
Partridge Island, located in St. John, NB, served two important roles in its history.
Partridge Island, located in St. John, NB, served two important roles in its history.
Belding Smith and Company began business in 1876 and was incorporated in 1877. In 1883, this textile factory was first built, and expanded over the years. By 1920, the company was renamed Belding Corticelli Ltd.
Thomas Wilson (1860-1915) settled here in 1907 to study chemical fertilizers. The engineer, who had made a fortune with his discoveries and inventions in the field of electro-chemistry, considered this the ideal site for one of his most daring experiments.
I spotted this place while on my way to look for some mines. Looking around the outside, I realized quickly that this was a home that had children at some point. This would be further reinforced by the things I found inside.
This station was opened in 1903 as part of the Algoma Central Railway. Searchmont had become an important centre for timber and passenger business was growing until the Railway's changes in fares caused the volume of people departing from, or stopping at this station to drop off severely. By 2000, the station was closed, and the property is now for sale, but being managed in the interim by the Canadian National Railway.
This church was originally non-denominational when it was constructed in 1880. Built on a lot donated by John Foreman, it was to be both a union meeting hall, and place of worship for the farmers and woodsmen in Bear Cave.
When I arrived at this place, my expectations were low. I had checked it out on Street View, and it appeared that everything was boarded up pretty tight. Still, I wanted to have a look just the same.
As I understand it, this place has been closed since at least 2000. Certainly, it appears from the satellite imagery on Google Earth that it has been some time.
This mine has apparently had several incarnations over time. The ore body was first staked in 1930 by L.O. Hedlund. Several organizations obtained options to the property over the next few years, but did little with it, and let their options lapse.
This facility began operation as a TTC streetcarhouse in 1921. In 1954, it was converted to a bus garage as it served until closure in 2002 when it was replaced by another, larger facility.