Written by Valerie Morley, Porcupine Quill, 1935

It is fascinating to speculate on the origin of place names, especially those of Northern Ontario. Some of the towns assumed their names from Indian lore; others show that those who gave them, loved dearly the homes they had left; still others were christened by circumstance.

The Indians were the first people in Northern Ontario, and they had their settlements named before the white men came. Some of these names have been retained. This part of Ontario was called the Porcupine because of the many porcupines the Indians found around here.

Most of the towns of the North are named after men who were important at the time of the springing up of settlements. In 1905, Mr. George Bannerman of Golden City and Mr. J.P. Geddes of Timmins were two of the first men in the camp. They reported gold in these localities and the rush started. In 1909, Mr. A. Gillies and Mr. Ben Hollinger staked the Hollinger claims. Messrs. L.H. ad Noah Timmins, brothers, financed the Hollinger and the settlement which sprang up was named after them.

About the same time, Mr. Schumacher was working on the McIntyre property. Schumacher had been called Aura Lake. But when the McIntyre was discovered, the town was called Schumacher. Pottsville was named after a fine old lady by the name of Mrs. Potts, who was called “Ma Potts” by the men She kept one of the first hotels in the Porcupine.

About 1909, the Dome deposit was discovered. It was called Dome because of the peculiar shape of the gold-bearing deposit.