Chatham, New Brunswick, Canada, a former town on the south bank of the Miramichi River, was subsumed in 1995 into the new city of Miramichi. Motto: Spem reduxit (Hope was restored) Other Canadian provinces and territories Capital Fredericton Largest city Saint John Lieutenant Governor Herménégilde Chiasson Premier Bernard Lord (PC) Area 72 908 km² (8th) • Land 71 450 km² • Water 1 458 km² (2. ... The Miramichi River is a Canadian river located in the central-eastern part of the province of New Brunswick. ... Miramichi redirects here. ...

The impact of geography on history

This is a town that has produced many bad people, it is known in some circles as the Land Of the Bad People.

At Chatham, the Miramichi River is quite wide, the water salt and tidal. Just downstream from the town, the river begins to widen into a broad estuary, the Miramichi River gradually becoming Miramichi Bay. Because of its eastward facing location, ships coming from the British Isles in early times had easy access through the Strait of Belle Isle and across the Gulf of St. Lawrence. It was more accessible and safer to get to than Quebec City or Saint John, New Brunswick. The Strait of Belle Isle (French: Détroit de Belle Île), sometimes referred to as Straits of Belle Isle or Labrador Straits) is a waterway in eastern Canada that separates the Labrador Peninsula from the island of Newfoundland, in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador. ... The Gulf of Saint Lawrence, the worlds largest estuary, is the outlet of North Americas Great Lakes via the Saint Lawrence River into the Atlantic Ocean. ... Motto: Don de Dieu feray valoir (Gift of God shall make prosper) Area: 547. ... Saint John is the largest city in the province of New Brunswick and the oldest incorporated city in Canada. ...

In colonial times the surrounding lands were heavily forested, the stands of eastern white pine being especially valued for ships' masts. The River teemed with fish, atlantic salmon the most prized. Abundant game roamed the forests, and berries were a valuable food supplement. Binomial name Pinus strobus L. Eastern White Pine (Pinus strobus) is a large pine native to eastern North America, occurring from Newfoundland west to Minnesota and southeasternmost Manitoba, and south along the Appalachian Mountains to the extreme north of Georgia. ... Binomial name Salmo salar Linnaeus, 1758 Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar, from the Latin words Salmo meaning salmon, and salar meaning leaper) is a fish species of the Salmonidae family found in the northern Atlantic Ocean and in rivers that flow into the Atlantic. ...

Scottish people arriving here found the area strangely familiar. The rocks in the Miramichi are similar to those of Scotland, being a part of the same formation before continental drift separated them. Seabirds and fish are often the same or similar. The atlantic salmon, the herring gull and the common tern were found in both areas. The Scots had the technology and know how to lumber, fish, farm and build ships in such an area. The Irish were somewhat less adapted, their forests long having been cut down, and fishing not being so well developed there. But they could pick up skills from their neighbours. The skills of the urban English were not so well adapted to this area and English farmers were accustomed to a gentler climate, so not many settled here.

At Chatham, the river banks are low, but not subject to flooding, being very suited to wharves. A deep channel comes very close to the shore, enabling the largest ships in colonial times to come up to the wharves. Away from the shore the land gradually rises several hundred feet. Rainfall is quite adequate. The soil, while sandy and a bit acid, supports potatoes, root crops and apple trees.

All these circumstances made Chatham an ideal location for a lumbering and fishing centre.

Early Days

In 1800 Francis Peabody settled in the location that became Chatham. The Miramichi River is nearly a mile wide here. Its channel comes very close to the shore at this spot, so it was a natural place to build wharves. Logs from the large watershed of the river could easily be floated to this point. It made sense to saw lumber here. The best salmon fisheries were nearby.

