GC1WKD1 Sainte-Famille Cemetery (Traditional Cache) in Nova Scotia, Canada created by geoadventurers

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GC1WKD1 ▼

A cache by geoadventurers Message this owner

Hidden : 7/30/2009

Difficulty:

Terrain:

Size: Size: small (small)

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Geocache Description:

The Acadians first settled in this area of Nova Scotia in the 1680s in what was known as the Pisiquid district, part of the French colony of Acadie. Pisiquid was named after the Pisiquid River, which was later renamed the Avon River. In 1698 the parish of Notre Dame de l’Assomption was established with a church located where Windsor now stands. However, the Acadians who lived on the other side of the river found it difficult to cross the water on a regular basis in order to attend church. They wanted their own church, and so a second parish, Sainte-Famille, was created in 1722, where Falmouth exists today. The Acadians prospered here when they dyked and farmed the marshlands. They lived in peace with the Mi’kmaq but they were increasingly perceived as rebels by the English, who saw these French “neutral” settlers as their enemies. As a result, the British expelled the Acadians from this area in 1755.

Over time and generations of agricultural plowing, the location of the Sainte-Famille Cemetery was forgotten by many. Then in 1996 it was accidentally rediscovered when excavations began for construction of new homes in the Mountain View Subdivision on Gabriel Road in Falmouth. Human bones were found in the soil, and David Christianson, an archaeologist with the Nova Scotia Museum, was called out to the site. On closer examination, several skeletons and over 2 dozen graves were found. Clay caps located about a foot under the surface marked the graves which existed five feet deeper. Wrought-iron square nails and fragments of wood associated with the graves allowed them to be dated to the 18th century. Other findings included a King George III halfpenny and a ceramic button from the 1700s. Further archeological work established the boundaries of the cemetery with an estimated 300 graves in total, dating from 1722 to 1755. The original uncovered graves were scheduled for further study while those that were not disturbed were left in place. Construction plans in that location ceased and the “Committee for the Preservation of the Sainte-Famille Cemetery” was formed. The committee was made up of volunteers from Acadian and heritage organizations and their goal was to preserve the cemetery and bring recognition to the Acadian heritage of the area. Funds were raised to buy the land and develop a landscape and interpretive plan.

On August 13, 2000, a reburial ceremony was held in order to reinter the remains that were originally uncovered. Work on the memorial also officially began on that date. The fund raising sale and laying of memorial bricks began in 2003.

When visiting this site you can park at N 44° 58.950 W 064° 10.275. Be sure to take the time to explore the area and appreciate the interpretive displays. As you are facing the information plaque, take special note of the large rectangular rock located on the ground behind you to the left. It was moved here from a nearby farm and is believed to be an artifact. The Acadians are thought to have split this rock apart from a larger boulder by first drilling a series of holes in a row and then applying force to create the break. For what purpose the split was made is not known.

The cache container is a winter friendly bark camoed 500 g. peanut butter jar containing a log book, pencils and Acadian themed swag. There is also an Acadian themed FTF prize inside a camo duct tape envelope placed beside the cache. If possible, please try to keep to the theme of the cache when making your trades.

Thank you to Pat Gould-Thorpe and the Committee for the Preservation of the Sainte-Famille Cemetery for permission to hide this cache, and for all their hard work in making this memorial park possible.

Sainte-Famille Cemetery Reference Web Sites:
(visit link)
(visit link)

Acadian Village Map (PDF):
(visit link)

Acadian Vignettes of Hants County, Nova Scotia:
(visit link)

Vignettes acadiennes de Pigiguit et des Mines, Nouvelle-Ecosse:
(visit link)

Ships of the Acadian Deportation from Pisiquid:
(visit link)

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

Zncyr Gerr

Decryption Key

A|B|C|D|E|F|G|H|I|J|K|L|M
-------------------------
N|O|P|Q|R|S|T|U|V|W|X|Y|Z

(letter above equals below, and vice versa)