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Chester Basin, Nova Scotia, was once known as the the "Barrel Capital of Canada" and more recently as the "Jewel of South Shore." Initially called West Chester, Chester Basin was part of the Shoreham Grant which stretched Westerly as far as Martin's River and easterly to include part of today's Aspotogan Peninsula, a tract of land containing approximately 100,000 acres, and equivalent to about three-fifths of the present Municipality of the district of Chester.
Some time int he 1840s, Chester Basin appears to have received it's present name. A number of sea coast communities within District 4 of the Municipality also began their settlements at the same time. Prior to the arrival of the Europeans, Chester Basin was a warm weather stopping point for the Mi'kmaw people, one of the Wabenaki tribes along the Atlantic Coast.
Between 1760 and the 1840s. Chester Basin was gradually settled by New Englanders (1760-17830, disbanded British soldiers (1805-1816), and later the foreign protestants, who, in 1753, had come to and settled in teh Lunenburg Area. These setllers were given large grants of lands. Many family names in the community still reflect these early settlers.
Beginning witht the Golden Age of Sail (1840-1800), ship building was a key industry in the growth and prosperity of Chester Basin as a transporting and shipping centre between the wider world and the hinterland of Nova Scotia in the geographical area. Later, as ship building declined with the growth of the steel ship industry, the community turned to other used of the plentiful forests, mainly the making of water-tight barrels. At one point, about 60% of the villagers were engaged in the barrel industry in one form or another. Still later, a thriving Christmas tree industry developed and this is still an important part of the wider community.
Another important industry in the community was gold mining. Gold was first discovered in 1859 along the river which became known as Gold River. Prospectors from all over Canada and the United Stated began arriving and the government had to step in, establishing a specific plan and requiring the purchasing of Prospecting Licenses. The Lacey Gold Mines began operating in the early 1900s, continuing to operate untill World War Two. At one point, more than 400 men worked the mine, bringing socail and economic changes to the villages.
Today, Chester Basin and the neighboring area is a thriving community of approximately 1000 families with many amenities, and with an hours drive of most other services. In addition to the families of the early settlers, and others who came through the centuries, today the community is also the summer and retirement home of many others. |
