. A newly recognized mineral called
chromrutile occurred as small, brilliant, black crystals with kammererite
on some pieces of the ore. The massive chromite, in itself, probably con-
tained about 48 percent CroOs, but the ore shipped averaged only about
42 percent CroOs, being diluted by seams of serpentine, the coatings of
talc and other secondary minerals, and fragments of waste rock admixed
in mining.
The partnership of the Williamson brothers and Mr. Cole reported a
])roduction of 402 long tons of ore in 1916, 384 tons in 1917, 230 tons
in 1918, and 359 tons in 1919, or a total production of 1,375 long tons dur-
ing World War I. Of this total amount of ore, about 1,260 tons came
from the Red Ledge mine and the remainder came from two or three
other deposits exploited by the partnership. It is assumed that the 5
long tons of ore mined in 1942 has been shipped.
Despite the unsuccessful efforts to find a sizable new ore body during
World War II, when the market price for chromite was high, the deposit
would seem to have a fair promise of future production. A block of
unexplored ground at least 100 feet long between the two principal ore
bodies mined in the past could easily contain one or more ore bodies of
appreciable size and should not be overlooked if additional exploration
is undertaken. (Dow 43 ; Gordon 28 ; MacBoyle 19 ; Bradley 18 ; Louder-
back 18 ; Logan 18 ; Cameron 18 ; Waring 17)
240 CIIROMITE DEPOSITS SIERRA NEVADA [Bull. 134, Pt. Ill
Victory Claim (9)
A. Schwartz located the Victory claim about 1941 on a chromite
deposit near the south edjz'e of the SE] sec. 13, T. 17 N., R. 10 E., about
200 yards east of the hip-lnvay to AVasliin<>ton. Tlie deposit was owned
and operated by Georpe Scott as the Mount Hill Chrome mine in
1917-18. The workings in 1917 consisted of a pit 6 feet wide, 14 feet
long, and 10 feet deep and another pit 14 feet to the south that was 8
feet in diameter and 6 feet deep. Gros noted three sloughed pits ak)ng
an east-west line 40 feet long in 1942.
The large pit was made on a lens of massive ore striking N. 10° E. and
dipping 65° E. with a pitch to the south. When AVaring visited the prop-
ert}' in 1917 this ore body was exposed for 5 feet along the strike in
the south end of the cut to a depth of 5 feet and w^as 4 feet wide. The
other pit had been made in the red clay and soil and liad yielded a
few tons of float ore. Gros reported that additional float had been re-
covered from the overburden in 1941, but the pits had been filled with
mud washed in by the winter rains and he could not verify Schwartz'
claim that ore 5 feet wide and at least 2 feet deep existed in the bottoms
of the three pits.
Scott reported that 35 long tons of ore mined by him and 31 tons mined
by a lessee was shipped in 1917 and that he considered the deposit worked
out. About 50 long tons of ore was piled on the dump in 1942. The amount
of ore, if any, shipped from the deposit during World War II is not
known, as the separate identity of any ore shipped does not a]5pear in
the records. Ilowevei', it is possible that ore was shipped in 1942 and was
included in the production figures of an independent buver. (Gros 42;
MacBoyle 1 9 ; Bradley 18 ; Waring 17)
Olsen Prospect (10)
Karl Olsen of Washington reported that about 10 long tons of ore had
been mined by him in 1917 at a prospect in the Washington area. Louder-
back listed Olsen 's prospect as being in sec. 24, T. 17 N.. R. 10 E. (proba-
bly on the northern edge of the NE| near the Mount Hill or Victory
deposit), and indicated that 10 tons of ore containiiig about 40 percent
CroO.i still was on the ground after the property Avas abandoned in
September 1918. It may be that no ore w^as shipped. (Louderback 18)
Lowell Hill Area
Bartholomew-Simms Lease (11)
E. I. Bartholomew and William Simms held a lease in 1918 on a
chromite deposit on property of tlie Swedish-American Bank in the
NE^ see. 7, T. 16 N., R. 11 E. Two adits, one 18 aud the other 20 feet
long, w^ere driven one above tlie other northward along the strike of
what appeared to Cameron to be a single ore body dipping about 60° E.
Ore about 2 feet wide Avas exposed in the backs aud floors of botli adits
for their entire length. About 15 long tons of development ore had been
mined by September 1918. but none had been shi]iped. Cameron thought
that the deposit should yield 100 to 200 long tons of ore. Since no ship-
ments from the deposit have been recorded, and since it is three-cpiarters
of a mile by trail from the nearest road, the ore still may remain on
the proj)erty. (Cameron 18)
Maguire Prospect (12)
William Maguire reported that he mined 2.1 lony- tons of ore from a
(•hromite deposit in the EiSWj sec. 8, T. 16 N.,' R, 11 E., which he
Chap. 5] PLACER, NEVADA, SIERRA, YUBA, BUTTE, PLUMAS COUNTIES 241
leased from Lowell Hill Gold Mines in 1918. No other information con-
cerning the deposit is available.
Nevada City-Grass Valley Area
Sherman Ranch (15) [33]
Chromite deposits oeenr on the Sherman Kancli in the SWl-SE:^ sec.
11, T. 16 N., R. 8 E. This property generally has been referred to as the
Hoeft lease because Eleanor E. Hoeft, the principal operator, worked
the deposits during World War I under a lease from Isabelle C. Sher-
man, the owner at that time. During the initial operations some shipping-
grade ore (float ?) Avas sluiced off the hillside and a small lens of dissemi-
nated ore was mined from the lower slope. The major part of the work
done during ]Miss lloeft's operations vras on a large body of disseminated
ore near the top of the ridge. This ore body was adjacent to the border of
the Waite Property (16) and may have been a continuation of the de-
posit mined on that property. The workings on the larger ore body con-
sisted of an inclined shaft sunk 47 feet in the ore and a drift clriven
southwest ward from the bottom of the shaft. According to Cameron,
the drift Avas holed-out at the surface before operations were suspended.
The large body of disseminated ore had a northeast strike and a dip
of about 50° SE. The shaft encountered ore, 12 feet thick at places, most
of the way to the bottom. The drift Avas in ore as much as 10 feet thick
for at least 30 feet from the bottom of the shaft, and a small stope was
made in mining a part of this ore. According to MacBoyle, "'a horse of
hard fine-grained black rock," probably a dike of some sort, cut through
the ore body at the drift leA'el.
Approximately 500 or 600 tons of mine-run disseminated ore contain-
ing 10 to 15 percent Cr203 was taken to the Champion mill to be concen-
trated. The concentrates made from this ore contained only about 32 per-
cent CroOs and had a high iron content. Miss Hoeft reported that 146
long tons of ore was shipped by her in 1918. A small part of the ore
shipped was lump ore, obtained by the sluicing operations, but the major
part was concentrate. (MacBoyle 19 ; Louderbaek 18 ; Bradley 18 ; Logan
18; Cameron 18)
Waite (White) Property (16) [33]
The largest deposit found on the Sherman Ranch also extended across
the property line onto the adjoining AVaite property, A\-hich was re-
ported to be OAA'ued by ]\lattheAV Waite et al. in 1918 and by B. C. TVaite
in 1941. The Waite part of the deposit lies in the E^SW^'sec. 11, T. 16
X., R. 8 E. The Nevada County Chrome Co. (F. S. :j.Iorgan, E. J. ]\[organ,
and E. E. Leichter) leased and mined on the property durinir 1916-18.
This company opened the northeastern part of the ore body with an open
cut 20 to 25 feet Avide, about 100 feet long, and 20 to 30 feet deep. The
open cut extended to AA'ithin 20 feet of the property line.
The ore body at the Waite end AA-as 20 to 25 feet Avide and contained
10 to 15 percent Cr203, being someAA'hat higher in grade at tlie bottom
of the pit than near the surface. ScA-eral (three?) tlioiisand tons of the
ore AA'as mined from the cut and hauled to the Oustomah mill for con-
centration. The recorded figures of the Nevada County proiUiction of
the Nevada County Chrome Co. A^ary considerably, but indicate that
400 to 500 long tons of concentrate containing about 36 percent CvsO.-?
AA-as made. All but about 25 tons of this concentrate came from ore from
the Waite property. (AA'erill 41 ; ^lacBoyle 19; Tjouderback IS; Bia'^ley
18; Logan 18; Cameron 18)
242 CIIROMITE DEPOSITS SIERRA NEVADA [Bull. 134, Pt. Ill
Merrifield Property (17) [33]
A small deposit of disseminated ore on the property of Albert Merri-
field in the SWi sec. 11, T. 16 N., R. 8 E., was leased to the Nevada
County Chrome Co. in 1918. This company opened a lens of low-grade
ore in a shaft 30 feet deep. Cameron reported that the ore body was at
least 6 feet wide in the bottom of the shaft, and may have been even
wider, as the hangino- wall was not exposed at that depth. The strike
of the ore was northwest and the dip about 80° SE. The disseminated
ore contained about 10 percent Cr20.3, but small "bunches" of shipping-
g'rade ore, containing about 36 percent Cr^Os, occurred in the dissem-
inated ore and was sorted out for shipment direct. Not more than a few
hundred tons of the disseminated ore was sent to the Oustomah mill for
concentration. Probably not more than 25 long tons of concentrate, con-
taining about 36 percent CroO.s, was made from ore from this deposit,
but the exact amount is not known, as the amounts of concentrates made
from the various ores sent to the Oustomah mill were not reported sep-
arately. (Cameron 18)
Eden Claim (18)
Charles Eden located a chromite claim in the E^ sec. 10, T. 16 N., R.
8 E., and in 1918 he mined a few tons of ore from a small pit and a shaft
that was 12 feet deep. Cameron saw one lens of ore 2 feet wide in the
side of the shaft when he visited the property. Although the ore appeared
to be massive chromite, a sample of "high-grade" assayed only 25 per-
cent CroOa. A few tons of the ore was sold at $10 per ton in the spring
of 1918, but the low grade of the ore discouraged the operator from
attempting to dispose of more. (Cameron 18)
Porter Property (19) [34]
Two chromite deposits on land owned by J. C. Porter in the NiNEi
sec. 16, T. 16 N., R. 8 E., were leased by" A. J. Schmidt in 1918" The
larger of the two deposits was opened first by two open cuts, one of
which extended to a depth of 25 feet. A shaft then was sunk to a depth
of 40 feet between the two cuts and a drift was driven below the larger
of the two cuts from the bottom of the shaft. Ore 4 feet wide was exposed
for 35 feet along the back of the drift when Cameron visited the property.
The strike of this ore body was a little north of west and the dip about
85° S. Another lens of ore 4 feet wide was exposed in the face of a short
drift from the bottom of a shaft 25 feet deep, which was located about
350 feet from the main workings.
The ore in these two deposits apparently consisted of a good grade
of disseminated ore that could be sorted to a product containing 31 to
33 percent Cr20.{, and part of the ore shipped from the property con-
sisted of sorted material. The operator also sent some of the mine-run
ore to the Champion mill, where it was concentrated to a iiroduct con-
taining 37 to 40 percent CroO.3. Schmidt reported to the State that he
mined about 1,200 short tons of ore containing 30 to 32 percent CroOa
in 1918. His report to the U. S. (Jeologieal Survey indicated that he
shipped 893 long tons of ore and had 178 tons on hand at the end of
1918. Tt is not known if the stocked ore was shi])ped at a later date.
Cameron's report on the property did not state definitely that the two
ore bodies had a line of strike common to both. If such a relationship
could be deinonstrated, the block of ground between tlie two shafts might
well contain other bodies of similar ore. (Louderback 18; Cameron 18)
Chap. 5] PLACER, NEVADA, SIERRA, YUBA. BUTTE, PLUMAS COUNTIES 243
Snyder Property [34]
Averill visited a chromite deposit in sec. 15( ?), T. 16 N., R. 8 E., on
land owned by Henrv Snyder in 1941. According to Snyder, ore valued
at $10,000 to $12,000^(200 to 300 tons?) had been taken from the deposit
during World War I. This ore was said to contain about 40 percent
CroOs. No separate production record for this deposit has been reported.
It is possible, however, that the deposit may represent one of those that
A. J. Schmidt mined in 1918. (See under Porter property.) No other
information concerning this property is available. (Averill 41)
Mulcahy Prospect (20)
Mulcahy Bros, of Grass Valley opened a small chromite prospect in
sec. 16, T. 16 N., R. 8 E., in 1918. Louderback's tabulated report noted
that about 20 tons of ore containing 35 to 40 percent CroOs and about
100 tons of ore containing 8 to 10 percent Cr203 was in sight at the
prospect in 1918. No shipments of ore from this deposit have been re-
corded separately. (Louderback 18)
standard Mine (21)
According to L. W. Williams of Grass Valley, about 30 long tons of
low-grade ore was mined during World War I from small lenses of
chromite on a property known as the Standard mine in the NE^(?)
see. 21, T. 16 N., R. 8 E. The Hennessy Estate owned this property in
1941. No other information concerning this chromite deposit is avail-
able. (Averill 41)
Codd Prospects (22)
A. A. Codd of Reno had a lease to mine chromite on 56 acres of patented
land (owned by H. B. Skewes?) and located two chromite claims in
the NEi sec. 21, T. 16 N., R. 8 E., in 1918. A number of small open
cuts and pits were dug on small lenses of disseminated ore in an effort
to find a sufficient quantity of milling-grade ore to justify shipments
to one of the local custom mills for concentration. About 71 long tons of
ore containing approximately 15 percent Cr203 was mined but no ship-
ments were made (MacBoyle 19; Louderback 18; Cameron 18)
Holseman Mine (23)
The Holseman mine is in the central part of sec. 22, T. 16 N., R. 8 E.,
and adjoins the Alta Hill mine (24). J. H. Holseman owned the prop-
ertv during World War I and leased to a group composed of F. M.
Pfeiffer, T. F. Hogan, D. Muer, T. Gill, and G. J. Hothersall. This
group of lessees mined several small lenses of low-grade ore from open
cuts and from a shaft 20 feet deep with a drift 20 feet long at the bottom.
The ore in the deposit apparently consisted of disseminated chromite
with streaks of more massive chromite that could be sorted out. No ore
was showing in the cuts when Cameron visited the property in August
1918, but some lenses of ore from 3 to 4 feet wide were exposed in the
bottom of the shaft and drift. The lenses of ore occurred in a zone that
had a strike close to north and a dip nearly vertical.
The ore shipped from the deposit in 1918 contained 30 to 33 percent
CroOs. That shipped in 1916 and 1917 might have been slightly richer.
Hogan and Hothersall, the principals of the group of lessees, purchased
ores from several sources other than the Holseman mine ; the amounts
of ores from the other sources were not reported separately in the pro-
244 CHROMITE DEPOSITS SIERRA NEVADA [Bllll. 184, Pt. Ill
duetion figures reported by these men. Furthermore, the figures recorded
under their names vary widely. According to Federal figures, which seem
to be the best available in this case, Hogan and llothersall shipped 853
long tons of ore in 1916, 446 tons in 1917, and 80 tons in 1918, with
stocks of 161 tons on hand at the end of 1918. The Federal figures show
a total of 879 long tons shipped and 161 tons stocked. The major part
of the ore shipped by Hogan and llothersall probably came from the
Ilolseman deposit. Louderback's tabulated report indicated that 50 to
100 tons of milling-grade ore containing 10 to 18 percent CroOs remained
on the property late in 1918. (MacBoyle 19; Louderback 18; Cam-
eron 18)
Alta Hill Mine (24) [35]
The Alta Hill chromite mine is on the old Cantwell Place located
near the center of sec. 22, T. 16 N., R. 8 E., on the north side of the
ridge road between Grass Valley and Nevada City. The Holseman and
Grass Valley Extension properties adjoin on the north and south respec-
tively. W. F. Man, 0. R. Heidrick, and L. W. Williams owned and oper-
ated the mine during most of 1918, but leased to A. A. Codd during the
latter part of that year.
Several small lenses of ore were mined from two groups of workings
about 100 feet apart. The workings consisted of some open cuts and two
shafts. The easternmost shaft was 80 feet deep with a drift about 50
feet long at the bottom. The other shaft was about 20 feet deep. When
Cameron visited the property in 1918 he saw a lens of ore 4 feet wide
in the bottom of one shaft, a lens 6 feet wide in the bottom of the
other shaft, a lens 7 feet wide in one cut, and a lens 2 feet wide in
another cut. These ore bodies had a northwest strike and a dip of about
85° NE. The ore in the lenses was rather low in grade ; that shipped
contained only 31 to 36 percent CroOa. Some lower-grade material evi-
dently occurred also, as Louderback 's tabulated report referred to about
250 tons of milling-grade ore containing 15 to 18 percent CroOs. This
same report stated that 150 tons of ore was shipped from the property
in 1918. However. Williams reported shipments of only 117 long tons
of ore and stocks of 61 tons in his 1918 report to the U. S. Geological
Survey. In 1937 Williams found a market in San Francisco for about
60 long tons of the stocked ore when foreign ores were tied up at the
docks because of a strike. (Averill 41; MacBoyle 19; Louderback 18;
Logan 18; Cameron 18)
Davey Prospect (26)
C. W. and W. J. Jenkins held a lease in 1918 from J. Davey & Son on
40 acres of ])atcnted land in the NW^ sec. 26, T. 16 N., R. 8 E. The lessees
mined a small lens of chromite weighing only 2 or 3 long tons from a pit
6 feet in diameter. The lens had a northwest strike and a A'crtical dip.
Some float ore was found on the in-opcrty also. (MacBoyle 19; Cam-
eron 18)
Baker Prospect (27)
D. Whildcn made five small open cuts in 191S while pr()si)ecting small
occurrences of disseminated ore on the P>aker property in the NEj sec.
26, T. 16 N., R. 8 E. No ore was shipped. (MacBoyle 19; Cameron 18)
Chap. 5] PLACER, NEVADA, SIERRA, YUBA, BUTTE, PLUMAS COUNTIES 245
Spring Hill (28)
About ]0 long tons of chromite was mined during World "War I on
the property of the Spring Hill Gold Mines, Inc., in the SISEj- sec. 23,
T. 16 N., E. 8 E. Waring reported that a Mr. Woil sold 10 long tons of
ore containing 56.68 percent Cr203 in 1917, which came from a deposit
in this vicinity. It seems likely that Woil's ore came from the Spring
Hill property. A little prospecting was done on the property in 1910,
but verv little chromite was found. (Averill 41 ; MacBoyle 19; Bradley
18; Waring 17)
Golden Gate (29)
A Mr. Baskin leased the rights to mine chromite in 1918 on the prop-
erty of the Golden Gate Mining Co. in the northeast corner of see. 26,
T. 16 N., R. 8 E. Two small prospect pits were dug on small "bunches"
of chromite in the serpentine. The lessee intended to sink a shaft on the
best showing, but it is not known if this was done. As far as is known,
none of the ore was shipped. (MacBoyle 19; Cameron 18)
Geach Property (30)
A deposit of chromite on the property of T. R. Geach in the NW^( ?)
sec. 25, T. 16 N., R. 8 E., was leased and mined by C. W. and W. J.
Jenkins in 1918. Their workings consisted of a shaft 20 feet deep with
a short drift and an underhand stope at the bottom. About 40 long tons
of massive ore had been mined when Cameron visited the property. Ore
2 feet wide showed in the face of the drift and ore 10 inches wide was
exposed for a distance of 8 feet in the bottom of the stope. The strike
of the ore body was N. 45° W. An outcrop of chromite was found about
50 feet along the strike from the shaft, but it is not known if any work
was done at this place. The lessees reported that thej^ mined and shipped
43 long tons of ore containing 34.27 percent Cr^Os in 1918. Most of this
ore probably came from the Geach property, though some may have
come from the Davey property. (MacBoyle 19; Cameron 18)
Section 19 Prospects (31)
The only serpentine that has been mapped in sec 19, T. 16 X., R. 9 E.,
is a small mass in the southwest corner of the section, but there may be
other small masses that have not yet been mapped. Two chromite pros-
pects have been reported in the section, and both probably are located
in the SW^ of the section.
A. E. Hooper prospected for chromite on a 75-acre tract of patented
land in 1918, but found only a small stringer of ore that was not large
enough to justify any work. The operators of the Red Ledge mine, the
Williamson brothers and C. M. Cole, located a claim in the section in
1918 because of some chromite float they found there. A small pit and a
few prospect holes and trenches were dug, but apparently the source of
the float was not found. (jNlacBoyle 19; Cameron 18)
Chromite Concentrating Plants (13, 14)
Two large gold mills in the county were partly converted in 1918
to treat low-grade chromite ores from deposits near Nevada City. Al-
though several hundred tons of concentrate was produced in these mills,
the available reserve of low-grade ore was small, and it was found tliat
the grade of the ores treated could not be raised high enough to justify
the added expense of treating such small tonnages.
246 CIIROMITE DEPOSITS — SIERRA NEVADA [Bull. 134, Pt. Ill
The Oustomah mill (13), located near the center of the line between
sees. 1 and 12, T. 16 N., R. 8 E., treated ore from the Waite and Merri-
field deposits. The mining and milling operations were carried on by the
Nevada County Chrome Co. Ten 1, 250-pound stamps were utilized
to crush the ore tlirough 15-mesh screens, discharging into a Hendy
hydraulic classifier. The overflow from the classifier went to a Johnson
belt concenti-ator, which yielded a fine concentrate. The coarser material
went to the first Overstrom Universal concentrator, which prodiu'ed
some concentrate and also a middling product that was returned for
further crushing,. The tailings from the Johnson and the first Over-
strom concentrator were run over a second Overstrom concentrator to
make the final concentrate. A concentrate containing about 36 percent
Cr203 and about 10 percent Fe was made from ore containing 10 to 15
percent Cr^Os. About 500 long tons of concentrate was made from ap-
proximately 3,000 tons of mine-run ore in 1918. The recovery was esti-
mated to be 60 to 70 percent.
The Champion mill (14) , on Deer Creek near the line between the SW^
sec. 12 and the SEJ sec. 11, T. 16 N., R. 8 E., treated ore from the Sher-
man Ranch and Porter deposits. The concentration process was relatively'
simple. The ore was crushed by two batteries of five 1,250-pound stamps
through 40-mesh screens. The pulp flowed without classification to a
double-deck Diester table, where some concentrate was recovered. The
middlings from this table went to a single-deck Diester table, where
more concentrate was recovered. The overflow from the second table was
sent to a Union vanner for the recovery of the fine chromite. Some 500
to 600 long tons of ore from the Sherman Ranch deposit was crushed
and concentrated. This ore contained 10 to 15 percent Cro0;^ and yielded
approximately 125 long tons of concentrate containing about 32 per-
cent CroOs with a high iron content. It is not known how much ore from
the Porter deposit was treated at the mill, but the mill feed from these
deposits contained 30 percent or more of Cr203 and yielded a concen-
trate containing nearly 40 percent Cr203. The simple circuit of the
Champion mill accomplished a recovery of 65 to 75 percent of the chro-
mite in the ore. (MacBoyle 19; Bradley 18; Cameron 18)
Chicago Park Area
Shrull Prospect (35)
J. H. Shrull found about 400 pounds of float chromite on his property
in the E^SW^NWi sec. .17, T. 15 N., R. 9 E. The source of the float was
not located.
Numitor (36)
W. C. Jauch of Colfax found some ciiromite float along a creek bottom
in the NE-K ?) sec. 14, T. 15 N., R. 9 E., in 1918 while he was leasing the
Numitor gold mine from the Pushek Estate. The source of the float was
not discovered, no other work was done, and no ore was shii)i)0(l. (Cam-
eron 18)
Moulton Prospects (37-39)
W. S. Moidton leased tlie rights to mine cliroinite on three jiatented
properties in the Chicago Park area in 1918. Several occurrences of
chromite were prospected, but no ore was shipi)ed. About 3 long tons of
ore was talccn from ;i sci-ies of se\-(>r;il small Nmiscs on the Schinidl ]u-o])-
Chap. 5] PLACER, NEVADA, SIERRA, YUBA, BUTTE, PLUMAS COUXTIES 247
erty (37) in the SW^ sec. 21, T. 15 N., R. 9 E. The ore zone had a north
strike and dipped abont 65° W. No ore remained in place at the prospect.
A shaft 12 feet deep and several small pits were made on the Weisgien
property (38), also in the SW^ sec. 21. A few tons of massive ore was
taken from the shaft, where a 10-inch zone of disseminated ore with
occasional "bunches" of massive ore had been opened. The ore zone had
a northwest strike and dipped 80° NE.
