One year after it was formed in 1878, the Nova Scotia Historical Society published the first collection of its papers. In the collection is a report written in 1743 with a detailed description of Nova Scotia, its geography and its people. The paper infers that the provincial authorities weren’t happy about the “Acadian situation.” Prepared by the Board of Trade, the paper states the government’s stand on the Acadians, in effect justifying the expulsion that would come 12 years later.

“It was provided by the Treaty of Utrecht,” the paper reads, “that the French Inhabitants of Nova Scotia should have a year allowed them to remove from thence with their effects, and such as remained beyond that time, which is long elapsed, were by the Treaty to become subjects to her said late majesty; but these People, being influenced by their Priests, did, till the year 1730, unanimously refuse to take the oath of allegiance to His Majesty, unless they might be allowed an exception in favor of France, which would have rendered their engagements ineffectual. And tho they have at last been prevailed upon to take the Oaths, they have done it with great Reluctance, and in all probability would join their Countrymen, in case of a French War against His Majesty’s subjects.”

In 1881 the Historical Society published volume two of their collections and again papers justifying the Acadian expulsion were included. One of the document, written in 1791, portrays the Acadians as warmongers. Keep in mind when reading the following excerpt from the document that while all Acadians are portrayed as hostile, in fact only a few conducted guerrilla warfare against the English.

“In the French War of 1744 they (the Acadians) joined the Indians in the attacks against the Inhabitants and garrisons of Annapolis Royal, and supplied the Indians with provisions: to this purpose they were instigated in some measure by the Governor and the Bishop of Quebec and their priests, who were indefatigable in poisoning their minds with dissatisfaction and enmity to the English.

“When the settlement was made at Halifax, in 1749, before the people had erected their huts, they, with their priests, excited the Indians to disturb the progress making in building the town, and twice within the space of two years the Indians, with one of the Acadians… at their head, attacked Dartmouth and put many people to death. The town of Halifax was palisaded to prevent their irruptions, and no person was in safety who ventured one mile from the town.

“From this time until the end of the year 1755 this country was kept in an uninterrupted state of war by the Acadians who, following the dictates of the Governors of Quebec and Cape Breton, to beak up the English settlements, excited and assisted the Indians to cut off all communications between Halifax and the different parts of the province.

“In the year 1755 when the French were driven by the English from Beausejour… six hundred French Acadians appeared in arms against the King’s troops. During all the time from 1749, and long before, these people were treated with the utmost lenity, and frequently called on to take the oath of allegiance – for no advantage could be expected from a country unpeopled – but every effort of this kind was in vain.”

“In 1879 a municipal election was held in Kings County at the cost to the county’s taxpayers of $91.65. L. DeVere Chipman was the county clerk of the day, and councillor J. W. Barss was the warden. This was reported in The Advertiser of Kentville, then one year old.”

This publication’s former managing editor and current columnist, Harold Woodman, began a recent address at the Kings Historical Society with this introduction. The topic was the history of Kings County newspapers, and a condensed version follows.

“The Advertiser was by no means the first newspaper in Kings County,” Woodman continued. “Campbell Stevens, a deaf mute, started a paper in Wolfville in 1859. It lasted for only a few issues.

“The first newspaper of any consequence was the King County Gazette, which in 1864 began to publish in Canning. It lasted only about two years, being forced out of existence by the major fires which destroyed the whole of Canning’s business district. Major Theakston had at the time been the owner and publisher and perhaps editor as well.

“Theakston then moved the paper to Wolfville where it lasted for about three years, going under in 1869. It had been known as The Acadian. Some years later, in 1883 to be precise, the brothers Arthur and B. O. Davison entered into partnership to produce the Wolfville Acadian.

“The Western Chronicle, founded by a group of young men headed by Joseph Cogswell, came on stream in 1873, six years before The Advertiser made its appearance.

On July 5, 1866, James A. Starr bought out The Star in Berwick. In 1866 he moved to Kentville where he continued to publish The Star for another five years before returning to Berwick. In 1879 the Star’s premises burned to the ground. Around 1883 A. J. Pineo made an attempt to revive The Star in Wolfville (later moving it to Kentville and calling it the New Star).

