Eldorado, Ontario

Eldorado is a community in Madoc Township, in Ontario, Canada, with a 2019 population of 50.

Eldorado, 2010

In 1866, it was the location of Ontario's first gold rush after Marcus Herbert Powell found gold on John Richardson's farm.^[1]

Location

Eldorado is located six miles away from the centre of Madoc.^[2]

History

Eldorado Cheese and Butter Co-op store, c. 1960

Eldorado, c.1900

Municipal employee and part-time prospector Marcus Herbert Powell found gold on August 15, 1866, on a farm owned by John Richardson's.^[1][3]

The town of Eldorado was founded in 1867.^[1] The same year the Richardson Mine went into operation.^[1] Despite higher expectations, Powell extracted about 100 ounces of gold, worth $1,500 to $2,000 at the time, but no further gold was found.^[3] Various other mines that had quickly opened, quickly closed.^[3][1]

Demographics

In 2019 the population of Eldorado was 50, down from 4,000 during the gold rush.^[3] In contemporary times, it is considered to be a ghost town.^[4]