The first settlers of Little Bay Islands, the Campbells (110 years ago) got
their supplies from a man Knight of St. Johns, who has been mentioned before under
the section about the History of our people. He sent a trader around the Bay each
summer supplying the people who were not in contact with merchants of other places.

     After the influx of population from Twillingate and Herring Neck the people
traded with the firms at Twillingate, especially Duders, whose premises the firm of
Ashbournes now have. Duders used to send a trader fall and spring. She used to
anchor in Mursells Cove as well as the Southern Harbour. After the settlers got
schooners of their own, they would go to Twillingate themselves for their supplies.
That was why the Mayflower, one of the first schooners, if not the first ever built
here, was built by Philip Wiseman at Mursells Cove.

     This practice continued until the Strong Brothers' business developed and
became strong enough to do the supplying. The first store, a small shop, was owned
by a Mr. Mack, who gave Mack's Island its name. He did not do a very big business,
and he lived where Mr. John Weir now lives on Macks Island.

     The next business was that of the Strong Brothers, Joseph and James. It seems
that these brothers attended the Old Methodist Academy about 1970 [1870?], went to the ice
on a sailing vessel in the spring and earned about $40.00. When they came to the
North, Ayre & Sons gave them $500.00 worth of goods to start a business. That was
the beginning of what is now James Strong Ltd. From little acorns grow mighty oaks,
may certainly be said of this Company, because, since 1870 it has grown to be one of
the largest Nfld. outport Companies and conducting the largest fish business north
of Fogo. There were many changes before it finally reached the Company we have here
now. The first shop was situated where later it would do the supplying for a
schooner to be built on the Island.

     A few years later the brothers separated, Joseph starting a business on Mack's
Island, near where Mr. James Locke now lives. James built a new store where the
Company's fish store now is. Both these brothers did a fair business, supplying for
the fishery and buying fish. At the same time Richard Mursell conducted a business
on Bungalow Point, and A.C. Hynes on the Point where Walter Wiseman, Jr. now lives.
In 1889 (52 years ago) these four firms merged into one and formed the Little Bay
Island Packing Co. This was a large company which did a general supply business,
supplying for the Shore and Labrador fishery. It also sent a trader to the French
Shore, and tinned lobsters. About 10 years later, the four again separated and
Richard Mursell and James Strong formed the business of Strong and Mursell. Their
business did the same kind of business as the former Company, except the packing of
lobsters. It became, during this period, the largest supply firm that we now know.
This continued until 1923, when the present firm of James Strong Ltd. was
incorporated.

     These are the outlines of the history of the present company, which has played
so important a part, not only in the life of Little Bay Islands, but also in the
life of the Northern part of Notre Dame Bay and the French Shore, from Pacquet to
Griquet. At one time this firm had three traders, two on the French Shore, and one
around the Bay. It supplied thousands of people for the fishery, (the French Shore &
Labrador fishery). It also bought and outfitted schooners, until at one time it sent
as many as 50 to the French Shore and Labrador. It has secured and bought as much as
50,000 Qtls. of fish in the one year. This year, 1941, it had 17 schooners to the
fishery, which brought home 12,000 Qtls. The Company bought about 30,000 Qtls. of
fish this year. The greater part of this fish is packed in barrels and exported
directly from here. One can visualize the amount of employment this brings to Little
Bay Islands, because, besides the making of the barrels, and the packing of the
fish, the greater part of it is dried on the firm's own flakes.

     The life of the community has directly or indirectly been influenced by this
Company for the past 60 years. There would be, at the present time, very little
employment here if the firm of James Strong ltd. did not do the fish business that
it does. Besides the fish business, it deals with a lot of other produce from around
the Bay. It buys thousands of barrels of vegetables around the Bay, all the meat
that is brought to it, (beef, pork, and mutton), hundreds of cords of wood, logs for
its sawmills, (as they operate two here), and lumber from the mills around the Bay.
They also operate a large mill at Middle Arm, Green Bay.

     Besides buying the above mentioned products it also buys thousands of seal
pelts each year, from New Bay to Horse Islands. They also tin salmon, rabbit and
seal. They buy turbot and herring. In fact they buy everything that is brought to
them. I have put down the above just to show how this firm plays so important a part
in the economic life of not only our Island, but nearly every place from Horse
Islands to New Bay. Besides the business here, it also conducts a business at Fishot
Islands on the French Shore. 

     The guiding hand behind the creation, organization and building up of this
Company was the Hon. James M. Strong. He was the guiding spirit of the Company for
more than 50 years, and was then managing director until 10 years ago, when he was
succeeded by his son William. The present managing director is H. L. Strong. Besides
the managing director, there is an assistant manager, James Strong, Jr., an
accountant, W.W. Wiseman, a bookkeeper, R.H. Taylor, 2 storekeepers, three clerks,
an outside manager, J.A. Strong, several carpenters, besides a host of other
workers. On fine days it employs as many as fifty people.

     While on the subject of trade, I may say that a Mr. Stewart, a Scotchman,
conducted a supply business here about fifty or sixty years ago. He also had a
French Shore trader, and did a fair business for about 20 years. His son, J.C.
Stewart, was manager of James Baird, Ltd., Bell Island for a number of years.

     At one time Thomas Thistle conducted a French Shore trade from here, and had a
shop now known as the Ensign Store.

     Doubtless there were many others during the past history of the Island. At
present there are two other stores, R. Jones and Mrs. Ethel Wiseman, who does cash
business, but not a supply business.

     The above is a history of trade of our Island in as far as we have been able
to collect the facts, but we admit it is not as complete as we would like it to be.