What do you think?
Rate this book
Silver Islet: Striking It Rich in Lake Superior
Between 1870 and 1884 over three million dollars in silver was mined from a skull-shaped island rock, a small outcropping in Lake Superior known as Silver Islet. The account of one of Ontario's earliest mines, and the world's leading silver producer in its day, rates as one of the most gripping stories ever associated with mineral exploration. The story is one of incredible human courage, tenacity and mining know-how. Silver Striking It Rich in Lake Superior chronicles in text, archival photographs and maps the glory days of the Silver Islet mine where brass bands once played in the wilderness.
160 pages, Paperback
First published July 15, 1995
10 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
October 8, 2022
Full disclosure: I had the pleasure and good fortune of meeting the author when she, generously and graciously, agreed to assist me in completing a modest history project of my own.
This book, as with all of Elinor Barr's work, is a gift to the historical record of this area. Silver Islet, the place, is a much prized and beloved spot in the hearts of those who live here and this account of Silver Islet, the mine and the place, is a treasure. Here is everything from the minutiae of core samples and assay results to the incredible human drama that unfolded in the effort to mine silver in an unprecedented fashion. Thank you, Elinor Barr.
This book, as with all of Elinor Barr's work, is a gift to the historical record of this area. Silver Islet, the place, is a much prized and beloved spot in the hearts of those who live here and this account of Silver Islet, the mine and the place, is a treasure. Here is everything from the minutiae of core samples and assay results to the incredible human drama that unfolded in the effort to mine silver in an unprecedented fashion. Thank you, Elinor Barr.
June 29, 2022
I don't often write reviews, but I felt like I needed to do so for this one. This book's topic is a fascinating piece of local history: Canada's first silver mine, built underwater next to a tiny slip of rock in a remote part of Lake Superior. Five stars for the subject, as well as the historical photos, maps, and diagrams.
But the writing... boy oh boy. The book as a whole kind-of follows the mine's development chronologically, but with no real storyline. Chapters skip all over the place in terms of topics. Terminology, ideas, and even characters are used well before they are introduced or explained. Tables of data and images appear with little or no explanation or context, and only occasionally are they located near relevant main text.
Chapters are mostly short. Based on their titles it seems like they are meant to focus on a single narrow topic. That on its own is fine. But once you start reading a chapter, the structure is even worse. Consider Chapter 16, "Bonanza at Last." It begins by talking about hints of a "bonanza" of silver that could save the mine, which has been struggling for the last few chapters. An exciting topic, and one that will move the story forward! We quickly turn to... the names and chemical formulas of minerals (other than silver) found during the history of the mine, followed shortly by a description of miners' clothing, helmets, and candles. We then hear about miners drilling a hole into a pocket of flammable gas, and the general trend of finding pockets of gas and water within the mine. Next -- wait for it! -- we learn about the number of feet between "levels" in the mine.
Finally, in the very last paragraph of the chapter, we return to the apparent subject of the chapter: The miners hit a pocket of "very rich silver"! The chapter ends with minimal details and no follow-up until several chapters later.
This is pretty much the norm for most chapters. There's great info and fascinating stories, but the writing skips all around without apparent pattern and does its best to confuse and disorient you.
But the writing... boy oh boy. The book as a whole kind-of follows the mine's development chronologically, but with no real storyline. Chapters skip all over the place in terms of topics. Terminology, ideas, and even characters are used well before they are introduced or explained. Tables of data and images appear with little or no explanation or context, and only occasionally are they located near relevant main text.
Chapters are mostly short. Based on their titles it seems like they are meant to focus on a single narrow topic. That on its own is fine. But once you start reading a chapter, the structure is even worse. Consider Chapter 16, "Bonanza at Last." It begins by talking about hints of a "bonanza" of silver that could save the mine, which has been struggling for the last few chapters. An exciting topic, and one that will move the story forward! We quickly turn to... the names and chemical formulas of minerals (other than silver) found during the history of the mine, followed shortly by a description of miners' clothing, helmets, and candles. We then hear about miners drilling a hole into a pocket of flammable gas, and the general trend of finding pockets of gas and water within the mine. Next -- wait for it! -- we learn about the number of feet between "levels" in the mine.
Finally, in the very last paragraph of the chapter, we return to the apparent subject of the chapter: The miners hit a pocket of "very rich silver"! The chapter ends with minimal details and no follow-up until several chapters later.
This is pretty much the norm for most chapters. There's great info and fascinating stories, but the writing skips all around without apparent pattern and does its best to confuse and disorient you.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews