Wilbur (ghost town) on the K&P

Wilbur was founded on its iron ore deposits. The first iron mine was opened nearby in 1880 by the Caldwell family. They also operated a steam sawmill.

The Kingston and Pembroke Railway (later called the Kick and Push Railway) arrived at Wilbur in 1884 with a spur run to the mine. The post office was then opened that same year. Wilbur was (a)the(a) success story of the Kick and Pull since it produced 125,000 tonnes of ore from 1886-1900.

By late 1880 the population was at about 250 with a church, school, carpenter, blacksmith and shoemaker.

With the closure of the mine in 1911 the town went bust. The post office finally closed in 1913.

Driving in to Wilbur these days it is quite easy to imagine where homes and fields would have existed. Though there are only 3 homes still occupied, the area has not been totally reclaimed by the forest like some of the other Canadian Shield ghost towns.

To see a topo map dated 1945 that shows Folger and Wilbur(a)s buildings at the time go here: http://maps.library.utoronto.ca/datapub/digital/Self/Scan5339.JPG