Rose Fortune

At 89 years old, Rose Fortune physical status not available right now. We will update Rose Fortune's height, weight, eye color, hair color, build, and measurements.

She started her own business when Black Canadians and especially women were not encouraged to do so. Around 1825, Rose began carting passengers’ luggage between the Saint John-Digby-Annapolis ferry docks and nearby homes and hotels. She also met ferries from Boston. She became a trusted figure for travellers, helping them find accommodation and ensuring they made their connections to schooners and steamships.

In 1841, her business became known as Lewis Transfer and that year, or three years later, she used horse-drawn wagons to transport luggage. She woke up guests at inns so that they could meet their ferries on time. One of her regular customers was Thomas Chandler Haliburton, judge of the Supreme Court from 1841 to 1856, whom she woke so that he could travel to Digby in time for court.

She was well known by the town's leaders and she had limited competition due to her reputation. Her strength, trustworthiness, honesty and constant presence on the waterfront led her to become entrusted with safeguarding property and maintaining order on the wharves and warehouses of Annapolis Royal, acting as the town's waterfront police officer. For instance, she created and imposed curfews at the wharves to keep boys' behavior in order. She was the only person responsible for law and order in Annapolis for a time and is said to be the first female police officer on the American continent. She worked into her 70s.

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