The Knoxville Mining District, the McLaughlin Gold Mine, northern California, 1978-2002
By: interviews conducted by Eleanor Swent, 1993-2001, Regional Oral History Office, The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley,
Contributors: Anderson, James, 1935-; Baker, Will, b. 1935.; Birdsey, Norman, 1957-; Bledsoe, Brice, 1927-; Cerar, Anthony A., 1913-; Ceteras, John P., 1944-; Conger, Harry M., 1930-; Corley, John Jay, 1931-; Cornelison, William H., 1936-; Drummond, John A., 1944-; Crouch, David, 1933-; Enderlin, Elmer, 1912-; Fuller, Claire, 1930-; Goldstein, Dennis, 1945-; Guinivere, Rex, 1931-; Smith, Duane A.; Swent, Eleanor.; Gustafson, Donald, 1938-; Hanchett, Bonny Jean.; Hickey, James H., 1927-; Jago, Irene.; Jonas, James.; Koontz, Dolora.; Kritikos, William, 1922-1995.; Landman, John, 1915-; Lyons, Roberta, 1951-; Madsen, Roger, 1923-; Magoon, Beverly, 1934-; McGinnis, Edward, 1923-; McKenzie, Robert, 1920-; Moskowite, Harold, 1926-; Onstad, Marion, 1938-; Parker, Ronald, 1950-; Stoehr, Richard.; Strapko, Joseph, 1951-; Thompson, Jack E., 1950-; Thompson, Twyla, 1930-; Tindell, Avery, 1920-; Turney, John, 1951-; Underwood, Della, 1943-; Wilcox, Walter, 1928-; Scribner, Peter, 1933-; Enderlin, Dean, 1961-; Harrison, Susan, 1961-; Krauss, Raymond, 1942-; Bancroft Library. Regional Oral History Office.; Knoxville District/McLaughlin Mine Project.
Published: 1998
Subjects: Homestake Mining Company; Mines and mineral resources -- California, Northern; Mines and mineral resources -- Environmental aspects -- California; McLaughlin Gold Mine (Calif.)
Other titles: Western mining in the twentieth century oral history series.
Description: James Anderson (b. 1935), geologist: Kennecott Copper Co., 1960-1967; Occidental Minerals, 1967-1975; Armand Hammer, Gore family; vice president, exploration, Homestake Mining Co., 1975-1987, researching mercury hot springs, gold discovery at Manhattan [renamed McLaughlin] Mine; environmental aspects, community relations; member, chairman, California State Mining and Geology Board; CEO, Minven, 1987-1995. Will Baker (b. 1935), professor of English, UC Davis: Capay Valley, CA, community activism; opposing Davis Creek Dam, efforts to block approval of environmental impact report, concerns about air and water pollution. Norman Birdsey (b. 1957), metallurgical technician: U.S. Navy, boatswain's mate, 1975-1979, 1981-1984; Homestake Mining Co., 1979-1981, Bulldog Mine, CO, mill operator; 1981-1995, McLaughlin Mine, startup training, autoclave operator, process specialist. Brice Bledsoe (b. 1927), director, Solano Irrigation District: formation of Solano County Flood Control and Water Conservation District; McLaughlin Mine, SID demands satisfied for fail-safe containment of tailings, regulation of cyanide transport, daily monitoring, future oversight.

