Newcastle in Clarington in Durham Region, Ontario — Central Canada (North America)

Newcastle Fish Hatchery 1868

Photographed By Tim Boyd, April 7, 2024

1. Newcastle Fish Hatchery 1868 Marker

Inscription. On this site in 1866 Samuel Wilmot began to experiment with the artificial breeding of salmon. His success led the federal government in 1868 to enlarge Wilmot’s project into Ontario's first full scale fish hatchery, one of the earliest in North America. The station and rearing ponds, built to restore Ontario's declining salmon fisheries, reached its maximum production in 1876 when 1,500,000 eggs were hatched. By this time hatcheries were in operation in Quebec, Ontario and the Maritmes, under Wilmot’s supervision. In 1876 he was appointed federal Superintendent of Fish Breeding Establishments. The Newcastle Hatchery, which had established a pattern for fish culture in many parts of the world, ceased operation in 1914.

Archaeological and Historic Sites Board of Ontario.

Erected by Archaeological and Historic Sites Board of Ontario.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Agriculture • Animals • Industry & Commerce. In addition, it is included in the Canada, Ontario Heritage Foundation series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1868.

Location. 43° 54.777′ N, 78° 36.51′ W. Marker is in Clarington, Ontario, in Durham Region. It is in Newcastle. Marker is on Durham Regional

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Highway 2, 0.2 kilometers east of Cobbledick Road, on the right when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 2 Durham Regional Hwy 2, Clarington ON L1B L1B, Canada. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 6 kilometers of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Bishop Charles Henry Brent 1862-1929 (approx. 1.7 kilometers away); Joseph E. Atkinson 1865-1948 (approx. 1.9 kilometers away); King Street, Circa 1900 (approx. 6.4 kilometers away); St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church (approx. 6.4 kilometers away); Church and Temperance Street, circa 1880 (approx. 6.4 kilometers away); Clarington Municipal Administration Centre (approx. 6.4 kilometers away); Market Square, Town Hall & Horsey Block, 1880. (approx. 6.4 kilometers away); Rathskamory Estate. Circa 1843 (approx. 6.4 kilometers away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Clarington.

Also see . . . Samuel Wilmot Fish Hatchery Newcastle.

As his farm was on Wilmot Creek, a noted spawning stream for Lake Ontario Salmon, in the 1850’s he noted that the runs of salmon in the creek and other salmon streams on Lake Ontario had greatly depleted as a result of overfishing and changes in the environment. Wilmot became interested in the possibility of restocking the stream by means of artificial propagation. In the mid 1860’s, he built an experimental hatchery in his basement at ‘Belmont’
Photographed By Tim Boyd, April 7, 2024

2. Newcastle Fish Hatchery 1868 Marker
and with a large trough and spring water piped in to simulate actual stream conditions. With eggs procured from a local gravel spawning area he was ready for the test. Some of the eggs hatched.

(Submitted on April 11, 2024, by Tim Boyd of Hamilton, Ontario.)

1878

3. Newcastle Fish Hatchery and Farm of Samuel Wilmot, 1878

From the Historical Atlas of Northumberland and Durham

Wilmot Creek, 2024, near the site of the fish hatchery image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Tim Boyd, April 7, 2024

4. Wilmot Creek, 2024, near the site of the fish hatchery

Credits. This page was last revised on April 14, 2024. It was originally submitted on April 11, 2024, by Tim Boyd of Hamilton, Ontario. This page has been viewed 38 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on April 11, 2024, by Tim Boyd of Hamilton, Ontario. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.