Prepared by Barb Peart, Author of As the Last Leaf Fell

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HISTORICAL TIME LINE FOR THE HEAD OF ST. MARGARET’S BAY

(Prepared by Barb Peart, Author of As the Last Leaf Fell)

1500's Tribes of Native peoples inhabited our communities before the coasts were frequented by seasonal fishermen from various nations

1604 Samuel de Champlain and Sieur de Monts, along with 120 men, landed at the mouth of the St. Croix River. The following year, they established Port Royal, the first permanent white settlement in Acadia. The French became friends with the original inhabitants.

1607 First called the Souriquois, “salt water men,” by the French, the Miggaamacks, Micmacs, or Mi’kmaqs were obviously here when Champlain explored our coast (Rivière Saincte Marguerite), maybe named after his mother, Marguerite LeRoy. Evidence of their settlements are exemplified by today’s names: Indian Point, Indian Harbour, Indian River, Indian Hill (location of Sing Mason’s homestead which had the imprints of six tepees), as well as Natives living in the field below Kennedy’s Law Office and up by the Power Commission. The very Head of the Bay, between Sheep (Todd’s) Island and Slaughenwhite’s Point (Allen Heights) was once called Bernard’s Cove after the local chief.

1749 Founding of Halifax by Colonel Edward Cornwallis and peopled primarily from Europe’s mainland and Scotland.

1751-52 French and German Foreign Protestants, suffering from high taxation, unemployment, religious intolerance, overpopulation, land shortage, famine, disease, etc., and equipped with false promises from the British Government, arrived in Halifax on ships such as the Speedwell, Sally, Ann, Betty, many from Montbéliard, (located near the northern tip of France not far from the Swiss border); they and their kin became the original settlers of the Bay: Boutellier, Schlagintweit, Masson, Langille, Burgoyne, Dorey, Hubley, Fedher, Jeanperine, Dofiney, Mead, Westaver, Anderson, Coulan, etc.

1752 First recorded wedding in the oldest Protestant Church in Halifax, St. Paul’s, August 31, between Jean George Bouteiller and Ane Catherine Mailler.

1753 Colonel Lawrence settled a township on the South Shore of N. S. called Lunenburg–June 7, at Rous’s Brook.

1755 Expulsion of the Acadians: Colonel Charles Lawrence ordered the Acadians expelled from their lands around Grand Pré for not taking the Oath of Allegiance to the British Crown. Six thousand were scattered around the New England Colonies, many families separated for life.

1763 Treaty of Paris concluded Seven Years’ War between France and England, which returned to Britain all French lands in North America.

1780 Governor Parr encouraged descendants of the French and German Foreign Protestants to take up land along deserted shores of St. Margaret’s Bay.

c. 1785 FIRST HOUSE (log cabin) at the HEAD of the Bay built by George Frédéric Mason (1766-1827). He married Mary Barbara Catherine Knickel in 1792 and had 11 children. “Fisherman’s Cottage,” later renamed Willow Cottage, was erected across from Todd’s Island on Fred Mason’s property (now owned by Teddy Weldon). HRH Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, 4th son of George III, overnighted at Fisherman’s Cottage prior to 1800, when he returned to England. (He left behind his famous Prince’s Lodge and the Old Town Clock). The Cottage became a prosperous spot and housed some of the best salmon fishermen and hunters in the world.

1780's Pioneer Cemetery in existence in French Village

1783 First Montbéliardians began to settle in present-day French Village (area around Head of St. Margaret’s Bay and French Village Harbor known as “French Settlement”). Large grants of land were given to individuals modeled after the Seignorial System of Land Granting in Quebec (long narrow strips bordering on the water).

1784 About 25 000 - 30 000 United Empire Loyalists started flocking to Nova Scotia and Lower Canada, creating two new provinces, New Brunswick and Ontario. They played a very meaningful role in economic, political, and psychological development in our province. Cape Breton also took the big plunge and separated from Nova Scotia.

1786 Chief Philip Bernard, Solomon, and Tawmaugh received 500 acres of land from George III of Great Britain, France, and Ireland for services rendered.

1801 Fifty pounds were allotted for a road from Nine Mile River to St. Margaret’s Bay by Hammonds Plains and another from the head of North West Arm to St. Margaret’s Bay.

1805 George Masson owned part of present-day Mason’s Point with Joseph Duffeney.

1808 George Masson bought from Joseph Duffeney, his share for £75, of Collectors Point (Mason’s Point) and also bought Clam Island from Joseph and Mary Boutillier for £45 (part of James Buckeley’s 1785 holding). Some 9 years later, he, James Croucher, and James Boutilier bought the Indian Grant when the Mi’kmaq moved to LaHave.

1816 St. Margaret’s Bay had its first school located at French Village with Thomas Holland as schoolmaster.

1817 Census listed last names: Croucher, Covey, Boutillier, Slauenwight, Mason, Dorey, Duffiney, Holland, Burgoyne, and Fader.

