About 900 yards southwest of here, on August 7, 1903, two lumbermen seeking timber for railroad ties made the initial discovery of the cobalt silver camp. Named for its discoverers, the McKinley-Darrach mine operated from 1904-1927. In the rush of 1905-06, Coleman township became the scene of the most intensive prospecting hitherto known in Ontario. Though it once boasted over 100 producing mines, the fortunes of the camp waned after 1920, owing to sharply reduced silver prices. After 1960 a firmer market and improved methods of recovery encouraged renewed activity. In its first sixty years, the Cobalt camp produced over 420 million ounces of silver, valued at some $264 million.

Location

Opposite the Cobalt Northern Ontario Mining Museum, 26 Silver Street near the site of the initial discovery, Cobalt

Themes

• Industry and trade