Beginning in 1672, Acadians from Port Royal established farms in the area that came to be known as Minudie. In 1823, Amos Peck Seaman became a tenant on the Minudie estate, which was granted to Joseph Frederic Wallet DesBarres years earlier. From…

Though the bicycle got its start in Europe, it quickly arrived in Nova Scotia in the hands of the son of Mr. Poole, the owner of the Caledonia Mine. By 1868, cycling had made its mark on the province, largely thanks to the Hanlon Brothers of New…

"At last the big egg opened. ‘Pip! pip!’ said the young one, scrambling out; he was very big and ugly." – Hans Christian Andersen, The Ugly Duckling When I mention that I work at the Sutherland Steam Mill invariably, I get a blank look. Then I…

Sherbrooke Court House was built in 1858 on land purchased from the John and Samuel Cumminger, who owned Cumminger Brothers’ General Store. The courthouse was designed in the Greek Revival style with large fluted columns at the front, much like many…

The Schoolhouse in Sherbrooke Village was built in 1867 according to plans issued by a report by the Provincial Superintendent of Education. Before the schoolhouse opened, students were taught from people’s homes. The first teacher in Sherbrooke was…

Renova Cottage was built in the 1850’s for John Cumminger (1827-1892), who then sold it to his brother, Samuel (1838-1879), in 1871. In 1905, the house was sold to Dr. Lambert Densmore (1878-1968), who lived there with his family until 1919. Dr.…

Donald McDonald was the son of a Scottish settler, who came to Nova Scotia in 1802 and settled on interval lands at Sunnybrae, Pictou County. In 1847 at the age of 18, Donald McDonald came to Sherbrooke and opened a tailor shop, which he ran from…

Established in the 1860s, Cumminger Brothers’ General Store was owned and operated by John Cumminger (1827-1892) and his brother Samuel Cumminger (1838-1879). John was also a ship builder and master mariner and had shares in lumbering and gold…

The first sawmill in the Sherbrooke area was erected around 1809 by James Fisher, who came from Truro in 1805. In 1814, another sawmill and a grist mill were set up by David Archibald III, also from Truro, at the site of present-day Sherbrooke. The…

Joseph McLane, the first owner of blacksmith shop in Sherbrooke Village, was born in Onslow, Colchester County, on May 26, 1820, to Captain William and Margaret McLane. In 1837, the family moved to Stillwater near Sherbrooke. In 1844, Joseph McLane…