Cardigan

Victory Chimes Story

The barque Gulnare of 549 tons registered, was built by Hugh Lord Macdonald for L.C. Owen and
William Welsh of Charlottetown in 1873. After trading for the firm of Owen and Welsh for a
number of years, the Gulnare was sold at Liverpool, U.K. in 1886.

The Caspian was a Brigantine that was built by James E. MacDonald in Cardigan in 1890. The Brigantine was registered as being 207 tons that was jointly owned by James E. and James Mustard.

The Anna Macdonald was built at Cardigan Wharf by Duncan MacLaren of Cardigan for John A. Macdonald also of Cardigan. She had a gross tonnage of 185 and after being in service for four years she was wrecked off Cape Prospect, N.S. in 1924.

During the shipbuilding era, some of the laborers who worked on the ships needed accomodations. Liza and Wally MacIntyre provided room and board in what had been Capt. Joe's store. There was a large room upstairs that was used like a dormitory with cots for the men to sleep in. One night a prankster crept in and tied all the shoes together so in the morning when they went to put their boots on they discovered that they were in a big tangle - thus the name for their rooming house became "The Tangle Foot Hotel".

The Anna MacDonald was a three Masted Schooner that was built in Cardigan by the owner John A.MacDonald and shipwright Duncan MacLaren who both resided in Cardigan. It was the last ship built after the Second World War. It was launched on October 1920 from Cardigan and ventured out into the world for many years before meeting its untimely fate.

All of this activity was central to the economy of the Cardigan area. The farmers who brought logs to the site would be paid and the wages paid to the laborers provided livelihood for their families. Many of these workers needed accommodations and would pay for room and board. Of the $48, 406 it cost to build the Victory Chimes in 1918, the labor account was $20, 663 and the lumber account was $6, 120. This would be a considerable sum to put into the economy of this region at this time.