An Historical Sketch of Antigonish

"[W]hat say you, gentle Reader, to have a glance at the Village of Antigonish?"
J. Howe, Eastern Rambles, 1831

Archaeological evidence confirms that Antigonish originally served as a seasonal base for Native peoples in prehistoric times. The Mi'kmaq converged on Antigonish Harbour (approximately 1.6 km from the town) during the summer months to harvest the abundant populations of gaspereaux, water fowl, seals and shore birds. The area was so closely identified with its Native residents that later European settlers designated the site "Indian Gardens". The first permanent official European settlement of Antigonish dates from 1784 when Colonel Thomas Hierlihy and his party of disbanded soldiers and refugees from the American Revolution landed at Town Point, a peninsula jutting into Antigonish harbour. Among the original inhabitants of the newly-established community of Dorchester were 76 men, 12 women, 14 children and 18 black "servants".

The ethnic complexion of Antigonish was profoundly changed between the 1790s and 1820s with the influx of Scottish Highlanders and Irish immigrants who left an indelible Celtic stamp on the region. In 1801 there were only three houses within Antigonish proper. However, by the 1820s, the main focus of settlement along Antigonish Harbour had shifted inland towards what is present-day Antigonish. During Lord Dalhousie's visit in September 1817, the village was "splendidly illuminated" as it welcomed its vice-regal visitor with a salute from two rusty old iron nine-pounders. Dalhousie recorded that "I was the first Governor who had reached Antigonish, it was quite a Fete." He was greeted by the "much respected" Colonel Hierlihy, then an old man, and Mr. Symonds, a rotund "Yankee", who ran the local tavern, "an excellent house, the best I have met with." Enthusiasm ran so high that there was some discussion about naming the village in Dalhousie's honour.

The town shed its pioneering origins as the debris of forest clearings made way for the familiar assortment of mills, stores, taverns and blacksmith's shops. In 1829, T.C. Haliburton, author of An Historical and Statistical Account of Nova Scotia, penned this description of the budding community: "It is one of the prettiest villages in the eastern section of Nova Scotia, and the neatness and simplicity of its appearance amply compensate for the absence of bolder scenery. It has but one principal street which is serpentine, extending half a mile from east to west, and containing about 45 dwelling houses, exclusive of other buildings."

Despite the widespread Maritime phenomenon of outmigration, the town leapt ahead in the second half of the 19^th century. St. Francis Xavier College, which started in Arichat, Cape Breton in 1853, was transferred to Antigonish in 1855; eleven years later the institution was granted full university status. In 1883, the Congregation of Notre Dame opened Mount St. Bernard, a school for girls. In 1863, the town celebrated its Scottish roots with the inception of the Highland Games. By 1868, St. Ninian's Cathedral, a massive structure of quarried stone, stood majestically as a monument to community spirit and local pride. An educational centre, an episcopal see, a railway depot, a county seat and a major commercial hub, Antigonish achieved incorporation in 1889.

Today, Antigonish has a population of approximately 5,200. The town's name is synonymous with its university, which boasts a full- and part-time enrolment of 4,100 students and a staff numbering 500. The town also continues to enjoy world renown for its Highland Games and the Coady International Institute, which perpetuates the Antigonish Movement's vision of self-help, adult education, credit unions and cooperatives.