Deadman's Island (Nova Scotia) facts for kids

A visitor reads a plaque on Deadman's Island that remembers 195 American soldiers who died during the War of 1812.

Deadman's Island is a small piece of land that sticks out into the water. It's located in Halifax Harbour in Nova Scotia, Canada. This area has a cemetery and a park.

Long ago, the British military used it for training. Later, it became a burial ground for prisoners of war from nearby Melville Island. In the early 1900s, it was even an amusement park!

In the 1960s, Deadman's Island became part of the city of Halifax. People wanted to build on it, but many protested. Because of these protests, Deadman's Island was saved and became a special heritage park.

What is Deadman's Island?

Even though it's called "Deadman's Island," it's not actually an island. It's a peninsula, which means it's connected to the mainland by a narrow strip of land.

This land sticks out into the Northwest Arm of Halifax Harbour. It's about 200 metres (660 ft) from Melville Island. The area has a "swampy spit" and a small hill covered with pine trees. The water on its eastern side is home to many fish.

How Was it Used by the Military?

At first, this area was known as "Target Island." The British Navy used it for target practice.

Prisoners of War Buried Here

During the Napoleonic Wars and the War of 1812, the British military used the land to bury prisoners of war. These prisoners came from a jail on nearby Melville Island.

Many soldiers and sailors died there. Sixty-six French, nine Spanish, and 195 American prisoners were buried in unmarked graves. They were often buried in canvas bags. This is how the island got its name, "Deadman's Island."

Other Burials

Deadman's Island might also be where some escaped slaves were buried after 1813. At least 104 of them died after coming to Melville Island.

Irish immigrants quarantined on Melville Island in 1847 were also buried here. About 30 of them died. After 1847, people stopped burying bodies on the island.

There was only one known marked grave on Deadman's Island. It belonged to a Canadian sailor named John Dixon. He was buried in 1847.

From Amusement Park to Park

In 1907, the British government sold Deadman's Island to Charles Longley. He was a Canadian businessman.

Melville Park Amusement Park

Longley built an amusement park called Melville Park. It was for the children of people who had cottages near Melville Cove. He also set up a ferry service to bring people to the park. The boat ticket included free entry to the park every day.

The park had swings, slides, and dancing on Tuesday and Thursday nights. On Saturdays, there were "water sports." A large building was built for these activities. It had space for boats and a dance hall upstairs.

During construction, three skulls were found. They were placed on the rafters in one room to scare visitors!

Park Closes Down

The park was popular at first. However, the start of the First World War and the 1917 Halifax Explosion caused problems. An economic downturn in the 1920s led to financial trouble. The park closed in 1927.

In 1936, Longley gave John Dixon's grave marker to the Nova Scotia Museum.

Reopening and Discoveries

In 1930, A.J. Davis bought Deadman's Island and reopened it as a "pleasure park." The Ryan family took over most of the land in the late 1930s.

But storms and building projects started to uncover skeletons. In 1959, a local resident found a skull "frozen into the bank" near his home. It was hard to find the exact locations of graves because there were no markers left.

A Special Historic Site

In the late 1960s, Deadman's Island became part of the city of Halifax. Developers wanted to build tall apartment buildings there.

Community Protests

However, the Northwest Arm Community Planning Association protested these plans. They wanted the land to be a park instead. Even though their idea was rejected, no buildings were built on Deadman's Island.

By the 1990s, the land was one of the last undeveloped waterfront areas on the Northwest Arm. In 1998, new plans for condominium units were proposed. Again, community groups protested.

The Northwest Arm Heritage Association started to research the prisoners buried there. Other groups from the Maritimes and New England joined them. They asked the city to recognize Deadman's Island as a heritage property.

International Attention

The issue became known internationally. It was mentioned in newspapers like The Globe and Mail, The New York Times, and the Boston Globe.

The city hired a historian, Brian Cuthbertson, to study the heritage claim. His report said that as many as 400 bodies could be buried there. This was much more than the 35 bodies suggested by the developer's first survey. The city also saw the site as a possible attraction for American tourists, like the memorials for victims of the Titanic disaster.

Protecting the Park

The building plans were stopped in late 1998. In February 2000, Deadman's Island Park was created. The Halifax Regional Municipality established it to protect the site and remember its history.

On June 23, 2000, a memorial service was held for the American Prisoners of War buried there. Members of the U.S. 164th Civil Engineering Squadron honored those in unmarked graves. On May 30, 2005, a large plaque was put up to remember the American servicemen.

Deadman's Island Park Today

Deadman's Island Park is a public park in Canada. It's located on Deadman's Island in the Northwest Arm of Halifax Harbour, Nova Scotia.

The park was created in 2005 to protect the land from development. It is the burial site of 195 American soldiers and sailors. They died while being held prisoner by the British during the War of 1812. Their prison was on nearby Melville Island.

An information plaque in the park has a poem:

Go view the graves which prisoners fill

Go count them on the rising hill

No monumental marble shows

Whose silent dust does there repose.

Shannon leads Chesapeake into Halifax. American crew members were imprisoned on Deadman's Island.

More than 8,000 American captives were held on Melville Island over time. French and Spanish prisoners of war were also buried on Deadman's Island, but their graves are unmarked.

Details about the unmarked graves were lost over time. But interest grew when the property owner wanted to build homes there. The city bought the land thanks to the efforts of several groups. These included the Northwest Arm Heritage Association and the Royal Canadian Legion.

On May 30, 2005, the U.S. government put up a memorial tablet. It lists each man, his rank, and the ship he served on. Some of those buried there served on the USS Chesapeake. This was one of the original six United States frigates. It was captured by the British and brought to Halifax.