Columbia Connections Curriculum Project Grade 6 Unit
Columbia Connections Curriculum Project
Image Courtesy BC Archives – A-03737
Grade Six
Rossland: The Early Years of the Golden City
School District #20 (Kootenay-Columbia) Columbia Connections Curriculum Project Grade 6 Unit
Table of Contents Page
Pre-Assessment …………………………………………………………………………….. 1 Map: Kootenay and District ………………………………………………………………. 2 Pre-Assessment Answers …………………………………………………………………... 1a Activity 1 …………………………………………………………………………………… 3-4 Activity 1 Answers …………………………………………………………………………. 3a -4a Activity 2 …………………………………………………………………………………… 5-7 Map: C.P.R. …………………………………………………………………………….. 8 Activity 2 Answers …………………………………………………………………………. 5a-7a Activity 3 …………………………………………………………………………………… 9-11 Map: Rossland ……………………………………………………………………………… 12 Activity 3 Answers ………………………………………………………………………… 9a-11a Activity 4 ………………………………………………………………………………….. 13 Aerial Photo Rossland …………………………………………………………………….. 14 Appendix I Activity ………………………………………………………………………… 15 Appendix III Activity ………………………………………………………………………. 16 Notes about Maps and Mapping Exercises ………………………………………………… 17 Bibliography ……………………………………………………………………………….. 18 Student Info – Rossland: The Early Years of the Golden City …………………………….. 19-27 Appendix I ………………………………………………………………………………….. 28-30 Appendix II ………………………………………………………………………………… 31-32 Appendix III ……………………………………………………………………………….. 33-35 Glossary …………………………………………………………………………………… 36
School District #20 (Kootenay-Columbia) Columbia Connections Curriculum Project Grade 6 Unit
Pre-Assessment
Name ______Date______
Answer the following questions about Rossland and surrounding area. Use the Kootenay District (Map #1) to help you answer question 6. Some questions are difficult and you may not be able to answer them.
1. What caused there to be valuable ore deposits in the mountains around Rossland?
______
______
2. What valuable minerals were found in the mountains around Rossland?
______
______
3. Name two types of transportation used by prospectors to get into the Rossland area.
i. ______
ii. ______
4. Name three different types of jobs that were done by Rossland miners.
i. ______
ii. ______
iii. ______
5. Explain two ways technology helped improve the way ore was mined and transported in the Rossland area.
i. ______
ii. ______
6. Use the map of the Kootenay District from 1898 to answer these questions.
A. How many kilometres is it from Point A to Point B? ______
B. In which direction do you travel to get from Point L to Point M? ______
C. What town in now located at Point L ? ______
Page 1
School District #20 (Kootenay-Columbia) Columbia Connections Curriculum Project Grade 6 Unit
Page 2 School District #20 (Kootenay-Columbia) Columbia Connections Curriculum Project Grade 6 Unit
Pre-Assessment
Answers Date______
Answer the following questions about Rossland and surrounding area. Use the Kootenay District (Map #1) to help you answer question 6. Some questions are difficult and you may not be able to answer them.
1. What caused there to be valuable ore deposits in the mountains around Rossland?
Solutions under extreme pressure in volcanoes caused there to be valuable ore deposits in the mountains around Rossland.
2. What valuable minerals were found in the mountains around Rossland?
Gold and Copper
3. Name two types of transportation used by prospectors to get into the Rossland area. i. There are more than two answers. Some are : by foot, by horseback, by wagon ii. by train, by steamship
4. Name three different types of jobs that were done by Rossland miners. i. There are more than three mining jobs. They are: development mining, ii. production mining, shot firing, mucking, timber constructing, diamond drilling, iii. and operating the hoist
5. Explain two ways technology helped improve the way ore was mined and transported in the Rossland area. i. Technology helped improve lighting, blasting, and removal of ore from the miners. ii. Technology helped improve trails and provided steam and rail transportation.
6. Use the map of the Kootenay District from 1898 to answer these questions.
A. How many kilometres is it from Point A to Point B? Approx. 36 km
B. In which direction do you travel to get from Point L to Point M? south
C. What town in now located at Point L ? Trail
Page 1a
School District #20 (Kootenay-Columbia) Columbia Connections Curriculum Project Grade 6 Unit
Activity # 1
Name ______Date ______
1. What two minerals were mined in the Rossland mines?
1) ______
2) ______
2. What act of mother nature resulted in rich mineral ore being deposited in some mountains around Rossland?
______
______
3. Explain how Eugene Topping came to own the LeRoi mine?
______
______
4. List 3 different types of transportation used in Rossland to transport people, supplies, and ore.
1) ______
2) ______
3) ______
5. Explain how Rossland got its name. ______
______
______
6. Explain why Rossland's steamboat landing on the Columbia River was built at the location where Trail Creek enters the river.
______
______
Page 3
School District #20 (Kootenay-Columbia) Columbia Connections Curriculum Project Grade 6 Unit
7. List 2 types of technology of the day that helped improve life for citizens and miners in Rossland during the 1890's. Explain how each technology improved their lives.
1) ______
______
2) ______
______
8. Determine how many students would have been in each classroom at Central School when the school opened in 1898?
______
9. List 4 ways settlers and miners change the environment when they came to Rossland in the 1890's. 1) ______
______
2) ______
______
3) ______
______
4) ______
______
Page 4
School District #20 (Kootenay-Columbia) Columbia Connections Curriculum Project Grade 6 Unit
Activity # 1
Answers
1. What two minerals were mined in the Rossland mines?
2) Gold
2) Copper (also Silver) p. 4
2. What act of mother nature resulted in rich mineral ore being deposited in some mountains around Rossland?
Solutions under extreme pressure in volcanoes caused there to be valuable ore deposits in the mountains around Rossland. P. 1
3. Explain how Eugene Topping came to own the LeRoi mine?
Topping gained control of the LeRoi by paying the registration fee for the five claims Morris and Bourgeous needed registered. In return, Topping was allowed to choose one claim. He chose the LeWise whose name he changed to LeRoi. P.3
4. List 3 different types of transportation used in Rossland to transport people, supplies, and ore.
1) There are more than 3 answers, Possible answers are : by foot, by horseback, by wagon, by train, by steamboat pp 2 and 4
5. Explain how Rossland got its name. Rossland was named by Ross Thompson, who wanted to call his new town site “Thompson”, after his last name, but because there already was a Thompson in British Columbia, he named the new town “Rossland”, after his first name. Pp5/6.
6. Explain why Rossland's steamboat landing on the Columbia River was built at the location where Trail Creek enters the river.
Trail Creeks entry was a good location for the steamboat landing because the creek ran all the way to Rossland. People simply followed the creek’s path to get to Rossland. P 4.
Page 3a
School District #20 (Kootenay-Columbia) Columbia Connections Curriculum Project Grade 6 Unit
7. List 2 types of technology of the day that helped improve life for citizens and miners in Rossland during the 1890's. Explain how each technology improved their lives.
