Doaktown, New Brunswick
| Doaktown | ||
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| Village | ||
Main Southwest Miramichi River in Doaktown (IR Walker 1988)
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| Nickname(s): Heart of the Miramichi River Valley | ||
 Doaktown
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| Coordinates: 46°33′N 66°07′W / 46.550°N 66.117°WCoordinates: 46°33′N 66°07′W / 46.550°N 66.117°W | ||
| Country |
 Canada
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| Province |
 New Brunswick
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| County | Northumberland | |
| Settled | 1807 | |
| Incorporated | 1966 | |
| Government | ||
| • Type | Town Council | |
| • Mayor | Beverley K. Gaston | |
| • Deputy Mayor | Carl R. Price | |
| Area | ||
| • Land | 28.74 km2 (11.10 sq mi) | |
| Elevation | 30 m (100 ft) | |
| Population (2011) | ||
| • Total | 793 | |
| • Density | 27.6/km2 (71/sq mi) | |
| • Change 2006-11 |
 10.7% |
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| Time zone | Atlantic (UTC-4) | |
| • Summer (DST) | Atlantic (UTC-3) | |
| Area code(s) | Area code 506 | |
| Dwellings | 405 | |
| Website | http://www.doaktown.com/ | |
Doaktown (2011 population: 793) is a Canadian village in Northumberland County, New Brunswick.
It is situated on the Southwest Miramichi River and was first settled in 1807 for use as a base for the growing lumber industry in central New Brunswick. United Empire Loyalists came to the area after the American Revolutionary War and pooled the money needed for a land grant and received a grant under Ephriam Betts, the leader of the group.
Later, when the Doak family moved to the area from Ayrshire, Scotland, Ephriam was experiencing financial difficulty. Robert Doak was able to purchase a large amount of the original land grant and built a farm and grist mill on the property.
As the population grew, Robert Doak became a prominent citizen in the area. He served with the government in several capacities, including magistrate and justice of the peace.
When the post office first came to the area, a name had to be chosen. Since Robert Doak was a prominent citizen, the area was named after him, originally as Doakton. However, it was later changed to Doaktown as it is today.
The village has a prosperous lumber industry including the Russell and Swim sawmill now owned by J.D. Irving Limited.
Atlantic Salmon fishing is also a very popular sport in the area attracting people from all over the world to fish the legendary Miramichi River.
The village has two museums: the Doak Historic Site and the Atlantic Salmon Museum. Other nearby attractions include the Priceville Footbridge, the longest suspension footbridge in New Brunswick, and Nelson Hollow Bridge, the oldest covered bridge in the province.
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Wikipedia