Torbrook is a community in the Canadian province of

Nova Scotia Nova Scotia is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada, located on its east coast. It is one of the three Maritime Canada, Maritime provinces and Population of Canada by province and territory, most populous province in Atlan ...

, located in

Annapolis County Annapolis County is a county in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia located in the western part of the province located on the Bay of Fundy. The county seat is Annapolis Royal. History Established August 17, 1759, by Order in Council, Annapolis ...

. It is located on the South Mountain of Nova Scotia's

Annapolis Valley The Annapolis Valley is a valley and region in the province of Nova Scotia, Canada. It is located in the western part of the Nova Scotia peninsula, formed by a Trough (geology), trough between two parallel mountain ranges along the shore of the B ...

to the east of the Nictaux River. The community was settled in the early 19th century by

New England Planters The New England Planters were settlers from the New England colonies who responded to invitations by the lieutenant governor (and subsequently governor) of Nova Scotia, Charles Lawrence, to settle lands left vacant by the Bay of Fundy Campaign ...

and

United Empire Loyalists United Empire Loyalist (UEL; or simply Loyalist) is an honorific title which was first given by Guy Carleton, 1st Baron Dorchester, the 1st Lord Dorchester, the governor of Province of Quebec (1763–1791), Quebec and Governor General, governor ...

from nearby

Nictaux Nictaux is a community in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, located in Annapolis County. Nictaux is at the intersection of Highway 10 and Highway 201. The name Nictaux comes from the Mi'kmaq word Niktak, meaning 'The forks of a river'. S ...

. Residents chose the name "Torbrook" in 1856 from an old English word meaning "Where the brook comes out of the hill." Iron deposits were discovered and mined on a small scale for about 15 years in mid 1800s and then on a larger scale beginning in 1890 by the Canadian Iron Company. The area around the mines became known as Torbrook Mines. By 1910, the Canada Iron Company's No. 2 Mine at Torbrook Mines was employing 120 men to produce 11,000 tons of iron ore a year. The ore was shipped from the 3 & 1/2 mile long spur to Nictaux and then 55 miles on the

Halifax and Southwestern Railway The Halifax and South Western Railway was a historic Canada, Canadian Rail transport, railway operating in the province of Nova Scotia. The legal name of this railway was the Halifax & South Western Railway, as is defined in various Acts of th ...

Port Wade, Nova Scotia Port Wade is a community in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, located in Annapolis County. It is situated at the foot of North Mountain on the shore of the Annapolis Basin The Annapolis Basin is a sub-basin of the Bay of Fundy, located o ...

where a larger wharf and lading facility transfer the ore to steamships. However, the volume of ore shipments did not grow as expected and the mines closed about 1913.Ian Lawrence, ''Historic Annapolis Royal'', Halifax: Nimbus Press (2002) p. 116 After the mines closed, farming and lumbering remained as the main occupation.

References

"Torbrook Mines", ''Halifax and Southwestern Railway Digital Preservation Institute''
Communities in Annapolis County, Nova Scotia Mining communities in Nova Scotia {{AnnapolisNS-geo-stub