Princeton (Seal Cove) - Community History

At the turn of the century the role the Seal Cove residents played in the migratory fishery declined but it was still very much a fishing community. The inshore fishery also failed in the early 1900's and this resulted in many families leaving the community and seeking work in the eastern United States and various parts of Canada. For some it was a temporary move but for others it became permanent. Many of the Seal Cove men went to Central Newfoundland to work in the lumber woods for part of the year, a tradition that would continue for a long time. Other men found work outside Newfoundland as dock workers, crew members on various types of vessels, and as farm workers. Silas Prince of Seal Cove worked on farms in the US for many years but eventually returned to Seal Cove where he settled down and raised his family. Many who left became captains, businessmen, and community leaders in other areas. In 1924, Alfred Prince of Princeton led a group of 2000 striking workers at the Corner Brook logging/papermill operation, Charles Prince became a captain of his own vessel, Edward Prince started his own hardware business in Toronto and Robert Prince became a businessman in the United States. Growing up in Seal Cove gave them a wide range of skills and they had no difficulty finding employment.

By 1908 the future once again looked bight for the community. The Reid Newfoundland Railway Company Ltd was conducting the survey for the rail bed route of the Bonavista Branch line and the line was to pass through Seal Cove. The community was also chosen as a site for a railway station. The survey was completed in 1909 and many of the residents managed to find employment working on the line or constructing the station and other railway buildings. It took two years to complete the construction of the line and station facilities and this created much needed employment for the people.

The Bonavista Branch line opened Nov 8, 1911 and this brought new families to the community and created new jobs for the Seal Cove residents. Some were employed at the station and others worked on the section. The station brought new business to the community as box cars full of freight arrived and departed. Boats, which were referred to as the "bay boats" were coming to and from the wharf carrying passengers, freight and mail. Seal Cove became a service center for many communities further down the peninsula. Passengers, freight and mail would arrive by boat from other communities and depart from Seal Cove by train or arrive by train and be distributed to other communities by boat. By 1913 the McAlpine Gazetteere description of settlements described Seal Cove as a fishing, farming, and lumbering settlement with a post and money order office and a railway running through and around the cove. A community containing two stores, one church and a population of 130.

There were many communities in Newfoundland with the name Seal Cove and this caused much confusion. Samuel Prince, the grandson of the first Samuel Prince had returned home to Seal Cove by train and upon arrival it was discovered that his luggage had been sent to the town of Seal Cove in Conception Bay. Samuel decided the time had come for the community to take a new name and avoid future mix ups. After some discussion the residents choose the name Princeton in honor of Samuel Prince because of the role he played in bringing about the name change and it also seemed appropriate because his grandfather, Samuel Prince was the first settler. From that time on the community of Seal Cove became known as Princeton.

This was a period of new industry and growth for the community. Joliffe Quinton a Princeton resident and business man arrived home from British Columbia where he had been managing a Pacific whaling factory. While in BC he had obtained the patented right for the process of curing squid for edible purposes and he had secured markets for dried squid in Vancouver and China. By 1912 he had built a new squid drying factory and created a new industry for the area. Prior to this squid had only been used as bait for the cod fishery and this was the first time squid was ever dried in Newfoundland. This provided employment for many people. Fishermen were able to sell all the squid they could catch either fresh or dried, many worked at the factory drying and packaging the product, and others were employed constructing wooden barrels which the squid were shipped in. People turned to squid to supplement their fishing income which had declined due to the downturn in the cod fishery.

By 1914, the beginning of WWI, more and more passengers departed from Princeton station on their way overseas. Like many communities the war had taken it toll on Seal Cove. Many of the young men joined the war effort, dried squid markets were disrupted, shipping routes were no longer safe and it was more difficult exporting salt cod as well as importing other products. This led to the shortage of many necessary items but it brought the people closer together and by sharing what they had they got through the difficult times.

By the 1920's the community was moving ahead once more with the development of its resources. The railway continued to be a major employer. The fisher people continued salting cod, drying squid and participating in the seal harvest at the front. The forest industry provided employment but there were some concerns regarding the depletion of the resource. Over harvesting was not as great a concern as fire. The train during summer months was known to start fires along the track and fire had already destroyed much timber. The railway employed men who walked the tracks putting out possible flare ups but the only fire fighting equipment they had were water pails, axes and shovels. Levi Prince of Princeton walked the tracks on fire patrol for many years during his employment with the railway. By the 1930's the railway had modernized and was using powered water pumps and powered rail cars known as speeders. The first automobile had arrived in the community during this period.

Around 1934 the Department of Natural Resources decided more had to be done to protect the forest and a look out tower was constructed at Powder Horn Hills about seven mile from Princeton and from there it was possible to look out over a large portion of the peninsula and spot fires immediately. This tower was connected to the Princeton Railway Station and Post Office by telephone and Princeton residents Melvin Prince and in later years Calvin Prince worked at this tower on fire patrol. The Princeton residents had a trail from the community to the Ocean Pond where they cut timber and hauled it by horse and sleigh. This trail was referred to as the Rattle Pond Path. When government was in the process of constructing a forestry road in this area Melvin Prince of Princeton identified the old path for the officials and this same route was used for the road. It began as a logging path used by Princeton residents and many years later became know as the Ocean Pond Road and served as access to cabin lots.

The 1930's and the Great Depression years were difficult in Princeton as well as in places worldwide. Fish markets were not good and in 1939 the Squid Factory burned to the ground. The factory was rebuilt but they no longer dried squid on the premises. They operated as a buying operation and purchased the dried product from the fishermen. Fish prices were at an all time low. By 1940 the world was at war once more and the railway which had been taken over by the Newfoundland government was being neglected and the government had no funds to spend on its upkeep. The one bright spot for Princeton was the arrival of a contingent of US Army soldiers who were stationed at Princeton to protect a communication telegraph line which had been built earlier. Some of the locals found employment with the Americans at that time.

At the end of the war in 1945 Newfoundland found itself bankrupt and under the leadership of Commission Government. The idea of Confederation with Canada arose and the community was divided on the issue. Princeton had survived as a small community in the Dominion of Newfoundland but residents wondered how it would fare as a small rural community in a large country like Canada. They would soon find out, on April 1, 1949 Newfoundland became the tenth province of Canada and the community prepared for the future with a combination of optimism and uncertainty.