Silver Cliff Mine

Argentia's mine had silver, zinc and lead content. It is located in Broad Cove Creek Canyon, 1,800 feet inland from Broad Cove in Placentia Bay. The first lead discovery was made in 1880. Silver Cliff Mine veins were located around 1882-1883. It was opened by an English Company, closed, operated under a second English Company for six months and closed again by the death of a principal. J.W. Foran of St. John's worked it until his death in 1898. Silver Cliff Mining Limited worked it from 1922-1925.

The "Strouter" Lead Lode

The "Strouter" Lead Lode was worked on in 1857 by a Captain named Andrew Harvey according to Harry Thomas Verran a mining engineer who visited the property in September 1857. The property was worked for a year or so about 1925, by Mr. Charles H. Hutchings. Since then nothing has been done there.

Verran's Island Lead Mine

Verran's Island Lead Mine property was located in the Swans, a part of the South East Arm, immediately south of Placentia Town. The island was about 300 feet long and 70 feet wide and the lode was split up on the island into three lodes. The main lode, situated on the south side of the island was three feet wide and contained in places when worked years ago, 4 inches of solid ore. The ore galena, contains lead, silver, gold, copper and zinc. Verran's Island Lode was discovered about 1858 by Harry Thomas Verran who discovered nine mineral lodes in the Placentia area.

The discovery of 1905

In 1905 an exciting discovery was announced, a deposit of Argentitreous galena (silver lead). This discovery so excited Father St. John, Little Placentia's priest, that he changed the name of the village to Argentia. It is said that at the same time he named the islands just south "Iona" after his Irish home, for which he was homesick.

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