This smelter was established in 1895 by the Hendryx interests to smelt the lead-silver ores from the Blue Bell mine. At its peak in 1896 two hundred men were employed in the smelter while the total population of Pilot Bay reportedly approached 1,000. The amenities of these single-purpose, instant towns were obviously limited although Pilot Bay did have four hotels, three stores and a few other businesses. The buildings in the foreground are probably hotels or boarding houses. Although the smelter was the first in the Kootenays, its life was very limited. It closed in 1896, then reopened for another brief and unsuccessful period in 1905.
