Pictou Township is located on the north-west side of Pictou Harbour on the northern coast of Nova Scotia. Known as the birthplace of New Scotland, Pictou was primarily founded by passengers off the Hector in 1773. The Hector left Loch Broom, Scotland on September 15, 1773 with one hundred and seventy-nine passengers. Approximately, forty-four of whom would later be granted land in what would become the Pictou township. Historically Pictou has held a number of names such as Coleraine, Alexandria, Donegal, Teinmouth, Southhampton, Wamsley, New Edinburgh and New Paisley. The final decision of Pictou is thought to have been derived from either the Mi’kmaq word "Pictook," meaning an explosion of gas, or the province in France named Poictou. The strong Scottish heritage of the Pictou area has never been forgotten. Just by examining the numerous names Pictou has previously held, the Scottish influence is clearly evident. Not that the Scottish were the only founding inhabitants of Pictou—New Englanders and of course Mi’kmaqs could also be found in the area.

John Patterson, known as the founder of Pictou, was the owner of the first house built about 1790. From then on the region expanded quickly in both size and population. Because the township was a strategic centre for shipping by sea, rail and land added to this rapid growth, its population had grown to approximately 1,500 by 1830. Pictou was fortunate enough to be rich in natural resources such as coal, iron, clay and timber. From these resources grew strong industries to accompany the active fishery and shipbuilding business. Several companies (including G. J. Hamilton & Sons, Logan Tanneries, Pictou Foundry and Machine Company, Atlantic Milling Company, and Primrose & Sons) popped up and became industry leaders in the area and beyond. Helping these businesses thrive was the construction of the railway between Pictou, Westville and Stellarton. It was begun in June 1886, and the line officially opened in November of 1887. New lines were added for the new decade until Pictou became a railway center of great importance for the region.

With industries booming in Pictou, the need for public institutions such as schools, hospitals, churches and municipal government offices intensified. Educational opportunities in Pictou flourished in the form of elementary, secondary schools and colleges. The most prominent of these, Pictou Academy, was the first Presbyterian institution for higher education in Nova Scotia and the first school in Nova Scotia that accepted students regardless of religious background. The first building of the Academy opened its doors in 1818. Many important Nova Scotians owe their education to this establishment: Sir W. J. Ritchie, a graduate of Pictou Academy went on to become Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada and Dr. Frank Parker Day, well-known Canadian author and English Professor, became the Academy's first Rhodes Scholar (Day's papers are housed in the Dalhousie University Archives). Even the founder of Pictou Academy, Dr. Thomas McCulloch, moved on to become the first President of Dalhousie College (later renamed to Dalhousie University).