Location
The Piute Mountains are in the southern Sierra Nevada, in east-central Kern County near Claraville, about 14 miles southeast of Bodfish. Gold was probably discovered here during the 1850s, but the principal periods of mining were 1870 to 1900 and the 1930s and early 1940s. Some tungsten has been produced in the district.
Geology
Most of the district is underlain by Mesozoic granitic rocks. In the northwest portion a roof pendant of Mesozoic metasedimentary rock crops out. Most of the gold deposits are confined to a two-mile-wide belt that extends northwest through the Claraville area in granitic rock and then north in the metamorphic rocks. The deposits consist of gold-quartz veins in shear zones. Some sulfides and also scheelite, in places, are present. Milling ore averaged about 1/2 ounce of gold per ton. Silver and antimony also are present.
Mines
Amy, Blue jay, Bright Star $600,000, Dearborn, Donnie, French, Gold Standard, Gwynne $770,000, Henry Ford, Hilltop, jeannette, jeanette, Grant, jerry, Little joe, Lone Star, Mary Ellen, Retreat, Shellenberger, Simon, Surprise.
Bibliography
Brown, G.C., 1916, Kern County, Bright Star mine: California Min. Bur. Rept. 14, p. 490.
Troxel. B.W., and Morton, P. K., 1962, Kern County, Piute Mountains district: California Div. Mines and Geology, County Rept. 1, pp. 45-46.
Tucker, W. S., and Sampson, R.J., 1933, Kern County, Gwynne and Jeanette mines: California Div. Mines Rept. 29, pp. 307-309,
