Page 16 - ACM175_Souvenir Book Demo

THE PEOPLE
For thousands of years before contact with French explorers and settlers in the 1600s, the Mi'kmaq First Nation inhabited and travelled the area of southeastern NB which includes Albert County. The Mi'kmaq were nomadic hunter- gatherers, living in temporary wigwams along the rivers and shorelines during spring and summer, but moving inland for fall and winter.
(Stief) Steeves colony! Families from England, Scotland and Ireland settled in the parishes of Coverdale, Hillsborough, Hopewell and Harvey. The first settler to Elgin, John Geldart came from Yorkshire in 1811 and pioneer maple-sugar maker, Robert Colpitts in 1825. The first Irish settlers made their way to Albert County by travelling the Shepody Road from Saint John in 1818, establishing communities in
Hon. W.A.C. Bennett PC OC, longest serving Premier of British Columbia; Captain Myrtle “Molly” Kool, first female Master Mariner in North America; Hon. William Henry Steeves, Father of Confederation; Hon. Dr. William Lewis, County Doctor and MLA Albert; brothers James, Merritt and Watson Reid, famous architects; Hon Gaius Turner, MLA Albert, owner of Turner shipbuilding; Fred Colpitts, MLA Albert, developer of largest fox ranch in British Empire.
These are but a few of the people who influenced Albert County’s development during the booming years when resource industries and the shipping trade brought great prosperity. Throughout the 1900s to the present 2020, descendants of the “founding families”, as well as new residents from near and far, have contributed to the business, industry, education, the arts, healthcare and environmental conservation. In every community throughout Albert County, there are countless people who deserve recognition for notable achievements and contributions to the rich and honourable history being celebrated during AC175.
Gaius S. Turner
The first Europeans to settle in Albert County moved from the French Habitation at Port-Royal. In 1689 Pierre Thibodeau and his sons, impressed by the coastal land of present day Shepody and Hopewell Hill, established the hamlet of “Chipoudie”, which was the beginning of all future Acadian settlements along the Petitcodiac River and in the region. The Acadian farming communities flourished in peace until the year of 1755 which witnessed the expulsion of the Acadians by the British.
To encourage settlement of the vacant land the British offered land grants. In 1765 the New England Planter family of Abiel Peck arrived in Hopewell, receiving a land grant of 5500 acres. In 1769 German “Deutsch” families from Pennsylvania settled in Dutch Village (Hillsborough), the future
Abner Reid McClelan
Alma, Point Wolfe, New Ireland, Hebron and Sinclair Hill.
Throughout Albert County's history there were always progressive and energetic citizens in every community who worked to bring improvements involving education, health care, transportation and other services. These capable leaders often operated businesses in mining, lumbering or shipbuilding, which held the community together by providing a livelihood for the families. Statesmen from Albert County dutifully served at all levels of government.
Albert County is the birthplace of the Rt. Hon. Richard Bedford Bennett, 11th Prime Minister of Canada; Hon. Abner Reid McClelan, Senator and 10th Lt. Governor of New Brunswick; Colonel Cyrus Wesley Peck VC DSO & Bar, Victoria Cross recipient, MP; Sir George Parkin, Knight Commander of Order of St. Michael and St. George;
Captain Molly Kool
61 EGAP AC.571CA.WWW TISIV - 571 YTNUOC TREBLA