Trenton, Nova Scotia
- Official Name: Trenton
- Gaelic Name: Baile Na Stàilinn
- Geographic Feature Type Category: Populated Place
- Geographic Feature Type: Town
- Latitude / Longitude: 45.61052, -62.639371
- NTS Map Number: 011E10
- 1879 Pictou County Atlas: Section 13
- Nova Scotia Land Grant Map Number: NS Land Grant map 093
- Nova Scotia 1:10k Topographic Map Number: 1045600062600 (Trenton)
The Town of Trenton has always been known as an industrial center and is located along the east side of the East River, north of the Town of New Glasgow. An early name for the area was Smelt Brook. The Town name was eventually changed to Trenton after Trenton, New Jersey, by Harvey Graham in 1882. Trenton was incorporated as a town in 1911.
Trenton The Nova Scotia Steel & Coal Company was located here, and was named after the busy manufacturing capital of New Jersey.
The town was built on three lots, granted from north to south to James Spry Heaton in 1786, to James McCabe in 1792 and to Roderick McKay in 1783. In 1882, the Nova Scotia Steel Company was formed by Nova Scotia Forge Co. and other shareholders.
A number of small houses were in course of erection and land transactions were a daily occurrence. About the middle of September Harvey· Graham purchased the land from William Fraser on which he laid out the new town. House lots were auctioned off on October 19 and by November 30 quite a number of houses and one or two stores were in process of erection.
A school-house was built in 1883. In 1901 a two-room school was completed. In 1924 another four-room school was built and in August, 1949, a new four-room school was opened. A 10-room elementary school was under construction in January, 1966.
The Nova Scotia Glass Company was founded in 1881; it was sold to the Diamond Glass Company in 1890 and the Glass Works were closed in November, 1892. The Lamont Glass Company was founded in 1890 at Trenton. In 1898 its plant was leased to The Diamond Glass Company. A building containing the accumulated stock of the Company was destroyed by fire in 1889. The Humphreys Glass Works were also established at Trenton in 1890.
The Nova Scotia Forge Company plant was built at Smelt Brook in 1881. The first castings were made at the N.S. Steel plant on July 25, 1883. The Eastern Car Division’s Railway Car Manufacturing Plant was built in 1912. The first rail box car rolled off the line in 1913. In 1915, it was taken over by Dominion Wheel, bought by Canada Iron Foundries in 1952 and closed down in 1962.
Trenton Industries Ltd., was incorporated in 1941. The Steel Plant railway car plant and Trenton Industries became the Trenton complex, controlled by Dosco. Tibbets Paints Limited was organized in 1947.
Trenton built ships during the First World War to replace some of the Canadian merchant vessels lost.
The Nova Scotia Power Commission built a thermal generating plant about 1947 and opened an extension to the plant on May 31, 1960. Other industries are Warren Maritimes Limited, Irving Oil Company, Ltd., and Robert Higgins Company Woodworkers.
Population in 1961 was 3,140.
Population in 1975 was 3,044.
Population in 1990 was 2.989.
Population in 2000 was 2,881.
Population in 2011 was 2,616.
Population in 2016 was 2,474.
Population in 2021 was 2,407.
The land area of Town of is 6.07 square kilometre
See the Town of Trenton Website: https://www.town.trenton.ns.ca/ for details on recreation, events and more.
[Source: Nova Scotia Place Names – T. Brown / Places of Nova Scotia – C. Bruce Fergusson ]
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