There are more than two types of technology students may list. A) Electricity helped miners by allowing them to see better and use more modern mining methods. Electricity also allowed citizens to have electrical lights in businesses and some homes. B) Steam technology improved transportation (steam locomotives, steam boats ) which allowed easier movement of people, supplies, and ore, in and out of Rossland. C) Building of the smelter at Trail Creek allowed ore to be refined closer to miners, and provided more jobs for the area. D) Telephones allowed for improved communication in Rossland. E) Accept any other reasonable answers students provide.
8. Determine how many students would have been in each classroom at Central School when the school opened in 1898? Four hundred students divided by 8 classrooms = 50 students per room p. 10.
9. List 4 ways settlers and miners change the environment when they came to Rossland in the 1890's. There are more than four ways the environment was changed. Some are a) the constructing of mines, b) building of town site, c) building of wagon trails to Rossland, d) building of rail lines to Rossland, e) building of smelter at Trail Creek, f) pollution from smelter at Trail Creek, g) disposal of sewage into Trail Creek, h) cutting down of forests for buildings, fuel, etc. Accept all reasonable answers.
Page 4a
School District #20 (Kootenay-Columbia) Columbia Connections Curriculum Project Grade 6 Unit
Activity # Two
Name ______Date ______
This activity require you to use two maps; the CPR map from 1898 and/or the Kootenay District (Map # 1) from 1898.
1. Using the CPR map, find the names of the following lettered locations on the Kootenay District. The locations from the CPR map, and the letters on the Kootenay map that correspond to them, are all listed below. Match the letters with the locations by writing the letters in the blank in front of the correct location.
1. Arrowhead ______A
2. Cranbrook ______B
3. Fort Steele ______I
4. Little Dalles ______J
5. Moyie (Moyelle) ______K
6. Nelson ______L
7. Northport ______M
8. Revelstoke ______N
9. Robson ______O
10. Rock Creek ______Q
11. Rossland ______R
12. Trail ______S
13. West Robson ______T
2. Locate and trace with your finger the following bodies of water on the Kootenay District (Map #I):
A) Columbia River B) Kootenay Lake
Page 5
School District #20 (Kootenay-Columbia) Columbia Connections Curriculum Project Grade 6 Unit
2. Continued
D) Lower Arrow Lake
E) Upper Arrow Lake
F) Slocan Lake
G) Slocan River
3. Locate Bonnington Falls on the CPR map. (It is found along the Kootenay River between Robson and Nelson.)
Why was Lower Bonnington Falls significant in the development of Rossland. ______
______
______
4. The scale on the Kootenay District map is "1cm -- 1 1km". By using this scale you can determine the actual distances in kilometres between locations on the map. To answer question number four, you will need a ruler with centimetre and millimetre units on it (if you are not sure if your ruler has these measurements, your teacher can help you) and a calculator. Follow the steps below to determine distances in kilometres on your map.
Step 1 Place the zero mark on your ruler in the centre on the dot that represents one of the locations you want to measure from.
Step 2 While being sure the zero stays on the first dot, move your ruler so it measures the distance to the centre of the dot of the other location you are measuring.
Step 3 Accurately determine how many centimetres (to the nearest tenth) apart the two location dots are.
Step 4 Multiply the number of centimetres (to the nearest tenth) by 11. Your answer is the number kilometers it is between the two location on your map.
Ex. 3.5 cm x 11 = 38.5km (39 km if you round to the nearest km.)
*Note, all distances will be measured "as the crow flies"(in straight lines).
Page 6
School District #20 (Kootenay-Columbia) Columbia Connections Curriculum Project Grade 6 Unit
4. Continue
A) Find the distance between Northport and Rossland. ______km
B) Find the distance between Robson and Rossland. ______km
C) Find the distance between Trail and Nelson ______km
D) Find the distance between Nelson and Fort Steele ______km
5. Using Kootenay District (Map # 1), demonstrate your knowledge of directions by answering the following questions. Some answers will include cardinal directions, ex. - north, west, etc. while others will require intermediate directions, ex. - northwest, southeast, etc.
A) In which direction do you go when you travel from Trail to Robson? ______
B) In which direction do you go when you travel from Robson to Nelson? ______
C) In which direction do you go when you travel from Rossland to Moyie? ______
D) In which direction do you go when you travel from Rossland to Northport? ______
6. Explain what each symbol on the map represents:
A) +++++++++++++++++ ______
B) ••••••••••••••••••••• ______
C) − -- − -- − -- (red) ______
D) − --− --− -- (black) ______
Page 7
School District #20 (Kootenay-Columbia) Columbia Connections Curriculum Project Grade 6 Unit
School District #20 (Kootenay-Columbia) Columbia Connections Curriculum Project Grade 6 Unit
Activity # Two
ANSWER SHEET
This activity require you to use two maps; the CPR map from 1898 and/or the Kootenay District (Map # 1) from 1898.
1. Using the CPR map, find the names of the following lettered locations on the Kootenay District (Map # The locations from the CPR map, and the letters on the Kootenay map that correspond to them, are all listed below. Match the letters with the locations by writing the letters in the blank in front of the correct location.
1. Arrowhead B A
2. Cranbrook R B
3. Fort Steele S I
4. Little Dalles I J
5. Moyie (Moyelle) O K
6. Nelson O L
7. Northport J M
8. Revelstoke A N
9. Robson N O
10. Rock Creek T Q
11. Rossland K R
12. Trail L S
13. West Robson M T
2. Locate and trace with your finger the following bodies of water on the Kootenay District (Map #I):
A) Columbia River (Found in four different places on map. Circle name in 4 places).
B) Kootenay Lake Page 5a
School District #20 (Kootenay-Columbia) Columbia Connections Curriculum Project Grade 6 Unit
2. Continued
C) Kootenay River (Found in three different places on the map. Circle name in 3 places)
D) Lower Arrow Lake
E) Upper Arrow Lake
F) Slocan Lake
G) Slocan River
3. Locate Bonnington Falls on the CPR map. (It is found along the Kootenay River between Robson and Nelson.)
Why was Lower Bonnington Falls significant in the development of Rossland. Lower Bonnington Falls is significant in the development of Rossland because it was the site of the first hydro electric dam built by West Kootenay Power, which provided electricity for Rossland and its mines.
4. The scale on the Kootenay District map is "1cm -- 1 1km". By using this scale you can determine the actual distances in kilometres between locations on the map. To answer question number four, you will need a ruler with centimetre and millimetre units on it (if you are not sure if your ruler has these measurements, your teacher can help you) and a calculator. Follow the steps below to determine distances in kilometres on your map.
Step 1 Place the zero mark on your ruler in the centre on the dot that represents one of the locations you want to measure from.
Step 2 While being sure the zero stays on the first dot, move your ruler so it measures the distance to the centre of the dot of the other location you are measuring.
