Tatamagouche, Nova Scotia
Encyclopedia
Tatamagouche is a Canadian
village in Colchester County
, Nova Scotia
.
Tatamagouche is situated on the Northumberland Strait
50 kilometers north of Truro
and 50 kilometres west of Pictou
. The village is located along the south side of Tatamagouche Bay at the mouths of the French and Waugh Rivers. Tatamagouche derives its name from the native Mi'kmaq
term Takumegooch, roughly translated as 'meeting of the waters.'
The first European settlers in the Tatamagouche area were the French Acadians, who settled the area in the early-18th century, and Tatamagouche became a transshipment point for goods bound for Fortress Louisbourg.
in their efforts to defeat the French. On June 15, 1745, Captain Daniel Fones of the ship Tartar with three New England with armed ships and forty men surprised Lieut. Paul Marin de la Malgue
's allied force of approximately 500 en route from Annapolis Royal
to Louisbourg. The French convoy of two sloops and two schooners and many natives in a large number of canoes was a relief effort of French and Mi'kmaq on their way to the fortress. Fones drove the French ashore, preventing supplies and reinforcements from reaching Louisbourg before it fell to the English. The British reported there was a "considerable slaughter" of the French and natives. The battle was significant in the downfall of Louisbourg because Marin's relief envoy was thwarted. (See Battle of Tatamagouche Monument. The two canons used by Commander Fones on the Tartar are mounted close to the Oliver Perry Monument
in Newport, Rhode Island
)
during the French and Indian War
. Tatamagouche and nearby Wallace, Nova Scotia
were the first villages in Acadia to be burned because they were the gateway through which Acadians supplied the French Fortress Louisbourg.
All that remains from that period are Acadian dykes and some French place names.
military mapmaker Colonel Joseph Frederick Wallet DesBarres
by the British Crown. DesBarres was awarded 20,000 acres (81 km2) of land in and around Tatamagouche on the condition that he settle it with 100 Protestants within 10 years. Low land prices in other colonies made attracting tenants difficult, but an offer of six years free rent to dissatisfied residents of Lunenburg was a success. Protestant repopulation also grew considerably before the end of the century with a flood of Scottish
immigrants following the Highland Clearances
.
industry. Trees were plentiful and sawmills
started appearing on area rivers, producing lumber for settlers. Builders needed the lumber to produce the ships and it was common to send a completed vessel overseas loaded with lumber.
Generally, there were five types of vessels being built at Tatamagouche: the schooner
, brig
, brigantine
, barque
, and clipper ship. Of these, schooners were by far the most popular. There is also one barquentine
on record as being built at Tatamagouche, the Yolande in 1883.
Many of the larger vessels, such as the brigs, barques and brigantines, were loaded with lumber from the area and sailed to Britain, where first the cargo, and then the ship itself, were sold. Some of the ships sold immediately, while others could take years to find a buyer. Often, the owner would sail the ship over to arrange for its sale personally, other times they would be sold through a firm such as Cannon, Miller, & Co., who sold most of the Campbell brothers
' ships.
The age of steam ended ship building in Tatamagouche.
and G. Smith launched their first ship on the French river, a 63 feet (19.2 m) schooner
named Elizabeth. They launched several more ships together, until Alexander went into partnership with his brothers, William and James, in 1830. Their partnership ended in 1833 following a disagreement between Alexander and James. The brothers went their separate ways, each building ships for some time afterwards, but the list of ships built in Tatamagouche shows Alexander Campbell to be the most active of the three, with over 70 ships to his name.
William built about a dozen ships after the breakup that varied in quality, size and type. Several of them were loaded with timber bound for the British Isles. His last ship was the Trident and in 1842 she ran aground off Newfoundland on her maiden voyage, leaving him near bankruptcy. He died a poor man in 1878, despite having held several other jobs.
When William stopped building, Alexander took over his yard and attacked the market in full force. At the height of the ship building days he employed about 200 men. In 1850 he turned out eight ships.
to Stellarton
through Tatamagouche in 1887. The ICR commissioned the Rhodes Curry Company of Amherst
to build a passenger station in the village immediately east of the creamery. The ICR was merged into the Canadian National Railways in 1918 and CN operated this line as part of its "Oxford Subdivision", servicing mainly agricultural communities, as well as the salt mines at Malagash
and Pugwash
as well as a quarry in Wallace
. Passenger service through Tatamagouche was discontinued in the 1960s and the station was used as an office for railway employees handling freight until 1972 when it was closed and sold in 1976. CN discontinued freight service on the line in 1986 when the Oxford Sub was abandoned; the rails were removed in 1989.