Another zone of disseminated ore was prospected on the Rolpholm
Ranch (39) in the N^ see. 28, T. 15 N., R. 9 E. Several pits were dug
along the zone, which had a strike of N. 55° W. and a dip of 45° NE. One
pit 7 feet deep showed the zone to be 4 feet wide at that point. About 2
tons of ore was taken from the small "bunches" of massive ore that
occurred within the disseminated ore. This property was leased to H. E.
McClellan in 1942. but no additional work was done on the deposits.
(MacBoyle 19 ; Cameron 18)
Wolf Creek Area
Dorsey and Ridge Claims (32)
L. V. Dorsey and D. R. Ridge of Grass Valley located four chromite
claims in the Ni sec. 6, T. 15 N., R. 8 E., in 19i7. Numerous small pits
were made on outcrops consisting of small "bunches" of ore that was
too low in grade to ship. At one place a shaft 12 feet deep had opened
a lens of more massive ore 14 inches wide, which was said to contain 40
to 52 percent Cr203. This ore body had a strike of N. 60° W. and a
vertical dip. Cameron reported that 50 long tons of the ore had been mined
and perhaps 25 tons of ore remained unmined. In 1918 the operators
reported that 54 long tons of ore containing 30 to 45 percent CroOa had
been mined but not shipped. It is not known whether any of this ore was
shipped at a later date. (MacBoyle 19; Cameron 18)
Dickenson Property (33)
Dorsey and Ridge lease a chromite deposit in the N^N^ sec. 4. T. 15
N., R. 8 E., from the estate of L. Dickerson in 1918. Three small open
cuts were made on a nearly vertical ore zone that had a strike of N. 40° W.
Several small lenses of ore from 4 to 10 inches wide were found in the
zone. The operators reported that 6 long tons of ore containing 30 to 40
percent CroO.s w^as shipped from the deposit in 1918. (MacBoyle 19;
Cameron 18)
Bowden Prospect (34)
A deposit of disseminated chromite occurs in the extreme southwest
corner of sec. 3, T. 15 N., R. 8 E. The property was OA\'ned by ]\Irs. L. A.
Bowden in 1918. About 20 long tons of ore containing 15 to 20 percent
CroOa was mined in 1918. Louderback's report listed an estimated reserve
of 50 to 100 tons of similar ore. None of the ore was shipped. (Louder-
back 18)
Thompson Ranch (41)
A chromite de^iosit was opened in 1918 on the ranch property of Her-
man Thompson in sec. 5, T. 14 N., R. 8 E., probably in the small serpen-
tine mass in the eastern part of the section. Henry Yue mined the deposit
under a lease from the owner. In 1918 the workings consisted of a shaft
20 feet deep and a drift 25 feet long from the bottom of the shaft. A
lens of ore 3.5 to 4 feet wide was exposed in the back and face and for
248 CIIROMITE DEPOSITS SIERRA NEVADA [Bllll. 134, Pt. Ill
17 feet along the floor of the drift. The ore body had a north strike and
a dip of about 75° E. Cameron reported that 28 long; tons of ore had been
mined and he thoufjht the ore body might yiehl as much as 300 long tons.
It is not known how mnch of the ore was actually shipped.
Louderback's tabulated report lists two Thompson properties, one
owned by E. Thompson in sec. 5 and another owned by II. L. Thompson
in sec. 16. Louderback listed a 1017 production of 150 short tons of ore
containing 38 to 40 percent CroO;; for the sec. 5 deposit and remarked
that 50 to 75 tons of ore containing 12 to 18 percent CroO^ remained in
sight. His figures for the sec. 18 deposit indicated that 20 short tons of
ore containing about 40 percent Cr-O.-! had been mined, but not shipped,
and that 40 tons of similar ore was in sight. These latter figures seem
to correspond more closely with those Cameron gave in his description
of the deposit in sec. 5. That two separate deposits exist is not doubted,
and it may be that the section locations given by Louderback were
switched w^hen his report was assembled. Another possible explanation
of the discrepancy between the two reports can be drawn from a com-
parison of production records of deposits in the area. On this basis it
could be assumed that the locations given in the Louderback report were
erroneous and that the sec. 16 deposit corresponds to Cameron's sec. 5
deposit, whereas the sec. 5 deposit corresponds to the Half Chrome
deposit (42) in sec. 4 (see below). However, the evidence at hand does
not afford a conclusive solution of the problem. (MacBoyle 19; Louder-
back 18; Cameron 18)
Half Chrome Mine (42)
The Half Chrome mine, also known as the Limekiln or AYolf mine, is
located in the SASW^ sec. 4, T. 14 N., E. 8 E. H. Thompson (E. H.
Thompson?) was reported owner of the property during World War I.
Guy Walsh and a ]\Ir. Hall of Auburn operated the property in 1917-18.
Their workings consisted of one pit 4 feet wide, 8 to 10 feet long, and
10 feet deep; another pit about 30 feet southeast that was 3 feet wide,
6 feet long, and 10 feet deep ; and a prospect trench 2 to 3 feet wide
extending northwest from the larger ( 1) pit.
The deposit consisted of a series of lenses of disseminated ore along a
zone striking N. 40° W. and dipping 80° NE. The ore in the footwall
part of the lens opened by the larger cut was the disseminated type, but
that in the hanging-wall part was more massive and contained some
magnetite according to Waring. A ''cross stringer" of nearly massive
ore at the southeast end of the smaller pit was 14 inches wide, 4 feet
long, and 4 feet deep. 8ome of this ore was said to be mixed with hema-
tite (?). The prospect trench had traced the ore zone for about 75 feet
northwestward from the larger pit.
E. II. Thompscm and H. C. Schi-ocdcr sliii)pc(l -19 huig tons of ore
containing about 35 percent Cr20;i from the deposit in 1916. Walsh and
Hall re]K)rted a production of 147 huig tons in 1917. No production was
reported for 1918, and npparentlv no work has been done since. (Mac-
Boyle 19; Bradley 18; Waring 17)
Sweet Ranch (43) [36]
A chi'omite deposit on tlic ran<-li of Jolm Sweet in the SE ', sec. 4,
T. 14 N., R. 8 E., was worlccd hy scvtM-al oi)('rators, including Edwai'd
Morgan and Henry Ync. dining and prior to World War I. By 1918
Chap. 5] PLACER, NEVADA, SIERRA, YUBA, BUTTE, PLUMAS COUNTIES 249
the deposit had been opened by a large open cut from 10 to 15 feet wide,
50 feet long-, and 40 feet deep, and a drift 20 feet long into the face
of the cut.
The deposit consisted of a lens of disseminated ore enclosing small
scattered masses of shipping-grade ore. A little ore was mined from the
deposit about 1898. According to the production figures submitted by
the owner, the deposit yielded 82 long tons of ore in 1916, 206 tons in
1917, and 424 tons in 1918. The figure given for 1918 appears rather
high unless it includes some ore of milling-grade, as Cameron reported
that only 300 tons of shipping-grade ore had been mined and not much
ore of that grade was to be seen in the workings late in 1918. Although
the deposit contained several hundred tons of milling-grade ore, the dis-
tance to the nearest custom mill at Nevada City was too great for profit-
able hauling. (MacBoyle 19; Bradley 18; Louderbaek 18; Cameron 18)
Tomkin Lease (44)
A deposit in the NE^NE 1 sec. 18, T. 14 N., E. 8 E., was worked in 1943
by W. J. Tomkin under a lease from an unidentified person. Tomkin
produced 11.4 long tons of ore containing 37.38 percent CroOs and 9.43
percent Fe with a Cr to Fe ratio of 2.71. No other information concerning
this deposit is available.
Sierra County
Introduction
Sierra County encompasses an area of 958 square miles between
Plumas County on the north and Nevada County on the south. Most of
the county is mountainous excepting a small part that is occupied by
the southern end of the Sierra Valley. The county is one of the least
densely populated counties in the State, having only 2.361 inhabitants
by the count of the 1950 census. The principal industries are mining,
lumbering, and farming, the latter industry being restricted mainly to
the region of the Sierra Valley.
The geology of Sierra County is similar in most respects to that of
the central and eastern parts of Nevada County (see pi. 12). The "great
serpentine belt" extends northward from Nevada County across the
western part of Sierra County through the Forest, Downieville, and
Gibsonville-Poker Flat areas. Between the North Fork and Middle Fork
of the Yuba River the belt constitutes a broad zone of numerous large
and small mas.ses of ultramafic rocks closely associated with masses of
gabbro and gabbro-diorite. The complex geology of this part of the belt
has been mapped in considerable detail (Ferguson 32) but is much gen-
eralized on plates 12 and 13. The ultramafic and mafic rocks in the main
part of the wide zone were intruded into the Tightner, Kanaka, and
Relief formations of Carboniferous age. North of the North Fork of
the Yuba River the margins of the main part of the zone converge nortli-
ward and include one relatively large and three relatively small sill-like
masses of ultramafic rocks, and fewer masses of mafic rocks than to the
south;
The long, narrow siH-like mass of ultramafic rocks that lies along the
contact between the Cape Horn and Delhi formations from 1 to 2 miles
west of the main part of the "great serpentine belt" is considered a
part of that belt for the purposes of this report. The mass may have
been intruded along a separate structure, however, for the strike of the
250
CHROMITE DEPOSITS SIERRA NEVADA [Bull. 134, Pt. Ill
O O O "O Tj< I
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H -^ O ,= '■-« ►
Chap. 5] PLACER, NEVADA, SIERRA, YUBA, BUTTE, PLUMAS COUNTIES 251
northern end of its outcrop diverges appreciably westward from the
strike of the main part of the belt.
Two other belts of ultramafic rocks, one in the Sierra City area in the
east-central part of the county and the other in the Brandy City area
on the western edge of the county, are not related structurally to belts
in Nevada and Placer Counties. The eastern belt comprises a northwest-
trending series of long, thin sills of ultramafic rocks intruded into the
Blue Canyon formation (basal part of the section?) near its eastern
margin. The western belt is represented by a large, highly irregular
mass of ultramafic rocks intruded into rocks of the Delhi formation and
schistose amphibolitic rocks of uncertain age and derivation.
Between 25 and 30 chromite deposits have been found in the ultramafic
rocks of Sierra County. Only one deposit has been found in the eastern
belt and perhaps as many as four have been found in the western belt ;
the locations and separate identities of two deposits reported in the
western belt are uncertain. All the rest of the known deposits in the
county occur in the ultramafic rocks of the ' ' great serpentine belt. ' '
History and Production
Sierra County does not rank among the prominent chromite-producing
counties of California, as its deposits have yielded only about 2,400 long
tons of ore. The first chromite mined and shipped from the county came
from a deposit near Brandy City. About 100 tons of refractory ore from
this deposit was shipped in 1905 for use in furnace linings. Another de-
posit in the western belt was opened in 1911. All the other known deposits
in the county were exploited first during 1917-1918. Only five of these
previously worked deposits yielded additional ore during TVorld "War II,
and nearly half the ore produced during that period consisted of con-
centrates made from the disseminated ore in a deposit in the Downieville
area.
None of the deposits found thus far have contained more than 500 long
tons of shipping-grade ore and only seven have contained more than
100 tons. The kno-vvn and inferred reserves of these deposits probably
do not add up to more than a few hundred tons of ore. The ultramafic
rocks in the Forest area have been prospected thoroughly, but additional
prospecting in the other areas might lead to the discovery of other ore
bodies. As in the past, the difficulties and high costs of transporting the
ore to distant markets will be a serious handicap to operators who may
attempt further exploitation of the deposits.
Detailed production figures for deposits in the county are given in
table 10.
Mines and Prospects
Gibsonville-Poker Flat Area
Gibsonville Property (1-3)
Six chromite claims, known collectively as the Gibsonville property,
were located on the serpentine mass on Slate Creek in sec. 29, T. 22 N.,
R. 10 E., between Gibsonville and Mount Filmore, by W. T. Baldwin,
L. L. Clough, and G. W. Chamberlin during World War I. Five of the
claims — the Chrome 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 claims — were held jointly and the
sixth was held outright by Clough. Chromite was mined from three of
these claims in 1917, and mining operations on the property probably
were carried on during 1918 also ; but it is not known if additional work
has been done since.
252 CHROMITE DEPOSITS— SIERRA NEVADA [Bull. 134, Pt. Ill
The workings of the No. 1 claim are at an altitude of about 5,300 feet
on the east side of Slate Creek about 300 feet west of the old Gibsonville-
Howland Flat road. An ore body striking east and dipping 85° S. was
being mined from an open cut 16 feet long and 10 feet deep when the
deposit was visited by Waring in 1917. Approximately 20 long tons of
ore had been mined at that time ; and an additional 20 tons of unmined
ore might extend into the hillside.
Another ore body was mined on the No. 2 claim above the llowland
Flat road at an altitude of about 5,800 feet on the ridge northeast
(east?) of Gibsonville. This chromite lens was 14 feet long, 4 feet wide,
and 5 feet deep and had a strike of N. 45° E. and a dip of 80° NW. It
yielded about 8 long tons of ore containing 38 to 40 percent CroOa.
Clough's claim was on the southeast slope of the above-mentioned
ridge. A "chimney" of chromite on this claim yielded about 35 long
tons of ore containing 45 percent Cr208. The maximum cross-section
of the ore body was 6 by 8 feet ; the body pinched out at a depth of 10 feet.
W. T. Baldwin reported that 83 long tons of ore containing 44 percent
CroO.i was shipped in 1917. This amount corresponds exactly with the
amount Waring reported for the three deposits described above. Baldwin
also reported 89 long tons shipped and 90 tons stocked in 1918. It is
not known from which, if any, of the six claims this 1918 production
came or if any of the ore reported as stocked has been shipped since.
(Bradley 18 ; Waring 17)
Poker Flat Prospects (4, 5)
E. R. Jones and A. J. Modglin of La Porte have reported occurrences
of chromite in and near sec. 16, T. 21 N., R. 10 E. The only serpentine
mapped in sec. 16 is a thin sill in the southeast corner, but it might
well contain a few deposits of chromite. A wider mass of serpentine
in the central part of sec. 15 between Deadwood and Little Grizzly Creeks
is said to contain about 200 long tons of visible ore occurring mostly
as large boulders of float. Apparently but little work has been done on
these occurrences, and no production has been reported from the area.
Additional prospecting seems to be warranted. ( Averill 42)
Downieville Area
White Bear Mine (6) [27J
Chromite occurs on the property of tlie White Bear Mining Co. in
sees. 9 and 16, T. 20 N., R. 10 E. 'Richard Belcher is secretary of the
compau}^, which owns five claims covering a length of about 1^- miles
of a gold-bearing channel between the Tertiary lavas and the underlying
bedrock. John Costa of Downieville was operating the mine for gold in
1918, and the Ostrom and Lindvall brothers mined chromite under a
lease from him. G. R. Costa and R. Daneri of Downieville and E. C.
Willis of Ilayward were working the mine for gold under a lease in 1941
and saved a small amount of chromite cobbles found in the gravels. The
only shipments of chromite from this mine during World War II are
credited to C. L. Best of the Rnby-Oxl'ord Mines, who apparently leased
the chi-omite mining rights in 1943.
Little has been reported regarding the g(M)l()gy of the chromite de-
posits. Thompson's 1918 report indicates that one or more lenses of ore
were mined from an open cut in the sei-pentine. lie stated that this de-
posit had a iiiaxiiiium length of "JO leet, a maximnin width of 8 feet, and a
Chap. 5] PLACER, NEVADA, SEERBA, YUBA, BUTTE, PLUMAS COUNTIES 253
depth of 26 feet ; the strike was north and the dip was 40° E. Ostrom and
Lindvall Bros, reported to the California Division of Mines that they
shipped 288 long tons of ore in 1918 and had 67 long tons of ore on hand
at the end of the year. Perhaps as much as 25 tons of this ore came from
the South Star claim (19), however. The 41.4 long tons of ore .shipped
by C. L. Best in 1943 contained 41.41 percent CroOs and 22.23 percent Fe
with a Cr to Fe ratio of 1.86. It is not known if the ore produced in 1943
came from the same deposit worked in 1918 or if it came from a newly
discovered deposit. The amount of ore that could be recovered from the
gravels is negligible, and no reserves can be estimated for the property'.
( Averill 42 ; MacBoyle 20a ; Louderback 18 ; Thompson 18 )
Golconda Fraction Claim (7)
The Golconda Fraction claim is located in the northwest corner of
the SWiNEi sec. 22, T. 20 X., R. 10 E., about half a mile north of the
Oxford mine. C. A. AYinrod and G. B. AYinrod owned and operated the
property in 1942. C. L. Best of the Ruby-Oxford Mines conducted a
small-scale operation on the claim in 1944 under a lease from the Win-
rods. An open cut about 40 feet long. 40 feet wide, and 15 feet deep on
the uphill side constituted the only workings in 1942 (see fig. 6). The
Several chromite lenses
mined from this area
Level of main cut ^
_/ ^,j
Section along line A-A'
After sketch by J. T. Robertson
September 1942
-Chromite exposed in pits and walls
Plan of open cut
Figure 6. Sketch of open cut, Golconda
Fraction claim, Sierra County
ore was taken out over about half a mile of rough sled road and then
trucked to the Auburn stockpile.
Several 5- to 10-ton chromite lenses were taken from the open cut.
These ore bodies were about 2 feet thick, 8 feet long, and 6 feet wide.
The Wiurods shipped 69.7 long tons of ore in 1942 and C. L. Best shipped
254
CHROMITE DEPOSITS SIERRA NEVADA [BuU. 134, Pt. Ill
10.3 tons in 1944. This ore averaged 39.03 percent CroOs and 12.20 per-
cent Fe with a Cr to Fe ratio of 2.19. Although a possible reserve of
40 to 50 tons of ore was estimated by Robertson (42) at the end of 1942,
it is probable that C. L. Best mined all the ore in sight in 1944. (Rob-
ertson 42)
Oxford Mine (9-11) and Mill (12)
Several chromite deposits have been found on the properties of the
Oxford Quartz Mining Co. (see fig. 7). Chromite occurs on the Oxford
Figure 7. Sketch showing the location of
chromite deposits at and near tlie Oxford
mine, Sierra County
patented timber lease (9) in the SEJ sec. 22 and on the Good Hope Ex-
tension No. 2 (11) and Becky (10) claims in the northwest corner of
sec. 26 and the northeast corner of sec. 27, T. 20 N., R. 10 E. The mill
(12) is on the Portal claim at an altitude of about 3,500 feet in the south-
east corner of the NW^^ sec. 26. Some of the deposits were worked by
Dan McGonigal and others during World AVar I. C. L. Best, owner aiul
operator of the Ruby drift mine near Goodyears Bar, holds a 25-year
option on the property and worked the chromite deposits during 1942-
44. L. L. Huelsdonk was superintendent of the operations.
When the property was visited by the writer in February 1943 one
deposit on the Oxford lease had been opened by a large open cut, another
by several shallow open cuts aiul a shaft 25 feet deep with a short drift
at the bottom, another by a small open cut and a short drift, and still
another by a shallow trench 92 feet long. Two deposits on the Good TIo]>e
Extension No. 2 claim had been <)])eii('(l by several open cuts and shallow
trenches. Later in 1943 several liiimlrcMl feet of diamond-drill holes were
drilled.
The 100-ton gold flotation mill on the Portal claim was converted to
concentrated chromite early in 1943. P^igure 8 shows the flow diagram
Chap. 5] PLACER, NEVADA, SIERRA, YUBA, BUTTE, PLUMAS COUNTIES 255
OXFORD MILL
CHROMITE CIRCUIT
FEBRUARY 1943
Concentrote bih
Figure 8 Flow diagram of the Oxford mill, Sierra County, showing the
units used to concentrate chromite
256 CHROMITE DEPOSITS — SIERRA NEVADA [BuU. 134, Pt. Ill
and the units used. The use of the Huelsdonk table in the circuit was an
innovation in concentratinp- chromite. Orioinally developed for the re-
covery of gold, this table does not require a rigid classification of the
table heads.
The deposits occur in a sill-like mass of ultramafic rocks that has been
intruded into a series of metamorphic rocks mapped by Turner (97)
as part of the Calaveras formation. This ultramafic mass is 1,000 to 1.200
feet wide and its outcrop is about 1^ miles long. Its borders are highly
sheared and serpentinized, but the central portion is relatively un-
altered. Saxonite predominates and encloses small, irregular masses of
dunite.
The largest deposit that had been found on the property by February
1943 was on the Oxford lease. This deposit was exposed in a large
open cut called Pit 1 (see fig. 9). The ore occurred as zones of rather
EXPLANATION Dunite barren on surface
Small ore lenses
Disseminoted chromite ore
Strike and dip of chromite layers
Direction of plunge of ore body
Edge of excavation
,<^
.Z"'^''
-Ore lens 6 thick
Geology by G.A. Rynearson
February 1943
Figure 9. Geologic sketch map of Pit 1, Oxford mine, Sierra County
coarse grained chromite disseminated in slightly altered dunite. Poorly
defined layers of chromite in some of the ore had a strike of N. 4r)°-r)5°
E. and a dip of 60°-80° NW. at one place. In the upper part of the cut
the zone was exposed for about 35 feet along the strike and had a maxi-
mum thickness of 16 feet. The northeast end of the zone appeared to
pitch beneath the surface. Six feet of the ore in the central part of the
zone contained about 20 percent CroOs, but the tenor of the remainder of
the ore diminished outward to about 5 percent CroO.{. In the lower part
of the cut a similar zone of ore was 6 feet thick at its northeast end and
lensed out about 50 feet southwestward. It could not be determined
whether the two showings of ore re])resented discrete ore bodies or
whether they were parts of one zone whose central part h.ad been offset
by small faults. However, the rocks between them appeared to be baiTcn
of chromite.
Ore occurs along a shear zone in another deposit about 600 feet west
of Pit 1. Approximately 200 long tons of ore was mined and shipped
Chap. 5] PLACER, NEVADA, SIERRA, YUBA, BUTTE, PLUMAS COUNTIES 257
from a shaft and drift during World War I. The shaft and drift had
caved by 1943, but it was reported that a lens of ore 5 inches thick re-
mained in the face of the drift. The shear zone had been prospected
for about 150 feet along its strike of N. 20° W. Disseminated ore, aver-
aging 3 feet in thickness, had been exposed for 30 feet along the zone
in the northern workings. Additional exploration might lead to the
discovery of other bodies of both shipping and milling ore.
' An ore zone containing coarse-grained disseminated and layered
chromite had been exposed by a shallow trench approximately 100 yards
north of Pit 1. This zone had an average thickness of 3 feet and a length
of 35 feet. Thin layers of chromite in the ore had a strike almost due
east and a dip of 60° -70° N.
Between the last two deposits described was another deposit that was
reported to have yielded 15 long tons of ore containing 58 percent Cr203.
This ore occurred along a shear zone, and prospecting with a bulldozer
might uncover other ore bodies.
The prospects in the northwest corner of sec. 26 had sloughed and
little could be ascertained about the character of the deposit. The ore is
quite magnetic and apparently occurs as stringers and small pods in
residual red clay and soil. A little ore was mined and shipped from this
locality during World War I.
Float and small outcroppings of ore were traceable for 200 feet in
a direction of N. 20° W. along the ridge in the northeast corner of sec. 27.
The ore occurred as stringers and small pods in sheared serpentine near
the contact with the metamorphic rocks.
Approximately 250 long tons of ore was mined and shipped from
deposits in the area during World War I. The World War II operators
shipped 10.1 long tons of ore in 1942, 230.9 long tons in 1943, and 36.7
long tons in 1944. Most, if not all, of the ore shipped in 1943 and 1944
consisted of concentrates, but that shipped in 1942 was lump ore mined
during World War I. The concentrates averaged 40.05 percent CroOa
and 13.54 percent Fe and had an average Cr to Fe ratio of 2.02. The lump
ore contained 38.59 percent CroOs, 11.50 percent Fe, and 14.0 percent
Si02, with a Cr to Fe ratio of 2.30.
About 1.000 long tons of ore had been mined from Pit 1 by February
1943. At that time it appeared that this deposit might yield an additional
1,000 long tons of milling ore and that the deposit north of Pit 1 might
yield about 250 tons of similar ore. The amount of concentrates produced
indicates that approximately 2,000 long tons of ore was milled, so most
of it probably came from Pit 1 and perhaps a little came from other
deposits on the Oxford lease. (Rynearson 43; Averill 42 and 43; Mac-
Boyle 20a; Louderback 18)
Sierra City Area
Milton Claim (14) [28]
The IMilton claim is at an altitude of about 6,500 feet in the NEJ-
SEi( ?) sec. 4, T. 19 N., R. 12 E. R. C. Zaring of Downieville and Mrs.
Marie E. Phelan of Sacramento both claimed title to the property in
1943. George Redmayne and Dan McGonigal mined, but did not ship,
some ore from one ore body during World War I. Zaring worked the
deposit during AVorld War II. Two open cuts constitute the only work-
ings.
