McAdam, New Brunswick
Encyclopedia
McAdam is a village
located in the southwestern corner of York County
, New Brunswick
, Canada
. The village covers 14.47 square kilometres (5.6 sq mi) and has a population of 1,404 as of 2006.
The area was first settled in the mid-to-late 19th century as a group of small lumber camps. The area further developed due to its advantageous location as an important railway junction between the main line of the Canadian Pacific Railway
from the Maritime provinces to New England and central Canada and branch lines to St. Stephen
, St. Andrews
and Woodstock
. The town was an important servicing stop for many passenger and freight trains, as well as military trains during the World Wars. A large railway station was built to accommodate travelers and a roundhouse and yard were located in the village. The conversion of locomotives from steam power to diesel during the 1950s, as well as highway improvements and increased trucking during the 1960s and 1970s, saw McAdam decline in importance for rail transport. Decreased employment with the railway caused significant economic challenges for the community during the latter half of the 20th century and early 21st century.
's "Western Extension" was completed. This line joined the SA&Q line (by now part of the New Brunswick Railway
) in City Camp; as a result City Camp was renamed to McAdam Junction after John McAdam
a prominent lumberman and politician, who had numerous land grants in the Canterbury
and Dumfries
parish
es at that time.
By 1871 McAdam was a junction of limited importance and this contributed to a rise in population to about four hundred people, mostly railroad workers and their families. In 1894 the parishes of Prince William and Dumfries were merged into a new parish known as the Parish of McAdam
. In 1889 the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) built the International Railway of Maine the final link making it the first transcontinental railway, the following year the CPR leased the New Brunswick Railway for nine-hundred-ninety-nine years. The CPR began an ambitious construction project on a massive station/hotel
at the junction in 1900, construction was completed in 1901, and expanded in 1911. The station became the dominant feature of the settlement and would go on to be a major employer for the junction heralding in a period of growth.
World War I
and II
both had a staunch impact on the community. Trains carrying soldiers east to ports such as Halifax
passed through McAdam. Trains often stopped for inspection and servicing at the station and demand for workers caused the population in the town to continue to rise. In 1915 a German
agent, Werner Horn, attempted to destroy the international railroad bridge
between Vanceboro
, Maine
and St. Croix, New Brunswick - immediately west of McAdam - in order to limit the movements of war supplies to the port of Saint John
. His attempt proved futile as the bridge was not severely damaged and was returned to service several days later.
The change from steam locomotive
s to diesel locomotive
s during the 1950s proved to be devastating for McAdam's economy. Trains no longer needed to stop as frequently for service and the railway station in McAdam lost the importance it once had. New highways constructed after the war saw trucks and automobiles reduce the need for the branch lines to St. Stephen, St. Andrews and Woodstock. Local passenger trains from McAdam to these destinations were canceled in the early 1960s leaving The Atlantic Limited as McAdam's only remaining passenger train. These changes in turn caused the station's hotel to close later in the decade.
Already suffering from new technological developments and its isolation from any other reliable source of employment, McAdam was devastated after the CPR transferred operation of passenger service to Via Rail Canada in 1978. In 1981 Via cancelled the Atlantic although it was revived in 1985 before being permanently cancelled in December 1994 whereby CPR closed the station. In January 1995 CPR transferred ownership of the building to the village at the same time as it sold its rail lines through the village to the New Brunswick Southern Railway
.
Recent fundraising efforts by the village has resulted in renovations and restoration efforts for the station which is now a museum and tourist attraction for the community. The village hosted the 2009 New Brunswick Day in an effort to generate awareness of the community's rich history.
The first recorded population of McAdam came from the 1901 census, recording a population of 714 people. Over the next half century as the rail operations in McAdam expanded, the population increased substantially; a result of the promise of employment. The population peaked in 1956 at 2,803 people, nearly four times that of the 1901 census. However, with the collapse of the rail industry in the village, the employment prospects dried up. Isolated, with no new source of jobs the population began a steady decline, a process which has continued up to the present. Fifty years since its peak population, the amount of persons living in McAdam has been nearly halved.
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
located in the southwestern corner of York County
York County, New Brunswick
York County is located in west-central New Brunswick, Canada. The county contains the provincial capital, Fredericton. Outside the city, farming and forestry are two major industries in the county, which is bisected by the Saint John River...
