History
The Mi'kmaq
Mi’kmaq are among the original inhabitants of the Atlantic region in Canada, and inhabited the coastal areas of Gaspé and the Maritime Provinces east of the Saint John River. This traditional territory is known as Mi’gma’gi (Mi’kma’ki) and is made up of seven districts: Unama’gi (Unama’kik), Esge’gewa’gi (Eskikewa’kik), Sugapune’gati (Sipekni’katik), Epegwitg aq Pigtug (Epekwitk aq Piktuk), Gespugwi’tg (Kespukwitk), Signigtewa’gi (Siknikt) and Gespe’gewa’gi (Kespek). Mi’kmaq people have occupied their traditional territory, Mi’gma’gi, since time immemorial.
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​Prolonged conflict between French and British colonial powers often pulled Mi’kmaq into the fray. The Mi’kmaq were largely allied with French colonial forces, which had established settlements across Acadia until the 18th century. During that time, and after conflicts with Britain, the Mi’kmaq signed treaties in 1726, 1749, 1752 and 1760–61, followed by two treaties to secure alliances during the American Revolution. These were known as the Peace and Friendship Treaties. The 1726 treaty was the foundation for the subsequent treaties.
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We acknowledge that we are in Mi’kma’ki , the ancestral and unceded territory of the Mi’kmaq People.
"The history of Mi’kmaw people is very long and our homeland, called Mi’kma’ki, is very large. There have been people living here for more than 11,000 years! Mi’kma’ki, is made up of all of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island and large areas of New Brunswick, the Gaspé Peninsula and Newfoundland.
While many histories are written only from historical documents, understanding our past and our homeland requires the understanding of many different kinds of information. In the past, Mi’kmaw people learned about their culture and history through stories and legends. These oral (spoken) histories are very important to understanding our past. In addition, because our history is so old, we use sciences like archaeology and geology to help us tell our stories."
Meaning of Sissiboo
The name "Sissiboo" may have come from the Mi'kmaq word "Seboo" for "river", although some say the name comes from the French words "six hiboux" which means six owls. The name Sissiboo was used for the whole Weymouth area until the 1800s. Now it remains the name of the river, and by association, Sissiboo Landing in downtown Weymouth.
First European Settlers - 1760
The Weymouth area was first settled by emigres from the New England Colonies, more specifically, Massachusetts, in the 1760s . Among these early immigrants were fishermen, such as the families of Jonathan Strickland, Jeremiah Sabean, Moses Morell and Borden Thurber from Weymouth, Massachusetts. These people settled along the banks of the river in 1765 in what is now New Edinburgh. Sissiboo later became Weymouth, and the section at the mouth of the river, on the east side, was changed to Weymouth North and Weymouth Point. The river retained the name Sissiboo.
In 1764, following the Acadian Deportation of 1755, British authorities allowed the Acadians who were predominantly Catholic, to return in small groups. They returned slowly, settling in various locations on mainland Nova Scotia and Cape Breton Island. Some of the Acadians settled in the Weymouth area, especially to the south and west along St. Mary’s Bay.
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​In 1783 after the American Revolution, a number of United Empire Loyalists emigrated from the United States, and settled in Weymouth. Their religion, and that of the earlier settlers was Protestant, predominantly Anglican. ​The founding of Weymouth in 1783 was no accident. That year, the Treaty of Paris ended The American Revolution and thousands of people loyal to the British crown left New England for Europe, England and other communities in British North America. Nova Scotia was an obvious destination and Weymouth was one of many coastal communities that saw a large influx of New England settlers immediately following the American War of Independence.
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One notable Loyalist to settle along the Sissiboo River was Reuben Hankinson in 1784. He was Commissioner for the building of the first bridge over the Sissiboo Rover, Justice of the Peace, Tax collector, lighthouse keeper and Captain of the militia. He was granted over 10,000 acres of land by the governor of Nova Scotia.
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James Moody
(1744 - 1809)
The most well known Loyalist to settle in Weymouth during this post-revolutionary period was James Moody (known locally as Colonel Moody) from New Jersey. The story of Moody’s involvement in the American Revolution has all the hallmarks of a Hollywood movie, including secret intelligence missions into enemy territory and daring escapes from prison at the 11th hour. Moody’s escapades were so well known to American rebels that George Washington once called him “that villain Moody”. ​
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Moody arrived in Weymouth in June, 1786 with compensation from the British government for his military duties during the Revolution. Moody was a community builder, and is considered by many as one of the founding fathers of Weymouth. Moody built a shipyard, donated land for an Anglican church at Weymouth North and assisted local Acadians in receiving clear title to their land. Despite the fact that Moody was a slaveholder, he possessed outstanding leadership qualities and is considered one of the best of the Loyalist leaders.
