Names & Stages

Trail Map

The Morgan family gives their name to Morgan’s Cove.¹ With the exception of a few family members, such as Samuel Morgan who was a carpenter, the Morgans were fishers. Three Morgan brothers had fishing stages close to each other in nearby Noder Cove. The people of the community nicknamed the buildings the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.

Greenland, Morgan's Cove, Noder Cove, and Deep Gulch were all settled because of their proximity to fishing grounds in nearby Conception Bay. Before outboard motors existed, fishers would row out to their fishing grounds every day, and back, which was hard work. Living close to fishing grounds meant they spent less time rowing, saving them time and energy. Many men who lived in the communities along the Burnt Head Trail also fished "on the Labrador."

The government wharf in Cupids. Photo by Mary Schwall.
Memorial University Archives and Special Collections (Coll-206), 1.01.040. 

While every fisherman knew enough carpentry to build themselves a house, a carpenter was needed for the finer work. Samuel Morgan's skill set him apart from the rest. He lived in one of the largest houses in the community, which he inherited from his father, and he worked hard to improve it.² People remember the house as having an enclosed front porch with windows, a large front door, and a flat roof with felt shingles. Samuel Morgan's carpentry shop was across from his house. From there, he made window sashes and doors for the people in the neighbouring communities.

¹ Renelle Bishop, "The Abandoned Communities: Greenland, Noder Cove and Deep Gulch," August 6, 2000, Cupids Historical Society, Cupids Legacy Centre.

² John Morgan, "Recollections of Burnt Head," n.d., Collection of Yvonne Akerman Reid.

Virtual Tour

Acknowledgements