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It was July 1897, when a discovery was made on the McGibbon farm in Dungannon Township, which showed surface copper and a vein of copper and nickel that was 12 feet wide.
Soon after in August of 1897, they were going to open another prospect on Stewart Anderson's farm in Dungannon, as well as on Thomas Turriff's farm. S. Fluke sank a shaft on the McPhee farm and there was a rumour that the Knobb's property in Dungannon had sold to an English mining syndicate for $4000.00.
Two years later, in September of 1899, a sample from the McLean property was tested and had been classified as 42% nickel with a trace of gold. "The vein is 60 feet wide".
The year 1902, proved to be an active one for area prospectors. Mr. James Best and McMaster had removed several tons of rich ore that was assayed by Toronto experts at 386 pounds of copper per ton, from the John Wood farm in Dungannon. This sample was pronounced by the experts to be excellent. There was no further mention of Mr. Best until 1906 when he acquired the very best quality of red granite. It was then that he was granted mineral rights on Phoebe St. for one dollar. He also had to agree not to interfere with the town in anyway if they chose to build a street or otherwise.
By 1909, Mr. Best had been able to raise enough capital and to organize a company to mine copper near L'Amable Station, the "Best - Mahoney Copper Mining Company". The company had three holdings and mining rights to 441 acres. The ore was assayed at $180.00 to the ton of copper and $2.85 gold per ton.
Source:
Bancroft - A Bonanza of Memories
Nila Y. Reynolds
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