California Quicksilver Furnaces, 1874

Quicksilver Furnaces

Soon after the discovery of gold in California, deposits of cinnabar were found at New Almaden, Santa Clara County, which subsequent developments proved to be of vast extent and exceeding richness. For several years this mine alone supplied the gold mines of the Pacific coast with quicksilver, besides furnishing large quantities for export. In 1850 it yielded 28,875 flasks, but at the present time the production does not exceed 15,000 flasks annually. The New Idria mine, in Fresno County, was discovered in 1856, and has since been successfully worked. The production of this mine has been from 7,000 to 12,000 flasks per annum. Next in importance, if not their equal, is the Redington mine, located at Knoxville, Napa County, from which large quantities of quicksilver have been taken since its discovery in 1861. Previous to 1872, those were the only quicksilver-producing mines of any note in the State, but since that period, rich deposits of cinnabar have boon discovered in several counties, from Dol Norte in the north to San Diego in the south, and the production of the valuable metal has been largely increased. The counties of Santa Clara, Fresno, Napa, Lake, Colusa, Sonoma, Solano, San Luis Obispo, and Santa Barbara are now known to contain large deposits of cinnabar, and in all of them expensive furnaces are being erected, and quicksilver mining vigorously prosecuted. The following table contains a list of the principal quicksilver furnaces in operation January, 1875, and the capacity of each as far as could be ascertained at that date.

Table of

With the Location, Name, Date of Erection and Present Occupants.

Colusa County
Bear Valley, Wild Goose, Wild Goose Q. M. Company.
Sulphur Creek, Abbott, Abbott Q. M. Company.
Sulphur Creek, Buckeye, Buckeye Q. M. Company.
Sulphur Creek, Elgin, Elgin Mining Company.

Fresno County
Little Panoche, Little Panoche, Little Panoche Q. M. Company.
Moody Cañon, Cerro Gordo, Cerro Gordo Q. M. Company.
Silver Creek, New Idria, New Idria Mining Company.

Lake County
Lower Lake, Sulphur Banks, California Borax Company.
Middletown, Great Western, Great Western Q. M. Company.
Middletown, Kearsage, Kearsage Q. M. Company.
Middletown, Lake County Mine, Lake County Mining Company.
Pine Mountain, American Q. S. Mine, Wright Bros.

Napa County
Knoxville, California, California Q, M. Company.
Knoxville, Redington, Redington Q. M. Company.
Manhattan, Manhattan, Knox & Osborne.
Napa Valley, Oakville, Oakville Q. M Company.
Pope Valley, Aetna, Aetna Q. M. Company.
Pope Valley, Phoenix, Phoenix Q. M. Company.
Pope Valley, Washington, Washington Q. M. Company.

San Luis Obispo County
_____, Josephine, Josephine Q. M. Company.
_____, Keystone, Cross & Company.
_____, Mahoney, James F. Mahoney.
_____, Oceanic, Oceanic Q. M. Company.
_____, Quien Sabe, D. C. Norcross & Company.
_____, Kinconada, C. W. Dana & Company.
_____, Santa Cruz, Sunderland Q. M. Company.

Santa Barbara County
Santa Inez Valley, Los Prietos, Los Prietos Mining Company.

Santa Clara County
Guadaloupe, Santa Clara, Santa Clara M'g As. of Baltimore.
New Almaden, New Almaden, Quicksilver Mining Company.

Solano County
Valley Township, John Brownley, Brownley & Company.
Valley Township, St. John's, Neat & Wilson.

Sonoma County
Knight's Valley District, Ida Clayton, Knight's Valley Land and Contract Company.
Knight's Valley District, Yellow Jacket, Knight's Valley Land and Contract Company.
Mendocino Township, Annie Belcher, Carr & Company.
Mendocino Township, Flagstaff, Bell & Company.
Mendocino Township, Rattlesnake, Parrott & Company.
Mendocino Township, Socrates, Bell & Company.
Mendocino Township, Sonoma, W. W. Dodge & Company.
Washington Township, Cloverdale, Booth & Company.
Washington Township, Geyser, Flood & O'Brien.
Washington Township, Missouri, Stuart & Elder.
Washington Township, Mount Vernon, Bell & Company.
Washington Township, Oakland, Bank of California.

California Gazetteer | AHGP California

Source: Pacific Coast Business Directory for 1876-78, Compiled by Henry G. Langley, San Francisco, 1875