top of page

Pugwash Junction

​

One of the first settlers to the area that became known as Pugwash Junction was James Doherty (1758 - 1815), a man of Loyalist descent,  his wife and ten children.  He arrived early in 1800 after emigrating with a group of settlers from Dumfries Scotland to PEI in 1774.  He settled on the road leading to Pugwash along a waterway into the Pugwash estuary, now called Dougherty or Doherty Creek.  The place was subsequently owned by Barney Piers, then Nelson Piers and finally James Williams.  The next settlers Piers, Gillis, McLeod and Wilkinson were in some way relatives of Dougherty.  Later Eatons, Thompsons, Paiges and Stevens’s moved in.

 

In the early days, the inhabitants made their living by lumbering, dairy and mixed farming.  Old millstones used in grinding grain may be seen on the Canfield Creek which runs through the old Philip Tuttle farm, subsequently owned by Russell Noiles.  The first saw mill was set on the brook which runs below the Thomas Wilkinson homestead.

​

George Gillis (1857 - 1925) was a stone cutter by trade.  His handiwork may be seen in various monuments in cemeteries in surrounding districts.  There are three cemeteries in Pugwash Junction.  The first is on the old Dougherty farm where Dougherty, his family and the other first settlers are buried.  The second is on the farm settled by Michael Berry (1791 - 1841). McLeods and Lattas are also buried in this plot.  The cemetery now in use is called the Eaton Cemetery and is on property adjoining the original Eaton homestead.

​

In 1888, the railroad was completed.  Previous to this, the district along the road leading to Pugwash from the vicinity of the station was called Dougherty Creek or Brook, and that area leading into Conns Mills and Oxford was called Lakeville.  Now the two were given the name of Pugwash Junction, the station being the junction of the branch line from Pugwash and that of the main line from Pictou to Oxford Junction.

​

At one time iron ore was mined on the Philip Tuttle (1847 - 1927) property.  Mica, copper and natural paint deposits may also be found in the same area. 

​

By 1916, there were 200 people living in Pugwash Junction.

​

A school was built which was succeeded by the Margaret King School, opened in 1930.  With multiple classrooms, an extensive library, a gymnasium, home economics room, industrial arts room, and a science lab for students in both elementary and secondary grades.  The first principal was Seymour Gordon Walfrille followed by Dr. Herman Fayvour.  He was succeeded by Mel Sarty, Harry Nelson, and Margaret MacLeod.  It closed in 1960 when the district was amalgamated with Pugwash. 

​

In April of 1948, power was extended into the community from the Wallace Bay line, although the school had had it since 1940.  The first post office was opened in 1880, and Nelson Piers was the Post Master.  At this time Philander Stevens kept a small store and later Joseph Eaton built on the site of another store which was operated by H. E. Wood. 

​

The house on the Thompson farm became a community hall which was eventually destroyed by fire.  The telephone service was privately owned, the three original shareholders being George Gillis, William McLeod and Thomas Wilkinson. 

​

In 1948, it was reported that most of the farms at Pugwash Junction were settled by descendents of the early settlers. 

​

Excerpted by an article by Beatrice McKim in the Oxford Journal of June 24, 1948

​

Civilian Marriage in Pugwash Junction or by citizens of Pugwash Junction 1872 -  1904

 

06-11-1872    Wallace      Kirk    Rev James Anderson
TEED        Charles W 27 B    shoemaker    Wallace     Wallace     Moses & Jane
GILLIS    Sophia    24 S        Dohertys Brook         George & 

 

06-05-1873    Pugwash     Church of England    Rev Frederick J H Axford
THOMPSON    George    28 B    farmer    Dohertys Brook     Dohertys Brook     Miles & Tamar
TEED        Ruth 31 S        Dohertys Brook         Moses & Jane

 

01-01-1880    Amherst Cum Co    Methodist    Rev William Alcorn
CHASE    Reuben 67 W merchant    Upper Lakeville Cum Co    Sackville NB    Jethro & Isabel
KEN        Danica B 35 S    Parrsboro Cum Co    Parrsboro Cum Co    Ebenezer & Caroline
 

06-07-1881    Dohertys Brook     Baptist    Rev Henry Bool
SKIDMORE    Frederick E 25    B farmer    New Canaan     New Canaan     William & Maria
TEED        Mary    24 S        Dohertys Brook     Dohertys Brook     Moses & Jane

