"[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 19th 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 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.