"The Mine Between the Village"
—Basque, 'Iri' meaning "Village", 'Arte' meaning "Between".
Located mostly in the NW4NE4 Sec. 25, and portions of the NW4NE4NE4 Sec. 23, and the SE4SW4SE4 Sec. 24, T9S R2W SBM. The mine workings are near the middle of the southwest slope of Hiriart Mountain. A claim to the deposit was located by Marion M. Sickler on January 7th of 1903 (MS 5391A), and named in honor of French-Basque prospector Bernardo Hiriart[1].
In 1905, Kunz reported that a tunnel had been run a distance of 40 feet within a lithia-bearing ledge of mineralization between 1.5 and 4 feet in width occurring within a 100 foot thick pegmatite traceable along the surface for over 2000 feet in diorite. The lepidolite was described as white and lilac colors, often full of radiating tourmalines of pink and green colors. Kunz described large amounts of muscovite encased within the lepidolite, and noted the occurrence of amblygonite in the pay-streak. Small quantities of green, blue and pink tourmaline crystals were reported along with crystals of albite and orthoclase from the gem pockets encountered. A total 2 tons of lepidolite were produced from the underground workings.
By 1906, Kunz reported that another tunnel had penetrated 80 feet into the ledge of albite with disseminated lepidolite. Kunz reported tourmaline and lithium beryl as the primary mineral production, and described the tourmaline as a deep grass green, aquamarine blue, and some green crystals with a pink or a black center.
At the request of Sickler, on February 15th of 1911, the U.S. Department of the Interior, Surveyor General for California - issued instructions to the Los Angeles Land District, to perform Mineral Survey No. 5391. Work commenced November 13, 1917, being executed by Henry V. Wheeler, a licensed United States Mineral Surveyor. According to instructions received from the U.S. Deputy San Francisco, California, Wheeler proceeded to mark the corners and survey the boundaries of the Hiriart lode[2]. This survey also described the physical improvements to the Hiriart claim, which consisted of 6 cuts and tunnels, a house and stable. The mineral survey was completed on November 23rd 1917. The U.S. Surveyor General for California, approved Wheeler's survey on June 27th, 1918.
On August 27th, 1938, Marion M. Sickler deeded the mine to his son Fred for 1 dollar and 'love and affection'. Fred eventually sold the mine to George A. Ashley in 1947. Finally, in July of 1949, fee title was granted to Ashley for the Hiriart Lode by President Harry S. Truman, and recorded as patent number 1126805.
In 1951, R. H. Jahns describes the Hiriart mine workings to be a source of gem-quality spodumene and quartz crystals. In 1963, F. H. Weber described the deposit as derived by slides from the Vanderberg-Katerina pegmatite dike group which is exposed higher on the slope.
The house and stable on the Hiriart have been abandoned since the early 1990's, and barely escaped a wildfire which started at the southwestern base of Hiriart mountain in July of 2001. However, the wooden and corrugated steel-roofed structure was still standing as of August 2007.
Footnotes:
1. Hiriart or the 'Iriarte' Basque surname includes: Uriarte, Iriarte, Iriart, Yriart, Yriarte etc. Meaning: IRI, means group of houses, and ARTE: means between. Basque surnames are names of farms or houses so the meaning is: (The house) between the groups of houses, or the house between the village. [http://www.buber.net/Basque/Surname/I/iriarte.html] (08/05/2007)
2. Mineral survey No. 5391 A and B included the more-or-less contiguous group of unpatented lode mining claims generally referred to as the Sickler group, known as the El Molino, Fargo, Hiriart, K.C. Naylor, and Vanderberg Lodes; including the El Molino Mill Site. Patent number 1126805 was issued for the Hiriart lode only, excluding all other mineral and land claims made by Sickler and his heirs.
References:
Jahns, R. H. and Wright, L. A. 1951. Gem and Lithium-bearing pegmatites of the Pala District, San Diego County, California. California Division of Mines special report 7A: p. 15.
Kunz, G. F. 1905. Gems, jeweler's materials, and ornamental stones of California. California State Mining Bureau bulletin 37: pages 86, 132-133.
Kunz, G. F. 1906. The Production of Precious Stones in 1905. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey, Division of Mining and Mineral Resources. GPO, Washington: pages 26-27; 40 pp.
Todd, W. R. & Waiwood, R. M. 1996. Mineral Report: Validity Examination of the Katerina Lode; Bureau of Land Management, United States Department of the Interior, Oct. 30; 71 p., maps/plats, photos, legal/technical data.
Weber, F. H. 1963. Geology and mineral resources of San Diego County, California. California Division of Mines and Geology, County Report 3: p. 102; illus., maps.
Wheeler, H. V. 1917. Field notes of the survey of the mining claims of Marion M. Sickler, known as the El Molino, Fargo, Hiriart, K. C. Naylor, and Vanderberg Lodes; and El Molino Mill Site; in Sec 24-25, T9S, R2W, SBM. USDI, Surveyor General's Office, Mineral Survey No. 5391A-B: 1 plat.
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Map Reference: 33°22'17"N , 117°2'23"W
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