Other settlers followed, but growth was relatively slow throughout the early part of the 19th century. But, by 1834 the first bank opened. A stage coach left each Monday for Fredericton. The settlement attracted a group of aggressive entrepreneurs, Scottish and English, such as Joseph Cunard, William Muirhead, Jabez Bunting Snowball, and later, W.S. Loggie. Gradually, the community became a centre for sawing lumber, shipbuiding, and exporting fish and forest products to the British Isles and, later on, to the United States. Jabez Bunting Snowball (24 September 1837 – 24 February 1907) was a businessman, Lieutenant Governor of New Brunswick and politican from the Town of Chatham, New Brunswick. ... W.S. Loggie was a merchant and politician of the town of Chatham, New Brunswick, Canada. ... The British Isles consist of Great Britain, Ireland and a number of much smaller surrounding islands. ...

In its early days, Chatham resembled the Calgary of today far more than the contemporary quiet towns of The Maritimes. It was bustling, energetic, growing and confident. It is interesting that both Chatham and Calgary attracted an ambitious and able young Maritime lawyer called Richard Bedford Bennett, later to be prime minister of Canada. He was involved in politics in both places. The Maritime Provinces, or simply the Maritimes, constitute a region of Canada on the Atlantic coast, consisting of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. ... From the latin maritimus, maritime refers to things relating to the sea. ... For the British composer named Richard Bennett, see Richard Rodney Bennett. ... A prime minister may be either: chief or leading member of the cabinet of the top-level government in a country having a parliamentary system of government; or the official, in countries with a semi-presidential system of government, appointed to manage the civil service and execute the directives of...

By 1851, Chatham had 505 employed persons distributed among the following occupations: 170 labourers, 74 servants, 60 shipwrights, 25 joiners, 20 cordwainers, 19 farmers, 16 clerks, 13 blacksmiths, 12 merchants, 10 tailors, 9 storekeepers, 7 sawyers, 7 teachers, 5 blockmakers, 4 sailmakers,4 riggers,4 stage drivers, 4 butchers,4 printers, 3 clergymen, 1 sparmaker, 1 gunsmith, 1 surgeon and 1 constable

A police force was started in 1858, telephones came to the town in 1880, with street lighting in 1888.

In 1881, somewhat past the prime of sailing ships, the port of Chatham recorded the following annual traffic: 177 overseas vessels entered- 80,558 tons exported; 11,344 imported: 302 coastal vessels entered-- 98, 023 tons exported ( value $ 797,179)

1881 value of bank deposits---$133,118.

Chatham was incorporated as a town in 1896. A large wooden hotel, The Adams House operated from 1884 to the 1950's. The four storey, brick Touraine Hotel was opened in 1908.

It was on a branch line of the Canadian National Railways. CN redirects here, as its the most common usage of the abbreviation in Canada; for more uses, see CN (disambiguation). ...

Heyday

Chatham in its prime ( 1895- 1919) had extensive wharves, a pulp mill, three large sawmills, a fish packing plant, a large foundry/shipbuilding facility with a repair yard for small vessels, an armoury, several sizeable hotels, a Catholic hospital (Hotel Dieu), St. Joseph's Nursing Home, three secondary schools, a Catholic Liberal Arts college, the county poor house( the County Home), a race track, an indoor rink, a golf club, facilities for an agricultural exhibition and several notable churches. The Anglican Church and Rectory were especially beautiful wood structures. Alas, they burned down in 1960. An armory is a military depot used for the storage of weapons and ammunition. ...

The Town was a service and shopping centre for the surrounding lands, especially the areas further down the bay. Students boarded at the Catholic girls and boys schools and the Catholic college in Town. During the period, 1880 to 1960, the Catholic Church was a major employer in Chatham, being especially important after the mills began to close.

A ferry boat crossed the Miramichi River at Chatham except for winter freeze up until the opening of the beautiful Centennial Bridge in 1967.

