Local History
Wallace
Wallace is a picturesque village with a diverse cultural heritage. The remnants of Mi'kmaq habitation and the Acadian Dykes are visible reminders of our first Native and European settlers. This fishing and hunting community was then called Remsheg, meaning "the place between", in the original Mi'kmaq language. The most obvious reminder of the Acadian settlers living in the Wallace area (1710 - 1755) are the dykes. Dyked farm land is still clearly visible and confirming that several families farmed and lived in Remsheg. The several hard working families that toiled over the rich soil were deported by the English in what is called the Expulsion of the Acadians. Local author Francis Grant wrote that the male French settlers were marched to Tatamagouche and loaded on ships for expulsion, to the American seaboard, in August 1755. One of his stories suggests the female Acadians were left behind. After the English left French settlers from Ilse St. Jean, (Prince Edward Island) came to the area to rescue the women and children left behind. Between 80,000 and 100,000 loyalists migrated from the American Colonies. Approximately 35,000 came to the Maritimes. The Loyalists that settled in Wallace were from Westchester New York. The Loyalists were given 239 acre lots in the recently surveyed township of Remsheg. There were granted farm lands and an additional three acre lot in the Township. The descendants of many of these families are still in the Wallace area today. Some of the families are: Brown, Dotten, Forshner, Piers, Purdy and Tuttle. The legacy left from the heyday of Wallace sandstone continues to be a source of pride for the local area. In it's long history, Wallace sandstone has graced buildings from Halifax to San Francisco and forms part of the Peace Tower of the Canadian Parliament buildings in Ottawa. Architect Robert Scott, who was commissioned to build the Nova Scotia Legislature in 1811, opened the first quarry in the area. Eventually several quarries opened along the Wallace River and two in Wallace. Wallace sandstone had many uses from sidewalk blocks, breakwaters, head stones, but is most famous for its building stone.
The history of Wallace sandstone goes back much further than the nineteenth century, when humans first worked the stone. The story of Wallace sandstone begins 300 million of years ago when the sandstone formed from the bed of a gigantic river created by the formation of the Appalachian Mountain range. This fast flowing river deposited beautiful clean sand as it wound its way through North Eastern North America and out into the Atlantic Ocean. History of the quarries and some of the fine stone buildings they contributed to, is available at the Museum.
Information courtesy of Wallace and Area Museum
Pugwash
The Village of Pugwash gets its name from the Mi'kmaq word "Pagweak",
meaning deep water. The Mi'kmaq were early inhabitants of the lands on
both sides of Pugwash harbour where they gathered food from the land and
sea. Acadians lived here in the early eighteenth century until the 1755
expulsion by the British. Many families can trace their roots to the
Irish, Scottish, English and United Empire Loyalists. Gaelic and English
street signs remind us of our Scottish heritage. Most of the early
families gained their livelihood from farming, fishing, hunting and the
forest. By 1837 shipbuilding had become the major industry. After its
decline in 1867 there was a period of economic hardship. Small
industries gained importance and the coming of the railway by 1890 again
boosted the economy. By 1900 Pugwash had many businesses; a brickyard
producing eight million bricks a year, a tannery, foundry, confectionary
factory, chair factory, lobster canneries, hotels, a theatre, general
stores, churches, shipbuilders, a quarry, saloons and the county insane
asylum. the Village experienced several major fires between 1877 and
1929. During the twentieth century Pugwash saw some of its residents
fight in two world wars, and witnessed the birth of the Pugwash Peace
Conferences. In 1957, Cyrus Eaton, a native son, worked with Albert
Einstein, Bertrand Russell and Dr. Joseph Rotblat, to bring about the
first conference on nuclear disarmament. internationally known as the
birthplace the "Thinkers Conference", Dr. Joseph Rotblat and the Pugwash
Conferences was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1995. Pugwash is the
only location to win the prestigious Nobel prize. Following years saw
the opening of the Canadian Salt Mine, a revitalization of its seaport
and the lobster fishing industry, and the growth of Seagull Pewter into
an international exporter. Today the village boasts a growing number of
successful small businesses. (1, 2)
Information courtesy of The Pugwash Village Commission
River John
The area surrounding the mouth of the river, called by the Mi'kmaq, Cajje-Boogwek (flowing through a wilderness) was not permanently settled until 1785 though the Aboriginal people certainly camped in the area and there is a tradition that French traders set up a seasonal trading post about one mile up river.