, New Brunswick
New Brunswick
New Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only province in the federation that is constitutionally bilingual . The provincial capital is Fredericton and Saint John is the most populous city. Greater Moncton is the largest Census Metropolitan Area...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. The village covers 14.47 square kilometres (5.6 sq mi) and has a population of 1,404 as of 2006.
The area was first settled in the mid-to-late 19th century as a group of small lumber camps. The area further developed due to its advantageous location as an important railway junction between the main line of the Canadian Pacific Railway
Canadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
from the Maritime provinces to New England and central Canada and branch lines to St. Stephen
St. Stephen, New Brunswick
St. Stephen is a Canadian town in Charlotte County, New Brunswick, situated on the east bank of the St. Croix River at .-Climate:...
, St. Andrews
St. Andrews, New Brunswick
St. Andrews is a Canadian town in Charlotte County, New Brunswick.It is sometimes referred to in tourism marketing by its unofficial nickname "St. Andrews-by-the-sea".-Geography:St...
and Woodstock
Woodstock, New Brunswick
Woodstock is a Canadian town in Carleton County, New Brunswick located on the west bank of the Saint John River at the mouth of the Meduxnekeag River, 92 km west of Fredericton and close to the Canada – United States border and Houlton, Maine.- History :Woodstock was settled by Loyalists...
. The town was an important servicing stop for many passenger and freight trains, as well as military trains during the World Wars. A large railway station was built to accommodate travelers and a roundhouse and yard were located in the village. The conversion of locomotives from steam power to diesel during the 1950s, as well as highway improvements and increased trucking during the 1960s and 1970s, saw McAdam decline in importance for rail transport. Decreased employment with the railway caused significant economic challenges for the community during the latter half of the 20th century and early 21st century.
History
Original settlement of present-day McAdam area began sometime between 1857 and 1869, after the establishment of the St. Andrews and Quebec Railway (SA&Q). McAdam began under the name of City Camp which was originally a collective of several lumbering encampments which sprung up alongside the line. By the late 1860s the European and North American RailwayEuropean and North American Railway
The European and North American Railway is the name for three historic Canadian and American railways which were built in New Brunswick and Maine....
's "Western Extension" was completed. This line joined the SA&Q line (by now part of the New Brunswick Railway
New Brunswick Railway
The New Brunswick Railway was a historic Canadian railway operating in western New Brunswick. Its headquarters were in Woodstock.The original NBR lines were built to the narrow gauge of...
) in City Camp; as a result City Camp was renamed to McAdam Junction after John McAdam
John McAdam (politician)
John McAdam was a New Brunswick politician and businessman.Born near Belfast, McAdam became a lumber merchant in Milltown, New Brunswick...
a prominent lumberman and politician, who had numerous land grants in the Canterbury
Canterbury, New Brunswick
Canterbury is a village in York County, in the Canadian province of New Brunswick.-History:Tracing its roots to the forestry and railway industries, Canterbury was once was home to over 1000 residents and served as a service centre for the surrounding area of western York County.There were at...
and Dumfries
Dumfries, New Brunswick
Dumfries is an unincorporated community in York County, New Brunswick, Canada.-References:...
parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
es at that time.
By 1871 McAdam was a junction of limited importance and this contributed to a rise in population to about four hundred people, mostly railroad workers and their families. In 1894 the parishes of Prince William and Dumfries were merged into a new parish known as the Parish of McAdam
McAdam Parish, New Brunswick
McAdam is a Canadian parish in York County, New Brunswick.Its population in the 2006 Census was 80.-Population:Population trend-Language:Mother tongue language -References:...
. In 1889 the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) built the International Railway of Maine the final link making it the first transcontinental railway, the following year the CPR leased the New Brunswick Railway for nine-hundred-ninety-nine years. The CPR began an ambitious construction project on a massive station/hotel
McAdam Railway Station
The McAdam Railway Station is a large railway station that dominates the village of McAdam, New Brunswick, Canada.The station is the largest passenger station in the province but since the December 17, 1994 abandonment of Via Rail's Atlantic passenger train, it no longer sees rail service and is...
at the junction in 1900, construction was completed in 1901, and expanded in 1911. The station became the dominant feature of the settlement and would go on to be a major employer for the junction heralding in a period of growth.