1819 Map of St. Margaret’s Bay indicated 500-A Indian Grant of 1786, 1500-A Ingram holdings, George Mason lot on Mason’s Point, and John Jacob Slaughenwhite holdings.

1820-60's Great progress with roads and churches was made in the Bay.

1821 Methodist “Meeting House” existed in Glen Margaret (origin of William Black Memorial United).

1824 St. Paul’s Church became the oldest Anglican church of Parish of French Village (Rev. John Stannage–rector).

1827 First Margaret’s Bay Baptist Church was founded in Seabright area.

1830's Stage coach line was established from Halifax to Chester with changes about every 10 miles (Nine Mile River, Head of the Bay, Hubbards).

1838 Settlers at Head of Bay resolved to build a church-school, “Filleul’s School,” named after Dr. P. J. Filleul, the first resident missionary in Lunenburg. There was also a school on the crest of a hill on Island View Drive in 1840 (Miss Eliza Sellon–teacher). By 1873, a school house was on Mason’s Point Road–later moved to present-day St. George’s Church property (burnt in 1890's). When Ina Romans was teaching at the Bay in Ted Dorey’s day, she had 91 in a room, ranging in age from 5 to 18.

1840's on First store by John George Dauphinee on Bill Christie’s property: others were owned by Oswald Dauphinee, Wm. Rankin, John H. Fader Sr. and Sons, Alfred Cook, Grace Dunlop (both store and post office), Augustus Hartlen, (Cliff Fader, prior to 1919), Ollie Dauphinee, Pop and Josephine Mason, Charlie Tupper, Mel Christie, Abel Boutilier, Milford Slauenwhite, Elver Nash, Bruce Boutilier, Fred Mason, John Swallow, Betty Kedy, Aubrey Pulsifer, Howard and Loran Wentzell, some out here, some in town, many others, no particular order

1845 Roman Catholic family, headed by Thomas Mahar, established a church in Glen Margaret, later known as St. Margaret’s of Scotland.

1845-47 Many children died from disease (typhoid fever, pneumonia, diphtheria). Two families in Boutilier’s Point lost 18 children. Thirty died all at once.

1846 Frame of St. James Chapel in Boutilier’s Point was raised on July 23.

1847 Introduction of the Royal Western Mail Shore Line of Stage Coaches between Halifax and Lunenburg (twice a week)

1849` Great Sea Serpent spied in St. Margaret’s Bay

1853-56 Crimean War was caused over minor religious disputes in Turkish-controlled Pakistan which led to over 12 000 deaths. Florence Nightingale, the “little ministering angel” was its female heroine. Famous battles of Alma, Sebastopol, Balaclava, and Inkerman: several men from the Bay took part in “The Charge of the Light Brigade,” among them old Dave Pope and James Henry Cook. From at least 1894-1911, the post office at the Head of the Bay was referred to as “Inkerman” Street. Dave Pope had married a Mason girl from the Prince of Wales Hotel, which housed the post office.

1864 Loftus Frederick Mason, son of Martin, built a large house on the banks of Indian River as an outpost for the British Military. Later (c. 1895), it was taken over by Loftus and became the Indian River Fishing and Hunting Club (“Saraguay”), “House by the Side of Shining Waters”–my birthplace.

1867-68 Dispute about “seine” fishing–petition signed regarding “unfair net and Sean” fishing–lean years: lack of fuel, food, people starving, living on clams and a little bread, mending nets for 50 cents a month

1870's Confederation in the past (July 1, 1867: Dominion of Canada formed): Increase in fishing industry, livestock, trapping, linen being produced, blacksmiths, wheelwrights, carpentry shops, grist mills, etc. Boom years!

1872 Prince of Wales Hotel, on “Fisherman’s Cottage” property, opened on July 29 by Martin Mason, son of George Frederick. Named after Albert Edward (Edward VII), eldest son of Queen Victoria, who ruled the Commonwealth from 1901-1910, it became a prominent landmark in the Bay. The Prince had gone on one particular salmon-fishing trip up Indian River (one of the best salmon rivers in Eastern Canada) with Loftus and Nathaniel Mason as his guides. The hotel burned down on March 20, 1939.

In July, of the same year, the announcement was made in the Daily Acadian Recorder, The N. L. Todd and Polleys Co. erected one of the finest lumber mills in the province on Todd’s Island (Sheep Island). Ninian L. Todd and John Polleys were two entrepreneurs from Calais, Maine. With them, came many notable citizens–Christies, Rankins, etc. William Rankin built Cedar Cottage at the entrance to Todd’s Island. It remains there today, as several of the other original houses. Large barquentines with triple masts used to lay anchor off Todd’s Island and transport the heavy timbers.

