Abandoned Mine in Northern Ontario
I had one heck of a time finding the Harcourt Graphite Mine, following directions from an old guide book only to discover that the directions were wrong. Simply put, the mine is only about 150 meters off highway 648 – just outside Harcourt. Being densely wooded, I wandered well past the old buildings and ended somewhere off in the middle of nowhere.
Amongst other somewhat unfortunate events that day I stepped on a rusty nail in the remnants of the old mill. I actually found the diggings by limping through the bush, imagining from clues how they would have situated the mill in respect to where they would have been digging their ore.
This is an example of the kind of mine that is better left un-explored. I went only as far as the adit entrance to get this picture. The roof looks like it needs scaling – just waiting for some errant explorer to bump a rock and down it all comes. I would imagine that the graphite is in the lighter coloured rock as the guide book says that ” yellow jarosite and and rusty goethite” are powdered over the graphite.
Where are these mines situated.
What member of the Harcourt family attempted to mine this site.
Was this Otto Simon Harcourt/Ascrofts son Charles Walmer Ascroft/Harcourt circa 1913?? or other.
Anything to do with James Jennings of Magliesburg or associated to the Blauaawbank Gold Mine families.
All good questions, but you mistake me for an expert. I wonder if you know more about this location? I would love to learn about it. This mine is up near Wilberforce (northern Ontario, details of its past are pretty sketchy)
Hi,it would be good if someone had knowledge of this mine and its area.I thought my luck was in and you may have been the expert.
Members of the Aristocratic Harcourt family where involved in Gold mining in Africa,they where connected to the Ascroft,Greville and James Jennings families who mined the Blaauwbank Gold Mines,Magaliesburg,Africa from the mid 1800s to 1913 and possibly many more years later.
Its been indicated that Otto Simon Harcourt b1849 who assumed the name Ascroft to inherit the mines from his Father In Law had a son Charles Walmer Harcourt or Charles Walmer Ascroft b1894.
This son Charles Walmer Ascroft while living in South Africa went missing after 1913 after his solicitor swindled his mine shares from him when he was aged just 17.
Its just possible he may have gone to Canada to prospect,especially when names like Harcourt turn up.
Very interesting. If you find out that this is the connection, I would like to hear about it.
Its possible that many members of the Harcourt gold mining family are associated to Australia.
Its been indicated in the Harcuria Papers at Oxford University that Otto Simon Henry Harcout had two sons go missing while prospecting for gold.
I was curious if anyone knows exactly how to get to the Harcourt Graphite mine? Know where the road to the mine starts? I have been trying to find this mine but directions are a bit sketchy in the old guidebooks. I am close but not close enough.
Thanks
Hi Michal
Sorry I cant help as I have never been over to the mine,but there are directions to the Blaauwbank Gold Mines on their web site.
When you go there can you ask around as to the old owners names upto 1915 and to present day.
Names to look out for are Otto or Charles Harcourt or Otto or Charles Ascroft and members of the James Jennings family upto the present day.
Other names to do with the mine are members of the Greville and Clough families.
Also related company names.
Thankyou.