Early Days

The first settlement of the Breadalbane area was in 1858. The ship "James Gibbs", sailed from the Isle of Skye, in Scotland, and landed in Charlottetown on the 20th of July. About three hundred people were on the ship, and they settled in Lot 67, in central P.E.I. The land was alotted to the settlers as they arrive on the Island, and as the "James Gibbs" passengers arrived relatively late, they were given inland parcels because all the coastal parts of the Island were already settled. Some of the families on the ship were the MacDonalds, the MacLures, the Buchanans, the Grahams, and the MacKays. These people settled the area near what is now Route 225 (The Anderson or Bedeque Road). They spoke gaelic, and they called their community Strathalbyn.

Times were hard in the early days. The woods had to be cleared so that log cabins could be built. The trees were cut down, burned, or cleared away. Lumber had to be cut to build the houses and barns. The lumber was sawed into boards in saw pits - two men worked together, one in the pit and the other on the ground above. Stones, used to build basements, were hauled from nearby stone quarries. The stones were cut to shape by hand. Shingles were also cut and shaped by hand. The soil was hoed, and the first crops were sown around the stumps. Buckwheat was the common first crop, to mellow the land. People also planted potatoes and grain for their own use. The crops were harvested by hand as well, using sickles (for cutting grass) and scythes (for mowing grain and grass). Unfortunately, forest fires were common, and many homes were lost over the years due to fire.

Water had to be carried from nearby springs in the days before wells were dug. The first wells were also dug by hand, and were about fifty feet deep. They were lined with stones and water was drawn up in a bucket. Of course, in the winter, when the well was covered with snow, water would again have to be carried from the springs.

Cows and sheep were kept. The sheep were sheared for their wool, which would be used to knit socks, mittens, and sweaters or to weave clothing and bedding. The animals were pastured in the woods. The cows provided milk, cheese, butter, and meat for the family. Very little was wasted. For example, the fat was used to make soap.

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