Jerseyside is a small town located approximately 50 km. from the TCH and about 120 km. from St. John's. It was incorporated in March 1950, but is now part of the Town of Placentia. It is located between Dunville and Freshwater and is connected to Placentia by the Sir Ambrose Shea lift bridge ( the only one of its kind in Newfoundland). The community has a population of approximately 700 people or 270 households. In the seventies, it had a population of over eleven hundred. However, due to a lack of employment, many youth migrated to other places, such as St. John's, Mount Pearl, Ontario, Alberta, and British Columbia.¹

Due to Jerseyside's high elevation, it has a wonderful view of many green hills and the water below and a breathtaking view of the entire surrounding area.

Jerseyside played an important role in war times. Fort Louis, located at the bottom of Jerseyside hill, and Fort Royal, located at the top overlooking the harbour, provided great protection from the enemy. Frenchmen were buried at Fort Louis and thus it was commonly called "Deadmen's Ground". Little rocks were all they had as headstones to mark their graves. When construction for the ballfield began, many war items were found including cannon balls (big and small) and musket balls. Many artifacts were found at Fort Royal also and the remains of the grounds were restored and is now Castle Hill Historic Park.³

In 1888, the branch of railway was completed and brought employment to Jerseyside as well as the surrounding areas. This line connected with steamships plying the waters around Placentia Bay and as far west as Port aux Basques.

The railway station was situated on a hill above Jerseyside. The railway wharf was built on the north side of the roads just beneath Castle Hill ⁴ . The railway later moved to Argentia leaving a branch run and station where the post office is today. That station was closed in the 1950's and moved to the Quarry ¹ . The tracks which ran through the town of Jerseyside were not in use since the 1920's⁵ . Even though today the tracks are removed, the path still exists and is still referred to as the "Track". Many people use the track for walking purposes, especially the one which circles around Larken's Pond.

Larken's Pond received its name from the fact that a family of Larkens used to live near the pond and thus the pond was named after them. Blanche Street used to be called Johnny Roger's lane and is still referred to as the Old Track since the days of the railroad ³.

At one time the only means of transportation across the open gut was by a little black boat, with Paddy Mansfield rowing passengers to the Town Side. When the Naval Base came in 1941, a motor boat operated by Mike Emberly and Mike Kelly began the duty of transporting people across the gut. The ferry ride across cost ten cents each way. In 1942 the Americans built a pontoon bridge, joining Jerseyside to the Townside for the first time ³. However the bridge could not be kept in place because of the strong tides. Crossing the gut was no easy task.

The Kelly Brothers of Jerseyside continued to operate a motor boat on the Gut until 1954, when the Sir Ambrose Shea ferry was put into service by the Liberal Government. This motor ferry, which operated until the completion of the Ambrose Shea Lift Bridge in 1961, was capable of carrying several cars, as well as passengers, for a small fee.

"Growing up in Jerseyside in the forties and fifties was quite memorable. Unlike today, there was the North Rec, the Train, the Coal Yard, Horse and Dray, and the "Gut Boat".

The North Rec. was a large recreational facility on the Naval Station nearby where you would go to watch free movies and buy popcorn for five cents. The train terminal was on Jerseyside and the train would arrive Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. You always turned out to greet the train unless you were in school. All groceries were transported by the train, as well as the mail, hardware, lumber etc. School consisted of six grades and two classrooms with no running water or indoor plumbing.

When the train arrived, the men with the horses and drays would greet the train and pick up the groceries, merchandise, etc. and deliver them to the grocery stores in Freshwater and Jerseyside. The supplies for Placentia were delivered to the Gut Boat where they were transported across the gut. Across the gut another horse and dray would pick up the supplies for the stores in Placentia.

My father told me that back in the thirties, coal, which was our main source of fuel, was delivered by train to the Coal Yard, near the terminal where the coal dealer transported it by the ton to the households. This method of transporting coal declined in the fifties as people switched to oil for heating their homes and of course, more modern forms of transportation emerged. Our playground today is built on the site of the old coal yard and this is where the name is derived.
 
 

Jerseyside in my childhood days was quite different from today. Everybody did more walking. House visiting was a form of entertainment then. People visited frequently. They played cards and told ghost stories to pass the time away. Today, this has been replaced by bingo, television and modern technology. The bottom part of Jerseyside was referred to as the "flat" and this was where all the big businesses were located. Bowrings, Nevilles, Feeders, Tobins, and Murphys were all Jerseyside stores, just to name a few. There were three ice cream parlours. Johnny Kellys, Tom Lings, and Walter Millers. Mrs. Annie Whelan also had a small store and she sold ice cream but you could not hang out there like you would at Kellys, Millers, or Tom Lings."

Source: Mrs. Patricia Power, resident, Jerseyside.
 
 

"In the early days of the St. John's Annual Regatta, there was a great interest among the fishermen. The seven Morrissey boys from Placentia were very interested one year and set about building their own boats for the races. However, since there was no road to St. John's, the Morrisseys found themselves in a dilemma. Finally, they decided to carry the boat themselves.

This they did, covering the 70 miles by foot. They arrived in St. John's, entered the Fishermen's Race, won it, and then carried the boat, and the trophy back to Placentia.

Ever after they were referred to as "The Seven Placentia Giants"⁶.

