The following information on Argentia, dating back to the 1800's, is taken from Mrs. Eileen Houlihan's book, Uprooted¹ with some adaptions of text throughout.

The Mine

Argentia was one of several Newfoundland towns named after a specific mineral found in the town. This silver lode was discovered by a John Burke of Argentia. Because of financial difficulties he could not develop his claim, and so had to sell it to Baron Francis Von Ellerhausen, a German engineer who came to Canada in 1862 to develop the copper mine in Bett's Cove, Notre Dame Bay. In 1883, under a London firm called the Cliff Silver Mines Company, Ellerhausen began working at Silver Cliff, as the Argentia mine came to be known. He found it in bad shape due to the previous unskilled mining efforts, and he left Newfoundland the following year. Several other attempts were made to promote Silver Cliff, but they were unsuccessful. In 1887 a shipment of ore bound for Britain sank in the mid-Atlantic. St. John's merchant and auctioneer John W. Foran obtained the property in 1892 and finally located the main ore body, which the others had not been able to find; in spite of this, he made no profit.

The last attempt was carried out between 1922 and 1925 by the Silver Cliff Mining Company of St. John's, but it met with no greater success than had the preceding efforts. From 1942 onwards the mine was part of the territory under the jurisdiction of the former U.S. Naval Base.

It is impossible now to ascertain how much employment was created locally by the working of this mine, but it is definite that during the last phase of its operation men from Argentia were employed.

The Fishery

The cod fishery was the mainstay of the economy of Argentia during the 19th century. Large boats with crews of 10 to 15 men fished on the Grand Banks while the smaller boats, with crews of 5 or 6, fished at Golden Bay near Cape St. Mary's. The inshore fishery was operated from small open boats which returned home daily.

Since there was no refrigeration the fish had to be split, salted, and dried on rough platforms called flakes. The livers of the codfish were put in a pork barrel and allowed to rot. The oil produced from the rotting livers was used for nutritional purposes as well as for the oil lamps, the only source of artificial light at the time. A string of wool soaked in the cod oil served as a wick. The kerosene lamp came into use at a later date and the luxury of electricity came in 1925.

The fishermen saw very little money for their labour. In the spring the fish merchants advanced whatever materials, gear and food would be needed for the season, and at the end of the season they bought the fish, deducted what was owed to them, and paid the fishermen the balance "in kind" with flour, pork, salt beef and molasses. By the end of February these staple foods would be almost used up, which accounts for the expression "the long, hungry month of March".

Then, as now, the price of fish fluctuated from year to year, and of course a good catch could never be a certainty. By the late 1800's the Bank fishery at Argentia had ended. The next generation of young men had begun emigrating to the U.S. in search of steadier and more lucrative employment.

The Liquor Trade

In the early 1920's liquor was not easily obtained legally, and at one time it was even necessary to get a prescription from a doctor. Later a permit could be purchased which allowed the owner to buy two bottles a week. Because of those restrictions there was a brisk trade in liquor from St. Pierre to Argentia. The fishing captains who dealt in this illegal trade had their regular customers, some of whom retailed it while others shipped it on to St. John's. There is a story told of one wholesaler who sank his stock in a pond while waiting to dispose of it. He had apparently been watched be some young men who, under the cover of darkness, stole the entire stock.

There were a few retailers, or bootleggers, as they were called, who continued their trade even after the construction of the U.S. Naval Base began. Restrictions were lifted, however, and liquor permits discontinued at the time of "Come Home Year" in 1966.

Transportation

Until 1920 the terminus of the Placentia branch of the railway had been at Jersey Side. There was, however, no safe harbour for the coastal boats which took passengers and freight to their final destinations around Placentia Bay and along the South Coast as far as Port- aux- Basques. It was decided then to extend the railway to Argentia, which had a safe, landlocked harbour, for the most part ice-free in winter. Of course this did not sit well with the people of Placentia, who aired their opposition in the press in no uncertain terms; nevertheless, the change was made. It is worth noting that on its first run to the Argentia terminus the freight consisted of the pews for the newly erected Church on Mount Rosary; these are the same pews now being used in the Holy Rosary Church in Freshwater.The mixed feelings which resulted due to the extension of the railway to Argentia, is illustrated in a Poem composed by Professor William Murphy, who returned to Argentia in the 1920's to find the railway terminal built on his homestead.

The extension of the railway to Argentia was a considerable boost to the economy of the community and probably accounts for the phasing out of the fishery there. In addition to the several longshoremen who transferred the freight from the train to the two coastal boats, the Argyle and the Glencoe; these boats made regular runs to and from Argentia . The Railway station itself gave employment to a number of people: the station agent, George Abbott; the assistant, Abbott's son Walter; telegraph operator/dispatcher Raymond Whelan; customs collector Matt Murphy; and tidewater Albert O'Reilly. As well, several Argentia men secured positions on the train and on the coastal boats, while some crew members from outside the community rented houses and took up residence in Argentia with their families. The passenger train to Argentia made its last run in 1983, ending 63 years of service.

About twice a year coal boats arrived and had to be unloaded manually, thus employing many extra workers, even if only for a short time. Those working in the hold of the ship shovelled the coal into large tubs which were then hoisted by crane. This coal was used to generate steam for the engines of the train and for the steamers.

To accommodate passengers coming and going on the coastal boats, the Davis Hotel was built soon after Argentia became the terminus. This provided a few more jobs. Obviously then, the railway had an impact on the community from both a social and an economic point of view.

Health Care

Because the Commission of Government - which replaced Responsible Government in 1934 - was concerned with the health care of the people, thirteen small "cottage hospitals" were located throughout the island. One was built at Argentia in 1936 to serve not only the residents of the immediate area but also people living in the small and remote communities of Placentia Bay. The hospital was erected quite near the dock for the convenience of those patients who came by way of coastal boats. The resident physician, a Dr. John Green from Toronto, was well liked and gave excellent medical service. The hospital provided some employment in addition to filling a great need in the life of the whole area.

The Herring Factory

In 1936 a herring factory was built near the site of the present C.N. Terminal. Fishermen from around Placentia Bay brought their catches to this factory, where they were dried in a rotary drier operated by steam power. The herring was then ground into fish meal and exported for poultry feed. Although this was only a seasonal operation it provided some badly needed employment, for the effects of the dreadful Depression of 1929-1939 were being felt at this time.

¹Houlihan, Mrs.Eileen. (1992). Uprooted! The Argentia Story. St. John's, Newfoundland: Creative Publishers.

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