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

Historic Prospect Avenue
⎯⎯⎯
L'avenue Prospect historique

 
 
Historic Prospect Avenue / L'avenue Prospect historique Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, June 2, 2022
1. Historic Prospect Avenue / L'avenue Prospect historique Marker
Inscription.  
[English]
Until the Cobalt boom, very little attention was paid to mining stocks in eastern Canada. The Cobalt rush created a stock market frenzy. Speculators from New York, London and Chicago flocked into the camp. The Cobalt silver boom transformed sleepy Toronto into the world leader in mining stocks and speculation. You could find out what was going on in Cobalt by hanging around the King Edward Hotel in Toronto.

[Français]
Avant le boom de Cobalt, on portait peu d'attention aux titres miniers dans l'est du Canada. La ruée vers Cobalt a provoqué une frénésie à la Bourse. Le camp minier a vu l'affluence de spéculateurs venus de New York, de Londres et de Chicago. Le boom minier de Cobalt a transformé la somnolente Toronto en capitale mondiale de actions et spéculations minières. On pouvait tout apprendre des activités de Cobalt rien qu'à fréquenter l'Hôtel King Edward de Toronto.
 
Erected by Cobalt Historical Society.
 
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Industry & Commerce.
 
Location. 47° 23.775′ N, 79° 41.119′ W. Marker is in Cobalt,
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Ontario, in Timiskaming District. It is at the intersection of Prospect Avenue (Lang Street) and Presley Street, on the right when traveling east on Prospect Avenue (Lang Street). Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 10 Prospect Avenue, Cobalt ON P0J 1C0, Canada. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Northeastern Ontario and specifically in Northern 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, and Rupert’s Land.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Major Holland, VC Park (within shouting distance of this marker); Agnico Eagle Mines Limited (within shouting distance of this marker); The Town Square / La place publique (within shouting distance of this marker); The Coniagas #4 Shaft / Le puits de mine n°4 de la Coniagas (within shouting distance of this marker); Swamp Street / La rue Swamp
Historic Prospect Avenue / L'avenue Prospect historique Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, June 2, 2022
2. Historic Prospect Avenue / L'avenue Prospect historique Marker
Looking south from Prospect Avenue.
(within shouting distance of this marker); Bruce Lonsdale Memorial Park (within shouting distance of this marker); Tripod Drill (within shouting distance of this marker); Slusher and Scraper (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Cobalt.
 
Also see . . .  Fun Facts About Old Cobalt Ontario Mines (Ontario Ring of Fire).
Excerpt:  Beneath the quiet streets of Cobalt lies a story that once shook global markets. The Cobalt Ontario Mines were the beating heart of a silver rush so intense it transformed a remote patch of Northern Ontario into one of the most important mining towns in the world:
• Discovered by chance: in 1903 during railway construction, the Cobalt Ontario Mines ignited a frenzy of prospecting and investment.
• At their peak: they produced millions of ounces of silver each year, drawing fortune-seekers from across Canada and beyond.
• Their legacy lives: on in both the preserved headframes and the lessons learned from a century of boom, bust, and revival.

Silver Rush Sparked a Town:
• Silver: was discovered near Long Lake during T&NO Railway construction in 1903, igniting the Cobalt mining boom.
• By 1908: the mines produced around 9% of the world’s silver.
• In 1911: the mines yielded  31.5 million ounces of silver.
• Overall: until their closure, the mines delivered  460 million ounces of silver.

Frontier Camp to Community:
• Boom times: during the boom, Cobalt Ontario supported  100 operating mines and 18 mills, sustaining about 12,000 people.
• By 1909‑1910: population soared due to mining activity.
• By the 1930s: mining declined and the industry faded — many mines had closed.
• In 2021: the town linked to Cobalt Ontario Mines had just 989 residents.

(Submitted on July 6, 2026, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.) 
 
 
Credits. This page was last revised on July 8, 2026. It was originally submitted on July 6, 2026, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 6 times since then. Photos:   1, 2. submitted on July 6, 2026, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.
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Jul. 21, 2026