Reunited Photographs: Tennis on the Avenue

It is a well-known fact that there was once a tennis court behind the Bay Roberts cable station. This court was built and maintained by the Western Union in order to provide some leisure and entertainment to their staff. Below are two photographs of people waiting to play tennis, and each came to us from different sources. When we put them together, it was a surprise for us to see that they were almost identical, but not quite --  you can see that one was taken just after the other. It's likely that they had the same photographer, believed to be Mr. Robert Mercer, former cable employee and avenue resident. We wonder how the two photographs got separated but are happy to reunite them. Can you spot the differences? And which do you think was taken first?

Photograph provided by V. Williams (London, Ontario), whose husband Brian was raised on Cable Avenue.

Photograph provided by the Bay Roberts Historical Society Inc., part of their larger cable-related collection.

If you know anything about these photographs, like the names of people in the tennis line, or if there are any more images in the series, I'd love to hear from you: lisa@heritagefoundation.ca.

-Lisa

Bay Roberts Oral History Clips

In 1913, the Western Union Telegraph Company began constructing the homes on this street to accommodate their cable staff. So, this year marks the 100th birthday of Cable Avenue in Bay Roberts. To help mark this anniversary, I've been collecting oral histories with current and former residents of the street, as well as former employees of the Western Union. As we've mentioned before, some of this research will be up for temporary exhibition at the Road to Yesterday Museum. It will not only explore the cable operations of Western Union, but the architectural and family history of the street as well. Our display will be ready for viewing sometime this month and we'll keep you posted with dates for the official opening party that will take place later in the summer. In the meantime, please take a listen to a few audio clips from our collection.

Eileen Starr, former resident of Cable Avenue and daughter of Western Union employee Fred Starr, tells the story of when their family home burned down on the avenue in 1960.

Bart Kennedy, former employee of Western Union, explains how the cable station operated.

To browse a larger collection of audio clips, please visit our youtube channel.   There are some great stories up that we are eager to share.


-Lisa

Tuesday's Folklore Photo: Tolson Shears his Sheep

Yesterday evening Tolson Rendell of Heart's Content invited me to observe him shearing one of his sheep. It is a tradition that only two people in the town still practice, the other being his good friend Jack Smith. Tolson will be putting his animals out to pasture for the summer this coming weekend, so has lots of work to do before then. It usually takes him just over 2 hours to fully shear a sheep, and he uses scissors rather than electric shears because he believes them to be safer for the animal. He takes his time and makes sure to do a thorough job. Tolson clearly loves his animals and exclaimed "Isn't nature wonderful!" more than once during my visit. There were many newborns animals around the yard, and I couldn't help but notice how happy Tolson was to see them running around. This photo shows the mother sheep named Black being watched by her new lamb, who wasn't very patient about waiting for this whole shearing thing to be done. 

-Lisa

Tuesday's Folklore Photo

I know that it's spring now and snowy landscapes are not exactly what we want to be looking at, but I thought it would be nice to say goodbye to winter by looking at this fantastic photograph of unbridled winter fun. This photo was taken by Ted Rowe in Heart's Content during the early 1960s and shows boys playing hockey on harbour ice. Nowadays the harbour doesn't freeze over like this, and groups of children no longer gather together to play hockey outdoors. This photo is a nostalgic peek into days gone by--a special thanks to Ted Rowe for sharing it.
-Lisa

Water Wells on Cable Ave.

Cable Avenue in Bay Roberts was always known for having certain services before other parts of town. The Western Union Telegraph company ensured that their company houses had electricity, sewage, running water, and an attractive streetscape, all of which were maintained by hired caretakers. Originally there were two main wells that serviced both the cable station and the avenue, but each of the staff duplexes were eventually given individual wells that were located in their basements. Some of these wells can still be seen in the buildings, and one of the main service wells is still present in the backyard of Randy Collins. Mr. Collins is a long-time resident of Cable Ave who lives in the former Superintendent’s house. He has covered this large well with a gazebo, but it is connected to a faucet that supplies Mr. Collins with water for his garden. He took the time to show me two different wells:

“This here, this is built over a well. It’s 18 feet deep, 15 foot wide. You could put a boat into it. That was the well that supplied all the avenue at one time. And everyone of them got wells--see, there’s a well in each one of those houses. I’ll show you. This one here, I built that over it but in the middle of July in the hottest weather, you can get icy cold water out of that.”

“I’ve got a submersible pump down in mine that keeps the water down below three feet from the top. There it is, there’s the well there. I left the cover off. Each one supplied two households, see. And those wells would be perfectly good you know, if you wanted to pump them out through a line, get some water, you’d have no trouble.”