Portrait of James Moody and plaque commemorating his contribution to Weymouth. In St. Peter and St. Thomas Anglican church, 5 Fort Point Road.
Weymouth and Sissiboo
The area James Moody and other Loyalists settled was known as Sissiboo. By the 1790's the name Weymouth was being used for the area now known as Weymouth North. Sissiboo continued to be the name for the small village further up the Sissiboo River. In 1823 this became Weymouth Bridge, and in 1906 Weymouth Bridge became known as Weymouth, and the once thriving community at the mouth of the River was changed to Weymouth North.
St. Peter and St. Thomas
In 1790 land was given by James Moody to build an Anglican Church and the first St. Peter's Church and cemetery was consecrated in 1826. ​In 1852 Rev. James Philip Filleul began what was to be a forty year ministry in the parish, during which another four churches were built. In 1879 the second and present St. Peter's was consecrated.
St. Thomas Church in Weymouth was built in 1860 and expanded in 1895. It was deconsecrated in 1977 and is now a community museum for the Electric City/La Nouvelle France Society. The name of the parish church was changed to St. Peter and St. Thomas.
Interior of St. Peter and St. Thomas.
The ceiling is built like the interior of a ship with large arched oak ribs supporting the ceiling. The walls are paneled to the top in walnut. Mr. Norman Jones cut the walnut trees from his orchard and used them as a memorial to his wife Margaret. The three stained glass Gothic Chanel windows above the alter were donated in memory of the Campbell family.
The earliest known image of a Black Nova Scotian, in British Canada, in 1788. He was a wood cutter in Shelburne, Province of Nova Scotia (by Captain William Booth, 1788 [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons)
The Black Loyalists
Among the thousands of people who left New England after the American Revolution, was an estimated 5,000 Black people who sailed from New York to Nova Scotia, the West Indies, Quebec, England, Germany and Belgium. About 3,500 of these newly freed slaves, former slaves or slaves of White Loyalists, landed in Nova Scotia, establishing communities in Birchtown, Annapolis Royal, Port Mouton and Weymouth.​​
"The better life the Loyalists sought did not come without cost. The massive influx of population created a demand for shelter and provisions that could not be easily met. Many Loyalists called their new home “Nova Scarcity.” Those left most in need were the Black Loyalists.
Approximately 3,500 African Americans arrived in Nova Scotia. The British promised 100 acres of land for each head of household and an additional 50 acres for each family member, plus provisions. Free African Americans thought they would have equal claim to free land. However, they soon discovered that the land grant system was corrupt. Some, after waiting six years, received a mere quarter acre. Most were given less desirable plots across the harbour from Shelburne. Unhappy with the fact that Black people were denied the right to vote, trial by jury and equitable land grants, almost 1,200 Black Loyalists emigrated to Sierra Leone in 1792. There, they established the colony of Freetown. Today, the descendants of those Black Loyalists in Sierra Leone are identified by their Nova Scotian heritage."
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​The Arrival of Black Loyalists in Nova Scotia | The Canadian Encyclopedia
The 1800s
By the mid-1800s Weymouth had developed into a prosperous shipbuilding and commercial center. Local shipyards constructed barques and schooners that carried lumber and other products to the American seaboard, the West Indies and the British Isles. While it was fish that first attracted settlers to the banks of the Sissiboo, by the late 1800s it was the forest upon which the local economy was built and sustained. In 1896, S. Fawes Smith, an American summer resident from Philadelphia, built a pulp mill near Weymouth; the mill was the mainstay of the local economy for nearly half a century.
1816 -The Year Without A Summer
The year of 1816 was known as "the year without a summer". Most crops in Nova Scotia failed and the new leaves on the trees were killed by a frost in July. Then August was the worst month and summer frosts continued for the next five years. Sheep that had been shorn in 1816 died, along with new born wild animals and thousands of birds.
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The cold was blamed on three major volcanoes that erupted between 1812 and 1816.
After that, in 1820, an intense cold winter set in. By early in the new year the snow reached the tops of fences, and roads and landmarks could not been seen, and buildings were buried. "The ice on the river reached a great thickness" said Simeon James, a loyalist in Weymouth.
