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Daniel Samson

@ruralcolonialns.bsky.social
947 followers 510 following 2.4K posts

historian of rural colonial Nova Scotia, father, partner, lives in Niagara, works on Nova Scotia, breaths in PEI danieljosephsamson.com

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Daniel Samson @ruralcolonialns.bsky.social · 1h
#JamesBarryDiary 4/10/1876 And still another dry warm day for this time of the year. Water low again. Buckwheat and Oats are coming in like fun. The animal was away last night and all this day — that's right - the oftener and longer away the better. So I say. Amen. Amen.
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Daniel Samson @ruralcolonialns.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
#JamesBarryDiary 3/10/1876 Another very fine day indeed - far too fine for me indeed, water nearly as low as ever. A great pile of Buckwheat in the mill and Oats in the Kiln, I can only grind 1/2 a day again. James Brownrigg died a day or two ago, of consumption. All well here, God be praised.
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Daniel Samson @ruralcolonialns.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
#JamesBarryDiary 2/10/1876 02/10/1876 A very fine day, some sunshine, water falling again I could not grind all day yet but still I did a fair days work. Cunningham was down for his grist of oatmeal and had to wait until I ground it, and somewhat longer too. My stomach is not just the thing yet. /1
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Daniel Samson @ruralcolonialns.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
#JamesBarryDiary 1/10/1876 Dark and raining lightly most of the time. I was in the shop most of the day sorting up my papers, books &c, for the place was in a fearful state of confusion indeed, on account of all my books and papers having been removed. I did not get my second damned little pig yet.
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Derek Simon @dartmouthderek.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Today is October 1st, Treaty Day in Mi’kma’ki. October 1st was designated in the Peace and Friendship Treaty of 1752-53 as a day on which the Mi’kmaq and British would come together, receive gifts, and renew their friendship.
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Daniel Samson @ruralcolonialns.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
#JamesBarryDiary 30/9/1876 Last day of September one thousand Eight hundred and Seventy Six. The forenoon was raining, but not heavy and the afternoon was dry and sunny some of the time. This was the dryest month that ever I have seen; It is very troublesome on account of the scarcity of water. /1
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Brad Hansen @bradhansen.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
@arielron.bsky.social Congratulations. Well-deserved. www.macfound.org/fellows/clas...
macfound.org
Ariel Ron
Uncovering the role of Northern agriculture in economic growth and the expansion of federal power in nineteenth-century America.
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Daniel Samson @ruralcolonialns.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
#JamesBarryDiary 29/9/1876 And still another very warm dry day. Water getting still lower, I can only grind about 15 Bushel of Buckwheat now. I got 2 little pigs from John Heron and I put them in the stable and the Buggers in the house did not feed them and they dug out through the rotten boards.
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Daniel Samson @ruralcolonialns.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
#JamesBarryDiary And still another very dry day indeed. some wind from the west. Water extremely low indeed. Wm McBeath, Alex'r McBeath, John and James McLeod, Donald Gunn Horse and Cart, Dan Sutherland 2 horses and wagon hawling stones in the fore noon, and 1 horse with cart until tea time. /1
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Daniel Samson @ruralcolonialns.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
July: the season when you get sick of zucchini. September: the season when you get sick of chard (and kale!)
 A cutting board covered in half cut chard.
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Daniel Samson @ruralcolonialns.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
#JamesBarryDiary 27/9/1876 Dark all day and a small dust of rain in the latter part of the afternoon. William McBeath and David Munro building wall about the front of the mill and my Bookbindery. We finished up all our stone, and nearly finished the last wall I intend to build this summer.
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Daniel Samson @ruralcolonialns.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
#JamesBarryDiary 26/9/1876 Another very dry fine day indeed. Dan Sutherland with his team of horses hawling stone. Alex'r Gunn splitting. John McCall finishing the plastering - will be done about the middle of the day tomorrow. Water very low. I can only grind 18 Bushel of Buckwheat per day.
