Rexton, New Brunswick
Encyclopedia
Rexton is a Canadian
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...
village in Kent County
Kent County, New Brunswick
Kent County is located in east-central New Brunswick, Canada. The county features a unique blend of cultures including Mi'kmaq, Acadian and English Speaking Settlers...
, 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...
.
Situated on the Richibucto River
Richibucto River
The Richibucto River is a river in eastern New Brunswick which empties into the Northumberland Strait north of Richibucto, New Brunswick. It is 80 kilometres long.The river's name means "river of fire" in the Mi'kmaq language....
, the village was originally inhabited by Mi'kmaqs, many of whose descendants still reside in the nearby Elsipogtog First Nation
Elsipogtog First Nation
The Elsipogtog First Nation , formerly called the Big Cove Band, is a Mi'kmaq First Nation in New Brunswick, Canada, with a population of about 3090. The First Nation's territory comprises Richibucto Reserve #15, lying 9 km west of Rexton, New Brunswick.Elsipogtog or L'sipuktuk means River of...
, formerly referred to as the Big Cove Band. Acadian
Acadian
The Acadians are the descendants of the 17th-century French colonists who settled in Acadia . Acadia was a colony of New France...
settlers colonized the general area in the 18th century.
The first English-speaking settlers arrived about 1790, and considerable colonization by English Ship-builders, Scottish Merchants and Irish Immigrants followed including many Irish Protestants who arrived to work in the Jardine Shipbuilding Yards around the year 1819 and they eventually cleared enough land to receive land grants following the 1820s survey by a Mr. Layton conducted around the Molus River area of nearby Weldford Parish, New Brunswick
Weldford Parish, New Brunswick
Weldford is a local service district found in Kent County, New Brunswick, Canada that was established in 1835 with a local Agricultural Association and named for John W. Weldon and John P...
and the size of Elsipogtog First Nation was reduced to the current boundaries.
Fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
, lumbering
Logging
Logging is the cutting, skidding, on-site processing, and loading of trees or logs onto trucks.In forestry, the term logging is sometimes used in a narrow sense concerning the logistics of moving wood from the stump to somewhere outside the forest, usually a sawmill or a lumber yard...
and shipbuilding
Shipbuilding
Shipbuilding is the construction of ships and floating vessels. It normally takes place in a specialized facility known as a shipyard. Shipbuilders, also called shipwrights, follow a specialized occupation that traces its roots to before recorded history.Shipbuilding and ship repairs, both...
flourished throughout the 19th century. The first bridge over the Richibucto River was completed there in 1850, improving commerce and communications in the region.
The settlement was known from about 1825 as Kingston, but in 1901, the name was changed to Rexton. This was probably to avoid confusion with other Kingstons, particularly Kingston
Kingston, New Brunswick
Kingston is a rural Canadian community in Kings County, New Brunswick.Located on the Kingston Peninsula, the village was settled in 1783 by Loyalists at the conclusion of the American Revolution....
, Kings County, New Brunswick
Kings County, New Brunswick
Kings County is located in southern New Brunswick, Canada.Both the Saint John and Kennebecasis rivers pass through the county.Dairy farming is an important industry in the area...
, which still carries the name.
Famous residents
Rexton (Kingston at the time) was the birthplace of Bonar Law, Prime Minister of the United KingdomPrime Minister of the United Kingdom
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the Head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party and...
in 1922-1923, and is currently the only Prime Minister of that nation to not have been born in the British Isles
British Isles
The British Isles are a group of islands off the northwest coast of continental Europe that include the islands of Great Britain and Ireland and over six thousand smaller isles. There are two sovereign states located on the islands: the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and...
. His name is honoured at a recently upgraded community attraction, Bonar Law Common, and also at Bonar Law Memorial High School in Rexton. His father Rev. James Law was the Minister for St. Andrew's Church in Rexton for many years.
William John Bowser
William John Bowser
William John Bowser was a politician in British Columbia, Canada. He served as Premier of British Columbia from 1915 to 1916....
, Premier of British Columbia
Premier of British Columbia
The Premier of British Columbia is the first minister, head of government, and de facto chief executive for the Canadian province of British Columbia. Until the early 1970s the title Prime Minister of British Columbia was often used...
(1915–1916), was born in Rexton.
A former Premier of New Brunswick
Premier of New Brunswick
The Premier of New Brunswick is the first minister for the Canadian province of New Brunswick. They are the province's head of government and de facto chief executive....
, Shawn Graham
Shawn Graham
Shawn Michael Graham, MLA is a New Brunswick politician, who served as the 31st Premier of New Brunswick. He received a Bachelor of Physical Education Degree in 1991 and a Bachelor of Education Degree in 1993, he worked for New Brunswick's civil service before being elected to the Legislative...
, was raised in Rexton.