San Pedro Mine, Hiriart Mountain, Pala, Pala Mining District, San Diego County, California, USAi

Regional Level Types
San Pedro Mine	Mine
Hiriart Mountain	Mountain
Pala	Town
Pala Mining District	Mining District
San Diego County	County
California	State
USA	Country

"San Pedro"
—Spanish, meaning "Saint Peter".

Setting:
Located in the N2SE4 Sec. 24 T9S R2W SBM, the mine is on the north flank of Hiriart Mountain. Developed by 4 shallow cuts in the northern part of the Vanderberg pegmatite where the dike strikes north-northwestward, dips moderately west, and is up to 20 feet thick. Gem minerals reported include spodumene (primarily kunzite) pale-green and pink beryl, and pale yellow quartz. Additional minerals are tourmaline, lepidolite, molybdenite, bornite, and large clear crystals of microcline. The White Queen dike also strikes across the property.

History:
The deposit was located by Bernardo Hiriart and Pedro Peiletch in 1902, as northernmost and last of three claims on the mountain made by the two Basque Frenchman between 1901 and 1902. Not long after the date of the San Pedro location, the surrounding vacant public lands were temporarily withdrawn and removed from mineral entry under the United States land and mineral laws pursuant to Secretarial Order dated January 24, 1903. This order was a temporary withdrawal pending acquisition of all private inholdings, including valid existing rights, for the benefit of the Pala Tribe, under Indian tract allotment pursuant to the Act of January 12, 1891.

In 1905, George F. Kunz described the San Pedro workings as 4 cuts along a pegmatite ledge traceable for nearly a mile in length. These cuts were said to produce some kunzite, tourmaline, beryl, and lepidolite. In 1906, Kunz described the San Pedro mine as traversed by the same dike or vein as the Katerina and Vanderberg mines. Recent development of the San Pedro mine was described as a large open cut which showed pink beryl, pink kunzite, green tourmaline, and fine quartz crystals.

The mine was later acquired by Jim R. Fouch, head of the Universal Microphone Company of Inglewood, who reported running into a lot of peach colored beryl. Fouch sold the claim to George A. Ashley in 1947. Ashley then sold the claim to Charlie E. Reynolds of Escondido in 1948. In 1951 Reynolds mined a large pocket which yielded 300 pounds of fine gem spodumene which ranged from colorless to pale pink to pale green. The largest crystal from this pocket measured 11x5.5x1.5 inches.

In 1973, Pala International of Fallbrook acquired the San Pedro mine and began working the deposit. Some of the surface workings were expanded by using a D-8 Caterpillar track-type dozer, and some of the underground workings were extended for short distances.

In the early 1990's the Secretary of the Interior, through the delegation to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), investigated the bona fides of the mining claim to determine any encumbrance of an allotment application (trust patent) filed by the Bureau of Indian Affairs on behalf of the Pala Tribe on June 19, 1980. The claim was adjudicated and in 1992 it was declared invalid from the beginning, or void ab initio.

In 1997, John Sinkankas reported the largest cut pink beryl from North America is a 400-carat faceted Morganite produced from the San Pedro mine. The land is now managed for the benefit of the Pala Band of Mission Indians by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA).

Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality

References