In the middle of the eighteenth century, two events in Europe led directly to the founding of the village of River John. In France, the Protestant inhabitants (Huguenots) of the Duchy of Wurtemburg were subjected to religious persecution and in England, the government decided to send settlers out to populate the newly acquired colony of Nova Scotia. An invitation was extended to Protestants living on the continent and a large number of Huguenots responded, landing in Halifax in 1753. From there they went to Lunenburg where they found the land poor and difficult to farm but in 1771, they were offered better farmlands in the area around Tatamagouche. These lands had been granted to Colonel Jean DesBarres, another Huguenot, after the expulsion of the Acadians and he persuaded eleven families to move to his property. However, he would not sell any land and when land grants were available for the asking in Pictou County it is not surprising that in 1785 four families left Tatamagouche to settle on land described as: "Lying on a river and bay known by the name of Deception River, near Cap Jean, beginning about a mile north from the entrance of the said river on the west side." Soon the name of the river was changed and the settlement received its' permanent name, River John. The settlers erected a blockhouse on a point of land and built their first log houses close by. From here they went out each day to clear their lands and sow their first crops. The first white child, a girl Phoebe Patriquin was born the following year.
Scottish immigrants now began to take up land grants on the east bank of the River and on Cape John but, as there was no bridge and the first point at which the river could be crossed was over a mile upriver, the two groups remained separate for some time. However, by the end of the century, the settlers had coalesced into a community and in 1797 had appointed Town Officers; an overseer of roads, an overseer of fisheries, a constable, an assessor and an overseer of fences and thistles. The new century saw the Emperor Napoleon establishing himself as a new Julius Caesar and fighting wars throughout the continent.
War in Europe meant prosperity in North America with a tremendous demand for lumber and ships. The village of River John partook of this prosperity and grew rapidly. A wooden bridge linked both sides of the river. This made it easier for residents to gather for worship or social occasions. In 1808 they secured the services of a clergyman and the congregation joined the Presbytery of Pictou the following year. On June 18, 1815 Canada’s earliest church of the Disciples of Christ, made its' beginning in River John. In 1818 the first school was built and children were spared from work in the fields so that they might learn the basic 'three Rs'.
A local merchant, Robert Mackay decided to copy his colleagues in other sea- side communities and start a shipyard. He built River John's first ship in 1825 but by this time the boom years had passed and before long he lost his business. The bankrupt's assets were purchased by an up-and-coming young Scot, Alexander Mackenzie... a cousin and namesake of Alexander Mackenzie, the great explorer who first crossed the continent by land and discovered the mighty river that bears his name. Young Mackenzie prospered as did his brother-in-law, Charles McLennan who had also settled in River John. By 1835 when the post-war depression was coming to an end, MacKenzie had started a shipyard in River John as had the Hon. George Smith and Kenneth MacLean. The old meeting house was too small for its' congregation and the construction of a new one was begun. A Methodist chapel and a small Anglican church were built.
By 1842 hard times had again returned. Smith and MacLean both failed in business. The new Presbyterian church was never finished and the Anglican church was used as a carpenter shop and a cattle shed. The school house was unoccupied. A letter to the newspaper stated baldly, "Times are so bad that we can't afford to pay for preaching and teaching." As so often in the past, European wars came to the rescue. In 1853 the Crimean war broke out in southeastern Europe and once again ships were needed. Two new ship builders appeared upon the scene, James Kitchen and John Mockler and from this time dated the glory days of River John as a shipbuilding centre. Prosperity brought expansion to the village. A stagecoach connected it with the town of Pictou and news from abroad arrived via the wires of the Western Union Telegraph Company, which established an office in the village. A newspaper started. Two inns were built for the accommodation of visitors. A foundry, tannery and sawmills were established and their products supplied the needs of the shipyards. When several ships were being built at the same time, there were not enough skilled workers in the village to carry out the work and men used to come from as far as Lunenburg County for the seasonal work. There were no accommodation for these workers and they erected shanties and lean-to from scrap lumber from the shipyard. These shacks were built in a part of the village just west of the shipyard, an area that became known as Slabtown. Some of these itinerant workmen stayed in River John and although the quality of their dwellings improved, the unflattering name stuck.