Today the passenger station is a bed and breakfast with restored historic rail cars located on the property. The rail line through the village is a recreational trail, designated as part of the Trans Canada Trail
and the point where the Nova Scotia portion of the trail branches south to Truro, Halifax and southwestern Nova Scotia, making Tatamagouche a good starting point for a short waterfront walk or a major biking expedition.
of Vancouver
, British Columbia
, Canada
selected Tatamagouche as the venue for the second (and last) season of The Week The Women Went
. The episodes aired on the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
, (CBC). The first episode went to air on January 21, 2009.
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 Colchester County
Colchester County, Nova Scotia
Colchester County is a county in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia.-History:The appellation Colchester was applied in 1780 to the district previously called "Cobequid," and was derived from the town of Colchester in Essex...
, Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
.
Tatamagouche is situated on the Northumberland Strait
Northumberland Strait
The Northumberland Strait is a strait in the southern part of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence in eastern Canada...
50 kilometers north of Truro
Truro, Nova Scotia
-Education:Truro has one high school, Cobequid Educational Centre. Post-secondary options include a campus of the Nova Scotia Community College, as well as the Nova Scotia Agricultural College in the neighboring town of Bible Hill.- Sports :...
and 50 kilometres west of Pictou
Pictou, Nova Scotia
Pictou is a town in Pictou County, in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. Located on the north shore of Pictou Harbour, the town is approximately 10 km north of the larger town of New Glasgow....
. The village is located along the south side of Tatamagouche Bay at the mouths of the French and Waugh Rivers. Tatamagouche derives its name from the native Mi'kmaq
Mi'kmaq language
The Mi'kmaq language is an Eastern Algonquian language spoken by nearly 9,100 Mi'kmaq in Canada and the United States out of a total ethnic Mi'kmaq population of roughly 20,000. The word Mi'kmaq is a plural word meaning 'my friends' ; the adjectival form is Míkmaw...
term Takumegooch, roughly translated as 'meeting of the waters.'
Early history
Battle at Tatamagouche
During King Georges War, New England was engaged in the Siege of Louisbourg (1745)Siege of Louisbourg (1745)
The Siege of Louisbourg took place in 1745 when a New England colonial force aided by a British fleet captured Louisbourg, the capital of the French province of Île-Royale during the War of the Austrian Succession, known as King George's War in the British colonies.Although the Fortress of...
in their efforts to defeat the French. On June 15, 1745, Captain Daniel Fones of the ship Tartar with three New England with armed ships and forty men surprised Lieut. Paul Marin de la Malgue
Paul Marin de la Malgue
Paul Marin de la Malgue was the eldest son of Charles-Paul Marin de la Malgue and Catherine Niquet. He was born in Montreal and, as many of the prominent historical figures of his time, had a military career in the colonial regular troops...
's allied force of approximately 500 en route from Annapolis Royal
Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia
Annapolis Royal is a town located in the western part of Annapolis County, Nova Scotia. Known as Port Royal until the Conquest of Acadia in 1710 by Britain, the town is the oldest continuous European settlement in North America, north of St...
to Louisbourg. The French convoy of two sloops and two schooners and many natives in a large number of canoes was a relief effort of French and Mi'kmaq on their way to the fortress. Fones drove the French ashore, preventing supplies and reinforcements from reaching Louisbourg before it fell to the English. The British reported there was a "considerable slaughter" of the French and natives. The battle was significant in the downfall of Louisbourg because Marin's relief envoy was thwarted. (See Battle of Tatamagouche Monument. The two canons used by Commander Fones on the Tartar are mounted close to the Oliver Perry Monument
Oliver Perry Monument
Oliver Perry Monument is a bronze statue, by William Greene Turner, dedicated to Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry. It is located in Eisenhower Park in Newport, RI, between Washington Square and Touro street. The statue faces west towards Newport Harbor....
in Newport, Rhode Island
Newport, Rhode Island
Newport is a city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States, about south of Providence. Known as a New England summer resort and for the famous Newport Mansions, it is the home of Salve Regina University and Naval Station Newport which houses the United States Naval War...
