Lumsden: Located between Musgrave Harbour to the west and Cape Freels to the cast on a stretch that is often referred to as the "Straight Shore", Lumsden originally appeared on maps as Hav. Dechire or Wrecking Harbour, a reference to the hazardous waters in the area.

At some point it was changed to Cat Harbour, but in 1917 it was renamed in honour of Rev. James Lumsden, a Methodist minister who served his parishioners in Newfoundland from 1881 to 1892.

According to information presented in the ENL, the area was known to French migratory fishermen as early as the beginning of seventeenth century and was frequented not only "because of good inshore fishing ground", but also because the area offered an "ample shore space for drying".

Lumsden was part of the French Shore fishery until 1783, however after that point, it "became the focus of a migratory fishery out of Conception Bay" at which permanent settlers moved in, mostly from the Harbour Grace area.

Today the population is more reliant on tourism with the sandy beaches, camping, and recreation opportunities nearby at Deadman's Bay Provincial Park being the "draw".

DEADMAN'S BAY PROVINCIAL PARK:

Located on the northeast coast or 'straight' shore near Lumsden, Deadman's Bay Provincial Park has a popular beach of fine white sand which provides a fantastic view of icebergs in early summer.

Picnic sites and pit toilets are available for day users. The park takes its name from the nearby Deadman's Bay. As mentioned before on the section of Deadman's Bay, the derivation of the name of the bay is unknown.

WINDMILL BIGHT PROVINCIAL RESERVE:
Located 2 km (1.2 mi) east of Lumsden on Rte. 330, south of Deadman's Bay Provincial Park, Windmill Bight Provincial Reserve provides protection for the plateau bog which is found there, as well as providing protection for a rare sand dune system (1 of 5 protected in the province), which is a prime habitat for fish, birds (as many as 44 different species have been recorded) and other Indigenous wildlife.

As mentioned previously, a bight is an area of area in a broad indentation of the shoreline. From the Park's Blog, comes the following description of the area:

Thrusting out into the pristine, open Atlantic Ocean, the sandy dunes and wind swept beaches of Windmill Bight are hammered continually by heavy seas.

Many of the majestic icebergs that parade down the coast in spring ground along this exposed but ruggedly beautiful cape.... Running through the park's 39 hectares is a productive salmon river, a trout river, a freshwater pond with a sandy beach for swimmers and a large sandy beach on its saltwater boundary.

Given the description of the wind swept beaches there is a possibility that there was an actual windmill nearby at one point. The river that feeds the park is known as Windmill River.

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/Lumsden