Location
Sycamore Flat is in east-central Fresno County just north of Piedra and about 25 miles due east of Fresno. It also is known as the Hughes Creek district. Superficial placer mining was done here during the gold rush, and the lode mines were active from the 1880s until about 1915. There has been minor prospecting since then.
Geology
The area is underlain by schist on the west, gabbro in the central portion, and granite in the east. There are a number of aplite dikes. Several narrow north-trending quartz veins with gentle to steep dips contain free gold and varying amounts of pyrite, chalcopyrite, and galena. A few high-grade pockets have been found here. One of the veins was mined to a depth of 300 feet.
Mines
Eliza Jane $100,000+, Independence, Sunnyside.
Bibilography
Bradley, W. W., 1916, Fresno County, Eliza Jane and Sunnyside gold mines: California Min. Bur. Rept. 14, pp. 444-445, 449-451.
Irelon, Wm., Jr., 1888, Sycomore mining district: California Min. Bur. Rept. 8, pp. 206-207.
