Welcome to Atlantic Canada’s Hidden Histories (ACHH) Geotour!
You’ve located a stop in the ACHH Geotour, which as of Feb.10, 2024 consists of 35 geocaches divided into two phases and located in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. Initially launched in July of 2022, this Geotour aims to highlight various diverse and sometimes relatively unknown histories in Atlantic Canada. It will continue to grow. The first 2 phases of the tour highlight Black History in Atlantic Canada. In Phase 1 there are two segments with six locations in New Brunswick, and ten locations in Nova Scotia. Each of these segments has their own geocoin and passport, the link for which is provided in relevant cache descriptions. Caches in Phase 1 start with ACHH: in their name. Caches in Phase 2 start with ACHH2: in their name. This cache is part of Phase 2 and was placed in celebration of Black History Month 2024. A map and the complete list of geocaches can be found here.
About this Location
Hector House
This house is private property.
The kitchen part of the house at the back was built about 1880 by Andrew Hector, a descendent of some of the black Loyalists who settled in the Otnabog (Elm Hill) area just south of the village in the 1780’s. From his youth, Andrew worked for the Peters family who deeded him this piece of land in return for his services to them.
His son, LeBaron “Barry” Hector, a legend in his own right, was born and lived here. Initially, an older house sat on the front part of the lot but in 1922, Barry Hector, then 49, engaged a village carpenter, Tom Sharpe to renovate the early (kitchen) piece of the house and build the current structure. This house is a working man’s comfortable home, well-made and suited to its purpose. The exterior retains its initial 1922 appearance. The ceilings are eight feet high, the slant to the walls upstairs is moderate and there is a lighted attic where a person can stand erect in the center. The artesian well that used to supply water to the household still exists but is no longer functional. The nicely-shingled, well-kept barn remains a serviceable part of the estate.
Barry’s son, George Hector (1911 - 2004), was also born at this location and according to interviews with him, his great grandfather accompanied the Peters to New Brunswick at the end of the American Revolution as an enslaved person. A remarkable New Brunswick musician, George was known far and wide as “The Whistling Banjo Man” on the radio program “The Maritime Farmers.” He was an influential figure in East Coast country music and was inducted into the New Brunswick Music Hall of Fame in 1984.
(Pictures of house & George Hector below)
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