Eatonville, Nova Scotia
Encyclopedia
Eatonville is a former lumber and shipbuilding village in Cumberland County, Nova Scotia
. It includes a large tidal harbour at the mouth of the Eatonville Brook beside several dramatic sea stacks
known as the "Three Sisters". It was founded in 1864 and abandoned in the 1940s. The site of the village is now part of Cape Chignecto Provincial Park
.
At first known as "Three Sisters", the village was founded by the Eaton family who built the community as a sawmill settlement for their extensive timber holdings across Cape Chignecto
. A shipyard at the harbour produced over 20 large vessels beginning with the 1000 ton barque
Chignecto in 1874 and finishing with the tern schooner
J. L. Ralston
in 1919. Eatonville ships were noteworthy enough to attract coverage from Harpers Weekly Magazine which published an illustrated feature article on the launch of the barque Argenta at the Eaton's yard in 1890. A notable example was the large ship Joseph H. Scammell
built at Eatonville in 1884 which became a famous shipwreck in Australia
when she sank in 1891. Eatonville Harbour attracted considerable shipping for the timber export trade. Two small tugs were based at the harbour to assist in docking ships and moving timber rafts and the volume of shipping led to the construction of the Eatonville Lighthouses on the beach south of the wharf which operated from 1909 to 1923. The harbour witnessed several shipwrecks including the spectacular wreck of the three masted schooner Marjorie J. Sumner which was severely damaged in the harbour in 1906 when it toppled over at low tide and was crushed by its large deckload of timber. The shipyard and large sawmill were located at the harbour while the main village, known as "the Old Town" was located 1 miles (2 km) inland. The two were connected by a "tramway", a horse-drawn pole railway. The Eatonville Mill was a large steam-powered operation which could produce 60000 board feet (141.6 m³) of lumber a day, but the Eatons "preferred to cut less, waste nothing and strive for quality." This allowed them to make the most sustainable use of their Cape Chignecto
timber holdings which also had the advantage of very few forest fires because the "fog forests" of Cape Chignecto are constantly damp from Bay of Fundy
fogs. A network of logging camps across Cape Chignecto connected by trails and log driving
streams fed the Eatonville Mills while the adjacent settlement of New Yarmouth
provided supplies, horse teams and workers.
The village had a population of 350 people in its peak years. The Eatons sold their holdings to the Elderkin family in 1897. The population dwindled after World War One as timber stands were exhausted and wooden shipbuilding collapsed. The village was largely abandoned by the 1930s. The last year-round resident left in 1943, although the descendants of several Eatonville families maintain cabins in the area. The surrounding forests were logged by various Cumberland County Mills but especially for pulpwood by the Scott Paper Company
until the 1980s. A seasonal wilderness public road for off road vehicles named the "Eatonville Road" is maintained by volunteers and leads from Advocate to Eatonville and through to Spicers Cove. In 1989, the Eatonville site became part of Cape Chignecto Provincial Park
. The old village site is crossed by the park's main backpacking
trail which follows the former tramway for several kilometres and connects to a bunkhouse
and wilderness campsites at Eatonville's "Old Town" site. An seasonal interpretation centre accessible by car from Spicers Cove opened at Eatonville in July 2009, providing lookoffs and short walking trails.
Cumberland County, Nova Scotia
Cumberland County is a county in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia.-History:The name Cumberland was applied by Lieutenant-Colonel Robert Monckton to the captured Fort Beauséjour on June 18, 1755 in honour of the third son of King George II, William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland, victor at...
. It includes a large tidal harbour at the mouth of the Eatonville Brook beside several dramatic sea stacks
Stack (geology)
A stack is a geological landform consisting of a steep and often vertical column or columns of rock in the sea near a coast, isolated by erosion. Stacks are formed through processes of coastal geomorphology, which are entirely natural. Time, wind and water are the only factors involved in the...
known as the "Three Sisters". It was founded in 1864 and abandoned in the 1940s. The site of the village is now part of Cape Chignecto Provincial Park
Cape Chignecto Provincial Park
Cape Chignecto Provincial Park is a Canadian provincial park located in Nova Scotia. A wilderness park, it derives its name from Cape Chignecto, a prominent headland which divides the Bay of Fundy with Chignecto Bay to the north and the Minas Channel leading to the Minas Basin to the east...
.
At first known as "Three Sisters", the village was founded by the Eaton family who built the community as a sawmill settlement for their extensive timber holdings across Cape Chignecto
Cape Chignecto
Cape Chignecto is a headland located on the Bay of Fundy coast of the Canadian province of Nova Scotia.Cape Chignecto is located at the westernmost tip of Cumberland County and is the western limit of the Cobequid Hills, a low mountain range that is part of the Appalachian Mountains and extends...
. A shipyard at the harbour produced over 20 large vessels beginning with the 1000 ton barque
Barque
A barque, barc, or bark is a type of sailing vessel with three or more masts.- History of the term :The word barque appears to have come from the Greek word baris, a term for an Egyptian boat. This entered Latin as barca, which gave rise to the Italian barca, Spanish barco, and the French barge and...
