This series is dedicated to the history, memories, and stories
of our birth towns, wherever they may be. With your log, please
share a little (or a lot) about your hometown (birth town). If you
find and log more than one in the series (there are 4 total) please
share a different story or experience in each log.
Thanks for Caching, and taking the time to find our hide! Have
fun out there!
Shearstown, Newfoundland, Canada (WadeMercer -
Wade)
Shearstown was first known as Spaniard’s Bay Pond. It was later
named Shearstown after a Rev. Shears that served there. This
renaming took place at the turn of the century, January 1, 1900.
Still today we can see more that was left from the years that Rev.
Shears spent in the community. In the Anglican Church, you can
still find a plaque dedicated to the memory of Marion Shears, the
daughter of the reverend.
The first people to come to Shearstown were men from nearby
communities, such as French’s Cove and Bay Roberts, to cut down
trees. These men built tilts, or small shelters, on a hill simply
named Tilt Hill. One of the first families to settle in Shearstown
were the Earles’ from Bay Roberts.
During those early years the most prosperous part of Shearstown
and even of the entire area was Muddy Hole. This was a trading
place, where people from Shearstown and its surrounding communities
would go to buy supplies. This is where the first sausage in the
Conception Bay North region was made. As well, one of the first
delivery trucks traveled to Muddy Hole.
The people that first settled in Shearstown knew the importance
of a good education because one of the first structures that they
built was a one room school for their children. Later in 1956, a
P.T.A. (Parent Teacher Association) was organized which soon
brought indoor plumbing and a furnace to the school. The citizens
of Shearstown and Butlerville also have strong religious beliefs
and faith. Shearstown was predominently a Protestant community ie.
Church of England , Methodist, and Pentecostal. While Butlerville
had a large number of the Roman Catholic denomination. In
Shearstown church services were held in the school house until the
construction of the Anglican Church, that still stands today.
Shearstown and Butlerville are located in a valley, which is
very fertile. For this reason both communities are known for
farming. Even the school would break for a day known as, "Arbor
Day", when the children would plant trees for the day. Today, one
of the maple trees planted on Arbor Day in the 1940's is still
standing tall in front of St. Mark’s School. This landscape was
also good for raising livestock ie. cattle and pigs. Shearstown had
several slaughter houses during this early period, as well as,
large flock of sheep. Farming was later downsized in the town with
the opening of other businesses in nearby communities, for example,
the Adler Chocolate Factory.
Electricity came to the Shearstown in 1930. With electricity
came adult education. This program was one of the first of its kind
to be founded in the region. The program’s first enrollment was
nineteen people on January 30, 1931. This adult education program
had two predominant goals, the first to teach how to read and write
and the second to encourage debate.
Many things in Shearstown and Butlerville have come and gone
such as general stores , wholesalers, saw mills, movie theater,
slaughter houses, sheep breading, poultry farms, outdoor ice rinks,
playground and ballfield.
In the 1960's the outer part of Shearstown joined the Bay
Roberts Town Council and more recently in the early 1990's the rest
of Shearstown and Butlerville joined.
Some names that are common to the area are Mercer, Saunders,
Deering, Earle, Badcock, Holmes, Sparkes, Dwyer, Bradbury, Snow,
Tuttle, Parsons, Franey, Power, Butler, Richards, and Seymour.
Shearstown is known for its annual Farmers Festival. This
festival includes livestock and produce shows, horse rides and even
a Miss Shearstown Pageant.
Shearstown also has a Senior’s Center, and as mentioned a Lions
Club and L.O. L. Lodge. These halls hold many social events, such
as dances, bingo, card games, parties etc...
Skating and hockey were regular winter sports but harness
(horse) racing was also quite popular in winter, as well as, sleigh
riding.
In 1968, Shearstown began a recreation program which started
with games like rounders, ring toss and they even tried their hands
at bean bags. Today there are many sports popular in the community.
Many children and people of all ages play baseball, softball,
basketball, hockey, and snowmobiling. Shearstown was the home of
the Tigers, a hockey team well known in the area.
Another well recognized group from Shearstown is The Shearstown
Band. This band is usually present at most community events in not
only Shearstown, but in many of the surrounding communities. They
play at such things as parades and important hockey games.
Shearstown and Butlerville are great places to visit all year
round. You can skate on the ponds in the winter, swim in them in
the summer, the fishing and boating are also good. Picking wild
berries such as blueberries, strawberries and partridge berries is
also a common pastime in this area. Many residents of surrounding
communities have cabins and cottages in these two towns.
A variety of landmarks can be recognized as unique to
Shearstown. The school house, which was one of the first structures
built in the community, is still standing today. It was built in
the 1860's and is now part of St. Mark’s school. A second room was
added in the 1930’s to the one room structure, a third in 1951, a
forth room was added later and built in just eighteen days by men
who eagerly gave their time and work.
The first fundraiser for Ascension Collegiate was a rabbit
dinner held in the auditorium of St. Mark’s School. This school
also gave Ascension Collegiate something that they were sure would
last forever, its motto "CARPE DIEM", which means seize the
opportunity.
Before the church was built services, weddings, funerals etc...
were all held in the school house. The last people to be married in
the school house were Mr. William Vokey and Ms. Mary-Ellen Bradbury
on December 2, 1896.
The Anglican Church of Shearstown was constructed during
1896-1898. This solid building still stands in the community
today.
The Lions Club is another important building found in
Shearstown. In 1956 the land was purchased and the building was
first constructed as a Senior Citizen’s Center. This is where many
Seniors would do things to help the community, for example,
repairing furniture for the school. More pieces were added to this
structure and today it is the Lions Club.
The Orange Lodge was also a significant and one of the more
earlier organizations to arrive in Shearstown. Its building was
constructed in 1898 and was dedicated to the name of Cromwell in
1901. The lodge is L.O.L. #81. The first master was Martin
Sharpe.