L-R: Florence, Genevieve, mother Mary, Clement, unknownn, Margaret,
father “Jack”, Anna, and friend Kay Devine
Spring has arrived to the region.
The gamblers among us are working in the garden, sowing the cold-hardy crops, and even risking a tomato plant or two. And it’s time to harvest the rhubarb!
What does this have to do with mining history? Let me introduce you to John “Jack” Thomas Moore.
The Query
“My grandfather J.T. (Jack) Moore went to Cobalt from Maniwaki PQ after getting married in 1906. He worked for the O’Brien Mine. [Jack and] my grandmother Mary had five daughters and one son. All grew up in Cobalt where they remained until the late 1940’s. Their son Clement worked in the mine briefly when old enough.
All my life I heard tales of Cobalt and stories from Mom and her sisters – their teenage years, school days etc.”
Around 1935, father was transferred to the O’Brien gold mine in Cadillac, Quebec. (Today, the property is operated by Radisson Mining Resources. This link takes you to a 1954 National Film Board video – the images in the opening scenes match the photos in the family album.)
“Mom and her younger sister lamented never seeing home again after that. However, even when they were in their 90’s they would sing the Cobalt song!
The Photos
Most of the pictures were from the family’s time in Quebec. One or two had a “Cobalt vibe” but without notations, I couldn’t be sure where or when they were taken.
But with genealogical records, newspaper archives, and finally the help of historian Peter Fancy, we were able to piece together the Moore’s time in Coleman Township.
In 1909, Moore was a “mill man” and in 1911, the family lived on the Imperial Crown Mine property, situated on the north shore of Kerr Lake. His title was “engineer” in 1914, and he worked at the Silver Leaf Mine. The family’s mailing address was Giroux Lake. In the early 1920s, he was a carpenter at the Lawson Mine .
I was delighted to find that Peter Fancy’s “A Coleman Township Road Guide” pinpointed exactly where the family lived. (see below)
By 1931, the Moore’s moved closer to town and lived at the south end of the O’Brien Mine property.
Back to the Rhubarb
Just like the early settlers, one of the first priorities when we moved here was establishing a garden.
The folks who settled in the silver mining camp grew hardy varieties of perennial fruit and vegetable. When you explore the former mine sites you’ll find apple trees, gooseberries, asparagus, and luckily for me, rhubarb.
In our garden we have two rhubarb patches – one transplanted from the woods that now cover the site of the former Nipissing Mine boarding houses. The other patch is from near Glen Lake in Coleman Township.
You guessed it: from the former garden of John and Mary Moore. The original patch was hidden by trees, and partially covered by an old carpet.
Sturdy stuff!
What a great story! I once found some Sweet William, hidden in long grass, in front of my old garden at Matabitchuan, many years after the “Terrace”, (a long building of 6 adjoining apartments) was burned down by Ontario Hydro. With nothing else at the site except the generating station, the sight of those flowers brought tears to my eyes.
What a great, well researched story – and even after so many years! I once found some Sweet William from my old garden at Matabitchuan – long after all the buildings were gone, and only the generating station was left standing. Brought tears to my eyes,
Thanks for your lovely remarks – I am happy to know that Sweet William can be grown in these parts – it was a favourite when I was a girl.