Chignecto in 1874 and finishing with the tern schooner
Schooner
A schooner is a type of sailing vessel characterized by the use of fore-and-aft sails on two or more masts with the forward mast being no taller than the rear masts....
J. L. Ralston
James Ralston
James Layton Ralston, PC was a Canadian lawyer, soldier and politician.Born in Amherst, Nova Scotia, Ralston graduated from law school at Dalhousie University in 1903 and practised law in Amherst...
in 1919. Eatonville ships were noteworthy enough to attract coverage from Harpers Weekly Magazine which published an illustrated feature article on the launch of the barque Argenta at the Eaton's yard in 1890. A notable example was the large ship Joseph H. Scammell
Joseph H. Scammell (ship)
The Joseph H Scammell was a Canadian sailing ship that was built at Eatonville, Nova Scotia in 1884 and shipwrecked at Point Danger, Torquay, Victoria, Australia in 1891. Her wreck triggered a large scale episode of shipwreck pilfering and smuggling....
built at Eatonville in 1884 which became a famous shipwreck in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
when she sank in 1891. Eatonville Harbour attracted considerable shipping for the timber export trade. Two small tugs were based at the harbour to assist in docking ships and moving timber rafts and the volume of shipping led to the construction of the Eatonville Lighthouses on the beach south of the wharf which operated from 1909 to 1923. The harbour witnessed several shipwrecks including the spectacular wreck of the three masted schooner Marjorie J. Sumner which was severely damaged in the harbour in 1906 when it toppled over at low tide and was crushed by its large deckload of timber. The shipyard and large sawmill were located at the harbour while the main village, known as "the Old Town" was located 1 miles (2 km) inland. The two were connected by a "tramway", a horse-drawn pole railway. The Eatonville Mill was a large steam-powered operation which could produce 60000 board feet (141.6 m³) of lumber a day, but the Eatons "preferred to cut less, waste nothing and strive for quality." This allowed them to make the most sustainable use of their Cape Chignecto
Cape Chignecto
Cape Chignecto is a headland located on the Bay of Fundy coast of the Canadian province of Nova Scotia.Cape Chignecto is located at the westernmost tip of Cumberland County and is the western limit of the Cobequid Hills, a low mountain range that is part of the Appalachian Mountains and extends...
timber holdings which also had the advantage of very few forest fires because the "fog forests" of Cape Chignecto are constantly damp from Bay of Fundy
Bay of Fundy
The Bay of Fundy is a bay on the Atlantic coast of North America, on the northeast end of the Gulf of Maine between the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, with a small portion touching the U.S. state of Maine...
fogs. A network of logging camps across Cape Chignecto connected by trails and log driving
Log driving
Log driving is a means of log transport which makes use of a river's current to move floating tree trunks downstream to sawmills and pulp mills.It was the main transportation method of the early logging industry in Europe and North America...
streams fed the Eatonville Mills while the adjacent settlement of New Yarmouth
New Yarmouth, Nova Scotia
New Yarmouth is an abandoned farming and forestry community which is now part of the Cape Chignecto Provincial Park in Cumberland County, Nova Scotia near the village of Advocate.- Geography :...
provided supplies, horse teams and workers.
The village had a population of 350 people in its peak years. The Eatons sold their holdings to the Elderkin family in 1897. The population dwindled after World War One as timber stands were exhausted and wooden shipbuilding collapsed. The village was largely abandoned by the 1930s. The last year-round resident left in 1943, although the descendants of several Eatonville families maintain cabins in the area. The surrounding forests were logged by various Cumberland County Mills but especially for pulpwood by the Scott Paper Company
Scott Paper Company
The Scott Paper Company is a USA-based corporation which manufactures mostly paper based consumer products.Scott Paper was founded in 1879 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania by brothers E. Irvin and Clarence Scott, and is often credited as being the first to market toilet paper sold on a roll...
until the 1980s. A seasonal wilderness public road for off road vehicles named the "Eatonville Road" is maintained by volunteers and leads from Advocate to Eatonville and through to Spicers Cove. In 1989, the Eatonville site became part of Cape Chignecto Provincial Park
Cape Chignecto Provincial Park
Cape Chignecto Provincial Park is a Canadian provincial park located in Nova Scotia. A wilderness park, it derives its name from Cape Chignecto, a prominent headland which divides the Bay of Fundy with Chignecto Bay to the north and the Minas Channel leading to the Minas Basin to the east...
. The old village site is crossed by the park's main backpacking
Backpacking (wilderness)
Backpacking combines the activities of hiking and camping for an overnight stay in backcountry wilderness...
trail which follows the former tramway for several kilometres and connects to a bunkhouse
Bunkhouse
A bunkhouse is a hostel or barracks-like building that historically was used to house working cowboys on ranches in North America. As most cowboys were young single men, the standard bunkhouse was a large open room with narrow beds or cots for each individual and little privacy...
and wilderness campsites at Eatonville's "Old Town" site. An seasonal interpretation centre accessible by car from Spicers Cove opened at Eatonville in July 2009, providing lookoffs and short walking trails.