First one to operate at Basin Head was James Young, who would be the grandfather of Foster Young, Ida (Mrs. Ray Bruce, Vivian(Mrs. Robert Yates).

He built three vessels and launched them at Basin Head, that would be about 1860. One vessel was called James, one, Annie Elsie and the other name is unknown.

One of the vessels sank of Basin Head in about 70 feet of water and a trawl set over the spot today still catches on the wreck.

He owned the fish house built around the time, he employed some men to fish for him in dories of the shore. That is how George LaPierre and family came to settle at Basin Head. They fished for James Young. They had a house on top of the bank about where the museum now stands. His son's names were Georgie, Steven, Frank, and Willie. He also had a Ned LaPierre working for him, a relative of George's, he lived with James Young. He was married twice, his second wife is the mother of Lukie, Wilfred, Jimmyand Harold, she still lives today in Souris Manor.

George LaPierre was married twice, his second wife had two sons and a daughter when married they were Johnny, Frankie, and Louise Offrey. William Coffin married James Young's daughter Clara. James Young gave him part of his farm also his fish house at Basin Head. Then in the late 1800's other fish houses were built by John W. and Ezra Kennedy, Seth Maclean and the LaPierre's.

At that time fishermen who lived far from the shore stayed there all the time going home only on weekends or windy days. Some had living quarters upstairs and salted there fish downstairs. At the time they had to haul their dories on the beach dress their fish near the edge of the water, barrow the fish to the fish house with hand barrows, salt it in tubs or puncheons, when in salt about 2 weeks they took it out and pressed it dry on flakes made of poles. When dried hard they then hauled it to Matthew and McLeans in Souris who was their only buyer at that time. Fish were hauled by horse and truck wagon.

Started to use first gas engine in 1911, they were 4hp Imperial made in Ch'town, later there was Acadia, Palmer, Grey and Hawbolt used made in Nova Scotia Some of the ones that flshed on the shore at the time were John, Lester, James, William, John R. Junior, Alvin (all Robertsons) Ewart Ching, the LaPierres, Seth and Sheldon MacLean, and Arthur Neil.

Gorton Pew Co. came in 1914 and put up the big fish house, contracted and built by Milton Young, helped by the Robertson family. John Robertson Senior managed and bought fish for the Co. up until the time of his death in 1919.

Fish were a good price during the war years about 3 cents per pound split, they were brought in fresh then salted in tubs. Then in the late summer a vessel would come in as close to shore as possible and the fish would be hauled by horse and cart to the edge of the water, then hauled out in boats and loaded on the vessel.

Gorton and Pew Co. had their own vessel they were from Gloucester, Massachusetts.

They operated until 1921, then the fishermen had to salt their own, but still sold their fish to Gorton Pew Co. Loaded on vessels some times on rail road cars at the Baltic station hauled there by team and truck wagon. This continued until 1939 with very few fishermen when the harbour was started in 1938.

Built by a French company from Quebec with some local help. The sand was scooped out by horses and scoop to get in the works, some who worked with a team and scoop were Ralph Robertson, Barton MacDonald, Chester Bruce, Willard Ching, Charles Ching, Garfield Stewart, Eddie Robertson. When the works were put in a small dredge was taken in East Harbour below Mossey's, worked down river which began in 1938, hauled up on bank below Lowell Ching's for the winter and finished in 1939. Dredge Captain was Alex MacLean, Fireman - Freeman Webster and Engineer - Clis Gotell.

The present fish house was built in 1940 for salting fish in. Foreman - George Jarvis, helpers- Chester McNeil, Carl Stewart, and James Robertson.

Fish were bought in fresh and salted, operated by Fishermens Union, managed by Jerome Chapman. Fish were a good price during the Second World War and about 25 boats fished out of the Harbour, as fishermen came from Red Point to South Lake.

There were several fishing stands along the shore.

By 1944 the price for salt hake dropped to almost zero. Then Smiths from Halifax took over the fish house and started canning hake called "Chicken Haddie~. This business was operated by Gallants from Souris, a building was purchased from Theodore Robertson and hauled to the top of the bank and was used for a cook house with sleeping quarters upstairs. Some of the fishermen: who fished there at the time were Joshua McDonald, Reggie Rose, Harvie Stewart, Peter Stewart, Stewart Percy, Freston and Stanley Coffin, Albert Campbell, Neil McLellan, Harold and Danny LaPierre Louis, Mclnnis, Chester McNeil, Carl Stewart, Syl Sutherland, Jerome Sutherland, Joe and Basil Chapman, Lyman Rose, Fred E. Robertson, Wilbur Jarvis, George Jarvis, Arthur Bruce, James, John, Lester, William, and Robert Robertson and Wayne Bruce.

They canned there until the 1950's.

Started salting fish again, then Albert Griffin started buying at the present old stand further up the run, their was still a good many fishermen fishing when the draggers started operating in 1951. Coming from Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, as well as the local draggers. By 1960 draggers were so plentiful it was getting impossible to continue trawl fishing on account of the draggers. By 1966 the last shore fisherman had quit. Then the museum was built in 1972.

Washie Young was drowned in the spring of 1907, he and Seldon McLean were setting out net rocks, to anchor nets in dory. The dory was upset, Seldon clung to the dory and was saved but Washie's body was found the next day along the rocks.

In 1972 a museum was built with many artifacts that were used in the early days of fishing. When nylon rope, nets and twine came into use in 1960 it made fishing much easier. When cotton twine, nets and sical rope: was used rope had to be eared nets tanned to prolong their use. Cotton twine used for trapheads would only last a couple of years, now they never have to be replaced as far as rot is concerned.

In 1975 John Robertson was employed to catch and process fish much the same, as they use to years ago, using a dory with a 5 hp Imperial engine like what was used for fishing of the shore. It proved to be a great attraction for tourists, also a convenient place to buy some fresh fish for the natives as well as the tourists. Many pictures have been taken and I am sure many fish stories are been told of their experiences.

The fish houses on the beach were also built in 1972 they are replicas of the old buildings used long ago by the fishermen.

Special thanks to Mr. Robertson's son, John, for sharing this article.