History

For over ten thousand years the region has been the land of the Mi'kmaq Peoples. The Municipality of the County of Kings is in Mi’kma’ki, the ancestral and traditional lands of the Mi’kmaw people. Many traditions reference Cape Blomidon and speak to how important this place is to the Mi’kmaw. Between 1726 and 1779, the British Crown and the Mi’kmaw Peoples of the maritime provinces of Canada signed several agreements which became known as the Treaties of Peace and Friendship, which did not deal with surrender of Land, but instead focused on the intended relationship between Mi’kmaw Nation and the Crown. There are two First Nation communities in the Kings Region, Glooscap First Nation, and Annapolis Valley First Nation.

The Annapolis Valley’s reputation as an agricultural heartland can be traced back to French Acadians settlers who arrived in the early 1600s. The Acadians built extensive dyke systems that transformed marshlands below sea level into fertile farmland. By 1713, the British, in their struggle with the French, finally gained control of North America. The Acadians refused to swear allegiance to the throne of Great Britain and thus were expelled in 1755. The lands in Kings County vacated by the Acadians were given to New England Planters, and were divided into two townships, Horton and Cornwallis, with the Cornwallis River serving as the boundary between them. This group proceeded to reclaim additional land from the sea and improve the orchards.

The arrival of the Empire Loyalists, after the American Revolution in 1775 - 1783 provided the greatest stimulus to development. Many of these refugees settled in Aylesford township and although they were not primarily farmers, they soon turned to the land. Some of them were actively engaged in experimentation, particularly with different varieties of fruit. The increase in the population resulted in an expansion of the economic base and new trade markets. The export of farm products, wood, fish, and hides to Halifax, New Brunswick and New England saw shipbuilding rise in 1790, which lasted over a hundred years. Such communities as Scots Bay, Halls Harbour, Baxter's Harbour, Horton Landing, Black Rock, Kingsport, and Canning became the trade and shipbuilding centres of the era.

Among this wave of British loyalists settling in the Annapolis Valley were Black Loyalists who were under enslavement or fleeing enslavement elsewhere. They had fought for Britain in the American Revolution in return for freedom; however, upon arriving in the Maritimes were cheated of land, forced to work on public projects, and denied equal status. This region is home to two historical African Nova Scotian communities: Gibson Woods and Pine Woods. Gibson Woods was founded by George Gibson, a Black Loyalist. In the early 1800s, he paid £40 for 40 acres of land, an "enormous sum" for the time. Sisters Dinah Powell and Chloe Landsey founded Pine Woods at the turn of the 19th century after fleeing slavery from a local Planter.

Wolfville became the education centre of the County in 1839 with the establishment of Acadia University comprising Horton Collegiate Academy, Acadia College, and Acadia Ladies' Seminary. Elsewhere, small manufacturing establishments sprang up including flour mills, cheese factories, tanneries, and a brick-making plant in Avonport by 1877. The completion of the Windsor and Annapolis Railway in 1869 stabilized apple production by opening access to new markets, both locally and abroad. Once the County had penetrated the British market in the 1890s, Port Williams served as the origin for much of the overseas apple shipments. However, with the railroad's advent, shipbuilding, and coastal communities dependent on that industry began declining.

Kings County was officially incorporated as a Municipality in 1879 with the consolidation of the townships of Horton, Cornwallis, and Aylesford. This led to the establishment of the present local government structure in the County. The Towns of Kentville in 1886, Wolfville in 1893 and Berwick in 1923 were later incorporated out of the Municipality.

Until the Second World War when export markets almost collapsed entirely, apples and other tree fruits continued to be a major source of income for County farmers. The establishment of the Aldershot Militia Training Camp in 1904, and the Agricultural Research Station in 1913 at Kentville marked a government commitment to the region's economic base. This was strengthened in 1941 with the construction of a Canadian Forces Base at Greenwood which has grown to include almost 2,000 service members and their families on the base and provide employment for nearly 650 residents in the west end of the County (1990).

Hundreds of farms line the valley floor in Kings County and account for over a third of the Provincial farm cash receipts. The last twenty-five years have witnessed the agricultural base strengthen its links with food processing industries. Although there has been a diversification of economic activity and the County is not solely dependent on agriculture, over 50% of the estimated value of production in the manufacturing sector is in industries like meat and poultry or fruit and vegetable processing. This fact reflects the dominance and continuing importance of the Region’s natural resource base.

The growth in the development of agriculture as well as forestry and other resources in Kings County has been equalled by urban growth. Communities which originally developed as market centres to serve the primary industrial sector had, by 1970, grown into financial, commercial, and institutional centres. Kentville had become the government and financial centre of Kings County and New Minas was quickly surpassing both Kentville and Wolfville in becoming the regional commercial centre. This urban development boom had been accompanied by a demand for residential lots which were readily available throughout the County. The relatively inexpensive rural land combined with the increasing preference for a rural living environment had encouraged development in the rural areas.

A look into the history of this beautiful region shows change over time and recognizes distinct groups of people who have shaped the development of Kings County. This brief overview is far from exhaustive and complete, and the Municipality of the County of Kings remains committed to truth and reconciliation which requires awareness around who have traditionally been represented as authors and main characters of historical accounts.