Step 3 Accurately determine how many centimetres (to the nearest tenth) apart the two location dots are.
Step 4 Multiply the number of centimetres (to the nearest tenth) by 11. Your answer is the number kilometers it is between the two location on your map.
Ex. 3.5 cm x 11 = 38.5km (39 km if you round to the nearest km.)
*Note, all distances will be measured "as the crow flies"(in straight lines).
Page 6a School District #20 (Kootenay-Columbia) Columbia Connections Curriculum Project Grade 6 Unit
4. Continue
A) Find the distance between Northport and Rossland. 1.7 cm x 11 = 18.7 km
B) Find the distance between Robson and Rossland. 2.7 cm x 11 = 29.7 km
C) Find the distance between Trail and Nelson 4.6 cm x 11 = 50.6 km
D) Find the distance between Nelson and Fort Steele 10.1 cm x 11 = 111.1 km
5. Using Kootenay District (Map # 1), demonstrate your knowledge of directions by answering the following questions. Some answers will include cardinal directions, ex. - north, west, etc. while others will require intermediate directions, ex. - northwest, southeast, etc.
A) In which direction do you go when you travel from Trail to Robson? north
B) In which direction do you go when you travel from Robson to Nelson? northeast
C) In which direction do you go when you travel from Rossland to Moyie? east (northeast)
D) In which direction do you go when you travel from Rossland to Northport? southeast
6. Explain what each symbol on the map represents:
A) +++++++++++++++++ Railway tracks
B) ...... steamboat routes
C) ------(red) international boundaries
D) ------(black) provincial or state boundaries
Page 7a
School District #20 (Kootenay-Columbia) Columbia Connections Curriculum Project Grade 6 Unit
Activity #3
Name ______Date ______
Use the Rossland map to answer the following questions.
1. This map actually only shows a few of the actual mines that were located near Rossland. How many mines are shown on this map? ______
2a. In which directions do streets run in Rossland? ______
2b. In which directions do avenues run in Rossland? ______
3a. Which street or avenue has the most important buildings on it? ______
3b. Name four important buildings found on this street.
1. ______2. ______
3. ______4. ______
4. You are the driver of a carriage (taxi) in Rossland. As a good carriage (taxi) driver, you always take the shortest route when delivering your passengers to their destination.
Decide what would be the shortest route for the following trips. Tell which streets you would take and give the directions you would be going in. (Ex. north, south, etc.) Ex. From the Miners' Hall to the hospital.
A) From the residence (#24) to Cook Avenue School (#20).
______
______
B) From the Canadian Pacific Railway station (#22) to the hockey arena (#17)
______
______
C) From the Great Northern station (#18) to the Miners' Hall (#6).
______
______
Page 9 School District #20 (Kootenay-Columbia) Columbia Connections Curriculum Project Grade 6 Unit
4. Continued
D) From the Nickel Plate compressor (#19) to the Rossland Power and Light generator (#21). ______
______
5. Imagine you are standing at the Nickel Plate mine. A) What 2 mines do you see when you look just slightly east of north? 1) ______2) ______
B) What mine do you see when you look northeast? 1) ______
C) What 3 mines do you see when you look northwest? 1) ______2) ______3) ______
D) What 3 mines do you see when you look southwest? 1) ______2) ______3)______
6. Imagine you are a government surveyor sent to do some measuring of certain parts of town for the City of Rossland. Use the scale "1 cm = 120 m" to complete your tasks. You will need a ruler with centimetres and millimetres, and a calculator to answer these questions. Use the following steps to complete your measurements:
Step 1 Place the zero mark on your ruler in the centre of the number that represents one of the locations you want to measure from.
Step 2 While being sure the zero stays in the centre of the first number, move your ruler so it measures the distance to the centre of the circled number of the other location you are measuring.
Step 3 Accurately determine to the nearest tenth of a centimetre how far apart the two location circles are.
Step 4 Multiply your answer measurement from step 3 by "120." The answer is the number of metres it would be between the two locations.
Page 10
School District #20 (Kootenay-Columbia) Columbia Connections Curriculum Project Grade 6 Unit
If applicable, give your answer in kilometres as well as metres.
Ex. A)6.7cm times 120 = 804m B)I 1.4cm times 120 = 1368 m and 1.37km
All distances will be measured "as the crow flies" (in a straight line).
A) The distance from the Miners' Hall (#6) to the hospital(#12)? ______
B) The distance from the former West Kootenay Power and Light substation(# 16) and the site of the Rossland Power and Light generator(#2 I)? ______
C) The distance from Cook Avenue School(#20) to the hospital(#12)? ______
D) The distance from the Great Northern station(#18) to the CPR station(#22)?
______
7. You are a new prospector in Rossland. You have just received directions from someone about how to get to your destination. Follow the directions and then write down the location at which you have arrived. Give the name and the number or your location.
A) You are at the CPR station(#22). 1. Go 4 blocks west on LeRoi Avenue. 2. Go 4 blocks north on Earl Street. Where are you? ______
B) You are at Cook Avenue School(#20). 1. Go 4 blocks north on Monita Street. 2. Go 4 blocks east. 3. Go 1 block north. Where are you? ______
C) You are at the site of the Rossland Power and Light Generator(#21). 1. Go 1 block south on Washington Street. 2. Go west until you come to the railroad tracks 3. Go north 4 blocks. 4. Go east 1 block. Where are you? ______
D) You are at the hockey rink(#17) 1. Go south 3 blocks on Spokane Street. 2. Go east 3 blocks. 3. Go north 4 blocks. 4. Go west 2 and a half blocks. Where are you? ______
Page 11
School District #20 (Kootenay-Columbia) Columbia Connections Curriculum Project Grade 6 Unit
Page 12
School District #20 (Kootenay-Columbia) Columbia Connections Curriculum Project Grade 6 Unit
Activity #3
Name ______ANSWER KEY
Use the Rossland map to answer the following questions.
1. This map actually only shows a few of the actual mines that were located near Rossland. How many mines are shown on this map? Twelve
2a. In which directions do streets run in Rossland? North and South
2b. In which directions do avenues run in Rossland? East and West
3a. Which street or avenue has the most important buildings on it? Columbia Avenue
3b. Name four important buildings found on this street. There are many possible answers. Any four of the following are correct: Miners’ Hall, site of Ross Thompson’s cabin, International Hotel, WKP&L head office, Court House, Anglican Chruch, Catholic Church, hospital.
4. You are the driver of a carriage (taxi) in Rossland. As a good carriage (taxi) driver, you always take the shortest route when delivering your passengers to their destination.
Decide what would be the shortest route for the following trips. Tell which streets you would take and give the directions you would be going in. (Ex. north, south, etc.)
Ex. From the Miners' Hall to the hospital. Travel east on Columbia Avenue.
A) From the residence (#24) to Cook Avenue School (#20). South on Spokane St., and west on Thompson Avenue.
