William Henry Wright
William Henry Wright (21 April 1876 – 20 September 1951) was a Canadian prospector.
In 1911, he discovered the Kirkland Lake Break, which hosted seven gold-producing mines.[1] He used the proceeds from his gold finds to launch a national newspaper in Canada, The Globe and Mail.
Early life
Wright was born in
After the war he came into the possession of a Veteran's Lot in the Porcupine area of Ontario. As Pain points out, "The proverbial luck of the British Army was with him." This lot was later sold by Wright to the Buffalo-Ankerite Mine for reaping him a hefty profit. This in addition to his later discovery of free gold along the Main Break
In 1907, Wright moved to Canada joining his sister, Frances Wright, and her husband,
The discovery
One evening in July 1911, Hargreaves became lost while hunting for
Soon after the claims were made, the partnership ended. Hargreaves needed to support his wife, so he sold his interest in the claims. Wright was single. He held onto his interest, despite a lack of funds and harsh conditions. He was determined to hold and work the claims.
The ground staked by Wright and Hargreaves eventually became three mines: Sylvanite, Lakeshore and Wright-Hargreaves. The gold extracted from these three mines totaled 13.5 million ounces. Wright had sold the claims that became Sylvanite to Harry Oakes in exchange for Lakeshore property, shares in the mine and a vice-presidency. The mine for which Wright is best known is the one that bears his name, the Wright Hargreaves.
World War I
In 1916, Wright felt the need to support the Allies in World War I. Though he was a millionaire and almost forty years old, he joined the Canadian Expeditionary Force as a private. According to Pain, Wright "must have been the wealthiest private in the Army."[1]: 40 He remained a private throughout the war, though he had to turn down the opportunity of promotion several times.
Post-war career
After the war, he focused on the Wright-Hargreaves mine. He became vice-president of the Lake Shore and Wright-Hargreaves companies.[1]: 40 It operated from 1921 to 1965 and was one of Canada's premier gold mines. The profits from this mine were used to build a major mining company with interests across Canada.
In 1936, Wright was approached by George McCullagh with the idea of acquiring two Toronto newspapers, The Globe and The Mail and Empire, and merging them. Wright went along with the plan and founded The Globe and Mail,[1]: 86–87 which became Canada's national newspaper. Until it moved to its current location in the early 1970s, The Globe and Mail was published in the art deco William H. Wright Building at 140 King St. W. in Toronto's financial district, since demolished.
In his later years, Wright lived in
References
- ^ a b c d e f Pain, S.A. (1960). Three Miles of Gold: The Story of Kirkland Lake. Toronto: The Ryerson Press. p. 16.
- ^ ISBN 091978352X.
- ^ "Archworth | Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame". horseracinghalloffame.com. Retrieved 14 December 2016.
- Globe and Mail’s beginnings Time Magazine
- Mining Hall of Fame bio
- History of Kirkland Lake
- Butler Family tree
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