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Nestled close to King's Point, near the bottom of Green Bay's Southwest Arm, is the community of Rattling Brook. Rugged sheltering cliffs, pastoral valleys, and a majestic waterfall made this an appealing place to settle. The logging industry is the main employer of the residents of these communities. Agriculture offers some opportunity in the area as well. These communities are situated off the coastal lowlands of a big valley surrounded by high mountains making the land very fertile. These communities boast of its beautiful mountainous and coastal scenery, with the Alexander Murray Hiking Trail as its core tourism attraction.
Local History
Rattling Brook was settled at Corner Brook Cove, near the prominent waterfalls from which the community got its name. The first European visitors to Rattling Brook were probably fisherman from other fishing station further out the Bay. The first record of permanent settlement was of one family of eight in the 1884 Census. When the copper mine opened nearby in 1878, some of the earliest visitors were likely attracted by the chance for employment in mining.
In 1935, when the population was 122, Francis W. Bartlett was operating a general store and building boats at Rattling Brook. This business provided work for several men in winter. Others were loggers with local sawmills or trappers. In the summer, most men fished, with many of them moving up the Bay as far away as Shoe Cove.
When the road system improved in the late 1950's many residents began to commute to King's Point and Springdale to work. With the new roads also came more access to agricultural land and improved markets, this opened the opportunity for more residents to begin farming full time by 1980.
Rattling Brook's early population was predominantly Methodist, with a small number of Church of England members. By 1921, Methodists have build a church and school and the Salvation Army had arrived in the community. A United Church School was maintained in the 1960's. By the 1970's students were attending school in King's Point.
Tourist Facilities & Attractions
- J. Toms and Sons - antiques
- Windamere Tourist Cabins
- Mountain Walking Trails
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