Cobalt in Timiskaming District, Ontario — Central Canada (North America)

Cobalt Railway Station / La gare de Cobalt

— Heritage Silver Trail —

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, June 1, 2022

1. Cobalt Railway Station / La gare de Cobalt Marker

Inscription. Click to hear the inscription.

[English] This railway station was built in 1905 and expanded in 1906 and 1908. A final expansion was started in 1909 and completed in 1910. The silver mines were a magnet for thousands of people and tons of supplies most of which passed through this train station. Going south at the same time were thousands of silver bars, reaching a peak in 1910-1911 of close to 60 million troy ounces.

[Français] Cette gare a été construite en 1905 et a été agrandie en 1906 puis en 1908. Un agrandissement final a débuté en 1909 pour être complété en 1910. Les mines d'argent étaient un pôle d'attraction pour des milliers de personnes et des tonnes de marchandises qui transitaient majoritairement par cette gare. Par le même train, des milliers de lingots d'argent étaient transportés vers le sud, atteignant un sommet de près de 60 millions d'onces troy en 1910-1911.

Erected 2020 by Cobalt Historical Society.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Industry & Commerce

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• Railroads & Streetcars • Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical year for this entry is 1910.

Location. 47° 23.75′ N, 79° 41.071′ W. Marker is in Cobalt, Ontario, in Timiskaming District. Marker is on Argentite Street (Commission Street) just north of Bunker Lane, on the right when traveling north. The marker is located near the south end of the historic Cobalt Railway Station. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1 Commission Street, Cobalt ON P0J 1C0, Canada. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Bruce Lonsdale Memorial Park (here, next to this marker); Swamp Street / La rue Swamp (within shouting distance of this marker); Battery Tramming Motor (within shouting distance of this marker); The T & NO Railway / Le service ferroviaire T & NO (within shouting distance of this marker); Side Dump Cars (within shouting distance of this marker); The Town Square / La place publique (within shouting distance of this marker); Tripod Drill (within shouting distance of this marker); Mucking Machine or Overshot Loader (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Cobalt.

Regarding Cobalt Railway Station / La gare de Cobalt.

From the Canadian Register
Cobalt Historical Society

2. Marker detail: Cobalt Railway Station
Statement of Significance:
The Cobalt O.N.R. Station is one of the finest railway stations in Northern Ontario. Designed in the Edwardian Classical style and constructed of red brick, with a slate roof and stone detailing, the quality of the Cobalt station contrasted sharply with most of the other modest, wood-frame, T. and N.O. depots. Inspired by the great halls of English domestic architecture, the structure's interior features a lofty waiting room with a timber-truss roof and clerestory windows. The exterior features distinctively curved gables, characteristic of English Renaissance architecture, with round headed windows, combined with typical railway architectural features such as broad, flared eaves with heavy timber braces. Indicative of its original function, numerous doorways for passenger flow and freight and baggage handling punctuate the building.

Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker. Heritage Silver Trail

Also see . . .
1. Cobalt Station (Wikipedia). Excerpt:

The station was designed by the prominent Canadian architect John M. Lyle and constructed for the Timiskaming and Northern Ontario Railway. It is a long and low 1+½-storey brick structure, with an overhanging hipped roof which is gently curved.
Cobalt Historical Society

3. Marker detail: Cobalt Railway Station
The roof contains pedimented dormers, with a central block Flemish gable that breaks the roofline and emphasizes the main entrance. The dormers were to allow natural light to penetrate the waiting rooms. The interior features a wooden ceiling with massive timber roof trusses. Passenger train service to this station ceased in September 2012, and was replaced by bus service between Cochrane and Toronto.
The Town of Cobalt designated the station under the Ontario Heritage Act in 1979 and the Ontario Heritage Trust secured a heritage easement on the building in 1993.

(Submitted on April 28, 2024, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

2. Cobalt O.N.R. Station (Canadian Register of Historic Places). Excerpt:

The Cobalt O.N.R. (Ontario Northland Railway) Station is historically significant for its association with the Temiskaming and Northern Ontario Railway (T&NO) which facilitated the intense mining development of the area. Built from 1909 to 1910 by the T. and N.O., this structure replaced a smaller 1904 station to facilitate the increased traffic caused by the great silver mining boom that was centered at Cobalt. In 1909, with activity escalating, and a population exceeding 10,000 people, construction of this substantial station was seen as necessary.
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, June 1, 2022

4. Cobalt Railway Station / La gare de Cobalt Marker
Looking north along Argentite Street (Commission Street); marker is on the right; south end of station is in the background.
Owing to the connection of the T. and N.O., to trans-national rail lines at both its north and south terminuses, the railway developed rapidly and provided easy access for miners, mine owners and investors for the shipment of machinery and the export of silver. During Cobalt's boom years, wagon loads of silver bars waiting to be shipped out were a common sight on the station's platform. The building functioned as railway station until 1983.

(Submitted on April 28, 2024, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

Heritage Conservation Easement Site Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, June 1, 2022

5. Heritage Conservation Easement Site Marker

(mounted beside door at west station entrance)
Heritage Conservation Easement Site
The heritage character and integrity of this property are protected by a legal agreement between the owner and the Ontario Heritage Foundation
A not-for-profit agency of the Government of Ontario
—————
Site patrimonial protégé par une servitude
Le caractère historique et l'intégrité de cette propriété sont protégés par un accord juridique entre le propriétaire et la Fondation du patrimoine ontarien
Un organisme à but non lucratif relevant du gouvernement de l'Ontario

Cobalt Railway Station / La gare de Cobalt<br>(<i>west entrance</i>) image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, June 1, 2022

6. Cobalt Railway Station / La gare de Cobalt
(west entrance)

The Heritage Conservation Easement Site Marker is mounted at eye-level between the right door and the double windows.

Cobalt Railway Station / La gare de Cobalt<br>(<i>northeast elevation</i>) image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, June 1, 2022

7. Cobalt Railway Station / La gare de Cobalt
(northeast elevation)

Cobalt Railway Station / La gare de Cobalt (<i>southeast elevation</i>) image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, June 1, 2022

8. Cobalt Railway Station / La gare de Cobalt (southeast elevation)

Cobalt Railway Station / La gare de Cobalt (<i>southwest elevation</i>) image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, June 1, 2022

9. Cobalt Railway Station / La gare de Cobalt (southwest elevation)

Credits. This page was last revised on April 30, 2024. It was originally submitted on April 28, 2024, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 48 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9. submitted on April 28, 2024, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.