Catholic Religious Centre

The Town is dominated by a large Roman Catholic church, St. Michael's Basilica. This neoGothic structure was formerly a cathedral. Next to it, in the same style, is the former bishop's residence, now a convent. From 1860 to 1938 Chatham was the centre of a large diocese covering the northern part of New Brunswick. The Diocese of Chatham was moved to Bathurst, New Brunswick, in 1938. Chatham is noted for the many priests and nuns it produced. St. ... This article is about an abbey as a religious building. ... Pope Pius XI blesses Bishop Stephen Alencastre as fifth Apostolic Vicar of the Hawaiian Islands in a Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace window. ... The Diocese of Chatham, in New Brunswick, was a former Roman Catholic Diocese that once covered the entire north of the Province of New Brunswick. ...

A Catholic religious order, the Religious Hospitaliers of St. Joseph, long had a significant presence in the town, operating a large elementary/secondary school (St.Michael's Academy), a hospital and a nursing home. The nuns are still present (2005) but in sadly diminished numbers, with plans to leave soon.

The Basilian Fathers operated a small liberal arts college, which was later taken over by the Diocese. It evolved into St. Thomas University, now located in Fredericton, New Brunswick. Basilian may refer to one of the following. ... The title given to this article is incorrect due to technical limitations. ... For the Canadian federal electoral district of the same name, see Fredericton (electoral district) Fredericton, population 47,560 (greater Fredericton 81,346, both per 2001 census), is the capital of the province of New Brunswick, Canada. ...

Ethnic and Religious Composition

Historically, Chatham has been a majority Catholic town, with smaller United Church, Anglican, and Presbyterian congregations. Various other Protestant denominations have come and gone, though the Pentecostals are holding their own. The town long had several Jewish families, though numbers have dwindled in recent years. Ethnic backgrounds are Irish, Scotch, English, and French with the latter gaining somewhat in recent years. There has long been a Catholic Lebanese presence ( originally called by locals "Assyrian") and several Norwegian families. A few retired military have settled there adding to the mix.

Slow Decline

Chatham reached its peak of prosperity in the years just before World War One, but even then its main export was people. During the Great War, many men from Chatham joined the 132nd battalion of the North Shore Regiment. Many were killed or wounded at Vimy Ridge and on the Somme. Ypres, 1917, in the vicinity of the Battle of Passchendaele. ... The Battle of Vimy Ridge was one of the opening battles in a larger British campaign known as the Battle of Arras. ... Somme is a French département, named after the Somme River, located in the north of France. ...

The depression of 1919 hit it hard with Snowball's large sawmill closing. Young men and women moved to New England to seek work, where many had relatives. Jabez Bunting Snowball (24 September 1837 – 24 February 1907) was a businessman, Lieutenant Governor of New Brunswick and politican from the Town of Chatham, New Brunswick. ...

World War Two saw the opening of an air force base which was a economic boon to the Town until it closed in 1996. At its peak in the 1960's CFB Chatham was one of Canada's most important fighter bases. World War II was a truly global conflict with many facets: immense human suffering, fierce indoctrination, and the use of new, extremely devastating weapons such as the atom bomb. ...

The post war baby boom of the fifties enabled the Town to reach a peak population of 8,600 in 1961. But the loss of St. Thomas University in 1964 (moved to Fredericton) and the closing of CFB Chatham in 1996 contributed to its slow decline. St. ... For the Canadian federal electoral district of the same name, see Fredericton (electoral district) Fredericton, population 47,560 (greater Fredericton 81,346, both per 2001 census), is the capital of the province of New Brunswick, Canada. ...

A minor boost was the location of the Federal Gun registries in the Town.

