I am told that the little gravel road winding down to the sea is now overgrown with grass. I suppose that in another decade or two, folks will stroll down this old road, will notice the indications that people once lived there and will wonder how and what kind of people lived there.
– John Morgan, former resident¹
Part of a project with the Cupids Trails Committee, this website was created to host historical, folkloric, and geological information about the abandoned communities that once existed along the Burnt Head and Spectacle Head trails in Cupids, Newfoundland and Labrador.
Each entry ("Next stop") directly relates to a specific trail sign and offers an opportunity to learn more about the communities, what they were like when they thrived, the reasons they were eventually abandoned, and their natural environment. You will be introduced to some of the families who lived in the area, and hear their stories and learn about their lives.
We hope this website will evolve—that it will be added to as we learn more stories to include. If you cannot get out to the trails, you can navigate this site as if you were walking along them.
The stories are in three general categories, which are indicated by one of these icons:
¹ Recollections of Burnt Head, John Morgan, n.d., Collection of Yvonne Akerman Reid.