258 CHROMITE DEPOSITS — SIERRA NEVADA [Bull. 134, Pt. Ill
Two lenses of ore have been found in place and several tons of float
has been found in the gulch below these lenses. The upper cut had
sloughed so that the bottom was partly covered when Averill visited
the claim in 1941, and ore could be seen in only one or two places. At one
place the ore was 2 feet thick, and it appeared that the ore body might
be as much as 20 feet long. About 150 long tons of ore was stacked on
the dump. Zaring found another ore body 75 feet to the east and lower
than the upper lens. The lower lens was 4 feet wide and was exposed
for 15 feet along its strike. The lens dips 60° N. About 100 long tons of
ore was stacked on the dump in 1941. A piece of this ore was analyzed
by Smith Emery & Co. and found to contain 40.60 percent CroO^, 11.76
percent Fe, 0.22 percent SiOo, and 0.10 percent P, with a Cr to Fe ratio
of 2.36.
No shipments of ore from this property have been recorded under the
name of either title claimant. However, a shipment of 82 long tons of ore
containing about 40 percent CroO.s was reported to the California Divi-
sion of Mines by James Davis in 1941. R. N. Knudsen, who trucked the
ore to Auburn, informed the writer that the ore came from the Milton
claim. Assuming that 82 tons of the stocks reported by Averill has been
shipped, a reserve of at least 150 long tons is assured and perhaps 50
long tons or more remain unmined in the two known ore bodies. Addi-
tional exploration might well lead to the discovery of other ore bodies.
(Averill 42 and 43)
Brandy City Area
Brandy City and/or Luce & Co. Deposits (15-17) [29]
Several references to the occurrence of chromite near Brandy City
have appeared in the literature. The location usually given is sec. 1, T.
19 N., R. 8 E. (probably in the NW-i:SE]-), but one early report states
that chromite occurs on Cherokee Creek a quarter of a mile southeast of
Brandy City, which would be in the northeast corner of sec. 7. T. 19 N.,
R. 9 E. Although two names — the Brandy City and the Luce & Co. mines
— are given, the inference that two separate deposits exist may be
erroneous, and it is possible that the two names refer to one and the same
deposit, in which case the location is probably in sec. 1 rather than in
sec. 7. Taylor (03) showed two locations on his map, one named Brandy
City in sec. 1 and another, not named, owned by Luce & Co. in the south-
west corner of sec. 29, T. 19 N., R. 9 E. The latter may be the same
deposit later referred to as the Roupe deposit.
The Luce & Co. mine, an operation that may have included one or all
those mentioned above, was owned and operated by D. E. Luce & Co. of
Camptonville during 1905. It was reported that a "considerable ton-
nage" of the ore was shipped to Nevada City and that a "large" body
of ore was in sight at that time. The ore Avas said to be unusually rich
in magnesium and was used mainly for furnace linings. Neither the
grade nor the amount of ore produced are known, and the deposits prob-
ablv were worked out before World War I. (Averill 42; Anbury 06;
Judd 05; Taylor 03; Crawford 94 and 96; Hanks 86)
Roupe Property (18) [30]
The Roupe, or Camptonville, property is reported to be in sec. 30, T.
19 N., R. 9 E., about 100 feet from the road between Camptonville and
Brandy City. One located claim is owned by R. J. Ronpc of Caitijiton-
Chap. 5] PLACER, NEVADA, SIERRA, YUBA, BUTTE, PLUMAS COUNTIES 259
ville (W. B. Roupe of Los Angeles according to Louderback). The pres-
ent owner worked the deposits during both world wars. When Gros
visited the property in 1942 the workings consisted of 22 small open
cuts and 3 shallow shafts.
If the location given is correct, the serpentine in which the deposits
occur has not been mapped. The chromite occurs as small lenses of
massive ore in residual soil and in the underlying serpentine. The
serpentine is highly sheared and breaks freely from the ore. Twenty or
more ore bodies have been found scattered for about 700 feet along an
irregular zone, which strikes N. 36"^ W. and dips 80° SW. These ore
bodies averaged about 15 feet in length, 5 feet in thickness, and extended
to a maximum depth of 10 feet. Louderback reported that 300 short
tons of ore containing 42 to 43 percent Cr203 was shipped between 1914
and 1917, 56 short tons in 1918, and that 90 short tons of ore remained
in sight in the workings when operations were suspended in 1918. Gros
reported that 20 long tons of ore containing 44.6 percent Cr203 was
shipped in 1942, and that approximately 50 tons of ore was visible in
two unmined lenses when mining was suspended for the remainder of
that year. It is not known if additional mining has been done on the
property since 1942. (Gros 42; Averill 42; Bradley 18; Louderback 18)
Forest Area
Dorriss Mine (23, 24)
The Dorriss chromite mine is in the SEJ sec. 29, T. 19 N., R. 10 E.
Thompson reported that the property consisted of five located claims
owned by R. Dorriss, M. H. Davis, H. M. Bradbury, and A. M. Dobbie
of Forest, and that it was operated by Leichester and Morgan of Nevada
City during 1918. Several small lenses of ore were mined from three
shallow shafts and a small open cut. About 60 long tons of ore contain-
ing 45 percent Cr203 had been shipped by September 1918, and about
10 tons of ore remained in the workings. The total production from these
workings probably did not exceed 75 long tons.
Ferguson examined a chromite prospect in 1923, which he thought
was part of the Dorriss mine. This prospect is at an altitude of 4,250
feet on the south side of Oregon Creek in the SW:|SE^ sec. 29. An adit
and an irregular inclined shaft had been driven for about 50 feet along
a shear zone in serpentine. No ore remained in place, but pieces of
chromite on the dump indicate that some ore had been mined. A little
uvarovite was noted on some of the ore. (Averill 42 ; Ferguson 32 ; Mac-
Boyle 20a ; Thompson 18 ; Louderback 18)
Evans Prospect (22)
Robert Evans worked a small deposit of chromite near the Dorriss
mine in 1918. This deposit yielded only 4 long tons of ore from a shaft
20 feet deep. (MacBoyle 20a; Thompson 18)
Finan Prospect (21)
Steven Finan worked another small deposit of chromite near (SW5
sec. 29) the Dorriss mine in 1918. He mined and shipped 8 long tons of
ore containing 45 to 48 percent CroOs and left no ore in place. (Averill
42 ; MacBoyle 20a ; Thompson 18 ; Louderback 18)
Macchaus Mine (26) [31]
The Macchaus mine consisted of three claims north of Kanaka Creek,
probably in the E^ sec. 5, T. 18 N., R. 10 E. Henry Macchaus, G. E.
260 chrOmite deposits — sierra Nevada [Bull. 134, Pt. Ill
Redmayne, C. D. McGonij^al, and Steven Finan of Alleghany owned
and operated the property in 1918. From 12 small open cuts they mined
and shipped 188 long tons of ore containing 46 percent Cr20;!. The ore
occurred as small lentit-ular masses of chromite weighing 14 to 20 tons
each. All the oi-e found had been mined and the property abandoned by
August 1918. (MacBoyle 20a; Louderback 18; Thompson 18)
Miscellaneous Deposits (13, 19, 25, 27, 28)
Altliough some specific information about the following chromite de-
posits lias been reported by Louderback (18) and to the California Divi-
sion of Mines, the data are so meager that the deposits deserve only a
brief mention.
W. W. Casserly of Goodyears Bar had a prospect (13) in the Ei sec.
29, T. 20 N., R. 'lO E. Up' to September 1918 he had mined or partly
exposed about 40 long tons of ore. It is not known if this ore was ever
shipped.
Ostrom & Lindvall Bros, mined and shipped 14 long tons or more of
ore from the South Star claim (19) in the Wi sec. 17, T. 19 N., R. 10 E.,
in 1918.
About 10 long tons of ore was mined in 1918 on the property of the
Croesus Gold Mining Co. (25) in sec. 5, T. 18 N., R. 10 E.
C. Y. McCormick of Alleghany mined about 5 long tons of ore in 1918
from a prospect (27) in sec. 5, T. 18 N., R. 10 E., near the Macchaus
mine.
Flynn Bros, and J. J. Woods of Alleghany mined about 5 long tons of
ore in 1918 from a small prospect (28) near the Red Ledge mine. The
location of this prospect probably is in the southwest corner of sec. 6,
T. 18 N., R. 10 E.
William Carter of Alleghany had a prospect in 1918 (location un-
known) from which he mined, but did not ship, about 20 long tons of ore.
Yuba County
Introduction
Yuba County comprises an irregular area of 638 square miles that
projects northeastward from the Great Valley into the Sierra Nevada
between Butte and Nevada Counties. Its topographic and geologic fea-
tures, therefore, are similar to those of the adjoining parts of those two
counties. Its southwestern end is covered by Quaternary gravels and
alluvium. The remainder of the county is composed largely of various
metamorphosed mafic igneous rocks and of granitic rocks intruded into
them. A complex area at the northeastern end includes some metasedi-
mentary rocks of the Calaveras ( ?) formation and some irregular masses
of ultramafic rocks and gabbro.
Only five deposits of chromite have been found in the ultramafic
masses of Yuba County. All the deposits are small and the ore they
contain is of a rather poor quality. The county is credited with the
production of only 39 long tons of chromite, all of which was shipped
from one deposit in 1942. So far as is known, no ore has been shipped from
the other deposits, but it is said that If) to 20 tons of low grade ore is
on the duinps of one deposit. Most of the areas underlain by the idtra-
mafic rocks are deeply weathered and heavily timbered. Prospecting for
chromite is difficnlt, therefore, and it is likely that any further i)i-ospect-
ing will be no more successful than that in the past.
":
Chap. 5] PLACER, NEVADA, SIERRA, YUBA, BUTTE, PLUMAS COUNTIES 261
Mines and Prospects
Strawberry Valley Area
Magruder Prospects (1,2)
Two occurrences of ehromite on lands of the Soper-Wheeler Timber
Co. were optioned to E. C. Magruder of Strawberry Valley in 1943. One
deposit is in the NAYiSWi sec. 15, T. 20 N., K. 8 E., about 50 yards west
of the county road between Strawberry Valley and La Porte. The other
deposit is in the center of the NW^ sec. 22 near a timber road about
three-eighths of a mile southeast of the county road.
The deposit in sec. 15 had been opened by a small open cut, which
was partly filled with soil and mud in April 1943. An outcrop of ore
about a foot thick was exposed in the bottom of the cut, and a few
hundred pounds of ore containing" less than 30 percent Cr203 was
stacked on the dump. It appeared that this deposit did not contain more
than 5 or 10 long tons of similar ore.
The deposit in sec. 22 had been prospected by several shallow pits
scattered over an area about 300 feet long and 100 feet wide. No ore
had been found in place, but several hundred pounds of float ore had
been dug from the thick mantle of red soil covering the serpentine. This
ore averaged only about 28 percent Cr203. (Rynearson 43)
Challenge Area
Arbucco Prospects (3, 4)
A. G. Arbucco of Challenge has prospected several ehromite deposits
in the SW^ sec. 10 and the SW^ sec. 15, T. 19 N., R. 7 E. The prospects
in sec. 10 probably correspond to the Sharrer prospects reported during
"World War I. According to Mr. Arbucco, all these ehromite occurrences
were small and only a small amount of ore is exposed in one prospect pit
in sec. 15. From 15 to 20 long tons of ore averaging 33 percent CroOs has
been mined, but not shipped, from six of the prospect pits. (Rjmearson 43 ;
Bradley 18)
Camptonvllle Area
Ironrite Claim (5)
The location of the Ironrite claim is reported only as 3 miles north of
Camptonville. A ehromite deposit in this area probably would be in the
long, thin mass of serpentine trending northwest across sec. 35, T. 19 N.,
R. 8 E. The map (pi. 13) shows the tentative location of this claim to be
on this serpentine mass. However, geographic directions sometimes are
used rather loosely in some reports and the deposit actually may be north-
east of Camptonville in a mass of unmapped serpentine, perhaps across
the boundary of Sierra County.
C. A. Winrod et al. of Downieville shipped 38.6 long tons of ore from
this claim in 1942. The ore contained 38.20 percent CtoOs and 15.19 per-
cent Fe with a Cr to Fe ratio of 1.72. No other information concerning
this deposit is available.
Butte County
Introdu'ition
Butte County covers an irregular area of 1,665 square miles at the
juncture of three geomorphic provinces : The western half is in the Great
Valley, the northern tip and the north-central part are in the Cascade
Range, and the eastern part is in the Sierra Nevada. From southwest to
northeast the land surface of the county rises rather gradually from the
262 CHROMITE DEPOSITS SIERRA NEVADA [Bull. 134, Pt. Ill
flat plain of the valley over a belt of low foothills to the tilted and dis-
sected middle slope of the Sierra Nevada. Several large creeks have
cut long, narrow arroyos in the surface in the north-central part of the
county, and the forks of the Feather River have cut deep canyons in the
eastern part.
The 1950 census credits Butte County with 64,374 inhabitants, most
of Avhom live in the western part of the county. This part is essentially
an agricultural area, although several gold dredges and sand and gravel
plants are operated on a large scale also. Farming, mining, and lumber-
ing are the principal industries in the eastern part of the county.
In general, the transportation facilities in Butte County are adequate
for most purposes. The main line of the Western Pacific Railroad runs
through Oroville and thence northeast through the canyon of the Feather
River, and a branch line of the Southern Pacific Railroad runs north-
ward through Chico with spur lines to Oroville and Sterling City. A
network of good roads provides ready access to all parts of the county
except that portion bet-ween the North Fork and the South Fork of the
Feather River. In recent years, however, several forest and timber roads
have been improved and extended into this rugged eastern area and it
is gradually being made more accessible.
Despite the relative accessibility and long mining history of Butte
County, most of the geologic mapping that has been done in the county
is of a reconnaissance nature, and many significant details of the geology
remain to be worked out. The eastern half of the county is underlain by
Paleozoic and Mesozoic metamorphic and igneous rocks. Large areas of
this part of the county consist of undifferentiated massive and schistose
amphibolites or greenstones that have been derived from various basic
rocks of uncertain age. Slates of the Calaveras formation occupy a
rather large part of the northeastern tip of the county, but occur in
much smaller areas in the southeastern part. The slates and greenstones
have been intruded by many large and small masses of ultramafic rocks
and some gabbro. In turn, all these rocks have been intruded by large
stocks of the satellitic batholitli of granitic rocks that underlies the
western margin of the northern Sierra Nevada. The characteristic north
to nortliwest structural trend of the pre-granite rocks has been dis-
torted markedly in some sections, evidently b^' forces related to the
intrusion of the granitic masses.
Tlie pre-Nevadan basement rocks of the Sierra Nevada are covered
almost entirely at the northern tip and in the western half of the county
by gently dipping Tertiary volcanic tuffs, breccias, and flow rocks and
Tertiary and Quaternary gravels and alluvium. Small areas of the east-
ern margin of the Upper Cretaceous Chico formation, which is the oldest
formation of the "Superjacent series," are exposed in the arroyos in
the north-central part of the county, and a small area of the Chico and
a somewhat larger area of the Eocene lone formation crop out north of
Oroville.
Numerous masses of ultramafic rocks are exposed in the northeastern
lialf of the county. Not all the masses that are exposed have been mapped,
hoAvever, and parts of some that have been nuip]ie(l include some gabbro
and also some talc, chlorite, and amphibole schists that may have been
derived fnmi less mafic rocks. A few of the smaller masses and parts of
some of the larger masses, especially along their margins, have been
Chap. 5] PLACER, NEVADA, SIERRA, TUBA, BUTTE, PLUMAS COUNTIES 263
thoroughly serpeutinized and sheared to sliekentite. The distribution
pattern of the ultramafic masses in Butte County is not nearly as regular
as in the other counties of the northern Sierra Nevada, but the pattern
appears to conform, in a general way, with the distorted, S-shaped struc-
tural trend of the older rocks (see pis. 12 and 13). The masses are
arranged roughly into two nearly parallel belts. The southwest belt
trends southeastward from the northeast corner of T. 22 N., R. 3 E., to
the Big Bend area of the North Fork of the Feather River, eastward to
the Middle Fork, and thence southward across the South Fork into Yuba
County. Several small isolated serpentine masses in the Yankee Hill area
also are included in this belt. The northeast belt trends a little south of
east from Sawmill Peak across the North Fork of the Feather River and
Big Bar Mountain into Plumas County, where, as the western belt of
Plumas County, it curves sharply southward to the common intersection
of the Butte. Plumas, and Yuba County boundaries. ScA-eral small masses
of ultramafic rocks that have been reported, but not mapped, in the area
northwest of Sawmill Peak probably represent a northwestern extension
of the northeast belt, but two or more small masses near Inskip and Bald
Mountain to the north are too isolated to correlate with this belt. De-
posits of massive and disseminated chromite are scattered widely in the
ultramafic masses of both belts.
History and Production
Butte County is one of the few counties in California that has pro-
duced chromite since 1945, and this recent production, all from one mine,
has increased the total production to approximately 7.275 long tons and
moved Butte County into tenth place among the chromite-produeing
counties of California. Chromite deposits were recognized ancl reported
in at least two places in the county in the early eighties, but no ship-
ments were made until 1915; in that year several deposits near the
southern edge of the county were opened. Most of the deposits found
thus far were first worked during the period 1915-18. One operator
erected a small mill in 1918 and produced several carloads of low-grade
concentrates from the disseminated ore of two deposits in the Yankee
Hill area. None of the deposits were worked between 1919 and 1941. but
during World War II ore was shipped from six deposits that had been
worked previously and from six deposits that were discovered in 1942
or 1943. Since 1943 the Lambert mine operators have shipped ore each
year except 1948. and this mine was the only active chromite property
in Butte County during 1950. Detailed production figures for deposits
in the county are given in table 11.
The Lambert deposit has yielded approximately 2,700 long tons of
ore (including the 1950 production) and is the largest deposit of ship-
ping-grade ore yet found in the northern Sierra Nevada. One other
deposit in the county has yielded more than 1,000 long tons of ore and
another has yielded "a little less than 1,000 tons; the ore taken from the
latter contained only 30 to 34 percent Cr203, however. Of the other de-
posits that have been worked, one has yielded a little more than
500 long tons of ore and five have yielded between 100 and 300 tons.
So far as is known, the ore from only four deposits contained more than
45 percent Cr^O:-,, but the Cr to Fe ratios of the leaner ores from four
other deposits have exceeded 2.5. The ore in many of the deposits, notably
264
CHROMITE DEPOSITS — SIERRA NEVADA [Bull. 134, Pt. Ill
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Chap. 5] PLACER, NEVADA, SIERRA, YUBA, BUTTE, PLUMAS COUNTIES 265
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266 CHROMITE DEPOSITS — SIERRA NEVADA [Bull. 134, Pt. Ill
those in the Yankee Hill and Big- Bar JMountain areas, is of the dis-
seminated type and contains less than 35 percent CroOa.
The Lambert is the onl.y deposit of shippin<>'-jirade ore that appears
to have appreciable reserves of ore. This deposit still contains more than
500 long- tons of ore and the possibilities of developing even more ore are
good. Other known deposits of shipping:-g-rade ore appear to be worked
out, although further exploration might discover additional ore bodies
in some of them. One deposit of milling-grade ore may hold as much
as 20,000 long tons of ore containing 10 to 15 percent CroOs, but the
concentrates that could be made from this ore would be high in iron.
Other deposits of similar ore in the Big Bar Mountain area probably
are too small and too difficult of access to be mined and concentrated
under foreseeable economic conditions. Inasmuch as several relatively
large deposits have been found in the ultramafic masses of the county,
there is good reason to believe that further prospecting might lead to
the discovery of other large deposits.
Mines and Prospects
Upper Butte Creek Area
Glenn Prospect (1)
J. W. Glenn did a little prospecting in 19-11 on some small occurrences
of chromite near the highway and hotel at Inskip on the east edge of the
SE| sec. 29, T. 25 N., R. 4 E. The prospect apparently is the same as
one called the Sourdough by George E. Sheldon during AVorld War I.
Several lenses of ore about 2 feet wide and a few feet long were mined
in 1917. Averill reported that only a few tons of ore was in sight at the
prospect in 1941. No shipments of ore from the property have been re-
ported. (Averill 41)
Anti-Axis Claim (2)
The Anti-Axis chromite deposit is at an altitude of 2,100 feet on the
west bank of Big Butte Creek in the SWiSEj- sec. 27, T. 24 N., R. 3 E.
The property consists of one mining claim that was owned and operated
in 1943 by F. II. Snow and Roy McClendon of Magalia. In :March 1943
the deposit had been opened by a cut 75 feet long, 5 to 10 feet wide, and
about 5 feet deep, and by a shallow cut that had not penetrated the over-
burden. Ore was trammed about 150 feet on a ground tram from the
cuts to an ore bin at the end of the road. The operators x^lanned to install
a pump and pipe line to raise water from the creek for the purpose of
sluicing the overburden around the cuts in an attempt to recover most
of the float ore. They also planned to start a drift into- the lower part
of the lower cut. It is doubtful that these plans were carried out.
The deposit is only a few feet from the contact, of highly sheared
serpentine with metavolcanic rocks. The ore occurs as a series of small
pods and thin stringers of chromite in a sheared zone that strikes about
N. 60° W. and dips 70°-80° NE. in the serpentine. Most of the ore mined
consisted of nearly massive chi'omite, but some pods had a little dis-
seminated chromite on their borders. The low-grade material and ad-
hering serpentine were hand-cobbed from the massive ore. The largest
pod of ore found in the zone had a maxinmm thickness of about 3 feet
and contained about 3 long tons of massive ore. Only 37 long tons of
ore, containing 41.44 percent ('ri.O:t and 10.84 percent Fe with a Cr to
Fe ratio of 2.61, was sliippcd ])ei"ore the dcjiosit was abaiKhjiicd in 1943.
Chap. 5] PLACER, NEVADA, SIERRA, YUBA, BUTTE, PLUMAS COUNTIES 267
It is probable that the operators took out all the ore in sight, and the
deposit does not offer much promise because of the small size and dis-
continuity of the ore bodies. (Kynearson 43)
Magalia Area
Lambert Mine (3) [21]
The largest deposit of massive chromite ore yet found in the ultramafic
rocks of the northern Sierra Nevada occurs at the Lambert mine in the
SW|NW_i sec. 2, T. 22 N., R. 3 E., about 2 miles southwest of the town
of Magalia. The lowest workings of the mine are at the bottom of a can-
yon known as Carl Gulch, which is a branch of Little Butte Creek, and
the main workings are several hundred feet higher, at an altitude of
about 1,500 feet on the southeast side of the canyon. The upper workings
are reached by 3^ miles of dirt road from the paved highway near the
Magalia Reservoir. This access road usualh^ is made impassable to both
trucks and passenger cars by heavy rains.
Chromite was discovered on the property when the Eureka Consoli-
dated gold drift mine was opened in 1884, but no chromite was shipped
from the mine until 1917-1918, when it was operated by the Union
Chrome Co. under a lease from Nat Lambert. Although further attempts
were made to find gold on the property, but little interest was taken in
the chromite during the years between World AVars I and II. Early in
1943 M. V. Steifer and Frank Pestal obtained a lease from George
Lambert and reopened the mine to look for more chromite. They mined
chromite on a small scale until their lease ran out in 1945. R. F. Helmke,
L. B. Thomas, and C. R. Janssen have leased and operated the mine
since 1945. The Lambert mine is one of the few chromite mines in Cali-
fornia that continued to operate after 1945. Ore was mined and shipped
in 1946, 1947, 1949, and 1950, and the production from operations
planned for 1951 should exceed that of any previous year.
This report on the Lambert mine is based mainly on the results of
field work done by G. A. Rynearson in April 1943 and September 1949.
The chromite deposits were studied in detail in 1949 and a map showing
the geology and workings of the main part of the mine (pi. 15) was
prepared with the assistance of F. L. Gilliland, the mine foreman. The
underground workings have been considerably expanded since the mine
was mapped. An attempt has been made to depict the recent workings
from information furnished by the operators. The aid, information, and
cooperation given by Mr. Steifer and Mr. Helmke and his associates
during the course of this investigation are gratefully acknowledged.
The main workings of the mine consist of one large and two small
open cuts and several thousand feet of underground openings extending
eastward from four portals in the open cuts. The earliest of the workings
are those leading from Portal I and part of those leading from Portal II.
All the workings leading from Portal I and the easternmost of those
leading from Portal II M^ere not mapped because some have no signifi-
cance with respect to the chromite deposits. Two pits opened in the
bottom of the canyon in 1917 have been filled or covered by debris washed
into the gulch. The ore mined during World War I was conveyed to the
old road on top of the ridge by means of an overhead tram 1,120 feet long.
