Cobalt in Timiskaming District, Ontario — Central Canada (North America)
William Henry Drummond
1854-1907
Physician and poet, William Henry Drummond was born in Ireland in 1854, and came to Canada with his parents about ten years later. In 1884 he graduated in medicine from Bishop's College, Lennoxville, serving in rural Quebec before establishing a practice in Montreal. The "Poet of the Habitant", Drummond wrote in the broken English of the French-Canadian farmer and woodsman. His poems, published between 1897-1908, were characterized by humour and pathos. They touch the abiding things of life and have never lost their appeal. In 1905 the poet joined his brothers in a silver-mining venture, the Drummond Mine, located some two miles south-east of this park. Dr. Drummond died here in 1907.
Médecin et poète, William Henry Drummond naquit en Irlande en 1854 et vint au Canada avec ses parents environ dix ans plus tard. Il termina ses études de médecine en 1884, au Collège Bishop à Lennoxville, et exerça sa profession dans les régions rurales du Québec avant de s’installer dans son propre cabinet à Montréal. Drummond, le « Poète de l'Habitant », composa ses poèmes en un anglais simpliste et familier parlé par les fermiers et bûcherons canadien-français de l’époque. Ses poèmes, publiés entre 1897 et 1908, sont empreints d'humour et de pathétique. En 1905, le poète se joignit à ses frères dans une entreprise de mine d'argent, la mine Drummond, située à environ deux milles au sud-est de ce parc. Le docteur Drummond mourut ici en 1907.
Erected by Archaeological and Historic Sites Board, Department of Public Records and Archives of Ontario.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Arts, Letters, Music • Industry & Commerce • Science & Medicine • Settlements & Settlers. In addition, it is included in the Canada, Ontario Heritage Foundation series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1854.
Location. 47° 23.85′ N, 79° 40.996′ W. Marker is in Cobalt, Ontario, in Timiskaming District. Marker is on Lang Street, 0.2 kilometers north of Argentite Street, on the left when traveling north. Marker is located beside the sidewalk at Dr. Drummond Memorial Park. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 46 Lang Street, Cobalt ON P0J 1C0, Canada. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Tripod Drill (approx. 0.3 kilometers away); Mucking Machine or Overshot Loader (approx. 0.3 kilometers away); Bar and Arm Drill (approx. 0.3 kilometers away); Cobalt Mining / L’exploitation Minière de Cobalt (approx. 0.3 kilometers away); The T & NO Railway / Le service ferroviaire T & NO (approx. 0.3 kilometers away); Centennial Time Capsule (approx. 0.3 kilometers away); Willet Green Miller (approx. 0.3 kilometers away); Silver Mining in Canada / Production de L'argent au Canada (approx. 0.3 kilometers away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Cobalt.
Also see . . .
1. William Henry Drummond.
An Irish-born Canadian poet whose humorous dialect poems made him "one of the most popular authors in the English-speaking world," and "one of the most widely-read and loved poets" in Canada. His first book of poetry, The Habitant (1897), was extremely successful, establishing for him a reputation as a writer of dialect verse that has faded since his death. In 1905, Drummond closed his Montreal medical practice. He began spending extensive time in Cobalt, Ontario, where he and his brothers had acquired interest in silver mines. He served for a year as the town's first doctor, was vice-president of Drummond Silver Mine, and wrote poetry of life in the north.(Submitted on October 22, 2022, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
2. William Henry Drummond.
Until his death he commuted frequently between Montreal and Cobalt, where he and his brothers had acquired an interest in silver mines. He spent most of the winter of 1906–7 in Cobalt combating a smallpox epidemic.(Submitted on October 22, 2022, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)At the time of his death and for years afterwards Drummond was mourned as a man, and known and respected as a poet. In 1908 The great fight: poems and sketches, a collection of 20 poems and two sketches, with a short biography by his widow and illustrations by Coburn, was edited by her and published by Putnam’s. The poetical works of William Henry Drummond appeared in 1912. Until well into the 1920s Drummond and his poetry remained important components of the canon of English Canadian literature.
3. Drummond Mine (Cobalt Comet Mine).
The mine was operated by Drummond Mines Ltd. from 1904 to 1913 and was named after the poet W.H.Drummond. It was then operated by Comet Mines Ltd. (1913-1915), Kerr Lake Mines Ltd. (1915-1917) and finally Silver Miller Mines till it's shutdown in 1936. Development was through 5 shafts and several open cuts, the deepest shaft being 200ft. Total production was approx. 4 million oz. of Ag, and 250,000 lbs Co.(Submitted on October 22, 2022, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
Credits. This page was last revised on October 22, 2022. It was originally submitted on October 21, 2022, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 110 times since then and 13 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on October 21, 2022, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on October 22, 2022, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.