Old Annapolis Road, Nova Scotia: Difference between revisions
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Road building commenced in 1784. After a few miles had been constructed at the Western (Annapolis Royal) end of the road, work ceased. In 1816 construction resumed, with portions of the road slightly relocated to provide access of land considered more suitable for settlement. Considerable progress was made in the West, with the road reaching Sherbrooke - today known as [[New Ross, Nova Scotia|New Ross]]<ref>{{cite book|last=Brown|first=Thomas J|title=Place-Names Of The Province Of Nova Scotia|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=pCHr8QXh7gEC&pg=PA104&dq=sherbrooke+%22new+ross%22&hl=en&ei=0I55TMDmJMfanAfg2vGdCw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CCoQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=sherbrooke%20%22new%20ross%22&f=false|year=2008|publisher=READ BOOKS|isbn=978-1-4086-9104-5 |page=104}}</ref> - approximately halfway along the intended route. East of Sherbrooke, the hostile terrain proved too difficult and while the route was cleared to Halifax, construction halted.<ref name="dawson86" /> |
Road building commenced in 1784. After a few miles had been constructed at the Western (Annapolis Royal) end of the road, work ceased. In 1816 construction resumed, with portions of the road slightly relocated to provide access of land considered more suitable for settlement. Considerable progress was made in the West, with the road reaching Sherbrooke - today known as [[New Ross, Nova Scotia|New Ross]]<ref>{{cite book|last=Brown|first=Thomas J|title=Place-Names Of The Province Of Nova Scotia|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=pCHr8QXh7gEC&pg=PA104&dq=sherbrooke+%22new+ross%22&hl=en&ei=0I55TMDmJMfanAfg2vGdCw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CCoQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=sherbrooke%20%22new%20ross%22&f=false|year=2008|publisher=READ BOOKS|isbn=978-1-4086-9104-5 |page=104}}</ref> - approximately halfway along the intended route. East of Sherbrooke, the hostile terrain proved too difficult and while the route was cleared to Halifax, construction halted.<ref name="dawson86" /> |
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On the western end, some construction was completed at the Halifax end which began at the [[Upper Hammonds Plains, Nova Scotia|Hammonds Plains]] Road and which led to the [[Bedford Highway]] near [[Kearney Lake]]. Settlements by [[Black Refugees (War of 1812)|Black Refugees]] from the [[War of 1812]] were successful along the first stretch of the Annapolis Road from Halifax which later became known as the Pockwock Road. West of Hammonds Plains, the road became known as the Camptown Road and connected a number of mills and lumber camps as far as Rafter Lake. However further west, beyond Card Lake, the road was never completed or settled.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gov.ns.ca/nse/ea/highway113/Hwy113.2009.EA.Report.Appendix_C_Text.pdf|title=Highway 113 Archaeological Assessment|last=Sanders|first=Mike|coauthors=Beanlands, SSara|date=August 2009|publisher=Nova Scotia Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal|accessdate=29 December 2010}}</ref> |
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==The road today== |
==The road today== |
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Revision as of 21:27, 18 November 2012
The Old Annapolis Road was a planned direct route between Halifax and Annapolis Royal, the current and former capitals of Nova Scotia, in Eastern Canada. Work began in 1784, but the road was never completed, though sections remain in use today.
Historical context
Annapolis Royal was the original colonial capital of Nova Scotia, until the founding of Halifax in 1749.[1] Nevertheless in the late 18th and early 19th century it was a commercial center and an important fortified garrison protecting Western Nova Scotia. It was also the principle gateway to New Brunswick by sea.[2] Transportation between the two cities was by a lengthy and indirect route known as the "Post Road" or "Great Western Road" which followed ancient trails from Halifax to Windsor, and then West through roads linking the Acadian settlements of the Annapolis Valley, approximately the same route is followed by Nova Scotia Highway No. 1 today.
Geography
The interior of Nova Scotia consists of thick forest and extensive swamps, and in the early 19th century was an uninhabited wilderness. The route of the road was varied to make areas of potentially-better farmland more accessible.
Work began on surveying a new road from Halifax to Annapolis Royal as early as 1776. In 1784 a new survey was conducted to plan a new route through the wilderness between the two cities, with the intention of reducing travel time - particularly for the movement of troops - and opening up the land for settlement.[3]
Construction
Road building commenced in 1784. After a few miles had been constructed at the Western (Annapolis Royal) end of the road, work ceased. In 1816 construction resumed, with portions of the road slightly relocated to provide access of land considered more suitable for settlement. Considerable progress was made in the West, with the road reaching Sherbrooke - today known as New Ross[4] - approximately halfway along the intended route. East of Sherbrooke, the hostile terrain proved too difficult and while the route was cleared to Halifax, construction halted.[3]
On the western end, some construction was completed at the Halifax end which began at the Hammonds Plains Road and which led to the Bedford Highway near Kearney Lake. Settlements by Black Refugees from the War of 1812 were successful along the first stretch of the Annapolis Road from Halifax which later became known as the Pockwock Road. West of Hammonds Plains, the road became known as the Camptown Road and connected a number of mills and lumber camps as far as Rafter Lake. However further west, beyond Card Lake, the road was never completed or settled.[5]
The road today
Sections of the road are in use as parts of the road from Annapolis Royal to New Ross, which follows approximately the same route as that surveyed in 1784.[6] Sections of the Eastern construction still exist as the alignment of several local road segments such as the Pockwock Road a well as logging roads and trails. One section of the road near Halifax was developed by the Bowater Mersey Paper company as the Old Annapolis Road Hiking Trail[7] and has been popular with hikers, although it was abandoned by the paper company in 2012.[8]
References
- ^ Orkin, David (2010). Nova Scotia. Bradt Travel Guides. p. 200. ISBN 978-1-84162-282-8.
- ^ Dawson, Joan (2009). Nova Scotia's Lost Highways - The Early Roads That Shaped the Province. Nimbus Publishing Ltd. p. 80. ISBN 978-1-55109-732-9.
- ^ a b Dawson, Joan (2009). Nova Scotia's Lost Highways - The Early Roads That Shaped the Province. Nimbus Publishing Ltd. p. 86. ISBN 978-1-55109-732-9.
- ^ Brown, Thomas J (2008). Place-Names Of The Province Of Nova Scotia. READ BOOKS. p. 104. ISBN 978-1-4086-9104-5.
- ^ Sanders, Mike (August 2009). "Highway 113 Archaeological Assessment" (PDF). Nova Scotia Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal. Retrieved 29 December 2010.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|coauthors=ignored (|author=suggested) (help) - ^ Dawson, Joan (2009). Nova Scotia's Lost Highways - The Early Roads That Shaped the Province. Nimbus Publishing Ltd. p. 88. ISBN 978-1-55109-732-9.
- ^ Wharton, Danielle. "Wilderness Walks in Nova Scotia - The Old Annapolis Road Pocket Wilderness". Outdoors NS. Retrieved 28 August 2010.
- ^ "Old Annapolis Road Hiking Trail Under Revision", Halifax County, Trails Nova Scotia