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| Photo Title: | Letter from Isaac Mercer, Member for Fogo District, Newfoundland to Robert Wells, Provincial Economist |
| Description: | A letter from the Minister for Fogo District, Isaac Mercer, to Robert Wells of the Department of Economic Development, regarding the hauling of houses from Wild Cove to Seldom-Come-By, Newfoundland |
| Image No.: | PF-317.202 |
| Image Location: | Resettlement/pf317_202.jpg |
| Date of Creation: | Digitized 2004 (originally created 1959) |
| Physical Description: | 1 digital document : b&w |
| Biography/Admin History: | Wild Cove (Pop. 1956, 45) is a resettled fishing community located on the southern shore of Fogo Island, Newfoundland and Labrador, 2 km. east of Seldom. The community was first settled in the 1830s by fishermen who became familiar with the broad cove while engaged in a migratory cod fishery out of Conception Bay ports to the Straight Shore and the Wadham Islands. The first two settlers were William Harnett and William Morgan, who are said to have come from the Harbour Grace area. These were the two families recorded there in 1836, when the first census noted a population of 10. In the 1850s the others settled: John Cumberland (Combden), John Eveleigh and John Budgell - after marrying into the Morgan and Harnett families. The population had increased to 40 by 1869, and thereafter grew slowly by natural increase, to a high of 88 by 1911. Although there was some involvement in the Labrador fishery, for the most part the fishermen relied on fishing the Wadhams or Cape Fogo in bulleys or small schooners. Catches of cod were traded to nearby Seldom, where Fogo merchants had agents. Church was also attended in Seldom after 1891, when a church was built in the east end of Seldom, nearest Wild Cove. Students also had to walk to Seldom to attend school for much of the community's existence. In later years a one-room school was opened in Wild Cove. Throughout the twentieth century the population of Wild Cove was in decline. By the late 1950s there were only four families left and most of the inhabitants were elderly. The last few people resettled to Seldom in 1960. From the Encyclopedia of Newfoundland and Labrador |
| Collector: | MHA |
| Source Donor: | CNS Archives, Stacey Collection, Box 1, Folder 1.03.001 |
| Collection Title: | Resettlement Digital Photograph Collection |
| Associated Material: | Craig Leonard Photograph Collection, PF-328 |
| Restrictions on Access: | Copyright held by the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador. |
| Copyright: | c |
| Physical Condition: | Good |
| Notes: | Title based on contents of image. Copied from the Alec Stacey Collection, Archives and Special Collections Division, QE II Library, Memorial University. |
| Subjects: | Newfoundland and Labrador Household Resettlement Program. |
