Traytown, Bonavista Bay

What it’s like in Traytown, Newfoundland: Created by Megan Frost

History of Traytown, Bonavista Bay

Traytown, Bonavista’ (inc.1971; pop. 1991, 374). The community of Traytown is located at the elbow of the Northeast Arm of Alexander Bay (an inlet of central Bonavista Bay), approximately 4 km east of Glovertown. For many years a lumbering community, in 1994 Traytown’s major industry was tourism. It also served as something of a dormitory community for Glovertown The name Troy-town was originally applied to all of Northeast Arm, a shallow inlet which extends 12 km to the east of the present community. This name led geologist J.B. Jukes to engage in some speculation as to its origin when he visited the area in 1840: ‘‘there are no permanent inhabitants in this place, and though several families generally winter there, there is nothing like a town, and I did not learn why it was called Troy Town . The depth of water at the entrance of Troytown is only sufficient for a small skiff, and much of the water inside is very shoal.’’ It is likely that the name comes from Troy-town, near Dorchester, a village that had a famous maze or labyrinth cut into its turf. Troytown eventually became a West Country expression. referring to a maze, or ‘‘a scene of disorder or confusion’’. Troy-town is also the earliest recorded version of Traytown, Trinity Bay and Triton, Notre Dame Bay all of which have some features in common. Although the area had been used for winter work for many years by people from Flat Islands, the inlet’s unsuitability for the fishery meant that Traytown was not settled until the 1880s, when a water-powered sawmill was established by a Mr. McCalm or Montcalm in what is now the west end of the community. Within two years the mill was sold to a Charles Kean, who subsequently employed two other pioneer residents (Robert Keel of Bonavista and Gus Gullickson) as mill-workers. The community first appears in the Census, as Mill or Troy Town, in 1884 with a population of nine. Two other mills were begun in the l890s, by the Ledrew and Collier families, as well as mills at Cull’s Harbour and Rosedale at the mouth of the Arm. Other early settlers included the Arnold, Denty, Ralph. Roach and Whelan families, making up a population that had increased to 81 by 1901 and 127 by 1911. The first school was established in 1899 and Church of England and Methodist churches in 1916 and 1917 respectively. In the early 1920s there was further growth, related to the building of the Terra Nova sulphite mill at Glovertown South, with a population approaching 200 being employed as loggers and labourers. There were also a few family farms (the Wyatts and Genges), while the Patten family made up the majority of the few Traytown residents engaged in the Labrador fishery. Although the closing of the Terra Nova mill in 1924 was something of a blow to Traytown, residents continued to find employment as loggers for the A.N.D. Company. Saw-milling decreased in importance, with the last of the old mills closing in 1937. Traytown experienced another period of growth In the late 1950s and early 1960s, as some families resettled there from the islands of Bonavista Bay. However, esettlement’s impact was even greater on Glovertown, which became the major regional service centre and in some respects began to spill over’ into Traytown. The establishing of Terra Nova National Park in 1957 also had an effect on Traytown with the first tourist cabin being opened soon thereafter. In 1994 the Traytown area attracted tourists several cabin/motel resort operations, and also had great many seasonal residents. Other local industries included a sawmill and a sand and gravel quarry. School children were bused to Glovertown, where most other services were obtained.