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Santa Cruz mine, Joaquin Ridge near Coalinga, California

The U.S. Bureau of Mines' Minerals Yearbook for 1961 reported that Hidden Splendor Mining Co. "announced plans to construct a 15,000-ton-per-year asbestos plant at its deposit in San Benito County, also near Coalinga."5 For 1962 the yearbook said that Hidden Splendor, "a subsidiary of Atlas Corporation, began work on a mill to have an initial capacity of 15,000 tons expandable to 25,000 tons of fiber per year at its property northwest of Coalinga in Fresno and San Benito Counties"; neither report names a mine.1 For 1963 it listed "Atlas Mineral Corp. (new producer)" among the Fresno County companies reporting production and shipments, again without naming the mine.2

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The Santa Cruz mine

The yearbook for 1964 listed Atlas Mineral Corp. among the Fresno County companies reporting "production and shipments of chrysotile," and Asbestos, the industry's trade journal, summing up the yearbook's California chapter, said Atlas "produced asbestos fiber (grade 7 shorts) at mines and milling plants northwest of Coalinga in Fresno County."3,4 For 1965 the yearbook reported that Atlas Mineral Corp. had made production and shipments "from the Rover Pit and Santa Cruz mines, Fresno County."6 The yearbook's tables of U.S. producers listed the Santa Cruz mine in Fresno County each year from 1968 to 1978, under Atlas Minerals Corp. in 1968 and Atlas Asbestos Corp. from 1969, with chrysotile given as the type of asbestos in the tables for 1976, 1977 and 1978.7,8,9,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18 For 1971 and 1972 the yearbook called Fresno "the largest producing County," with the mines of Coalinga Asbestos Co. and Atlas Asbestos Corp., and for 1973 "the next leading producing county."13,14,15,19

In 1974 and 1975, the yearbook said, "yearend mining was limited to the Joaquin Ridge near Coalinga with Atlas Asbestos Corp. working its Santa Cruz mine in Fresno County and Union Carbide Corp. operating its Santa Rita mine in San Benito County."16,17 For 1976 it reported that "Atlas Asbestos Corp. worked its Santa Cruz mine in Fresno County," and it said the same for 1977 and for 1978 and 1979, placing the Santa Cruz and Santa Rita mines "both on the ridge."8,9,18

Output and customers

Asbestos reported in December 1975 that Atlas Asbestos Company "produces some 25,000 tons of Chrysotile from its mining and milling operation in Fresno County, 32 miles northwest of Coalinga," that "the entire output is consumed in the vinyl-asbestos floor tile industry," and that Atlas "is wholly-owned by Wheeler Properties, Inc., Reno, Nevada"; the article does not name the mine.20 The journal gave "some 25,000 tons" again in December 1976, and in December 1977 said the company "produces Grade 7 Chrysotile, for use in the manufacture of vinyl-asbestos floor tile."21,22

The closing

The Minerals Yearbook for 1980 reported that "Atlas Asbestos Corp. apparently closed its Santa Cruz Mine (Fresno County)."10 Asbestos wrote in January 1981 that grade 7 shorts "have been mined by Atlas Asbestos Company, near Coalinga, for use in vinyl-asbestos floor tile," but that "we do not believe there is much, if any, asbestos currently being mined at that site."23

The documents report this mine producing asbestos fiber for sale.20

Location

Joaquin Ridge near Coalinga, California, the county named in the documents. The dot marks the county, not the mine itself.

Output the documents report

Figures as printed, in the units each document uses (short tons before about 1990, metric tons after, in most U.S. chapters). Some are a year's output, some a daily rate or a capacity, some a company's total rather than this mine's alone; the statement for that year below says which.

Year Figure Source
1975 25,000 tons 20
1976 25,000 tons 21

Year by year

Every statement about this mine in the documents, in each document's own words, by the year it is about.

