Charleston: Located on Rte. 230-N, local history suggests that the community was named after the first settler, Charles Quinton, who moved into the area in the early 1800s.

The following, from David Pike's Family History page gives a bit more history insight: It was in the early part of the 18th century that the little settlement of Charleston in Bonavista Bay was first inhabited.

The first settler to arrive there was Charles Quinton who came there to make his home together with his wife and family which consisted of 2 sons and 3 daughters.

At that time there was nothing but forest all around with a lake of salt water going inland until it became only about 1/2 mile wide at the bottom of the bay.

This narrow inlet was called Southern Bay which name applied to both sides of the harbour. It was about fifty years later that the name Charleston was given to one side of the bay.

Southern Bay being still the name of the opposite side. Soon after the arrival of Charles Quinton to the settlement a few other families decided to try their luck at making a home there too.

Among them being names such as John Fry, Thomas Fry, Richard Taylor, James Gould, Christopher Prince, Abram Hobbs, James Matthews and Henry Fry and as time passed others were added to the number.

These were hard working people both men and women, truly pioneers. They fished and farmed during the summer and during the winter months they built boats and cut firewood and logs to be sawed into planks for schooners, many of which were built by the early settlers.

Lumber for houses was easily obtained near their homes, it being thick forest all around them. The job of sawing the lumber was not so easy.

There were no saw mills in these days so the lumber required for any building had to be sawed by pit saw which meant long hours of arms aching, back breaking work for the men.

Nevertheless by work and perseverance they succeeded in all their efforts and in a few years, the settlement began to take shape.

Used with permission from "Uncovering the Origin of 1001 Unique Place Names in Newfoundland and Labrador" 2021 Jennifer Leigh Hill

Address of this page: http://nl.ruralroutes.com/CharlestonNL