Two stores located on the West of Mill Street & Main Street in Hillsborough. A Little of Bay View Hotel seen on the right. This Corner burned in 1922.

The Original Christen Steeves Home on the corner of Pleasant & Central Street in Hillsborough. This photo was taken in 1917 when it was owned by John Steeves. Don’t you love the old balconies?

Last week was supposed to be Hillsborough’s Home Coming Week, which sadly had to be cancelled due to the ongoing health restrictions, so we’re going to be dedicating the rest of this week to HIllsborough in honour of it. Here is a photo from around 1900 of a parade taken in front of Jordon Steeves Home.

Out to Mary’s Point for some 19th Century graffiti. I often wonder what the story is behind this graffiti? Anyone know?

As we end our week long celebration of the 150th Birthday of Canada’s 11th Prime Minister, RB Bennett, we have another photo of the Bennett Homestead sitting high on the hill.

This photo shows the SIlver Jubilee Library in Hopewell Cape, much of the funding for the Library came from RB Bennett. An interesting fact was the boy’s club at the library’s uniforms were paid by RB, one of the many instances of Bennett giving back to Albert County. There are also a few church bells still ringing around the county paid for by Bennett. His generosity, often given on the condition of anonymity, was really without parallel.

This photo shows the SIlver Jubilee Library in Hopewell Cape, much of the funding for the Library came from RB Bennett. An interesting fact was the boy’s club at the library uniforms were paid by RB, one of the many instances of Bennett giving back to Albert County. There are also a few church bells still ringing around the county paid for by Bennett. His generosity, often given on the condition of anonymity, was really without parallel.

Happy Canada Day! Happy 10th Annual RB Bennett Day and Happy 150th Birthday RB Bennett! Today at the Museum at 12 Noon Fundy Ceilidh is playing followed with ceremony welcoming new artifacts to the Bennett Collection and a special movie presentation of RB Bennett, with words of congratulations from Bennett’s nephew, William Herridge, QC.. We’re also planting a Crimson Maple in honour of the occasion!

Here is a fun bit of trivia, R.B. Bennett’s teacher for most of his years at the school in Hopewell Cape was a man named William J. Jones. One year, Mr. Jones also organized a mock parliament and selected R.B. as Prime Minister and leader of the Conservatives. The final session of the mock parliament was held at the Albert County Court House in Hopewell Cape. The final address by 'Prime Minister' Bennett held the audience spellbound and he received many compliments on his ability as an orator and suggestions that he should study law and go into politics.

This photo shows the Bennett Homestead about 1882 in Hopewell Cape. The large two story home was grand, not only in size, but in appearance. The home was distinguished from most along the Great Road in that it had a long white picket fence along the road front that made it stand out to passers by.

Another shot of Bennett’s Birthplace about 10 years later in the 1940s. sadly this house would burn down in the 1960s from a fire which started in the barn,

This photo shows the birthplace of RB Bennett in Shepody, taken in 1931 by the Reid Studio in Moncton. This was the Stiles family home.

The Stiles family genealogy has been traced back through New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Connecticut, Massachusetts and England. David Stiles was born in New Brunswick in 1812. He married Mary Ann Wright in 1835 and they had several children at their modest home in Hopewell Hill. David was a sea captain.

David's and Mary Ann's children were Mary Ann, John Harvey, Lucy Elizabeth, Isabella R, Henrietta (mother of RB Bennett), Ernest Albert and Sarah Alberta.