Museums 101: The Fort Steele Assay Office (Photo Diary)

by Ojibwa for Museums

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Monday, Dec. 31, 2018 Monday, Dec. 31, 2018 at 8:30:10am PST

Fort Steele, British Columbia, flourished in the 1890s. However, when the railroad by-passed the town in 1898, the community went into decline. Today Fort Steele is a Heritage Village in which visitors can experience what life was like in the 1890s. Mining was one of industries that brought non-Indians into the region and thus the assayer was important.

photo P1010938_zpstyoqjfhc.jpg — This building is a replica of the 1890s Ronan and Leach Assay Office in Fort Steele.

According to the display:

“The role of the assayer was to conduct tests on ore samples in order to determine the mineral content of the ore. As exploration for valuable minerals was extensive in the East Kootenays in the late 18^th century, assayers were kept very busy by the local mines and private miners alike.”