The Finished Export

Over the years emigrants from Chatham have moved to where the jobs were. In the mid to late nineteenth century, some left for lumbering opportunities in Maine, Wisconsin and the State of Washington, but the majority went to Boston up to the 1930's. Few left during the hungry thirties (better to be among friends when there is no work). Right after World War Two, Montreal seemed to offer opportunities, but this was soon replaced by Toronto and other parts of Ontario. Fredericton and Moncton were also work destinations from the 1950's onwards, with Halifax becoming more important after 1965. In recent years, Alberta has attracted more Chatham residents. State nickname: The Pine Tree State Other U.S. States Capital Augusta Largest city Portland Governor John Baldacci (D) Senators Olympia Snowe (R) Susan Collins (R) Official language(s) None Area 86,542 km² (39th)  - Land 80,005 km²  - Water 11,724 km² (13. ... State nickname: Badger State Other U.S. States Capital Madison Largest city Milwaukee Governor Jim Doyle (D) Senators Herb Kohl (D) Russ Feingold (D) Official language(s) None Area 169,790 km² (23rd)  - Land 140,787 km²  - Water 28,006 km² (17%) Population (2000)  - Population 5,453,896 (18th)  - Density... State nickname: The Evergreen State Other U.S. States Capital Olympia Largest city Seattle Governor Christine Gregoire (D) Senators Patty Murray (D) Maria Cantwell (D) Official language(s) None Area 184,824 km² (18th)  - Land 172,587 km²  - Water 12,237 km² (6. ... City motto: Concordia Salus (Latin: Well-being through harmony) Province Quebec Mayor Gérald Tremblay Area  - % water 500. ... Template:Hide = Motto: Template:Unhide = Diversity Our Strength City of Toronto, Ontario, Canadas Location. ... Motto: Ut Incepit Fidelis Sic Permanet (Loyal she began, loyal she remains) Other Canadian provinces and territories Capital Toronto Largest city Toronto Lieutenant-Governor James K. Bartleman Premier Dalton McGuinty (Liberal) Area 1,076,395 km² (4th) • Land 917,741 km² • Water 158,654 km² (14. ... For the Canadian federal electoral district of the same name, see Fredericton (electoral district) Fredericton, population 47,560 (greater Fredericton 81,346, both per 2001 census), is the capital of the province of New Brunswick, Canada. ... Moncton (2001 population 61,046, metropolitan population 117,727) is one of the eight cities in the Canadian province of New Brunswick. ... Template:Hide = Motto: Template:Unhide = E Mari Merces (Wealth from the Sea) Logo: City Symbol: Kingfisher Halifax Regional Municipality, Nova Scotia, Canadas Location. ... Motto: Fortis et Liber (Strong and free) Other Canadian provinces and territories Capital Edmonton Largest city Calgary Lieutenant-Governor Norman Kwong Premier Ralph Klein (PC) Area 661,848 km² (6th) • Land 642,317 km² • Water 19,531 km² (2. ...

Famous Residents

Francis Peabody of England was the founder of the town in 1800, and a successful businessman. He named the community after William Pitt the Elder, Earl of Chatham. William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham (15 November 1708–11 May 1778) was a British statesman who achieved his greatest fame as war minister during the Seven Years War and who was later Prime Minister of Great Britain. ... The Earl of Chatham was a peerage given to William Pitt the Elder in 1766, after which he became Lord Privy Seal. ...

Joseph Cunard (1799-1865) of Halifax, brother of Samuel Cunard, founder of the famous steamship line, settled in Chatham as a young man and became a prosperous businessman, with a large sawmill, ships and a merchantile business, centered in Chatham, but with interests across the Province. His era was from the 1820's to the late 1840's, when he was bankrupted and left Town. He died in England. Sir Samuel Cunard (November 21, 1787 – April 28, 1865) was a Canadian-born British shipping magnate. ...

