Argenta is a settlement in British Columbia. Located on the west side of the Purcell Mountains, on the northeast shore of Kootenay Lake, it was founded during a silver mining boom in the 1890s. Argenta was given its name by the Argenta Mining Company from the Latin word for silver, argentea.[1]
In 1952, Quakers settled in the town. Primarily from California, they first established the Delta Co-operative Association in 1954. They then went on to found and operate the Argenta Friends School, a boarding school, from 1959 to 1982. Students studied academic subjects, as well as gardening, how to milk cows, chop wood, pig sheering, and cook on a wood stove.[2]
In the 1960s, Argenta attracted anti-war protesters, as well as hippies, back-to-the-land residents, and members of the counter-culture.
With a population of just 100, many residents have gone on to great things. Among others, Nancy Herbison changed her name to Nancy Argenta and became a well-known opera singer based in London.[3]
Argenta has its own anthem 'Caravan of Love' by the Housemartins.[4]
50°09′58″N 116°55′19″W / 50.166°N 116.922°W / 50.166; -116.922
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