World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
both had a staunch impact on the community. Trains carrying soldiers east to ports such as Halifax
City of Halifax
Halifax is a city in Canada, which was the capital of the province of Nova Scotia and shire town of Halifax County. It was the largest city in Atlantic Canada until it was amalgamated into Halifax Regional Municipality in 1996...
passed through McAdam. Trains often stopped for inspection and servicing at the station and demand for workers caused the population in the town to continue to rise. In 1915 a German
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
agent, Werner Horn, attempted to destroy the international railroad bridge
Vanceboro international bridge bombing
The Vanceboro international bridge bombing was an attempt to destroy the Saint Croix-Vanceboro Railway Bridge on February 2, 1915.This international bridge crossed the St. Croix River between St. Croix, New Brunswick, Canada and Vanceboro, Maine, United States...
between Vanceboro
Vanceboro, Maine
Vanceboro is a town in Washington County, Maine, United States. The town was named after landowner William Vance. The town is located at the eastern terminus of Maine State Route 6. Vanceboro is across the St. Croix River from St. Croix, New Brunswick, Canada, to which it is connected by the Saint...
, Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
and St. Croix, New Brunswick - immediately west of McAdam - in order to limit the movements of war supplies to the port of Saint John
Saint John, New Brunswick
City of Saint John , or commonly Saint John, is the largest city in the province of New Brunswick, and the first incorporated city in Canada. The city is situated along the north shore of the Bay of Fundy at the mouth of the Saint John River. In 2006 the city proper had a population of 74,043...
. His attempt proved futile as the bridge was not severely damaged and was returned to service several days later.
The change from steam locomotive
Steam locomotive
A steam locomotive is a railway locomotive that produces its power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning some combustible material, usually coal, wood or oil, to produce steam in a boiler, which drives the steam engine...
s to diesel locomotive
Diesel locomotive
A diesel locomotive is a type of railroad locomotive in which the prime mover is a diesel engine, a reciprocating engine operating on the Diesel cycle as invented by Dr. Rudolf Diesel...
s during the 1950s proved to be devastating for McAdam's economy. Trains no longer needed to stop as frequently for service and the railway station in McAdam lost the importance it once had. New highways constructed after the war saw trucks and automobiles reduce the need for the branch lines to St. Stephen, St. Andrews and Woodstock. Local passenger trains from McAdam to these destinations were canceled in the early 1960s leaving The Atlantic Limited as McAdam's only remaining passenger train. These changes in turn caused the station's hotel to close later in the decade.
Already suffering from new technological developments and its isolation from any other reliable source of employment, McAdam was devastated after the CPR transferred operation of passenger service to Via Rail Canada in 1978. In 1981 Via cancelled the Atlantic although it was revived in 1985 before being permanently cancelled in December 1994 whereby CPR closed the station. In January 1995 CPR transferred ownership of the building to the village at the same time as it sold its rail lines through the village to the New Brunswick Southern Railway
New Brunswick Southern Railway
The New Brunswick Southern Railway and Eastern Maine Railway form a 189-mile railway system operating a former Canadian Pacific Railway mainline between Saint John, New Brunswick and Brownville Junction, Maine....
.
Recent fundraising efforts by the village has resulted in renovations and restoration efforts for the station which is now a museum and tourist attraction for the community. The village hosted the 2009 New Brunswick Day in an effort to generate awareness of the community's rich history.
Geography and climate
McAdam is located in the New Brunswick Highlands.Demographics
| Year | Population |
| 1901 | 714 |
| 1911 | 1,111 |
| 1921 | 1,614 |
| 1931 | 1,946 |
| 1941 | 2,265 |
| 1951 | 2,611 |
| 1956 | 2,803 |
| 1961 | 2,669 |
| 1966 | 2,448 |
| 1971 | 2,224 |
| 1981 | 1,857 |
| 1991 | 1,600 |
| 1996 | 1,570 |
| 2001 | 1,513 |
| 2006 | 1,404 |
The first recorded population of McAdam came from the 1901 census, recording a population of 714 people. Over the next half century as the rail operations in McAdam expanded, the population increased substantially; a result of the promise of employment. The population peaked in 1956 at 2,803 people, nearly four times that of the 1901 census. However, with the collapse of the rail industry in the village, the employment prospects dried up. Isolated, with no new source of jobs the population began a steady decline, a process which has continued up to the present. Fifty years since its peak population, the amount of persons living in McAdam has been nearly halved.
Economy
| Economy (2006) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Rate | Village | Province |
| Unemployment rate | 14.5% | 10.0% |
| Participation rate | 57.7% | 63.7% |