I wonder how many communities have old water wells that are still in use? If you know of any, please contact us, we’d love to hear about it. lisa@heritagefoundation.ca.

-Lisa

The Port Union Heritage District

Exterior of the Union Electric Building, 2013.

The Port Union Heritage District is both nationally and provincially recognized, and is thought to be the only union built town in the country. Now under the stewardship of the Sir William Coaker Heritage Foundation, this site has many architectural structures that are worthy of attention. During a recent visit, I took over 100 photographs of buildings in the district, and was amazed by the number of heritage buildings that are still standing. I was particularly interested  to see the row housing here, as this type of housing is virtually non-existent in other outport communities. While most of the historic homes are currently uninhabited and in need of restoration, the Coaker Foundation is actively working towards preserving these buildings in hopes of developing an active tourist industry. To help bring awareness to the district, I will be doing some work here, which will include sifting through their incredible archival collection, organizing the digitization of oral histories, and creating a booklet of photos and stories from the region. It is an exciting new project that will hopefully generate a bit of excitement around the built heritage of Port Union, and the legacy of Sir William Coaker. Click here to learn more about Port Union's history and architecture -- this paper from 2006 was compiled by Andrea O'Brien of the HFNL (jointly researched by Debbie O'Rielly of the Newfoundland Historic Trust).

-Lisa Wilson

Union row housing along the main street, 2013.

Interior of the former fish plant that will be repurposed by the Coaker Foundation, 2013.

Two Great Talks

 This past week Julian Smith of the Willowbank School  visited Newfoundland to talk about contemporary issues and developments around cultural landscapes theory. Both of these talks had a fantastic turn-out -- over 40 people attended the Harris Centre's Synergy Session with another 40 people watching on-line through a webinar. In Bay Roberts at the Visitors Centre we had a wonderful group of over 30 people from at least 4 different communities. I think that this shows that the people of St. John's and surrounding communities really care about their physical and cultural environments, and want to learn as much as possible about how we can move forward with sensitive development in a booming Newfoundland. 

Leslie Harris Centre's Synergy Session, March 20th, 2013.

Julian Smith presenting at MUN for the Synergy Session.

The crowd in Bay Roberts listening to Julian Smith's presentation.

Many thanks to Julian Smith for coming out to speak to us about his work, and to all of the people who came out to our events. It was a great success for everyone involved. I'd particularly like to thank the Leslie Harris Centre of Regional Policy and Development for organizing the wonderful session at MUN. I'd also like to thank Marilyn Dawe for all of her assistance in organizing and promoting Julian's talk at the Bay Roberts Visitors Centre. 

-Lisa Wilson

Creating Cultural Landscapes: Including Culture in Development

On Wednesday, March 20th, from 12:00 to 1:30, Julian Smith will be leading a discussion on cultural landscapes as a "Synergy Session" put on by the HFNL and MUN's Harris Centre. While the session is now full, Julian Smith's talk will still be accessible as a free webinar. To learn more about this presentation, and to register for the webinar, please visit the invitation provided by the Harris Centre.

 
Julian Smith is an educator, architect, and planner. He founded the graduate program in heritage conservation at Carleton in 1988, and later helped create the joint Carleton-Trent Ph.D. program in Canadian Studies. He is currently Executive Director of the Willowbank School and Centre for Cultural Landscape in Queenston, Ontario. He is also a practicing architect and planner--his recent projects include restoration of the Vimy Memorial in France.  He is co-author of the 2011 UNESCO Recommendation on Historic Urban Landscapes.

Getting Closer to Designation, Heart's Content

 

On the evening of February 27th, 2013, the Heritage Foundation held a public meeting in Heart's Content to discuss the upcoming heritage district designation. This designation, scheduled for July of this year, aims to commemorate the unique history and architecture that resulted from the long-term presence of the telegraph cable industry in this community. Our meeting took place in the beautifully restored SUF Hall, a historic building in central Heart's Content.We had excellent turn-out with over 25 residents showing up to ask questions and learn more about what this kind of commemoration will mean to the community. This meeting was important for the HFNL because it gave us an opportunity to find out what issues are important to the people who live here and how heritage-related projects might help address some of these. It was inspiring to have so many people show up and take interest in what is going on here, despite the blustery cold weather we had. Thanks to everyone for coming out, and for all of the great input. I look forward to a continued relationship with the town of Heart's Content, as well as the official plaque ceremony that we will be holding this summer.

-Lisa

Dale Jarvis addresses community members and discusses the impending heritage designation.

HFNL's George Chalker (in blue) standing with John, Bob, and Claude of the Mizzen Heritage Society.