 

15-11-1882    Dohertys Brook     Baptist    Rev Henry Bool
COLBORN    Benjamin 26 B    shoemaker    Pugwash     Pugwash     Alexander & Elizabeth
PEERS        Maggie 28    S        Dohertys Brook     Wallace Bay     Caleb & Mary

 

23-12-1882    Pugwash     Baptist    Rev Henry Bool
MONTROSE    James E 37 W    carpenter    Hartford     Hartford     Jesse D & Jane A
WILLIAMS    Caroline 48 S    Dohertys Brook     Dohertys Brook     Benjamin & Mary

 

11-06-1883    Parrsboro Cum Co    Methodist    Rev William Alcorn
RECTOR    George F 40 B    farmer    Lakeville Cum Co    Lakeville Cum Co    James & Mary
JEFFERS    Margaret E 36 S  Lakeville Cum Co    Lakeville Cum Co    Henry & Margaret

​

13-09-1883    River Philip     Methodist    Rev John Craig
GILBERT    Joseph A 24 B    farmer    New Canaan     New Canaan     David & Elizabeth
WILKINSON    Sophia J 18 S        Dohertys Brook     Dohertys Brook     Charles & Ruth

​

09-09-1884    West Brook Cum Co    Baptist    Rev John A McLean
BLIGH    Enos C    37 B farmer Lakeville Cum Co    Lakeville Cum Co    Abraham & Eliza
ARCHIBALD    Emily M 36 S West Brook Cum Co Upr Musquodoboit Hfx Co    Wallace & Anna
 

07-05-1888    Parrsboro Cum Co    Baptist    Rev J M Porter
BROWN    Charles A 21 B brakeman Parrsboro Cum Co Lakeville Cum Co    George P & Charity
WASSON    Rose E    18 S        Parrsboro Cum Co    Parrsboro Cum Co    James & Ellen
 

16-11-1885    Pugwash     Methodist    Rev Arthur D Morton
GUNN        Angus 35 W    contractor    Halifax Hfx Co    Pictou Pic Co    George & Cassie
PIERS        Ellen R 23 S        Dohertys Brook     Dohertys Brook     George & Sarah

 

09-02-1887    Pugwash     Methodist    Rev George F Johnson
BRITTON    John G    30 B    farmer    Pugwash River Pugwash River     Henry & Matilda
MCLEOD    Charlotte E 21 S     Dohertys Brook     Lakeville     Stewart & Margaret

 

06-10-1887    Pugwash     Baptist    Rev C C Burgess    [of Pugwash]
MCLEOD    Rufus 23 B    farmer    Dohertys Brook Dohertys Brook     Stewart & Margaret
JONES        Bertha A 18 S        Dohertys Brook     Dohertys Brook     Lewis & Ellen

 

20-06-1888    Pugwash     Baptist    Rev C C Burgess
ANGEVINE    Lothrop 29 B    farmer    Middleboro     Middleboro     James & Sarah
MCLEOD    Millicent 26 S    Dohertys Brook     Dohertys Brook     Chris & Isabella

 

01-01-1890    Pugwash     Methodist    Rev Jesse B Giles
WILKINSON    Thomas 30 B    farmer    Doherty Green     Doherty Green     Doherty & Mary
MONTROSE    Melissa 21 S        Hartford     Hartford     Jesse & Jane

 

03-10-1891    Pugwash River     Methodist    Rev Jesse B Giles
SIMPSON    George (Rev) 49 B clergy Dohertys Brook     Branchton    George & Isabella
MCPHERSON    Ada 22    S     Pugwash River     Pugwash River     John W & Phoebe

 

18-01-1893    Middleboro     Methodist    Rev Benjamin Hills
MONTROSE    Allison C 33 B    farmer    Dohertys Brook     Dohertys Brook     Jesse D & Jane
WOODBURY    Ida M 19 S        Middleboro     Middleboro     William & Mary 

 

17-05-1893    Dohertys Brook     Methodist    Rev Benjamin Hills
MONTROSE    Rufus A 35 W    farmer    Dohertys Brook     Dohertys Brook     Jesse D & Jane
WOODBURY    Emma J 22 S         Middleboro     Middleboro     William & Mary

 

