Dryden in Kenora District, Ontario — Central Canada (North America)
Gold Fever
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, June 12, 2022
1. Gold Fever Marker
About 1885 gold was discovered at Goldrock on the northern tip of Upper Manitou Lake about 30 miles southeast of here. A townsite was laid out in 1898 which grew to a town of 500 by its peak in 1908. At that time there were 5 gold mines operating there the last one closed in 1948 at which time Goldrock became a ghost town. A steam boat company established itself to carry goods and people from Wabigoon, the commercial centre on the CPR, down Lakes Wabigoon and Dinorwic to the portage to Goldrock. This company expanded to several vessels plying regularly scheduled routes. Dams were built here in Dryden to raise the lake level and facilitate steamboat traffic.
About 1890 gold was discovered in South Vanhorne Township just south of Dryden, and this goldfield also became a stop on the steamboat route. Miners soon discovered that they could save the time and expense of the steamboat ride from Wabigoon by getting off the train at Barclay Tank and going by canoe to the gold fields, and this led to the steamboat company including a stop at Barclay Tank in its routing. There is no record as to where the steam boat dock was but
this page online
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce • Settlements & Settlers • Waterways & Vessels. A significant historical year for this entry is 1885.
Location. 49° 46.916′ N, 92° 50.462′ W. Marker is in Dryden, Ontario, in Kenora District. It is at the intersection of West River Road (Duke Street) (Provincial Highway 594) and Earl Avenue, on the right when traveling east on West River Road (Duke Street). The marker is mounted on the base of a metal sculpture at the southwest corner of the intersection, overlooking the Duke Street Dock. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 18 Duke Street, Dryden ON P8N 1Y1, Canada. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Northern Ontario and specifically in Northwest Ontario. It is also in Central Canada. Globally, it is in North America, the Great North Woods, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once a British colony, the Viceroyalty of New France, the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy,
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, June 12, 2022
2. Gold Fever Marker
One of 8 local history tablets mounted around the granite-faced octagonal base of this metal sculpture.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Agriculture (here, next to this marker); Pulp and Paper (here, next to this marker); The Railway (here, next to this marker); Booming Wood (here, next to this marker); Beginnings (here, next to this marker); The Present (here, next to this marker); Recreation (here, next to this marker); Alan Durance (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Dryden.
Also see . . .
1. Gold Rock. Ghost Towns website entry:
Excerpt:
By 1895, more than 200 miners and their families had moved into the unknown bush and established the town of Gold Rock. The town was self-sufficient with stores as supplies were shipped in from Wabigoon station of the Canadian Pacific Railway. At its peak, Gold Rock had a permanent doctor and school teacher. By 1910 the gold had run out, the mines were closed, the miners and their families had departed and Gold Rock was silent.(Submitted on March 16, 2024, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
2. 100 years and beyond Dryden Mill, by Gwen Johnston. Forestry Chronicle PDF:
Excerpt:
A dam was built at the mouth of the Wabigoon River in 1898 to raise the level of Wabigoon Lake and facilitate steamboat service between Wabigoon, Dryden, and the town of Gold Rock on Upper Manitou Lake. Dryden at the time had not yet acquired that name and consisted of little but a watering stop for the railway, the steamboat dock, and the dam.(Submitted on March 16, 2024, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
Credits. This page was last revised on March 17, 2024. It was originally submitted on March 14, 2024, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 424 times since then and 51 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on March 16, 2024, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.