By 1863 River John was important enough to figure on the itinerary of Edward, Prince of Wales. Queen Victoria's son arrived by stagecoach and was then taken in Charles McLennan's brand new carriage for a drive around the community. The stagecoach would disappear as the railway came to Pictou County. When Charles McLennan heard that the proposed Intercolonial Railway station was to be located seven miles from River John at West Branch, he exercised all of his considerable political influence to ensure that line was rerouted to bring the station closer.
The bustling prosperity of these years brought new building in the village. Three new churches were built, two Presbyterian and one Anglican. To take advantage of the visitors the new train would bring, McLennan built a large and handsome hotel, the Riverside and another merchant, John MacKenzie constructed the only brick built commercial building outside of the County towns. In 1885 the wooden road bridge spanning the river in the village centre was replaced by a double span, steel truss bridge and in that same year the two greatest vessels ever built on the North Shore slipped down the ways of the Kitchen and MacKenzie yards.
Despite all this activity, by the end of the century it was obvious that steel and steam were replacing wood and wind and the era of the great square riggers was at an end. Only smaller, fore and aft rigged vessels were economical and the demand for them was sporadic. The old ship yards were abandoned, the wharves deserted and the village again languished. By the beginning of the 20th century the great 'brain drain' from Nova Scotia had begun. As if to facilitate it, in 1902 a fine, new school building was built in the centre of the village and dominated its landscape for the next seventy years.
The telephone came to the village at the turn of the century and by 1908 there were 28 telephones in service. By 1917 there were many Maritime Telephone and Telegraph subscribers but a much larger network of small companies fanned out from the village.
Charles McLennan was the only shipbuilder constructing ships in the first years of the century and these were schooners of less than 500 tons. He lost his entire fortune in a stock market crash in 1910 and it seemed that shipbuilding in River John was at an end. Then came the great war and an unparalleled destruction of British and allied shipping. Vessels were in desperately short supply and there was even a market for wooden ships. While a great many of the young men of the village were serving in the army overseas, there were still a few aged ship carpenters living in the village and there were still men in the hills who knew how to get out the knees, planking and hardwood timber. Archibald MacKenzie built the "Cambrai," named for one of the great battlefields of the war and Charles McLennan sold one of his few remaining assets, a woodlot and with the proceeds built a small schooner, the "Cyril T" and then the larger "Mary F. Anderson." This was the last wooden ship to be built in River John.
After the war, when the men returned, there were a few fairly good years, the country in general was prosperous, and there was work to be had. There were ten lobster factories (canneries) in River John giving seasonal work to local women and providing a market for the local fishermen. In 1921 the first bank opened in the village, a branch of the Bank of Nova Scotia. At the end of this decade the great stock market crash of 1929 plunged the entire continent into the depths of the great depression. In River John matters were not helped by a disastrous fire in November 1930 that wiped out three retail businesses. Prices for lobsters plunged and though no one starved, many families knew what it was to go hungry. It was hard to blame some of the fishermen if they turned to rum running to make a few dollars.
Hard times continued throughout the thirties until the outbreak of World War II . Many young men immediately joined the armed forces while the older men and women found work at Ferguson Industries in Pictou, building steel ships. Once again the economy of the village was saved by war and shipbuilding.
The second half of this century has seen this village become a bedroom community. Fishing is the now the major industry while the remainder of the citizens work in the neighbouring towns or in the service sector.
Compiled by Rosalie D. Robison, Historical Research Coordinator Summer of 1998.
To obtain the full book "Historical Research on River John, N.S." please visit the Reference
Section of the River John Library.