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NiCHE Canada @nichecanada.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
1) "The Michigan Spectacle: A Tale of Early Niagara Falls Tourism" by Jessica Linzel, CAHP - niche-canada.org/2026/07/07/t... #envhist #cdnhist #animalhistory #niagarafalls #tourism
niche-canada.org
The Michigan Spectacle: A Tale of Early Niagara Falls Tourism
The 1827 Michigan spectacle involved sending an animal-filled ship over Niagara Falls, initiating a lucrative era of commercialized tourist attractions.
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Daniel Samson @ruralcolonialns.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
#JamesBarryDiary 25/09/1876 And still another most beautiful day warm calm day - far too dry for my mill at any rate The mill is full of Buckwheat and lots of oats in the kiln. I cannot grind near half a day. John McCall plastering the house - finished the room up stairs.
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Daniel Samson @ruralcolonialns.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
#JamesBarryDiary 24/9/1876 And still another most beautiful day indeed - sunny and calm and complete as any one could desire. Our Summer is gone and we are into the Autumn weather, and which I always like the best of the whole year. God be praised Amen.
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Daniel Samson @ruralcolonialns.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
#JamesBarryDiary 23/9/1876 Another very beautiful day indeed, warm and nice and calm. Donald Gunn and William McBeath shingling - finished the house roof and one side of the Blacksmith's shop, the other side will do for a few years yet. Water very low indeed and no mistake All hands are well. Amen.
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Daniel Samson @ruralcolonialns.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
The very definition of shitshow.
cbc.ca
UNB dropped from lawsuit by U.S. politician over release of his widely criticized PhD thesis | CBC News
The University of New Brunswick has been removed from a lawsuit in the United States by a Republican politician who alleged the school leaked his doctoral thesis and was part of a scheme to discredit ...
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Daniel Samson @ruralcolonialns.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
#JamesBarryDiary 22/09/1876 Sun crosses the line to day, I think, and a most beautiful day it was; sunny and warm. William McBeath and Donald Gunn shingling the roof of the old house - did not finish it altogether. Hugh McLeod and Alex Gunn splitting stones in Geo. Sutherlands pasture.
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Daniel Samson @ruralcolonialns.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
🧐
Newspaper clipping from local paper proclaiming St. Catharines as a “cool” city according to Timeout magazine.
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The Serfs (youtube.com/theserfstv) @theserfstv.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Seniors are being arrested protesting Mark Carney's complete capitulation to the oil and gas industry. They're wearing pictures of their grandchildren
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Robbie Richardson @londonmikmaq.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
I'm very excited to be giving the 2026-27 W.J. Alexander Lecture in English Literature on October 15th at University College, University of Toronto! It will be called "Joseph Brant's Unwritten History: Towards an Indigenous Antiquarianism."
uc.utoronto.ca
Joseph Brant’s Unwritten History: Towards an Indigenous Antiquarianism | University College U of T
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Daniel Samson @ruralcolonialns.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
#JamesBarryDiary 20/9/1876 Wind from the east and dark all day and some rain in the evening - a little only. There was some rain last night which helped the water some little. I was grinding and drying most all day. All well as far as my knowledge extends. A great lot of Buckwheat in the mill
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Daniel Samson @ruralcolonialns.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
#JamesBarryDiary 19/09/1876 Another very fine day indeed. John McCall finished the plastering - first coat to day about the middle of the after-noon. I paid off A. Gunn - $1.50. John McLeods 2 boys with horse and cart hawling slabs all day. I was grinding all I could - water very low indeed. amen
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Daniel Samson @ruralcolonialns.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
#JamesBarryDiary 18/9/1876 Another very beautiful day indeed. I rose before day light this morning and went to the mill. John McCall, plasterer, John McKay and A. Gunn attending upon him with lime. All up stairs is plastered, except a little by the side of the stairs. A very dirty job indeed.
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Daniel Samson @ruralcolonialns.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
My wife's family came to Winnipeg dirt-poor from Germany in the 1950s. A few weeks ago her mom turned 90 and we had a big dinner for family and friends, many in their 80 and 90s. The conversations were remarkably similar: transitioning to a new place, providing for the children, hard work, and love.