“The Western Chronicle and New Star became bitter rivals and warred with words… on their front and editorial pages. They also gave full support to the two political parties of the day, becoming unofficial spokesmen, the Chronicle for the Liberals and Star for the Tories.

“In 1888 another paper, The Canning Gazette, was founded by Alexander M. Liddell. The Western Chronicle was its printer. Less than a year later… it was merged with the Western Chronicle.

“The Advertiser‘s birthing was not easy. It struggled long trying to make its way in a county which appeared to be already more than adequately served by weekly newspapers. Around the turn of the century The Advertiser bough the Western Chronicle… and for several years there was a succession of owners, all of whom ran one man shows. It is significant to note that of all those newspapers, just two, The Advertiser and Berwick Register are their only surviving descendants.

“In 1921 Kentville Publishing Company Ltd. was incorporated and became publisher of The Advertiser. The plant was situated east of the Main Street Church Avenue intersection.”

To follow: The conclusion of Mr. Woodman’s talk, in which he discusses the Baker family’s role in moulding Kentville Publishing into a major Valley business and the career of the illustrious Frank J. Burns.

When I wrote about the 1907 smallpox epidemic recently, I asked readers if they would share any memories they might have or pass along stories parents or grandparents told them.

One reader (name withheld on request) sent me a photocopy of an article by Kathleen E. Cogswell, which ran in the Berwick Register in 1990. The reader asked that her name not be used since she felt the article may be copyrighted. Perhaps so since an “all rights reserved” line was tagged at the end of the article. I will say that the article confirms a smallpox outbreak in Kings County in 1907, which apparently was confined to the Mi’kmaq community in Cambridge.

I’m not sure the material in the article can be copyrighted since it comes from records in the Public Archives, which are public property. However, I’ll forgo further mention of the article and tell you about confirmation of the smallpox epidemic in Cambridge from another source.

When she was doing research for her recently published history of Cambridge, Frances Taylor went through sessional paper records housed in the library at Acadia University. In the 1911 papers Ms. Taylor found references to the smallpox epidemic among the Mi’kmaq in Cambridge. When she called in response to my request for information, Ms. Taylor read the following quote from the sessional records:

“Their health was reported as good although an epidemic of smallpox raged among them last winter. Owing to the premises being kept clean, and thorough vaccinations, it was of light form in most cases. No deaths resulted from it. The people were quarantined until it was over.”

Kathleen Cogswell’s article quotes government sources which indicate a smallpox epidemic in “some counties” in 1907, including the Mi’kmaq community in Cambridge. Frances Taylor’s research indicates that an epidemic occurred in 1910. In her book, she also quotes from the memoirs of Mrs. George Webster which point to an epidemic in 1907. Perhaps we can conclude that there was a smallpox outbreak in 1907 and again in 1910.

Kentville marine historian Leon Barron called recently to give me information on the Kingsport dykes, which were mentioned in a letter published last week. Remember the welcome to Kingsport sign on the approach to the village? Barron tells me this stands on a small running dyke. “Near the sign, just to the south of the pavement, there’s an old cellar,” Barron said. “Where the house would have been there’s a little dyke running east; then it turns north. When the road was put through, they cut this dyke out; but if you look at the inshore road you can see the continuation of it.”

Another dyke on a grander scale begins on the west point of Kingsport, which on the (19th century) Church map is called Bass Point, Barron says. Remains of this dyke can be seen by looking west from the point towards the large creek.

On investigating this dyke, Barron found that it was “built up with marsh mud and layers of brush.” All the marsh from the welcome to Kingsport sign to the village of Kingsport was dyked off, Barron says. “It’s all reclaimed land.”

This dyke, from Kingsport to a point close to the present Canning (Habitant) River aboiteau, has a connection with a famous Canadian. Barron was told that the dyke was built and owned by Sir Frederick Borden and he got confirmation of this from a reliable source, Sir Frederick’s offspring.