B) From the Canadian Pacific Railway station (#22) to the hockey arena (#17) North on St. Paul Street and west on Second Avenue; or west on LeRoi Avenue north on Spokane Street.
C) From the Great Northern station (#18) to the Miners' Hall (#6). West on Third Avenue, south on Spokane Street, and west on Columbia Avenue
Page 9a
School District #20 (Kootenay-Columbia) Columbia Connections Curriculum Project Grade 6 Unit
4. Continued
D) From the Nickel Plate compressor (#19) to the Rossland Power and Light generator (#21). East on Third Avenue and south on Washington Street.
5. Imagine you are standing at the Nickel Plate mine. B) What 2 mines do you see when you look just slightly east of north? 1) Idaho Mine 2) Virginia Mine
B) What mine do you see when you look northeast? 1) Enterprise Mine
C) What 3 mines do you see when you look northwest? 1) Centre Star Mine 2) Iron Mask Mine 3) War Eagle Mine
D) What 3 mines do you see when you look southwest? 1) Legal Tender Mine 2) Nick of Time Mine 3)Black Bear Mine
6. Imagine you are a government surveyor sent to do some measuring of certain parts of town for the City of Rossland. Use the scale "1 cm = 120 m" to complete your tasks. You will need a ruler with centimetres and millimetres, and a calculator to answer these questions. Use the following steps to complete your measurements:
Step 1 Place the zero mark on your ruler in the centre of the number that represents one of the locations you want to measure from.
Step 2 While being sure the zero stays in the centre of the first number, move your ruler so it measures the distance to the centre of the circled number of the other location you are measuring.
Step 3 Accurately determine to the nearest tenth of a centimetre how far apart the two location circles are.
Step 4 Multiply your answer measurement from step 3 by "120." The answer is the number of metres it would be between the two locations.
Page 10a
School District #20 (Kootenay-Columbia) Columbia Connections Curriculum Project Grade 6 Unit
4. Continue
A) Find the distance between Northport and Rossland. 1.7 cm x 11 = 18.7 km B) Find the distance between Robson and Rossland. 2.7 cm x 11 =29.7 km
C) Find the distance between Trail and Nelson 4.6 cm x 11 = 50.6 km
D) Find the distance between Nelson and Fort Steele 10.1 cm x 11 = 111.1 km
5. Using Kootenay District (Map # 1), demonstrate your knowledge of directions by answering the following questions. Some answers will include cardinal directions, ex. - north, west, etc. while others will require intermediate directions, ex. - northwest, southeast, etc.
A) In which direction do you go when you travel from Trail to Robson? north
B) In which direction do you go when you travel from Robson to Nelson? northeast
C) In which direction do you go when you travel from Rossland to Moyie? east (northeast)
D) In which direction do you go when you travel from Rossland to Northport? souteast
6. Explain what each symbol on the map represents:
A) +++++++++++++++++ railway tracks
B) ••••••••••••••••••••• steamboat routes
C) − -- − -- − -- (red) international boundaries
D) − --− --− -- (black) provincial or state boundaries
Page 11a
School District #20 (Kootenay-Columbia) Columbia Connections Curriculum Project Grade 6 Unit
Activity # 4
Use the aerial photo of Rossland and the map of Rossland. Place the aerial photo of Rossland beside the map of Rossland. Be sure that the aerial photo is positioned correctly.
Try to find the following on the aerial photo using the map of Rossland as a guide.
1. The highway to Christina Lake.
2. The highway to Trail.
3. Columbia Avenue.
4. Locations where the C.P.R. rails ran through Rossland. (Try to find the curve in the tracks on Davis
Street between Thompson and Cook Avenues. Also, around 2nd and 3rd Avenues between Butte Street
and St. Paul Street.)
5. Locations where the Great Northern Railway ran through Rossland. (Look for a diagonal running
road southwest of the area.)
6. Locations of some of the Rossland mines. (Look for clear patches of land just north of the junction
where Columbia Avenue joins the highway to Christina Lake.)
Page 13
School District #20 (Kootenay-Columbia)
Columbia Connections Curriculum Project Grade 6 Unit
Appendix I Activity
This activity can be done in lieu of reading Appendix I as a group class activity. The following steps are suggested:
1. Break students into groups of four. Give each student a number: 1,2,3 or 4.
2. Photocopy Appendix I. Cut up so that miners’ jobs are on separate strips of paper.
3. Creat four stations as follows:
Station One: Has information on development miners and production miners.
Station Two: Has information on shot firers and muckers.
Station Three: Has information on timbermen and drillers.
Station Four: Has information on hoistmen.
4. Students go to the station determined by their number in step one. There, students read about and Discuss ( and if necessary, take notes) the mining jobs they are learning about at their station.
5. When students have completed their station, they return to their original group. Each member takes a Turn teaching the other group members what they have learned about mining jobs.
6. When teacher has finished, the teacher can quiz various students orally about their knowledge of Miners jobs.
Page 15
School District #20 (Kootenay-Columbia) Columbia Connections Curriculum Project Grade 6 Unit
Appendix III Activity Time Line
This activity should be done after students have read Appendix III. Students may work individually or in groups. Students will need: paper, pencils, ruler, copy of Rossland information packages, and Appendix III.
Students are go create at a time line that reflects when important developments in transportation happened in the West Kootenay region during the late 1880’s.
The time line must include the following events:
- Completion of Columbia and West Railway into Rossland (Later owned by CPR) 1896 - Completion of the Dewdney Trail 1865 - Completion of the CPR mainline across Canada 1885 - Completion of a wagon trail from Rossland to Northport 1892 - Steamboats beginning operation on Kootenay Lake and the Arrow Lakes (estimate year). 1885, 1886, or 1887 - Completion of the Northern Pacific Railway in the Unites States. 1883 - Completion of the Spokane Falls and Northern Railway from Spokane to Little Dalles. 1890 - Completion of wagon trail from Rossland to Trail. 1893 - Completion of Red Mountain Railway into Rossland. (Later owned by Great Northern RR) 1896 - Completion of the Spokane Falls and Northern extension from Little Dalles to Northport. 1893
From the information packages, determine the year each ever occurred. Then create a time line with the appropriate years on it. Label each event with its year on the time line. Time lines could be decorated with illustrations that reflect some of the types of transportation on the time line.
Page 16
School District #20 (Kootenay-Columbia) Columbia Connections Curriculum Project Grade 6 Unit
Notes About Maps and Mapping Exercises
Not all locations are utilized in the mapping activities included in this program package. Teachers may wish to develop additional activities that include these locations.
