I am uncovering the tale of the town of Little Bay. In the last decades of the 19th century there was a mining boom in the Northern region of Newfoundland. In 1878 the town of Little Bay sprung to life and quickly swelled to a population of over 2000. The copper deposit dwarfed previous finds and garnered the attention of the colonial world. Founded by a German Baron and claiming advanced industrial wharfage Little Bay hosted steamships from around the world. The town was multilingual, cosmopolitan, and earned a mixed reputation as being educated, posh, dirty, and dangerous. Called the ‘el Dorado of Newfoundland’ and ‘the gem of the island’, the mining operations there were expected to carry Newfoundland to new economic heights. It was not to last. The mine collapsed and the town burned down at the turn of the century. For a few brief years Little Bay captured the attention of the world but it was gone as quickly as it came. I’m looking for Little Bay’s forgotten history.

The 19th century town had three resident journalists and international media coverage. This has allowed me to amass an arsenal of newspaper articles about events in the town. Further, as many of the population were literate I’ve found several first hand accounts from the people who lived there. On this blog you’ll find the photos and stories I’ve collected from the history of Little Bay. You’ll also find an ongoing census list I’m building with the aim of sharing my sources. Thank you to everyone who has donated to this project – special thanks goes to my friend Penny Myles who so kindly and professionally helps me maintain this site.

Enjoy!