)
Expulsion of the Acadians
The homes of the Acadians who lived in the village were burned as part of the Bay of Fundy Campaign (1755)Bay of Fundy Campaign (1755)
The Bay of Fundy Campaign occurred during the French and Indian War when the British ordered the Expulsion of the Acadians from Acadia after the Battle of Beausejour . The Campaign started at Chignecto and then quickly moved to Grand Pré, Rivière-aux-Canards, Pisiguit, Cobequid, and finally Port...
during the French and Indian War
French and Indian War
The French and Indian War is the common American name for the war between Great Britain and France in North America from 1754 to 1763. In 1756, the war erupted into the world-wide conflict known as the Seven Years' War and thus came to be regarded as the North American theater of that war...
. Tatamagouche and nearby Wallace, Nova Scotia
Wallace, Nova Scotia
Wallace is a Canadian rural community in Cumberland County, Nova Scotia.Originally called Remsheg, meaning "the place between" in the Mi'kmaq language. The homes of the Acadians who lived in the village were burned as part of the Bay of Fundy Campaign during the French and Indian War...
were the first villages in Acadia to be burned because they were the gateway through which Acadians supplied the French Fortress Louisbourg.
All that remains from that period are Acadian dykes and some French place names.
New England Planters
Ten years later, on August 25, 1765, the land that became Tatamagouche was given to BritishKingdom of Great Britain
The former Kingdom of Great Britain, sometimes described as the 'United Kingdom of Great Britain', That the Two Kingdoms of Scotland and England, shall upon the 1st May next ensuing the date hereof, and forever after, be United into One Kingdom by the Name of GREAT BRITAIN. was a sovereign...
military mapmaker Colonel Joseph Frederick Wallet DesBarres
Joseph Frederick Wallet DesBarres
Colonel Joseph Frederick Wallet DesBarres Colonel Joseph Frederick Wallet DesBarres Colonel Joseph Frederick Wallet DesBarres (November 22, 1721 – October 27, 1824 (or October 24, 1824 ) was a Swiss-born cartographer and Canadian statesman, who served as aide-de-camp to General James Wolfe...
by the British Crown. DesBarres was awarded 20,000 acres (81 km2) of land in and around Tatamagouche on the condition that he settle it with 100 Protestants within 10 years. Low land prices in other colonies made attracting tenants difficult, but an offer of six years free rent to dissatisfied residents of Lunenburg was a success. Protestant repopulation also grew considerably before the end of the century with a flood of Scottish
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
immigrants following the Highland Clearances
Highland Clearances
The Highland Clearances were forced displacements of the population of the Scottish Highlands during the 18th and 19th centuries. They led to mass emigration to the sea coast, the Scottish Lowlands, and the North American colonies...
.
Ship building and lumbering
In the 19th century, like many other villages in the area, Tatamagouche had a sizable shipbuildingShipbuilding
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...
industry. Trees were plentiful and sawmills
Sawmills
Sawmills may refer to:* A sawmill, a facility where logs are cut to length* Sawmills Studio, a famous UK music recording studio* Sawmills, North Carolina...
started appearing on area rivers, producing lumber for settlers. Builders needed the lumber to produce the ships and it was common to send a completed vessel overseas loaded with lumber.
Generally, there were five types of vessels being built at Tatamagouche: the 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....
, brig
Brig
A brig is a sailing vessel with two square-rigged masts. During the Age of Sail, brigs were seen as fast and manoeuvrable and were used as both naval warships and merchant vessels. They were especially popular in the 18th and early 19th centuries...
, brigantine
Brigantine
In sailing, a brigantine or hermaphrodite brig is a vessel with two masts, only the forward of which is square rigged.-Origins of the term:...
, 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...
, and clipper ship. Of these, schooners were by far the most popular. There is also one barquentine
Barquentine
A barquentine is a sailing vessel with three or more masts; with a square rigged foremast and fore-and-aft rigged main, mizzen and any other masts.-Modern barquentine sailing rig:...
on record as being built at Tatamagouche, the Yolande in 1883.