02-06-1894    Conns Mills     Methodist    Rev Benjamin Hills
JONES        Lewis    50 B    farmer    Dohertys Brook Wallace Bay     Benjamin & Ann
DEWAR    Elizabeth 47 W    Conn Mills     River Philip     Stephen & Mary

 

06-03-1895    Head Wallace Bay     Pb    Rev James A McKenzie
MCMILLAN    John A    28 B section foreman    Dohertys Brook     Wood Island    Hector & Mary
FORSHNER    Eva 29    S    Head Wallace Bay     Head Wallace Bay     Samuel & Maria

 

15-01-1896    Pugwash     Methodist    Rev Benjamin Hills
TEED        Herbert R 28 B    farmer    Dohertys Brook     Dohertys Brook      & Ruth
PEERS        Luella R 16 S        Wallace Bay     Wallace Bay     Harris & Laura

​

26-10-1904    Amherst Cum Co    Baptist    Rev J T Dimock
FREEMAN    Samuel H 45 W farmer    East Amherst Cum Co    Amherst Cum Co William & Fannie
TRITES    Bertheme J 5    S        Lakeville NB    Shediac NB    John S & Sarah Ann
 

15-11-1904    Pugwash Junction    Methodist    Rev Donald Farquhar
MCLEOD    Clifford 44 W    engineer    Pugwash Jct     Pugwash Jct     Daniel & Nancy
WILKINSON    Minnie    36    S        Pugwash Jct     Pugwash Jct     Doherty & Mary
 

PUGWASH

 

70 Water Street: The Clarke House

 

The Clarke House is on lot 103 of the original Black plan of Pugwash. A deed, signed by John and Sarah Black, shows that the land was purchased on Jan. 19, 1847 for 30 pounds by Dr. Joseph Clarke, a physician. The lot was on Water Street starting at Victoria Street and running east 85 feet and south 85 feet.

 

Joseph built a house which he named Napoleon’s Cottage. It also served as his office and his dispensary. In 1854, he also bought lot 106 for 80 pounds. That was on the corner of Water and Durham Street. He sold that land in 1873 to William Henry Brown for $364.00, and it eventually became the war memorial.

 

Dr. Joseph Clarke was born in Kilkenny, Ireland. He emigrated as a young physician and dentist to Nova Scotia. This was unusual as many Irish immigrants were coming to the area, but few were educated. He married Olivia King (Mar. 30, 1827 – Feb. 28, 1910), daughter of Lavina Pineo and Oliver King in about 1850. In 1853, their first child, Cyrilla Clarke (1853 – 1938) was born. She was followed three years later by brother William (1856 – 1882). Child 3, Joseph Holmes Clarke (1860 – 1938) followed soon after being born in 1860. Their newly built house was on Water Street, and Joseph was a successful physician with three children. He practiced out of his house, and it served also as his dispensary.

 

In the 1861 census, he was in a household of 8 in Pugwash, 5 males and 3 females. That same year, Dr. Joseph had a schooner built in Wallace, The Janet. Unfortunately, it sank in the Gulf of St. Lawrence in 1862. In the 1864 Hutchinson’s Directory, Joseph is listed as a physician and dentist. In the 1871 census, the family of 5 are in Pugwash and living with them are Hiram and Clara Huston. Hiram was an engineer at a steam mill. Servant Maggie Satoris is with them as was a sailor, Joseph Akerly.

 

Daughter Cyrilla married Edgar Augustus Elliott in 1874 in Amherst. Dr. Joseph Clarke was obviously a man of some influence and service to the village. On August 27, 1857, he was appointed coroner for Cumberland County. He held other offices for the village. In 1858, he was an assessor. In 1858 - 60, he served as commissioner of streets. In 1870 and 1875, he was one of three school trustees. In 1871, he was an overseer of the poor. In 1872, he and Dr. Creed participated in the examination of Mr. Macaulay’s 103 students. In 1877, he had a meeting with the premier to change the route of the Northern Light which went to PEI through Pictou. He successfully pressed for it to be changed to going from Pugwash to Victoria instead.