After winning, the crew returned home Friday evening to accord a royal welcome. The regatta champions were met at South East Placentia by the largest and most colorful motorcade ever seen in Placentia at that time. Each member of the crew received a cheque from the Railway Clerks Union and a engraved gold pocket watch from the local store. Every resident of Jerseyside turned out to welcome home their champions. A dance was held that night in honour of the crew - Tom Traverse (Coxswain), Anthony Traverse, Pat Moore, Frank Traverse, Bill Hutchings, Tom Gardiner, and Joe Traverse. What a proud day for Jerseyside!

Jerseyside also had a Junior Girls team which did quite well at the 141st St. John's Regatta as well. They won their race at 7:27 despite the high winds. Tom Traverse was the team's coxswain was quite proud of his teams for doing so well that day ⁷.

Jerseyside residents participated in many sports over the years and always excelled in their efforts. Their success should not be forgotten, for they have contributed to our proud heritage.

The Hill in which Castle Hill is located has its own history. Located on Fort Louis road, it is commonly referred to today as "Suicide Hill" due to its steep appearance. However, many people living in this area, call it "Traverse Hill". This stems from the story of the settlement of the hill. The hill was first bought by Tom Traverse. After building a house, he sold the remaining plots of land to his immediate family. The houses on this hill were all built and owned by someone in the Traverse family. Today, there are a few houses that were sold to friends of the Traverse family. However, a majority of the hill residents still remain related, after many generations.
 

In the leap year of 1972, the school at Jerseyside, St. Luke's, burned to the ground. Kindergarten to Grade six students went to the Jerseyside Hall, Coronation, which overlooked the main road. Grade seven students attended Freshwater school until the new school was built. St. Peter's Elementary was built across from Larken's Pond. The new school added on Grade eight, however, high school students still attended school in Placentia. Both Jerseyside and Ferndale students attended school in Jerseyside since the communities were so close together. In 1987, St. Peter's Elementary closed due to a decline in numbers of enrolled children. Students had the choice to either attend school in Freshwater or Placentia, with busing provided. The building today is vacant. It had been used for a Day Care and a training school ³.
 

Until Amalgamation of all towns in the area, Jerseyside and Ferndale, then one town, had its own council. The council office was opened in 1955 with its first mayor being Mr. Patrick O'Keefe. The office closed on December 31, 1993 when all councils of the area joined together to form one council. Jerseyside's last mayor was Mr. Edward O'Keefe ⁸
 
 

I have touched on only a few key items of the history of Jerseyside. However, this small town has an abundance of history just waiting to be explored.

In July, 1997 Jerseyside was one of the sites used for the Matthew visit. People from all across the island came the town to catch to arrival of this special Viking ship which entered the town at the site of the fish plant which had burned down earlier that year. It was a sun-filled spectacular day, filled with entertainment and fun.

A Post Office. A postal worker works there six days a week.

A Playground - Jerseyside also has a playground for the kids of the area. It was named the " Coal Yard Playground" since it is built in the same location as the coal depot from years before when trains were the main form of transportation. Basketball nets, tennis net, swings, teeter-tatters, slides, jungle gym, and a treehouse play center is in the playground for all the children to play with when they wish.
 

2. Pond - Larken's Pond is the drinking water for Jerseyside, Freshwater and Ferndale. Both the storage tank and chlorination system are located in Jerseyside as well. Majority of the pond exists in Jerseyside, however the pond reaches into the community of Freshwater as well.

3. Castle Hill National Historic Park - Located off Route 100 approximately one and one half hours from St. John's, this site preserves the remains of Placentia's French and English fortifications built in the 17th and 18th centuries to protect the colony of "Plaisance" and its fishery. "Plaisance", or Placentia as the English renamed it, was a focal point in the struggle between the French and the English for control of the Newfoundland fishery. The park's visitor center houses a new exhibit which deals with "life at Plaisance" and the hardships endured by those who once lived here. The center is wheelchair accessible and equipped with washrooms and a giftshop. Trails connect the various stabilized ruins and picnic tables are located throughout the park. More information is available on this topic.
 
 

Also, during the summer months, a group of local students performs a play about Placentia's heritage. The group "Theatre d'Hertiage" is the developer of this activity and the play "Faces at Fort Royal" takes your back to the 17th century Plaisance.
 
 

Castle Hill Season: Open daily, year round.
Mid June - Labour Day 8:30 a.m. - 8 p.m.
Remainder of year - 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Contact: Superintendent
Castle Hill National Historic Park
P.O. Box 10
Jerseyside, Placentia, NF AOB 2GO
Telephone: (709) 227- 2401

4. Sir Ambrose Shea Lift Bridge - Jerseyside and Placentia are connected by a lift bridge, the only one in Newfoundland, which allows boats to enter the sheltered harbour and dock.
 
 

5. Fort Louis and Fort Royal - Fort Louis is located at the base of Jerseyside hill next to the beach and Fort Royal is located on the top of the Jerseyside hill, overlooking the gut. Together, both played an important role in the war between the French and the English. Fort Royal is now part of the Castle Hill National Historic Park, with the fort restored close to its original state. Fort Louis was marked with a cannon to show its importance to our heritage.
 

Sources of Information:

¹ Mrs. Annie Bruce, Resident, Jerseyside
² Smallwood, Joseph. (1984). Encyclopaedia of Newfoundland.
³ Mary Norman, Resident, Jerseyside.
⁴ The Story of Placentia, E.J Bonnell Associates 1962.
⁵ Edward Lake, Researcher of the History of the Area
⁶ Evening Telegram, August 1965
⁷ Evening Telegram, August 6, 1965
⁸ Margie Hatfield, Placentia Council