Besides this prosperous lumber mill, there were others at various times: John George Dauphinee was also operating a saw/grist mill on present-day Bill Christie property, and Collishaw’s Mill was on Oakland Point about 1870 ( on the little island off Pearts’ in Allen Heights). John George also owned a shipyard on the “S” turns, where the first vessel of the Head of the Bay was built, the Swift Current. The St. Margaret’s Bay Lumber Company in French Village was owned by David Gray and run by Ellison Collishaw (1895). In the early 1900's, Lewis Miller, a Scotsman, brought Ingramport to prominence through his mill at Ingram River; (on August 20, 1928, 4-5 000 000 feet of lumber , plus 8 buildings, and a wharf burned), and James H. Slagenweit also had a steam mill on Little East River about that time.

1875 John Henry Fader Jr. (King of Slaughenwhite’s Point) married Annie Lapham. They had 16 children, their own schoolhouse, and private teacher. Allen Heights Subdivision was originally named Slaughenwhite’s Point, but was also called Oakland Point and Fader’s Point. The original Fader house still stands.

1876 2nd Margaret’s Bay Baptist Church built on Mason’s Point; land sold for $1.00 by John Henry Fader Sr. and Annie

1882 The light was first lit on Croucher’s Island (Cranberry Island) on New Year’s night by George Croucher (not verified); in later years, it was run by Wentie and Maggie Boutilier.

1888 Seventh Day Adventist Church erected on land donated by John Longard (second oldest in Canada and oldest English-speaking SDA in our country)

1892 St. James School, a two-storied building, was erected on steep hill behind Reg Tupper’s (Mr. John Gibbons, schoolmaster); it was replaced in 1950 by new one. (1900–$250 a year for teacher’s salary)

1893 First phone call at the Bay from Halifax to Todd’s Mill on Sheep Island. Two years later, a phone was installed at the Prince of Wales Hotel.

1896 Methodists were deeded a piece of land by Mr. and Mrs. Hurshman on Old School Road (Peggy’s Cove Road), and church finished the following year

1899-1902 Boer War between British and Boers, “Dutch farmers” in South Africa. Dave Pope, an English officer, fought in the war, along with Ted Dorey’s maternal grandfather. Dave came out to the Bay to fish on Indian River, as did a lot of military men, and he ended up marrying Mary Elizabeth Mason in 1839.

1902 December, St. Margaret’s Anglican Church opened its doors on the Peggy’s Cove Road. Land donated by Mr. and Mrs. Isaac Dauphinee

1903-04 Bed for the Halifax and South Western Railway was being built in 1903 by a crew of Italians from Italy under the direction of Vincent James Cavicchi. The steel rails were laid the next year, and the first train ran through here. Also Dew Drop Inn came into existence (Ikamar Boutilier and Bill Fader built it).

1904 Halifax and South Western Railway Railway daily mail delivery

1908 Epidemic of “Black Diphtheria” rushed through the Bay; many children died.

1913-14 Ingram River School built at corner of Island View and Boutilier’s Point Road

1914-18 First World War–Many of our boys went Overseas. Cecil Boutilier, Raymond Burgoyne, and John Tupper, among others, lost their lives.

1914 May 9, Clarence Eugene Snow, “Hank Snow,” was born. He played at Fred Mason’s Dance Hall and upstairs in St. James School to assist the Scouts from the mid-to late 30's. He gave guitar lessons to Eleanor Mason and Reg Tupper.

1917 December 6–Halifax Explosion–Imo and Mont Blanc collided, killing approximately 2000 and wounding another 9000. Young men in the Bay were killed, among them: Owen and Carl Conrad, Carrol Boutilier, Harrison Boutilier, Francis Boutilier. My parents had people from Halifax sleeping everywhere in the house, on the floors, and a dear friend had two of her children killed in front of her, while she was mangled with flying, broken glass.

1918 January 28, famous soldier and surgeon, Lieut.-Colonel John McCrae, died. He is most remembered for his poem “In Flanders Fields,” recited by our school children. In 1997, his medals were discovered in Winnipeg, and Arthur Lee purchased them for $506 000 and donated them to the McCrae House.

1920 Mr. Knockwood, a Mi’kmaq, located down by the Mill Shore (mouth of North East River), probably relocated, seeing the end of the local Mi’kmaqs at the Head of the Bay. St. Margaret’s Bay Development became the first undertaking of Nova Scotia Power Commission. Wright’s Lake Dam was finished June 10. The next day, they started excavating the Power House site and pipe line. By September, Mill Lake Dam and Tidewater Generating Station were well underway.

Mid 20's Cliff Fader had an early store. On June 6, 1922, power was received by Nova Scotia Tramways and Power Co. Ltd.

1922-23 St. George’s Anglican Church at Head of Bay was built on land donated by Squire John George Dauphinee (on “S” turns). This is one of the most beautiful cemeteries in the region.

1923 First 12 consecutive months of operation of N. S. P. C. – 19 080 800 kilowatt hours