1961

  • Mill: “announced plans to construct a 15,000-ton-per-year asbestos plant at its deposit in San Benito County” (Hidden Splendor Mining Co.), p. 25

1962

  • Mill: “began work on a mill to have an initial capacity of 15,000 tons expandable to 25,000 tons of fiber per year” (Hidden Splendor Mining Co.), p. 21
  • Ownership: “Hidden Splendor Mining Co., a subsidiary of Atlas Corporation” (Atlas Corporation), p. 21

1963

  • Opened: “Atlas Mineral Corp. (new producer)” (Atlas Mineral Corp.), p. 22
  • Worked: “Production and shipments were reported by ... Atlas Mineral Corp. (new producer), ... Fresno County” (Atlas Mineral Corp.), p. 22

1964

  • Worked: “production and shipments of chrysotile were reported by ... Atlas Mineral Corp. ... Fresno County” (Atlas Mineral Corp.), p. 23
  • Fiber: “chrysotile” (Atlas Mineral Corp.), p. 23
  • Worked: “produced asbestos fiber (grade 7 shorts) at mines and milling plants northwest of Coalinga” (Atlas Minerals Corporation), as reported by Asbestos (magazine), p. 234

1965

  • Worked: “Atlas Mineral Corp. from the Rover Pit and Santa Cruz mines, Fresno County” (Atlas Mineral Corp.), p. 26

1968

  • Worked: “California: Atlas Minerals Corp. | Fresno | Santa Cruz | Do.” (Atlas Minerals Corp.), p. 27

1969

  • Worked: “California: Atlas Asbestos Corp. | Fresno | Santa Cruz | Do.” (Atlas Asbestos Corp.), p. 311

1970

  • Worked: “California: Atlas Asbestos Corp. | Fresno | Santa Cruz | Do.” (Atlas Asbestos Corp.), p. 212

1971

  • Worked: “California: Atlas Asbestos Corp. | Fresno | Santa Cruz | Do.” (Atlas Asbestos Corp.), p. 213
  • Worked: “Fresno, with Coalinga Asbestos Co. and Atlas Asbestos Corp. mines” (Atlas Asbestos Corp.), p. 213
  • Worked: “The largest producing County was Fresno with Coalinga Asbestos Company and Atlas Asbestos Corporation” (Atlas Asbestos Corporation), as reported by Asbestos (magazine), p. 4019

1972

  • Worked: “Fresno, with the Coalinga Asbestos Co., Inc., and Atlas Asbestos Corp. mines” (Atlas Asbestos Corp.), p. 214
  • Worked: “California: Atlas Asbestos Corp. | Fresno | Santa Cruz | Do.” (Atlas Asbestos Corp.), p. 214

1973

  • Worked: “Fresno, with Coalinga Asbestos Co. Inc. and Atlas Asbestos Corp. mines” (Atlas Asbestos Corp.), p. 215
  • Worked: “California: Atlas Asbestos Corp. | Fresno | Santa Cruz | Do.” (Atlas Asbestos Corp.), p. 315

1974

  • Worked: “California: Atlas Asbestos Corp | Fresno | Santa Cruz | Do.” (Atlas Asbestos Corp.), p. 216
  • Worked: “Atlas Asbestos Corp. working its Santa Cruz mine in Fresno County” (Atlas Asbestos Corp.), p. 216

1975

  • Buyers: “The entire output is consumed in the vinyl-asbestos floor tile industry” (Atlas Asbestos Company), p. 2020
  • Output: “produces some 25,000 tons of Chrysotile from its mining and milling operation in Fresno County, 32 miles northwest of Coalinga” (Atlas Asbestos Company), p. 2020
  • Worked: “Atlas Asbestos Corp. working its Santa Cruz mine in Fresno County” (Atlas Asbestos Corp.), p. 217
  • Worked: “California: Atlas Asbestos Corp | Fresno | Santa Cruz | Do.” (Atlas Asbestos Corp.), p. 317

1976

  • Output: “produces some 25,000 tons of Chrysotile from its mine and mill in Fresno County, 32 miles northwest of Coalinga” (Atlas Asbestos Company), p. 2721
  • Worked: “California: Atlas Asbestos Corp | Fresno | Santa Cruz | Do. [chrysotile]” (Atlas Asbestos Corp), p. 38
  • Fiber: “chrysotile” (Atlas Asbestos Corp), p. 38
  • Worked: “Atlas Asbestos Corp. worked its Santa Cruz mine in Fresno County” (Atlas Asbestos Corp.), p. 28