Not all lettered places names on the West Kootenay map of 1898 are identified on the teacher’s key for Activity Two. All letters and corresponding place names are presented below:
A - Revelstoke B - Arrowhead
C - Nakusp D - Sandon
E - Kaslo F - Argenta
G - Grand Forks H - Colville
I - Little Dalles J - Northport
K - Rossland L - Trail
M - West Robson N - Robson
O - Nelson P - Kootenay Landing
Q - Moyie R - Cranbrook
S - Fort Steele/Wild Horse Creek T - Rock Creek
Page 17
School District #20 (Kootenay-Columbia) Columbia Connections Curriculum Project Grade 6 Unit
Bibliography
Historical Guide Map and Story of Rossland. Rossland, British Columbia: Rossland Historical Museum Association, 1974.
Jordan, Rosa, and Choukalos, Derek. Rossland: The First 100 Years. Rossland, British Columbia: Harry Lefevre, 1995.
McDonald, J.D. The Story in Rocks. Rossland, British Columbia: British Columa: Rossland Historical Association, 1995.
Mowat, Jeremy. Roaring Days. Vancouver, British Columbia: UBC Press, 1995.
“Rossland City of Gold”, Canada West Magazine, Sring 1970, pp 5-18.
Trail of Memories Trail BC 1895-1945. Altona Monitoba: Friesens Corporation, 1997.
Page 18
School District #20 (Kootenay-Columbia) Columbia Connections Curriculum Project Grade 6 Unit
Rossland: The Early Years of the Goldon City
200 Million Years Ago
Two hundred million years ago, the land formations of the world looked much different than they do today. The land where Rossland, B.C. now exists was beneath the surface of an ocean. The edge of the North America continent was further east of this region. Volcanic eruptions from the floor of the ocean bed created islands in this area, much the same way volcanoes from the ocean floor have created this island of Japan. One of these volcanoes was located very near the present site of Rossland.
The creation of these island took a long time. For ten million years, volcanoes spewed lava onto the ocean floor until, gradually, the tops of the volcanoes rose above the surface of the ocean waters. As the output of the volcanoes cooled, vertical cracks appeared inside the hardened rock. Later, hot water from the final stages of the volcanoes’ eruptions carried dissolved minerals under extreme pressure, and forced the minerals into the vertical cracks. As the solutions cooled, they developed into veins of gold and copper.
As the ages passed, the ocean waters withdrew, and the volcano at Rossland gradually turned into a copper coloured mountain.
1811
David Thompson explored the Columbia River. Prior to this date, native peoples were the only human beings to inhabit what would become the West Kootenay region of British Columbia. The Colville natives and the S-na-achikst (sna-ha-kist) (Lakes People) use the Columbia River as a main transportation route between their summer homes in the north and their winter homes in the south.
Page 19
School District #20 (Kootenay-Columbia) Columbia Connections Curriculum Project Grade 6 Unit
1865
During the 1860s, gold had been discovered at Wild Horse Creek in the East Kootenay. Many miners came north from the American states of Idaho and Montana to seek their fortune. Most British Columbians lived on the west coast. It was hard for them to get to the East Kootenay because there were no roads. The British Columbia government decided to build a trail from Hope, B.C., to Wild Horse Creek. This traail was built by Edgar Dewdney, and was completed in 1865. Dewdney’s trail ran beside the U.S. – Canada border. In the West Kootenay area, it ran just south of the copper coloured mountain.
1887
Placer (plass-er) gold had been discovered along Rock Creek in 1884. In 1887, two prospectors, George Bowerman and George Leyson, decided to explore further east of Rock Creek. They followed the Dewdney Trail and gathered ore samples from just south of the copper coloured mountain. They returned to Rock Creek to have their ore samples assayed. The result showed the ore contained significant amounts of silver, gold and copper. The prospectors began mining. Prospectors along Dewdney There were rich deposits of ore for the first six metres, but at that point the vein Trail - Image Courtesy BC suddenly ended. Bowerman and Leyson abandoned their claim and left the area. Archives A-03533
1889
Oliver Bordeaux (Bor-doh) and Newlin Hoover prospected the same area as Bowerman and Leyson. They found promising results so they stayed through the winter, become the first residents. They staked the Lily May claim, the first in the area.
1890
Joe Moris came to the area near the copper coloured mountain in 1890, to work with Oliver Bordeaux. Later in 1890, Moris teamed up with another prospector name Joe Bourgeous (Boojz-wah). They decided to explore the copper coloured mountain north of the Lily May claim.
In July, Moris and Bourgeous staked five claims: Centre Star, War Eagle, Idaho, Virginia, and Le Wise. They took their ore samples to Nelson to be assayed. Even though the results were not promising, Moris thought they should register their claims. Bourgeous and Moris had little money between them so they made a deal with the assistant assayer, Eugene Topping. If topping would agree to pay the $12.50 ($2.50 per claim) to register the claims, he could have any one of the five claims. Topping agreed, and after traveling to Rossland and examining each claim, chose the Le Wise. He changed its name to Le Roi (The King).
Page 20
School District #20 (Kootenay-Columbia) Columbia Connections Curriculum Project Grade 6 Unit
1891
News of profitable ore samples found on “Red” Mountain spread, and a number of prospectors made their way into the area.
Because the gold and copper ore deposits in the Red Mountain area were in veins underground, hard rock mining techniques had to be used to get to them. This involved drilling and blasting tunnels inside the mountain, removing ore from the tunnel, and then processing the ore to separate the valuable minerals from the rock in which it was found.
Because hard rock mining was very expensive, Eugene Topping sold control of the Le Roi claim to a group of interested Spokane, Washington, businessmen for $30,000. This was a considerable profit from the $12.50 he had paid to get the Le Roi!
The Spokane businessmen registered their mine as the Le Roi Minning and Smelting Company of Spokane. A shaft was built into Red Mountain. The ore samples from it were very rich in silver, copper, and especially gold. The gold value was as high as $480 per ton.
In order to separate the valuable minerals from the rock it was found in, the ore had to gor through a smelting process. The nearest smelter was in Butte, Montana, many kilometers away.
Ore from the Le Ros mine was carried on pack horse along the trail that followed Sheep Creek into the United States down to the Columbia River. The ore was transported form the mouth of Sheep Creek across the river to Northport, where it was loaded onto a steamboat and taken down the Columbia to a place called the Little Dalles. From there, it was then taken by railroad to Butte to be smelted.
Prospectors came to the Red Mountain area from both Canada and the United States. They and their supplies cold get to the area in two ways:
They could travel by train from Spokane up the Little Dalles, transfer to the steamboat and travel north up the Columbia River to Northport, and then climb the steep trail from the Columbia up to the mining area;
Or
They could travel on the Canadian Pacific Railway line to Revelstoke, B.C., and then south on a branch line to Arrowhead on the Arrow Lakes. At Arrowhead they transferred to a steamboat which would take them south, down the Arrow Lakes and the Columbia River to the landing at Trail Creek. From Trail Creek they would climb a steep trail up to the mining area at Red Mountain.
Page 21
School District #20 (Kootenay-Columbia) Columbia Connections Curriculum Project Grade 6 Unit
Steamships Trail, Rossland, and Minto at Arrowhead, B.C. Image Courtesy BC Archives A-00572
1892
A man name Ross Thompson arrived in the area. He applied to the B.C. Government to register 160 acres for a town site.
