The subjoined list includes the principal chrome mines and prospects in the Klamath Mountains in 1918. In figure 1 many of the deposits of chrome ore are shown by dots and numbered serially in each county. The numbers are given in the list. Mines that shipped ore in 1918 are designated by ” S,” those mining but not shipping by ” M,” and prospects by ” P.”
Below: FIGURE 1, Map of the Klamath Mountains, California and Oregon, showing by dots, numbers, and outlines the location of deposits of chromite in areas of serpentine.
Siskiyou County list mines
1. A. L. Coggins__, S
2. Scott Bros___________ S
3. Chastain & Boweu S
4. F. Chastain___________ S
5. Hayden & Hitt S Walker_____________ S
6. Walker_____________ S
7. Facey______________ S
8. E. E. Taylor__________ S
9. W. Taylor_______ _ S
10. W. Bingham______ S
11. A. Bingham_____ _ S
12. McKeen Bros_ S
13. Hugh Martin_______ S
14. Siskiyou Syndicate_______ S
15. G. J. Masterson______ _ S
16. Chastain & Archibald_____ S
17. J. Gould_____________ S
18. Masterson & McBride____ S
19. Shebley_____ S
20. Portuguese Gulch___ S
21. Lucky Haul _ S
22. Allison _ S 23. Grant____ S
24. Law S 25. Slide____________ S
26. Blanton___ S
27. Indian Land________ S
28. Keppler_ S
29. Red Butte___________ S
30. Octopus_ S
31. Liberty____________ S
32. Reddy______________ S
33. Dolbear_ S
34. Reddy_____________ S
35. Reddy______________ S
36. Barton__ S
37. P. S. Matthewson______ S
38. Black Cap group________ S
39. W. J. Chastain_________ S
40. Dietz______________ S
41. Dietz_______________ S
42. Doe Flat____________ M
43. Jumbo______________ S
The banded ores of the Hamburg region, Siskiyou County, Calif., throw an interesting light on the origin of chromite. A general section across Red Butte to Scott River (fig. 6) disclosed the relation of the banded chrome ore to the underlying gneiss,15 which is well exposed along the Scott River road for 5 or 6 miles above Scott Bar. The general parallelism and structural similarity of the banded chrome ore and peridotite to the underlying gneiss are evident and strongly suggest that the banding of the ore is a gneissoid structure and has been determined by the same conditions that caused the gneissic structure in the underlying rocks. No definite contact was found between the hornblende gneiss and the gneissoid peridotite, but the presence of dark bands of hornblende-pyroxene material in both gneissic rocks is evidence of their similar and practically contemporaneous origin. It should be noted, however, that the gneiss- oid structure does not appear so prominent in the upper portion of Red Butte as it is in the underlying hornblende gneiss. It is least conspicuous in the dunite, but this may be due to the predominance of olivine, for in small bands of pyroxene traversing dunite the elongation and alinement of the interlocking grains of pyroxene is decidedly more conspicuous than that of the adjoining olivine.
Although the Hamburg serpentine area contains the most extensive and conspicuous banded chrome ore yet reported, there are other serpentine masses in the Klamath Mountains and elsewhere that contain banded ore. It is well developed at the chrome mine on Sexton Peak, north of Grants Pass, Oreg., and about Bed Mountain, near the head of Swift Creek, in Siskiyou County, Calif. The grains of chromite in the ore bands alternating with bands of olivine or pyroxene in the Swift Creek region are scarcely longer parallel to the banding than in other directions. In the olivine, however, the grains are longest parallel to the banding and the granular structure is in general the same as that of the gneissoid banded ore of the Hamburg region.
14The specimen was handed to me by Mr. J. F. Dwyer, of Yreka, Calif., who said that It came from the Ewlng property, southwest of Yreka, In sec. 24, T. 44 N., B. 8 W., Siskiyou County. 16 The term gneiss Is here used as defined by Van Hise (U. S. Geol. Survey Mon. 47, pp. 782-783, 1894), ” to apply to a banded rock the bands of which are petrographlcally unlike one another and consist of Interlocking mineral particles.”
The relative importance of the Klamath Mountains as a source of chromite in 1918 appears by a comparison of their output with that of other mountain ranges of the Pacific coast, as well as the total output of the United States and the imports of chromite during 1918. For this comparison the figures of production used thus far will be changed from short tons (2,000 pounds) to long tons (2,240 pounds), in which the record of imports is published.
The Klamath Mountains produced more than 29 per cent of the total quantity shipped in the United States in 1918, or, if the estimated stocks remaining unshipped December 31, 1918, are included, the Klamath Mountains yielded about 39 per cent of the total output.
