Hansen Lagoon

In the late 1800s and early 1900s settlers at Cape Scott tried to tame the wild landscape to cultivate crops and graze cattle. Rather than clearing the dense old growth forest, some settlers build massive dykes along the Fisherman River and Hansen Lagoon (1905). These dykes stopped the sea from inundating a swampy area and took advantage of rich organic soils. Unfortunately a promised railway to Cape Scott never materialized, and farmers found it difficult to sell their crops, beef and milk due to transportation challenges. The dykes also required constant upkeep to hold back the sea, and although the road and dyke system can still be seen at Cape Scott, it has largely reverted back to a grassy wilderness.

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