CHARLES DOBIE : LOCAL HISTORY
MAGNET MINE & NORTHERN EMPIRE MINE,
ONTARIO

Photo Album of E.O. Berger :
Magnet Mine and Northern Empire Mine,
September 12, 1941 to July 29, 1942.

This photo album was purchased on Ebay. The inside front cover is inscribed by E.O. Berger of Nevada City, California, and I'm assuming that he was the photographer. The frontispiece is inscribed "Pictures from Canada / September 12th, 1941 to July 29, 1942". Again, I'm assuming that he was an engineer or manager sent to Canada to oversee the closing of the Northern Empire Mine. It is possible he was Edwin Oscar Berger, born April 6, 1894, died July 15, 1978.

Most of the mining photos are of the Magnet and Northern Empire mines, but there are several of the Elmos Mine on Long Lac, as well as of the Sand River Mine, and Tombill Mine. There are also photos of Resurrection Mine in Leadville, Colorado.

The photo album is now in the collection of the Thunder Bay Museum.

Added March 5, 2017

Page 1 : See this page. thumbnail "Lake Trout caught at Lake Nipigon, Ont., May 25th, 1941 by C.D. Irvine. Weight: 36-1/2 lbs.; Length: 46 inches; Girth: 26-1/2 inches." This photo is of Cliff Irvine and his wife Irene. Cliff's brother(?) Ernie Irvine is also featured in this album. Cliff and Irene lived for many years in Thunder Bay (Port Arthur) until at least the 1980's.

Page 2 : See this page. thumbnail Top Left: Church at Indian Mission, Lake Helen, on Nipigon-Geraldton Highwway.
Top Right: photo of C.A. Anderson with fish.
Bottom Left: sled dogs. Location unknown but either Magnet Mine or Northern Empire Mine.
Bottom Right: "Junior Hockey Game". This must be Geraldton (see photo removed from page 15).

Page 3 : See this page. thumbnail Dog team at unidentified location. Must be either Magnet Mine or Northern Empire Mine.

Page 4 : See this page. thumbnail Postcard of Royal York Hotel, Toronto.

Page 5 : See this page. thumbnail Left: Captain Tommy Tansley -- "now in active service in Scotland."
Right: Ernie & Peggy Irvine and Butch (my boy).

Page 6 : See this page. thumbnail Top Left: Ed the fisherman.
Top Right: Micky Shultz. No location given.
Bottom Left: Airport at Reno (Nevada).
Bottom Centre: Airport at Reno (Nevada).
Bottom Right: Donner Monument (California).

Page 7 : See this page. thumbnail Top Left: Nipigon Bay from the Nipigon, Schreiber and Beardmore Highway.
Top Right: Fishing party. Nobody identified (Click to see enlargement).
Bottom Left: Floyd Glover, George Lorring, Marno Maxon (Click to see enlargement).
Bottom Right: View on Trans-Canada Highway on way to Port Arthur.

Page 8 : See this page. thumbnail Two United Airlines postcards.

Page 9 : See this page. thumbnail Top photos are labelled "Murchie hillside cleanup". This may be the Murchie Mine in Nevada City, California.
Bottom photos are labelled "Our yard".

Page 10 : See this page. thumbnail Northern Empire Mine -- mill, waste dump, tailings pond.

Page 11 : See this page. thumbnail Three moose photos -- one calf, one swimming, one dead.

Page 12 : See this page. thumbnail Butch Irvine and "My Boy".

Page 13 : See this page. thumbnail Top Left: Ernie Irvine -- chief clerk at Magnet.
Top Middle: Hauling waste dump on Trans Canada Highway.
Top Right: Bob Cannon.
Bottom Left: Ed Berger and Chas. Cadwell.
Bottom Right: Part of Sand River Mine.

Page 14 : See this page. thumbnail Top Right: Skiing at Tombill ski hill (six unidentified people).
Bottom Left: Bill Hardgraft [Hargraft]. Elmos in background.
Bottom Middle: Ed Berger "The Boss".
Bottom Right: C.A. Anderson & family.

Page 15 : See this page. thumbnail Top Right: Photo missing but space is labelled "Junior Hockey Game, Geraldton". See hockey photo on Page 2.
Top Right: Dick Scott -- Sand River office boy.
Bottom Left: Northern Empire office.
Bottom Right: Tombill Mine.

Page 16 : See this page. thumbnail Top Right: Mrs. C.A. Anderson and son.
Bottom Left: Birdseye view, Northern Empire.
Bottom Right: Superstructure on agitator -- C.Y. plant, Magnet Mine.

Page 17 : See this page. thumbnail Top Left: Speckled trout.
Top Middle: Margaret Morton and Ed Morton.
Top Right: Our house -- N.C.
Bottom Left: Deer & lion caught near Nevada City.
Bottom Right: Denver flotation cells, Magnet Mine.

Page 18 : See this page. thumbnail Top Left: Bill Brooks, Tom Edgar, Frank Morton, C. Anderson in front of Northern Empire Machine Shop.
Top Right: Velvet money for Newmont. Murchie hillside cleanup.
Bottom Left & Middle: Resurrection Mine -- Leadville Colorado.
Bottom Right: Our bedroom.

Page 19 : See this page. thumbnail Top Right: Unit cell -- Magnet.
Bottom Left: Mrs. C.A. Anderson and baby (no written identification).
Bottom Middle: Magnet Mine townsite -- Welsh Ave.
Bottom Right: Duplicate of photo on Page 18.

