The Louisberg Fort and The Alexander Graham Bell Museum

We camped right next to the famous historical restoration of the Louisberg Fortress on the Northeastern Coast of Cape Breton Island. I basically spent the day asleep, but Mom and Dad toured the fort. Dad's report:

Louisberg was initially built in 1713 by the French as one of their first North American outposts. The city was entirely surrounded by ramparts defended with cannons. Unfortunately the British over-ran the fortress in 1746, and subsequently deeded back to the French in 1756 in exchange for other lands in Nova Scotia. The Brits main fortress was in Halifax. The French finally subcombed to a lack of trade and the colony folded in 1765. In the 1960s the Canadian government undertook a massive reconstruction of Lewisburg as a way to give employment to the local miners who suffered from a shut down of the mines. The fortress includes all kinds of buildings, ramparts, governor's mansion, and vaious french style homes for the local constabulary. A separate large building housed the fort's garrison. At its peak, Louisberg had a population of 7000. The complex is staffed with several dozen citizens dressed up in period costumes (see photos) we had a great guided tour (Louisa Johnson- she's the buxom lady in the photo)) who animated the tour with great stories of life in the 18th century Louisberg. For example we learned that the troops slept three to a bunk, bathed only once a year and suffered freezing temperatures in the winter and stifling heat in the summer. The stench was so bad that the local indians refused to come into the fort because of the smell. We watched several military exersizes including the firing of the cannons from the ramparts. All very interesting and entertaining.

Today the Bells and Kings toured the Alexander Graham Bell museum in Baddeck (pronounced Ba- DECK') As a distant relative I learned much about Dr. Bell I didn't know. For example did you know that Bell invented a version of the airplane that lagged the famous Wright Brothers flight by 6 days? He invented a hydrofoil boat that could reach speeds of 70 miles an hour. He invented the first prototype of the iron lung. He also invented a better version of the phonograph that outperformed the Edison version. Descendants of the Bells still live in his mansion overlooking the lake near Baddeck. Quite an amazing inventor /scientest! His wife, Mable was also an extraordinary woman who managed the Bell estate and fortune.

We're off to the Cabot Trail around the northern tip of Cape Breton island tomorrow!