Electric City /
La Nouvelle France
The lumber community of New France, located about 12 miles (19 km) inland from Weymouth, was founded by the Stehelin family who came to the area from Normandy, France in 1892. It was a happy place where people of all cultures, races, religions, and linguistic groups worked and socialized peacefully together. It was a truly multicultural community, where folks of many varied backgrounds learned about, and lived with each other, many for the first time in their lives.
The community they established was also notable for its early use of hydroelectric power generation, earning it the local nickname "The Electric City". Also notable was the Stehelin family's railroad, the Weymouth and New France Railway, constructed using logs as tracks, which they used to bring lumber to the company wharf at Weymouth. As many as 1.5 million board feet of timber were shipped annually from New France to South America and England. The railway was destroyed by fire in 1907 and the business ceased not long afterwards.
There is little left of New France now except for the foundations of the buildings. The lands were purchased by the Province of Nova Scotia on 3 February 2010.
In May 2018 the Electric City/La Nouvelle France Society was established to focus on the development of a permanent home for the Electric City story. The Society had amassed a large number of artifacts that were housed in a facility in Weymouth which was to become the permanent home of the Electric City story and the artifacts. Tragically in August 2018, a fire destroyed the building and its contents. Dismayed but undaunted, the Society forged ahead.
A large collection of photographs of artifacts from the Stehelin household may be viewed on the Electric City Society website. There is also a book of the story published which is available through the Society.
Fire - The Nightmare Of Wooden Buildings
In the early 1920s Weymouth was enjoying a period of great prosperity with three and four masted schooners in the harbour, waiting to load their cargo of lumber or pulp wood or unload salt, coal or molasses. Weymouth could boast that it had poolrooms, blacksmith shops, silent movie theatre, bowling alley, dance hall, telephone office, dry goods store, tailor shop, several general sores, sawmills and lumber businesses. A community of 1,200 people supported the village and had the services of doctors, a dentist, a banker and a judge.
( THEN AND NOW: Weymouth – reshaped by history and by fire | SaltWire )
On 2 October 1929 a fire started in the general store and swept through the downtown area destroying 25 buildings including retail shops, factories, and private homes. It was estimated that the fire caused approximately $250,000 in damages. No serious injuries or deaths occurred because of the fire.​
The village struggled to rebuild and achieved a good measure of success by the outbreak of World War Two, but disaster followed again in the late 1950's when LeBlanc Ship Building located along the north side of Weymouth's waterfront burned on Feb. 6, 1958. This was followed by another fire on June 5, 1959, that destroyed six downtown businesses.
On Aug. 29, 2018, two historical buildings, the former Trading Post store and the Electric City/La Nouvelle France Interpretive Center, were lost during an early morning blaze.
The commemorative plaque at the Sam Langford Community Center in Weymouth Falls
Sam Langford
(1886 – 1956)
Samuel Edgar Langford (March 4, 1886 – January 12, 1956) was a boxing standout of the early part of the 20th century. Called the "Greatest Fighter Nobody Knows", by ESPN, Langford is considered by many boxing historians to be one of the greatest fighters of all time. Originally from Weymouth Falls, he was known as "the Boston Bonecrusher", "the Boston Terror", and his most famous nickname, "the Boston Tar Baby".
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Langford stood 5 ft 6 1⁄2 in (1.69 m) and weighed 185 lb (84 kg) in his prime. He fought from lightweight to heavyweight and defeated many world champions and legends of the time in each weight class.
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Considered a devastating puncher even at heavyweight, Langford was rated No. 2 by The Ring on their list of "100 greatest punchers of all time". One boxing historian described Langford as "experienced as a heavyweight James Toney with the punching power of Mike Tyson".
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Sam Langford won the World Colored Heavyweight Championship a record five times between 1910 and 1918. When it was in his power to give an African American a title shot, Jack Johnson refused to grant that privilege to Sam Langford, the fighter who after former champ Jim Jeffries (a man Langford said he would not face when Jeff was in the prime of his career), had to be considered the No. 1 contender in the heavyweight division. Johnson beat Jeffries but ducked Langford, likely as he feared losing his title. Many people consider the failure of Langford to secure a shot at the Heavyweight title one of the greatest injustices of American sports.
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Langford was enshrined in the Ring Boxing Hall of Fame and Canada's Sports Hall of Fame in 1955.
The Railway
During the last part of the 19th century Weymouth was described as a place with great activity. The stores were well stocked and the road was busy with carts moving between the wharves and the mills. By the 1800s, Weymouth Bridge was a busy shipping port and remained so until about 1907. Wharves along the river were loaded with lumber waiting to be shipped out of port. GD. Campbell, JD Rive, George Henkinson and the Stehlins were a few who had wharves and were lumber exporters. Men like Capt. Harvey Fitzgerald were kept busy piloting the ships up and down the river.
