Looks like cyanide killed the ole cinnabar operation.

Was there not enough demand for mercury in thermometers to keep the venture going?

And here's a long shot question: Does cinnabar have anything to do with the unusual colors of the South Bay? I have noticed from airline flights that the southernmost waters of SF Bay are divided into sections of different water colors--colors not associated with water, like orange.

Thank you, Bradley, for an interesting view into the pre-history of Silicon Valley, before "silicon" was king.