Whitbourne: Formerly known as Harbour Grace Junction (and sometimes, perhaps more "informally" as Davenport Junction), the town of Whitbourne has a long and interesting history.

Its main "claim to fame", according to information presented in the ENL, is that it has the nickname of being "Newfoundland's First Inland Town" ("although the sawmilling community of Mint Brook near Gambo, was founded [earlier] in 1876 it was abandoned after 1907").

The history behind the town's settlement is outlined in the ENL Settlement began when the construction of the railway line from St. John's reached the area in 1883.

By the time the line had reached Whitbourne the syndicate constructing the railway across Newfoundland was in financial difficulty.

Consequently, it was decided to build a planned branch line to Harbour Grace from Whitbourne and operate that part of the line on behalf of their syndicate's bondholders.

Part of the construction contract was awarded to the firm of Daniel Davenport, who established an office and depot (and later a station hotel). Although the area was officially Harbour Grace Junction, it was therefore sometimes called Davenport Junction.

Labourers employed by the railway built temporary shelters for themselves every few miles as work progressed. One of these labourers was Mansfield Petipas, from Summerside in the Bay of Islands, who built a more permanent home and who is considered to have been Whitbourne's first settler.

By 1884, the Census indicated that there were 74 people "living along the railway line". Over time, "more railway labourers and their families established permanent dwellings at Harbour Grace Junction (usually along the rail line) when a branch line was built to Placentia between 1886 and 1888".

It was not long before a "town" had been established, and by Newfoundland standards very impressive as it had not, one but three hotels the Whitboume, the Cabot and the Globe.

It was in 1889 that the settlement was actually renamed to honour Richard Whitbourne, an early colonizer who first sailed to Newfoundland from Southampton, UK in 1579.

The name change is reported to have been at the suggestion of Colonial Secretary (and later Prime Minister) Robert Bond, who had purchased a large tract of land on Junction Pond, "where he erected a country estate and model farm", that he named "The Grange".

Whitbourne is still an important service community, and in 2016 it had a population of 890. That number reflects a decrease of 2.8% from the 916 recorded 5-years earlier in 2011.

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/Whitbourne