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Daniel Samson @ruralcolonialns.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
#JamesBarryDiary 17/9/1876 Some what cool this morning; but the day was fair and sunny. I was the most of the day in the little shop looking at this thing and at that thing - for, remember, there is many books and curiosities in that little shop $150 worth and more, so -
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Daniel Samson @ruralcolonialns.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
#JmaesBarryDiary 16/09/1876 A very beautiful day indeed; sunny all day. I was busy grinding the most of the time. Some Buckwheat and Oats coming. Water considerable low still; the rain last night did not help it so much as I thought it would. All well. God be praised. Amen.
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Cheryl in Nova Scotia 🇨🇦🍁🍁 @minibubbly.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
A diver was transported to hospital after being injured by a great white shark in Percé, Que., in the province’s Gaspé region. #Quebec www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
cbc.ca
Diver injured in great white shark attack off Quebec's Gaspé coast | CBC News
A diver was transported to hospital after being injured by a great white shark in Percé, Que., in the province’s Gaspé region.
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Daniel Samson @ruralcolonialns.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
#JamesBarryDiary 15/9/1876 Something smokey morning and the day was very variable: some times sunny and some times cloudy. And in the evening raining all along the fore night. John McLeod and wife, and his son J.D. and myself went to Pictou to day. Most all the shops were shut up. /1
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derek guy @dieworkwear.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
imagine being a fitness guy for the last 10 years — tracking macros, avoiding seed oils, and strength training every day so you will live longer — only for AI to end all of humanity by 2030
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Daniel Samson @ruralcolonialns.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
#JamesBarryDiary 14/9/1987 Another extremely beautiful day indeed. Sunny and warm and no mistake. Water still low - very low. A lot of Buckwheat in and 2 grists of Oats - one old and one new. All hands are in the usual health. No one working here but my self. Amen Amen
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Daniel Samson @ruralcolonialns.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
#JamesBarryDiary 13/9/1876 Another very beautiful day indeed. Water extra low. I was grinding Buckwheat about half a day, in time but not a half a day's work. I have nothing further to say at present only that the folks here are all in fair health appearantly.
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Joseph Rezek @rezekjoe.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
You know what gets a library perpetual access to a book??? Purchasing the physical book. I guarantee the publisher won’t come steal it back!!!
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Daniel Samson @ruralcolonialns.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
cbc.ca
With millions of dead oysters and mounting debts, P.E.I. farmers worry they'll lose everything | CBC Radio
Disease has blighted P.E.I.’s oyster industry, wiping out entire crops. Oyster farmers say they need more help to survive the crisis and are worried their independent farms may be snapped up by bigger...
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Daniel Samson @ruralcolonialns.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
#JamesBarryDiary 12/9/1876 Some thing rainy by spells in the forenoon, but the after noon was sunny and fine. A lot of Buckwheat came in to day, and I ground a lot also. Water considerable low - can only grind about 30 Bushel of Buckwheat or so. All well. Amen.
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Giulia Zornetta @gzornetta.eurosky.social · 12/09/2026
"Europe’s flood risk is expected to increase as the climate warms. The paper sheds light on what this new climate transition period could also look like" www.science.org/content/arti...
science.org
Medieval Europe was battered with 16 catastrophic floods in just 2 years
The intense deluges, never before documented, represent the highest number of back-to-back extreme weather events in the past 700 years
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Daniel Samson @ruralcolonialns.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
#JamesBarryDiary A very beautiful warm day and no mistake. I was grinding for about half a day - all that the water would afford of. Received fromAlexander Gass $7. being the balance of his account by Evan Cameron, I also sent by Cameron 100 lbs of Oatmeal to him. All well. Amen Amen
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Daniel Samson @ruralcolonialns.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
25 years ago today, at 9,30 AM, I began teaching at Brock. It was an auspicious morning to begin one’s career. Tonight we toasted that, the many fine students we’d taught, and the life and good works of Gloria Steinem.
A very good bottle of wine.
