Argentia
Part 1 - Friendly Invasion by the American Military
Located on the East Coast of North American, and the last to join confederation, Newfoundland and Labrador has had many misfortunes come their way throughout history. Unfortunately, most of the world has little to no knowledge of Newfoundland and Labrador. A Province rich in history and lore and also a magnificent strategic location for a military. Newfoundland (before the joining of Labrador) joined Canada in 1949 under the leadership of Joey Smallwood. Some locals would argue this was a terrible decision and others would say it was the best thing that ever happened to Newfoundland.
Argentia holds much history and significance. Had it not been for this strategic location during WWII, some say the Nazis would have won the war and taken over the world.
The tale of Argentia is a conglomerate of information and stories including but not limited to relocation of an entire community, grave diggings, Nazis, WWII, UFO’s, nuclear weapons, espionage and environmental damage. It has always been on my list favourite topics. I have dug deep into the research and I have also visited Argentia over the years.
There was limited resources while gathering my information but I came in luck at the public library and managed to find some good tidbits on the Newfoundland and Labrador historic websites. I have even come across some photos that have been seen by few and have had discussions with residents and relatives of past residents of the Argentia Community.
It is a melancholy story to get into but also holds significance when it comes to heroes and sacrifice during a time when the world was uncertain about its future due to conflict and dictatorships. Before developing into a top secret American Military Base, Argentia was occupied by content families who made the community quaint, peaceful and comfortable but was eventually ripped apart by the escalation of war times in the 1940’s.
Argentia was first colonized by emigrants and was known as Little Placentia. It became known as Argentia in the early 1900’s which means Silver and received that name because there was a presence of silver, lead and zinc mines.
The population of Argentia and Marquise in 1940 was approximately 900. The people lived a happy life in the small community. It was made up of mainly fisherman and small farmers and some residents were employed with the Newfoundland Railway which is no longer in existence today. Argentia was at that time self-sufficient and the residents grew their own vegetables and raised cattle and were not in need of much.
Things started to change in the 1940’s when there were Americans approaching the shores in massive Sea Planes, mysteriously surveying the lands while taking pictures. A young local named Andy encountered the Americans while out in his boat doing some work. They were private surveyors hired by the American Government and Andy figured they were checking out the local mines. He was told they were were checking out the dock that belonged to the Newfoundland Railway. Andy eventually helped guide them into the dock and shared drinks and chatted with the friendly men. Little did he know what would the future would hold.
Argentia was a proper strategic location for a Military Base due to its deep anchorage, ice-free harbour, flat available land for an airfield, access to an existing railway line and the location which was close to valued North Atlantic shipping routes. Fort McAndrew became the most expensive overseas American base built during the period. At its peak, twenty thousand American servicemen were stationed in Argentia.
At the time of the takeover by the Americans, some locals were intrigued by the idea of new employment income generating into Newfoundland. But some of the older folks felt differently as Argentia was all they ever knew and their families and ancestors built their houses there. Their ancestors were also buried in the Community. Seeing that the German’s were invading, it was an unfortunate circumstance that there was no other choice but to resettle the 400 plus residents to clear way for the Naval Base. It was an aggravating thought to those who had to start over again from scratch and develop their lives again. There were stories of wives clinging to the floor boards in tears as they were ripped away from their safe space.
The development of the Base eventually cost $52,000,000 - a huge amount of money in those days. The Amercians were said by some to be generous and understanding people, and sympathized with the residents who had been forced to leave their community and homes. At the time, there was no elected voice to represent the people of Argentia. A Resettlement Committee was formed and they negotiated the terms of resettlement. The Town of Freshwater was later chosen but things were moving very slow even though they had already left their homes behind. The price of building material was extremely high along with salary for carpenters due to the war. A request was made by the Resettlement Committee to have the duty fees on building materials lifted, and also that the Newfoundland Government pay for the Newfoundland Railway freight charges but they were refused on both. Compensation was provided but was very little.
On February 13, 1941 The American Flag was raised in Argentia and the people felt like foreigners in their own community. The American culture started to seep into the Newfoundland people, they were introduced to television, bridal and baby showers and trick or treating for Halloween which was unheard of before the Americans entered their lives. New foods were also introduced by the Americans including pizza, hamburgers, hotdogs, chili and sandwiches.
TO BE CONTINUED……….
Resources are as follows:
Naval Station Argentia - Wikipedia
https://warfarehistorynetwork.com/2016/09/02/the-argentina-conference-how-the-allies-were-formed/
Eileen Houllihan, (1992). Uprooted!: The Argentia Story, St. John's, N.L.: Creative Publishers
Darrell Duke, (2021). The Garden Gate: Argentia's Sacrifice for WWII, Newfoundland: Stagehead Publishing
Email: formulatedcuriousity@gmail.com
#newfoundland #militaryhistory #urbanexploring #argentia #secretsofnewfoundland