Queens County
Arguably the heart of the lower St John River system, Queens County lies in the middle of southern New Brunswick and is bounded by five other counties. It was, and remains, primarily agricultural, with farms and small villages nestled along the river and Grand and Washademoak Lakes. Settled in the seventeenth century by Acadians, the arrival of Loyalists in the late 1700s shaped its modern history. Away from the waterways forest industries dominate, and in the late nineteenth century the county’s largest town of Chipman developed at the north end of Grand Lake around lumber mills. The coal industry of nearby Minto played a key role in the local economy as well. These industries drew immigrants from across Canada and Europe into the country, diversifying the population in the twentieth century.The impact of conflict on Queens County has left few visible signs. The seventeenth century French trading station and outpost of Fort Jemseg has never been located, and the Eagles Nest battery from the War of 1812 lies in obscurity. Much is now known, however, of the county’s role in supporting Canada’s effort in the Great War.