LouisbourgLighthouseSociety
Website Design and Content © 2005 by
Eric Krause, Krause House Info-Research Solutions
(© 1996)
All Images
© Parks Canada Unless Otherwise Designated
Researching
the Fortress of Louisbourg National Historic Site of Canada
Recherche sur la Forteresse-de-Louisbourg Lieu historique national du
Canada
Louisbourg Lighthouse Society
The Lighthouse in the summer of 1926 By Bill O'Shea
The
new lighthouse was the focal point for an important event in 1926.
Louisbourg was planning a Come Home Summer and the Historic Sites and
Monuments Board of Canada, at the same time, planned to unveil 4
plaques at Louisbourg – 2 at the lighthouse and 2 on the site of
the fortress ruins. Earlier correspondence between the departments agreed
that the plaques would be attached to the lighthouse.[i]
In March 1926, Mayor A.A.
Martell wrote, to the District Engineer about the “summer carnival”,
mentioned the historic plaque unveilings and asked if the case would be
ready for the historic lead plaque, which was found in the ruins of the
French tower in 1923. Heralding what would become a long-term point of
concern between municipal and federal responsibilities,
Martell also asked if the road to the lighthouse would be repaired
for the event.[ii]
The town celebrated the first day of its Come
Home Week on August 10, 1926 with a sports programme and the plaque
unveilings. The day opened with a 3 mile race run from old town to the
school in the modern town won by Truman Hunt. At 11:30 a.m. the activity
moved to the lighthouses where Senator McLennan talked about the history
of the site and Mayor Melvin Huntington welcomed the guests before
unveiling two Historic Sites and Monuments Board plaques.[iii]
One of the
plaques commemorates the French defenders of the Island Battery in 1745
and 1758, while the other commemorates the French lighthouse and the
British batteries constructed in the vicinity in 1745 and 1758.
HISTORIC
SITES
&
MONUMENTS BOARD OF CANADA
THIS TABLET
COMMEMORATES THE VALOUR AND ENDURANCE DISPLAYED AGAINST OVERWHELMING ODDS,
BY THE FRENCH FORCES, WHO, IN 1745 AND AGAIN IN 1758, GARRISONED THE
DEFENSIVE BATTERIES ON THE ISLAND OPPOSITE THE ENTRANCE TO THE HARBOUR OF
LOUISBOURG AND FACING THIS SPOT. CETTE PLAQUE EST ERÉGÉE EN HOMMAGE À LA BRAVOURE ET À L’ENDURANCE DONT FIRENT PREUVE, CONTRE DES TROUPES BIENS SUPÉRIEURES, LES TROUPES FRANÇAISES RETRANCHÉES DANS L’ILE SITUÉE EN FACE DE L’ENTRÉE DU PORT DE LOUISBOURG EN 1745 ET EN 1758 Louisbourg Lighthouse Left
Side
HISTORIC
SITES
&
MONUMENTS BOARD OF CANADA
ON THIS SITE
WAS ERECTED BY FRANCE, IN 1731, THE FIRST LIGHTHOUSE TOWER, CONSTRUCTED OF
FIREPROOF MATERIALS, IN NORTH AMERICA. NEAR HERE THE BRITISH ERECTED
BATTERIES TO SILENCE THE DEFENSIVE WORKS ERECTED BY FRANCE ON THE ISLAND
OPPOSITE THE ENTRANCE. IN 1745 THESE BATTERIES WERE COMMANDED BY LT. COL.
JOHN GORHAM; IN 1758, BY BRIGADIER GENERAL JAMES WOLFE. SUR CET
EMPLACEMENT LA FRANCE CONSTRUISIT, EN 1731, LE PREMIER PHARE À L’ÉPREUVE
DU FEU ÉRIGÉ EN AMERIQUE DU NORD. PRÈS D’ICI LES ANGLAIS ÉLEVÈRENT
DES BATTERIES POUR RÉDUIRE LES TRAVAUX DE DÉFENSE FAITS PAR LES FRANÇAIS
SUR L’ILE SITUÉE EN FACE DE L’ENTRÉE DU PORT. AU SIÈGE DE 1745, CES
BATTERIES FURENT COMMANDÉES PAR LE LIEUTENANT COLONEL JOHN GORHAM ET À
CELUI DE 1758, PAR LE BRIGADIER GÉNÉRAL JAMES WOLFE. Louisbourg
Lighthouse Right Side
[i]
National Archives, Marine, RG42, Vol. 501, File 20453-R, ADM Interior
to ADM Marine, 2 September 1924 and 11 Sept. 1924 (#163).
[ii]
National Archives, Marine, RG42, Vol. 501, File 20453-R, Martel to
Leger 6 March 1926 ( 169); Leger to Agent 10 March 1926 (169, 170).
[iii]
A.A. Martell was mayor between Feb. 1920 and Feb. 1926. Melvin S.
Huntington was mayor from Feb. 1926 until Feb. 1946.
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