Bay Roberts Heritage District Plans

Yesterday evening Dale Jarvis and I traveled to Bay Roberts to join the local Heritage Advisory Committee for one of their monthly meetings. On the agenda was a topic that I have a vested interest in: The Bay Roberts Heritage District plan. The planning for district has been in the works for quite some time and will ultimately involve the official designation of Cable Avenue in Bay Roberts as a heritage district. This street is lined with houses that were built around 1913 by the Western Union cable company as accommodations for their staff. You will also see several large chestnut trees that were planted in 1915, just after the buildings were completed.

Over the next few months I will be collecting oral histories with residents who have either lived on this street or have some personal connection to this unique architectural district. Ultimately, the fieldwork I am doing will be put towards a special exhibit for the 100th year anniversary of the cable station in Bay Roberts.

The above image was taken in 1913 and shows the construction of Cable Ave. It is from the online  archival collection: The Cable Story--Bay Roberts Virtual Museum (provided by Bay Roberts Heritage Society Inc). Please contact me if you know anyone who has lived on Cable Avenue or has any stories to share about these buildings.

lisa@heritagefoundation.ca
709-739-1892 ext.3

-Lisa

The Paranormal in Heart's Content

As a folklorist, it isn't every day that you get to hear a good ghost or fairy story, but then on some days, people will tell you two or three. Doing fieldwork for the Heart's Content heritage district this past Wednesday, a few residents shared some of what they know about the paranormal in Heart's Content. Art Cumby had a wonderful fairy story to share, along with a photograph of himself hanging out with the other boys he knew as a child. You'll find him standing up, wearing a striped shirt. He and his friend Art Button (also wearing a striped shirt) were just 11 years old when this happened to them:

Gina Balsom, on the other hand, has been working as an interpreter at the Cable Station historic site for several years. She explained that while she has never had any strange experiences or feelings in the old building, a few visitors certainly have. Here is what Gina had to say about working in a supposedly haunted space:

Thanks to Art and Gina for sharing their stories. In fact, I'm always looking for a good ghost or fairy story. If you know of any from the Heart's Content or Bay Roberts (my next heritage district destination), please drop me a line at lisa@heritagefoundation.ca.

-Lisa

Reflecting on Heart's Content: Heritage Districts Update

As part of my work with the town of Heart's Content, I am currently making audio clips of the unique and special stories that I've collected from community members. It is not easy picking out which stories to feature, as everyone I have spoken to has given me so many to work with. In the end, I hope to include a story from everyone that I speak to from Heart's Content. The little videos I'm creating will all be featured on a publicly accessible google map showing the location the story took place. The above is an example of a story that will be featured on the map. In the clip, you will hear Minnie Matthews describing her experience of watching the Anglican Church burning down in the late 1980s. The corresponding image is of a model of the church that is held in the community museum's collection.

The following clip is another that tells the story of a well-known building in Heart's Content being damaged. Here is Pat and Lloyd Smith discussing how Lloyd's family home was damaged in a very unusual way.

 Stay tuned for more clips from my interviews! Also, I'd love to have a photo of the actual church before it burned down, and/or as it was burning. If anyone has such images, please let me know by contacting me at the following address: lisa@heritagefoundation.ca.

-Lisa

Lloyd and Pat: Heart's Content Heritage

Lloyd and Pat Smith live within the Heart's Content Heritage District. They also happen to be on the local heritage committee and have knowledge on the history of this region. I was lucky enough to spend the day with them and learn about their life experiences here. Lloyd was born and raised in Heart's Content while Pat is initially from Carbonear, yet both of them consider Heart's Content home. Lloyd showed me a photo of the house he grew up in. His family home, which is no longer standing, was built in the 1920s. It was a duplex that functioned not just as their home, but as a boarding house as well. Lloyd told stories of his mother feeding the 10-child family as well as multiple boarders at the same time. She would make sure that the people living under her roof always had something to eat--including a packed lunch for the boarders who would go off to work during the daytime. Lloyd and Pat recalled just how busy she was, and how she never seemed to need to take any naps. She worked very hard in her life and lived to be over 90 years old. "Hard work doesn't kill anyone," is a phase that came to mind for all of us.

A framed photo of Lloyd's family home, brought down in the late-1980s.

Two more images of Lloyd's family home--same house, two different eras, particularly noticeable from the vehicles parked alongside the building.