 

The Christian Messenger reported that on Jan. 25, 1880, Dr. Clarke, just before retiring, went into his surgery to get some medicine and made a mistake, taking carbolic acid instead of the preparation he intended to take. Before he had drank the whole dose he discovered his mistake and told his wife that he was poisoned and had only a few minutes to live. Dr. Dakin, who lived just across the street, was at once called and used all possible remedies, but Clarke died in half an hour. The Miramichi Advance added that he had not been well for some time. Dr. Creed and Dr. Mackintosh also arrived but Dr. Clarke was speechless and could only wave his hand to indicate that there was nothing to be done. Reports of his death showed that the deceased had been in practice for a great number of years and had been particularly successful in the treatment of diphtheria. He practiced out of his house, but he also was said to travel into the countryside regardless of weather. He was buried in Palmerston Cemetery.

 

The appraisal of Joseph’s estate showed 3 pieces of real estate – 17 acres of land on Irishtown Road, 1 lot in Pugwash of 80 feet x 80 feet with a house and a barn, and a farm of 150 acres where Thomas Sarson was residing. The lot in Pugwash and the furniture was deeded to Augusta and Cyrilla including the portion owned by son Joseph Holmes. JH relinquished all right to his portion of that land and deeded it to his mother and sister. By the 1881 census, Olivia was a widow. She was living with her daughter Cyrilla Elliott, also a widow, sons William and Joseph Clarke and Cyrilla’s children Daisy and Pearl. In 1891, she was still in her house in Pugwash with Cyrilla, Daisy and Edmund as well as lodgers John Seaman and William Morgan.

 

Olivia was burned out twice. On July 25, 1898, a raging fire struck the Durham Street area. Winds fanned the flames and without a fire department, eighteen families were rendered homeless. Olivia’s house was completely lost along with 17 other properties, including the house and barn of her son, Joseph Holmes Clarke. In 1899, Olivia was rebuilding on the site of her former residence at 70 Water Street. In 1899, Joseph’s daughter Cyrilla married again to Clarence Edward Reed a sea captain in Pictou. Cyrilla’s son Edmund Pearl married Hattie M. Hay that same year in Truro. Her daughter Daisy Elliott married Stephen Percival Wilson also in 1899. Joseph’s brother William had died without having children. In the 1901 census, Olivia is living alone. On Sept. 10, 1901, the Clark house was again damaged by fire resulting from thieves blowing up the safe in Brown’s store which was adjacent. The house caught on fire several times, but was saved by the people. The town had no fire department. Finally, on Nov. 11, 1901, was a large fire that almost wiped out the town of Pugwash. Olivia’s damage was recorded as $1500 for loss of house and furniture. As the winter coal and vegetables had been laid in, the damage was even greater.

 

Olivia had to build again. By January of 1902, they had decided to also build a meat market on the property. This structure was right next door to the house she was also building, the house that is there now. Olivia died on Feb. 28, 1910, of softening of the brain and exhaustion. She is buried in Willow Grove Cemetery. She was C of E. This is interesting because son, Joseph Holmes Clarke and family were RC.

 

In 1911, according to the census, Cyrilla and Edward Reed were living alone in the house.

 

Cyrilla’s brother, Joseph Holmes Clarke (April 8, 1860 – Jan. 13, 1938) was initially employed as a bookkeeper and auctioneer. In 1879, Joseph was a surveyor of lumber. He married Agustia (Gussie) Adilea Walsh (Mar. 17, 1866 -   ) on July 16, 1886 in Pugwash. In 1898, when he was a general merchant, they lived in Pugwash. Their house was burned in 1898, with the loss being assessed at $800 and insurance at $300. In 1901 they were in Pugwash with children Adilea, Joseph and Alexander. They were Roman Catholic. He was a general merchant and also a surveyor of lumber. In 1915, a poem of his was published in Moncton called “Home is home where ere it be”. In 1920 he was a fence viewer. This was a municipal post. He became very active in municipal government, receiving appointment as stripendiary magistrate at Pugwash, acting periodically as returning officer for municipal elections and even running as an unsuccessful Liberal candidate for a seat on County Council in 1922. In 1927, he was a Customs Collector. He also worked for a time as a conductor for the railway out west and as the station agent and telegrapher in Pugwash Junction.

