Background

Upper Island Cove is a community, found in 1675, with an original population of fourteen men, no women or children, now has a population of approximately 2200 people. It was settled in the mid seventeen hundreds by four different families; the Youngs, the Pynns, the Parsons and the Cranes. All of these families remain there today with the exception of the Pynns who moved to Harbor Grace. The Young and Crane families operated a fleet of schooners in Upper Island Cove from the early 1700's up until 1930 when the fishery failed very badly. There was little other industry besides fishing.

The community was nicknamed the "walled city". The land was covered with rocks which were cleared, formed into walls that separated each settler's land. The land used for self-sufficient farming. these brick walls can still be seen today.

Children in the community didn't play buttons or marbles. They pitched coppers . A small hole was dug in a smooth area and the idea was to pitch the pennies, or coppers, into the hole from some distance away. Any pennies that landed in the hole were kept. The last person with any pennies was the winner.

(Oldest house in Upper Island Cove)

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