Antigonish, Nova Scotia

Antigonish is a Canadian town in north-eastern Nova Scotia and the

History

• The name Antigonish is of Mi'kmaq origin and is believed to refer to the place where tree branches are torn off by bears gathering beechnuts.
• The first European settlement took place in 1784 when Colonel Hierlihy received a large land grant surrounding Antigonish Harbour. Hierlihy and his party founded a settlement called Dorchester, named in honour of Sir Guy Carleton, Governor of Canada, and the Lord Dorchester.
• In 1796 a local settler, with the assistance of a native guide, blazed a trail from Antigonish Harbour to Brown's Mountain, using the shortest route. This trail became a guide for travelers and eventually evolved into a winding Main Street.
• By the late 1820s, Dorchester was commonly referred to as Antigonish.
• St. Francis Xavier University was founded in 1853 and moved to Antigonish, from Arichat Cape Breton, in 1855. It was originally a Catholic seminary. St.F.X. was granted full university powers in 1866 by an act of the Nova Scotia legislature.
• The local newspaper, The Casket, was first published on January 1, 1861.
• The first Antigonish Highland Games were held in 1863 to raise funds for the construction of St. Ninian's Cathedral.
• Sydney County was renamed Antigonish County in 1864
• Antigonish was incorporated as a town in 1889.
• The first hospital in Antigonish opened on June 10th, 1906.