Steifer and Pestal installed a new overhead tram 600 feet long from
Portal I to the same road, to hoist the ore they mined. Helmke and his
associates extended the old road from the top of the ridge to the large
268 CHROMITE DEPOSITS — SIERRA NEVADA [Bull. 134, Pt. Ill
open cut in 1945-46 and construeted a branch road to a point downhill
from Portal IV early in 1950.
The geology of the area surrounding the mine has not been mapped
in detail, but the general features are known. The ridges separating the
larger canyons in the area are capped b}^ a composite layer of Tertiary
volcanic rocks several hundred feet thick. These volcanic rocks, most of
which are tuffs, lie on a pre-volcanic erosion surface of rather low relief
and dip gently southwest. The old land surface was developed on the
upturned edges of a series of steeply dipping slates of the Calaveras
formation and a sill-like mass of ultramafic rocks intrusive into the
slates. Gold-bearing gravels were deposited along the courses of the
larger streams that flow'ed on the pre-volcanic surface, but the small
gully followed by the early underground workings of the mine is prac-
tically devoid of such gravel. The slopes of the guilty, however, are
covered with a mantle of soil, clay, talus, and miscellaneous detrital
material several feet thick.
The sill-like mass of ultramafic rocks strikes northwest across Carl
Gulch and dips steeply northeast. It is about a quarter of a mile wide
in the vicinity of the mine, but may be somewhat wider where it crosses
the canyon of Little Butte Creek to the southeast. The mass is covered
by volcanic rocks southeast of Little Butte Creek, but its strike suggests
possible continuitj^ beneath the volcanic rocks with the northwest end
of a long, narrow mass of ultramafic rocks exposed about 34 miles south-
east. The mass also may extend northwestward to Middle Butte Creek,
as ultramafic rocks are said to crop out on its line of strike on the east
side of that creek.
The original rocks of most parts of the ultramafic mass can be recog-
nized with little difficulty, although they are almost completely altered
to serpentine and further modified by shearing along numerous frac-
tures. The bulk of the mass consists of saxonite, but many relatively
small bodies of dunite are scattered through the saxonite. Although both
types of rock are exposed in some underground workings of the mine,
sufficient time was not available to map them separately. A few small
dikes of rodiiigite occur along some fractures in the ultramafic rocks, and
large dikes of granitic rocks crop out on the hillside several hundred
feet southwest of the mine and near the bottom of the canyon northeast
of the mine.
The original rocks along the margins of the ultramafic mass cannot
be recognized, as they are completely serpentinized and sheared to slick-
entite. The mass is broken by many shear zones and minor faults, most of
which strike and di]) roughly parallel to the borders of the mass. Evi-
dence of post-volcanic movement along some of these internal fractures
can be sccmi in the underground workings of the mine where the contact
between the volcanic and ultranuific rocks is offset by two or three faults
having heaves of 3 to 6 feet or more. However, many shear zones and
faults, including the shear zone that encloses the principal ore bodies,
show no evidence of post-volcanic movement.
The main or upper workings of the mine have opened de])osits of both
primary and detrital chr(miite. The primary ore bodies occur as a series
of large pods and small lenses and stringers of massive ehromite in the
central part of the ultramafic mass, along a prominent and well-defined
shear zone that strikes about N. 30° W. and dips 70°-80° NE. At least
Chap. 5] PLACER, NEVADA, SIERRA, YUBA, BUTTE, PLXJMAS COUNTIES 269
two of the larger primary ore bodies cropped out on the slopes of a
shallow gully out across the ore-bearing shear zone by pre-volcauic ero-
sion. The outcrop of the largest of the ore bodies thus exposed was at
least 60 feet long and as much as 20 feet wide. This ore body is one of
the largest, if not the largest body of massive chromite that has been
found in the ultramafic rocks of the Sierra Nevada. Nearly 1,500 long
tons of ore has been mined from the imeroded portion of the body and
at least 500 tons of ore still remains in the lower part and along the
margins of the body. It is impossible to make a reliable estimate of the
amount of ore eroded from the body, but the amount certainly exceeded
100 long tons. It is possible, therefore, that the original ore body may
have contained as much as 2,500 long tons of ore. More than 900 long
tons of ore has been mined from three or four smaller ore bodies in the
shear zone, and one of these still may contain more than 100 tons of ore.
Another ore body was discovered late in 1950 in a deeper part of the
shear zone, but at this writing too little is known about its possible extent
to judge its magnitude. Thus, the shear zone is known to encompass five
or six sizable ore bodies, and it may contain others, as much favorable
ground along the shear zone remains to be explored.
The detrital ore occurs as chunks of float chromite in the mantle of
soil and clay that covers the old land surface beneath the volcanic rocks.
The distribution of the float with respect to the outcrop of the ore-bearing
shear zone and the contour of the ancient gully clearly indicates a deriva-
tion from the primary ore bodies that were exposed prior to being covered
by the volcanic rocks. Most of the fragments of float chromite weigh no
more than a few pounds apiece, but several that have been mined weighed
more than 1,000 pounds and one weighed about 20 long tons.
According to "Waring (17), two primary ore bodies occurring about
50 feet apart were mined in 1917 from the peridotite in the bottom of
the canyon about 500 feet northwest of the main workings of the mine.
One ore body had a strike of N. 30° W. and was 16 feet long, 8 feet wide
near its center, and extended to a depth of more than 12 feet. The other
body had a north strike and was mined from a pit 10 feet long, 6 feet
wide, and 15 feet deep. The actual amounts of ore taken from these ore
bodies are not known, but "Waring 's descriptions indicate that either or
both bodies may have yielded as much as 100 long tons of ore. Little evi-
dence of the old workings could be found in 1949, but their approximate
location was ascertained. Any possibility that the lower ore bodies con-
stitute a part or an extension of the upper deposit seems to be precluded
by their relative remoteness as well as by their relative location, which
apparently is somewhat west of a possible northwestward extension of
the ore-bearing shear zone in the upper workings.
As noted previously, the earliest workings of the mine were made in
a search for gold-bearing gravels. The first operators evidently found
traces of gold at the outcrop of the bed of the gully eroded on the pre-
volcanic surface and started to follow the gully eastward from Portal
II in the hope of finding gold-bearing gravels along its course. Some
pieces of float chromite also may have been noted near the outcrop of
the bed of the gully, but chromite was not discovered in place until the
adit crossed the shear zone about 40 feet east of the portal. Subsequent
underground work by the early operators also disclosed the presence of
large amounts of float chromite in the soil and clav on the old land sur-
270 CHROMITE DEPOSITS — SIERRA NEVADA [Bull. 134, Pt. Ill
face east of the shear zone. Apparently no attempt was made to mine
the ore until World War I, when lii<>h prices were offered for chromite.
During 1917-18 more than 600 lon<2,' tons of ore was mined from stopes
A and B and more than 80 tons of chromite was recovered from the de-
trital deposit. In addition, perhaps as much as 200 long tons of ore was
mined from the ore bodies in the bottom of the canyon.
Many parts of the old workings were flooded or backfilled when Steifer
reopened the mine in 1943. Consequently, his early operations were con-
centrated on the mining of detrital chromite from the labyrinth of work-
ings in the southeastern part of the mine. He had recovered between 60
and 70 long tons of float chromite by early 1944, when his efforts to
trace the richest concentrations of float led him to discover the large
ore body. He mined a little less than 60 long tons of ore from the large
ore body before his lease expired later in 1945.
The subsequent lessees mined 1,070 long tons of ore from stope C in
1946 and 1947, but had to abandon the stope in 1947 because of the
difficulties involved in keeping it drained and open and because of the
problems encountered in tramming the ore through the irregular old
workings to Portal II. An adit was driven from Portal III to the lower
end of the large ore body in 1949, and about 300 tons of ore was mined
from stope D during 1949-50. After stope C had been cleaned out through
an opening from stope D, the operators found and mined a slab of ore
that had been overlooked previously because it was separated from the
footwall of the main body of ore by a septum of sheared serpentine.
Late in 1950 the floor of stope C was in ore from wall to wall and most of
the back and floor of stope D was in ore also.
A short crosscut branching from the adit from Portal III cut another
ore body in the shear zone between stopes B and D. About 300 tons of the
ore in this body was mined from stope E in 1950, and considerable ore
remained in the back and floor of the stope at the end of the year. Al-
though this ore body apparently pinches out near the northwest end of
stope E, it may be connected by a narrow stringer of ore to the remnants
of the ore body taken from stope B. The ore seems to be continuous from
stope E to stope C, but the ore in stope D is so shattered and mixed with
serpentine that the true relationship of the two ore bodies cannot be
ascertained, at least not from the evidence disclosed by the present work-
ings. Nevertheless, the two bodies appear to be in contact and may have
been connected at one time. Now, however, the southeast end of the
smaller ore body apparently overlaps the northwest end of the large ore
body and original connection probably has been broken.
The adit from Portal IV was driven at some time during the interval
between World Wars I and JI in the hope of finding a gold-quartz vein
at depth along one of the faults that earlier operators had exposed in
the eastern part of the uppermost workings. No quartz veins were found,
but the adit cut across the shear zone that contains the ore bodies found
in the workings above. No evidence of any chromite could be seen in the
shear zone in the adit in 1943, but between 1943 and 1949 a large block
of the sheared scpeutine fell from the back of the adit and disclosed a
small stringer of chromite, which indicated that ore was present in
the shear zone to nt least the level of the adit. After the geometry and
geology of the workings and of the known ore bodies were mapped in
lf)49 it became appai-eiit that further exploration and devel()i)nient could
Chap. 5] PLACER, NEVADA, SIERRA, YUBA, BUTTE, PLUMAS COUNTIES 271
be accomplished most efficiently by drifting along the shear zone from
the lower adit. Work was begun on the new development program in the
summer of 1950, and by the time this report was being prepared a new
drift had been driven along the shear zone to a point about 20 feet
southeast of the adit. This drift uncovered another ore body, which was
6 inches wide 10 feet from the adit, and 3 feet wdde 20 feet from the adit.
Furthermore, test holes drilled at diverging angles into tlie face of the
drift indicated that the ore body was at least 6 feet wide a few feet
southeast of the face. Although the magnitude of this ore body is not
yet known, the discovery of a sizable ore body so deep in the shear zone
adds materially to the area that can be considered favorable for further
exploration.
Tlie bulk of the ore in the Lambert ore bodies is the massive type, and
much of the ehromite is rather coarse grained. The chromite in some
small lenses and stringers has been sheared to comminuted but compact
and cohesive masses, and the ore in some parts of the larger ore bodies
is highly fractured and diluted with admixed serpentine. No analyses
have been made of the pure chromite, but some analytical data are avail-
able for the mine-run ore. All the available data, however, are for ore
taken from the large ore body in stopes C and D or for detrital ore eroded
from this ore body. The partial analysis given in table 2 probably is
typical of most of the ore in the deposit. The ore is particularly good
for use as a refractory material because the amounts of iron and silicia
in the ore are relatively low and the amounts of alumina and magnesia
are correspondingly high. The ore shipped by Steifer during 1943-44
averaged 42.26 percent of CroOs and 9.77 percent Fe, with an average
Cr to Fe ratio of 2.96. Small assay-lots of this ore contained 40.61 to
44.83 percent CroOo and 9.35 to 10.19 percent Fe, and the Cr to Fe
ratios ranged from 2.81 to 3.22. The differences in the tenors of the
various lots probably can be attributed mainly to unequal dilution by
serpentine that occurs as seams along fractures in the ore. The ore
shipped bv Helmke during 1946-50 has also averaged about 42 percent
CroOo.
Federal records credit the Lambert mine with the production of 537
long tons of ore in 1917 and 379 tons in 1918. The production reports sub-
mitted by the operators during World War I probably include some ore
from other deposits worked by them, for George Lambert, the present
owner and son of the former owner, claims the Lambert mine yielded
only 961 short tons or 857 long tons of ore during 1917-18. The mine
yielded 54 long tons of ore in 1943 ; 48 tons in 1944 ; 22 tons in 1945 ;
854 tons in 1946; 216 tons in 1947; 152 tons in 1949; and 490 tons in
1950, including about 130 tons of broken ore stocked at the end of the
year. The total production of the mine to the end of 1950 amounts to
approximately 2,700 long tons of ore.
As is the case with nearly all deposits of massive chromite ores for
which only two dimensions are known or indicated, it is impossible to
make an accurate estimate of the reserves of the Lambert mine. Ore is
exposed at several places in the workings, but the amount of ore these
exposures represent cannot be foretold. It would appear, however, that
the large ore body opened by stopes C and D still contains at least 500
long tons of ore and the ore body opened by stojie E may contain more
tlian 100 tons of ore. Approximately half of the original area known to
272 cnKo:\riTE dkposits — sierra Nevada [Bull. 134, Pt. Ill
contain detrital ore has been mined already. This half yielded about
100 lonji: tons of ore and probably represents the richest portion. The
nnmined half probably is not more than half as rich, and the ehromite
frajrments in it are probably smaller. It is unlikely, therefore, that more
tlian 50 lonji' tons of ehromite remains in the known parts of the detrital
deposit. At this Avritinji' too little is known about the extent of the ore
body encountered in the new drift from the lower adit to make any
estimate of the amount of ore it may hold.
Inasmuch as the unexplored segments of the shear zone adjacent to
the known ore bodies mi^ht well contain other large ore bodies, it is
conceivable that the potential reserves of the deposit could equal the
tonnao-e of the past production. Chromite has been found at or just
below the "outcrop" of the shear zone from the northwest end of stope
A to the southeast end of stope C, a distance of approximately 215 feet,
and the new drift from the adit from Portal IV has proved that ore in
quantity occurs in the shear zone to at least the level of this adit. Thus,
that part of the shear zone above the level of the lower adit and between
the extremities of stopes A and C appears to be the most favorable
block of pround for additional exploration. The operators contemplate
thorough exploration of the block from drifts to be driven southeast and
northwest from the lower adit. Diamond-drilling does not seem war-
ranted at the present stage of development. However, if it is found
tliat much ore extends more than a few feet below the floors of the
exploratory drifts, deeper exploration may require several diamond-drill
holes. These holes could be drilled from a station in the adit east of the
shear zone.
Further exploration along or just below the "outcrop" of the shear
zone northwest of stope A and southeast of stope C should be under-
taken at an early stage in order to define the total near-surface length
of the deposit. The floors of the old workings from Portal I are in vol-
canic material a few feet above the old land surface, but shallow pits
could be dug or test holes could be drilled to the shear zone from these
workings to proA'e or disprove the possible presence of ore northwest of
stope A. Exploration southeast of stope C is justified because the con-
tour of the old land surface indicates that the detrital chromite in the
southernmost Avorkings may have come from a source about 25 feet
southeast of the stope.
It should be noted that the width of the shear zone is not uniform
from one place to another. Recognition of this inconstancy may lead to
the discovery of small ore bodies that otherwise might be passed by.
In parts of stope A the sheared zone may be less than 10 feet wide, but
in stope C it is at least 25 feet wide, and in the lower adit it is about
15 feet wide. An ore body may occur anywhere within the margins of the
shear zone, and it is possible for two ore bodies to occur side by side,
separated by a septum of sheared serpentine. This situation is illustrated
by the slab of ore found in the footwall of the large ore body in stope C.
Small bodies like this slab can be overlooked unless test holes are drilled
tlii'oiigli the sheared serpentine into solid rock at frequent intervals
throughout th(> workings. The top of the ore body in stope E or even
the large ore body in stope (J might have been discovered in 1918 if a few
test holes had been drilled from the old drift between stopes B and C.
(Rynearson 43, 49; Bradley 18; Waring 17; Lindgren 11; Miner 90)
Chap. 5] PLACER, NEVADA, SIERRA, TUBA, BUTTE, PLUMAS COUNTIES 273
Christian Place (4)
A chromite deposit on property kno^\Ti as the Christian Place was
operated in 1943 by A. M. Glover and K. Parkeson under a lease from
R. E. Miller of Yankee Hill. The workings are at an altitude of about
3,100 feet in the NEiXEi see. 32, T. 23 N., R. 4 E., about three-quarters
of a mile east of Sawmill Peak. Exploitation of the deposit was in the
initial stages when the writer visited the property in April 1943. Sev-
eral shallow trenches and two shallow shafts, none of which had pene-
trated the thick overburden of red clay and soil, were the only workings
at that time.
All the ore found in the early operations occurred as irregular masses
in the red clay and soil, which was derived from the weathering of the
serpentine in place. The alignment of the main workings appears to indi-
cate a discontinuous ore zone trending N. 75° W. for a distance of at
least 150 feet. A little ore found about 50 feet down the hillside may
indicate another ore zone. About 10 long tons of ore had been mined and
was on the dumps when the deposit was visited. Ore said to be present
in the bottoms of the workings was concealed by mud washed in by the
spring rains. The deposit yielded 31.4 long tons of ore containing 52.97
percent Cr^Oa and 12.17 percent Fe with a Cr to Fe ratio of 2.98. It is
assumed that the deposit was worked out during 1943. (Rynearson 43)
Parkeson Claim (5)
A. M. Glover and ( ?) R. Parkeson opened a chromite deposit on the
Parkeson claim in the SEK ?) SEJ sec. 20, T. 23 X., R. 4 E. They shipped
31.4 long tons of ore containing 41.27 percent CivOa and 11.82 percent
Fe with a Cr to Fe ratio of 2.39 from tlie deposit in 1943. No other
information concerning this deposit is available.
Pulga Area
Simmons (6)
A chromite deposit in sec. 26, T. 23 N., R. 4 E., was discovered in 1916
or 1917 by D. B. Simmons, who apparently located two claims called
the Nevera and Sunnyslope. Although one report specified the location
of the deposit as being in the X^YiSE| of the section. Waring 's descrip-
tion with respect to topography and the direction from the Section 35
deposit would indicate the location to be in the S^SW^ of the section.
Because of confusion over the actual section location, F. W. Stewart
mined and shipped some ore from the deposit in 1917 before the parties
concerned found that the deposit was in sec. 26 on open ground and not
on railroad land in sec. 35, a part of which was under lease to StCAvart.
Simmons reported that he sold (leased?) his interests in the property'
to L. R. Stokes in 1918. The only workings consisted of a shaft and a
tunnel.
Waring reported 71 long tons of ore mined and on the property in
July 1917. As Stewart shipped 46.3 long tons of this ore in X'ovember
1917, the 27-ton production reported by Simmons for 1917 probably
represented the remainder of the mined ore reported by Waring. Both
Simmons and Stokes reported an identical production figure for 1918 —
31 long tons of ore containing 35.86 percent CroO.s — and it is probable
that the two reports represented the same ore, although it is not known
whether they represent ore mined in 1918 or merely the shipment of the
ore reported by Simmons in 1917. (Southern Pacific Land Co. 49;
Waring 17)
274 CIIROMITE DEPOSITS — SIERRA NEVADA [BuU. 134, Pt. Ill
Section 35 Mine (7)
The Section 35 mine is located in the southwest corner of the SW^NE^
sec. 35, T. 23 N., R. 4 E., about three-quarters of a mile by narrow truck-
trail west of the county road between Concow and Flea Valley. The
property was owned b.y the Southern Pacific Land Co. in 1949. Mining
leases on the SW^^NE^ and NW:|SE:| of the section were made to F. H.
Stewart and W. A. T. Agard during 1916-19 and to Mrs. Lillian Graham
and J. R. King during 1942-43. The mine was operated by Stewart in
1916 and 1917 and by W. H. King in 1918 on an assignment from
Stewart. No mining has been done since 1918. The main workings con-
sist of an open cut 30 feet wide and 40 feet long, a drift at least 20 feet
long from the face of the cut, and a shaft or underhand stope about 25
feet deep in the floor of the drift. The underground workings are flooded.
A small prospect cut was made about 70 feet northwestward from the
main cut.
The country rock in the vicinity of the mine consists largely of rela-
tively unaltered saxonite, which encloses small masses of dunite. One of
these dunite masses contains the ore zone, which strikes north to N. 25°
W. and dips steeply southwest. If the narrow band of disseminated ore
in the prospect cut is a continuation of the ore zone in the main workings,
the zone is at least 100 feet and perhaps as much as 120 feet long.
The ore in the zone consists of pods and stringers of nearly massive
ore and of bands and streaks of several types of disseminated ore. Some
of the disseminated ore exhibits structures similar to those found in the
ore at the Fairview mine in Siskiyou County (Wells, F. G., 49). A little
of the ore is of the rare type in which small ellipsoidal or lenticular
masses of olivine occur in an olivine matrix containing sparsely dis-
seminated chromite.
When Waring visited the property in 1917 one pod of ore containing
45 to 50 percent Cr203 had been worked to a depth of 18 feet, where it
Avas 30 inches wide and 10 feet long and appeared to be widening out.
This ore body had a maximum length of 20 feet and a maximum width of
5 feet. Its strike was N. 15° W. Approximately 2 long tons of dissemi-
nated ore containing about 28 jDercent CroOa had been mined at the south
end of the body. Inasmuch as Waring did not mention any underground
workings at that time, the ore taken later from the drift and slial't may
have come from a second ore body.
Stewart shipped 137 long tons of ore from the deposit in 1917 and King
shipped 64 tons in 1918. A little massive ore remains in the back of the
drift, but it probably is only a thin slab representing the top of an ore
body already mined. About 2 long tons of shipping-grade ore is scattered
about the deposit, and several tons of similar ore probably could be
recovered from the dump. The amount of disseminated ore indicated is
not large enough to justifj^ even a small concentration ]ilant. (Southern
Pacific Land Co. 49 ; Pynearsou 43 ; Pi-adlcy 18 ; Waring 17)
Lucky Bill (8)
W. H. King opened the Luckv Bill and an adjoining uniuimed chro-
mite deposit in the SWiNEj sec." 36, T. 23 N., P. 4 E., during World AVar
I. The deposits were worked from two n\n']\ cuts nnd yielded approxi-
matelv 45 long tons of ore. No ore remains in tlie woikings. (Rynearsoji
49)
chap. 5] PLACER, NEVADA, SIERRA, YUBA, BUTTE, PLUMAS COUNTIES 275
Twin Cedars Claims (9)
G. C. Rohrer and Jess McCrosky located the Twin Cedars claims in
1917 in the SE^ sec. 36, T. 23 N., R. 4 E. One lenticular ore body with
a north strike was opened by an open cut and yielded 20 long tons of
rather low grade shipping ore. Xo ore remains (Bradle}^ 18 ; Waring 17)
King Prospects (10, 15, 16)
W. H. King leased parts of sec. 1, T. 22 X., R. 4 E., from the Central
Pacific Railroad Co. in 1918. The Southern Pacific Land Co., which ac-
quired the section at a later date, sold the entire section in 1948 to Jack
and Bettie Lou Koterske of Hynes, Calif. King mined and shipped 7.2
long tons of ore from two small prospects in the X^XE^ of the section
in 1918.
Another chromite prospect in the XTV^ sec. 32, T. 23 X"., R. 5 E.,
yielded 10 long tons of ore to King in 1918. A small open cut was made
in extracting the ore.
King and one of his sous found some promising float in the XW^XE^
sec. 6, T. 22 X^., R. 5 E., but did not locate its source. Xo workings have
been made in this area.
Stewart Mine (12)
The Stewart chromite mine, as it is known locally, is located just east
of the road in the southwestern part of the SE^XE^ sec. 1, T. 22 X.,
R. 4 E. F. H. Stewart, W. A. T. Agard, and A. E. Almind leased the
property and operated the mine during 1916-17. They shipped 126 long
tons of ore containing about 52 percent CroOs in 1916, but it is not
known how much ore, if any, was shipped in 1917. Waring reported that
the deposit had been worked out and abandoned by July 1917. (Southern
Pacific Land Co. 49 ; Waring 17)
Reynolds No. 1 (13)
About a quarter of a mile east (southeast?) of the Stewart mine is
another deposit known as the Reynolds mine, here called the Reynolds
Xo. 1 deposit to distinguish it from another bearing Reynolds' name.
