Botwood: Located on the northeast coast of Newfoundland in the Bay of Exploits was first named Ship Cove (one of many such named coves in Newfoundland), and later renamed Botwoodville in honour of Archdeacon Edward Botwood of the Church of England, who not only ministered to his parishioners but was also instrumental in establishing a large lumber company in the area.

In the early 1900s it was shortened to Botwood.

There are a couple of interesting points about Botwood in relationship to its role as a seaport/airport for airplanes. The first dates back to 1933, when Charles and Anne Lindbergh made a nonstop flight across the Atlantic and landed in Botwood Harbour.

Subsequent to that, from 1937 to 1940, two different airlines, Pan Am and British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) used Botwood as a terminal for their Atlantic Crossings. In 1939, the Yankee Clipper, an American long-range "flying boat" left Botwood for the first scheduled Trans Atlantic Passenger flight.

The following description written in 1946 from the Virtual Museum website, describes the flights in and out of Botwood, and the services given to the passengers: Daily, the giant airliners of the BOAC, Pan American and Export Airlines circled the calm waters of Botwood harbour.

Their passengers disembarked at the pier sacred to the RCAF during the years when its dawn patrol was writing history and helping win the Battle of the Atlantic. Airliner passengers were driven to the rest in luxury at Caledonia Camp during the one and a half hour stop while their plane was being refueled.

At Caledonia Camp, the Caribou Club complete with bar, and up-to-date restaurant and other facilities, helped passengers pass the time in comfort and pleasure.

During WWII, Botwood became a patrolling and bombing seaplane base for the Royal Canadian Air Force. Several buildings, including a couple of hangers, four ammunition bunkers, along with concrete slipways and tarmac were constructed to facilitate the missions.

Today it is considered to be a large town by Newfoundland standards, with 2,875 citizens, however that is 4.4% less than recorded in 2011, when the population just topped 3,000 (i.e., 3,008).

The actual Bay of Exploits extends southerly from Notre Dame Bay (i.c., a "bay within a bay") to its head, where the Exploits River enters the bay (see section on Rivers); however, some refer to the area as extending as far north as the Exploits Island and east as New World Islands.

Major towns in the area include (heading inland) include: Botwood, Peterview, Bishop's Falls, and Lewisporte, all of which have been described elsewhere.

Exploits River: The longest river on the island of Newfoundland is the Exploits River in southwestern NL, which flows for 246 km (152.8 mi) to empty into the Bay of Exploits to the north.

The river drains an area of approximately 1,100 km2 (4,285.7 mi). From the Adventure Central Newfoundland Tourism website, the following is a wonderful description of the Exploits Valley:

The lush forests that drew the Beothuks and later the Europeans to this region still cast their spell, but today it's the tourists who come to breathe in the natural beauty of the Exploits Valley.

The area known as the Exploits engulfs the region from Norris Arm to Buchans and all 17 communities in between. It's here that Demasduit (Mary March), one of the last known Beothuks, was captured and later returned to her final resting place on the banks of Red Indian Lake.

The Beothuk used the many rivers and lakes that meander throughout this area as highways to the sea. The Exploits River, known as a prized Atlantic salmon fishing destination, is the longest and largest river on the island.

Located on this mighty river in the Town of Grand Falls-Windsor, is one of the most impressive salmon enhancement projects in North America.

Visitors to the Salmonid Interpretation Centre can witness the vigour of the wild Atlantic salmon on its annual journey up river to spawn.

Whether you come to fish the bountiful waters of the Exploits, or learn the role this area played in forever changing the aviation industry, one thing is for sure - you will certainly be captivated by the boundless beauty of the Exploits Valley.

The town of Exploits, on Burnt Island in Notre Dame Bay, was settled in the late 1700s. At one point it was a bustling fishing and lumbering town, but now is a ghost town, having been "resettled" in the late 1960s.

It is known that Cook charted the area in 1774, and the Exploit River is shown, however, the origin of the name is unknown.

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/23012.html