Chili Bar Slate Mine

The gorgeous black slate of Chili Bar has been coveted since the early 1800's when 100 Chileans arrived fresh off the boats in San Francisco. In search of gold they settled along the banks of the American River. On a Sunday in 1852 the Chileans paid a large sum to swindlers claiming ownership. When the real owners arrived to work on Monday it didn't take long to round up the firepower to chase the Chileans out for good. More than 150 years later, Chili Bar is known as the preeminent source of quality black slate in the western United States.