Artifacts have been found on this island, to prove that the Beothuk's were the first inhabitants. The first recorded settler of Little Bay Islands was a Micmac Indian named Sulian. He settled in a cove on the western part of the island and hence the name Sulian's Cove. When Little Bay Islands was at its peak, schooners would come from all over the world to buy fish from local merchants. Many of these ships would carry sand, as ballast, which they would dump before taking on cargo. Little Bay Islands has sand on her shores from France, Spain, Greece, Egypt, and India. A highly industrious community, Little Bay Islands also had a schooner building business at one time. In addition to the prominence which this community has traditionally held within Green Bay, Little Bay Islands has the distinction of being the birthplace of the first woman to enter the Newfoundland political arena. Helena Strong was born on Little Bay Islands in 1879. She also became the wife of Newfoundland Prime Minister, Sir Richard Squires. Lady Squires was elected to Parliament, and eventually defeated in the 1932 election. Later, Lady Squires helped Joseph R. Smallwood in his campaign for Confederation. Presently, this community survives around a summer crab fishery.
This island is rich in scenery which can be viewed during the 45 minute ferry ride, or atop Pole Hill, where you get a dynamite view of the community and its scenic surroundings.
Local History
Tradition has it that the Beothuk predated English settlement to the island. This is suggested because of name places such as Indian Burying Place, Indian Tickle, and Indian Head, as well as from local archaeological evidence. English settled in Little Bay Islands about two years after the last known Beothuk was captured in 1823. Oral tradition says that a Mr. King, an Englishman from Round Harbour took his family to the Island in the fall of 1805, only to have his boat and supplies taken by the Beothuk on his first night there.
It is reported that the first permanent English settler, a Budgell from Triton , arrived in 1825. Little Bay Island is first recorded in the 1845 Census, with three families making up a population of 45. The population increased rapidly in the 1850's and 1860's as people moved from eastern Notre Dame Bay. While many of the first settlers came to Little Bay Islands from Notre Dame Bay, some may have come directly from Britain. There were eight residents born in England and three in Scotland recorded in the 1884 Census.
Thomas Knight from St. John's was the first trader to supply Little Bay Islands. Later other firms from Twillingate, particularly E.J. Duder, began to bring supplies to the Island. It wasn't long after that people built their own vessels and went the Twillingate themselves for supplies. George Jones and William Mursell were suppliers for the Island by the 1870's. Joseph and James M. Strong also established a business in the early 1870's, which became a general supplier for the inshore, French Shore and Labrador fisheries under the name Little Bay Island Packing Co. When it was incorporated in 1923 as the James Strong Ltd. it grew to be one of Newfoundland's largest fish-packing and exporting establishments by the 1940's. It was also involved in marketing produce from Notre Dame Bay, such as vegetables, meat, wood and lumber.
Cod fishing, supplemented by seals, salmon, herring, mackerel and lobster has been the main employer for the residents of Little Bay Island. In 1859 when George Jones took a schooner from Twillingate to Labrador, the Labrador fishery became a central part of the Island's economy. There were 116 men on 14 vessels involved in the Labrador Fishery reported in the 1921 Census. As a commercial centre Little Bay Islands employed people in a number of other occupations. One of these was the schooner-building industry, which in some winters built as many as three schooners.
Early residents on Little Bay Island were almost all Wesleyan. By 1866 they built their own church. The first minister in the community was Reverend F. Scott in 1867. The first school on the Island was recorded in 1874 and the first teacher was Mr. L. Picott from 1873 to 1876. Salvation Army arrived on the Island around 1897 and soon after built a citadel in Sulian's Cove. The citadel was also used as a school until one was built in 1927.
The population of Little Bay Islands began to decline in the 1950's and was reduced to 394 in 1971 but there was a brief boost in the community in the mid-1970's. Several factors contributed to this: S. T. Jones and Son, the main employer, open a crab and seal factory, a cooperage, a shipyard, a fish plant and the general store. At this time modern conveniences such as electricity, telephones, roads, educational facilities and a water system were introduced. A ferry system connected Little Bay Islands with St. Patricks on the mainland and therefore the island's isolation was decreased. In the late 1980's the population was again on the decline with the downturn in the local fishery.
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