Mirrored image of the Centennial Bridge

Mirrored image of the Centennial Bridge
One frosty and very still morning in November, 2010, Centennial Bridge, Miramichi, NB, Canada

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Miramichi, NB, Canada
Spiritual,fun loving,hard working

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Hay Island, Neguac, New Brunswick, Canada

Hay Island, Neguac, New Brunswick, Canada
Reflections in the water

Thursday, March 20, 2014

Interesting people of the Atlantic provinces

I started to do some research about people who lived in my hometown, Miramichi, NB, Canada and came across some pretty interesting people.  Among the notables is Francis Peabody, originally from Massachusetts.

Last year, I was on a World Photo Walk with a crew from the city and I took some pictures of the statute Chatham/Miramichi had made of Francis Peabody sitting on a park bench in Waterford Park.

Here is a brief history of Francis Peabody who later became known as the Father of Chatham.

FRANCIS PEABODY CHAPTER I

Francis Peabody is best known as “the founder of Chatham.” He was born in Boxford, Massachusetts, in 1760. Thirty years later he had a trading business centered in Halifax, Nova Scotia. In 1799, he visited the Miramichi on one of his trading journeys. He liked the area so well that he moved here in the next year.
At that time, the Miramichi had no important villages or towns. The only way to travel was by water. Newcastle had started to grow on the north side of the river. But Chatham was just wooded land. There were no schools, bridges, or churches.
In 1801, Peabody bought a large piece of land near the edge of the Miramichi. In later years, this was to become downtown Chatham. Peabody built a small home on the waterfront. On his land was a large tree. He used to tie his trading boat to this tree and trade from the boat.
Before long he became the most important businessman in a quickly growing town. In 1838, he built a large new home. It was built near the present-day N. B. Telephone Building in downtown Chatham. Peabody used part of his home as a store. This building is no longer standing.
Peabody named his new village “Chatham” He did this in honor of William Pitt, the Earl of Chatham. Pitt was an important person in the English government at the time.
In the 1820’s and 1830’s, Peabody’s business continued to grow. He built a shipyard at England’s Hollow in the east end of Chatham. He also had a sawmill built upriver near Blackville, New Brunswick.
When he died in 1841, Peabody was the best known businessman on the river. He was a fair and just person. This made him very well-liked. Peabody had shown the kind of leadership that caused other businessmen to follow in his footsteps to Chatham. Chatham quickly grew into New Brunswick’s largest town. Francis Peabody was truly one of the Miramichi’s great people.

 Francis Peabody








 
Here is a link for more info on Francis Peabody:
 
 
I also came across a picture I took of a statute of a clown that was in a graveyard in Pictou, Nova Scotia.  David Gunning from Pictou wrote a song about this clown called Twitter's Song.  This man was a clown in carnivals and toured the world.  He was a beloved man and the people of Pictou erected this two foot clown statute on his grave.


 Keep in mind, he was given this nickname of Twitter long before the world of twitter we have now.

Let's all go to  www.sepiasaturday.blogspot.com 
to join fellow sepians for an interesting assortments of statutes, monuments, flags and the like.

20 comments:

  1. The statue of Francis Peabody is somewhat different with him sitting on a bench. That it's overlooking the river is not surprising, nor is the obvious space for someone to sit beside him surprising since he was so well liked. But I can't help wondering if there was another reason for such a pose? I searched around a bit trying to find info that would shed a clue, but couldn't find any. Did he often sit by the river contemplating things I wonder?

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  2. Well, it is certainly something worthwhile trying to find out.

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  3. Francis was a man of action! And trustworthy as well! A great pioneer for the district.

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  4. I like the statues that allow visitors to sit next to the figure. There are some Lincoln statues like that too.

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  5. Peabody is still a BIG name in Massachusetts! A lot of Tory Bostonians went to NB around Revolutionary times; my grandmother's family descended from one of them!

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    1. Well, Deb, all I can say is that you come from good stock!

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  6. Peabody was a true pioneer.
    I would be proud of that epitaph for George Johnston.

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  7. I wonder how many tourists have their picture taken sitting next to Mr. Peabody.

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  8. Thanks for sharing about your history...things I never had heard about before!

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  9. Great post Rosie, I had to play catch up with some of your other Sepia Sat. posts I had missed. I have to do better keeping up. Enjoyed them all.

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  10. Statues of people sitting on benches seem to be getting more and more popular. We have one nearby named "Barry" in the small town of Katkati, and I saw several more when walking the Camino in northern Spain last yesr.

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  11. As soon as I read Twitter I just had to say something, and well you did! Interesting, how and where he'd collect a nickname like that? I would enjoy having a clown statue like that too.

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  12. The face on the statue reminds me of the famous Hans Christian Anderson statue.

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  13. This reminded me of my husband - every time there is any sort of statue he can imitate, sit next to or have a conversation with, he is there! And I have to take a photo.
    We had people in stitches at the weekend when he imitated a ballet dancer statue - Oh dear!

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  14. Is it wrong to say that I love Twitter's statue and grave?

    Yes, I am also reminded of my husband "Going to to"

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    1. Not wrong at all Sharon, it was so peaceful at his gravesite when my daughter and I visited it in Pictou, NS. We were touring locations around Pictou that David Gunnings had mentioned in some of his songs, it was different and interesting.

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  15. A lovely contrast between the two statues, but both very natural and lifelike, as memories of the people they depict. If you merit a statue, I guess you've impressed a good number people who knew you!

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  16. Thanks so much for pointing me to this post Rose! This Peabody in Miramichi may very well have a connection to my branch of the Peabody's. I live in Salem, Massachusetts and right next door to us is the City of Peabody. It was named for George Peabody, he also was a rather wealthy man from shipping I believe. George was also a great philanthropist and shared much of his wealth. There is a statue of him in London of all places as he founded a hospital there. He was so well thought of in London that when he died Queen Victoria I believe ordered his body shipped back honorably on a British destroyer for burial here. I can't seem to find any connect between him and my branch of the Peabody's though. Thanks again!

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