SISKIYOU COUNTY: The large irregular area of serpentine that has proved so rich in chromite in Shasta and Trinity counties is more extensively devel- oped in Siskiyou County opposite Edgewood and farther north at many points near the road leading west from Gazelle to Callahan. Beyond Callahan some ore has been packed out of the Cecilville country, the very heart of the Klamath Mountains. The total rail- road^ shipments at Gazelle in 1918 from about 20 mines in the southern part of Siskiyou County amounted to more than 1,200 short tons of crude ore gathered by truck, wagon, and pack train at the mines, some of which are not less than 50 miles from the railroad.
In the northern part of Siskiyou County, however, in the Klamath River region, a greater quantity of chrome ore is produced in the three serpentine areas of Yreka, Gottville, and Hamburg, the ore from which reaches the railroad at Montague and Hornbrook. The country rock of the chromite is generally dunite, and much of it is altered to serpentine, which has been much sheared. The bodies . of chromite are lenticular and commonly vertical, running northeast or northwest. They are of moderate size, few of them containing more than a few hundred tons. Much of the ore is black and compact, ready for market. With it there is much spotted ore that could be concentrated, but concentration has not yet been undertaken. The Hamburg area, which extends northwestward from the mouth of Scott River, is remarkable for its banded ore, which is well ex- posed in the Red Mountain mines. The banding in this ore is parallel to the banding in the underlying gneiss, a fact that appears to throw light on the conditions under which the chrome ore was formed. The Klamath River road to Hornbrook, on the main line of the Southern Pacific Railroad, affords an outlet for this ore, and some of it is hauled by trucks nearly 70 miles, at a cost of about 35 cents a ton- mile. In Siskiyou County there were 71 active chrome prospects in 1918, of which the greater number shown on the map Avere producers, with total shipments of 6,125 short tons of all grades. Nearly 3,000 tons of mined ore remained unshipped at the end of the year. The three principal shippers were S. H. Dolbear, Milne & Reichman, and the California Chrome Co. The ore ranged in chromic oxide content from 35 to 55 per cent and averaged nearly 45 per cent.
Note: Thanks miner Dave for pointing me back to one of my passions, reading the old mining journals of Siskiyou County.
- PUBLIC NOTICE: PROPOSED RENEWAL OF TITLE V OPERATING PERMIT TO ROSEBURG FOREST PRODUCTS CO.Public notice information ID#4679 PROPOSED RENEWAL OF TITLE V OPERATING PERMIT TO ROSEBURG FOREST PRODUCTS CO.Pursuant to Rule 2.13 of the Siskiyou County Air Pollution Control District (District) Rules and Regulations, the Air Pollution Control Officer (APCO) has made a preliminary decision to renew an Operating Permit under Title V of the Federal Clean Air Act… Read more: PUBLIC NOTICE: PROPOSED RENEWAL OF TITLE V OPERATING PERMIT TO ROSEBURG FOREST PRODUCTS CO.
- Local Car Wash Boosts Area SchoolsSplash & Dash Carwash in Yreka is making a splash with its “School A Rama” fundraiser. The Walmart Center-based business is supporting local education by dedicating each Sunday to a different school. “We wanted to give back to our community and support local education,” said John Richter, the initiative’s organizer. The program has been a… Read more: Local Car Wash Boosts Area Schools
- Rotary Club Launches Monthly Pancake BreakfastThe smell of pancakes on the crisp morning air brought locals to the Methodist church for the first inaugural “First Saturday of the Month” pancake feed. Neighbors & Scott Valley residents gathered to enjoy pancakes, eggs, and sausage while supporting Rotary Club’s community projects. The event highlighted community spirit, with attendees sharing fellowship over their… Read more: Rotary Club Launches Monthly Pancake Breakfast
- OPEN LETTER: just can’t get the “Welcome to Scott Valley–Trump Country” sign off my mindJust can’t get the sign off my mind. After some looking into it yesterday, someone said that the property is private. I guess it is not just a matter of private property rights and free speech or even a statement of support for the candidate of your choice (which is perfectly fine and which has… Read more: OPEN LETTER: just can’t get the “Welcome to Scott Valley–Trump Country” sign off my mind
- Giant Breed Guardian Female Shepherd in Need of Rehoming“Unique, two-year old, 115 pound, giant breed guardian-type spayed female Shepherd in need of special, loving home with room to run in large fenced area, preferably a ranch setting. She travels well and is family-friendly but needs to be top-dog so is best suited as a solo pet”. ➡️ Not currently located in Siskiyou County… Read more: Giant Breed Guardian Female Shepherd in Need of Rehoming
Thank you