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New Brunswick Tourism Region : St. John River Valley
Description From Owner:
- The stream is first shown on a 1783 map as Backoguemick and a 1784 map as Pegagomique and in 1799 as Peckagomique, Maliseet words for 'salmon spawning place.'
- For a time the place was known as Mouth of Becaguimec. The post office opened in 1852 as Beckaguimeck and the following year the name changed to Becaguimic.
- In 1870 the name was changed to Hartland to honour James R. Hartley (1833-1868), a surveyor who served as MLA for Carleton C. from 1867 to 1868.
- In 1898 Hartland was the commercial centre of an extensive agricultural area, a station on the CPR and a village with a post office, 12 stores, 3 hotels, a sawmill, woodworking factory, cheese factory, 4 churches and a population of 400.
- In 1899 the Hartland Bridge Company was formed by a group of private citizens who were tired of waiting for the government to decide whether or not to build a bridge across the St. John River.
- On July 4 in 1901 the bridge was officially opened and tolls were charged for its use. In 1906 the provincial government took over ownership of the bridge and removed the tolls.
- In 1945 a sidewalk was added which is also a small bridge. In 1955 Canada Post issued a stamp commemorating the bridge. At 390 metres (l ,282 feet) the bridge is the longest covered bridge in the world and is still in service today for local traffic.
- Highway 2, the Trans-Canada Highway, is carried across the river a kilometre upriver on the cement Hugh John Flemming Bridge. Flemming (1899-1982) was NB premier from 1952 to 1960 and later a federal cabinet minister.
- Flemming modernized the hydro system and his government brought in a balanced budget during each of its eight years in office.
- Hartland is the smallest incorporated town in New Brunswick and was the home of Hon. Richard Bennett Hatfield (1931-1991), premier of New Brunswick from 1970 to 1987, the longest-serving premier in the history of the province.
- His political philosophy was: 'In politics you can't take any chances.' In 1982 he played a major role in the patriation of the Canadian Constitution and the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
- North Becaguimec River No. 4 (Ellis) covered bridge, built in 1909, is off Route 2 on Ellis Road.
- With permission from 'New Brunswick Place Names' David E. Scott 2009
Address of this page: http://nb.ruralroutes.com/Hartland