Anthony A. Cerar (b. 1913), mercury miner, 1935-1995: La Joya, Knoxville, Mirabel, Oat Hill mines; WW II, Spanish miners in CA; mine safety, health hazards of mercury. John P. Ceteras (b. 1944), organic farmer, Yolo County: community opposition to McLaughlin Mine, Davis Creek Dam; member, technical review panel monitoring water quality. Conger, Harry M. (b. 1930), mining engineer: Asarco, Silver Bell, AZ, 1955-1964; Kaiser Steel Co., Eagle Mt., CA, 1964-1970, early environmental concerns, water quality monitoring; Kaiser Resources, Balmer, BC, 1970-1973, dealing with Mitsubishi Trading Co.; Consolidation Coal Co., 1973-1975; vice president, president, director, chairman and CEO, Homestake Mining Co., 1975-1998; environmental policy, corporate restructuring, McLaughlin Mine discovery and development, World Gold Council. John Jay Corley (b. 1931), chairman, Napa County planning commission, 1981-1984: permitting McLaughlin Mine. William Cornelison (b. 1936), schools superintendent: Middletown, CA, 1979-1986, impact of Geysers geothermal project; Konocti district, 1986-1994, impact of McLaughlin Mine; Lake County, 1994-present, socio-economic changes; John Drummond (b. 1944), schools attorney: negotiations to mitigate McLaughlin Mine impact.

David Crouch (b. 1933), environmental manager: Utah International, 1973-1980, Navajo Mine reclamation; Homestake Mining Co., 1980-1992, uranium mines air and water quality, obtaining permits for McLaughlin Mine, delisting two Superfund sites. Elmer Enderlin (b. 1912), miner: working in fifty-eight mines in Western U.S. from 1932; small mine methods, safety, especially in mercury mines. Claire Fuller (b. 1930), store owner: operating Fuller's Superette in Lower Lake, CA, 1982-1995. Dennis Goldstein (b. 1945), environmental lawyer: Stanford Law School, 1960s; Homestake Mining Co. from 1976, acquiring land, obtaining permits for McLaughlin Mine. Rex Guinivere (b. 1931), mining engineer: Bukit Besi iron mine, Malaya; Kaiser Engineers, 1964-1981; Homestake Mining Co., 1981-1988, Vice President-Engineering, manager of design and construction, McLaughlin Mine, whole-ore autoclave processing, non-union project.

Donald Gustafson (b. 1938), exploration geologist, Anaconda Co., 1966-1975, Homestake Mining Co., 1975-1990: discusses mercury-hot-springs-gold association, McLaughlin Mine discovery, development, community relations efforts. Bonny Jean Hanchett (b. 1920), owner, editor, Clearlake, CA, Observer, 1955-1986: opposing Scotch Creek dam, combatting Clear Lake gnat infestation, opposing Joe Mazzola. James Hickey (b. 1927), director of conservation, development, planning, Napa County, CA, 1970-1990: establishing Napa Valley Agricultural Preserve, coordinating McLaughlin Mine permit application for Napa, Lake, Yolo Counties. Irene Jago (b. 1912), teacher: recalls husband John Jago, owner, Uncle Sam/Konocti Mine. James Jonas (b. 1938), fuel distributor: discusses bulk plant management, negative effects of environmental regulations on fuel dealers. Dolora Koontz (b. 1954), environmental engineer, McLaughlin Mine, 1986-1995: monitoring environmental quality, reclaiming mine site and waste dumps, reporting to government agencies.

William Kritikos (1922-1995), civil engineer, Oat Hill Mine operator, 1955-75: discusses mining waste dumps, beneficiation of mercury ore, reprocessing wastewater, marketing cinnabar in China. John Landman (b. 1915), rancher: discusses ranching in Morgan Valley, working for Reed mercury mine in WWII, detrimental impact of McLaughlin mine on ranching. Roberta Lyons (b. 1951), journalist, environmentalist: discusses growing up in Lake County, 1960s; "hippies" in Colombia, 1970s; establishing Lake County Land Trust. Roger Madsen (b. 1923), mechancial engineer, Homestake Mining Co.: discusses working in Lead, SD; Grants, NM; designing pumpls, let-down valves for autoclave system, McLaughlin Mine. Beverly Magoon (b. 1934), craft teacher, general store owner: discusses changes in Lower Lake commerce from 1971. Edward McGinnis (b. 1923), Napa County highway department foreman: discusses pioneer family roots in Berryessa Valley, destruction in 1956; working at Skaggs Springs and Reed mines, WWII; guarding German POWs as infantryman.

