Peterview
Town

Phone : (709) 257-2926
Your Host(s) : Municipality

Peterview, NL (Nearby: Botwood, Northern Arm, Norris Arm, Bishop's Falls, Point of Bay)

  • Detail

7 Abbott Street
Peterview, A0H 1Y0


Newfoundland Tourism Region : Central


Peterview:

Located at the bottom of the Bay of Exploits, opposite Botwood, the community stretches about 6 km (3.8 mi) along the south shore of Peters Arm from the mouth of Peters River to Wigwam Point. Early on it was known as Dominion Point, and more latterly as Peter's Arm South.

According to Wikipedia contributors, the change was instigated by R. W. Abbott in 1951, who was not only a clergyman, but also a teacher and the first chairman of the town council. The community was incorporated as the Town of Peterview in 1962.

While there are (or were) a number of communities with the name "Peter" in them, for example, Little Peters Arm, Peters Arm, Peters River, Peters Point, and now Peterview, who is Peter remains unknown as all the usual sources of information led to category.

No substantiated clues, and hence the community is placed in this "unknown" What is known is that the community is of historical importance because the earliest settlers in the area were Beothuks who settled at Wigwam Point, a name no doubt given by non-native folk.

It was formerly called Sandy Point. In a Wikipedia contribution there is a bit more information about the Beothucks in the area:

The Beothuck were the first settlers and first residents of Peterview.... The Beothuck were seen as savages by the European voyagers because they stole their fish, equipment, and materials, which eventually led to hostility between the two races.

Because of this resentment during the 1700s, it was alleged that John Peyton [a English-born fisherman and trapper, a name synonymous with the capture of Demasduit (Mary March)] appeared before the reigning government in St. John's and proposed that the Mi'kmaq tribe (a more war-like people) be brought in from Nova Scotia to kill off the Beothuck, though this claim has been shown not to hold up under close examination.

Upon returning to Peterview in 1790, John Peyton built the first home. This started the first real settlement in Dominion Point.... Between 1790 and 1830, John Peyton and his family worked in the farming and fishing industries.

It's unsure, but there may have been other people living here or coming in from other places to help John Peyton and his family.

Lumbering was the mainstay of the community with the first sawmills being built as early as 1832. The community was incorporated as the Town of Peterview in 1962, and in 2016, the population of Peterview was recorded as being 828, a 2.3% increase from the 809 tallied 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/Peterview



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Peterview, Phone : (709) 257-2926

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