The History of St Martins
(1796-1967)

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The first residect rector was Rev. Mr. J. Roy Campbell. Previous to this the services were conducted once a month by the rector from Upham, one of these rectors being Rev. Mr. Hanford. The Rectory was built on Chester Road during the Rectorship of Mr Campbell; the land being donated by Miss Eliza Walker. This Rectory was burned in 1949 and a new Rectory has been built on the site. The Methodist Church was also on Chester Road. After the union forming the United Church, this building was vacant for some years and was later sold to Henry Huttges who tore it down. In the summer of 1874, the Board of Home Missions of the Presbyterian Church sent Re. F. Stanley, a catechist from New York, to hold Presbyterian services in St Martins. In 1881 the first elders, Wm. Wallace, Gardiner's Creek, Robert Skillen and Joseph Carson, were appointed. In the year 1887 the Presbyterians began holding services in the Masonic Hall. The Minister at that time being Rev. Williar MacDonald. A Presbyterian Church was erected in the centre of the village in 1898 and was dedicated July 1, 1898 by Rev. W.M. Rainnie, assisted by Rev. James Ross, Moderator. The first service held in the new church was the marriage of Lillian Carson and Herbery Sherwood, June 28, 1898. The Presbyterian Church is now know as the United Church. The residence of Wendell B. Bentley, built in 1910, was purchased and furnished for a Manse for the resident minister. The first Roman Catholic Chapel was built in West Quaco on Thomas Nugent's land, in front of W.R. Campbell's residence. The Parish Priest was Father Barnes. Some time afterwards there arose some difficulty in regard to the title of the land. This resulted in a new chapel being built in the year 1837, on a hill opposite William Murray's house. This chapel was burned in 1900 and another chapel was erected.

In the year 1884, the Union Baptist Society erected the Union Baptist Seminary, a magnificent structure of stone and brick, in the centre of the village. The cost was approximately $60,000. The Seminary was run successfully and attended by large numbers of students for a few years, but owing to lack of funds, being burdened with a heavy debt, and poor railway communnication, it was finally closed in 1895. Part of the building was later taken over by the ratepayers of School District 2, St Martins, renovated, and used as a public school for the entire district after the school then in use had been destroyed by fire.

At the time of the Centennial of St Martins, Noember 1, 1896, one hundred years having passed since it first became settled, St Martins was found to be an enterprising village of about 1000 inhabitants, the whole Parish having a population of about 2500.

The principal industry carried on at that time was the manufacture of lumber. The men engaged in this business were: the firm of W.H. & James Rourke; Captain Robert Carson; J.P. Mosher; Captain George McDonough; P.H. Nugent; Samuel Patterson; and the company: White, Fownes, & White. All these owned and managed small vessels engaged in carrying lumber. Other industries were fishing and farming.

William Vaughan owned and operated a steam factory and planing mill. A spool and bobbin factory had been opened in 1875bby the Messers Ptterson & Company. For a time this was successful, but owing to a scarcity of funds, the factory changed hands and became known as the St Martins Manufacturing Company, which was also a failure. The machinery was sold and the business closed up.

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