Newcastle is an urban neighbourhood in the city of

Miramichi, New Brunswick Miramichi ( ) is the largest city in northern New Brunswick, Canada. It is situated at the mouth of the Miramichi River where it enters Miramichi Bay. The Miramichi Valley is the second longest valley in New Brunswick, after the Saint John River ...

, Canada. Prior to municipal amalgamation in 1995, it was an incorporated town and the

shire town A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equivalent term, shire town, is used in ...

of Northumberland County. Situated on the north bank of the

Miramichi River The Miramichi River is a river located in the east-central part of New Brunswick, Canada. The river drains into Miramichi Bay in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. The name may have been derived from the Montagnais words "Maissimeu Assi" (meaning Mi'km ...

, the former town is sometimes referred to as Miramichi West. Being a former

, Newcastle is the location of several government offices and the county court house. It was an important transportation centre as it was located at the head of navigation on the Miramichi River and had wharves for the export of lumber and other forest products. During the mid-1870s the

Intercolonial Railway The Intercolonial Railway of Canada , also referred to as the Intercolonial Railway (ICR), was a historic Canada, Canadian railway that operated from 1872 to 1918, when it became part of Canadian National Railways. As the railway was also compl ...

was built through the town, placing it on the mainline between Halifax and

Montreal Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...

. The town's most prosperous days are considered to be the years prior to

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

. It later reached a peak population of about 6,500.

History

Newcastle was first settled by Scottish settlers, led by William Davidson (lumberman) in the late 18th century, and was originally called Miramichi. Early settlers changed the name due to pronunciation and spelling troubles. Throughout its history, the town's economy was largely based on the forest industry. A shipbuilding industry developed in the area during the late 18th century, largely to facilitate overseas lumber exports, including masts for the British Navy. The 1825 Miramichi fire, the advent of steel-hulled ships, and perhaps the overcutting of White Pine, contributed to a long-term decline in the town's economy. Pulp and paper production eventually replaced lumber exports as the mainstay of the town's economy. Newcastle remained the industrial heart of the Miramichi valley, its large pulp and paper mill employing hundreds. While many of the early settlers were employed in the forest industry, others participated in the salmon fishery. As transportation improved and the commercial fishery waned, a valuable sports fishery developed, attracting "sports" initially from adjacent New England, and subsequently from all parts of the world. The 1952 discovery of base metal deposits and the development of Heath Steele Mines, 60 km northwest of Newcastle, allowed the economy to diversify and strengthen through the 1960s. The mine closed in 1999 as metal prices declined and the ore bodies were depleted.

Notable people

The famous British newspaper owner and Minister of Aircraft Production during World War II, Max Aitken ( Lord Beaverbrook), moved to Newcastle at an early age and considered it home. A noted philanthropist, Lord Beaverbrook, contributed much to his home town and province. He established the Old Manse Library in his boyhood residence, built the town hall, and established a park (the historic Town Square) for the community. The picturesque park includes the town's war

cenotaph A cenotaph is an empty grave, tomb or a monument erected in honor of a person or group of people whose remains are elsewhere or have been lost. It can also be the initial tomb for a person who has since been reinterred elsewhere. Although t ...

, a stone fountain (with water supplied by an

artesian well An artesian well is a well that brings groundwater to the surface without pumping because it is under pressure within a body of rock or sediment known as an aquifer. When trapped water in an aquifer is surrounded by layers of Permeability (ea ...

), an Italian stone

gazebo A gazebo is a pavilion structure, sometimes octagonal or Gun turret, turret-shaped, often built in a park, garden, or spacious public area. Some are used on occasions as bandstands. In British English, the word is also used for a tent-like can ...

and other monuments of local historic importance such as shipbuilding and folk music. The park was once well known for its graceful and elegant stand of elm trees, since stricken by the deadly Dutch elm disease. A bust of Beaverbrook, containing his ashes, stands in the square. Newcastle is also the hometown of

David Adams Richards David Adams Richards (born 17 October 1950) is a Canadian writer and member of the Senate of Canada, Canadian Senate.Governor General's Awards The Governor General's Awards are a collection of annual awards presented by the governor general of Canada, recognizing distinction in numerous academic, artistic, and social fields. The first award was conceived and inaugurated in 1937 by the ...

External links

{{coord, 46.983, N, 65.567, W, display=title, type:city_region:CA_source:GNS-enwiki Neighbourhoods in Miramichi, New Brunswick Populated places disestablished in 1995 Former towns in New Brunswick