1977

  • Worked: “near Coalinga, in Fresno County, produces Grade 7 Chrysotile, for use in the manufacture of vinyl-asbestos floor tile” (Atlas Asbestos Company), p. 2222
  • Worked: “California: Atlas Asbestos Corp | Fresno | Santa Cruz | Do. [chrysotile]” (Atlas Asbestos Corp), p. 29
  • Fiber: “chrysotile” (Atlas Asbestos Corp), p. 29
  • Worked: “Atlas Asbestos Corp. worked its Santa Cruz mine in Fresno County” (Atlas Asbestos Corp.), p. 29
  • Description: “both on the ridge [Joaquin Ridge near Coalinga]” (Atlas Asbestos Corp.), p. 29

1978

  • Worked: “Atlas Asbestos Corp. worked its Santa Cruz mine in Fresno County” (Atlas Asbestos Corp.), p. 318
  • Fiber: “chrysotile” (Atlas Asbestos Corp), p. 418
  • Worked: “California: Atlas Asbestos Corp | Fresno | Santa Cruz | Do. [chrysotile]” (Atlas Asbestos Corp), p. 418

1980

  • Closed: “Atlas Asbestos Corp. apparently closed its Santa Cruz Mine (Fresno County)” (Atlas Asbestos Corp.), p. 310
  • Idle: “we do not believe there is much, if any, asbestos currently being mined at that site” (Atlas Asbestos Company), p. 1323

Other names

Documents call this mine “Santa Cruz mines”, “Santa Cruz”, “Santa Cruz mine”, “Santa Cruz Mine”, “Hidden Splendor Mining Co. deposit”, “property northwest of Coalinga in Fresno and San Benito Counties”, “Atlas Mineral Corp.”, “Atlas Asbestos Company mine 32 miles northwest of Coalinga”.

See also

References

  1. Minerals Yearbook: Asbestos Chapters, 1962 (January 1, 1963), p. 2.
  2. Minerals Yearbook: Asbestos Chapters, 1963 (January 1, 1964), p. 2.
  3. Minerals Yearbook: Asbestos Chapters, 1964 (January 1, 1965), p. 2.
  4. Asbestos Magazine, 1966, June 1966 (June 1, 1966), p. 23.
  5. Minerals Yearbook: Asbestos Chapters, 1961 (January 1, 1962), p. 2.
  6. Minerals Yearbook: Asbestos Chapters, 1965 (January 1, 1966), p. 2.
  7. Minerals Yearbook: Asbestos Chapters, 1968 (January 1, 1969), p. 2.
  8. Minerals Yearbook: Asbestos Chapters, 1976 (January 1, 1977), pp. 2–3.
  9. Minerals Yearbook: Asbestos Chapters, 1977 (January 1, 1978), p. 2.
  10. Minerals Yearbook: Asbestos Chapters, 1980 (January 1, 1981), p. 3.
  11. Minerals Yearbook: Asbestos Chapters, 1969 (January 1, 1970), p. 3.
  12. Minerals Yearbook: Asbestos Chapters, 1970 (January 1, 1971), p. 2.
  13. Minerals Yearbook: Asbestos Chapters, 1971 (January 1, 1972), p. 2.
  14. Minerals Yearbook: Asbestos Chapters, 1972 (January 1, 1973), p. 2.
  15. Minerals Yearbook: Asbestos Chapters, 1973 (January 1, 1974), pp. 2–3.
  16. Minerals Yearbook: Asbestos Chapters, 1974 (January 1, 1975), p. 2.
  17. Minerals Yearbook: Asbestos Chapters, 1975 (January 1, 1976), pp. 2–3.
  18. Minerals Yearbook: Asbestos Chapters, 1978–79 (January 1, 1980), pp. 3–4.
  19. Asbestos Magazine, 1973, January 1973 (January 1, 1973), p. 40.
  20. Asbestos Magazine, 1975, December 1975 (December 1, 1975), p. 20.
  21. Asbestos Magazine, 1976, December 1976 (December 1, 1976), p. 27.
  22. Asbestos Magazine, 1977, December 1977 (December 1, 1977), p. 22.
  23. Asbestos Magazine, 1981, January 1981 (January 1, 1981), p. 13.

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