In 1766 Colonel Ranald Mckinnon came to Yarmouth from the United States and settled in Glenwood, in what is today the Municipality of Argyle. It is a narrow point of land that stretched into Argyle Harbour. He is the person that gave Argyle its name after his home in Scotland. This particular parcel of land which became known as Mckinnon Neck was part of the original land grant of two thousand acres he received for his service in the British Army. It is reported that he brought many slaves with him but the exact number is not known . Ranald Mckinnon used the slave he imported to work on his Argyle farm.
Colonel Mckinnon son Major John Mckinnon also lived on Mckinnon Neck. He is reported to have one of the largest farms in Argyle and like his father had slaves. On Mckinnon Neck several large stone walls were erected by those slaves. The walls were five feet high and six feet wide. These walls served two purpose to enclose the fields and serve as roadway wide enough for a small ox carcart.Portions of these walls built on Major John Mckinnon property and others built on Ranald Mckinnon are still visible today. After Mckinnon slves were freed some of took the surname as they had no last name of their and the descendants are still living in Yarmouth
Note the stone walls are on private property.
Write up from « Africa’s Children », by Sharon Robart-Johnson
