Tales from the Mines —Kingdon Mine Part 2
Kingdon Mine Led Galetta Area from a Boomtown to a Ghost Town
When History Comes to You–A Visit from Middleville
SHARON ROBB,
I would love to see an article on this village where my grandparents lived in the 30’s. It is near Fitzroy Harbour. My grandfather Walter Bootland was a mine superintendent or supervisor for the mill there. He left there to work in the gold fields in Noranda but died of leukaemia shortly after, likely a result of lead exposure at Kingdon. Thank you!
Regards Sharon Malone
Here was the first one I wrote.. Kingdon Mine Led Galetta Area from a Boomtown to a Ghost Town now part 2
Less than 40 miles from Canada’s capital city there are 2,000 acres of undeveloped bushlands with some four miles- of waterfront. In that triangle of land bounded by the Ottawa, and Mississippi Rivers, and what is commonly known as the Mississippi Snye. I had no idea what that meant so looked it up. The Snye originates as a branch of the Mississippi River, which enters the Ottawa River at Marshall Bay, upstream of Morris Island
During the years of 1914 to 1930, Kingdon Mining and Smelting Company was among the greatest producers of lead in Canada. In those years the village of Kingdon Mine boasted some 40 homes, a school, community hall, arena, and produced some of the finest baseball and hockey teams in the district.
Tom Lauzon’s General Store was the focal point for evening gatherings when the sports program was not in full swing. It was a “boom” town and remained so until 1931 when the bottom fell out. The inhabitants moved out; some to the northern mining camps; some to the village of Galetta; and others to the industrial town of Arnprior eight miles away.
Within a few years, the place was a ghost town; the old unpainted fronts of the frame buildings that once dotted the main street began to come down; hydro lines were withdrawn; there was no water system left; and the few oldtimers who remained had to revert to the oil lamp and the old village well.
JOHN J. STANTON, retired Fitzroy Harbor farmer and noted historian, tells that his father who homesteaded lots 23 and, 24 on the 7th concession of Fitzroy, stumbled across the lead discovery prior to 1870. A haying bee was. taking place on the Stanton farm and the crew started a fire on a big rock to boil a pot of tea, and they noticed the moulten lead” seeping from the rock.
While the discovery of lead on Laflamme Island, now known as Chats Island, was made prior to 1870, the first work was begun by James Robertson in July, 1884. Some few hundred tons of “hand cobbed” ore (lead or galena cobbed from the calcite matrix) was shipped to Kingston for smelting.
A fire then destroyed, the buildings and equipment and nothing was done until 1914 – when the James Robertson Estate reopened the mine; the shaft was sunk, and under the direction of general manager A. G. Munich, a mill was built and a smelter- erected. By 1931 the main shaft had gone to a depth of 1,448 feet when the price of lead literally evaporated and the mine shut down.
From 1915 to 1931 some 905,000 tons of ore and waste was hoisted. Lead concentrates produced 76,-820,000 pounds along with 657,000 pounds of zinc concentrates. Pig lead amounted to almost 60 million pounds valued at more than $4,334,-000. In October, 1937 the Fort Rouiile Mining Corporation attempted a reclaim operation on the mine, but relinquished its option in 1938 when the price of lead again dropped.
Today, all that’s left is a great white calcite tailing pile looking much like a snowy desert with the ghostlike ends of sluice structures sticking from the huge piles. This fine glistening stone is in great demand for driveways, service station lots and decorative concrete work, but was found later to contain lead. Engineering reports say the Kingdon Mine was never exhausted of ore, but merely shut down due to the abnormally low prices of lead.
The Ottawa CitizenRelated reading
Kingdon Mine Led Galetta Area from a Boomtown to a Ghost Town
William Bootland
It has seldom been our privilege to present a more comprehensive word picture of the everyday life of a lumberjack and river driver on the Upper Ottawa a half century ago, than that which comes to us today from the pen of Mr. James Annable of Carleton Place. Born on the banks of the Mississippi at Carleton Place, in the days when lumbering on that important tributary of the Ottawa was at its height, Mr. Annable at an early age threw in his lot with the bronzed giants of the forest and river. His experiences during that first season are not only interesting but highly informative.
Down by the Old Pike Hole–The Island Bridges of Carleton Place- Before and After
The Devil, a Regatta, the Enterprise and a Gale
Kingdon Mines (Lead) at Fitzroy [Harbour, Ont.] near Arnprior. ca. 1910
Up river from Fitzroy Harbor and near Galetta, a lead mine, known as Kingdon Mines, produced high quality lead for some time, but was flooded when Chat. Falls dam was built. The entrance tunnels and pits are all flooded by the swamp nearby.
To see what is left of Kingdon Mines head on down to the video below.
Information where you can buy all Linda Seccaspina’s books-You can also read Linda in The Townships Sun andScreamin’ Mamas (USA)
Come and visit the Lanark County Genealogical Society Facebook page– what’s there? Cool old photos–and lots of things interesting to read. Also check out The Tales of Carleton Place.
[from “Beyond Our Memory” by Fitzroy Township Historical Society]
February 28 1908– At an early hour on Sunday morning the general store building, occupied by Mr. J . J . Rigrose at Galetta, was totally destroyed by fire, along with all its contents. Both the building and stock are insured, but the amounts are not known. The stock destroyed is variously estimated from $4,000 to $6,000, whilst the store building and storehouses attached would be worth at least $1,000.
Mr. Ringrose had up to a short time ago resided over his store but having contemplated leaving Galetta and going to Sand Point had his household effects in the latter place. The building belonged to Mr. Wilbur S . Beswick of Galetta.
James Steen built a mill at the falls and the area was renamed Steen’s Falls. Hubbell later re-acquired the rights but subsequently re-sold those rights to James Galetti Whyte who began woolen manufacturing. The village name was changed to Galetta (after Whyte’s mother’s name).
Killed By A Train–Unknown Man Found on the Railway Track Near Galetta
On Thursday morning, Mr. A. McRae section man at Galetta, found the body of a man lying across the rail on the G.T.R. half a mile west of Galetta station, the legs being entirely separated from the body. He notified Fred Remus, foreman, who recognized the deceased as a man he met 4 miles west of the station at about six o’clock the evening before, and who told him he was on his way to South March to work on the ranges. He was a man about 5 feet 6 inches high, fair complexion and fair moustache. Coroner G.H. Groves, of Carp, was notified, and was taken to the scene by Mr. J.A. Evoy. The coroner held an inquest in the waiting room of the Galetta station.
From the evidence, the jury in less than half an hour decided that deceased who was unknown to anyone present, came to his death by being run over by the freight train going east, and passing Galetta at 7:15 p.m. Monday night, as shown by the records of station agent, Mr. James W. Ritchie. No blame was attached to any person. Besides 30 cents found in the pocket of deceased, there was also a little oval Roman Catholic emblem an inch long. The deceased was buried at Fitzroy Harbour on Wednesday.– October 2, 1913--Huntley Historical Society
Perth Courier, July 24, 1896
STYLES—Died, in the Mississippi River, Galetta on Sunday morning, July 12, William Styles, son of James Styles of accidental drowning, aged 19.
Come and visit the Lanark County Genealogical Society Facebook page– what’s there? Cool old photos–and lots of things interesting to read. Also check out The Tales of Carleton Place.
Information where you can buy all Linda Seccaspina’s books-You can also read Linda in The Townships Sun andScreamin’ Mamas (USA)
lindaseccaspina 