The communities of Birchy Head and Shoal Brook take their names from
geographical features, while the community of Glenburnie is a tribute to the
Scottish origins of the first settlers. The two smaller communities of Silverton
and Silver Point have been incorporated into these three communities
.
These communities are "enclave" communities in
Gros Morne National Park. These
communities are not in the park, but are closely tied to the development of park
facilities and tourism.
The community of Glenburnie was not settled until the
late 1880s. The first settler is believed to have been Hugh McKenzie from New
Brunswick. He came to the area to cut wood, but realised the potential of
farming in the area.
The early settlers of Shoal Brook were the Anderson,
Bailey, Brake, Burden, Curnell, McCauley, and Matthews families who came to the
area to fish. Birchy Head was not claimed by any fishermen because of the area
steep cliffs.
The land was claimed by the Church of England, Alfred White, Dr.
George Prebble and Simon Avery. Most of the residents of the area were involved
in farming and fishing. They fished mainly for cod, salmon, and lobster and
farmed hay, oats, root crops, potatoes, and raised livestock.
In the 1930s woods
operations by Bowaters became another important source of income for the area,
and in the 1950s some residents found seasonal employment at the United States
Air Force Base in Stephenville. Most of the farmland had gone to hay or pasture
land. The communities were incorporated as one town in 1978
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