Overview

From the 1890s to 1914, the town of Rossland in southeastern British Columbia - at one point kown as Chicago of the North - was the most important mining centre in that region. During that time, hard rock mining changed from a loosely structured pioneer activity to a fully-fledged industry which relied on sophisticated technology, a complex corporate infrastructure, and economies of scale, resulting in the establishment of the giant Cominco smelter in Trail, which still dominates the area's economy. The industry's development was not simple and in ""Roaring Days"", Jeremy Mouat emphasizes its complexity by examining very different aspects of mining, from the work underground to the corporate strategies of the management. The story of Rossland and mining in the Kootenays is a local variant of a profound event - the transformation of North America as it was brought within the network of world trade. In a world that measured progress by military strength and industrial capacity, the implications of direct access to mineral products was enormous. As Mouat traces the history of Rossland, he also points to a number of themes that parallel the broader history of the province and the country. He shows how mining played a major role in the opening of the west as it offered employment and attracted a wide range of people to British Columbia. For much of the 19th century, it was the province's leading resources industry, with Cominco, the most successful mining company ever to operate in ""BC"", being credited with having produced nearly one half of the metal wealth of British Columbia.

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Reviews

So well-written that the complexities of the subject are clearly presented and, more imporantly, interconnected. The extensive use of annotated endnotes is the academic thread that binds this masterpiece together (a total of 600 citations in 49 pages). -- Ron Welwood * BC Historical News * A cheerful, fast-paced account of the rise and fall of Rossland as an active mining centre ... Roaring Days has the merit of being stimulating in approach, engagingly written, and presenting technical subjects in clear, understandable terms. -- Jean Barman * BCLA Reporter * Mouat's research is comprehensive and solid. Roaring Days is recommended to economic historians and institutions concerned with British Columbia and the United States Northwest. -- Otis E. Young * Pacific Historical Review *

Mouat's research is comprehensive and solid. Roaring Days is recommended to economic historians and institutions concerned with British Columbia and the United States Northwest. -- Otis E. Young Pacific Historical Review A cheerful, fast-paced account of the rise and fall of Rossland as an active mining centre ... Roaring Days has the merit of being stimulating in approach, engagingly written, and presenting technical subjects in clear, understandable terms. -- Jean Barman BCLA Reporter So well-written that the complexities of the subject are clearly presented and, more imporantly, interconnected. The extensive use of annotated endnotes is the academic thread that binds this masterpiece together (a total of 600 citations in 49 pages). -- Ron Welwood BC Historical News

Author Information

Jeremy Mouat teaches history at Athabasca University, Canada's Open University.

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