The University Archives recently published a guide to the TrentonWorks fonds, a significant collection of archival material related to the TrentonWorks factory that operated in Trenton, Nova Scotia, from the late 19th century through the late 20th century.
The Archives acquired this material through donations from the 1970s to the early 2000s. While an inventory of the collection has been available for years, a recent grant from the Provincial Archival Development Program enabled the Archives to fully process the collection and publish a detailed online finding aid.
The finding aid to the TrentonWorks fonds brings together over 20 linear metres of textual records, photographs, technical drawings, and other material that documents the industrial history of Pictou County and Cape Breton. Highlights include records that document:
- Coal mining in Pictou County and Cape Breton, and iron ore mining in Newfoundland and Brazil
- Nova Scotia’s production of munitions and other supplies supporting Canada’s WW1 and WW2 efforts
- The manufacture of railcars sold by Eastern Car Company and Canadian Car and Foundry Company
The TrentonWorks fonds provides extensive information about Nova Scotia’s labour history and the finances and operations of national and multi-national businesses that led the industrial development of Nova Scotia.
Explore the online finding aid here: https://findingaids.library.dal.ca/trentonworks-fonds
Email general questions to archives@dal.ca or schedule a research consultation with archivist Creighton Barrett.