Fredericton, then called Ste. Anne's Point, was the Capital of Acadia from 1692 to 1698. On behalf of the French King, Governor Villebon erected Fort Nashwaak to protect its French inhabitants in 1692.
   On February 22, 1785, Governor Thomas Carleton formally changed the town's name to "Fredericstown", in honour of Prince Frederick, Duke of York, second son of King George III. The name was quickly shortened to Fredericton.
   Oscar Wilde once lectured in City Hall.
   Because Bliss Carman, Charles G. D. Roberts and Francis Joseph Sherman, were born and raised here, Fredericton has been dubbed the Poets' Corner of Canada.
   The notorious Benedict Arnold once lived in Fredericton. His negotiations with the English were arranged by Jonathan Odell, a Fredericton Loyalist who published Canada's first English poetry.
   John F. Kennedy and his brother Robert Kennedy both received honorary degrees from the University of New Brunswick.
   The largest public holding of paintings by Cornelius Kneghoff can be found at the Beaverbrook Art Gallery in Fredericton.
   Noted naturalist John James Audubon stayed at Government House in Fredericton in 1830, where he painted some of his famous bird portraits. One of his works - "The Pine Finch", is permanently displayed in the Library of the Provincial Legislative Building on Queen Street.
   The fountain in front of City Hall was erected in 1885. That makes "Freddie, the little nude dude" - as the ornamental cherub on top has since been nicknamed - two years older than the Statue of Liberty.
   The Old Burial Ground in the centre of downtown Fredericton contains graves dating from 1787.
   The upper level of City Hall was an Opera House from 1876 until the 1940's. Many travelling entertainers and local performers appeared on its stage.
   Fredericton has enjoyed a fall fair since 1825. Today's version is called the Fredericton Exhibition - FREX for short.
   Fredericton is the Pewtersrnith Capital of Canada, if not all North America.
   The NB College of Craft & Design (on Queen St.) is the only one in Canada exclusively devoted to training professional craftspeople.
   The Old Arts Building at the University of New Brunswick is the oldest university building still in use in Canada.
   Founded in 1785, the University of New Brunswick and the University of Georgia, are the oldest provincial/state universities in North America.
   Each year five New Brunswickers are inducted into the New Brunswick Country Music Hall of Fame. This historical photo display is located in the lobby of the Victoria Health Centre, Brunswick St.
   In 1918 the New Brunswick Provincial Government in Fredericton established Canada's first Ministry of Health.
   The first engineering school in Canada was established at UNB in 1862.
   The foundation of Christ Church Cathedral, laid in Fredericton in 1845, was the first entirely new Cathedral foundation to be established on British soil since the Norman Conquest of 1066.
   The Brydone Jack Observatory is one of the oldest astronomical observatories in Canada. It was established in Fredericton at King's College, now UNB, in 1851.
   Canada's first English novel - St. Ursula's Convent - was written in Fredericton during the early 1800's by Julia Beckwith.
   Willie O'Ree of Fredericton was the first black hockey player in the NHL.
   Mrs. John Black founded the first chapter of the Imperial Order Daughters of the Empire in Fredericton on January 15, 1900.
   John Hamilton of Fredericton invented the railway flanger.
   Fredericton High School is the oldest English High School in Canada (est. 1785) and the largest in the British Commonwealth with a student population of more than 3,000.

   With a flash of scarlet and a skirl of pipes, history comes to life! Tuesday through Saturday during the months of July & August a re-enactment of the Changing-of-the-Guard ceremony takes place in Officers' Square and at City Hall. The full guard changes at 11 am and 7 pm, the Sentry changes every hour on the hour, and every Thursday morning at 11, a local dignitary conducts an Official Inspection. The Guard dates back to 1793 when Governor Carleton formed the first New Brunswick Regiment, soon after renamed the Royal New Brunswick Regiment.
   For more information, please contact the Tourist Information Centre at City Hall, or call 506 452-9616.

   Fredericton Outdoor Summer Theatre presents their Calithumpians in free Theatre-In-The-Park! Expect humorous and historical fare for which the Company is famous. Officers' Square, Historic Garrison District. 12:15 weekdays and 2pm on weekends & holidays. Rain Venue: Barracks Square Four great shows run in rotation

For more information call 506 452-9616.

   Folk, country and bluegrass on green grass - pipe bands, concert bands - the summer music series has it all! During July and August open-air concerts are presented in Officers' Square Tuesday and Thursday evenings at 7:30. The Fredericton Society of St. Andrew Pipe Band and the Fredericton Concert and Marching Band are among the series' top-notch entertainers.
   The concerts are free and everyone is welcome. Bring a folding chair or blanket to enjoy the concert in comfort.
   For more information call 506 452-9616.

   The Calithumpians of Fredericton's outdoor Summer Theatre provide complimentary one hour escorted walking tours of the city. Historic costumes and dramatic commentary make them memorable. July 1 - Sept. 1. Tours begin at City Hall Mon. - Fri. at 10 am, 2 pm, 4 pm & 7pm. Sat. & Sun., lOam, 4pm & 7pm.
For more information call City Hall Tourist Information 506 452-9616.

   Fredericton is the Poets' Corner of Canada. As the birth place and home of Bliss Carman, Sir Charles G. D. Roberts, and Francis Joseph Sherman - leading figures in Canadian poetry and literature - the city enjoys a distinctive literary heritage.
   Bliss Carman, born in Fredericton on April 15, 1861, was the son of William Carman, registrar of the provincial Supreme Court; and Sophia Bliss, a distant relative of Ralph Waldo Emmerson. He found the government activity and the great natural beauty of Fredericton ideal poetic stimulation. Carman attended the University of New Brunswick and Harvard. His poetry is marked by its simplicity, optimism, and celebration of the spiritual and sensual qualifies of nature, and his poetic landscape is filled with New Brunswick shapes and colours. Carman is credited with creating the real beginnings of a distinct Canadian literature. The major romantic literary movement he helped to launch significantly influenced the direction of Canadian poets and writers.
   Charles G. D. Roberts, a clergyman's son, was born in Douglas, just outside Fredericton. He attended the University of New Brunswick with his cousin Bliss Carman, with whom he often shared his poetry. In 1935, Roberts was the first Canadian poet to be knighted. His wonderful writings of the Tantramar area, and his compassionate poems of New Brunswick's natural beauty won him other honorifics, including The Bard of Tantramar, and Poet Laureate of Canada. With Carman, he firmly established a Canadian style of verse.
   A part from being a successful banker, Frances Sherman (1871-1926) is best known as the author of a small, classical collection of poems that are technically skillful and rich in nature and humanity.
   Although no tours are available, some interesting sites related to Carman, Roberts, and Sherman can be found at:
809 George Street - Carman's birthplace.
83 Shore Street - Carman's adult home. (The rear of the house faces the street because the pass the other end of his property.)
734 George Street - the home of Canon Roberts and his famous literary family, including Sir Charles.
745 George Street - Little Glencoe- the home of Roberts' sister, Elizabeth Roberts MacDonald, also an accomplished poet.
   The Old Arts Building, UNB - Both Carman and Roberts graduated from here when this building constituted the entire university. Some of their works and photographs are on display in the great hall.
   The Harriet Irving Library, UNB - In front of the library a cairn honours Fredericton's native literary sons and celebrates the city's Poets' Corner of Canada designation.
   The Forest Hill Cemetery - where, Carman, Roberts, and Sherman are buried.