Central Nova Scotia is home to many fun places, but how often do we stop to think about how our favourite places came to be? This page is dedicated to the history of our favourite historical spots in Central Nova Scotia.
Truro
The first people that lived in what is now present day Truro were the We’kwampekitk (meaning end of the waters flow) Mi’kmaq Indigenous peoples, and they lived here around 11,000 years ago. After the Acadiens settled in the early 1700’s, the name We’kwampekitk was shortened to Cobequid. The settlers created a little village very close to where present day Downtown Truro is.
Truro got its present name after the expulsion of the Acadiens in 1755. The ‘new’ name was given by the British as a testament to the city of Truro in Cornwall, UK.
Truro started out as a small farming community because the Cobequid Bay has very fertile land, but in 1858, that changed. The Nova Scotia Railway was built and caused a rapid growth in the community. When the railway became the Canadian National Railway, a rail yard and roundhouse was built in Truro. Due to the construction of the railways, it made it easier for transportation of goods and new industries could begin, like Stanfields.
In 1875, the town was incorporated.
Colchester Historeum
Truro is home to a beautiful museum called the Colchester Historeum. The Historeum is home to artifacts and archives that preserve the history of Colchester County. This museum is not your typical museum though. The building it is located in was built in the year 1900 to be used as the science building for the Teachers in Training for the Normal School. This building was used for this program until 1961 when it moved to where NSCC Truro Campus is. This building has been used for the Colchester Historical Society since 1976 and in 2004, it became a Registered Heritage Property.
To date, the Historeum hosts events and activities for people of all ages as well as having the Exhibits and Archives open to the public.
