Craigmont (ghost town)

This vanished ghost town/ mine was once the world(a)s largest producer of corundum. This mineral was first found here in 1876. By 1900 the mine there began with a town built to house the miners. There were sections of the settlement- the west side was the mine and the east side was the town.

The town had a community hall that showed plays and fashion exhibits. It had boardwalks, a store, tailors, a barber, a photographer and a surgeon. They did not have a tavern, so the miners would travel to Combermere to get their fill of alcohol.

At its height, the mine produced 80% of Canada(a)s corundum and the town had a population of 600. A fire hit the mine in 1913 and the crushing operation was moved to this sister mine at Burgess. The town went bust by 1921.

This drive is awesome in the fall with the mountain scapes and changing colours, mixed with the ghostly old buildings. This was part of the old townsite. I have some cool photos below.