Tatamagouche
Tatamagouche is a popular stopping point for visitors, as it is both pleasantly situated and offers many services, including restaurants, accommodations and banking. The village is built where the rivers French and Waugh enter a natural harbour, and it gets it name from the Mi'kmaq 'Takumegooch' meaning 'meeting of the waters'. The first European settlers were Acadian, and it was a transshipment point for goods bound for Fortress Louisbourg. In 1755 the British expelled the Acadians and the village was destroyed. All that remains from that period are some Acadian dykes and French place names. Protestant repopulation began in 1765, and grew considerably before the end of the century with a flood of Scottish immigrants following the Highland Clearances. In the nineteenth century, like many other villages in this area, Tatamagouche had a sizeable shipbuilding industry. The Intercolonial Railway station was built in 1887 and served the community of Tatamagouche as a Train Station until 1972. Daily self guided tours of the Train Station and it's railway cars are free. The Station's 9 railway cars include 6 cabooses, 2 box cars and 1 transfer van. The property now operates as a Country Inn, Gift Shop and Cafe. The rail line has gone, and the bed now forms part of the Trans Canada Trail, making Tatamagouche a good starting point for a waterfront walk or biking expedition. In late September, Tatamagouche hosts the second largest Oktoberfest in Canada where you can dance to the oom-pah-pah of traditional German music. The Tatamagouche Creamery began when Mr. Alexander Ross purchased a waterfront property in 1922 and in 1925 he built and announced the opening of his new creamery. Over 1000 local farms supplied milk to the Creamery in order to produce its famous “Tatamagouche Butter”, which it did daily, making almost 2000 lbs. In 1930, J. J. Creighton purchased the Creamery and after he passed away in 1967, Scotsburn Dairy Cooperative Limited acquired it. Scotsburn kept the Creamery operational from 1968 until they closed its doors in1992. Soon after which, they donated the one-acre lot and 2 buildings to the village of Tatamagouche with the stipulation that no structural changes were to be made to the building’s exterior, including the name and colour. However, a community can not hold a deed, so the Creamery Society, a community based organization, was formed to take over the building. The Creamery society, which was incorporated on October 26, 1993, consisted of seventeen members. (3)
Parts of this information provided by Derek Andrew
Fox Harbour
According to T. C. Haliburton, Highlanders settled the area around 1812. Land was first granted, however, in 1781, to soldiers of the Royal Fencible American Regiment. The community had a school in 1829, a way office in 1842, and a Presbyterian Church about 1843. A new United Church was erected in 1931. The population in 1956 was 80. The name Fox harbour has several local theories but none proven. The name does appear on a 1784 survey map of the Loyalist Grant. It is a small harbour that runs parallel with the Wallace Harbour and the Northumberland Strait. There is one island in the small harbour and at the mouth of the harbour is a much larger Island, shaped like a giant lobster, called Oak Island. Rich farmland lines both sides of the Harbour. There is evidence of Native Mi'kmaq habitation; Acadian dykes provide proof of years of settlement and the hedge lines of today’s farmland gives proof of the original 200 acre United Empire Loyalist land grants.
Information courtesy of Public Archives of Nova Scotia and Wallace and Area Museum.
Malagash
Malagash is derived from an Indian word “Malegawach” meaning “the mocking place”, or where the Indians used to meet to play games, or from “Muligech” meaning “milk” and used to describe the appearance of water when ruffled. The area was first settled by Loyalists and disbanded soldiers in 1785. Among them were Stephen Canfield, David and Isaac Teed, Solomon Horton, and Col. Gilbert Purdy. A Methodist Church was built in 1808, followed by a Presbyterian Church in 1810. Lumbering was the first industry, Ship-building began by 1804. A lobster factory was established in 1877, and a cheese factory in 1891. Salt mining began in 1918 but was abandoned in 1959 after a new shaft was opened in Pugwash. (4)
Information courtesy of Public Archives of Nova Scotia
Image Copyright Information:
1. Courtesy of Pugwash Village Commission
2. Courtesy of Pugwash Village Commission
3. © Nova Scotia Museum
4. © Canada Science and Technology Museum. Image #CN005083. Reproduced with permission from the Canada Science and Technology Museum (http://www.sciencetech.technomuses.ca).
