Collection Highlights

This page will showcase a selection of items from the collection with the intent of providing a glimpse its extent. If you would like more detailed information or if you have a specific request please send us an e-mail.

Travel Journal

We don't know who created this travel journal but he was obviously a train enthusiast. It contains pictures of a number of D.A.R. locomotives and other railway photos from other parts of Canada and the U.S.A. The author served in the R.C.A.F. during WW II and there are pictures taken on his trans-Atlantic crossing and of various military aircraft.

The Canning Fires of 1866 and 1912

The collection contains a typed transcript of an article appearing in the "Novascotian" describing the fire of 1866 which destroyed the village. The typed transcript is faint and difficult to read so we have re-transcribed it.

The three photographs show the aftermath of another fire in 1912.

CANNING - Fire of 1866 The Novascotian, Monday, July 23, 1866 p. 5 col. 4
GREAT FIRE IN LOWER CANNING.
The Whole Village Destroyed. (From our own correspondent)

CANNING, N. S. July 15, 1866.

It is our painful task to record to-day another of those dire calamities, that have visited our thriving villages within the year. In the short space of about three hours a half Canning, one of the most flourishing and promising villages in Nova Scotia, has been laid in ashes. The whole business portion of the village is a mass of smoking ruins.

The fire originated in the store formerly occupied by Edward Harris, Esq., (now of your city,) and extended East and West, until the whole of the village was destroyed; even the dwelling houses on the opposite side, and some quite at a distance from the flames, could not be spared, and upwards of forty houses were burnt, and hundreds are left houseless to-night. Men that considered themselves in comfortable circumstance yesterday find themselves worth nothing to-day; and of £25,000 worth of property destroyed, perhaps £5,000 is insured.

The principal losers are: Richmond Smith, dry goods, mostly insured; Chas. Lockwood, lumber yard, insured; D. M. Dickie , Esqr, partially insured; S. B. Parker, provisions dealer, no ins.: Shafnor & Rockwell, grocers, no ins; the Masonic Hall, partially ins.; Wm. H. Tighe, dry goods, ins; Edward Lockwood, the owner of the three stores occupied by the above, partially insured; Martin Reddy, provisions, no ins.; W, T. Harris, fully insur. B. W. Chipman, hardware, partial; Peter Carruthers, grocer, partial; S. Borden, artist, no ins.; Jacob Lockhart, store, no ins; Jas. S. Witter, dry goods , loss of store and stock, £2,000, no ins; Jas. McPherson, dry goods, ins; Sheffield & Wickwire, store, partial; Rand & Tupper,, hardware, partial; Jas. K. Kennedy, loss of dwelling house, store and stock., no.insurance; J.C. & C. F. Eaton, general dealers, no ins; L. W. Eaton, building, no ins; Hon. Chas. Dickie, building, ins; Chas. W. Dickie, general dealer, no ins; George E. Eaton, loss dwelling house, and stores and stock, £3,000 loss, £1,000 ins.; John Ryan, tailor, no ins; D.S. Eaton , fancy goods, no ins; John H. Pineo, grocer., ins; Payzant & Cox, no ins.; C. F. Best, loss dwelling house and stock in-stores, no ins; J. M. F. Randolph, general dealer, loss stock, no ins; C. E. & E. Borden, general dealers, no insur.; S. G. Kerr buildlng, no ins; E Bigelow, loss buildings and ship materials, about ￡1,000, no insurance; J. P. Wells, loss houses, shop stock, and lumber yard, no ins; James Blankhorn, blacksmith, no ins; Canning factory building, no ins; Lewis Scofield, blacksmith, no insurance, Foster Woodbury, hotel, no insurance; Wm. Brady, house, no ins; Peter Rogers, stock and shop, no ins; Edward Clark, shop and stock, ins; John H. Clark, shop, no insur; Denis McCarthy, stock, no ins.

The fire broke out about 12 o'clock on Saturday night, and at daybreak the ruin was complete. Piles of furniture and goods, more or less damaged, were strewn on the road and in the fields for half a mile below the village.

Mr. Bigelow had launched a vessel the day before, which would certainly have been destroyed had she remained on the stocks. A fine barque, building in the same yard by E. Bigelow & Co. was by almost superhuman effort saved. It happened to be high tide water, which providentially prevented the further progress of the flames.

In the other direction, the fire was arrested by placing wet carpets ona house opposite the opening to Shaffner's shop; but the work was complete. Not a house or store was left an the banks of the Habitant River for nearly half a mile, and this once flourishing village is now in ruins.