Hantspire (Village)

Hantspire Village was a community in Nova Scotia established in 1899 by an advisor for Lord Hantspire. It was unincorporated in 1991 due to dwindling populations.

History

19th Century

The earliest records for settlers in this area show that the area was sparsely populated by farmers. For those who made their way inland this far, they were rewarded with bountiful crops from the rich soil. Due to being far from major villages and cities, there is little known about the early history of the area that would become Hantspire and Bishop Park. Those who lived in the area often did not leave any records of their lives except what remains of their houses and farmland. It wasn't until Lord Hantspire built his home in what would later become the Village of Hantspire that the area became more well known.

The village became briefly infamous due to a string of disappearances near what would one day be Bishop Park. Between 1892 and 1900 over 12 people went missing which created a stir in the nearby communities as word spread. One vaguely reported case from 1895 describes four businessmen who were looking for a place to establish a town that go missing after exploring the area. Locals at the time assumed they had gone home but records from Halifax indicate they never returned. Interestingly, once information spread about these cases, it led to an influx of settlers to the area, likely due to hearing about the rich land. Most accounts of this time period have concluded that the missing peoples were probably lost to the forest by either animal attack or by falling into streams while fetching water. No bodies were recovered at the time, and no remains have been found even today.

Founding

Not many records have survived from this time period but it is believed that the advisor who founded the village became the first council member as well. Later the village council would have up to 12 members at any given time. They oversaw the development of the village as population rose to accommodate the growing number of farmers. Later they would help manage the village during the boom caused by the Bishop Park Research Centre.

Early 20th Century

The village was home to Samuel Bishop who established Bishop Park in 1902. Originally sent under the rule of Queen Victoria, he later was granted funding by King Edward VII to conduct in-depth research into the area. Once Bishop passed away his research was claimed by the local council and held until the Research Centre was established in 1946.

Bishop Park Research Centre

The Research Centre was a huge economic boom for the community and Hantspire seen its population soar into the thousands with many commuting into the village to work at the facility or the local businesses.

Unincorporated

Research Centre Fire

• Main article: Bishop Park Research Centre

After the Bishop Park Research Centre was destroyed in 1980 the local economy plummeted. As a result the village was unincorporated due to the decline in population and lack of interest in self-governance. It is now managed by the district of East Hants and under the care of the RCMP as there is no local police force.

Modern Hantspire

• Main article: Hantspire