Roaring days : Rossland's mines and the history of British Columbia

In the 1890s, the name of Rossland was on every investor’s lips. Known at one time as the new Johannesburg, this small town in southeastern British Columbia was the most important mining centre in the region. Apparently possessed of vast quantities of ore, the town’s mines seemed to promise wealth for all, and Rossland grew dramatically throughout the decade. By the early 1900s, it was the province’s fourth largest centre. During that time, hard rock mining changed from a loosely structured pioneer activity to a fully fledged industry that relied on sophisticated technology, a complex corporate infrastructure, and economies of scale. Despite these advances, Rossland’s success was shortlived. A bitter strike in 1901 signalled the beginning of the Golden City’s slow decline. Nearby Trail, originally a subsidiary of Rossland’s mining industry, soon surpassed its neighbour in size and importance. Roaring Days is the first full-length study to explore the history of the mining industry in British Columbia. Mouat examines the many different aspects of mining, from work underground to corporate strategies Annotation "Roaring Days is the first full-length study to explore the history of the mining industry in British Columbia. The industry's development was not simple, as Mouat emphasizes by examining many different aspects of mining, from work underground to corporate strategies. He brings to life the unique individuals who were a part of this history - the miners who toiled long hours in semi-darkness and unimaginable working conditions, the hardy citizens of Rossland who built a bustling town out of the wilderness, and finally the mine owners and corporate entrepreneurs whose wealth exceeded all expectations." "Although the book focuses on Rossland's sudden rise and its gradual decline as a mining town, the story of mining in the Kootenays is a local variant of a more profound event - the transformation of North America as it was brought within the network of world trade. In a world that measured progress by military strength and industrial capacity, the implications of direct access to mineral products were enormous. The history of Rossland, therefore, deals with many of the larger themes that dominate the broader history of the province and the country. Fascinating and informative, Roaring Days provides a long-awaited study of one of British Columbia's most important and influential resource industries of the nineteenth century."--BOOK JACKET. Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved In the 1890s, the name of Rossland was on every investor’s lips. Known at one time as the new Johannesburg, this small town in southeastern British Columbia was the most important mining centre in the region. Apparently possessed of vast quantities of ore, the town’s mines seemed to promise wealth for all, and Rossland grew dramatically throughout the decade. By the early 1900s, it was the province’s fourth largest centre. During that time, hard rock mining changed from a loosely structured pioneer activity to a fully fledged industry that relied on sophisticated technology, a complex corporate infrastructure, and economies of scale. Despite these advances, Rossland’s success was shortlived. A bitter strike in 1901 signalled the beginning of the Golden City’s slow decline. Nearby Trail, originally a subsidiary of Rossland’s mining industry, soon surpassed its neighbour in size and importance.__Roaring Days__ In the 1890s, Rossland was the most important mining centre in southeastern British Columbia. In Roaring Days, Jeremy Mouat examines many different aspects of mining, from work underground to corporate strategies. He also brings to life the unique individuals who were a part of this history the miners who toiled long hours under unimaginable working conditions, the citizens of Rossland who built a bustling town out of the wilderness, and the mine owners and entrepreneurs who became wealthy beyond all expectations. Roaring Days explores the history of the mining industry in British Columbia. Mouat examines the many different aspects of mining, from work underground to corporate strategies, and he also brings to life the unique individuals who were a part of this history--the miners who toiled long hours in semi-darkness, the hardy citizens who built a bustling town out of the wilderness, and the wealthy mine owners and corporate entrepreneurs whose wealth exceeded all expectations. --From publisher's description This lively history of mining in Rossland, British Columbia brings to life the unique individuals who built a bustling town out of the wilderness. Jeremy Mouat. Includes Bibliographical References And Index.