Indian Bay

Indian Bay (Parsons Point) is located in Newfoundland, Canada.

This article is about the town in Newfoundland and Labrador. For the body of water in Delaware, see Indian River Bay.
Indian Bay

Parsons Point, Northwest Arm
Town
Country Canada
Province Newfoundland and Labrador
Population
 (2016)[1]
 • Total175
Time zoneUTC-3:30 (Newfoundland Time)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-2:30 (Newfoundland Daylight)
Area code(s)709
Highways Route 320

Geography

Situated on the northwest arm of Bonavista Bay, Indian Bay was until the late 19th century the only mainland community located between Salvage and Greenspond.[2]

History
Population census
YearPop.±% p.a.
1845 6—    
1869 5−0.76%
1874 4−4.36%
1901 40+8.90%
1961 285+3.33%
2006 196−0.83%
2011 174−2.35%
2016 175+0.11%

Records show that Indian Bay was the only inhabited settlement in that region that was connected to the mainland part of the Island of Newfoundland until the 19th century. It was also known as Northwest Arm, and later for a period of time, as Parson's Point, after the surname of its first English settlers. Europeans first came to Indian Bay in the 18th century to fish for salmon. In 1720 George Skeffington was salmon fishing there and by 1786 there were eight salmon operations in the area. Permanent settlement began after 1800. The 1836 Census of Newfoundland records Indian Bay as having a population of five, William Parsons and his family. The population was slow in growing, and in 1901 there were 40 people living there. The main source of employment was three sawmills, and a lobster factory was established before 1911. In 1921 the "International Power and Paper Co." arrived in Indian Bay and that same year a school was constructed. The peak of Indian Bay's population was in 1961 with 285 people; afterwards the population began to decline.[2]

Indian Bay is well known for its sports fishing, mainly for Brook Trout and Atlantic Salmon. The community has a licensed salmon river called , Indian Bay River, but locally known as, "The Brook", that runs through the town. Fishing is still a very popular sport in the area and with its many ATV and Snowmobile trails (old Bowater's woods roads), Indian Bay is a very popular destination for those that enjoy the great outdoors and everything it has to offer.

Census information
1845 1869 1874
population 6 5 4
inhabited houses 1 1 1
number of families - 1 1
Church of England 6 5 4
people catching/curing fish - 2 2
seamen/fishermen - - 1
children who can read/write - 2 1
fishing rooms in use - 1 -
oxen/cows - 3 -
total boats - 1 -
nets and seines - - 12
salmon caught/cured - - 8 tres
barrels of potatoes produced - - 6

Directory

- Hutchinson's Newfoundland Directory 1864-1865 lists:

  • Joseph Osmond, ship carpenter
  • Phillip Parsons, ship carpenter

- Lovell's Newfoundland Directory describes Indian Bay as a small fishing community on the west side of Bonavista Bay, distant from Greenspond by 15 miles on boat. The 1871 population was 5. The directory lists one person:

  • Adam Parsons, Fisherman.[3]

See also
  • List of cities and towns in Newfoundland and Labrador

References
  1. Census Profile
  2. Encyclopedia of Newfoundland and Labrador
  3. Lovell's Newfoundland Directory, 1871.

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