The history of the town of Buchans, a former mining
town in central Newfoundland, can best be told from
the perspectives of the discoverer, the operator,
the builder and the residents of Buchans.
Work at the Buchans River mine began when Mattie
Mitchell, a Mi’kmaq-Montagnais trapper and guide
discovered ore at this site in 1905. Eventually, the
mine was taken over by the American Smelting and
Refining Company. Even though four additional mines
were discovered in the area (Lucky Strike, | Rothermere, Oriental and Macleans), all were closed
in 1984.
In addition to the chronology of the mine, this
Community Memories Exhibit describes the growth of
the town from the construction of company houses for
the miners and their families to the building of
recreation facilities such as the town swimming pool
and skating rink.
The exhibit is constructed along two story lines:
the early development of the mine and the strike of
|