1893
The Le Roi struck a second vein of high grade ore. More miners came to the area, as well as businessmen, gamblers, stock promoters, and dance hall girls.
A crooked street of false storefronts, a small buildings, and tents sprang up between the Le Roi mine and Ross Thompson’s proposed town site. It was called Sour Dough Alley.
1894
Fritz Augustus Heinze, the owner of one of the smelters in Butte, Montana, that had been smelting the ore from the Le Roi, arrived in the area. He announced that he would build a smelter east of Red Mountain near where Trail Creek entered the Columbia River. He also announced that he would build a railroad to carry the ore from the mountain to his smelter. Heinze’s announcement resulted in many more people coming to the Red Mountain area. The B.C. Government granted Ross Thompson’s request for the 160 acre town site. Thompson had to pay $1.00 per acre. He divided the land into 640 lots which he sold for $30 each.
Originally hoping to call his town “Thompson”, Ross Thompson was informed by the government that a town named “Thompson” already existed in B.C. He decided he would name his
Page 22
School District #20 (Kootenay-Columbia) Columbia Connections Curriculum Project Grade 6 Unit
town site “Rossland” instead.
Sour Dough Alley continued to be a collection of shacks, lean-tos, and tents containing those residents and prospectors didn’t want to or couldn’t afford to live in Rossland’s town site.
Sour Dough Alley Image Courtesy BC Archives H-06794
1895
The discovery of many new veins of gold and copper sent Rossland’s population sky-rocketing from 300 to 3000. Almost half of Rossland’s Population were Americans. Many other residents came from Ontario. People also came to Rossland from other parts of Canada, England, Ireland, Switzerland, Germany, Hungary, and China.
The First issue of the “Rossland Miner” newspaper reported that Rossland had for hotels, three restaurants, two barber shops, several churches, one bakery, one blacksmith shop, three doctors, one lawyers, tow saw mills, and neither a real estate agent or a constable.
The first Canadian local of the Western Federation of Mine Workers Union was formed. Miners worked a 60 hour week (six 10 hour shifts) and earned $15 to $18 per week. The doctors had opened a small hospital. The union and the doctors agreed that he miners would pay $1 per week into a hospital fund. In return, they would receive medical care if they became sick or were injured.
The Rossland Water and Light Company was established. This company provided water from a 770 litre tank at the top of Spokane street. It was fed from Topping Creek. The company also had two generators which supplied power to the mines, and were also able to provide power to the town site. Page 23
School District #20 (Kootenay-Columbia) Columbia Connections Curriculum Project Grade 6 Unit
First school was established to teach 98 children between ages seven to fifteen. It was housed in one of the churches.
1896
In February, F.A. Heinze’s smelter at Trail Creek began smelting and refining ore from the Rossland Mines. The furnaces of the smelter used up ever tree for kilometers around. Heinze had the smelter switched from wood burning furnaces to coal burning furnaces. The coal had to be brought to the smelter from Vancouver Island via C.P.R. and steam boats on the Columbia River to Trail Creek.
Heinze built his railway, the Columbia and Western, from Trail Creek to Rossland. He had to get an agreement with the towns’ people in order to build his station where he wanted it (on the what is now corner where LeRoi Avenue turns on to Highway 3B, which goes to Trail). He also had to get an agreement with Daniel Corbin to use some of Corbin’s land to build the Columbia and Western line to the mines on Red Mountain. Heinze’s railway was completed in June.
Daniel Corbin owned the Spokane Falls and Northern Railroad. It was the railroad that carried gold and copper ore from the Little Dalles to the smelter in Montana. In 1893, he extended the railroad from Little Dalles to Northport. In 1896, he was building his railroad from Northport to Rossland. This would allow his railway to compete with Heinze, and allow ore to continue to be shipped to smelters in the United States. It would also allow people to travel directly from Spokane to Rossland. Corbin’s Red Mountain Railway was completed in December.
John Kirkup became Rossland’s first law enforcer. He was very successful. He generally handed out justice “on the spot” with his cane, rather than having crimes go to court. Kirkup allowed no guns to be carried by anyone in Rossland.
Olaus Jeldness organized the first ski club in Rossland. Jeldness, a mining engineer, won a race from the top of Red Mountain to the site of the Catholic church by covering the 615 metre vertical drop in under eight minutes.
1897
Rossland officially became a city. Robert Scoot, an experienced politician and real estate investor who arrived in Rossland in 1896, became the first mayor. Among other things, Scott provided fire protection for the city, upgraded Columbia Avenue, demolished Sour Dough Alley, and replaced John Kirkup with John Ingram as law enforcer. (Kirkup was later appointed government agent and gold commissioner for the region by the provincial government.)
As Rossland and its mines grew, the Rossland Water and Light Company had difficulty keeping up with increased power demands. In the spring, the West Kootenay Power and Light Company was established. This company built a powerhouse at Lower Bonnington Falls on the Kootenay River, some 50 kilometres away. They then proceeded to build a wooden pole line over mountainous terrain to carry 22,000 volts of electricity from the power plant in Rossland. This was the longest pole line of its kind.
Page 24
School District #20 (Kootenay-Columbia) Columbia Connections Curriculum Project Grade 6 Unit
West Kootenay Power and Light soon purchased the Rossland Water and Light Company, providing all the mines, as well as the residents of Rossland, with an abundance of power. They sold the water portion of the operation to the City of Rossland.
In order to compete with the smelter at Trail Creek, the LeRoi Mining and Smelting Company built their own smelter at Northport.
The British American Corporation, headed by Charles Mackintosh, former Lieutenant Governor of the Northwest Territories, was formed. This company was one of many owned by a rich Englishman named James Whitaker Wright. The British American Corporation bought up a number of mines in Rossland, and by the end of the year had purchased the most valuable of all, the Le Roi.
The LeRoi Mine Image Courtesy BC Archives A-05525
1898
Rossland’s population was 7000, making it the third largest city in B.C. In addition to having water and electrical services, most mines and businesses, and some homes had telephone service.
In September, Central School opened. It contained eight classrooms and was able to accommodate all of Rossland’s 400 students.
Rossland’s sanitation system was similar to most other cities of the late 1890’s. The three blocks of businesses along Columbia Avenue had a series of drains that emptied their waste over the bank into lower Rossland. Most homes had an outhouse containing a collection box which when full, was emptied into a “honey” wagon. The wagon was unloaded on the outskirts of town. A hose was used to wash the outhouse contents down hill. Rain and snow gradually carried the effluent into Trail Creek.
