page_title: History of Baddeck
section_title: Shire town
hierarchical_section_title: History of Baddeck / Growth of the village / Shire town
caption_attribution_description: English: A view of the village of Baddeck, Nova Scotia, Canada, looking across Baddeck harbour from Lighthouse Point on Kidston Island.
context_page_description: Baddeck, Nova Scotia is a village founded in 1908, with a history stretching back to early Mi'kmaq, French and British settlements. The village was home to Alexander Graham Bell and was witness to the first flight in the commonwealth with Bell's Silver Dart.
context_section_description: Up until 1851 Baddeck was known as Little Baddeck and it was part of Cape Breton County.  William Kidston advocated the separation of Cape Breton County.  In 1851 Kidston's advocacy paid off and Victoria County was split off from Cape Breton county and Baddeck became known by its present name.  Kidston also advocated for Baddeck to become the site for the new county's jail and court house, which happened when Baddeck was established as the shire town of the county. When Baddeck became the shire town of the county, it established a municipal council and Murdoch MacAskill became the village custos rotulorum. The Victoria County Court House was finally constructed in 1889.
caption: A view of the village of Baddeck, looking across Baddeck harbour from Lighthouse Point on Kidston Island.
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