After living and working away, Pat and Lloyd came back to Heart's Content to settle down. They built a house across from the cable company staff houses in a spot that has a view of the harbuor. Right where their house is now, there used to be a car garage that people would have their cars serviced in. This is not the only building that is now gone: also gone is the Anglican church that was once in behind where they live, the hospital in the corner lot, and the Parish Hall across the way. Lloyd and Pat were able to tell me many stories about the people and places in their community. They added some of this information to a map--a collection of important memories that I will using while doing a few different Heart's Content community mapping projects this winter/spring.

Memory aids for/from my interview with Pat and Lloyd.

Pat and Lloyd allow me to photograph them (in front of Lloyd's giant record collection).

Thank you for inviting me into your home to share so many lovely photos and stories. And to everyone else in Heart's Content that I've visited, thanks for welcoming me into your community. I hope to speak with many more people over the next few months, so please stay tuned.

-Lisa

A Cable Staff House in Heart's Content

This past Thursday I had the chance to visit with Ed and Minnie--long-time residents of Heart's Content. They reside in a historic home in the heritage district where they have lived since 1968. They purchased this two storey Anglo-American style home to have more space for their family.  It was in this same year that the cable company began shutting down its operation and the employees started leaving the community. Ed and Minnie have been the only owners of this house that have not been affiliated with Western Union. The house was originally built in 1882 as a staff house for company workers and previous to Ed and Minnie's ownership, it was the company superintendent who resided here. Ed and Minnie have kept many of its original features, such as the mantels for the two fireplaces, and the wooden banister that takes you to the spacious second level. The ceilings also have lovely moldings that are only ever in historic homes. Ed showed me other houses around town that once resembled their home, but have seen drastic alterations, such as the top story being removed. Indeed it is a community that has seen a great deal of change over the years, which is something that Ed and Minnie both talked about with me.

Ed and Minnie in their lovely home.

Ed and Minnie's place in Heart's Content--an Anglo-American style house built 1882, with a large beech tree in the front yard.

On a tour of the house, Ed showed me a very old icebox that he found in the shed out back when they moved in. He explained that these types of boxes were used to keep food cold before there was refrigeration. While restoring and adapting it to make this china cabinet, he found that the heavy wooden doors were insulated with horse hair. This piece was made in New York and brought to Newfoundland. Minnie mentioned that it is Ed's favorite piece of furniture in the house.

Ed shows me his refurbished icebox. Note the thick, insulating door where the horse hair is. 

Another shot of Ed during our oral history interview (along with Minnie's hand as she views a map of Heart's Content.)

Ed and Minnie were wonderful people to visit--they both had many thoughts and memories to share. I learned about some of the buildings in the district, what community life was like in the past compared to now, and what they believe the community will be like in the future. The information they provided will be of great importance when we do some district mapping to highlight what makes this place unique. As they age, the house is getting to be a lot of work to maintain. They suspect that they will eventually have to move on, a reality for so many older people living in rural Newfoundland. We all hope that this heritage building continues to be cared for as the future unfolds.

-Lisa

Mizzen Heritage Society Visit, Heart's Content

Yesterday I traveled to Heart's Content to spend some time with members of the town's Mizzen Heritage Society. This group of individuals have a vested interested in the heritage structures within their community. With their help, the Heart's Content Town Council has submitted an application to the Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador to have an officially designated heritage district in their community. In the proposed district there are 18 buildings of historic interest, many of which are connected to the cable companies that once operated in Heart's Content. The Mizzen men discussed the proposal with me, and offered some historic background on some of the heritage buildings the are within the district. Over the next few months I will be making many trips to Heart's Content to visit not only the Mizzen Heritage group, but members of the town council and greater community too. Ultimately, I hope to figure out how I can help the Heart's Content heritage district be as successful as possible, as both a provincial point of interest as well as a tool for local community-building initiatives.

Here are John, Bob, and Claude (L to R) of the Mizzen Heritage Society standing in the town hall conference room. They told me all about what they do as a society, what some of their successful campaigns have been, and what some of their future plans are. They also gave me a sneak peek inside of some of the heritage buildings within the district (see below). I look forward to collaborating with them in the coming months.

The above photograph shows the interior of the Methodist School House (c.1919) in Heart's Content. It is now owned by the Mizzen Heritage Society who have converted it into a community museum. The amazing tiled floor is likely from when it was used by the Masonic Order from the 1940s-1960s.

 This model, on display in the community museum, depicts the historic Anglican Church that once stood in Heart's Content. Sadly this building was lost in a fire in the mid-1980s-- a tragic event that has not been forgotten. While the town still misses this beautiful structure, community members have found ways to celebrate it and keep it in the collective memory.

On my next Heart's Content excursion I hope to speak with some of the owners of heritage buildings within the district -- stay tuned!

-Lisa