Lögberg-Heimskringla - 01.06.2010, Side 5

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Lögberg-Heimskringla • 1. júní 2010 • 5
Marshall Burgess
At the INL conference,
Marshall Burgess gave a talk
on the Markland/Lockeport
settlement in Nova Scotia. Here
is a summary of the historical
material of this area that, for a
time, was nearly forgotten.
In 1990 Mrs. Belmore,
a retired schoolteacher who
lived in Caribou Gold Mines,
wrote a book on that commu-
nity and in her research discov-
ered information on Markland
which was a long forgotten
settlement lying further inland
between Caribou Gold Mines
and Mooseland. She included
a chapter on Markland in her
book.
As a result The Icelandic
Memorial Society of Nova
Scotia was incorporated as a
society under the Nova Scotia
Societies Act on July 24, l998.
Dolly Belmore was elected the
first Chair. She held this posi-
tion until she passed away in
January 2008 at the age of 93.
Glenda Belmore was elected
Vice Chair, J. Marshall Bur-
gess, QC, was elected Secre-
tary. Bev Redden was elected
Treasurer. The object and pur-
pose of the Society was listed
as “to educate the public about
Nova Scotia’s Icelandic past.”
A. Markland/Lockeport –
historical information
l. l867: In 1869 the Domin-
ion of Canada prepared a re-
port to attract new immigrants
to Canada. Premier William
Annand of Nova Scotia (1867
to 1875) had information pre-
pared on Nova Scotia and Im-
migration Agents were sent to
Europe to attract immigrants.
Jóhannes Arngrímsson (aka
John Anderson) from Akurey-
ri was one of these agents. The
Premier was from the Mus-
quodoboit Valley. Caribou and
Tangier were declared gold
districts in 1870. Nova Sco-
tia needed settlers to work in
these mines.
2. l875: In the fall of 1875
James VanBuskirk, Deputy
Crown Surveyor for Halifax
County, and Malcom McLo-
gan surveyed 36 one hundred
acre blocks of land (3,600
acres) in the Mooseland/Cari-
bou Gold Mines area for Ice-
landic immigrants who ap-
plied to come to live in Nova
Scotia. The pioneer settlers
were brought over to work in
the gold mines and/or supply
foods and services for the gold
mine operations which were
just being developed. In 1876
land/houses were also pur-
chased in East Green Harbour
just outside the Town of Lock-
eport on the South Shore of
Nova Scotia for the new Ice-
landic settlers who wanted to
fish and work there.
3. The Settlers: The first
group of settlers to arrive in
the spring of 1875 were 19
families who came from the
failed Icelandic settlement at
Kinmount, ON. They named
their new community “Mark-
land”. Jón Rögnvaldsson pre-
pared a census in February
1878. Nintety-eight persons
are listed. This census was up-
dated in February 1879 with
49 more people added. His
census was updated in 1880
and 40 residents in Lockeport
are listed along with l0 single
men. In 1881 a provincial cen-
sus was taken in the two com-
munities (38 in Lockeport; 121
in Markland). Philip Cartaret
Hill became Premier from
1875-l878. More Icelandic
settlers applied to immigrate.
The Dominion Immigration
Agent, Rev. Edwin Clay, filed
immigration reports each year.
When Simon Holmes became
Premier (1878-1882), the
Province shut down enter-
taining any more applications
from Icelandic immigrants.
4. Settlement Agree-
ments: In 1876 the immigrants
signed a Settlement Agreement
with the Province of Nova
Scotia. The settlers were given
100 acres of land. They had
to clear two acres of land each
year. A log house along with
a stove and tools was provided
by the Government as well as
basic food and supplies for
one year. If they stayed for five
years and met all of the terms
and conditions, a Crown Grant
would be issued. In 1881, 20
Crown grants were issued.
5. Life: Until their homes
were built, the first settlers
stayed in a communal house,
“Iceland House” which was
situated on the road heading
towards Moose River Gold
Mines. A school was built and
run by the Government. Al-
exander Wilson, “Old Crack-
nell”, a Scotsman was hired
as a teacher (1876-1879). In
1880 the Icelanders petitioned
for a grant for l00 acres of land
to build a church, but this grant
was never issued. Rev. Charles
Cossman and Rev. D. Luther
Roth, Lutheran ministers from
Lunenburg, came twice a year
to Markland to administer to
their spiritual needs.
6. The Exodus: After the
Crown grants were issued, the
settlers decided to leave. Life
was difficult and the pioneer
settlers saw no future living
on these lands. They sold their
lots for what few dollars they
could get and moved west to
North Dakota, Gimli and other
places. In 1884, the Govern-
ment passed an Act to escheat
any lands that were abandoned
and not sold. One family (Hus-
kilson) stayed in Lockeport.
Several Icelandic girls married
local men and stayed in Mus-
quodoboit/Lockeport areas.
7. Log Cabins: The hous-
es remained standing until the
l920s and ’30s. Trappers in the
area have provided descrip-
tions of the original houses
which were approximately
l6 by 20 feet, and each had
a waterloo stove. Today all
that remains are holes in the
ground where the founda-
tions were located, stonewalls
that were built when the lands
were cleared and the near by
dug wells. No one has lived at
Markland since the Icelanders
left in 1881-1882. A few hunt-
ing camps are located on the
pioneer Icelander’s lots.
From the Icelandic Memorial Society of Nova Scotia
Gudbrandur Evlandsson family. He wrote the book
Markland-Remembrance of the years 1875-1881.
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