San Benito County History

This section is excerpted from A Memorial and Biographical History of the Coast Counties of Central California by Henry D. Barrows and Luther A. Ingersoll, and published by The Lewis Publishing Company in 1893.

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Antimony.

Antimony is found in the McLeod mining district, which is situated some fourteen miles northeast of Hollister, the county seat. The mines, which were discovered in 1861 are situated on the northern and western slopes of Antimony mountain, which rises to the height of over 3,000 feet above sea level.

The backbone and higher portions of Antimony mountain are formed of diorite, syenite and serpentine rocks, which penetrate a sandstone at its base, and argillaceous slates upon its slope, in which the principal mineral-bearing veins are chiefly located.

The Shriver and Ambrose are the principal antimony mines which have been worked. The ore from the latter contains 38 per cent metallic antimony, which sells in San Francisco at $55 per ton. The former was bonded in 1890 for $35,000, the bonders paying $5 a ton on all antimony ore taken out.

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This section is excerpted from A Memorial and Biographical History of the Coast Counties of Central California by Henry D. Barrows and Luther A. Ingersoll, and published by The Lewis Publishing Company in 1893.