Chronology of Mining 1890 to 1929 is located in Esling Park. In 1921 Esling Park was built on this site and dedicated to William Kemble Esling in 1923. Popularly known as Billy, Esling was the first publisher of the "Rossland Miner" newspaper and, from 1925 to 1946 the area's Member of Parliament
First discovered by two prospectors from the nearby Dewdney Trail, the Le Roi mine was the claim that started the gold rush in Rossland in 1890.
Chronology of Mining 1890 to 1929
1890 - The first five claims are staked on Red Mountain, LeRoi, Center Star, War Eagle, Idaho, Virginia. (16/30ths of the LeRoi sold to American interests in the same year for $15,000.)
1891 - Word spreads – more exploration, and more claims staked.
1892 The Wagon Road for shipping ore to Northport and a rail connection to American smelters constructed.
1893 - The Wagon Road to Trail Creek Landing and the Columbia River constructed to move ore to smelters.
1895 - F. Augustus Heinze starts construction of his smelter at Trail and a tramway to the Rossland mines to carry ore.
1896 - American and Canadian rail links to mines are completed and the smelter starts operation.
1897 - West Kootenay Power and Light Co. is formed to bring electricity to the mines –construction of the first dam on the Kootenay River and a 26-mile, high-voltage transmission line into Rossland begins.
1897 - The British America Company (BAC) enters the ownership competition for mining companies and properties.
1898 - Heinze sells his railway and smelter to CPR for $1,000,000.
1906 - Consolidated Mining and Smelting Company (CM&S) formed by amalgamating the Rossland and Kootenay mines and the Trail smelter.
1911 - The LeRoi mine is brought into the fold of CM&S.
1929 - The Rossland mines cease production.