Port Howe | genealogyhistory

Port Howe and Cameron Beach

Excerpted in part from an essay by 14-year old Logan A. Cameron of Port Howe. It was published in the Oxford Journal on March 29, 1912.

Port Howe is situated 26 miles east of Amherst and 3 miles west of Pugwash light. It is bounded on the east by Pugwash Basin, on the north by Northumberland Strait, on the west by Carrington and Linden, and on the south by River Philip. It was, until the 1830's, dense forest inhabited by Micmaq.

When the first settlers landed they found about 17 Indian camps and about two acres of land cleared and planted with potatoes. The Indians planted them with a stone hoe. Among the prominent Indians was Francis Sock, who was appointed Chief at the death of Louis, from whom the name Louis Head was taken. He is buried on that point and his grave is marked by a large free stone. Among other principal Indians was Doctor Paul, Joe Snake, Mickel Cane and Joe Nockwood. They got their food principally by hunting and fishing.

At what is now called Cameron Beach, it is reported that the first house was built in 1786. It may have belonged to a man named Hyslop who was of French descent. He raised his family among the Indians and lived at the mouth of the bay.

By 1822, when John Evans came from Wales and landed at the Point, Louis Jones and family were already there. From Sand Point running north was held as an Indian reserve until the year 1833 when the land was taken as a crown grant by Lewis Jones. The point was then divided off into grants of 200 acres. Two Welshmen bought land: Louis Lewis bought 200 acres in 1837 along with his wife, stepson and stepdaughter by the name of Reese who came from Wales and Evan Evans bought 400 acres which extended to the Post Road. The first path came in from Linden across Mr. Rogers’ field and across the creek above the tideway bridge. It extended down the marsh to the Rhude place and the Lewis’s and Evans’ lived along it.

Other first settlers were Owen Evans of Wales who came in about 1836 and built a log house. The next settlers were John Cameron, his wife, seven sons and two daughters. They came from Prince Edward Island in 1836 in a small open boat to Louis Head in the mouth of River Philip and erected a small log house near where A. J. Cameron’s lobster factory later stood.

William Elliott with his wife and large family came from England in the year 1854 and built a frame house. In 1857, Norman McLeod, wife and family came over from Cape Breton and moved into a home owned by Owen Evans. At about this time, Owen Evans erected a water mill which was operated for a number of years. Also that year, John Worth and wife and family came from Cape Breton and settled on the bank at Toney Bay. In 1858, there was a huge migration from Pictou consisting of McDonalds, Camerons and McLeans.

The first gospel service was held in the house of John Worth and was conducted by the Rev. Mr. Pickel.

There were no roads and the only way of traveling was on trails through the woods or by boat or canoe. The first route for travel between Amherst and Pugwash ran from Jones’ beach where they swam horses across to Burgman’s Cove and the men went across in row boats. Later that road changed and there was a ferry slip to Hazen McNutt’s Point from Hills’ residence. In 1856, a wooden bridge was built. After these improvements, there was a large immigration each year and the population increased rapidly. The forest was rapidly cut down, buildings erected and roads constantly being made until Port Howe was eight and one-half miles of road and a population of 178.

There was no mail nor post office, the nearest being at George Bergman’s in Pugwash. A post office was established in 1872 and managed by C. W. Elliott, the first mail driver being Keiver Hunter.

The first school was held in Donald Cameron’s home, and taught by Daniel Campbell of Pictou. Before that, children had to cross the river to a school house that stood on the line between Claude King’s and the Kennedy place. Later a school was held in the house of Samuel Elliott and taught by Miss Lucy Horton of Pugwash. In 1869, a schoolhouse was built and opened by Samuel Angus, son of William Angus of Linden. Preaching for 3 denominations and a Temperance Lodge were all held in this building. The schoolhouse later became a blacksmith shop operated by Daniel Cameron and son Charles.

At that time, Port Howe was called Toney Bay after an Indian doctor by the name of Toney who was walking from Shediac to Pictou in a snow storm on Dunbar’s marsh. He perished in the woods at the edge of the Bay and was found the following spring by a search party. They body was taken by canoe to Shediac for burial.In 1883, the name of Toney Bay was changed to Port Howe in honour of the late Joseph Howe.

The Methodist church was erected in 1885 at an elm tree in Mr. Wood’s field and opened by Rev. Mr. Morton. The Presbyterian church was built in 1897 and opened by the Rev. Mr. McIntosh and Rev. Mr. Darragh. The first industry in Toney Bay was shipbuilding, carried on by Captain John Muckler of Ireland who built five sailing vessels from 1875 to 1881. His ship yard was between the United Church and the present bridge. He and his wife Ellen had four sons, all of whom were sea captains. Their mother insisted on going with each one on his first voyage in command. She had a lead coffin constructed especially for her which she took on every voyage in case she had to be buried at sea.

About 1892, A. J. Cameron opened a lobster factory on the Lerry Head Point. It proved a great resort for summer people where as many as forty carriages gathered in one day. The sports consisted of bathing, motor riding and foot racing on the sand beach.

In 1912, a new school house was erected and opened by Miss Olivia Forshner. By 1912, it was reported that Port Howe had two fine churches, a gospel hall, a public hall, a post office, a school house with 49 pupils under the teaching of Emily W. Cameron of Advocate and two up-to-date blacksmith shops.