The Xo. 1 deposit is near the line between the SE^XE^ and the XE^SE^
of sec. 1, T. 22 X., R. 4 E. The workings, now flooded, consist of a shaft
about 75 feet deep with some short drifts at the bottom. W. H. King
mined and shipped about 35 long tons of ore from the deposit in 1918,
but the total amount of ore taken from the workings is not known. It is
possible that F. H. Stewart et al. and L. R. Stokes may have mined some
ore from the deposit also. According to J. H. Brassell, 6 or 7 tons of ore
remained on the dump in 1943. (Rynearson 49)
stokes Prospects (11)
L. R. Stokes leased the XE^SWi sec. 1, T. 22 X., R. 4 E., in 1918 and
mined 4 long tons of ore from one small prospect. He also leased the
SE^XEi of the section in 1918 and shipped 4 long tons of ore from one
deposit there. He may have obtained this ore from the abandoned Stewart
mine, however. (Southern Pacific Land Co. 49)
Reynolds No. 2 (14)
A Mr. Reynolds mined some chromite from a deposit between the high-
way and the river near Cold Sprinsrs Gulch in the XE^SEJ sec. 6,
T. 22 X.. R. 5 E.. during World War I. It is not kno^^^l how much ore he
took from the deposit, but no ore remains. (Rynearson 49)
276 CIIROMITE DEPOSITS — SIERRA NEVADA [Bllll. 134, Pt. Ill
Big Bar Mountain Area
Little Hope (17) and Mary Jane (19) Claims
J. II. Brassell of Pulga owned and operated a chromite deposit in the
NW-i sec. 5, T. 22 N., R. 5 E., dnrino- 1942-43. The workings at tliis de-
posit are east of the Oroville-Quincy highway, a little north of the bridge
over the North Fork of the Feather River. The property consisted of
one mining claim named tlie Little Hope when the writer made liis ex-
amination in April 1943. A later report by the Metals Reserve Co. agent
at Oroville gives the Mary Jane claim in sec. 31, T. 23 N., R. 6 E., as the
source of all the ore shipped by Mr. Brassell. This discrepancy in names
probably is the result of shipments being made from two separate de-
posits. The analyses of Brassell's last two shipments of ore show much
higher percentages of Fe than his previous shipments, an indication that
the last shipments came wholly or partly from another deposit. Mr.
Brassell toW the writer of several other prospects on another property
in sec. 5 adjoining the Little Hope. Only a little work had been done on
these prospects, however.
Wlien the Little Hope deposit was visited it had been opened by an
open cut 25 feet long, 5 to 15 feet wdde, and 5 to 15 feet deep ; a drift
15 feet long from the face of the cut ; and a small prospect pit. A gravity
ground tram was used to transport the ore from the workings to a load-
ing chute on the edge of the highway.
The ore occurred in serpentinized and talcose dunite in a large mass
of ultramafic rocks. Exposures are scarce in the vicinity, and the size
and shape of the dunite mass could not be determined. ]\Iueh of the
country rock is highly fractured, and it is possible that the main work-
ings on the claim are in a landslide block. The ore body mined from the
cut and drift consisted of an irregular pod of massive chromite 1 to 15
feet wide. In the cut it dipped gently south with a trend of N. 80° E.,
but in the drift it trended southeast. About 5 tons of ore had been mine.d
from another ore body about 200 feet southeast of the main w'orkings
and about 80 feet higher on the hillside. This body was 20 inches wide,
but its length and depth had not been delimited.
Mr. Brassell shipped 22.4 long tons of ore to the Quincy .stockpile in
1942 and 73.7 tons to the Oroville stockpile in 1943 and 29.6 tons in 1944.
Six lots of this ore, aggregating 84.8 long tons, gave similar assays that
averaged 41.15 percent Cr20.'5 and 11.18 percent of Fe with an average
Cr to Fe ratio of 2.52 ; most of the ore in these lots probably came from
the Little Hope claim. Two lots, aggregating 40.9 long tons, averaged
36.83 percent CroOs and 12.78 percent Fe, with a Cr to Fe ratio of 1.97 ;
this ore may have come partly from the Tjittle Hope claim and partly
from the Mary Jane claim, as suggested above. No information is avail-
able on which estimates of the possible reserves of these deposits might
be based. (Rynearson 43)
Big Pine Claim (18)
A chromite deposit on Mill Creek in the SEJ sec. 34, T. 23 N., R. 5 E.,
was relocated by J. H. Brassell during "World War IT as the Big Pine
claim. The de^iosit is reached by about a mile of steep trail from the
road to Big P>ar Mountain. According to i\Tr. Brassell, 200 to 250 long
tons of ore was mined from the deposit during "World War T (by J. G.
Dwyer?), but none of the ore was sliipped. The Avorkinirs consist of an
open cut and a shaft 20 feet deep, which now is flooded. The ore is of the
Chap. 5] PLACER, NEVADA, SIERRA, YUBA, BUTTE, PLUMAS COUNTIES 277
dissemiuated type, and samples that have been analyzed contained 28 to
36 percent of CroOs. The Cr to Fe ratio is not known. Mr. Brassell esti-
mated that the deposit might yield several thousand tons of milling-
grade ore, but he also thought the reserves probably would not be large
enough to justify the construction of an access road and a concentration
plant. (Rynearson 43)
War Bond Group (20-23)
J. A. Clark of Yankee Hill located the War Bond group of chromite
claims during the early part of World War II. The group included
three claims in sec. 1. four claims in see. 2, and four claims in sec. 12, T.
22 N., R. 5 E. These claims probably covered the same deposits as several
earlier claims known as the Libertv group, which were held bv John
Wells, R. S. Pollack, and B. F. Clark during World War I. According
to J. A. Clark, a few small pits were dug on the claims and float was
found at several places. However, all the chromite occurrences proved
to be rather small and the ore was poor in quality. Nevertheless, some
ore containing about 35 percent CroOa was shipped from the claims in
1918. B. F. Clark reported that he shipped 45 long tons of ore in 1918,
and it is assumed his report represented the 1918 production from the
Liberty claims. John Wells made separate reports of the shipment of
larger amounts of ore, but most if not all of the ore reported by Wells
probably came from another deposit that he worked in the Yankee Hill
area (see under Green Ridge claim). (Rynearson 43; Thompson 18)
Section 13 (24)
A deposit of disseminated chromite in the Big Bar ^Mountain area
was examined by Averill in 1941. This deposit is on a ridge between
French and Haphazard Creeks, probably in the NE^ sec. 13, T. 22 N.,
R. 5 E. Assuming the section location given above is correct, the deposit
is in a section purchased by J. K. Mezker of Oroville in 1946 from the
Southern Pacific Land Co. It is said that two carloads of ore from the
deposit was packed out 14 miles on burros to the railroad and shipped
during World War I.
According to Averill, considerable disseminated ore, containing 20
to 30 percent CroOs, shows in an open cut 30 feet wide and 10 feet deep
and along the ridge in both directions along the strike of the ore body
from the cut. He thought the ore zone might be as much as 30 feet
wide, 100 feet long, and 10 feet deep. If these dimensions are repre-
sentative of the actual size of the zone, the deposit could contain as
much as 2,500 long tons of milling-grade ore. (Southern Pacific Land
Co. 49; Averill 41)
Swayne Mine (25) [22]
The Swayne mine is located in the NE^ sec. 9, T. 22 N., R. 5 E., on a low
saddle east of Big Bar Mountain. The property was owned by the Swayne
Lumber Co. during World War I. A. H. Noyes worked the deposit in
1917 for V. V. Apperson, who held a lease at that time. A. E. Brune,
L. D. Logan, and A. L. Wakeham leased and operated the property in
] 918. No chromite has been mined on the property since 1918. The work-
ings consisted of an open cut having a length of 150 feet, a maximum
width of 16 feet, and a depth of 25 feet, and a winze 16 feet deep in the
bottom of the cut. An adit was started to connect with the winze, but it
is not known if tlie connection was completed.
278 CIIROMITE DEPOSITS — SIERRA NEVADA [Bull. 134, Pt. ITI
The ore in the deposit was of the planar-banded type, containing 30
to 34 percent CroOs. The strike of the chromite layers was northwest
and the dip nearly vertical. Althongh some reports indicate that the
mine yielded between 1,200 and 1,400 long tons of ore, Federal and State
records show the prodnction to be 850 long tons in 1917 and 503 tons
in 1918. Tlie deposit was reported to be worked out bv September 1918.
(Londerback IS; Thompson 18; Bradley 18)
Liberty Bond Claim (26)
J. C. Akin opened a chromite deposit in 1918 on his Liberty Bond
claim in the SW^ sec. 8, T. 22 N., R. 5 E. He mined about 33 long tons
of ore containing 28 percent Cr203 and piled it alongside the Western
Pacific Railroad. He also had about 10 tons of richer ore on the hillside
above that he intended to use to sweeten the lower-grade ore, but his
intentions never were carried out and none of the ore has been shipped.
War Eagle (36) and Miller (34,35) Deposits
The War Eagle and Miller chromite deposits are on adjacent proper-
ties on the east side of the North Fork of the Feather River. The War
Eagle is at an altitude of about 1,700 feet in the NE^NWi sec. 31, T.
22 N., R. 5 E. The section is owned by the Southern Pacific Land Co. and
a 40-acre lease was held by B. D. Krumlauf of Spokane, Washington,
in 1941. The Miller consists of two claims (also know^i as Mountain of
Chrome claims?) in the SEiSW^ and the SW^SEi of sec. 30, which
were relocated by R. E. Miller during World War II. Both properties
are known locally as the War Eagle or Clark Chrome mine, so called
because J. A. Clark of Yankee Hill is supposed to have discovered and
prospected them during World War I. Two small open cuts on the War
Eagle and four shallow trenches on the Miller constituted the only work-
ings made prior to 1941. These workings are from 600 to 700 feet higher
than the tracks of the AVestern Pacific Railroad, which are about 100
feet higher than the river. The nearest road is across the river from
Intake, a station on the railroad 1 mile down the river. Another road,
also across the river, terminates at a cable crossing 3 miles up the river.
The largest of the deposits is the War Eagle. It consists of a zone of
fine-grained disseminated ore that can be traced by outcrops and float
for a distance of about 400 feet through a vertical range of about 150
or 200 feet. A diorite dike may cut the zone off at its eastern end. The
zone strikes northeast and dips about 60° SE. One of the cuts exposes
about 5 feet of the zone's thickness, but the actual thickness is probably
10 feet or more. The zone is enclosed by a mass of thoroughly sei-pentin-
ized and talcosc dunite. The rocks may be partly silicified also. The
altered dunite is enclosed by similarly altered saxonite, which crops out
near the crest of a small ridge about 100 feet southeast of the ore zone.
Disseminated ore is exposed in three of the four trenches on the Miller
claims. The ore occurs as small lenses in a zone that is not likely to be
more extensive than shown in the trenches, and it appears that only a
few tons of low-grade ore is present in the zone.
Two samples of the ore from the AVar Eagle ore zone were analyzed
by the Rustless Mining Cor]i. and found to contain 29. SI and 27.99 per-
cent Cri-O.t and 11. ()6 and 12.84 jXTcent Fe, res])e('tively. Panned concen-
trates of the same sami)l('s contaiiuMl 42.45 and 42.40 pcu'cent ('r-jO;! and
15.50 and 1 1.90 Dcrccnt Fe, with Cv lo Fc ratios of 1.88 and 1.93. These
Chap. 5] PLACER, NEVADA, SIERRA, YUBA, BUTTE, PLUMAS COUNTIES 279
samples were higher m tenor than the average ore in the deposit, which
probably contains only 10 to 15 percent CroOs.
Althongh the War Eagle ore zone has not been prospected well enough
to permit the making of definite conclusions regarding its extent, it
appears to be a well-developed zone and is probably continuous for at
least 400 feet along the strike. If it is assumed that the zone has an
average thickness of 5 feet, a length of 400 feet, and a depth of 200 feet
at its southeast end, reserves of 20,000 long tons of milling-grade ore
can be inferred. Additional trenching across the zone at frequent inter-
vals may show the average thickness of the ore to be somewhat greater
than assumed above, and thus increase the amount of reser^-^s that can
be inferred.
Inasmuch as the ore zone has a rather steep dip and a strike into the
ridge, conditions for underground mining are quite favorable. A suitable
mill site is available on a small flat a little above the railroad, and power is
available from a power line about half a mile across the river. Neverthe-
less, the low Cr to Fe ratio indicated for concentrates made from the
ore has discouraged prospective operators, and no ore has been shipped
from the deposit. (Rynearson 41 ; Thompson 18)
River Side Claim (37)
The River Side claim in the NW^ sec. 32, T. 22 N., R. 5 E., was owned
and operated by J. C. Akin in 1943. He shipped 10 long tons of ore from
the claim in a mixed lot to the Oroville stockpile. According to Mr. Akin,
the ore was mined from surface workings ancl none was left in the deposit
when he abandoned the claim.
Miscellaneous Deposits
Several other deposits were worked or prospected in the Big Bar
Mountain area during World AYar I. However, the low grade of most of
the ores and the long packing distances to a shipping point discouraged
the operators from exploiting the deposits very extensively. Edwin Barn-
ham and Harry Edwards claimed at least three of the deposits in Happy
Hollow on French Creek, T. 22 N., R. 5 E.. but the section locations of
their claims are not known. They reported that they shipped about 90
long tons of ore from the April Fool claim in 1918 and left about 18
tons on the dump. Barnham reported that about 16 long tons of ore was
mined but not shipped from the Dorothy claim. Edwards reported that
about 50 long tons of ore was mined from a deposit on the Big Wonder
claim and that about 37 tons of this ore was packed part of the way
to the railroad. J. C. Akin informed the writer that in 1949 this ore
still was near the trail in the S^ sec. 25, T. 22 X., R. 5 E., near a new
Forest Service road. The ore sold by Barnham and Edwards was brought
and shipped by G. 0. Dowden, who also bought and shipped the ore
mined from other deposits in the general region. Dowden 's reports to
the California Division of Mines are somewhat confusing with regard
to the amounts of ore he actually shipped, but the total amount probably
was between 150 and 200 long tons.
Yankee Hill Area
Hendricks Prospect (27)
xVceording to Mrs. E. D. Hendricks of Concow, a small chromite de-
posit on the east edge of the SE^ sec. 27, T. 22 N., R. 4 E., was prospected
during World War I. About one ton of ore was mined at that time, but
no work has been done since. (Rynearson 49)
280 CIIROMITE DEPOSITS SIERRA NEVADA [Bull. 1 34, Pt. Ill
Lockridge Property (28)
A small eliroiiiite deposit Avas opeiuHl during World War I in the
southeast corner of the NE IfSE:^ sec. 28, T. 22 N., R. 4 E. The property
was owned bj' J. D. Lockridge in 1949. A little chroinite was taken from
a trench 3 feet wide, 20 feet long-, and about 3 feet deep. Apparently
the ore occurred as a narrow stringer or as a series of very small lenses
along' a narrow shear zone in serpentinized dunite. The shear zone strikes
N. 58° W. and dips about 80'^ NE. The bottom of the trench is filled with
M-aste rock, and no ore can be seen in place. One relatively large piece
of ore on the dump is about 8 inches thick, with serpentine frozen to
the original walls. IjCss than one ton of ore in small fragments remains
on the dump. It is not known how much ore, if any, was shipped from
the prospect. (Rynearson 49)
Hendricks No. 1 (29)
Several previous reports refer to a Hendricks chromite mine in the
Yankee Hill area, but the locations given for the mine differ widely.
Waring (17) mentions two deposits bearing the Hendricks name, and it
is assumed that the early references are to two distinct deposits, which
will be described in this report as the Hendricks No. 1 and the Hendricks
No. 2 deposits. Local inhabitants were unable to tell the writer just
where either deposit is located, so neither one was visited.
The Hendricks No. 1 deposit, according to Waring, is located some-
where in sec. 34. T. 22 N., R. 4 E., about a mile east of Yankee Hill.
Charles and AVilliam Hendricks owned the property in 1917 and leased
it to Mr. Cashom and Mr. Alexander of the Western Ores Co. The work-
ings made on the deposit consisted of an open cut 100 feet long, 5 feet
wide, and 20 feet deep, and a winze 14 feet deep near the center of the cut.
Waring 's July 1917 report described the ore body as being lenticular,
40 feet long, and tapering from a thickness of 5 feet at the center to a
point at either end. Its strike was N. 45° AY. and its dip 80° NE. The
ore body apparently pinched out at a maximum depth of 30 feet below
the surface. Waring: described the ore as being "mottled," with con-
siderable serpentine frozen to it. About 45 long tons of the ore had
been mined and was ready for shipment by July 1917, but Waring 's
report does not indicate whether more ore remained in the workings.
Neither the tenor nor the total amount of ore shipped from the deposit
are known. (Bradley 18; AVaring 17)
Green Ridge Claim (30)
The Green Ridge claim was located by Loren Babcock in 1949 on a
chromite deposit near the county road in the RE]NW1 sec. 4, T. 21 N.,
R. 4 E. The property was known previously as the Dynamite Kid or
Wells mine and was owned and operated by John Wells during AVorld
War I. The workings consist of t,^''o open cuts, the bottoms of which now
are filled with waste rock. The hu'gest of these cuts is an irregular open-
ing: about 80 feet long, 3 to 20 feet wide, and 4 to 10 feet deep. An adit
may have existed beneath the cut at one tim(\ but it is caved now. The
smaller cut is about 15 feet southeast of the main cul and is 35 feet long.
3 to a feet wide, and 3 to 5 feet deep.
The deposit occurs in a small serixMitinc mass MOO to 100 feet wide and
about half a mile long. The sei-pentine is (lie highly slicai-cd "slicUcntite"
^
Chap. 5] PLACER, NEVADA, SIERRA, YUBA, BUTTE, PLUMAS COUNTIES 281
variety, and a small quarry near the chromite deposit was made in
excavating the material for road metal.
Thompson described the main ore body as being tabular in shape and
said it was 60 feet long, 2 feet wide, and 15 feet deep. He indicated
that some ore remained in the bottom of the cut, but the only ore that
could be seen in place in the workings in 1949 was a small stringer of
spotty ore 8 inches wide near the face of the cut. The strike of the main
part of the cut, and presumablv the strike of the ore bodv, is N. 48° W.
and the dip is 80° NE. State" records for 1918 credit Wells with the
production of 125 long tons of ore containing about 35 percent CroOs,
whereas Federal records credit him with only 94 long tons. Perhaps the
larger figure includes some ore produced from the Liberty claims in the
Big Bar Mountain area. No ore has been shipped from the Green Ridge
deposit since 1918. (Rynearson 49; Louderback 18; Thompson 18)
Hendricks No. 2 (31)
Waring (17) reported that William Hendricks had mined about 27
long tons of ore in 1917 from a deposit near Cape Horn in sec. 6 (NE^ ?) ,
T. 21 N., R. 4 E. The ore reportedly contained about 38 percent CroOs,
but it had not been shipped because there was no road to the deposit.
It is assumed that this deposit represents the Hendricks mine visited
by Thompson (18) in July 1918. At that time the Western Ores Co. was
concentrating the disseminated ore from the deposit in a small mill on
the property. The company's mine workings consisted of an open cut
and an adit 120 feet long ending in a short raise to the open cut.
Thompson's report indicates that the deposit consisted of a zone of
disseminated ore from 2 to 10 feet wide, which had been opened for
100 feet along the strike and for 50 feet in depth. He reported the strike
of the zone to be northwest and the dip almost vertical. The mill was
being fed with ore containing about 10 percent CroOs, and about 80 long
tons of concentrate had been made. Thompson estimated the reserves
to be 500 to 1,000 long tons of ore containing about 10 percent Cr203.
This estimate evidently was of the right order, for the deposit was
abandoned and the mill was moved to the Taylor property sometime
between July and September 1918. The company reported its 1918 pro-
duction to be 143 long tons of chromite concentrate; most of the con-
centrate produced probably was made from the ore of the Hendricks
No. 2 deposit, but a little may have been from the Taylor deposit. (Diller
20; Louderback 18; Thompson 18; Bradley 18; Waring 17)
Taylor Property (32)
George Taylor owned a deposit of disseminated chromite in the SE^
sec. 6, T. 21 N., R. 4 E., during AVorld War I. He may have called this
deposit The Gray Boy. The Western Ores Co. moved its mill from the
Hendricks No. 2 property to the Taylor property late in 1918. Louder-
back's report indicated that but little work had been done on the Taylor
deposit by September 1918 and the reserves were estimated to be 200
to 400 tons of ore containing 8 to 15 percent CroO.^. Some concentrate
was made from the ore, but neither the amount made nor the amount
shipped, if any, is known. Averill reported a few tons of concentrate
was piled on the property in 1942. (Averill 42; Louderback 18)
282
CIIROMITE DEPOSITS SIERRA NEVADA [Bull. I'.U, Ft. Ill
Park's Ranch Mine (33) [24]
The Park's Ranch ehromitc deposit, also known as the Lime Saddle,
Iron Point, or Cnrtis mine, is at an altitude of about 1,100 feet in the
SiNEi sec. 7, T. 21 N., R. 4 E. J. G. Curtis owned the property during
World War I and leased to John Marchant in 1916-17 and to a Mr.
Cashom in 1918. T. W. S. Clark, I. 11. Reiraers, C. M. McNallen, and A.
Stevenson leased the property in ]942 from Prank II. Park, the present
owner. The workings consist of a hirge open cut; and adit about 85 feet
long leading to a stope that opens into the cut 35 feet above the track
level ; a raise to the surface, another short raise, a winze 25 feet deep,
and a stope reaching almost to the surface, all of which originate from a
point in the adit 45 to 50 feet from the portal ; and a shaft reported
to be 40 feet deep (see fig. 10). The shaft w^as flooded to within 25 feet
Contoct verticol
\A
Amphibolits schist
Sarpentina
\\
Roise from tunnel to surfoca. \ ^, Shaft 40' deep (estimated)
Small potches of chromite ^^\ ^
on east wall
Open etope above tunnel ><ssjiM-,'
5' below iurfoce \a^^^^3''
Water 25' below collar
Raise above tunnel
Inclined winze to 25 below
unnel
Open stope between
- tunnel and cut
April 1943
Geologic sketch map of the Park's Ranch cliroinite mine,
Butte County
of the collar when the property was visited in April 194.'}, but all the
other workings Avere accessible.
The deposit is near the northern contact of a narrow serpentine mass
with amphibolite schist. The serpentine is only 200 to 300 feet wide
and its contact with the schist is vertical. It is the dark-green "slicken-
tite" variety of serpentine and is cut by many veinlets of calcite and
slip-fiber asbestos. The size and shape of tiie Avorkings indicate that the
ore occurred as two large pod-shaped masses, and perhaps several masses
of much smaller size, which jntclied steeply north toward the contact
of the serpentine and schist. Only a few small i^atclies of ore remained
on the walls of the workings when the miiu* was abandoned in 1942.
Chap. 5] PLACER, NEVADA, SIERRA, YUBA, BUTTE, PLUMAS COUNTIES 283
According to Louderback, the mine yielded 214 long tons of ore from
1916 to 1917 and 185 long tons in 1918. Other reports indicate that the
1916-18 production may have been only about 320 long tons. The mine
yielded 121 long tons of ore in 1942. Assuming Louderback 's figures are
representative of the actual World War I production, the total produc-
tion of the mine has been 520 long tons of ore. The ore shipped during
World War I is reported to have contained about 42 percent CroOa, but
that shipped in 1942 averaged only 37.98 percent CroOs and contained
9.93 percent Fe, 6.89 percent SiO'o, and had a Cr to Fe ratio of 2.61.
Although the deposit apparently has been worked out, exploration at a
greater depth between the bottom of the winze and the serpentine-schist
contact might reveal the presence of additional ore bodies. (Rynearson 43 ;
Averill 43 ; Louderback 18 ; Thompson 18 ; Bradley 18 ; Waring 17)
Middle Fork of Feather River Area
Lone Star Claim (39)
L. A. Pope of Glendale located the Lone Star claim in 1942 on some
small chromite deposits that had been opened by Dow Day of Berry Creek
during World War I. The claim is located northwest of the Forest Service
road in the NE:| sec. 10, T. 21 N., R. 6 E. The workings made during
World War I consisted of an inclined shaft 12 feet deep at the north-
western end of the property and several shallow cuts between the shaft
and the road.
According to Mr. Pope, the chromite occurred as several small lenses
of ore along a shear zone in the peridotite. Several small lenses of ore,
none of which appeared to contain more than about a ton of ore, were
exposed in the workings in April 1943, and about 5 long tons of mined
ore was scattered over the various dumps.
J. S. Means mined about 12 long tons of ore from the shaft in 1941.
Part of this ore was shipped prior to 1943, but neither the shipper nor
the disposition of the ore were known to Mr. Pope. The Oroville stockpile
received 22.1 long tons of ore from V. F. Rodgers in June 1943. Rodgers
reported the source of his ore as the "Day claim," and the location he
gave coincides with that of the Lone Star claim. If Rodgers' ore came
from the Lone Star claim, it is likely that he mined out all the ore
described by Pope, and it is assumed that the deposit contains no reserves.
