Annapolis First

As the first permanent settlement in North America north of St. Augustine, Florida, Annapolis First things were the first in Canada and a lot of times in North America. Port Royal, later named Annapolis Royal, has good reason to boast, it was the birthplace for Canada. So it naturally was host to many first, but it did not stop there. Annapolis first has been happening right up through the years to present day.

Canadian business, agriculture, religion, education, law and entertainment all had their beginnings here. There were important events that happened here first that has helped to structure the Canada of today. To appreciate things better today it is always interesting to know where and how it began.

• 1604 Pierre Dugua de Mons and Samuel de Champlain first sailed through the Digby Gut and up the Annapolis River.

• 1605 After a disastrous winter on St. Croix Island Samuel de Champlain came back to this area to look for a good place to settle.

• 1605 The French settlers built the Habitation and formed the first permanent settlement north of St. Augustine, Florida.

• 1605 The first mass by a Roman Catholic Priest was held at the Port Royal Habitation.

• 1606 The first poet and lawyer to live in Canada was Marc Lescarbot who lived at the Port Royal Habitation.

• 1605/06 The first apothecary in Acadia was Louis Hebert at Port Royal Habitation.

• 1606 The first hydraulic development in Canada happened here at Port Royal Habitation and is an Annapolis first.

• 1606 The first drama written and preformed in North America was written by Marc Lescarbot at the Port Royal Habitation and was called "The Theatre de Neptune" or "Neptune’s Theatre". It was wrote for the merriment of the men and preformed on the river upon the return of Poutrincourt, Champlain and party from an exploration voyage. Thus this became the birthplace for drama in North America and was another Annapolis first.

• 1606 The first ships to be built in this area were a barge and a shallop, built in Port Royal.

• 1606/07 Another Annapolis first was the first road construction. Samuel de Champlain cleared the first road, which was about 2000 paces long and led to a river.

• 1606/07 The first vegetable and herb gardens were planted close to the Habitation, which included peas, cabbage and radish. In this time the first orchards were also planted and the first livestock were introduced to the lands at Port Royal. Thus started agriculture in Canada.

• 1606/07 First grain fields of North America were planted and harvested at Port Royal on the land where Fort Anne is located now. The grains planted there included wheat, barley, oats, rye, flax, and hemp.

• 1606/07 In an attempt to reduce boredom in the new colony and promote good eating and fellowship Samuel De Champlain organized the first social club, which was named the "L'Ordre de Bon Temps" or "Order of Good Cheer".

• 1606/07 The first travel books were written here. Marc Lescarbot at Port Royal Habitation wrote them.

• 1607 The French explorer Poutrincourt established the first water powered gristmill at Lequille on the Allain River. This mill was used to make flour for the settlers at Port Royal. The Nova Scotia Light & Power Company erected a replica on the site for their Centennial Project in 1968. Records show that here have been 18 different mills on this small river. The river was referred to as the Mill River for a time.

• 1607 Poutrincourt's Mill served another Annapolis first as it was also the first engineering achievement in the New World.

• 1610 The first recorded Baptism in North America was preformed on Mi'kmaq Chief Henri Membertou and 19 other tribesmen on June 24, 1610. Service was held at Port Royal, now Annapolis Royal. This was the beginning of Christianity in Canada.

• 1613 The first houses were built at Annapolis Royal.

• 1625 King Charles I awarded armorial bearings to the Province of Nova Scotia giving us our flag and coat of arms. For many years we were the only province to own its own flag.

• 1629 The first Scottish colony was established at Port Royal. The Charles Fort was built on the site of the present Fort Anne grounds.

• 1633 The first school believed to be in North America was ran by Capuchin Order of Missionaries who came with Governor Isaac de Razilley. They educated native children at the Port Royal Habitation.

• 1710 Chaplin the Rev. John Harrison under direction of General Francis Nicholson of Fort Anne held the first Protestant service in Nova Scotia in a small chapel on the Garrison Grounds.

• 1710 The Acadian settlers built the first dykes along the Annapolis and Allain Rivers.

• 1713 Annapolis Royal became the first capital of Acadia and Nova Scotia. The capital was moved to Halifax in 1749, but not until after it had been another Annapolis first.

• 1721 The first Court Administering English Common Law in Canada was held at Fort Anne in Annapolis Royal. At this time Annapolis Royal was the Capital of Nova Scotia.

• 1727 The first British Justice of the Peace in Canada was stationed in Annapolis Royal.

• 1727 The birth of Admiral Philipps Crosby who became the first Nova Scotian Admiral in the British Navy happened in Annapolis Royal. He entered the Royal Navy in 1745 and served in American and European waters. He was Commander in chief in the Mediterranean 1786 - 90; Rear Admiral 1790; Vice-Admiral 1794 and Admiral in 1799. He died at Bath, England on January 10, 1808.

• 1729 The first bowling greens in Canada were at the Garrison grounds, Fort Anne, becoming another Annapolis first.

• 1729 Annapolis Royal was home to the first Hotel in Canada.

• 1734 The first police force in Nova Scotia was on duty at Annapolis Royal.

• 1737 Not all of the Annapolis first were good things, the first crime of arson happened in Annapolis Royal.

• 1738 Major Erasmus James Philipps was the founder of the first Masonic Lodge in Canada. It was held in the building know now as the Farmers Motel.

• 1799 This was the year Sir William Fenwick Williams, "The Hero of Kars" was born in Annapolis Royal. He became the first Canadian born soldier to become a full General. He was also the first native-born Governor of Nova Scotia.

• 1811 The first "Grammar School" in Canada was established in Annapolis Royal.

• 1825 The Annapolis Iron Mining Company was opened in nearby Clementsport to be the first iron mining operation in Nova Scotia. The iron mine was located three miles south of the smelting and iron working buildings. The ore was transported in trucks drawn by horses on a railway with rails made of maple wood.

• 1825 The first bricks in Nova Scotia were brought here by Mr. James Fraser on board the Seepter. They were sailed up the Allain River to a wharf north of where the Health Centre is located.

• 1865 The first newspaper in Annapolis Royal was published. It was called The Nova Scotia Farmer and Annapolis County Times.

• 1917 Greatly due to the efforts of Mr. L.M. Fortier the Fort Anne became the First National Historic Park in Canada. Mr. Fortier became the First Honorary Superintendent of Fort Anne.

• 1981 The very first black woman to be elected mayor was Daurene Lewis, a direct descendant of Rose Fortune. She was elected in Annapolis Royal and was a proud Annapolis first.

• 1984 The very first and so far only Tidal Power Plant in North America was built on the causeway in Annapolis Royal.

These are a few of our "Annapolis First" that have happened here in this area. I am sure there are still more.

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