1
Skipper Basil Sparkes aboard the 'Badger Boat'1940
Mollyguajeck Lake, Terra Nova River Valley, Newfoundland & Labrador, Canada
2
The story of the pulpwood days when many Glovertonians worked on the Terra Nova River for the 'Anglo Newfoundland Development Company' (A.N.D.) is a heroic story of great times and great men. Many hardworking men were involved in the cut, the hauloff, the sack, the drive, and the loading plant. Those were the days when logging for paper production was important to Glovertown. Braving wicked tides, ferocious sunkers and swift water the river men had to chuck pulpwood junks into the Terra Nova River from, in the late 1950s, as far inland as the Northwest River that runs into John's Pond and then chase them downriver to the town of Terra Nova where they were loaded onto flatcars and hauled by train to Grand Falls.3
Map of the Terra Nova area1961
4
Winchboat under construction1950
John's Pond, Terra Nova River Valley, Newfoundland & Labrador, Canada
5
This winchboat, built by Glovertown's Alexander Genge, winched many a boom of pulpwood across some of Terra Nova's lakes and ponds.6
Skipper Basil Sparkes and his wife, Gertie1960
Bonavista Bay, Newfoundland & Labrador, Canada
7
Although this is a scene from "out the Bay" (you can see Wolf Island in the background), the boat is a Company boat built in Terra Nova for the pulpwood trade. Skipper Basil for many years, and his son Stanley, for many months, worked in boats such as this on the tow and on the sack on John's Pond, Mollyguajeck Lake, Terra Nova Lake.8
Riverboat and towboat1944
Most likely Mollyguajeck Lake on the Terra Nova River, Newfoundland & Labrador, Canada
9
This is a characteristic two-headed, flat-bottomed riverboat likely built by a Glovertonian. Undoubtedly, the riverboat is the wongon boat, that is the supplies-bringing boat; she has just brought supplies down from the Sloo to be loaded aboard the towboat and motored to the cookhouse on the north side of Mollyguajeck Lake.10
Caleb Rowsell, Lloyd Howse aboard the towboat and Basil Sparkes aboard the riverboat1940
Most likely Mollyguajeck Lake on the Terra Nova River, Newfoundland & Labrador, Canada
11
Caleb Rowsell stands in the foreground with Lloyd Howse on the left. Mr. Rowsell operated the winchboat. Lloyd in later years became the Mollyguajeck cook himself. Basil Sparkes sits aboard the riverboat spraddling the bow tawt to eat the hot meal just brought aboard by the cook, Chesley Burton. If you look carefully in the background you can see the tow goes on, uninterrupted by the midday meal.12
Eating a meal aboard the winchboat1950
Mollyguajeck Lake, Terra Nova River Valley, Newfoundland & Labrador, Canada
13
L-R: Ben Burton, Lloyd Howse, Leonard Sparkes, John Saunders. Note the bolts kettle on the winchboat house - filled, no doubt with boiled tea. Note, too, the big light. Towing was often a nighttime job and a big light was most useful for the approach to holding piers, landing wharfs, and anchor buoys.14
Two company boats on the tow1950
Most likely Mollyguajeck Lake on the Terra Nova River, Newfoundland & Labrador, Canada
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