 

In 1911, Joseph, Gussie and the children are all in Pugwash. In 1916, Joseph Holmes is living in a hotel in Cochrane, Ontario working for the railway according to his son’s attestation papers. In 1921 Joseph and Gussie are in Pugwash with son Joseph V. In 1931, they are in Pugwash with Daisy Wilson who is listed as their boarder. She was Joseph’s niece. Joseph was a judge by then. Joseph Holmes and Gussie’s eldest daughter, Adilea Mary Clarke (May 6, 1888 - ) became a teacher. When she retired, she moved into the Clarke house. After Adelia died, the house was empty for some time.

 

JH’s second child, Joseph Valentine Clarke (Feb. 14, 1890 [1901 Census] - ) joined up for WWI in March 1916 from Winnipeg where he was a switchman. He was hit by a bullet on Vimy Ridge, and his right arm was amputated. After his return to Canada, he married Jean Elizabeth Thompson on Sept. 14, 1921. She died, and he married Christina Williams in May of 1928. Chrissy renovated the family house and she and Joseph moved in.

 

He was an insurance agent for 40 years and sold his business in 1969. Jophie and Chrissie’s second child was Joseph. Another child was Marion Clarke who won a beauty contest and from that was offered a contract by the CBC in 1953 to work in television. She gave up her career as host of The Saturday Show in 1957 to marry Darroch MacGillivray. Their third child, Alexander Bernard Clarke (Jan. 31, 1892 – June 13, 1953) also enlisted in 1914. At Ypres, he was wounded and taken prisoner. His leg was amputated. He was returned to Canada in 1917. He married Marie Clarisse Cantin in Calgary and moved to BC. Joseph and Chrissy’s fourth child was James David Clarke. They had grandson Darren Clarke who wrote an article about spending his summers in Pugwash in the Clarke house. According to him, Joseph V. smoked and loved pipes and had a room in his house dedicated to pipes. When Joseph and Chrissie became older, they moved to a smaller house down Water Street. 

​

Darren Clarke was a grandson of Joseph and Gussy and son of James David Clarke..  He wrote excerpts from reminiscences for “The Left Field Lark” June 18, 2018 Travel section.

 

Sitting on my grandparents’ sun porch in a rain storm – Pugwash is a tiny little town of 784 that sits on the Northumberland Strait at the mouth of the Pugwash River. My grandparents’ house sat on the corner of the town’s main streets, Water Street and Victoria Street. The sunporch overlooked Water Street and wrapped around half of the length of the house that ran parallel to Victoria. The windows were weathered, vaguely distorting the outside world. If you were sitting in the front of the house, you could look across Water Street and see Pugwash bay, its clay-coloured beach just steps away.

 

Memories of visiting my Grandfather - . . . lounging in lawn chairs beneath the tree in my grandparents’ back yard listening to my grandfather regale me, indeed educate me, with war stories and tales of his time as a magistrate – good decisions, bad decisions, funny decisions, in his endeavour to provide justice, the people he met, the ones that surprised him, the ones he respected, the ones that let him down and beyond that his stories of long lost World War I battlefields, former boxing champions (Tommy Burns) and so much more.

 

My grandfather’s pipes – My dad’s dad had tons of smoking pipes varying from simple corn cob pipes to straightforward wood pipes with plastic ends to crazy cool wood ones, some with improbably intricate metal ends. We loved them. He had an entire room dedicated to his pipes.

 

On the porch -The guns I remember really, rifles which appeared to be circa World War One. There was tons of random stuff there: almanacs, nicnacks, magazines, pins, old metal lighters that didn’t work.

 

The village – memories of collecting bottle caps out front of the same corner store in Pugwash where you bought the little packages of seaweed to eat.

 

70 Water Street was bought by John Caraberis and Bonnie Wood in 1996. They rented it to Dale O’Hara and Erin Horton who turned it into a restaurant known as Walden Pond, named after the book which Dale had been reading. It was a successful business. The current kitchen was the kitchen of the restaurant; there were two rooms which are now the dining room and living room and an outdoor deck on the Victoria Street side. Reception was from Water Street and Dale and Erin lived upstairs. It was next sold to Peter Sietel who used it as a storehouse for antiques.

 

In 2025, it was again bought by John Caraberis and Bonnie Wood. They renovated: municipal water was connected, the foundation was fixed, there was some new wiring and plastering, new heat pumps and a new roof were installed, the sun porch was repaired and a new entrance from Victoria Street was built. , and it is currently being occupied by a family who are new to the area.

 

E

bottom of page