The Washington mine, discovered in 1852, was the first quartz mine worked in Shasta County. There was some activity during the 1920s and 1930s, and there has been minor prospecting and development work since. The quartz veins usually strike west, with a few northwest exceptions, and range from a few inches to several feet thick. They are predominantly in the rocks of the Bragdon Formation and often occur near or adjacent to the dikes, which apparently have had some effect on the localization of the ore bodies. The latter consist of numerous parallel stringers rather than a single massive vein.
Calcite is commonly present in the veins.
The ore contains coarse, free gold usually associated with considerable pyrite and smaller amounts of galena, sphalerite, arsenopyrite, chalcopyrite, and occasionally scheelite. Numerous high-grade pockets have been recovered here. A number of large ore bodies occur in the district, several of which were more than 1000 feet long. Return to Principal Gold Districts 1998 Oakland Museum of California. All rights reserved.