Jefferson and the Golden Boot

At the beginning of the 1860s, land in small lots became available to those who would like to come to the village of Berwick and be part of a growing community.

Henry E. Jefferson, a native of Annapolis County, made the move in 1861, purchasing land on Main Street and erecting a large boot and shoe manufacturing shop and residence. Jefferson placed a large gold-coloured boot on the top of the large building, which became a landmark for the people who travelled along Main Street.

The Jefferson house was across the street from the Methodist church, recently built by the large number of members of that faith. The Jeffersons themselves were strong Methodists and may have moved to Berwick with the new church in mind.

After a few years, construction began on the railway up on the flat, so Jefferson moved his building up Commercial Street to the corner of South Street. He then converted the building to a large department store, which he rented to S.J. Nichols. Nichols operated the store for about 20 years until the building was sold to make room for a hotel.

Meanwhile, Mill Street became the centre of the lumber industry, mostly because it was located near the railway. jefferson, J.M. Parker and F.A. Clark formed a partnership and operated a steam mill for a number of years.

Jefferson later became successful in the insurance and real estate business, but he made is mark in Berwick’s history with his work for the low income residents and with volunteer activities.

In 1866, he became a partner of James Haliday and founded a newspaper, The Berwick Star, the first paper ever published in Berwick. For several years, it had a fair number of readers.

One of the most important events to take place in Berwick was the founding of the Methodist Camp Meeting by E.C. Foster in 1872. One of the members of the seven-man committee was Jefferson, who became the secretary of the association for the first 10 years of its existence. Jefferson was well-known for his ability to negotiate, which led to reduced fares with the railway for camp meeting visitors each year.

Jefferson thought a board of trade should be organized in Berwick so, January 29, 1899; a meeting was held in Jefferson’s office, with himself as chairman and with most of the prominent citizens of Berwick in attendance. The decision was made to organize the Berwick and District Board of Trade.

Jefferson lived in Berwick for over half a century before being laid to rest in the Berwick Cemetery. Not many of the town’s important achievements took place during this period without the advice and assistance of Jefferson, a truly great community leader.