(Rynearson 43)
Big Bend (40)
W. S. Day and F. H. Nix leased the Big Bend chromite deposit from
the Central Pacific Railroad Co. during 1917-18. Day apparently dis-
covered the deposit in the SWINW^ sec. 11, T. 21 N., R. 6 E., early in
1917. A. E. Brune operated the property during 1918 under an assign-
ment from Da}' and Nix. The Southern Pacific Land Co. owned the prop-
erty in 1949. Thompson's report stated that the only workings made by
July 1918 consisted of several open cuts. Brune mined several lenses of
ore from the open cuts in 1918, and shipped a total of 90.4 long tons of
ore containing about 48 percent Cr^Os. (Southern Pacific Land Co. 49;
Louderback 18 ; Thompson 18 ; Bradley 18)
South Fork of Feather River Area
North Star (41)
B. J. Mullins discovered a chromite deposit in 1917 or 1918 in the
NEiSWi sec. 21, T. 20 N., R. 7 E. He located the North Star claim on the
284 CHROMITE DEPOSITS — SIERRA NEVADA [Bull. 13-4, Pt. Ill
deposit, but the claim proved to be invalid, as the property was owned
by the Central Pacific liailroad Co. A. E. Brune leased the property and
mined the chromite in 1918. The Southern Pacific Land Co. acquired the
property later and sold it to G. A. Will in 1986. J. S. Means mined some
ore in 1943 from a place he called the Red Mountain deposit, which ap-
parently is the same as, or is near to, the old North Star deposit.
The ore occurred in the seri:»entine as irregular masses striking north-
westward and dipping 70° E. Brune mined his ore from an open cut 40
feet long, from 5 to 10 feet wide, and about 5 feet deep. An outcrop of
disseminated ore was found about 400 feet northeast of the open cut, but
no work was done on this occurrence during 1918. In 1918 Brune shipped
85.3 long tons of ore containing 37 to 39 percent Cr203. In 1943 jMeans
shipped from his lied Mountain deposit 49.7 long tons of ore containing
36.12 percent Cr203 and 11.35 percent Fe with Cr to Fe ratio of 2.18.
As indicated above, it is assumed here that the ore mined by Means came
from the old North Star mine. (Southern Pacific Land Co. 49; Louder-
back 18 ; Thompson 18)
Dickey and Dreisbach Prospect (45)
E. A. Dickey and F. M. Dreisbach opened a small chromite deposit in
the SW-1 sec. 34, T. 20 N., R. 7 E., during World W^ar I. In 1916 or 1917
they mined about 30 long tons of ore from a pit 10 feet long, 8 feet wide,
and 10 feet deep. This ore was partly of the disseminated and partly of
the nodular type, and contained about 35 percent CroOs. (Bradley 18 ;
Waring 17)
Suzy Bell (Lucky Strike) Mine (46, 47) [25]
The Suzy Bell mine, formerly known as the Lucky Strike, is in the
E-^-W| sec. 4, T. 19 N., R. 7 E. The earlier Lucky Strike operation also
included some prospects along the west edge of sec. 3. C. L. Falk dis-
covered chromite on the property early in World War I and located the
Brendt No. 1 "claim" on the principal deposits. The major chromite
mining operations on the property were carried on during 1916-18 by
E. A. Dickey and F. M. Dreisbach under a lease from the Butte County
Pine & Hardwood Co. A. G. Arbucco, Warren Tinsley, and G. W. Tinsley
renamed and reopened the deposits in 1942. Several open cuts were made
in mining the chromite; the largest cut was about 50 feet long, 10 feet
wide, and 12 feet deep.
According to Mr. Arbucco, ore was found at several places on the prop-
erty. The largest deposit was on the Brendt No. 1 "claim" near tlie north
end of the property. This deposit consisted of a lens of ore 8 feet wide
at the center, about 50 feet long, and had a maximum depth of 12 feet.
The ore body occurred in talcose (sheared?) serpentine, and luul a strike
of N. 45° W. and a dip of 80° SW. Dickey and Dreisbach took about 250
or 300 long tons of ore containing 36 to 40 percent Cr20a from this deposit
and about 15 long tons of ore containing about 35 percent Cr^O.j from
anotlier dej)osit in sec. 3. (Source of these figures is explained under P.
U. P. mine below.) In 1942 Arbucco and his associates mined 16 long tons
of ore containing 35.09 percent CroO.? and 11.80 ])ercent Fe with a Cr to
Fe ratio of 2.03. No ore was exposed in any of the workings at the end of
1942. (Rynearson 43 ; Loiuhn-back 18 ; Bnulley 18 ; Waring 17)
Chap. 5] PLACER, NEVADA, SIERRA, YUBA, BUTTE, PLUMAS COUNTIES 285
P. U. P. (Zenith) Mine (49) [26]
The p. U. p. mine, formerly called the Zenith, was reopened by G. "W.
and C. H. Peterson and G. W. Usher in 1942. The mine is located in the
SEi sec. 6, T. 19 N., R. 7 E. The old Zenith mine also may have included
the Strouse deposit (50) reported to be in the northeast corner of sec.
7. E. A. Dickey and F. M. Dreisbach operated the property during
1915-18 under a lease from the California Manoranese Co. The principal
mine openino: made durino- the World War I operations was a large open
cut about 100 feet lonp-, which was along the course of an older tunnel.
The operators during World War II made several small open cuts and
some bulldozer cuts.
Waring 's description of the deposit as it appeared in 1917 indicates
that the ore occurred either as a large lens or as a series of smaller
lenses striking about N. 30° E. in talcose serpentine. The shape and
dimensions of the cut suggested that the ore body, or group of ore
bodies, was about 75 feet long, 6 to 20 feet wide, and 12 feet deep. Ap-
parently the virgin ore body was partly exposed by erosion, as much of
the best ore found was picked up on the surface and grubbed from the
soil near the surface.
Dickey and Dreisbach operated several deposits, and purchased ore
from other deposits as well, under the name of the Zenith Chrome Mining
Co., and the production figures submitted by the company were not
broken down to show the various sources of the ores shipped. Records of
the total production of the company differ widely, ranging from approxi-
mately 1,450 long tons to nearly 4,500 long tons. The production figures
compiled by the U. S. Geological Survey show that the Zenith Chrome
Mining Co. produced 37 long tons of ore in 1915, 1,129 tons in 1916, 246
tons in 1917, and 51 tons in 1918. These figures check closely with the
production that would be expected from the deposits as described by
Waring. Furthermore, on the basis of these descriptions, it is estimated
that about 1,100 tons of ore came from the Zenith mine, 300 tons from
the Lucky Strike mine, and 200 tons from other deposits in the area.
These figures are believed to be representative of the actual World War
I production from deposits in Butte County by Dickey and Dreisbach.
The operators during World War II reported shipments of 37.3 long
tons in 1942 and 7.9 tons in 1943. The ore shinned durinq- World War I
contained 35 to 37 percent Cr203 and that shipped during World War
II contained 38 percent CroO.-?. In view of the relatively small production
during World War II, no reserves can be estimated for the deposits.
(Rynearson 43; Louderback 18; Bradley 18; Waring 16, 17; Diller 16;
Doibear 15; Thorne 14)
Plumas County
Introduction
Plumas County embraces an irregular area of 2,570 square miles at
the northern encl of the Sierra Nevada. It is bordered on the east by
the Basin Ranges province and its northwestern tip extends into the
southern part of the Cascade Range. Most of the county, however, lies
within the Sierra Nevada province. At its northern end the Sierra
Nevada has three crests, each of which represents the elevated edge of a
separate tilted mountain block. Tlie deeply dissected main block of the
range occupies the southwestern part of the county, and the smaller
286 CHROMITE DEPOSITS — SIERRA NEVADA [Bllll. 134, Pt. Ill
northwest-trending and southwestward-slopino; Grizzly Mountain and
Diamond Mountain blocks occupy the central and eastern parts of the
county. Between the crests of these mountain blocks lie two northwest-
trending series of intermountain valleys. Nearly all of the county
is drained by the various tributaries of the Feather River. The main
forks of this river have cut especially deep and rugged canyons in the
main block of the range in the southwestern part of the county.
About two-thirds of the area of the county is timberland, and a
large lumbering industry provides occupations for many of the 13,398
inhabitants (1950 census). Farming, mining, and water-power projects
are other notable industries. The town of Quincy in the west-central
part of the county is the county seat and is the commercial center for a
large part of the county.
The general transportation system is relatively good for a moun-
tainous region. The main line of the Western Pacific Railroad traverses
the county from west to east through the canyon of the North Fork of the
Feather River to Quincy, across a low divide to the Middle Fork of the
Feather River, and thence eastward to Salt Lake City. A branch of this
railroad extends northward from Keddie and connects with the Great
Northern Railroad at Bieber in Lassen County. The principal paved
highways are State Highway 24, which follows the general route of the
railroad eastward through the central part of the county, and State
Highway 36, which crosses the northern part. Other State, county, forest,
and private roads provide ready access to most parts of the county, but
some local areas, especially in the southwestern part, are virtually in-
accessible.
Large areas of the eastern part of the county, which is underlain
mainly by granitic rocks, are covered by Tertiary and Quaternary vol-
canic rocks and Quaternary gravels and alluvium. The southwestern part
of the county, or that part including the main block of the Sierra Nevada,
is geologically similar to adjoining parts of Sierra, Yuba, and Butte
Counties. Of particular geologic interest is a belt of distinctive Paleozoic
and Mesozoic rocks that trends northwestward across the central portion
of the county, roughly coincident with the Grizzly Mountain block and
the western margin of the Diamond Mountain block. This belt includes
an unusually complete section of pre-Cretaceous sedimentary aud vol-
canic rock units, many of which are not found or at least have not been
identified in other parts of the Sierra Nevada. The lithology and struc-
ture of these rocks were described in considerable detail by Dill(M- (08)
in his report on the Taylorsville region.
TTltramafic rocks occur in three belts in the Avestern half of the county.
The eastern belt trends northwestward from Grizzly Peak through
the Greenville area almost to the toAvn of Almanor and includes several
irregular to elongate masses of serpentine, pyroxenite, and gabbro. The
western belt trends northward for about 12 miles from the southernmost
tip of the county and then curves sharply westward into Butte County.
Little is known about the character aud structural relationships of the
numerous large aud small ulti-amafic uiasses in this l)elt, aud some of the
masses outlined on plates 12 aiul 13 may include talc, chlorite, and am-
phibole schists derived from other than ultramafic rocks. Tlie central
belt, Avhich is a continuation of the "great serpentine belt," is by far
the most important of the three belts. It consists of an iinprcssive
If.
Chap. 5] PLACER. NEVADA, SIERRA, YUBA, BUTTE, PLUMAS COUNTIES 287
body of ultramafic rocks from 1^ to 4^ miles wide that trends northwest-
ward from the northern tip of Sierra County across most of Plumas
County and underneath the volcanic rocks of the Cascade Range.
Xo chromite deposits in the ultramafic masses of the western belt
have been reported and only three in just one mass of the eastern belt
have been reported. All the other known deposits occur in the mass
forming the central belt, and most of these are located in a relatively
small area bordering the Middle Fork of the Feather River.
History and Production
Turner (98) noted the occurrence of deposits of chromite in the
]Meadow Valley area of Plumas County in the early nineties, but so far as
is known no chromite was mined in the countj' until 1916. Since 1916
■nearly 50 deposits have been mined or prospected, yet only about 1,500
long tons of chromite has been produced. Less than 400 long tons of ore
was shipped from the 10 or 12 deposits that were opened during World
War I. A more active interest was taken in the deposits during World
War II. however, and a total of a little more than 1,000 long tons of
ore was shipped from 24 deposits during 1941-44. The convenient loca-
tion of a purchasing depot and stockpile at Quincy doubtless stimulated
production.
More than half of the chromite ore produced from Plumas County
came from two deposits ; one deposit in the Rock Creek area yielded
about 550 long tons of ore and one deposit in the Greenville area yielded
about 240 tons. These and one other deposit are the only ones in the
county that have yielded more than 100 long tons of ore. The ores from
perhaps no more than 10 deposits had Cr to Fe ratios higher than 2.5,
and the CroO.3 content of at least two of these ores was less than 45 per-
cent.
The reserve of ore remaining in the known deposit is almost inconse-
quential, and any new deposits that may be found are likely to be ciuite
small. Nevertheless, further prospecting in the central belt of ultramafic
rocks might well result in the discovery of additional deposits that could
be worked by the small operator under favorable market conditions.
Detailed production fis-ures for deposits in the countv are gi^'en in
table 12.
Mines and Prospects
Greenville Area
Wolf Creek Claim (1)
The Wolf Creek claim is located in the S^SE^ sec. 36. T. 27 X.. R. 8 E.
It is one of three claims making up the patented gold property known as
the Gold Stripes mine now owned by Mrs. Cassie M. Hamilton of Oro-
ville. George Hall and Levi Baeher apparently owned the property dur-
ing World War I. as they leased the rights to mine chromite on the Wolf
Creek claim first to C. W. Adams in 1916 and the early part of 1917 and
then to Samuel Altshuler of San Francisco later in 1917 and during
1918. The only workings made while mining for chromite were shallow
pits and small open cuts.
Very little is known about the nature or location of the work done by
Adams except that he did mine some ore on the property. Altshuler mined
about half a dozen small pods of ore from the northAvestern part of the
claim. This ore all came from one small area and each pod yielded about
288
CHROMITE DEPOSITS — SIERRA NEVADA [Bull. 134, Pt. Ill
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Chap. 5] PLACER, NEVADA, SIERRA, YUBA, BUTTE, PLUMAS COUNTIES 289
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290 CIIKOMITK DKPOSITS SIERRA NEVADA [Bull. 134, Pt. Ill
20 to 40 long tons. A part of Altsliiiler's production came from large
boulders of float dug from the soil on a flat below a steep serpentine
outcrop from which several small ore bodies evidently had been eroded.
Some of the float boulders weighed as nuich as 8 or 10 long tons each.
Accurate production figures for the chromite deposits on the property-
are not available. Adams reported his production as 125 long tons in
1916 and about 200 tons in 1917, but some of this ore ma^^ have come
from other Plumas County operations and some even may have repre-
sented manganese ore. George Hall reported the chromite production of
the Gold Stripes mine as 40 long tons for 1916 and 53 tons for 1917, and
these figures probably are closer to Adams' actual production, though
Altshuler told the writer he believed Adams did not produce more than
one carload of ore from the property. Altshuler mined and shipped 107
long tons of Wolf Creek ore in 1917 and about 40 tons in 1918. This ore
contained only 30 to 34 percent CroO;}. Averill reported that the dumps
of some caved pits in sec. 36 held some 30 long tons of ore in 1937. This
ore was mined during World War I and may have come from the deposit
or deposits worked bv Adams and Altshuler. (Pvnearson 49; O'Brien
43 ; Averill 37 ; Bradley 18)
Poodle Dog Claim (2)
According to Samuel Altshuler, the Poodle Dog claim adjoins the
Wolf Creek claim on the southeast and lies mostly in the northeast corner
of sec. 1, T. 26 N., R. 8 E. It was owned by B. K. Melville of Oakland in
1918 and evidently is part of the property Averill (37) described as
belonging to the Peerless Development Co., of which Melville is presi-
dent. This company also owns several adjoining claims, including the
Gold Stripe claim, which originally was part of the Gold Stripes mine.
In previous reports the Poodle Dog claim has not been referred to by
that name, but has been included with the Wolf Creek under the name
of Gold Stripe or Gold Stripes property.
Altshuler leased the chromite mining rights on the Poodle Dog claim
from JMelville in 1918 and mined, but did not ship, about 18 or 20 long
tons of rather low grade ore. This ore probably formed a part of the 40
long tons of ore Averill reported as lying on the dumps of several shallow
pits in 1937. J. R. North and August Eddelbuttel shipped 21.5 long tons
of ore from the property in 1943. This ore contained 37.44 percent Cr^O;!
and 11.90 percent Fe with a Cr to Fe ratio of 2.15. It may be that the
ore shipped in 1943 was obtained by sorting the b(>tter grade of material
from the 40 tons of mined ore that Averill reported (Rvnearson 49 ;
O'Brien 43; Averill 37)
Spillover Placer and Quartz Claims (3)
Albert Ziebar of Greenville had collected about lialf a ton of float
chi-omite in 1942 from parts of the Spillover Placci- and Quartz claims
in tlie NW] ( ?) sec. 6, T. 26 N., R. 9 E. He was searching for the source
of the float, but ai)parently did not locate any notable ore bodies in place,
as no shipments of ore have been made from the property. (O'Brien 43)
Valley View
Several |)fc\i(tiis i-cports have crivlitcd llic ({ i-(>('nvill(> area with a so-
called chroiiiilc deposit iiaiiicd the \'alley \'icw tliat was owned by W. B.
Boyden and Fred Koeuig in 1!) 17-18. These r(>ferences apparently all
origiiuited from information obtained from a local railroad agent and
Chap. 5] PLACER, NEVADA, SIERRA, YUBA, BUTTE, PLUMAS COUNTIES 29l
from the County Eecorder's Office by Waring in 1917. According to this
information, the Valley View property yielded one carload of ore in
1916 and two carloads in 1917. This ore was said to contain about 32
percent CroO.s. However, Samuel Altshuler has informed the writer that
he leased the Valley View property from Boyden and Koenig in 1918
and that the deposits contained manganese rather than chromite ores.
Altshuler recalled that the property was in sec. 21( ?), T. 26 N., R. 9 E.,
and said he knew of no serpentine masses in the immediate vicinit}'. In
view of the first-hand evidence given by Altshuler, the writer believes
tlie information given to Waring was erroneous and that the Valley View
property has been referred to wronglv as a chromite deposit. (Rynearson
49 ; Averill 37 ; MacBoyle 20 ; Bradley 18 ; Waring 17)
North Fork of Feather River Area
Blue Jay Prospects (4)
C. L. Gander and Tom Ormand of Belden mined a little chromite in
1943 from shallow pits and trenches on a property called the Blue Jay
Chrome mine in sees. 31 and 32, T. 26 N., R. 7 E., between Yellow Creek
and the North Fork of the Feather River. No ore has been shipped from
the prospects. (O'Brien 43)
Red Hill and Skyline Claims (5, 6)
George Maxwell of Virgilia owned and operated two or three chromite
claims in 1942-43 that he called the Skvline No. 1 and No. 2 and the
Red Hill( ?) claims, all located on Red Hill in sec. 10, T. 25 N., R. 7 E.
In 1943 Maxwell shipped 7.5 long tons of ore from the Red Hill(?)
claim, 12.3 long tons of ore containing 42.74 percent Cr^Os and 13.56
percent Fe with a Cr to Fe ratio of 2.16 from the Skyline No. 1 claim,
and 37.6 long tons of ore containing 46.03 percent CroOs and 13.02 per-
cent Fe with a Cr to Fe ratio of 2.42 from the Skjdine No. 2 claim.
A shipment of 28.2 long tons of ore containing 40.46 percent Cr203
and 12.21 percent Fe with a Cr to Fe ratio of 2.27 was delivered to the
Quincy stockpile in 1942 by Maxwell and Harry Fuller. The source of
this ore was designated only as a deposit in the Virgilia district owTied
by a ]\Ir. Hunt of Quincy. It is possible that this deposit was the same as
or at least near to one of the group described in the foregoing paragraph.
(Rynearson 42, 43)
Meadow Valley Area
Shennandoah Claims (7)
A. A. Benner and R. E. Barrington of Quincy leased the Shennandoah
No. 1 and No. 2 claims in the NW]- sec. 25, T. 25 N., R. 7 E., from August
Eddelbuttel in 1943. According to Barrington. about 12 long tons of
ore had been mined from open cuts on the claims by early 1943, and
an 18-inch width of ore still showed in one cut. Slightly less than 3 long
tons of the ore mined was shipped to the Quincy stockpile and included
with a mixed lot. The grade of the ore is not known, but it probably
contains considerably less than 40 percent CroOa, perhaps even less than
35 pel cent, as the remainder of the ore mined was not shipped. (Rvnear-
son43)
Jack Forth Claims (8)
Jack Forth located several chromite claims in sees. 18. 22. and 34.
T. 25 N., R. 8 E. S. R. Weeks shipped 12.4 long tons of ore in 1943 and
292 CUROMITE DEPOSITS — SIERRA NEVADA [Bull. 134, Pt. Ill
29.6 tons in 1944 from these claims. Most, if not all, of tliis ore came from
one deposit in the SE-j sec. 18. The ore averaged 36.28 percent Cr20.'} and
12.24 percent Fe with a Or to Fe ratio of 2.03.
Fuller Claims (9-11)
Harr}- Fuller located six chromite claims in T. 24 N., R. 8 E., in the
Meadow Valley area — the Hillside (9) in the NWi sec. 9, the Florence
(10) in the northeast corner of sec. 16, the Hudson (11) in the Ni sec.
27, and the Snow White Nos. 1-3 whose locations are not known. The
Hudson claim was held jointly with E. R. Smith. Three of these claims
may be relocations of the Tip Top claim owned by J. L. Foisie and the
two claims owned by J. Gifford and leased to F. R. Young and A. L.
Smith during World War I. The Florence and Hudson claims may
represent the two chromite deposits Turner (98) marked on his folio
map.
No information is available as to the nature or extent of an}^ of these
deposits. Fuller shipped 11.1 long tons of ore containing 45.16 percent
CroOs and 12.17 percent Fe with a Cr to Fe ratio of 2.54 from these
claims in 1942. Some, if not all, of this ore came from the Hudson claim.
(Logan 43)
Section 36 (12)
George Maxwell shipped 9.4 long tons of ore in 1943 from a small
deposit on the property of a timber company in the northeast corner ( ?)
of sec. 36, T. 24 N., R. 8 E. This ore was included with a mixed lot;
therefore the grade is not known.
Miscellaneous Deposits
The Quiucy stockpile received small shipments of ore from two other
deposits in the Meadow Valley area during 1942. Ray Edeline delivered
6.1 long tons of ore containing 46.85 percent Cr203 and 13.60 percent
Fe with a Cr to Fe ratio of 2.35. R. G. Ridlej^ delivered 9 long tons of ore
containing about 37 percent CroOa, which was mixed with a few tons of
ore from the White Pine deposit. Ridley's ore consisted entirely of float.
Rock Creek Area
Cedar Flat Claim (14)
The Cedar Flat claim is situated along the west edge of the Rock
Creek road in the SWl sec. 6, T. 23 N., R. 9 E. Louis Eddelbuttel located
the claim and sold it to E. R. Patterson and E. V. Spivey of Quincy.
When visited bj^ the writer in October 1942 the workings consisted of
an open cut 60 feet long, 5 feet wide, and 8 feet deep, and a shallow
trench. No ore was visible in the workings, but about 5 long tons of
low-grade ore was on the dump. The amount of ore taken from the
deposit is not known, but it probably did not exceed 50 long tons. All
or part of tlie 20 long tons of ore shi])ped by P]d(lell)uttel in 1939 may
have come from tliis deposit, aiul a small part of the 134 long tons shipped
by Patterson and Spivey in 1941 has been credited to the claim. In 1!*43
A. A. Benner and R, E. Barrington sorted about one ton of ore from
the 5 tons on tlie dump and included it with a mixed lot delivered to
th(! Quincy stockpile. (Logan 43; Hyiu'arson 42)
Cough Group (15-17)
A group of thi-ee claims called the Cough Nos. 1-3 were held by loca-
tion by F. G. Myers of Stockton in 1943. These claims were laid out end
Chap. 5] PLACER, NEVADA, SIERRA, TUBA, BUTTE, PLUMAS COUNTIES 293
to end alonp' a line trending a little east of north thronjgrh the central
part of sec. 8, T. 23 N., R. 9 E. They were known previously as the Salt
Extension, Spice, and Pepper claims. Apparently the only ore found
in place was on the No. 3 (Pepper) claim as Allen (41) reported that
about 2 tons of ore had been mined from several shallow trenches there.
Float ore was scattered over all three claims, however, and George Max-
well gathered up and shipped about 18 long tons of the float under a
lease from Myers during 1941-43. E. R. Patterson and E. V. Spivey held
a lease on the claims during 1943-44, but apparently did little work on
them as no other shipments of ore have been credited to this group of
claims. (Rynearson 43 ; Gros 42 ; Allen 41)
Pine Flat Group (19-21)
E. R. Patterson and E. V. Spivey located the Pine Flat Nos. 1-3 claims
along a line extending a little east of north from the White Pine claim
(22) and near the line between sees. 8 and 9, T. 23 N., R. 9 E. These
claims evidently cover the same ground as the Bald Mountain No. 1 and
No. 2 claims located by Vernon Baruth in 1937.