Robert McKenzie (b. 1920), Napa historian, journalist: recollections of Knoxville District mines, Berryessa Valley early days flooding by dam. Harold Moskowite (b. 1926), rancher, Napa County supervisor 1976-88: discusses granting of permits to mine, anti-growth sentiment. Marion Onstad (b. 1938), rancher, Homestake employee 1981-98: Morgan Valley before mining; changes brought by paved road, electricity, telephone; organizing workshops for clerical employees. Ronald Parker (b. 1950), plant engineer to manager, McLaughlin Mine, 1986-94: work as plant engineer, Delco-Moraine, 1972-76; engineer to superintendent, 1976-86, AMAX, MO, lead mine/smelter, environmental, health issues, violent 1984 labor strike; McLaughlin startup problems, staff reorganization to maximize operations and maintenance. Richard Stoehr (b. 1927), Homestake engineer to senior vice president, 1954-84: discusses operating uranium mines, UT, NM, 1954-61; Homestake's marketing, exploration; discovery, development of McLaughlin Mine, researching autoclave process, authorization by directors; world economic view of gold. Joseph Strapko (b. 1951), Homestake geologist, 1975-81: memories of reconnaissane for "mercury hot springs project", presenting Manhattan-McLaughlin project to Homestake board,

locating first successful drill hole, disagreement with subsequent drilling program.

Jack E. Thompson, Jr. (b. 1950), general manager McLaughlin Mine, 1979-1988: discusses Cuban childhood, work for Newmont Mining Co. at Stewart, BC, and Dawn, WA; McLaughlin Mine, feasibility study, recruiting staff, obtaining permits, mine development and operation, introduction of computer technology. Twyla Thompson (b. 1930), Yolo County supervisor, 1975-1985: discusses Cache Cree gravel mining, Capay Valley master plan, Environmental Data Advisory Committee, granting mine permits. Avery Tindell (b. 1920), retired insurance company chairman, member of Yolo County Technical Review panel: discusses community environmental concerns. John Turney (b. 1951), Homestake metallurgist: recounts research on commercial continuous autoclave and pressure oxidation treatment of refractory gold ores; designing, building, operating McLaughlin processing plant. Della Underwood (b. 1943), rancher, Homestake mine engineering technician: memories of growing up at Knoxville, ranching, working on blasting crew, survey team. Walter Wilcox (b. 1928), motel owner/operator, Lake County Supervisor, 1979-1995: recalls labor union and business experience, mine permitting, changes in Lake County employment, infrastructure.

Peter Scribner (b. 1933), construction engineer: recollections of childhood at Knoxville, 1941-1944.

Dean Enderlin (b. 1961), geologist, Homestake Mining Company; Napa Valley mining history, family background in Napa and Lake Counties, gold panning and suction dredging in Sierra Nevada, education at Sonoma State College; McLaughlin mine geology, ore control, reclamation. Susan Harrison (b. 1961), professor, ecology, UC Davis, McLaughlin Natural Reserve director: studies at UC Davis and Stanford, research on caterpillars, butterflies, conservation ecology in Kenya, Costa Rica, England; UC Natural Reserve System organization and management; Knoxville area serpentine habitat. Raymond Krauss (b. 1942), biologist, environmental manager, Homestake Mining Company: education at Oberlin College, 1960-1964, University of Michigan, 1966-1967; urban planning, Puerto Rico, 1968-1970, San Francisco, 1970-1971; environmental planning, Sonoma County, 1971-1981, discusses river gravel mining issues; McLaughlin Mine, 1981-2001: obtaining permits, directing environmental protection and mine reclamation; discusses long-term benefits of proactive policy in environmental protection at mining sites; establishing Blue Ridge-Berryessa Natural Area; discusses state and national service: California Mining & Geology Board, 1978-1981, 1992-1998;

president, California Mining Association, 1999-2001; National Academy of Sciences Research Council to Review the General Mining Law; Bureau of Land Management Science Advisory Board; facilitator, Blue Ridge-Berryessa Conservation Partnership, Delta Tributaries Mercury Council.