Many of the larger vessels, such as the brigs, barques and brigantines, were loaded with lumber from the area and sailed to Britain, where first the cargo, and then the ship itself, were sold. Some of the ships sold immediately, while others could take years to find a buyer. Often, the owner would sail the ship over to arrange for its sale personally, other times they would be sold through a firm such as Cannon, Miller, & Co., who sold most of the Campbell brothers
Campbell Brothers
Campbell Brothers is a listed Australian soap and chemical manufacturer, who also provide specialist analytical laboratory services. Formed in 1863 and listed on the ASX in 1952, Campbell Brothers is now worth around AUD 1 billion....
' ships.
The age of steam ended ship building in Tatamagouche.
The Campbell Brothers
On May 17, 1824, Alexander Campbell and partners William MortimerWilliam Mortimer
William Mortimer was an English rugby union forward who played club rugby for Marlborough Nomads and was capped for England, and was part of the British Isles tour to South Africa in 1896.-Early life:...
and G. Smith launched their first ship on the French river, a 63 feet (19.2 m) 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....
named Elizabeth. They launched several more ships together, until Alexander went into partnership with his brothers, William and James, in 1830. Their partnership ended in 1833 following a disagreement between Alexander and James. The brothers went their separate ways, each building ships for some time afterwards, but the list of ships built in Tatamagouche shows Alexander Campbell to be the most active of the three, with over 70 ships to his name.
William built about a dozen ships after the breakup that varied in quality, size and type. Several of them were loaded with timber bound for the British Isles. His last ship was the Trident and in 1842 she ran aground off Newfoundland on her maiden voyage, leaving him near bankruptcy. He died a poor man in 1878, despite having held several other jobs.
When William stopped building, Alexander took over his yard and attacked the market in full force. At the height of the ship building days he employed about 200 men. In 1850 he turned out eight ships.
Railroad
The Intercolonial Railway constructed its "Short Line" from Oxford JunctionOxford Junction, Nova Scotia
Oxford Junction is a Canadian rural community in Cumberland County, Nova Scotia, which lies approximately 5 kilometers to the southwest of the town of Oxford....
to Stellarton
Stellarton, Nova Scotia
-External links:*...
through Tatamagouche in 1887. The ICR commissioned the Rhodes Curry Company of Amherst
Amherst, Nova Scotia
Amherst is a Canadian town in northwestern Cumberland County, Nova Scotia.Located at the northeast end of the Cumberland Basin, an arm of the Bay of Fundy, Amherst is strategically situated on the eastern boundary of the Tantramar Marshes 3 kilometres east of the interprovincial border with New...
to build a passenger station in the village immediately east of the creamery. The ICR was merged into the Canadian National Railways in 1918 and CN operated this line as part of its "Oxford Subdivision", servicing mainly agricultural communities, as well as the salt mines at Malagash
Malagash, Nova Scotia
Malagash is a community located in on the Malagash Peninsula in Cumberland County, Nova Scotia, Canada.Malagash is best known as the location of Canada's first rock salt mine, which operated from 1918 through 1959 under the Malagash Salt Company Ltd.. Despite there being a large amount of unmined...
and Pugwash
Pugwash, Nova Scotia
-Notable residents:Notable current and former residents of Pugwash include:*Charles Aubrey Eaton , clergyman and politician who served in the United States House of Representatives, representing the from 1925–1933, and the from 1933-1953....
as well as a quarry in Wallace
Wallace, Nova Scotia
Wallace is a Canadian rural community in Cumberland County, Nova Scotia.Originally called Remsheg, meaning "the place between" in the Mi'kmaq language. The homes of the Acadians who lived in the village were burned as part of the Bay of Fundy Campaign during the French and Indian War...
. Passenger service through Tatamagouche was discontinued in the 1960s and the station was used as an office for railway employees handling freight until 1972 when it was closed and sold in 1976. CN discontinued freight service on the line in 1986 when the Oxford Sub was abandoned; the rails were removed in 1989.
Today the passenger station is a bed and breakfast with restored historic rail cars located on the property. The rail line through the village is a recreational trail, designated as part of the Trans Canada Trail
Trans Canada Trail
The Trans Canada Trail is a proposed corridor in Canada. The creation of the trail was announced as part of Canada's 125th anniversary celebrations in 1992. It is expected that when complete, it will be the longest recreational trail in the world...
and the point where the Nova Scotia portion of the trail branches south to Truro, Halifax and southwestern Nova Scotia, making Tatamagouche a good starting point for a short waterfront walk or a major biking expedition.