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Charlie Angus @charlieangus104.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
On the 25th anniversary of 9/11 Canada is being openly threatened by the United States. They have forgotten our immense outpouring of solidarity. We must remember the other 9/11 - Sept 11, 1973 when the US overthrew the government of Chile. Lessons learned. No pasaran. youtu.be/BMO9EnpHYUA?...
youtu.be
LET'S TALK ABOUT THE OTHER 9/11
YouTube video by Charlie Angus
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Daniel Samson @ruralcolonialns.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
#JamesBarryDiary 10/9/1876 A considerable of a cold day, and somewhat high winds, and cold winds. The summer is near over, and I cannot say that I am sorry for it; for this reason:- I earn little or nothing in the summer time, and I spend a very great deal. .... /1
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Jen Evans @jennifervevans.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
One of Canada's flagship programs, Ideas, features a few podcasts on fascism that might be of interest. @cbcradiocanada.bsky.social www.cbc.ca/listen/live-...
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Patrick Lacroix @querythepast.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
🚨 NEW! 🚨 French Canadians? In Whitefield? This month, on QTP, we are traveling to northern New Hampshire to meet the ghosts of forgotten Franco-Americans. First of three parts. #CanadaUS #francophonie #immigration #NewHampshire #Quebec querythepast.com/whitefield-n...
querythepast.com
Laid to Rest: Whitefield, Part I
Largely ignored in Franco-American studies, Whitefield and Coos County raise important questions about French-Canadian migrations.
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Merriam-Webster @merriam-webster.com · 09/09/2026
Not to brag, but our product has been foldable since 1828.
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Daniel Samson @ruralcolonialns.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
#JamesBarryDiary 09/09/1876 Dark and dribbling most of the time, at least now and then. Robert McCall ran my lime to day, 4 Barrels full. Johnny McLeods boy came from Pictou this evening and brought me a Barrel of flour, 1 bbl of lime, 2 metals for stove pipe flues; 14 lbs of putty and some money.
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Sylvain Genevois @mirbole01.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
J'aurai le plaisir de faire une présentation le 9 septembre à la BNF : « Décoder les cartes coloniales à visée pédagogique de la BNF. À partir de l’exemple de la carte du domaine colonial de la France par Joseph Forest (1911) » Poster scientifique par ici drive.google.com/file/d/11v2v... 1/
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Trevor A. Branch @trevorabranch.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
This is seismic news for fisheries scientists. Northern cod is *the* iconic symbol of total fisheries collapse due to overfishing (and other factors) *and* the iconic symbol of a complete failure to recover for decades afterwards. This is like announcing the complete recovery of bison on land.
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Daniel Samson @ruralcolonialns.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
#JamesBarryDiary 8/9/1876 A very beautiful day indeed, sunny and nice I dried and ground one grist of Oats and one of Barley. I also made three picture frames — large ones. Johnny McLeod's boy came back from town with one Barrel of lime and one of plaster. /1
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paulseesequasis @pseesequasis.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
Currently researching Native performers who were in Paris during the fall of France in 1940, and had to flee the fascists. Here is Molly Spotted Elk’s (Penobscot) 1903-1977, story: She was a vaudeville performer, cabaret dancer, and film actor. After performing
Currently researching Native performers who were in Paris during the fall of France in 1940, and had to flee the fascists. Here is Molly Spotted Elk’s (Penobscot) 1903-1977, story: She was a vaudeville performer, cabaret dancer, and film actor. After performing in The United States, she moved to Paris in 1931, to experince Paris and perform in a more liberal society. There she met and married French journalist Jean Archambaud. Besides performing, Molly began to research and write her tribe’s history and returned to The States for a few years. In 1938, with war looming, she returned to Paris with her daughter, to be with Archambaud. The blitzkrieg invasion of France in 1940 forced her and her daughter to quickly leave Paris, likely by train though the rail system was soon shut down and somewhere along the way she and her daughter had to cross the Pyrenees, on foot, into Spain. Eventually they reached North America by boat. Molly would never see her husband again, as he died in 1941, possibly in a Nazi work camp. Molly spent the remainder of her life on the Penobscot Reservation in Maine.

Archives nationales de France
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Daniel Samson @ruralcolonialns.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
#JamesBarryDiary 7/9/1876 A very nice day indeed, but something cold. I was grinding all the forenoon. David Connors was in the mill this evening. I was really glad to see the old man - now going into his 80th year, and to look at him you would not think him more than between 60 and 70.
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Daniel Samson @ruralcolonialns.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
Alexandra Macdonald, a postdoc in our department, is giving a workshop on harvesting and processing flax at the Brown homestead, Saturday the 19th.
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