Natives of the Ojibway & Cree nations have inhabited this area since the end of the last ice age, 5,000 years ago. Evidence in the form of pictographs and cooking/hunting implements have been found iin various locations throughout the area. The native aboriginal people depended heavily on animal hides and trees of the area for clothing and building materials. Bark was used for lodge and canoe coverings and wood in the making of canoes, snowshoes, toboggans, paddles, dishes and the framework for lodges. Hides, particularly moose, were made into clothing as well as lodge coverings, and containers. Hides were also cut into strips to make lacings for snowshoes and toboggans. Rabbit skin, cut in strips and woven, was used for fluffy, warm bedding. In the summer months, both short and long distance transportation was by canoe because muskeg made overland travel slow and difficult. Snowshoes and toboggans were used in the winter months.

The Europeans arrived in search of furs for the European market, particularly beaver pelts which were collected, transported north to Moose Factory and then shipped back to England to make felt for the creation of gentlemen's top hats. Other routes were used to transport furs south into the Ottawa River and then on to Montreal. In the Porcupine area there were three Hudson Bay outposts and at least one Northwest Company post. Two hundred years ago there was an active fur trade being conducted from The Cache on Kenogamissi Lake, and Frederick House on Frederick House Lake. Historical reports of the "Fredrick House massacre" in 1812 makes for interesting reading. Visit the Timmins Museum for more information.

The development of Northern Ontario occurred much later than that in the southern part of the province. The first map showing Toronto on Lake Ontario was drawn in 1688. It was two hundred years later, in the late 1880's that the government of Ontario realized the possibility of mineral riches in Northern Ontario. During the building of the railway into the north, workers blasting rock uncovered gold and silver deposits, the first evidence of the potential for mining in the north. This meant a survey had to be done and in 1889/1890 Alexander Niven was assigned the job of setting up a baseline through the area. The story of NivenÕs Meridian is a feat of surveying history marveled at today. Beginning at a point on the newly constructed Canadian Pacific Railroad on the boundary of the already-surveyed Algoma/Nipissing region, he surveyed an almost perfectly straight line north to the Moose River, just short of James Bay, a distance of 480 miles through uncharted wilderness. All consequent surveys were based on this line. Niven returned in 1899 and 1900 to survey two east-west baselines for Tisdale and Whitney townships, the place where gold was discovered nine years later.

The modern era began with the discovery of gold west of Porcupine Lake in 1909 although prospectors had been searching the area for about five years before they hit the big one. The Dome Mine, discovered by Jack Wilson, was named for a large dome-shaped outcrop of quartz with a vein of pure gold running through it. Shortly after this, prospectors found two more massive outcrops which became the McIntyre (named after its discoverer, Sandy McIntyre) and the Hollinger (named after the prospector/discoverer Benny Hollinger). Only the headframes of the mighty Hollinger and McIntyre Mines have be preserved.

The earliest recorded prospector was named Reuben Daigle. In 1904, grubstaked by Noah Timmins, he chipped rock samples from outcrops that later became part of the Hollinger mine on the shores of Gilllies Lake. He must have found something interesting because he came back again in 1905 with a crew of eight men and the equipment for a blacksmith shop no mean feat at that time, as everything had to be hauled from New Liskeard which was the railhead at that time. In 1909 Benny Hollinger hit paydirt on the same property. The mine was named after him but unfortunately he did not benefit substantially. As with most of the prospectors who found gold in the Porcupine, they sold the rights to mining companies for a few hundred dollars and never greatly benefited from their discoveries.

A significant event in the lives of the early miners was the great fire of 1911. It completely wiped out the towns of Timmins, South Porcupine and Golden City. A plaque can be found near Northern College on Highway 101 commemorating the disaster. As well, a plaque at Deadman's Point on Porcupine Lake is mute testament to the many people killed in that deadly fire.

The Gold Mine Road (10 km)
For an interesting trip through history, take a drive along the Gold Mine Road (formerly called the Back Road, because it was an alternate route into Timmins from South Porcupine). From the Tourist Information Centre in Schumacher, follow Highway 101east to South Porcupine, and turn right at the first exit for South Porcupine. Take the first right turn onto Gold Mine Road. Several mines were located along this road but now only the Dome with its vast open pit is still working. Headframes and mills for the other mines have been torn down, but remnants of the townsites are still visible from the roadway.

Up until 1960 a trip along the back road from South Porcupine to Timmins would have taken you past many operating mines. The first would have been the Dome on the right with its dull red headframe now long gone, the headframe and townsite swallowed up by the Superpit. The Preston Mine would have been found a little further down on the left side of the road and past that you would have found the Paymaster on the right. The Dome built a new headframe a few years ago at the Paymaster with hopes of extracting more gold. Next, the headframe and mill of the Buffalo Ankerite would have been visible. For a diversion and to see what a mine townsite was like, turn off the highway into the Buffalo Ankerite property. There are private homes there now, but many of the original minesite homes are still there and being lived in.

Returning to Gold Mine Road and proceeding for two km., you will arrive at the small community of McDonald Hill. From the top of the hill you can see across MacDonald Lake to the former Aunor property where everyone went to swim at the sand beach; it is still sometimes used today. A little further down is the turnoff to the Delnite mine on the left where people still live on the old townsite property. Finally, you will find the Hollinger on the right which is now the site of the Timmins Goldmine Tour. Take the tour; it is very worthwhile. The entrance is off Park Road and is shared by the Hollinger Golf Club.

Each mine had a townsite associated with it and an active community usually with a hockey team in the winter and a baseball team in the summer. Tremendous rivalries existed between the populations at the various townsites. The arena would be filled for Saturday night hockey games between the various mines. Some townsites even had a resident doctor, a curling rink, skating rink, tennis courts, soccer field and even a small store run by the company for the benefit of the residents of the townsite. People who lived here came from all over the world. They have left a rich legacy of ethnic cultures still celebrated today with the annual Ethnic Festival.