John Mercer Johnson (1819-1868) was born in Liverpool, England but moved to Chatham at the age of two. He started practicing law in town in 1840 and in 1850 was elected to the House of Assembly of the Province. A Liberal, he was variously Solicitor-General, Postmaster-General, Speaker of the House and Attorney-General of New Brunswick. He is a Father of Confederation and was a Member of Parliament of the new Dominion of Canada from 1867 to his death in 1868. John Mercer Johnson (October 1, 1818 – November 8, 1868) was a New Brunswick politician and a Father of Confederation. ... Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Northwest England. ... House of Assembly is a name given to the legislature or lower house of a bicameral legislature, in some countries, often at subnational level. ... The Solicitor General or Solicitor-General is a government position in several countries, dealing with legal affairs. ... A Postmaster General is the national politician in charge of the postal system of a country. ... The term Speaker is usually the title given to the presiding officer of a countrys lower house of parliament or congress (ie: the House of Commons or House of Representatives). ... In most common law jurisdictions, the Attorney General or Attorney-General, is the main legal adviser to the government, and in some jurisdictions may in addition have executive responsibility for law enforcement or responsibility for public prosecutions. ... We dont have an article called Canadian-confederation Start this article Search for Canadian-confederation in. ... A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters of an electoral district to a parliament; in the Westminster system, specifically to the lower house. ... Canada is the second largest and the northern-most country in the world, occupying most of the North American land mass. ...

Jabez Bunting Snowball was a prominent entrepreneur and Lieutenant-Governor of New Brunswick. Jabez Bunting Snowball (24 September 1837 – 24 February 1907) was a businessman, Lieutenant Governor of New Brunswick and politican from the Town of Chatham, New Brunswick. ... A Lieutenant Governor is a government official who is the subordinate or deputy of a Governor or Governor-General. ... Motto: Spem reduxit (Hope was restored) Other Canadian provinces and territories Capital Fredericton Largest city Saint John Lieutenant Governor Herménégilde Chiasson Premier Bernard Lord (PC) Area 72 908 km² (8th) • Land 71 450 km² • Water 1 458 km² (2. ...

W.S. Loggie was a Member of Parliament and a preeminent Chatham merchant of his era ( 1880-1925). W.S. Loggie was a merchant and politician of the town of Chatham, New Brunswick, Canada. ... A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters of an electoral district to a parliament; in the Westminster system, specifically to the lower house. ...

Richard Bedford Bennett, prime minister of Canada during the early 1930's once operated a law practice here and was an alderman of the town. Max Aitken, later Lord Beaverbrook, was his office boy. For the British composer named Richard Bennett, see Richard Rodney Bennett. ... A prime minister may be either: chief or leading member of the cabinet of the top-level government in a country having a parliamentary system of government; or the official, in countries with a semi-presidential system of government, appointed to manage the civil service and execute the directives of... An alderman is a member of a municipal legislative body in a town or city with many jurisdictions. ... Sir William Maxwell Max Aitken, 1st Baron Beaverbrook (May 25, 1879 - June 9, 1964) was a Canadian–British business tycoon and politician. ...

Another Prime Minister, Brian Mulroney attended high school here in the late 1950's at the boarding school attached to St. Thomas University. The Right Honourable Martin Brian Mulroney, PC , CC , GOQ , LL.D (born March 20, 1939), was the eighteenth Prime Minister of Canada from September 17, 1984, to June 25, 1993. ...

Frank McKenna, sometime premier of New Brunswick and later Canadian Ambassador in Washington, was the member of the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick for Chatham from the early 1980's until his resignation as premier. Originally from the south of the Province, he moved to Chatham in the early 1970's to open a law practice. His Excellency The Honourable Francis Joseph (Frank) McKenna, P.C., ONB (born January 19, 1948, in Apohaqui, New Brunswick, Canada) is a Canadian politician and diplomat, and current Canadian Ambassador to the United States. ... Motto: Spem reduxit (Hope was restored) Other Canadian provinces and territories Capital Fredericton Largest city Saint John Lieutenant Governor Herménégilde Chiasson Premier Bernard Lord (PC) Area 72 908 km² (8th) • Land 71 450 km² • Water 1 458 km² (2. ... This article is about the term as used within the Commonwealth of Nations; there is also an Legislative Assembly in Oregon and there used to be a Legislative Assembly in France during the French Revolution. ...

Today

Chatham is now known for its annual Irish festival. It also has become something of a retirement community, offering good quality affordable housing ( the married quarters of the former military base) at bargain rates in a peaceful setting.