Greetings, my online friends! [awkward pause: what to talk about? I know! The good old standby, the weather!] I have finally lost my patience with winter. It took a while, but now I’m getting cranky. Back in November, as we headed into the season, I actually looked forward to the long months, with the woodstove fired up, raisin bread in the oven, and several historical research projects to occupy […]
An interesting feature about our place here in Cobalt is the number of outbuildings surrounding the house, on and beyond our property. On the property “proper” sits the house, a garage, a bunkie, and a powder magazine. All quite normal for this part of the world. Pardon? No, not powder room, powder magazine. The building that holds explosives. I know! Welcome to Cobalt! Other structures, like those in the woods […]
The serviceberries are ready! Know how I know? Bear poop. Red, gritty bear poop all along the trails. Sure enough, as we walked along Nipissing Road toward home, I found a bush with burgundy berries. It was a good ‘un. More sweet than sour, not what I’d call juicy, but a perfectly respectable fruit. The seeds tend to get stuck in your teeth, but not as bad as raspberry seeds, for […]
I have a thing for trains. Trains are connectors and symbols of community. When you hear the whistle blowing, you feel a surge of anticipation, of arrival. Trains mean prosperity, commerce; the rumbling, powerful engines command respect, and in my opinion, reverence. It’s difficult to explain it to those who don’t share the same sentiment. Take, for example, our real estate agent. He didn’t know what to make of my […]
I live in a mining town. Technically, a former mining town. From 1903 to the late 1980’s, silver mining was the name of the game in the Town of Cobalt and Coleman Township. Our house sits on the Nipissing 404 Mine property – one of the largest producers in the area. The view from any window reveals evidence of the former industry. Bare slopes of rocky hills, gaping gouges on […]
What better way to make use of a rainy day than prepare the monthly contribution of Changing Seasons. Better than sitting and moping, right? A short walk from home is the McKinnley Darragh Mine mill site. This is where it all began for the silver mining rush. In 1903, two railway workers, Mr. McKinley and Mr. Darragh trod through the woods looking for timber to use as railway ties. Instead, they found […]
Earlier, I wrote about a mine at the north end of Cobalt Lake. Today, I’d like to introduce you to the mine site at the south end. Unlike the Right of Way Mine site where several buildings still stand rusty but intact, most of the buildings at the Cobalt Lake Mine and mill are gone. Only the concrete foundations and some walls remain. The property has been rehabilitated by Agnico Eagle, […]