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In 1870 the Western Counties Railway Company was formed and in September 1879 the line from Yarmouth through Weymouth to Digby was opened. The train station became the center of activity. The train trestle was built so that a portion of it could be opened when a sailing vessel came up the Sissiboo to Weymouth Bridge. The bridge tender, with the help of many willing young boys, would walk out and open the bridge for these ships.
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In 1891 the last link to Halifax was completed across the Bear River and one could then travel all the way from Yarmouth to Halifax. It was a common method of travel to catch the train for a day's shopping in business in Yarmouth or Digby.
Apart from Digby, Weymouth was probably the busiest DAR station between Yarmouth & Annapolis.
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Weymouth had 3 saw mills and thus there was lots of lumber shipped by train. Upriver the Sissiboo Pulp & Paper Company operated a pulp mill from 1904 to 1928 which included a short branch line to Weymouth in operation from 1894 to 1928. There were several automobile cars for GM & Ford dealerships and several tank cars for the ESSO dealership. Beer was delivered by train in boxcars as well as feed for livestock. Some furniture & pleasure boats were shipped from a local industry. There was a small mill that made wooden barrels for rum and other commodities. The station agent name was “Robbie Hill” who lived above the station with his wife & daughter.
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​The Weymouth bridge spanned the Sissiboo River which had a center span that opened to allow smaller ships to enter the small Weymouth harbor where they docked at the Government Wharf and loaded lumber & pulp wood. There was a bridge tender person named Restaire Gaudet who would walk the bridge for inspection after the trains passed in the day time and was also responsible for opening the bridge for the ships with the use of a bar (key) attached to a gear system.
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​Originally built as a timber trestle bridge in 1879 by the Yarmouth Counties Railway, it was replaced in 1915 by a steel bridge on concrete columns. It was abandoned by the CPR in 1990 when the Yarmouth Subdivision was closed. The Province of Nova Scotia decided to demolish the bridge in August 2011.Demolition was carried out in February 2012.
St. Joseph's Church
In 1764, following the Acadian Deportation of 1755, British authorities allowed the Acadians (ie. Catholics) to return in small isolated groups. They returned slowly, settling in various locations including the Weymouth area and especially to the south and west along St. Mary’s Bay.
The original St. Joseph’s Church was opened to worship on in 1893 by Archbishop Cornelius O’Brien of Halifax. It was constructed under the leadership of Fr. Alphonse Parker, and was a mission of St. Bernard until 1905, by which time an extension to the church was completed, as was the rectory. The new building was blessed on August 6th, 1905. At that time (early 1900s) in the lumber and ship-building days, Weymouth was the largest community between Halifax and Yarmouth.
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Interestingly, the digital bell system now in place at St. Joseph’s was a gift of the estate of Lawrence Comeau, a native of Weymouth. Lawrence was a long-time resident of California and the right-hand man to billionaire Howard Hughes.
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​Ref: http://corpuschristins.ca/st-joseph-church-weymouth/​​
Cricket in the 1900s
Cricket was a game enjoyed by many in Weymouth and Weymouth Bridge. The team wore white flannel trousers with black pin stripes, white shirts and green visors and white shoes. A game of cricket was always played on Victoria Day, the Queen's birthday. This was a national holiday and Weymouth celebrated it with a parade in the morning, flags flying evrywhere and eveyone in a very festive mood. At noon there was a picnic in the park and in the afternoon there were sports.
In the early 1900’s the Weymouth Cricket Field ( which is currently a ball field ) was used for playing cricket. Thanks to the Ruggles family who donated the uniform, glove, batts, wickets and rule books to share and enjoy with the community and visitors you can see original items at Sissiboo Landing and take a step back in time.
Credits to Karla Kelly and Roberta Journeay for much information.
Other Links
Demolition of the Trestle Bridge. Feb 22, 2012
The Heritage hub contains:
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Digby heritage Property Inventory, a collection of 485 properties from 38 communities, focusing on the life history and architectural features of properties built prior to 1914.
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The Elder Transcripts: a collection of life stories from 50 individuals who lived their lives in the Digby area.
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John Collier Jr. Photographic Collection of the Digby area 1950 - 1951
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1871 AF Church map containing the location of properties and the names of property owners in 1871
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The Digby Weekly Courier 1877 - 1977
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Digby Courier Name Index 1877 - 1929. Lists of births, deaths, marriages etc.​​