Grand Falls-Windsor: Located on the northwest bank of the Exploits River in the north- central region of Newfoundland, the two nearby towns of Grand Falls and Windsor amalgamated in 1991 to form the largest town in Central Newfoundland.

The actual falls on the Exploit River, were named by Lieut. John Cartwright in 1768, and according to information presented in the ENL listing, they were renamed in 1847 to however the honour Governor J.G. LeMarchant, after he traveled in the area the same year, new name, Governor's Falls, was never adopted by local folk and over time, Grand Falls remained just that, a "grand" waterfall.

The history behind the settlement of Grand Falls is quite interesting. From the ENL: Unlike most Newfoundland communities, those visited by fishermen and settled gradually. Grand Falls came into being almost overnight.

The Harmsworth brothers, Alfred C. (later Lord Northcliffe) and Harold S. (the first Lord Rothermere), had seen vast increases in circulation of their newspaper, The Daily Mail, during the Boer War in the late 1890s.

By the beginning of the Twentieth Century concern was being expressed regarding Germany and its policies, and the Harmsworths realized that, in the event of war, supplies of newsprint would be difficult to obtain on the open market (George Hicks: 1968, p. 60).

They looked to North America, deciding that if a suitable location could be found, on acceptable terms, they would proceed with the construction and operation of a pulp and paper mill.

In 1903 their representative, Mayson Beeton, visited Newfoundland and, taking advantage of the new transinsular railway, inspected various locations before recommending the Grand Falls site.

Northcliffe, following his own visit in 1904, agreed; the site, on the banks of the largest river on the Island, had vast timber resources and great potential for hydro-electricity.

It was only a few miles from the rail line and had a nearby harbour at Botwood. Negotiations with the Newfoundland Government were begun and, despite the vehemence of the Opposition in the House of Assembly, an agreement was quickly reached.

On January 7, 1905 the Anglo-Newfoundland Development Company was incorporated at St. John's (F.A. Price: 1959, pp. 7-8). Following the initial survey and choosing of a townsite work went quickly.

By the end of 1906 the town was taking shape. Sixty or more permanent homes had been erected, with sewer and water lines; the mill site had been cleared, and plans for the mill, dam and powerhouse were to be implemented following spring breakup.

The pioneers who helped carve the new town and new industry, on the offer of good wages, came from other places in Newfoundland, Britain, Canada and the United States, and their names are still prominent in the area: Goodyear, Rowsell, Downton, Pike, Burke, Hollett, Pitcher and Gardner.

Windsor, located just across the railroad tracks from the town of Grand Falls, was originally known as Grand Falls Station (or simply "The Station" to the local townsfolk).

Since Grand Falls was a "true" company town, if you did not work for the company, you could not live there.

Those who wanted to "share" in the prosperity of Grand Falls, simply pitched tents just outside the town borders and fairly quickly permanent buildings were constructed - a few stores in 1905, a hotel in 1909, and the first house in 1911 and before long a new town was "born".

According to ENL sources, in 1935 the first census showed a population of 1,500 residents and in 1938 it became incorporated, with a new name, that of Windsor, to honour the Royal House of Windsor.

Second choice for the name was "Bondville" to honour Sir Robert Bond, the last Premier of Newfoundland Colony (1900-1907) and the first prime minister of the Dominion of Newfoundland (1907-1909).

Grand Falls-Windsor not only is the largest town, it, unlike the majority of towns in Newfoundland, it is growing in size. In the 2016 census, there were 14,171 residents, a modest 3.2% increase from 2011 when 13,725 residents were enumerated

Jamieson Hills: Located inland, north of Francois, Jameson's Hills, Jameson's Mountains as well as Jameson's Lake (formerly Lake Meelpaeg that was named by Cormack "in honour of an excellent friend and distinguished promoter of science and enterprise Professor Jameson, of Edinburgh"

(From: Cormack's Narrative of a Journey across the Island of Newfoundland, dated October 7, 1822 cited in Young, 2018). Most maps of the interior show the lake by its original name, Lake Meelpeah.

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/GrandFallsWindsor