From humble beginnings to modern day, people from far and wide came together to form what we now call Paradise. It all began in the early 1800s when settlers from surrounding areas began to branch out in search of new beginnings. While some passed through, others fell in love with the community and decided to plant family roots. For the families that continued to develop the town, here are some notable people who played a part in Paradise’s history.
Michael Laurie, Philip Picco, Jennings sisters |
Brothers-in-law after marrying the two Jennings sisters (from Portugal Cove) (Laurie from Queen’s County, Ireland); settled in Horse Cove (“where the Horse Cove Brook empties into Conception Bay”) around 1800.
(source: Laurie, Philip. “History of St. Thomas”) |
John Clarke (Aberdeen), William Stapleton (Ireland), Thomas Travers (Ireland), Patrick Travers (Ireland), James Whelan (County Kilkenny) |
Next settlers along Horse Cove coast; families from Portugal Cove; between 1800-1820; their presence filled the cove (source: Laurie, Philip. “History of St. Thomas”) |
Fr. Thomas O’Connor |
St. Thomas namesake; parish priest (RC) serving Portugal Cove/Horse Cove area for 40 years in the early 1800s
(source: Laurie, Philip. “History of St. Thomas”) |
Nicholas Murphy, Ambrose Janes, William Coombs, Moses Gosse, Bertram Janes, John Lynch |
First settlers (and families) of Horse Cove Line interior, resulting from over-occupation of coastal areas for fishing. From Upper Island Cove; spring 1898 (source: History of the Town of Paradise) |
Rev. Edward Colley |
Minister at St. John the Evangelist Anglican Church, Topsail from 1876-1904; first to minister to the residents of the settled interior; possibly suggested the name “Paradise” (source: History of the Town of Paradise) |
Richard Gosse |
Born September 22, 1901, baptized October 13, 1901; son of Moses Gosse (original interior settler); first recorded baby born, baptized in “Paradise”; at St. John the Evangelist Anglican Church in Topsail (source: Parish Records, Topsail Church of St. John the Evangelist) |
John Clark, Sarah Lynch (daughter of original settler John Lynch) |
Married August 25, 1903; first recorded marriage in “Paradise”; married by Rev. Colley at St. John the Evangelist Anglican Church in Topsail; witnessed by Wm. Coombs and Mary A. Lunch (source: Parish Records, Topsail Church of St. John the Evangelist) |
Mary A. Clarke (first mention of "Paradise") |
Died February 22, 1901; 10 yrs old; first recorded death in “Paradise”; first mention of Paradise in records (source: Newfoundland Vital Statistics, Harbour Main District) |
Hon. W.W. Woodford |
Sitting member for Harbour Main District, early 1900s; kept summer home at Octagon pond; another possible origin for the name Paradise (source: History of the Town of Paradise) |
James Patrick |
Member of non-denominational religious group “Christian Organization”; arrived in 1911 and began looking for settlers willing to convert from Anglican majority; by 1921, “Christian Organization” was fully established in Paradise, with converts numbering 53 of the 150 residents (source: History of the Town of Paradise) |
David Lynch |
In January 1930, Mr. Lynch reached an agreement with Newfoundland Light and Power granting the company right of way to the use of his land for the purpose of installing the poles and wires that would eventually bring electricity to the Paradise area for the first time. (source: History of the Town of Paradise) |
Albert Clarke, William Clarke, Ambrose Sharp, William Sharp, Walter Lynch |
Victims of the SS Southern Cross disaster on March 31, 1914. The Southern Cross, returning from a sealing expedition, sank off Newfoundland’s southeast coast in a vicious storm, claiming the lives of all 174 people aboard.
(source: History of the Town of Paradise) |
Professor Charles Henry Danielle |
Born in Baltimore, Maryland on November 1, 1830, Charles Henry Danielle would come to be one of the more mysterious and eccentric citizens Newfoundland had ever seen. Little is known of his early life, but Danielle begins to make his mark in St. John’s by 1872, when he either purchased or leased the Victoria Rink in the Bannerman Park area and began to hold elaborate carnivals on ice, complete with outrageous costumes and lavishly-decorated surroundings. He soon came to be known as an eccentric “fancy man,” with a penchant for pomp and circumstance. Some years later, Danielle set up shop near Quidi Vidi Lake but soon wore out his welcome and either voluntarily left the area or was forced out by competing business interests. His next, and most famous, business was the majestic Octagon Castle, situated on the shores of Octagon Pond. Officially opened by Prime Minister William Whiteway in June 1896, the Octagon Castle was a grand building designed to act as a resort destination for well-heeled people all over the northeast Avalon and surrounding areas. Four stories tall and over 10,000 square feet of ornately-decorated luxury, the castle functioned as a restaurant, hotel, gallery and beach area, and would also be the final resting place of Prof. Danielle, who displayed his own coffin, built of walnut and glass and decorated with gold, to visitors and was exhibited there for a number of days after his death in May 1902. (source: Riggs, Bert. “Charles Henry Danielle” 1992) |
Bill Lewis |
After the dissolution of a provincially-appointed council in 1982 and a brief period of management by a provincial commission, citizens of Paradise participated in the town’s first election on April 1, 1985. Bill Lewis received 688 votes, making him the town’s first elected mayor. Lewis resigned from Council in late 1986. (source: Peter Wells, personal interview) |
Richard “Dick” Squires |
After the town of St. Thomas was officially incorporated in 1977, residents elected Richard Squires as mayor of the town’s first council. Squires was again elected in 1989, the town’s last municipal election before amalgamation with Paradise in 1992, making him the town’s first and last mayor.
(source: Shoreline, February 23, 2017) |
Dianne Whalen |
Elected as deputy mayor on April 1, 1985, Whalen became mayor on November 17, 1986 after the resignation of former mayor Bill Lewis, and remained in that position for the next 17 years, being re-elected multiple times. During her time as mayor, she successfully resisted a number of attempts to annex Paradise to surrounding areas, and oversaw the amalgamation of Paradise with the communities of St. Thomas, Topsail Pond, Elizabeth Park, and Evergreen Village in 1992. On October 21, 2003, Whalen stepped down as mayor after winning a seat in that year’s Provincial election.
(sources: Peter Wells, personal interview; The Telegram, November 6, 2003) |
Fred W. Brown |
Promoted to mayor after Dianne Whalen’s departure, Brown had been a council member since 1985, and provided the town with a total of twenty years of public service after retiring in April 2005.
(source: Shoreline, April 2, 2005) |
Ralph Wiseman |
Elected in the municipal election held in September 2005, Wiseman served as mayor until 2013. During his time as mayor, Wiseman and council were responsible for developing what would become the Paradise Double Ice Complex, among many other achievements. Wiseman’s time as mayor garnered national media attention in September 2009, when the election resulted in controversy. 19-year-old Kurtis Coombs, challenging the incumbent Wiseman, appeared to win the race by a mere 3 votes. After a subsequent recount, it was determined that the election had actually ended in a tie. Both Wiseman and Coombs’ names were placed in a box and Wiseman’s was ultimately chosen by the Town Clerk in a second and final draw, acclaiming him as mayor.
(sources: Shoreline, October 9, 2005; Shoreline, October 3, 2009; The Telegram, October 14, 2009; The Telegram, May 2, 2013) |
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