DON CUNNINGHAM REMEMBERS

Published on March 2017

MOUNT UNIACKE GOLD MINES 1946 At that time there were two complete mines standing with all the buildings and equipment, right down to the quartz still on the conveyor belts. One was located at the sight of our second cottage, and the other was at the start of the hauling road to Long Lake, which was located on the sharp curve past Fred Allen’s place. All the equipment disappeared over the years for scrap. The church was still standing with the organ intact, the school house with the bell, all the desks, and blackboards.Permanent residents were the Werner brothers, Bill and Emma Kevin, Ed Prince and Dave Dunbrack as well as the Patriquins who moved out to the end of the road within a short period. Ed Prince and Dave Dunbrack were still prospecting.Summer residents were the Cunninghams, Edison Boutlier, the Bowdens, and Fred Allen. The Renners had moved out the end of the road near the highway.The Welners had an old horse called Queenie and we would hook her up to the old wagon and go out the Old Mines Road, a mile down the highway to the general store by the train station. I believe it was called Semone’s. Also in the village was MacIvor’s Service Station where the present service station is located. Later on, John Cole opened a service station diagonally across the road. I think it was a White Rose, but not sure. Across from Semone’s was a hall where the cenotaph is now located. On weekends we would pile in the car and go to the hall to watch movies. A chap would come with a movie projector and movies. This was a treat for the kids. Many times the movie that was scheduled did not materialize and they would again show the “Man in the Iron Mask” with Louis Hayward. I watched that movie so many times, that today, when I hear the name, I cringe.Our second cottage was a large log cabin (the old mess hall for the mine) located next to the mine, which at that time was still standing.We had this cottage until 1954 when we sold it to Mickey Renner and J Craig and we built a cottage out the end of the road next to Purvis. Shortly after that the log cabin was burned down.By the time Fred Allen moved his house out to the main road any housing still standing in the Old Mines Rd was in bad conditionand not worth repairing or had been stripped of anything worth saving. On one or more occasions, places were broken into, which I think convinced Freddie Allen to have the house moved out to the main road. I remember them moving the house from its site across from Ed Prince. It was moved on a large flatbed pulled by a dozer. Fred’s house was located in front of, and close to, a very large open mine shaft which was the size of a large pond. It had sheer rock walls on three sides and one end was sloped so that you could, with care, walk down to the water. My sister’s husband would dive from the high side (about 35 feet or more) into the water then swim to the end and climb up the rocks back to the surface..Mom and dad sold the cottage out by the highway in the early sixties and bought a cottage on Lake Echo.Many thanks to Don Cunningham for sharing his memories of our community in the early days. We hope, and we look forward to, any more photos or stories Don can share with us. If there are any other residents, past or present, who have photos and/or stories to share with our community, we would be happy to hear from you.