As Chapleau becomes "mining town" prospectors active in the area since the arrival of the Canadian Pacific Railway ---maybe even before

As Chapleau becomes a "mining town" I decided to start researching the subject of mining in the area -- a subject about which I know very little, so as Philip Graham, the late publisher of the Washington Post once said about reporters, we write the "first rough drafts of history".That is me!!!

In my case, I am sharing information provided mainly by Vince Crichton in his book 'Pioneering in Northern Northern' and research undertaken by my good friend the late Harry Pellow who wrote about his family and Chapleau and area.  Vince noted that actual mining and the recovery of precious metals had been confined to the Sultan, Ramsay, and Missanable-Localsh areas. His book was published in 1975.

Vince told us that "Prospecting in the district had been carried on since the completion of the railroad, (Canadian Pacific Railway in 1885). The earliest know evidence of this activity was found in the vicinity of Stralak eleven miles west of Cartier where shafts had been blasted into the rock for a distance of twelve feet.Other evidence of such work may be found in the Greenhill River area in the township of Amik, north of Missanabie.

However Vince noted that the first recorded claims to be patented in the area were those staked in the township of McNaught north of Nemegos by the McVittie Syndicatre of Sudbury for iron ore in 1913.

Apparently the the first attempts to operate a gold producing mine were made in the area south of Localsh  in township 48. Claims were staked here in 1920.A few years later an effort was made by the O'Brien Gold Mines to extract gold from the ore which proved a failure. This property was later acquired by another group known as the Cline Lake Gold Mine which did operate and produce gold from 1937 to 1942. I believe C.A. "Bill" Pellow, the father of Ross, Bill and Harry may have established a business there as well as Hong Fong of the Boston Cafe, the father of Yen, Jean, Jimmy and Harry.

Other mines in the Localsh vicinity were Edwards Consolidatedand and the Algoma Summit.

In 1931 there was a "gold rush" into Brett and Lee Lakes  and the adjacent townships of Swazyze, Greenlaw and Halecrow. The flurry of Excitement brought three air transport companies to Chapleau -- General, Eclipse and Canadian Airways.

"So sure were some of the merchants in Chapleau that gold bricks would soon be marching to their stores like a company of soldieres that Edgar Pellow received a sum of money from the provincial government to build a narrow bush road to the gold area..."

No one was injured

At this time,  Arthur Grout and D.O. Payette of Smith and Chapple also had workers travelling by canoe. taking orders from prospectors with delivery on many occasions by plane.

Canoe travel was actually quite common, and other Chapleau merchants , including Edgar Pellow, used it in their business

The Kinty Gold Mine opened near Bret Lake about 30 air miles from Chapleau. Mr. Payette and Mr. Grout believed it would be a "prosperous town"  and built a few log cabins on the shore of Bret Lake -- one a store with living quarters for the shopkeeper, one for cooking and dining, and one as sleeping quarters for travellers and prospectors.

Then bad breaks --- the mine decided to establish a townsite some distance from their location. By 1933 the mine closed.

As I have shared in other columns about the arrival of the airlines, my father who was a student at Chapleau High School from 1928 to 1933 (I think) learned to fly planes at the Chapleau waterfront. He was really just supposed to be a dock boy but the pilots taught him to fly the planes. He thought my grandmother Lil (Mulligan) Morris didn't know but she did. Mothers always know. I am pretty sure my grandfather Harry Morris knew right away.

My Dad Bush pilot days

Renabie Mines Ltd. was founded in 1949 north of Missanabie. It did become a producing mine. There were other attempts but none really took off.

Growing up in Chapleau I was aware that some of the citizens were prospectors. and the one I recall best was Earle Sootheran, who was also the optometrist and jewelry department manager at Smith and Chapple. I would say hello to him almost every day on my way past his house on Birch Street. One day he invited me into his house to see the "angels in the rocks" There were gold flecks in the rocks in his collection!!!!

I will continue my research into mining in Chapleau and area. I welcome information. My email is mj.morris@live.ca