California's Early Mineral Industry

Abstract

THE HISTORY Of California's mineral industry began with the utilization by the aborigines of the product of the Los Angeles tar pits. The gold, mercury, silver, tin, and borax which have contributed so much to the civilization of the state owe their exploitation almost wholly to the American occupation since 1848, although the existence of some of these minerals was known to the Spanish. Something of the importance of this industry may be learned from the statement that by 1925 California ranked first among the states in the production of petroleum, gold, platinum, tungsten, chromite, mercury, magnesite, pyrites, silica, diatomaceous earth, potash, borates, and sodium salts. To sketch even briefly the entire story of California's mineral industry would require far more time'than can be allotted to this paper. Therefore the present effort must be limited to a rapid survey of the first twenty years of statehood.