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Silver Islet held the distinction of being known as Ontario's first silver gold mine. It was located on an island close to the tip of the Sibley Peninsula in Northwestern Ontario. The island stood at approximately 500 square meters and a mere two and a half metres above Lake Superior's waters.
In the spring of 1868 an expedition team from the Montreal Mining Company led by Thomas MacFarlane was in the Lake Superior area examining properties owned by the company. While working on geological maps, the team decided to visit a small island located just off shore. The team named the island Skull Rock as the curvature of the island resembled the top of a human skull.
MacFarlane's team drove stakes into the ground discovering two intersecting silver deposits within the rock. As it would have proved difficult to mine the silver below the water level, The Montreal Mining Company in turn sold the rights to the island to the Silver Islet Mining Company in 1870. Silver Islet Company's engineers would be better equipped to mine the silver.
The Silver Islet Mining Company was owned by Alexander H Sibley, a resident of Detroit. Sibley spent his summers at the mine where he stayed in his three-storey structure complete with servants. The house was referred to as The White House.
Silver Islet became known as the "Richest Silver Mine in the World" and lived up to its title. It contained $3.2 million worth of silver. By 1871 there were over 175 men working on the island, a population that would eventually top 600. The townsite contained over 80 worker's homes which lined the shore, a library, three boarding houses and a lighthouse to watch guard over the town during the night. As the years went on, a company store, post office, assay office, log jail house and a bank were built.
Because the shafts were located a quarter of a mile below the water line, a breakwall had to be first be built around the island. This would prevent the hammering waves of Lake Superior from breaking up the island's structures. It took many attempts before a breakwall built out of concrete would withstand the waters without being tossed out into the water.
Next, pumps had to be installed to constantly remove water from the mine shafts. The pumps were initially powered by lumber from the island but when the wood supply dried up, coal became the alternative.
The mine shafts continued to deepen to almost a quarter of a mile while the pumps kept the water from flooding the shafts. Then, in 1883, winter arrived earlier than anticipated and froze the water before the next delivery of coal was due. The captain of the coal boat found himself frozen in the water. The mine shafts filled up with water and flooded the mine. Silver Islet's silver days were over.
Today many of the original miner's homes are used seasonally, while the water has reclaimed many others.
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