FOG Iron Mine Tour
On Friday the 13th, six people took part in the Friends of Galway Iron Mine hike. We gathered at the park at Furnace Falls and enjoyed our picnic lunches. Guy Scott joined us after lunch and took us over the bridge to explore the smelter, pits, and a ‘mountain’ of marble. We saw where the old rail line ran as well as the old Monck Road. This group attempted to envision what things were like in this area in the 1880s and where the mining town of Furnace Falls may have been situated. This site was destroyed in 1888 by a forest fire that began near Bow Lake.
Upon our return to the park, we got into our vehicles and followed Guy to our next stop. At this property, our group was guided along trails to what is believed to be the Victoria Iron Mine. Again, this mine dates back to the 1880s and again, its buildings were destroyed by the same forest fire that wiped out the buildings at Furnace Falls. At this site, there was a large open pit. There were three visible drill lines on the sheer walls of this mine. Back in these times, the drilling machines would have been steam-powered, using wood as the fuel. The paths of tram lines were still visible in the forest as were the built-up sections of the rail bed.
FOG would like to thank Guy for taking our group on this interesting hike and for enlightening us with history that is right here in our backyard!