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This physician seemed to have an enterprising spirit and was
somewhat of an engineer. Noticing the natural land sea wall that separated Seal
Cove from the Bay of Fundy waters, he set about finding able bodied workers to
cut a passage through this barrier to the sea.
Because of the organized efforts of Dr. Faxon, Seal Cove
fishermen now enjoy a beautiful high water harbour.
Dr. Faxon was accompanied by an interesting character by the
name of John Tar. Mr. Tar claimed he had sailed under the command of Captain John
Paul Jones, the famous American sea fighter. The swarthy sailor continuously
went on wild sprees and enjoyed singing of his previous adventures.
One stormy night, Dr. Faxon could no longer stand the conduct
or language of John Tar, so he put him out of his home. As he attempted to make
his way to a neighbour's, John Tar fell over a cliff and was killed. The place
where the old sailor met his violent death is still called Tar's Cove.
Dr. Faxon continued his enterprising ways and by 1811 had
launched the first full rigged ship built on Grand Manan. When the war of 1812
broke out, Dr. Faxon very hastily returned to the United States and his property
went to local residents.
The impact of the island's first doctor is still enjoyed today
by local fishermen, photographers and artists when high tides enter Seal Cove."
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