Posts - Page 14 of 16 - The History of Little Bay

A Tinsmith’s Tale

The first tinsmith in Little Bay was a man named Robert Malcolm. He is first documented in the town in 1882. He was married to Catherine Morisey and the couple had four children. In the late 1880s Little Bay was experiencing something referred to as the “tennis fires” which I think may have been an arson war. The town had two rival upper classes. They appear to have divided over the issue of alcohol. Eventually, the two groups were split over other cultural activities. One can be seen associat ...

Mine Manager E.C. Wallace

Little Bay was a prosperous and cosmopolitan town in the 19th century. It was unusual for its time and place. However, while there was variety in its resident’s nationalities and a mixture of languages could be heard spoken on its streets, the population was pulled from the world’s colonial powers. Little Bay’s story is part of the tale of colonialism and its necessary to understand it in that context. The story of mine manager Wallace will make that clear.After the departure of the baron much o ...

Big Dan Courtney

Daniel “Big Dan” Courtney was the proprietor of the Little Bay Hotel. He came to Little Bay from Halifax and first appears in my sources in May of 1885. Innkeepers of the time were big men. They had to be. Big Dan was the exception. He wasn’t a large man yet his nickname was said without irony. He was tough. He and his wife ran the Little Bay Hotel together. It consisted of a bar, a saloon, and the guest's rooms. The Courtneys ran a tight ship and kept the beds clean. Their business had a good ...

Baron Franz von Ellershausen

The Baron drew me in. I’d started researching my mother’s hometown of Little Bay while working on her genealogy. Growing up I’d often heard it said there that the town had once been one of the biggest on the island but the true scale of the history was jaw-dropping. I became enthralled by it but it was the Baron Franz von Ellershausen who really floored me. The town’s founder was a German Baron. They spoke German in this 19th century Newfoundland mining town! I was hooked. The story starts wit ...

Rev. Abraham

Rev. Henry Abraham (1860-1933) was Little Bay’s fourth Methodist minister; he was a pivotal figure whose influence extended beyond the pulpit. Serving from 1886 to 1889, his connection to the town began earlier, in 1883, when he was stationed at Betts Cove. In Little Bay, Abraham embodied many roles: he was a devoted father, a loving husband, a passionate minister, an inspiring teacher, and an activist. This article delves into the multifaceted life of Rev. Abraham, exploring how his roles and e ...

The Journal of Little Bay’s Paymaster Henry Lind

1888 January 1st: Hercules left 2nd: Office and stores closed today for New Years Day. 3rd: Mrs. Diem died this morning aged 35 years. 4th: Very frosty. Snow during night. 5th: Snowing nearly all day. 6th: Snowing till about 10 AM. Put in the advances in the morning and time in the evening. Mrs. Diem buried at 2:30 PM. 7th: Snowed during night. Put in contracts and collections. 8th: Snow during night. 9th: Commenced calculating at 11AM. SS Falcon from St. John’s at 6 PM and left for ...

The Weather Lights

In a recent video I posted a 1980s interview with a woman from Little Bay Islands named Dorothy Locke in which she speaks about her experiences growing up on the island with particular focus on life there in the 1930s. It's an amazing listen and really brings the time and place to life. But one of the things she mentions really stood out for me, it's a phenomena called "the weather lights" and it's a curious attention grabber. I'd never heard the phrase but a quick Google search turned up an ar ...

E.R. Burgess

https://youtu.be/Qe9f9Me5eo0 Sources: Wells, All Quiet (2012) Romkey, "Labrador Odyssey" (1996) Moncrief, "History of Presbyterian Church" (1966) Harvey "Newfoundland at the Beginning of the 20th Century" (1902) Supreme Court documents Twillingate Sun Evening Telegram Newfoundland Almanac The will of James Carter

History of the Salvation Army in Little Bay

1888 January 14 Two female Salvation Army officers - Lieutenant Lizzie Penny and Cadet Lizzie Howse arrive in Little Bay via the steamship Plover (Twillingate Sun, Moyles). January 21 The Salvation Army are said to hold "nightly noisy meetings" in two small houses (Twillingate Sun). ...

Little Bay Historical Figures

If you're following the Facebook fan page you've likely already seen this, I'm just putting the list here as well so that it's easier for people to find online. It's a list of 19th century Little Bay residents that I’d like to find photographs of or more information on. I’m just sharing some of what I've got and hoping that families with other sources will share too. Baron Franz von Ellershausen - He was German and came to Newfoundland in 1878 from Nova Scotia where he had a whole town named ...

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