American contractor finds piece of P.E.I. history, donates it to UPEI

The university added what officials with the institution are calling a significant artifact from Samuel Holland’s life. Holland created the first accurate map of Prince Edward Island.

'It's a book that is woven into our history'

Tony Davis · CBC News · Posted: Aug 26, 2019 8:00 PM EDT | Last Updated: August 27, 2019

'This book was a resource that he used to prepare for the survey and he had it while he was on the Island,' says UPEI Prof. Ed MacDonald. (Ken Linton/CBC)

The Robertson Library at UPEI has added another piece of Island history with what officials are calling a significant artifact from Samuel Holland's life. Holland created the first accurate map of Prince Edward Island.

Recently, a contractor in the U.S. was given a box by a homeowner and in that box was a book Holland used to help map the province, complete with his signature inside.

"Samuel Holland's signature is pretty distinctive and when we saw his name on the book people could tell immediately," UPEI Prof. Ed MacDonald said.

The contractor contacted historians on P.E.I. and it was officially given over to the university on Monday.

"He did the right thing," MacDonald said.

The book is important not only because it is over 200 years old, MacDonald said.

"We're confident he had this book with him when he did the survey."

The book will now live at the Robertson Library, where there is climate control, to ensure it stays in good shape and it will be available to researchers, says MacDonald. (Ken Linton/CBC)

The most important artifact connected to Holland is the map he created, but MacDonald said unfortunately that map is in London.

"They're not ready to give it up because for them it's an extremely important map. So if we can't have the map it's great to have a book that the maker of the map used when he tried to make the map," MacDonald said.

It's not just a rare book, it's a book that is woven into our history.— Prof. Ed MacDonald

The book will now live at the Robertson Library, where there is climate control, to ensure it stays in good shape and it will be available to researchers.

"It's not just a rare book, it's a book that is woven into our history," MacDonald said.

How UPEI is bringing sexy back to its history program

Book on L.M. Montgomery scrapbooks saved from going out of print

The map Holland created became the template for counties and townships across the province, MacDonald said.

"That map is supremely important in our history. This book was a resource that he used to prepare for the survey and he had it while he was on the Island."

MacDonald said something else he found "cool" were the doodles in the book.

"I can't identify it as a Holland book on the basis of a doodle, but it makes it even more special and it makes him more human," MacDonald said.