Central Newfoundland Woods Camps:Anglo-Newfoundland Development Company/Price/Abitibi Logging Camps Identified in pictures.
Every now and then I will get a request from somebody. Do you have a picture of ________’s camp up in ____________. Most often the answer is no. There were hundreds of logging camps in operation between 1908 and 1965. By the mid-1960’s the trend turned towards having bigger and less numerous camps, hence they are easier to identify.
But I do have a large number of pictures and some camps are identified. In some cases I may have the location, or the rough location. I have done my best to get exterior shots from my collection, although it seems there are as many interior shots from later years. Interior pictures of logging camps from the early years are quite rare due to the lack of flash photography.
As noted, there were less and less camps after the 1960’s. Commuter operations became more prevalent, especially in places where loggers could drive from their hometowns every day. Also as previously noted, camps became bigger and more centralized. With more and better roads being built, loggers staying in camp could be bused many kilometers away from camp to the cutting areas. Because of this, some camps such as Rocky Brook, Harpoon and New Bay could stay open for substantially longer times than camps of the previous era. Rocky Brook seems to have been in operation for over twenty years, but oddly I don’t have an exterior shot of that camp.
As you will see below, there were different types of camps used over the years, with the later type being the modular pre-fabricated type. In earlier times there could be a variation the type of camp that was built, determined by the individual foreman, the division, the geography, and the availability of a portable sawmill.
So I am going to start from the most recent.
Remains of some of the buildings at Black Duck Camp, the last camp operated by Abitibi-Consolidated for the Grand Falls Mill. (Jeff Marsh).Remains of Black Duck Camp. In operation for about 10 years between 1998-2009 Black Duck’s bunkhouses were reportedly from the Hibernia Project. Unlike the Grand Falls Mill site responsibility for these buildings did not end up with the Department of Transportation and Works. (Desmond Kenny photo)Crew of loggers having lunch at Black Duck Camp, circa 2003. (GFW Advertiser)Fire damages Northwest Gander Camp, Monday January 20, 1992. This was probably the last camp to be in operation in what had been the original Bishop’s Falls Division. Winston Hollett was foreman here. (Abitibi-Price Grand Falls News)Logging crew at Northwest Gander logging camp, about 1990.Remains of Pamehac camp, circa 2005. (Google Earth)Pamehac camp was run by Harold Stanley and was last used in 1987. Stanley started at Pamehac around 1978. I am not sure if the camp had been there when Les Harris operated in the area in earlier in the 1970’s. At the time it was vandalized, Pamehac camp was mothballed. It is interesting to note that Black Duck Camp was only about 10 kilometers away. (Abitibi-Price Grand Falls News)“Sandy-Badger Camp” 12 miles from Grand Falls, circa 1978-9. At the time it was under the supervision of Harold Stanley, originally it had been run by Bill Armstrong. The camp was built around 1965. (Andy Barker, information supplied by Kenneth Stanley)Pearce Rideout’s Camp at Cornfield Lake, Badger Division. Circa 1963.Clayton Holloway’s camp at New Bay Lake Circa 1964. This camp was later run by Ford Budgell after his retirement from the Woods Department, and then later by his son Bruce. New Bay Road began as one of the earlier commuter operations a camp, but by 1964 a camp was necessary.120 man camp, Millertown Division, 1963.Stewart Chapman’s Camp, Cripple Back Lake, Badger Division, 1963.Bob Budgells camp, Three Angle Pond, Sandy Area, Badger Division, built circa 1961. This was one of the first camps to have oil stoves for cooking, eliminating the need to cut wood for the cookhouse. (News-Log)Mac Peyton’s camp at Jumper’s Brook, 1959. When it was set up, this was the most modern camp in operation for the A.N.D Company. Not far from the highway, it seems to have been used as a show camp for public relations in the wake of the IWA Strike. It was also used for training cooks and was the first camps to have a television.Cook Pleman Maye at Jack Milley’s camp, Island Pond-Point of Woods area, Sandy area, Badger Division, Circa 1961.Unknown pre-fabricated camp 1959.Loggers at Pearce Penton’s Camp, Bishop’s Falls Division, 1960.Pre-Fabricated camp circa 1960.Possibly Pearce Rideout’s earlier camp in the Birchy Area of Badger Division. May also have been Eliakim Randell’s Camp near Neyle’s Brook.Is this the same camp as below? There are some differences but also many similarities.Very rare color picture of a log logging camp from about 1960. This is reportedly Jim Vincent’s camp in Sandy-Badger Division and would have been one of the last log camps. (Photo Courtesy of Mac Squires, who is also in the photo on the left)Camp at Triton Brook, Gambo area, Terra Nova Division, 1955. Though the foreman of this camp is not known it is likely that it was Andrew J. Kelly or Israel Eastman.One of the best pictures of a 1950’s logging camp. Pat Lahey’s camp at Boney Lake in Bishop’s Falls Division in 1955. It gives a pretty good illustration of the buildings road and lake which would be typical for a camp in those days.Eli Stuckless’ Camp, Bishop’s Falls Division, Late 1940’s or Early 1950’s. It is of interest that the first pre-fabricated camps were in Bishop’s Falls Division. These were not the modular camps like those built by Eastern Woodworkers in the 1950’s and later. Apparently the Superintendent of Bishop’s Falls Division, George Martin developed a system in the early 1940’s where camps were built of lumber in sections. Each section could be moved to the camp site and assembled. They could also be dissembled and moved to a new camp site. I am not sure how widespread these camps were and there were some log camps as late as 1960.Wilson and Thomas King of Brookside, possibly at John Day’s camp (Or Baxter Day’s), Millertown Division, 1940’s. http://www.virtualmuseum.ca/community-stories_histoires-de-chez-nous/away-from-here_loin-d-ici/story/wilson-king-lumber-woods/Ladies visiting Camp at Burnt Pond, Bishop’s Falls Division, 1940’s (Heritage of Point Leamington)George Rowsell’s Camp, Rattling Brook Line, Bishop’s Falls Division, 1930’s or 40’s. (Point Leamington Heritage Museum)30-Mile Depot, Bishop’s Falls Division, 1934.Loggers pose with horses. Camp unknown, but believe I was once told this might be Job Gill’s camp in Millertown Division. (Abitibi Photo-Via Andy Barker)Unknown camp, circa 1920. But possibly at Kelly’s Pond or Victoria River, 1923. This theory is because the object at the right edge of the photo may be the rear of a 10-Ton Holt Tractor. Note the very low roof of the early camps.Victor Stratton’s Camp on Victoria River, 1920.Same picture as above. Victor Stratton’s camp on Victoria, 1920. Note the rifle, most camps had guns in them, largely because of bears.Camp in Millertown Division Circa 1910. (Newfoundland Logger).Camp at Casandra, near Badger 1919. Note the unique construction that appears to be studded and covered with mill canvas. It is likely this is a temporary camp not used in winter.Anglo-Newfoundland Development Company Logging Camp prior to 1920.Hugh Cole’s, probably in Millertown Division, Circa 1910. PANLInside of the same Camp.Rare early shot from inside of a logging camp at Badger. I am a little suspect at the date, because Vincent Jones did not come to Newfoundland until 1910. I do wonder if it is the same camp as in the above pictures.
Anglo Newfoundland Development Company 
“WOW” Very interesting
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