Landmarks and attractions
- One of the most famous landmarks in the village is the Tatamagouche Creamery, begun by Alexander Ross in 1925. Over 1000 local farms supplied milk to the Creamery in order to produce its famous Tatamagouche Butter, which it did daily, making almost 2000 lb (907.2 kg). In 1930, J. J. Creighton purchased the Creamery. After his death in 1967, Scotsburn Dairy Cooperative acquired it. Scotsburn kept the Creamery operational from 1968 until they closed its doors in 1992. The 1 acres (4,046.9 m²) lot and two buildings were donated to the village with the stipulation that no structural changes were to be made to the building’s exterior, including the name and colour. However, a community cannot hold a deed, so the Creamery Society, a community-based organization, was formed to take over the building. The Creamery Square Association was formed to develop the Creamery Square project. A new Farmers' Market building opened in May 2006, and the Creamery building is now home to The North Shore Archives and the Giantess Anna Swan Museum. The Sunrise Trail Museum and Brule Fossil Centre will be components of this new heritage development.
- The principal historical museum in the area for many years was the Sunrise Trail Museum, but the building has been sold and exhibits have been moved to the Creamery Square complex.
- The Barrachois Harbour Yacht Club just east of Tatamagouche offers excellent cruising and racing programs as well as online resources for powerboats and sailing vessels.
- The Fraser Cultural Centre acts as a visitor information centre, art gallery, and has an exhibition about the "Nova Scotia Giantess" Anna Swan.
- On the last weekend of September each year, the Bavarian Society of Tatamagouche hosts the second largest OktoberfestOktoberfestOktoberfest, or Wiesn, is a 16–18 day beer festival held annually in Munich, Bavaria, Germany, running from late September to the first weekend in October. It is one of the most famous events in Germany and is the world's largest fair, with more than 5 million people attending every year. The...
in Canada.
- The Sutherland Steam Mill MuseumSutherland Steam Mill MuseumThe Sutherland Steam Mill Museum is a restored steam woodworking mill from the 1890s located in Denmark, Nova Scotia. The mill operated until 1958...
is in the nearby village of Denmark.
- The Dorje Denma Ling, a retreat centre in the Shambhala Buddhist tradition in The FallsThe Falls, Nova ScotiaThe Falls is a community of about 100 people located in the northern part of Colchester County, Nova Scotia, Canada.It is located six miles south of the village of Tatamagouche on the main road leading to Truro, the county seat....
(10 km south of the village) attracts visitors from around the world.
- Drysdale Falls, a picturesque 10 meter waterfall, is located 10 km south of the village in the community of The FallsThe Falls, Nova ScotiaThe Falls is a community of about 100 people located in the northern part of Colchester County, Nova Scotia, Canada.It is located six miles south of the village of Tatamagouche on the main road leading to Truro, the county seat....
. The waterfall is located on private land and access by the general public is prohibited following several fatalities and repeated high-angle rescues. The current owners of the land as well as the Royal Canadian Mounted PoliceRoyal Canadian Mounted PoliceThe Royal Canadian Mounted Police , literally ‘Royal Gendarmerie of Canada’; colloquially known as The Mounties, and internally as ‘The Force’) is the national police force of Canada, and one of the most recognized of its kind in the world. It is unique in the world as a national, federal,...
have warned the public through the media that trespassers will be charged.
Events
In September 2008, Paperny FilmsPaperny Films
Paperny Entertainment is a Vancouver-based, Academy Award nominated producer of television programming and films, ranging from character-driven documentaries to provocative comedy to quirky reality shows...
of Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, 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...
selected Tatamagouche as the venue for the second (and last) season of The Week The Women Went
The Week the Women Went
The Week The Women Went was a television show produced by Paperny Films, and based on a BBC Three program of the same title. The show was part documentary, part reality television, that explores what happens when all the women in an ordinary Canadian town disappear for a week and leave the men and...
. The episodes aired on the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...
, (CBC). The first episode went to air on January 21, 2009.