Page 20 : See this page. thumbnail Top Left: Magnet tailing disposal. Trans Canada Highway passing under.
Bottom Left: Magnet Mine office staff. Floyd Glover, Jamie Archibald, Rus Skinner, Johnnie Cook, Cliff Hamilton, Ernie Irvine, chief clerk.
Bottom Middle: Magnet Mine.
Bottom Right: Magnet Avenue -- Magnet Townsite.

Page 21 : See this page. thumbnail Top Left: Discharge of tailings disposal, Magnet Mine.
Top Middle: The shovel loading trucks for Trans Canada Highway.
Top Right: Refining and head frame at Magnet Mine.
Bottom Left: Iron mule hauling waste on highway.
Bottom Middle: Trans Canada Highway birdseye view of Magnet.
Bottom Right: New refinery at Magnet Mine moved from Northern Empire.

Page 22 : See this page. thumbnail Top Left: Setling compressor at Elmos.
Top Middle: Classifier from N. Empire at Elmos.
Top Right: Elmos headframe.
Bottom Left: Elmos Island covered with ice.
Bottom Middle: Partly completed head frame at Elmos.
Bottom Right: Starting of Elmos mill.

Page 23 : See this page. thumbnail Top Left: Virgin Falls -- Nipigon Lake.
Top Middle: Fishing party. Nipigon Lake.
Top Right: Canoes being towed by fishing party. Nipigon Lake.
Bottom Left: Same fishing party.
Bottom Middle: Ed and 2 11-lb. Lake Trout caught in Nipigon Lake.
Bottom Right: Below Virgin Falls. Good fishing.

Page 24 : See this page. thumbnail Top Left: McDermot Docks, Nipigon Lake.
Center: 36-1/2 lb Trout [smaller copy of photo on Page 1].
Top Right: Launch owned by man from Texas on Nipigon Lake.
Bottom Left: Falls below Nipigon Dam.
Bottom Right: 5,000 cord pulp wood on Nipigon Lake.

Page 25 : See this page. thumbnail Left: Iron mule.
Right: Postcard of Kakabeka Falls.

Page 26 : See this page. thumbnail Top Right: More pulp wood -- Orient Docks, Nipigon Lake.
Bottom Left: Leadville Colorado.
Bottom Right: Welsh Avenue -- Magnet Townsite.

Page 27 : See this page. thumbnail Top Left: [Photo Missing]. Caption is "Street scene at Geraldton, Ont.".
Top Right: Frank Morton, Tommy Tansley, Marg Morton, "Jimmie O'Brien", Ernie Irvine, Flora Tansley.
Bottom Left: 5000 cord pulpwood being towed by boat in Nipigon Lake.
Bottom Right: Looking east on Trans-Canada Highway. Birdseye view of Magnet.

Page 28 : See this page. thumbnail Top Left: Magnet dump.
Top Middle: Ernie Irvine -- chief clerk.
Top Right: Elmos mill -- Bill Hardgraft [Hargraft], Chas. Linquist.
Bottom Left: Northern Empire headframe after removing corrugated iron.
Bottom Middle: Our yard.
Bottom Right: McCloud & Berger -- Oliver[?] filter from Northern Empire.

Page 29 : See this page. thumbnail Top Left: Long Lac Lake and Elmos mill.
Top Right: George Loring, Floyd Glover, Marno Maxon.
Bottom Left: George Loring and wife.
Bottom Right: Motors on Elmos Island -- cast in Nevada City many years before.

Page 30 : See this page. thumbnail Top Left: Postcard -- Virgin Falls, near Orient Bay, Ontario, Canada.
Top Right: "Jimmie O'Brien".
Bottom Left: Tommy Tansley with 2 11-Lb. trout.
Bottom Right: Harry Bell, George Loring, Floyd Glover.

Page 31 : See this page. thumbnail Top Right: Manager's home -- Northern Empire.
Bottom Left: ?.
Bottom Right: Pete Heisler & car -- Tombill Mine.

Page 32 : See this page. thumbnail Top Left: Elmos mill nearly complete.
Top Right: Magnet headframe.
Bottom Left: Elmos Island.
Bottom Right: McDermot Wharf with four unidentified people (see enlargement).

Page 33 : See this page. thumbnail Top Right: Cannon & McCloud looking at old motor.
Bottom Left: Duplicate of group photo on Page 27.
Bottom Right: One of the pretty islands on Nipigon Lake.

Page 34 : See this page. thumbnail Top Left: "Jimmie O'Brien".
Top Right: Northern Empire (duplicate of manager's home photo on page 31).
Bottom Left: Same [possibly Jimmie O'Brien?].
Bottom Right: Bill Hardgraft [Hargraft], Elmore Bray, Jack Titcomb.

Page 35 : See this page. thumbnail Top Left: Strting Elmos mill.
Top Right: Same ("Jimmie O'Brien" again).
Bottom Left: Toe Kivela, E. Irvine, Marg Kivela, Irene Irvine, Marg Morton, Cliff Irvine, Hal Hardgraft [Hargraft], Frank Morton, Peggy Irvine, Bill Hardgraft [Hargraft].
Bottom Right: Substation -- Elmos Mine.



Can you provide missing names, details, corrections or more information?


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