Europeans Arrive

Place Names Portugal Richmond County France England North America Newfoundland Cape Breton Island Louisbourg St. Peter's Isle Madame Mainland Nova Scotia Louisbourg Isle of Jersey

In the 1500s fishermen from Portugal discovered good fishing grounds near Richmond County. Soon they built summer camps and began to trade with the Mi’kmaq, who had furs. The Portuguese did not settle there, though.

In the 1600s the French came and saw that the area was rich in fish and furs. Nicolas Denys built a fur trading post at St. Peter’s. Denys and his brother made good money when the fish and furs were sold back in France. Other French merchants heard about it and wanted to make the money themselves. A few of them attacked Denys and drove him out. He later returned and ran a trading post for many years but it was eventually destroyed by fire. Today the Nicolas Denys Museum reminds us of this man. Much of what we know about those times is because of the writing he did.