About 15 long tons of ore was mined from an open cut on one ore
body near the center of the No. 1 claim, and only a few small stringers of
chromite remained in the cut. Approximately 35 long tons of float ore
was picked up near the common end line of the No. 1 and No. 2 claims.
This ore was piled on the claims in June 1943, but was shipped to the
Quincv stockpile later in the same vear. (Rvnearson 43; Gros 42;
Allen 41)
White Pine Mine (22) [19]
The "White Pine deposit is the largest of a group of several chromite
deposits exploited bv E. R. Patterson and E. V. Spivev of Quincy during
World War II. It is situated in the NEiNEi sec. 17, T. 23 N., R. 9 E.,
at an altitude of about 5.250 feet. Louis Eddelbuttel located the Bear
claim on the deposit in 1937. Patterson and Spivey bought out Eddel-
buttel's interests, renamed the claim the White Pine, and carried on
seasonal mining operations during 1940-43. When the deposit was first
visited by the writer in October 1942 the workings consisted of a large,
irregular open cut 500 feet lonjr, 30 to 100 feet wide, and 10 to 50 feet
deep. By June 1943 the cut had been enlarged somewhat, and it is
probable that the operators deepened some parts of the cut and ex-
tended it to the southeast during' the later part of that year. A shallow
shaft sunk on the orio-inal ore discovery -was obliterated soon thereafter
by the open cut and no other underground openings were made. The
pre-mininir surface of the area was deeply weathered and was covered
with a mantle of red clay and soil of variable thickness, thus making it
possible to do most of the excavation work with a bulldozer and carryall.
At the time of Allen's visit (1937 or 1938) several shallow cuts 10 to
15 feet long had been dug in the overburden. One of these had exposed
angular blocks of chromite in the red soil. Large-scale mining opera-
tions were begun in 1940 after the shaft had uncovered a small stringer
of ore in place. At depth this stringer developed into a pod of massive
ore (the third ore body described below), and subsequent mining opera-
tions led to the discovery of three more pods of ore.
The deposit consisted of a series of pods of chromite occurring along
a shear zone in and roughly parallel to the elongation of a long, narrow
294 CIIROMITE DEPOSITS SIERRA NEVADA [Bull. 134, Pt. Ill
mass of dunite enclosed by saxonite. The shear zone strikes N. 30° -35°
W. and dips 40° -45° NE. The sheared rocks are weathered deeper than
the rocks on either side. The exposures in the cut were too poor and the
rocks were too weathered to permit the delineation of the shape of the
dunite mass in detail, but the mass appeared to be widest at the south-
east end of the cut, at which point it may be more than 100 feet wide.
The rocks underlying- the mantle of red clay and soil are all more or
less serpentinized, but those that are not highly sheared still retain
many of their original characteristics and in most places the dunite can
be readil}^ distinguished from the saxonite. Some of the dunite contains
a fibrous amphibole, and both dunite and saxonite contain a little talc.
These minerals are secondary alteration products, probably associated
with the processes of serpentinization and regional metamorphism.
The largest of the four ore bodies found was discovered when its
upper edge was uncovered by a bulldozer cut near the southeast end of
the deposit. By June 1943 this ore body had been mined to a depth of
30 to 35 feet and the exposed section had a horizontal length of about
15 feet and a width of 3 to 8 feet. The strike and dip of the ore body
were roughly parallel to the corresponding elements of the shear zone,
but the long axis of the body pitched S. 70° E. at an angle of about 30°.
This pod contained approximately 200 long tons of ore.
A second ore body was located about 45 feet northwest of the one
described above. It had a horizontal length of about 20 feet and a max-
imum thickness of 6 feet, narrowing to a thin stringer at the northwest
end. It had been mined from a point just below the soil cover to a depth
of 25 to 30 feet and was thicker near the bottom than near the top. The
body eventually yielded between 150 and 175 long tons of ore.
A third ore body — the original discovery — was located about 80 feet
northwest of the second one described. Mining was begun on this ore
body with a shaft to a depth of 7 feet, but the shaft was abandoned in
favor of the open cut method of mining. The ore body was mined to a
depth of 25 feet, where it narrowed to a stringer only 4 to 6 inches wide.
The maximum thickness of the ore was about 4 feet and the average
horizontal length about 5 feet, not including the narrow stringers that
projected from the main mass along the strike. This pod yielded about
150 long tons of ore.
The fourth and smallest ore body was found about 35 feet northwest
of the third. It did not extend quite to the hard-rock surface and pinched
out at a depth of 15 feet, yielding only about 25 long tons of ore.
Because the amount of ore shipped after June 1943 closely approx-
imates the amount of ore in sight at that time, it is not likely that any
additional ore bodies were j'ound. Also, it is doubtful that the operators
followed the marginal chromite stringers more than a few feet into the
floor and ends of the cut, as the dimensions of the cut had reached a
stage where sloughing and caving would become a serious problem,
especially during Avet weather, and costly underground mining methods
would liave to be resorted to in order to exploit the deposit much further.
One of the notable features of the deposit is that thin stringers of
chromite connected all four of the known ore bodies, indicating a unity
of the deposit as a whole. Another notable feature is the relative uni-
formity of orientation of the four ore bodies. The long axis of each
pitched to the southeast, and the axial centers fell close to a straight
Chap. 5] PLACER, NEVADA, SIERRA, YUBA, BUTTE, PLUMAS COUNTIES 295
Hue having a gentle pitch to the northwest roughly parallel to the ground
surface. The geometry of the deposit therefore suggests that additional
ore bodies would most likely occur in the shear zone near the northwest
or southeast extensions of the line of centers. However, the possibility
of other ore bodies occurring at depth in the direction of the pitch of
the known bodies should not be overlooked. Exploration of the possi-
bilities suggested above might well include a small-scale drilling program
using either a diamond drill or a wagon drill equipped with sectional
steel, providing the operator could finance such a program.
Patterson and Spivey shipped 107 long tons of ore containing about
50 percent CroOy and 27 long tons containing about 47 percent CroOs
to private purchasers during 1941. In 1942 they shipped 34.2 long tons
to the Metals Reserve Co. stockpile at Salt Lake City and 225.1 long
tons to the stockpile at Quincy. In 1943 they shipped 278.7 long tons
(including a small lot delivered by Frank Maurezzio) to the stockpile
at Quinc}'. Most of the ore shipped in 1941 came from the White Pine
deposit, but about 25 tons may have come from the Cedar Flat and
Spot claims. An indication of the approximate amounts of ore shipped
from the several deposits operated by Patterson and Spivey during
1942 and 1943 is given by the assay data. On the basis of similar assays,
the shipments can be segregated into two distinct groups. Of the ore
shipped during these two years, 448.6 long tons averaged 50.56 percent
Cro03 and 10.61 percent Fe with a Cr to Fe ratio of 3.45. The greater
part of this ore undoubtedly came from the White Pine deposit. The
remainder of the ore shipped, 89.4 long tons, averaged 39.79 percent
CroOs and 11.07 percent Fe with a Cr to Fe ratio of 2.46, and probably
represents ore produced mostly from the Spot, Pine Flat, and Cedar Flat
claims. The total amount of ore yielded by the Wliite Pine deposit is
therefore approximatelv 550 long tons. (Rvnearson 42, 43; O'Brien
43; Logan 43; Gros 42; Allen 41)
Spot Claim (23)
The Spot claim, previously known as the Salt claim, is located in the
NWi-NE^ sec. 17, T. 23 N., R. 9 E., about 100 yards east of the junction
of the Rock Creek and Forest Service roads and several hundred yards
west of the Wliite Pine claim. The claim was owned and operated by
Patterson and Spivey in 1941-43. In 1943 the chromite deposits on the
claim had been opened by a bulldozer cut about 300 feet long and by sev-
eral small prospect pits.
The ore occurs as a series of elongate lenses along a line striking
X. 30° W. The largest of these ore bodies, one found just above the road,
had a strike of X. 40° W. and a dip of 80° XE. It was about 25 feet long
with an average thickness of about 2 feet and originally contained about
50 or 60 long tons of ore. The other lenses were relativeh' small. A little
ore a few inches wide was exposed by the road cut and a boulder of
chromite 2 feet in diameter was rolled out when the road was built.
Small stringers of ore had been prospected about 300 feet northwest of
the large cut, and these may represent a continuation of the main ore
zone.
About 40 long tons of ore was shipped from the deposit during 1941-42
and the first half of 1943, and 20 to 30 long tons of ore probably was
shipped later in 1943. As most of the ore shipped was included %vith
296 CHROMITE DEPOSITS — SIERRA NEVADA [Bull. 134, Pt. Ill
ore from the White Pine or other deposits, no accurate figures on the
tenor of the ore are available. It is estimated, however, that the ore
contained about 42 percent Cr-.Os. (Rynearson 42, 43; Logan 43; Gros
42; Allen 41)
Cattle Springs Claims (24)
The Cattle Springs No. 1 and No. 2 elaim^s were located first by
August Eddelbuttel in 1940 and then relocated by Patterson and Spivey
in 1942. The property is situated in the SW^NE^ sec. 9, T. 23 N., R.
9 E. James Melone of Quincy leased the property in 1943 and operated
it under the name of the Sundown ]\Iining Co.
Very little development work had been done at the time the writer
visited the property in June 1943. Float had been found scattered over
a wide area in the creek bottom on the No. 1 claim and a little float had
been found on the No. 2 claim. Melone claimed he had traced the source
of the float on the No. 1 claim to a marshy spring area in the creek
bed and had outlined an area 18 feet wide and 22 feet long from which
he had obtained concentrations of chromite sand in the cuttings of a
series of auger holes. Melone evidently uncovered an ore body at this
or some other place because a short time after the writer's visit the
Sundown Mining Co. began delivering ore from these claims to the
Quincy stockpile. During the latter part of 1943 the company made sev-
eral shipments aggregating 71.5 long tons of ore averaging 38.87 percent
CroOa and 11.68 percent Fe, with an average Cr to Fe ratio of 2.28. There
is some question, however, as to the source of all this ore; about one-
third may have come from the AVhite Fir claim (34) of the P>eniier and
Barrington group. (Rynearson 43)
Middle Fork of Feather River Area
McCarty Mine (27)
The McCarty (or Jitney) mine is located near the center ( ?) of sec.
14, T. 23 N., R. 9 E., about 10 feet above the normal high-water level on
the northeast bank of the Middle Fork of the Feather River. Thomas
McCarty of Quincy located the Jitney No. 1 and No. 2 claims during
World War I and apparently maintained his title to the claims until
1942, at which time Frank Maurezzio, also of Quincy, was reported to
have located the ground as the McCarty Nos. 1-6 claims. George ]\laxwell
of Virgilia claimed ownership of the McCarty No. 1 and No. 2 claims in
1943. The ITnion Chrome Co. leased the property from McCarty in
1917-18 and opened an ore body on the McCarty No. 1 (Jitney No. 1)
claim. The old workings are reached by a steep trail winding down from
a Forest Service road that ends on the rim of the canyon about 3,000
feet higher than the river. Some ore was packed out over this trail in
1917 or 1918, but the difficulties and high cost of getting the ore to the
road have discouraged other interested parties from mining and shipping
the ore that remains in the deposit.
Tile following description of the deposit sununai-izos the infoi-mation
contained in numerous earlier reports, ])ubIisli(Ml and impnltlislKnl, that
have been made on the property.
Tlie dei)osit evidently consists of one Icnticuhii' ori' body tliat strikes
about north and dips 80° W. The length of tliis body is about 80 feet and
its maximum width is 12 feet, but the dej^tli to whicli the ore extends is
not known, as ore remains in the bottom of an open cut 6 to 10 feet deep.
The southern quarter of the body is oft'set about 5 feet eastward from the
Chap. 5] PLACER, NEVADA, SIEKEA, YUBA, BUTTE, PLUMAS COUNTIES 297
northern part by a transverse fault. The upper part of the body v> as sepa-
rated from the lower part by a thin wedge of serpentine. Although a little
differential movement has occurred along the margins of the body, the
contact is sharp and the ore does not break cleanly from the wall rock.
The ore is coarse-grained and contains 4U to 48 percent CroOs. One
previous report erroneously stated that the ore occurred in limestone.
An inclusion or inlier of sugary gray marble occurs in the peridotite
about 50 feet east of the deposit, but the rock surrounding the ore body
is hypersthene saxonite, which is but little altered to serpentine.
Most previous reports indicate that about 20U long tons of ore was
mined from the open cut during 1917-18 but that only about 50 tons of
this was shipped. Mr. E. E. Patterson informed the writer that only 50
tons of ore was piled at the cut in June 1943, so approximately 100 tons
of the ore mined during World War I is unaccounted for. It is possible,
however, that some unreported shipments may have been made between
1918 and 1943. It also is possible that some ore was washed away by river
floods. Gros (42) estimated the area of ore exposed in the cut to be
about 200 square feet. If this amount of ore extends to a depth of 5 feet
or more, tlie reserve of unmined ore may amount to more than 100 long
tons. As far as is known, the 50 tons of mined ore reported by Patter-
son has not been shipped. (Logan 43 ; Gros 42 ; Averill 37 ; Bradley 18 ;
MacBoyle 20; Thompson 18; Taliaferro 17, in Louderback 18; War-
ing 17)
Clover Leaf Claim (28)
A chromite deposit on the Clover Leaf claim in the NE^ sec. 23, T.
23 N., R. 9 E., yielded 25.3 long tons of ore containing 43.04 percent
CroOo and 11.53 percent Fe with a Cr to Fe ratio of 2.55. This ore was
delivered to the Quincy stockpile by George ilaxwell in 1944. Xo other
information is available regarding the property.
Fido Claim (29)
August EiLdelbuttel at one time owned a claim he called the Fido
claim in the XE:iSE5 sec. 16, T. 23 N., ii. 9 E. This claim may represent
a property of the same name that was one of three deposits in the area
operated by the Union Chrome Co. during World War I. About 15 to
20 long tons of ore was said to be piled on the claim in 1943, and still
may be there, as no shipments from this deposit have been reported
since 1918. (Rynearson 43; Allen 41)
Benner and Barrington Group (30-34)
A. A. Benner and R. E. Barrington of Quincy held five chromite claims
in the Si sec. 16, T. 23 N., R. 9 E., in 1942-43. The White Fir, Oakie, Lucky
Three, and Diamond claims were held by location and the Pine Cone
claim was leased from August Eddelbuttel. The claims are reached by
about 2 miles of mine road from the end of the Rock Creek road.
A small lens of chromite on the White Fir claim (34) was being mined
from an open cut 15 feet long, 4 feet wide, and 15 feet high at the face
in June 1943. The ore body was about 2 feet thick and 10 feet long.
Two bulldozer cuts constituted the only workings on the Oakie claim
(32). A few fragments of ore on the dump of one cut indicated that some
ore had been mined, probably from a small stringer or lens. A very thin
stringer of chromite (one-fourth inch thick) was exposed in the dunite
in the cut.
5—76778
298 CHROMITE DEPOSITS SIERRA NEVADA f Bull. 1 34, Pt. Ill
The onlj' work done on the Lucky Three claim (31) consisted of two
shallow trenches from which only a few pounds of ore had been extracted,
and no ore was exposed.
About 2 long tons of ore was reported piled on the Pine Cone claim
(33 ), which was not visited by the writer.
The workings on the Diamond claim (30) could not be located when
the writer visited the area. It was reported that about 15 long tons of
ore had been mined from one ore body, which had a maximum thickness
of 4 feet. The mine road did not extend all the Avay to this deposit in 1943,
but E. R. Patterson and August Eddelbuttel must have completed the
road, as they shipped some ore from the claim in 1944.
Benner and Barrington are credited with the production of 22.6 long
tons of ore in 1943. Shennandoah and (,'edar Flat claims contributed
3.2 long tons of this ore, and the remainder, 19.4 long tons containing
38.81 percent CroOs and 12.02 percent Fe, with a Cr to Fe ratio of 2.21.
probably came from the White Fir claim, although some may have come
from Benner and Barrington 's Mammoth claim (42) south of the Middle
Fork of Feather River in sec. 28, T. 23 N., R. 9 E. Patterson and Eddel-
buttel shipped 22.3 long tons of ore containing 45.53 percent Cr203 and
11.37 percent Fe, with a Cr to Fe ratio of 2.74, in 1944, and reported its
source as the Diamond claim. (Rynearson 43)
Maurezzio Group (35-39)
A group of five chromite claims — the Deerhorn (37), Deerhorn Exten-
sion (36), Commander (38), Commander Extension (35), and Bottle
Springs (39) claims— located in the SEj sec. 17, T. 23 N., R. 9 E., was
owned and operated in 1942-43 by Frank Maurezzio and R. R. Je.sky of
Quincy. In June ]943 the only workings on the property consisted of one
long open cut, a drift 30 feet long, and a small prospect pit on the Com-
mander claim and a bulldozer prospect trench on the Bottle Springs
claim. Float had been found on the other claims, but the sources had not
yet been found.
The open cut and drift were about 125 feet apart on a shear zone con-
taining a series of small lenses and stringers of chromite. One leiis mined
from the open cut yielded 14 long tons of ore containing 38.86 percent
CrsOa, 11.65 percent Fe, 9.80 percent SiO^, 15.43 percent MgO, and
16.41 percent AloO.-., and had a Cr to Fe ratio of 2.31. The drift had been
driven close to the ground surface along the shear zone toward the open
cut. It had not penetrated the weatliered zone, but a narrow seam of
chromite could be traced for about 10 feet along the back.
The prospect pit had partly exposed a small lens of oi-e for about (i
feet along the strike of another shear zone. Considerable tloat had been
found on the slope below and a little east of the ]iit. It seemed entirely
possible that this float had a source in the second shear zone.
The bulldozer trench on the Bottle Springs claim was started to trace
float, but no ore had been found in i^lace. No ore liad been found in ]i]i\vc
on the other three claims either.
Maurezzio delivered 23.3 long tons of ore averaging 38.76 percent CroO.-?
and 12.11 percent Fe with a Cr to Fe ratio of 2.19 to the Quincy stockpile,
all of which came from the deposits on the Commander claim. He also
delivered 11.7 long tons of ore that was credited to the White Pine claim.
(Rynearson 43 ; Logan 43)
Chap. 5] PLACER, NEVADA, SIERRA, YUBA, BUTTE, PLUMAS COUNTIES 299
Horseshoe Claims (40, 41)
E. R. Patterson and E. V. Spivey obtained the Green Ledge claim
from August Eddelbuttel and renamed it the Horseshoe No. 2 claim (41) .
The Horseshoe No. 1 claim (40) probably is a relocation of the King
Snake claim referred to by Allen. These claims are in the NW^ sec. 21,
T. 23 N., R. 9 E. Patterson informed the writer that about 10 long tons
of ore had been mined on the No. 2 claim and still was piled there in June
1943. The deposit is about 2 miles by steep trail from the nearest road
and there is no record of the ore having been packed out. (Rynearson
43; Logan 43; Allen 41)
Last Chance Group (42-45)
August Eddelbuttel and C. W. Goodrich located the Last Chance No. 1
(44) and No. 2 (45) claims and the Meadows claim (43) in the NW^
sec. 33, T. 23 N., R. 9 E. A. A. Benner and R. E. Barrington leased these
claims in 1943, and located the Mammoth claim (42) somewliere in the
Si( ?) sec. 28, T. 23 N., R. 9 E. Eddelbuttel shipped about 7 long tons of
ore from the Last Chance claims in 1942 and had stockpiled about 30
long tons of ore on the Last Chance No. 2 claim. Benner and Barrington
may have shipped as much as 11 long tons of ore from the Mammonth
claim, but made no shipments from the other claims. Consequently, these
claims should hold some promise for future prospectors. (Rynearson 43)
Chicago Claims (46)
Louis and August Eddelbuttel and J. R. North shipped 15.9 long tons
of ore containing 41.52 percent Cr203 and 11.19 percent Fe with a Cr
to Fe ratio of 2.54 from the Chicago No. 1 and No. 2 claims in 1943. These
claims were reported to be in sec. 36, T. 23 N., R. 9 E., probably in the
southeast quarter. No otlier information concerning these claims is
available.
ALPHABETICAL LISTS OF CHROMITE MINES AND PROSPECTS
All the known cliromite mines and prospects in tlie nortliern Sierra
Nevada are listed alphabetically by counties in tables 13-18. These tables
include all the reported names by which the properties have been known,
but an attempt has been made to correlate and cross-reference names that
have been used to designate identical properties. Preference is given,
however, to the newest name known unless an older name has local prefer-
ence because of long-continued common usage. Ownership is given as of
the date of the latest report available and, therefore, few of the current
owners may be indicated. The map numbers preceding property names
correspond to those shown on plates 2 and 3 as well as to those used in
the text. The production of a deposit, if known, is indicated by a letter
symbolizing one of four classes of production : A, deposits from which at
least 1,000 long tons of ore has been shipped ; B, deposits from which 150
to 1,000 long tons of ore has been shipped ; C, deposits from which small
amounts of ore, but not more than 150 long' tons, has been shipped; and
D, deposits from which no ore has been shipped. The letter X is used,
in table 15 only, to denote questionable production for some deposits from
which some ore may have been shipped under a name other than that
listed.
300
CHROMITE DEPOSITS SIERRA NEVADA [Bull. 134, Pt. Ill
t. O o
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2
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CHROMITE DEPOSITS SIERRA NEVADA [Bllll. 134, Pt. Ill
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Chap. 5] PLACER, NEVADA, SIERRA, YUBA, BUTTE, PLUMAS COUNTIES 303
72 — C
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ClIROMITE DEPOSITS SIERRA NEVADA [Bull. 1 .34, Pt. Til
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Chap. 5] PLACER, NEVADA, SIERRA, YUBA, BUTTE, PLUMAS COUNTIES 305
02 i-J
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Chap. 5] PLACER, NEVADA, SIERRA, YUBA, BUTTE, PLUMAS COUNTIES 307
j3 o
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CIIROMITE DEPOSITS SIERRA NEVADA [Bllll. I'M, Pt. Ill
c^.
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Location uncertain.
Prospect on low-grade c
No detailed in format
available.
Location uncertain.
Found only float chromi
May bo same as Red Pil
1
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Operated by the PI
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Chap. 5] PLACER, NEVADA, SIERRA, YUBA, BUTTE, PLUMAS COUNTIES 309
o o
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CHKOMITE DKPOSITS SIERRA NEVADA [Bull. l-'U, Pt. Ill
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Chap. 5] PLACER, NEVADA, SIERRA, YUBA, BUTTE, PLUMAS COUNTIES 311
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Chap. 5] PLACER, NEVADA, SIERRA, YUBA, BUTTE, PLUMAS COUNTIES 313
O Ji — Ji -i
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814
CIIROMITE DEPOSITS SIERRA NEVADA [Bull. 134, Pt. Ill
I 2^^
a <ri c -^
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Chap. 5] PLACER, NEVADA, SIERRA, YUBA, BUTTE, PLUMAS COUNTIES 315
£2
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316
chro:mite deposits — sierra Nevada [Bull. 134, Pt. Ill
& o .
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O X
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Chap. 5] PLACER, NEVADA, SIERRA, YUBA, BUTTE, PLUMAS COUNTIES 317
a 2
3 ri 4J
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■ 1
•1
15-20 tons 33% ore mined.
Location uncertain. Ore high
in Fe.
Few tons low-grade ore re-
main.
Low-grade float.
Class
by pro-
duc-
tion*
QQO Q Q
1
^
pi
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222 g S
1
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318 CHROMITE DEPOSITS SIERRA NEVADA [Bull. 134, Pt. ITT
REFERENCES
Allen. J. E.
41 Gcolo};ical iuvestigation of tlio chroniito tloposits of California : California Jour.
Mines and GeoloR.v, vol. '.il, no. 1, pp. 101-167, 31 fij;s., 1941. (Plumas
County, p. 135.)
Anbury, L. E.
06 The structural and industrial materials of California: California Min. Bur.
Bull. 38, pp. 13-378, 1006. (Chroniito, pp. 266-272.)
Averill, C. V.
37 Mineral resources of Plumas County : California Tour. Mines and Geolojiy.
vol. 33, no. 2, pp. 79-143. 13 figs., 1 pi., 1937. (Chromite. pp. 92, 93.)
41 Field reports on chrome deposits ; made for California Div. Mines : Unpub-
lished ; on file at oifices of California Div. Mines, 1941. (Butte County, nos.
57, 59, 60; Nevada County, nos. 240, 242-246; Placer County, nos. 239,
328-339, 341; Sierra County, no. 251.) . . . 1942. (Butte County, no. 61;
Placer County, nos. 344, .346, 347, 349, 352.)
42 Mines and mineral resources of Sierra County : California Jour. INIines and
Geolosy, vol. 38, no. 1, pp. 7-67, 17 figs., 1942. (Chromite, pp. 14-17.)
