This photograph, c.1902, entitled "Horse and Cart," was taken by William B. Ford, who came to Bell Island as a civil engineer with DISCO in 1902. He was manager for DISCO during 1903 and married Matilda Rees of Lance Cove that year. They left Bell Island for Ontario in 1911. The mining was all above ground at the time this photo was taken. Photo courtesy of Brian Rees.
HISTORY
This page will feature articles on the history of Bell Island, NL, with particular emphasis on the Wabana mining operations. Below you will see some books that are available on aspects of life on Bell Island. To read the history articles, hover your cursor over "History" in the menu above, then select from the drop-down menu. This is an on-going project, so articles will be added as time allows.
Company Houses, Company Towns: Heritage and Conservation is now available from Cape Breton University Press and Amazon.ca. The Kindle edition is available for download from Amazon.ca.
Chapter 3, "Company Housing at Wabana Iron-Ore Mines, Bell Island, Newfoundland," is a history of the housing built by the Scotia and Dominion companies for their staff and miners, and the streets and neighbourhoods where they were built. It also tells the stories of some of the people who lived in those houses. The top photo on the book's cover is of two Dominion houses that were located at Dominion No. 1, Bell Island. |
For the history of Bell Islanders who served in the First World War:
From Miners & Fishers to Soldiers & Sailors by Paul James Dwyer
Paul Dwyer has put together a well-researched and wonderfully-detailed account of the men and boys of Bell Island who enlisted to serve in World War One. From Miners & Fishers to Soldiers & Sailors not only tells their stories but also includes letters from parents seeking news of their sons, and correspondence from the military to parents and loved ones. The book is a treasure trove of information and will be a valuable reference tool and genealogical resource. It is a 2016 publication available from DRC Publishing. Contact staceypj@nl.rogers.com. |