Saint John History, New Brunswick

The biggest town in New Brunswik, Canada

The history of Saint John began with the voyages of the Basque, Breton, and Norman fishermen to this part of New Brunswik, Canada. The largest city of NB stands at the confluence of the Saint John River with the Bay of Fundy. It is said that the French founders Samuel De Champlain and another one Sieur de Monts dropped in near the front side of the river. They dropped in at June 24, 1604. It is true that this day is considered as the fiesta day of St. John. St John was the Baptizer and he was the person who named the river for the respect of the Saint.

A historic landmark

The history of Portland Point in St. John is replete with the memories of the primary enduring French arrangement on the east side of the harbor, which was included in the territory of Acadia. Yes, it is now called as New Brunswick. Soon, the British overran this part of Canada, who renamed the place as Fort Frederick. The fortune favored the American revolutionaries in 1775 who having destroyed the British fort, replaced with one of their own and called it Fort Howe. Again it was in 1783 that the settlement began to prosper when the Loyalists of United Empire initiated Parr Town and Carleton near the area of harbor. In 1785 the town was called as Saint John. The name was based on the river, to turn into Canada's first incorporated city.

The disastrous fire of 1877

The fact that the harbor in St. John was ice-free round the year, therefore, it promoted the business of shipping and construction of shipping as well. At the same time, the popularity of fishing business was also well known, during that era. A catastrophic fire however halted the economic growth and the lumber trade but the city recovered, once it absorbed the great town of Portland. It was absorbed in the year 1889

The Irish connection

The great famine in Ireland witnessed a mass immigration of a lot of people from Ireland for St. John and the history of their sufferings escape throughout the ocean area in unhygienic containers of cargo to the country, which is known as Canada. So, they were quarantined on Partridge Island are recorded in the annals of the country.

A city rebuilt in brick and stone

Although the devastating fire of 1877 raged much of the city to the ground, St. John rebuilt itself aided by foreign nations and with the sweat and blood of the Irish laborers. The loyalist city in Canada wrote history again and the town was back again.