Douglass Mine, Tourmaline Queen Mountain (Pala Mtn; Queen Mtn), Pala, Pala District, San Diego Co., California, USA

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Setting:
Located in the NW4 Sec. 23 T9S R2W SBM, at a point around 400 feet northwest of the center of the section survey, approximately 1.5 miles northeast of Pala. The mine workings are within the center portion of the southern half of the Douglass dike, which extends for about 4000 feet along the base of the southeastern side of Tourmaline Queen Mountain, and was developed in the early 1900's.

History:
In 1914, Frederick Merrill reported that the American Lithia and Chemical Company owned a half interest in the Douglass claim, with the remaining interest held by T. A. Blakeley, of San Bernardino.

In 1951, Richard H. Jahns listed the principal output as gem and specimen quality tourmaline and quartz. The mine was considered abandoned by 1958. In 1963, F. H. Weber noted that in addition to the usual pegmatite minerals, honey-yellow to orange-brown crystals of grossularite, and iridescent stains of marcasite occur in the dike.

The land is now managed for the benefit of the Pala Band of Mission Indians by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA).

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, 72 pp.: 14, 34-35.

Merrill, F. J. H. (1914), Geology and Mineral Resources of San Diego and Imperial Counties: Gems, Lithia Minerals. California State Mining Bureau, San Francisco, Cal. California State Printing Office. Chapter 1, pages 61-78.

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, 72 pp.: 14, 34-35.

Weber, F. H. (1963), Geology and mineral resources of San Diego County, California. California Division of Mines and Geology, County Report 3: 101.

Pemberton, H. Earl (1983), Minerals of California; Van Nostrand Reinholt Press: 498.

Mineral List

Albite var: Cleavelandite Elbaite

Grossular ? Marcasite Microcline

Muscovite 'Perthite' Quartz

Schorl Spessartine 'Tourmaline'

12 entries listed. 9 valid minerals.