42a Chromium : California Jour. Mines and Geology, vol. 38, no. 1, pp. 70-93,
2 figs., 1942.
43 Current notes on activity in the strategic minerals, Sacramento Field District :
California Jour. Mines and Geology, vol. 39, no. 1, pp. 71-76, 1943. (Butte
County, Chromite, p. 71 ; Placer County, Chromite, pp. 75, 76 ; Sierra County,
Chromite, p. 76.)
43a Current notes on activity in the strategic minerals, Sacramento Field District :
California Jour. Mines and Geology, vol. 39, no. 2, pp. 139-141, 1943. (Nevada
County, Chromite, p. 141.)
43b Current notes on activity in the strategic minerals, Sacramento Field District :
California Jour. ISIines and Geology, vol. 39, no. 3, pp. 311-322, 4 figs., 1943.
(Placer County, Chromium, pp. 318, 319; Sierra County, Chromium, p. 319.)
Bradley, W. W.
18 (and Huguenin, E., Logan, C. A., Tucker, W. B., and Waring, C. A.) Man-
ganese and chromium in California : California Min. Bur. Bull. 76, 248 pp.,
1918. (Chromium, pp. 101-228.)
18a Field reports on chrome deposits ; made for California Div. Mines : Unpub-
lished ; on file at offices of California Div. Mines, 1918. (Placer County,
no. 269.)
Brown, R. G.
42 Report on Fitzgerald and Russel chrome lease. Placer County, California ;
made for Reconstruction Finance Corp. : Unpublished ; on file at offices of
Reconstruction Finance Corp., San Francisco, California, 1942.
43 Report on Anti-Axis mine, Butte County, California ; made for Reconstruction
Finance Corp. : Unpublished ; on file at offices of Reconstruction Finance
Corp., San Francisco. California, 1943.
44 Reports on Parker Ranch chromite deposit. Placer County, California ; made
for Reconstruction Finance Corp. : Unpublished ; on file at offices of Recon-
struction Finance Corp., San Francisco, Cuiifuniia, 1943-44.
Bryner, Leonid
40 The chromite resources of California : ITnpuhlislicd ; copies on file .-it offices of
California Div. Mines, 1940. (P.ibliogr.-iphy aiHl f.ihul.-ition of clironiiLe de-
posits in California.)
Cameron, R. C.
18 Reports on chrome localities in California ; made for U. S. Bureau of Mines
as part of Cooperative War Minerals Investigations in California, in coopera-
tion with U. S. Geological Survey and California State Council of Defense:
I'liljublished ; on file at offices of California Div. Mines. I'.US.
Crawford, J. J.
94 'I'wclfth report of the State mineralogist (second l)ienni.il). two ye.-irs ending
September 15, 1894 : California Min. l?ur. Rept. 32, pp. 1 II'J. IS'.I I. ( Cliromic
iron : Sierra County, p. 38.)
9(1 Thirteenth report (third biennial) of the State mineralogist, fur the two years
<'nding September 15, 1896: C.-ilifornia Min. lUir. Rept. l."'.. Tliti pp., 1896.
(('hromic iron: Sierra County, p. ~>0.)
Chap. 5] PLACER, NEVADA, SIERRA, YUBA, BUTTE, PLUMAS COUXTIES 319
Day, D. T.
83 Chromium : Mineral Resources U. S., 1882. pp. 428-430, 1883. . . . 1883 anri
1884, pp. 567-573. 1885. . . . 1885. pp. 357-360, 1886. . . . 1886, pp. 176-179,
1887. . . . 1887, pp. 132. 1.33, 1888. . . . 1888. pp. 119-122, 1890. (Refer-
ences to early production in Placer County.)
06 (and Richards, R. H.) Useful minerals in the black sands of the Pacific slope :
Mineral Resources U. S.. 1005. pp. 1175-12.58, 1906. (California localities,
pp. 1182-1190.)
DUler, J. S.
95 U. S. Geol. Survey Geol. Atlas, Lassen Peak folio (no. 15), 1895.
08 Geology of the Taylorsville region, California : U. S. Geol. Survey Bull. 353,
128 pp., 12 figs., 5 pis., 1908.
16 Chromic iron ore in 1915 : Mineral Resources U. S., 1915, pt. 1, pp. 1-6, 1916.
( California, pp. 3, 4.)
17 Chromite: Mineral Resources U. S., 1916, pt. 1, pp. 21-38, 1917. (California,
pp. 27-34.)
20 Chromite in 1918 : Mineral Resources U. S., 1918, pt. 1, pp. 657-679, 1920.
(California, pp. 660-669.)
Dolbear. S. H.
15 Chromium: The Mineral Industry, 1915, vol. 24, pp. 82-86, 1915. (Butte
County, p. S3.)
16 Chromium: The Mineral Industry. 1916. vol. 25, pp. 100-105, 1916. (Butte
County, p. 103.)
Ferguson, H. G.
32 (and Gannett. R. W.) Gold quartz veins of the Alleghany district, California:
U. S. Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 172, 139 pp., 46 figs., 58 pis., 1932.
Furness, J. W.
26 Chromite in 1925: Mineral Resources U. S., 1925, pt. 1, pp. 127-147, 1926.
(California, pp. 136-140.)
Gordon, S. G.
28 (^and Shannon, E. V.) Chromrutile. a new mineral from California : Am. Min-
eralogist, vol. 13, p. 69, 1928.
Griggs, A. B.
45 Chromite-bearing sands of the southern part of the coast of Oregon : U. S.
Geol. Survey Bull. 945-E, pp. 113-150, 3 figs., 11 pis., 1945.
Hanks, H. G.
84 Catalogue and description of the minerals of California as far as known, with
special reference to those having an economic value : California ilin. Bur.
Rept. 4, pp. 61-397, 1884. (Chromite. pp. 126-139.)
86 California minerals: California Min. Bur. Rept. 6, pt. 1, pp. 91-141, 1886.
(Chromite, pp. 100, 101.)
Harder, E. C.
09 The production of chromic iron ore in 1908 : Mineral Resources U. S., 1908,
pt. 1, pp. 1-22, 1909. (California, pp. 18-22.)
Hayes, M. P.
18 Field report on North Star chromite deposit, Butte County, California ; made
for Central Pacific Railroad Co. : Unpublished ; on file at offices of Southern
Pacific Land Co., San Francisco, California, 1918.
25 (and Mack, T. W.) Field report on Southern Pacific property. Placer County,
California ; made for Southern Pacific Land Co. : Unpublished ; on file at
oflBces of Southern Pacific Land Co., San Francisco, California, 1925.
.Jenkins, O. P.
38 Geologic map of California, six sheets. Scale 1 :500,0(X). California Div. Mines,
1938. (Sheets 1 and 2.)
42 Economic mineral map of California No. 3, Chromite, 1942 : California Div.
Mines, Geological Branch, 1942.
Johnston, W. D., Jr.
40 The gold quartz veins of Grass Valley, California : U. S. Geol. Survey Prof.
Paper 194. 101 pp., 69 figs., 39 pis.. 1940.
49 (and Thayer, T. P.) Chromite: Industrial Minerals and Rocks, pp. 194-206.
Am. Inst. Min. Met. Eng., 1949.
820 ciTKO^riTi: di.posits — sierra Nevada [Bull. 134, Pt. Ill
Judd, E. K.
on Chromium and chrome ore: The Mineral Industry, 1905, vol. 14, pp. 71-70.
1905. (Sierra County, p. 7?..)
Tiindj;ren, Waldomar
94 (and Turner, H. W.) U. S. Gcol. Survey Geol. Atlas, Placerville folio (no. 3),
1894.
94a U. S. Geol. Survey Geol. Atlas, Sacramento folio (no. 5), 1894.
95 (and Turner. H. W.) V. S. Geol. Survey Geol. Atlas. Marysville folio (no.
17), 1895.
95a (and Turner, H. W.) I'. S. Geol. Survey Geol. Atlas, Smartsville folio
(no. 18), 1895.
96 U. S. Geol. Survey Geol. Atlas, Nevada City special folio (no. 29). 1S90.
97 T^. S. Geol. Survey Geol. Atlas. Truckee folio (no. .S9), 1897.
00 U. S. Geol. Survey Geol. Atlas, Colfax folio (no. 66), 1900.
11 The Tertiary j;rave]s of the Sierra Nevada of California : T". S. (Jeol. Surv<'y
Prof. Paper 73, 226 pp., 16 figs., 28 pis., 1911.
Logan, C. A.
18 Field reports on chrome deposits ; made for California Div. Mines : T'npuh-
lished ; on file at offices of California Div. Mines, 1918. (Nevada County,
nos. 191, 203, 206, 213, 214.)
27 Placer Countv : California Jour. Mines and Geologv, vol. 23, no. 3, pp. 235-286,
1927. (Chromite, p. 238.)
41 Mineral resources of Nevada County : California .Tour. Mines and Geology,
vol. 37, no. 3, pp. 374-408, 1941. (Chromite, p. 379.)
43 Current mining activity in Plumas County: California Jour. Mines and
Geology, vol. 39, no. 1, pp. 85-87, 1943. (Chromite, pp. 85, 86.)
Louderback, G. D.
18 Chromite investigation ; descriptions of individual deposits for the California
State Council for Defense in 1917-19. Includes reports by various authors :
Unpublished; copies on file at the U. S. Bureau of Mines, Washington,
D. C., and at offices of California Div. Mines, 1918.
MacBoye, Errol
19 Mines and mineral resources of Nevada County : Chapter of California Min.
Bur. Kept. 16, Biennial Period 1917-18, 270 pp., 1919. (Chromite, pp. 71-81.)
20 Mines and mineral resources of Plumas County : Chapter of California Min.
Bur. Rept., Biennial Period 1917-18, 188 pp., 1920. (Chromite, p. 54.)
20a Mines and mineral resources of Sierra County: Chapter of California Min.
Bur. Kept., Biennial Period 1917-18, 144 pp., 1920. (Chromite, pp. 29-30.)
Melville, W. H.
90 (and Lindgren, Waldemar) Contributions to the niineralo;:y of the Pacific
coast: U. S. Geol. Survey Bull. 61, 40 pp., 1890. (Chromiferous chlorite —
kotschubeite, pp. 27-30.)
Miner, J. A.
90 Butte Countv : Californi.-i Min. Bur. Kept. 10. pp. 124-1 Hi. 1890. (Chrmnc iron.
p. 137.)
Murdoch, Joseph
48 (and Webb, R. W.) Minerals of California : California Div. Min(>s liull. 1.3ti.
402 pp., 1 fig., 4 pis., 1948 (Chromite, pp. 102-100.)
O'Brien, J. C.
43 Current notes on activity in the strategic minerals. Redding Field District:
California Jour. Mines and Geology, vol. 39, no. 1, pp. 77-84, 1943. (Plumas
County, Chromite, p. 79.)
43a Current notes on activity in the strategic minerals. Redding Field District :
California Jour. Mines and Geology, vol. 39, no. 3, pp. 323-330, 1943.
(Plumas County, Chromite, p. 326.)
Pabst, Adolf
38 Minerals of California: California Div. Mines Bull. 113, 344 pp., 1938.
(Chromite, pp. 117-121.)
Robertson, J. T.
42 Report on chromite workings of Victory Chrome Co., Placer County, Cali-
fornia ; made for Reconstruction Finance Corp. : Unpublislied ; on file at
offices of Recfiiisl ruction Fin;ince Corp., San I"'rancisco, California, 1942.
42a Report on Golconda Fraction claim, Sierra County, California ; made for
Reconstruction Finance Corp. : Unpublished ; on file at offices of Recon-
struction Finance Corp., San Francisco, California, 1942.
Chap. 5] PLACER, NEVADA, SIERRA, YUBA, BUTTE, PLUMAS COUNTIES 321
Southern Pacific Land Company
49 Unpublished records of Southern Pacific Land Co. mineral leases on lands in
California ; on file at offices of Southern Pacific Land Co., San Francisco,
California, 1949 (Butte and Placer Counties.)
Stevens, R. E.
44 Composition of some chromites of the western hemisphere : Am. ^lineralogist,
vol. 29, 34 pp., 1944.
Taliaferro, N. L.
43 Manganese deposits of the Sierra Nevada, their genesis and metamorphism :
California Div. Mines Bull. 125, pp. 277-332, 20 figs., 1943. (Sketch of the
geology of the Sierra Nevada, pp. 280-286 ; generalized section along
Cosumnes River, fig. 2, p. 306.)
Taylor, G. F.
03 Sierra County, California : California Min. Bur. Register of Mines and Min-
erals (no. 15), 1903.
Thompson, Harry
18 Reports on chrome localities in California ; made for U. S. Bureau of Mines
as part of Cooperative War Minerals Investigations in California, in
cooperation vrith U. S. Geological Survey and California State Council oi
Defense : Unpublished ; on file at offices of California Div. Mines, 1918.
Thorne, W. E.
04 Butte County, California: California [Nlin. Bur. Register of Klines and
Minerals (no. 17), 1904.
Trask, J. B.
53 Report on the geology of the Sierra Nevada, or California Range : California
Legislature 4th. Sess., Ap. to Jour., S. Doc. 59, 30 pp., 1853. (Nevada
County, p. 25)
Turner, H. W.
97 U. S. Geol. Survey Geol. Atlas, Downieville folio (no. 37), 1897.
98 U. S. Geol. Survey Geol. Atlas, Bidwell Bar folio (no. 43), 1898.
Waring, C. A.
15 Field reports on chrome deposits ; made for California Div. Mines : Unpub-
lished ; on file at offices of California Div. Mines, 1915. (Placer County,
no. 234.) . . . 1916. (Butte County, no. 34; Placer County, no. 236.)
. . . 1917. (Butte County, nos. 34, 38-44; Nevada County, nos. 215-218;
Placer County, nos. 273-282 ; Plumas County, nos. 263, 264 ; Sierra County,
nos. 346, 347.) . . . 1918. (Nevada County, no. 201.)
17 Butte County : California Min. Bur.
(Chromite, pp. 185, 186.)
17a Placer County : California Min. Bur.
(Chromite or chromic iron, p. 326.)
Wells, F. G.
49 (and Smith, C. T., Rynearson, G. A., and Livermore, J. S.) Chromite de-
posits near Seiad and McGuffy Creeks, Siskiyou County, California : U. S.
Geol. Survey Bull. 948-B, pp. 19-62, 5 figs., 27 pis., 1949.
Rept.
15,
pt.
2,
pp.
181-225,
1917
Rept.
15,
pt.
3,
pp.
309-459,
1917
BULLETIN 134
GEOLOGICAL INVESTIGATIONS OF CHROMITE
IN CALIFORNIA
PARTS NOW AVAILABLE FOR DISTRIBUTION
Part I — Klamath Mountains
Chapt. 1 — Chromite deposits of Del Norte County, by Francis G. Wells, Fred W.
Cater Jr., and Garn A. Rynearson Price 75^
Chapt. 2 — Chromite deposits of Siskiyou County, by Francis G. Wells and Fred W.
Cater Jr. Price $1.00
Part II — Coast Ranges
Chapt. 1 — Chromite deposits of the northern Coast Ranges of California, by D. H.
Dow and T. P. Thayer Price 25(^
Chapt. 2 — Chromite deposits of the southern Coast Ranges of California, by George
W. Walker and Allan B. Griggs Price $1.25
Part III — Sierra Nevada
Chapt. 1 — Chromite deposits of Tuolumne and Mariposa Counties, by Fred W.
Cater Jr. Price 35^
Chapt. 2 — Chromite deposits of Calaveras and Amador Counties, by Fred W.
Cater Jr. Price 85^
Chapt. 3 — Chromite deposits of Tulare and eastern Fresno Counties, by Garn A.
Rynearson Price 50(f
Ghapt. 4 — Chromite deposits of El Dorado County, by Fred W. Cater Jr., Garn
A. Rynearson, and Donald H. Dow Price 90(}
Chapt. 5 — Chromite deposits in the northern Sierra Nevada (Placer, Nevada,
Sierra, Yuba, Butte, and Plumas Counties), by Garn A. Rynearson__Price $2.00
Itrinted in California staii
'6778 3-53 2M
(323)
y
^J_
GENERALIZED GEOLOGIC MAP OF THE NORTHERN SIERRA NEVADA, CALIFORNIA
SHOWING LINEAR DISTRIBUTION OF ULTRAMAFIC ROCKS
DIVISION OF MINES
OLAF P. JENKINS, CHIEF
STATE OF CALIFORNIA
DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
BULLETIN 134 PART III
CHAP V PLATE 13
EXPLANATION
K
Contact, dashed \
Ultramafic rocks and serpentine
urately located Chromite deposit, approximately located
LIST OF CHROMITE PROPERTIES
7 Seel ion 35
8 Lucky Bill
9 Twin Cedars
10 King prospect
' Stokes prospec
3 Reynolds No
4 Reynolds No
6 King prosper
7 Little Hope
jn-93
War Bond group
Swayne
tl2^&^...
Taylor
^r^eflie
w.
Bear Canyon
Dickey and Dreisba
51
Metals Reserve Co.
7 Shennandoah Nos.
14 Cedar Flat
15-17 Cough Nos.
18 Eddilbuttel
19-21 Pine Flat N<
22 White Pine
24 Cattle Spring
25 General Mac,
20 General Wail
27 McCarty Nos
'. Co, stockpile site
BUTTE COUNTY
2
Anti-Ajtis
Big Bend'
4
Christian Place
45
Dickey and Dreisbach prospe
30
Green STdie"""
27
Ilenncks prospect
Kin^^prospects
Liberty Bond
Lockridge
8
Lucky Bill
Parkeson
13
Stewart
46.47 Suzy Bell (Lucky Strike)
sue 48
Unknown
PLUMAS COUNTY
^
Blue Jay
14
Cedar Flat
35
Commander Extension
gee-rt::- '"^
Diamond
Eddelbuttel
Horseshoe No. 2
Jack Forth
Last Chance No. 1
Pine Cone
2
Poodle Dog
T^
MAP OF PARTS OF PLACER, NEVADA, SIERRA, YTjBi^
SHOWING DISTRIBUTION OF ULTRAMAFIC ROCK!
NORTH SH]
tJBA, BUTTE, AND PLUMAS COUNTIES, CALIFORNIA
OCRS AND LOCATION OF CHROMITE DEPOSITS
H SHEET
Compiled by G. A. Rynearson, 1950
DIVISION OF MINES
OLAFP. JENKINS, CHIEF
LIST OF CIIIIOMITK
12 Maeuireprospd
37 Sthmidl
40 Sleemjn'"
i prospects (21ab)
22 Luck;
23-25 lowt'lliu'cJ'onaolidaied
26 lulcan Consolidaled (?
27 L'nidenlKied prospect
28 nsndall Consolidated
29 Port Kine
33 Ouzzard I33al
Lightning Strea
Siinny llidge (3:
34 Blue Jay fi4a?:
iZkL in'g %'treakVo°." I (37abl
nifd Canyon 137c)
iToo'ds,
34 Howden prospect
14 Champion mill
26 Dave/prlspcl'
33 Dickcrson
32 Horsey and llidge
18 Eden
rdir'J''
Hear Ri.er Chrome
llee Bee OBcdl
Bessie B.
Black Nugget
Black Rocf Chrome
Black Streak
Blue Bell (38cd)
' Blue Jay |34a?)
Boiler Pit
Buckhorn
Buttercup Chrome
Buzzard (33a, 34b)
Capp's Pit
Chrome No. 5
Chrome Divide
Chromite
> Chucho (35ab)
3 I Dart and Braden
CAPCOle
Esther
and Phjlli
Kinnin
•s Green
Green
Green
Green
'ri;r^r'
ases (52,
EXPLANATION
20
R 6E
R 7E ":
[
Ultramaac
Contact, lias
Margin of
overlyin
*rpentine
spproximate
eous rocks
c rocks
TI9N,
+
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T. I7N.
T.I6N.
y TV
rangle.
Saddle XI5N,
-^
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f
Jf,
^
rocks and
hed where
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^
■*=£,
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1
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/
/
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. ./
post-Cretac
g ultramali
/-
V
V.
\
K:
y-
Chromite deposit, accurately located
/
\
s
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k}^
dr
Chromite deposit, approximately located
.(
\
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41 2
JnX:
ro're»°s" e'^'". mapso asscn, umas, an
S. C.eological Survey, maps ol Oroville, Blairsden, and Au
^
\-^
^,-..1
*?
/
^v
'i
i /
l/
S, Bureau o( Reclamation, preliminary maps ol Las
Brush Creek, MoorcviUe Ridge 'nW, Mooreville'^nidgo NE, r
Bar, Forbestown, Clipper Mills, and Strawberry Valle
■
f
1
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n
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tV
— i
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ES
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S. Corps ol Engineers, map ol Markham Ravine IE qua
Mfn.''?5-";ad'rngi:s.'"''"'"'""'' ""'' °' '^'"^"■"^ '"''
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r
f
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1 k
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
BULLETIN 134 PART III
CHAP V PLATE 13
Lighmine Strea
34 Bhl'l^y ^4!>y]
I<u7z3ril (34b)
35 Chuclio 135ab)
" kt[
lumprand Ceisendord
Uild Cinyon (3Gi)
39 Daisy Bell
tenlw
5H Hayes Chrome
59 Unidentified pn
60-63 Finning propert
73 Poco Tiempo Quartz
74 Spanish Mines Consol
75 Chromile
Clinton Burro
86 Gas Canyo:
87 Duckhorn (
88 Fiddler's C
89 Parker Ran
54
harr'a
d Braden's CAPCO lease (54a
46?
54?
1!
tslhe,
and Phyllis n„i
'4
tt^
t..V'
9
iron Sp
,ng
50
&d-e'r
.ightning Streak No. 1 (37al
22 Lucky Hunter
80 Llicky StI'ikI
82 Major prospect
3,54 Maralls' CAPCO leases (53i
92 Metals Reserve Co. purchas
91 Metals Reserve Co. stockpil
15 North Fork ChrcSio"''
73 Poco Tien,po (Juarlz
29 Port Wine
28 Randall Consolidated
46 Red Pit
17 Section 19
16 Smith and McCollum prosper!
33 Sunny Hid.e (33c)
36 Sunny RidSe Fraction
54,55 Sunset (54b, 55)
38 Turner and Geisendorler
50 Twin Shalts
93 U. S. Vanadinn, Co. sloe
3 Uvarovite
47 Victory Chrome Co. mill
26? Vulcan Consolidated
71 Washout
14 West Chrome
13 West prospect
35,37 Wild lHanyon (35c, 37c)
38 Wild Caiiyon (38a)
49 Yellow Pit
1
D95
DOS
J38
T98
T97
F32
F32
d40
^ LOO
L96
L94a
L94
tion. For example; J38 rclcrs to ■■Jenkina,'''o'. P.^JeoIogic map^of
Calilornia California Div. Mines, 1938.' Outlines of ulttamalic
+
/
1
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pnngs
/
^
1
._
{
1
ilndi
n
)
=-
\
1
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\
1
1
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2
0'
R6E.
R.7E.
10'
MAP OF PARTS OF J
SHOWINC
ARTS OF PLACER, NEVADA, SIERRA, YUBA, BUTTE, AND PLUMAS COUNTIES, CALIFORNIA
SHOWING DISTRIBUTION OF ULTRAMAFIC ROCKS AND LOCATION OF CIIROMITE DEPOSITS
st)U'i'ii siii;i:t
Compiled by G. A. Rynearson, 1950
KihliJ'
li yjMj
MjfillliiillllJliiilllilllJlJjilSiiilllJiJIiB
ft
iJlij
DIVISION OF MINES
OLAF P. JENKINS. CHIEF
STATE OF C/
COMPOSITE GEOLOGIC MAP OF THE MAIN WORKINGS OF THE LAMBERT CHROMITE MINE, BUTTE COUNTY, CALIFORNIA
THIS BOOK IS DUE ON THE LAST DATE
CTAftiiBen act r\\Ai
THIS BOOK IS DUE ON THE LAST DATE
STAMPED BELOW
F p I oa e 'M
BOOKS REQUESTED BY ANOTHER BORROWER
ARE SUBJECT TO IMMEDIATE RECALL
HUN 3 2002
*^iQ 2003
PSL
I LIBRARY, UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, DAVIS
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California, Division
of Mines and Geology,
Bulletin. ( ,:
Geological investiga-
tions of chromite in
California)
PHYSICAL
SCIENCES
LIBRARY
TI12U
C3
A3
no.l3U:2
California. Division
of Mines and Geology.
•Bulletin. ( .:
r.iirtT rtoi r.al i nvesti—
Call Number:
TN2ii
C3
A3
no.l3U:2
1175 00654 4095