Page 25
School District #20 (Kootenay-Columbia) Columbia Connections Curriculum Project Grade 6 Unit
1899
Since the First prospectors arrived at Red Mountain in 1889, the area had gone from being virtually uninhabited to becoming one of the largest cities in British Columbia. By 1899, the city had:
- many gold mines producing very high grade ore and providing work for many people - a population of over 7000 people who enjoyed water, electrical, and telephone services - two railroads serving it, providing access to the rest of Canada and the Untied States - two smelters to refine the ore from its mines - a hospital, a school, an opera house, a library, scores of hotels and may businesses and services - facilities to allow people to play basketball, baseball, bowling, cricket, soccer, skating, sleighing, curling, hockey, lacrosse, tennis, snowshoeing, and skiing. - A hockey arena, the largest covered building west of Winnipeg. - A Canadian national ski champion in Olaus Jeldness.
These were golden days for the City of Rossland.
Page 26
School District #20 (Kootenay-Columbia) Columbia Connections Curriculum Project Grade 6 Unit
BC Archives A-08002
BC Archives G-02716
BC Archives G-03231 Page 27
School District #20 (Kootenay-Columbia) Columbia Connections Curriculum Project Grade 6 Unit
Appendix I Underground Hard Rock Mining
Underground hard rock mining was one of the most dangerous types of mining. Underground mining put a miner in an environment of total darkness. The only light the first miners in Rossland had came from dim candles. They had to travel up and down shafts hundreds of feet deep. They had to blast, pick and shovel ore out of the underground areas known as stopes. These caverns were made into rock formations of uncertain stability.
There were a number of different groups of miners: - development miners - production miners - shot firers - mockers - timbermen - diamond drillers - hoistman
Development miners sank the main vertical access shaft. From the access shaft they drove horizontal tunnels. These horizontal tunnels, called stopes, or levels, were crated ever 30 metres along the main shaft. Because digging shafts and tunnels required great skill, development miners were the highest paid.
Production miners extracted the ore from the stopes the development miners dug. They drilled the holes into which dynamite charges would be placed in order to dislodge the ore. In the Rosssland mines the production miners drilled into the ceilings of the stopes. Overhead blasting allowed gravity as well as the explosives to dislodge the ore.
Shot firers did the blasting in the mines. The dynamite charges were placed in the drilled holes by the production miners, but the shot firers actually ignited the dynamite. Dynamite charges were detonated at night and the shot firers were the only miners to work the night shift. This exposed only a small number of miners to the dangers of underground blasting and allowed the noxious fumes from the dynamite to dissipate before a full shift of miners arrived at 7:00 a.m.
Muckers were unskilled labourers. They loaded the dislodged ore onto ore cars and transported the ore to the nearest chute. The chutes lead to the main shaft where other mockers would load the ore onto the skip which would lift the ore up the shaft to the surface.
Page 28
School District #20 (Kootenay-Columbia) Columbia Connections Curriculum Project Grade 6 Unit
Timbermen erected square timbers in the larger stopes as the ore was removed. This provided a platform for the production miners to work from as well as prevented rock care ins.
Diamond drillers were a team of workers who mapped the unmined ore body to determine its size, direction, and richness. The developed the best strategy for mining the minerals.
The hoistman operated the hoisting plant in the mine. The hoisting plant consisted of an engine which turned huge wheels would with steel cable. The steel cables were attached to a platform called a skip which carried miners and ore up and down the main shaft of the mine. The hoistman was responsible for operating the gear of the engine which moved the skip. He watched dials that indicated the skip’s location in the shaft. Bells notified the hoistman when the skip was ready to be hoisted or lowered. Brakes on the huge wheels slowed the skip as men and ore traveled through the darkness of the shaft.
One of Rossland’s greatest tragedies occurred when the brakes on the War Eagle’s new hoist failed. The skip fell 240 metres from near the top of the shaft to its bottom. Miraculously, one of the four miners on the skip survived.
Page 29
School District #20 (Kootenay-Columbia) Columbia Connections Curriculum Project Grade 6 Unit
Page 30
School District #20 (Kootenay-Columbia) Columbia Connections Curriculum Project Grade 6 Unit
Appendix II Smelters
Because copper was present with the gold in Rossland’s ore, the metals could not be recovered using a simple separation process. The simple process involved smashing the ore and then using gravity to separte the heavy gold from the rock that had encased it. This method did not allow copper to be recovered efficiently.
The gold and copper metals had to be removed from the ore using a more complex method called smelting. This process involved the ore being mixed exactly with limestone and coke ( a type of coal ). This mixture was then roasted in a furnace, which melted the minerals and allowed them to be separated. The process also burned off the sulphur found in the ore which treated sulphur dioxide, a poisonous gas.
Smelting is a tricky process involving great skill which could only be carried out in a smelter. Smelters were expensive to build and could not be constructed quickly. As a result, in the early years of Rossland’s mines, the ore removed from them had to be sent to the nearest smelters which were in Montana. It wasn’t until F. A. Heinze built his smelter at Trail Creek that Rosslan’s ore could be refined in Canada.
Heinze’s smelter at Trail Creek BC Archives B-05046
Page 31
School District #20 (Kootenay-Columbia) Columbia Connections Curriculum Project Grade 6 Unit
In 1989, Heinze sold his smelter and his railroad to the Canadian Pacific Railway. In 1899, a new blast furnace was installed in the smelter for smelting lead. In 1906, the smelter purchased the War Eagle and Centre Start mines, and the St. Eugene mine at Moyie, B.C. These along with the smelter itself, were combined into one company called the Consolidated Mining and Smelting Company (C.M. & S.)
In 1898, the C.M.&S. leased the Sullivan Mine at Kimberley, B.C. In 1910 the company exercised their option to purchase the mine and did so.
As the amount of gold produced in the Rossland mines diminished, the C.M.&S. smelter was able to continue operation because it was able to smelt ore for the many different mines it had purchased. Rossland continued to prosper after its gold mines closed because many miners were able to get jobs at the Trail Smelter. Other mineral based towns were not as fortunate. Sandon, Phoenix, and many other declined and died once the ore deposits in their mines were gone.
Page 32
School District #20 (Kootenay-Columbia) Columbia Connections Curriculum Project Grade 6 Unit
Appendix III Transportation in the West Kootenay
Prior to 1865, water ways were the only transportation routes to be found in southeastern British Columbia. The main waterway were Kootenay Lake, the Kootenay River, Slocan lake, the Slocan River, the Arrow Lakes and the Columbia River. They all ran in a north south direction. Native people traveled by canoe on them to journey between their summer and wither homes.
Because these water bodies were in between large mountain ranges also running north and south, the building of transportation routes in and east and west direction was a great challenge. The first major east- west route ran over several mountain ranges and many rivers and streams between Hope and Wild Horse Creek (very near the site of Fort Steele). Dewdney’s trail was 465 kilometres long and was an average width of 1.2 metres wide. The trail was completed in 1865.
The next major east- west transportation route to be built near southeastern B.C., was actually in the United States. It was the Northern Pacific Railroad, which ran just south of the British Columbia border through Sandpoint, Idaho and Spokane Washington. This rail line was completed in 1883.
