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A Brief Outline of the History of Parrsboro
(All material taken from original text by Conrad Byers)
(All material taken from original text by Conrad Byers)
Ottawa House By The Sea from the sea at high tide c 1900
(from the collection of C Byers)
(from the collection of C Byers)
It is surprising that a region of North America that can boast of one of the first explored and longest settled areas on the continent does not have a comprehensive written history. Students of history and interested visitors will search in vain in the archives or library for a single source book on the history of Partridge Island and the town of Parrsboro. In fact, the Parrsboro file in the Public Archives is probably the smallest of any incorporated town in Nova Scotia.
This absence of readily assembled documentation belies Parrsboro's rightful place as an important thread in the weave of our nation's history. Yet Parrsboro's claim to a rich and important historical background is justified even if no one has yet collected all the verifiable bits of evidence and compiled them into a unified whole.
The reasons for the lack of a fully compiled history of the Parrsborough Shore are legion. Principal among these may be the very length and diversity of the region's past development. In a way the circumstances that created Parrsboro and gave it a rich historical legacy are the very same circumstances that today complicate a detailed explanation of this legacy. Parrsboro is both a product and a victim of its' past.
To do justice to a complete history of the Parrsborogh Shore would require time and resources far beyond the capabilities of this web site. One can only hope that these pages will provide an overview of the journey from past to present. The facts, figures, dates, and photos presented are intended to emphasize some of the more pertinent aspects of the past and give a sense of understanding of the development and character of the region.