- Arcadia was the name of a brig built in the area in 1817, and it was from this vessel that the name was chosen.
- The first Poor Asylum was built on the west side of Chebogue Road in 1857. A Pest House was built in Arcadia in 1885-86 to house smallpox patients.
History
Prior to permanent settlement in the region of Arcadia, Indian tribes set up an encampment and trading post at the head of the Chebogue river in an area known as “Arcadia Corner.” The land surrounding the river was collectively called Chebogue, and regions were distinguished by the early settlers by the precedents North, South, East, West, Centre, and Upper. Village names were later given to each region, and the name Arcadia, meaning “pastoral”, was given to Upper Chebogue in 1863. Many of the first settlers came from the United States, with common surnames like Gowen, Curtis, Bridgeo, Bartlett, Van Norden, Cleveland, Crosby, Raymond, Baker, Boyd, Brown and Robbins.
Roads were cleared from the community throughout the late 1700s, with a road from Arcadia to the Tusket River bridge being cleared in 1803. Industry began to grow, with a grist mill in operation by the Van Norden family, and later, a machine shop. A large building by Bartlett’s Bridge operated as a grist mill, carpenter shop, and woodcraft shop. As many as three shipyards operated in Arcadia during the 1800s and 1900s.
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