The first major east – west rail line in Canada was the Canadian Pacific railway. It ran through Revelstoke which is on the Columbia River, just north of the northern tip of the Upper Arrow Lake. This route was compelted in 1885.
With major rail line both north and south of the West Kootenay area, the lakes and river systems were now mjor links to take people into the mineral rich mountains of the region. Steamboats soon appeared on Kootenay Lake, the Arrow lakes, and the Columbia River.
The C.P.R. built a 45 kilometre branch rail line south from Revelstoke to the northern tip of the Upper Arrow Lake at Arrowhead. Steamboats carried passengers and cargo down the Arrow Lakes and the Columbia River to Sprout’s Landing (near the site of Robson), Trail Creek, and across the United States border to Little Dalles, Washington. In 1890, Daniel Corbin, owner of the Spokane Falls and Northern Railroad, built a rail lien north of Spokane to Little Dalles.
As a result of these rail line and steamboat routes, people from all over Canada and the United States now had direct access to the abundant mineral deposits of the West Kootenay. Thousands used these routes to come to the region to seek their fortunes.
As Red Mountain began producing great amounts of high quality gold and copper ore, it became apparent that a major transportation route would have to be built from Rossland to the Steamboat routes and rail line along the Columbia River. This was necessary because the ore from the mines had to shipped to smelters to be refined.
Page 33
School District #20 (Kootenay-Columbia) Columbia Connections Curriculum Project Grade 6 Unit
In the early years (1890-1892), horses carried ore from the mines along a trail built beside Sheep Creek. This trail ran south from near Red Mountain to where the creek enters the Columbia River across from Northport. From Northport, the ore was carried by steamboat to Little Dalles, where it was loaded onto a train which would take it to the smelter in Montana.
During the time, there also existed a path which followed Trail Creek. This route ran east from near Red Mountain to the Steamboat landing where Trail Creek entered the Columbia River.
In 1892, a wagon road was built from the Le Roi mine to Northport. This allowed great amounts of ore to be transported from the mines. In 1893, the trail from Red Mountain to Trail Creek Landing was also widened to accommodate wagons.
In 1893, Corbin extended the Spokane Falls and Northern Railroad from Little Dalles to Northport. This meant ore no longer had to be loaded onto steam boats before traveling by rail to the smelters.
In 1894, F.A. Heinze announced he was going to build a smelter near Trail Creek Landing, and a railroad to transport ore from Rossland’s mines to it. The Trail Creek wagon road became the route Heinze’s railroad would follow.
While Heinze’s railroad was being built from Trail Creek to Rossland, Corbin was building a branch line from Northport to Rossland. Heinze’s railroad, the Columbia and Western, was completed in June of 1896. Corbin’s railroad, the Red Mountain Railway, reached Rossland in December of 1896. It says a lot about the quantity and wealth of the ore mined at Rossland that tow railways were able to make profit transporting these minerals to smelters at Trail Creek and in the United States.
Loading ore onto rail cars at the LeRoi mine BC Archives B-02396
Page 34
School District #20 (Kootenay-Columbia) Columbia Connections Curriculum Project Grade 6 Unit
The furnaces of Heinze’s smelter consumed ever tree in the Trail Creek area. After changing to coal burning furnaces, the coal had to be shipped from coal mines on Vancouver Island to Trail Creek via the C.P.R. and steamboats. As a result, in 1897, Heinze extended his Columbia and Western Railway from his smelter to West Robson. This allowed coal from steamboats to be loaded on trans there and transported directly into the heart of the smelter. It also allowed for easier shipping of goods from Nelson, which was lined to (East) Robson by the Columbia and Kootenay Railroad which had been built in 1891. Barges were used to carry supplies, and later rail cars themselves, across the Columbia River from one rail lien to the other.
Heinze’s line to West Robson was a short term solution to his coal transportation problem. His long term solution was to build his railroad from Rossland west to link up with the C.P.R. at Penticton. This would also allow ore being mined in the Boundary area west of Rossland to be refined at a Canadian smelter (Heinze’s).
Heinze went to the B.C. Provincial Government in 1897, hoping to convince the legislature that he should be granted a charter to build such a railroad. He reminded the legislature that the C.P.R. was being very slow about building their route through southern British Columbia. (The C.P.R. route was to be called the Crow’s Nest pass line. It would run from Southern Alberta, through Fort Steele in the East Kootenay, and then link up with the Columbia and Kootenay. This railroad ran from Nelson to Robson. Eventually the Canadian Pacific planned to extend this line to Penticton where it would be able to link up with their own C.P.R. route nearby).
The government granted Heinze the charter. This meant that no other company in Canada could build a railroad from the Rossland/Robson area to Penticton. As a result, the C.P.R. could not carry out their plans to build the Crow’s Nest line beyond Robson.
The C.P.R. began negotiations with Heinze to try to purchase his charter. Heinze always insisted that any deal must also include the purchase of his smelter. The C.P.R. was not interested in buying the smelter, but knew their plans for extending their Crow’s nest line were doomed as long as Heinze owned the charter. On February 11, 1898, the C.P.R. finally agreed to purchase Heinze’s charter, his Columbia and Western Railway , and his smelter, for jus under one Million dollars.
Ironically, as the unwanted smelter developed and purchased more mines in other regions of the province, the railroad became an important part of the operation. It was needed to transport raw ore from these distant mines to the smelter for refinement. Both the railroad and the smelter prospered. The Trail smelter became one of the jewels in the C.P.R. empire.
In 1898, the C.P.R. built their Crow’s Nest Pass line. However, because of a land boom at Fort Steel, they by passed the town, instead going through a small community to the south know as Joseph’s Prairie. This community later changed its name to Cranbrook. The line was eventually extended to Penticton. A rail bridge was built across the Columbia at Castlegar in 1902, thus eliminating the need to barge rail cars across the river. The line from Castlegar to Penticton was know as the Kettle Valley Railroad.
Page 35
School District #20 (Kootenay-Columbia) Columbia Connections Curriculum Project Grade 6 Unit
Glossary
This glossary explains words in the text which students may be unfamiliar with. Words in the text with are found in the glossary are italicized.
Assay - To analyze rock to determine its content of gold, silver, copper, etc.
Effluent - Sewage or liquid waste that is discharged into a body of water.
Hard rock mining - Mining that occurs underground. The process of removing rich mineral content found in rock by chipping or blasting.
Local - The union workers’ group for a particular town or area
Placer mining - The process of finding gold in creeks, rivers etc. The main tool used is a gold pan.
Skip - A platform that was raised or lowered through the main access shaft of a mine. It was used to carry miners and ore.
Stopes - The area of a mine where rock and mineral ore are being removed from, leaving a hole or cave inside the mountain.
Smelting - The process of heating and melting ore to separate the metals contained with in the ore.
Veins - A body or mass of mineral deposit found in part of a larger mass of rock.
Page 36
School District #20 (Kootenay-Columbia)