We continue this week in our local history feature with advice on what to see in your own city for you and your summer visitors.
In the front yard of the museum, says director-curator Karen Bachmann, are statues of some of the first discoverers of mines in the Porcupine.
“We have Jack Wilson, Benny Hollinger and Sandy McIntyre,” she remarks. “But if you want to get out of the city, there’s a number of historic plaques as well within the community that commemorate some of the early fur trade posts in our area.”
There’s a blue plaque at Frederickhouse, just off Hwy. 101, that talks about the early fur trade fort and events in the area at that time.
In Porcupine, across from Bannerman Park, is a small parkette that has a plaque related to gold mining. There’s a vault there, and the little train is coming back.
“And that other piece that nobody seems to know too much about, the arrastra,” Bachmann continues. “That is actually an old piece of equipment that was used for grinding ore to help with the extraction of gold.”
The arrastra was used by ancient Egyptians, and up until the early 20th century. That particular one was found in the bush in our area.
More Timmins history attractions next week.