Our Rich History
In the 1880s England depended mostly on Sweden for its lumber and timber needs. Lewis Miller, a timber baron and merchant from Crieff, Scotland, established sawmills in Sweden through special arrangement with the King and Government. Later with the exhaustion of timber on his limits at the end of the 1890s, the operation was no longer viable. Having heard of Newfoundland’s vast timber resources from his friend R.G. Reid, Miller decided to send his trusted woods manager Alexander ‘Mack’ McCrombie to determine the potential for development in this country.
McCrombie arrived in Newfoundland in the late fall of 1899. His objective was to cruise the Red Indian Lake area in search of pine timber to supply the purposed sawmill operation. Mack snow-shoed to the lake from the private Reid rail car located in Joe Glodes pond (later known as Millertown Junction). Eventually, Mack returned to St. John’s and forwarded his positive report to Miller in Scotland.
Lewis Miller arrived in St. John’s in August 1900 after closing his operations in Sweden. He brought several Scots and over one hundred Swedish lumbermen, mill workers, families, and their household effects. Miller also brought equipment for two mills and winch boats (alligator side wheelers). A mill and winch-boat were destined for Glenwood.
To accommodate the workers and families at Millertown, a suitable town site had to be planned. The ultimate site was unforgettably beautiful with the stand of pine laid out on a spit of land extending from the south-east shore of the lake. It was almost the opposite shore where the Mary March River flowed into the lake. The point of the spit of land is commonly referred to as a Beothuk encampment site in proximity to where Mary March was captured and eventually returned for burial following her death in Ship Cove (Botwood).
The new town was planned and laid out with three streets, all running at right angles to the main road and parallel to the lake shore. Eighty Swedish style two-room cottages were built along the streets, each with a frontage of 100 feet. This feature was mainly for fire protection.
In addition to the eighty cottages there were several larger two-story houses of the staff-house type for large families, supervisors, and bosses. On completion of the houses Miller decided to construct a Church/School. The Church built on the hill overlooking the lake still stands today as a continuing place of worship.
Lewis Miller divested his holdings to Harry Crowe of Newfoundland Timber Estates in 1903. In 1905 Crowe sold to the newspaper barons, the Harmsworth brothers of London, England, who planned a paper mill in GrandFalls. The new Anglo-Newfoundland Development Company (A.N.D. Company) brought prosperity to the region.
The original town site was moved to higher land prior to the construction of the Exploits dam near Millertown resulting in the lake’s higher water level in 1926-1927. Some of the early houses, the rail bed, and remnants of the sawmill steam plant (iron wheel) exist today.
In 2000, when the town founded by Miller celebrated its centennial, a descendant of Miller named Audrey Johnson MacDonald (grand niece) visited from Ontario and participated in the celebrations. Later, John and Peter McCurdy (great grandsons from Nova Scotia) visited Millertown and more recently Winifred Kelly (great granddaughter from Crieff, Scotland) came to connect with their heritage.
Millertown History
1768 Lieutenant John Cartwright and his brother George, considered the first white men to reach the shores of Red Indian Lake, named it Lieutenant Lake
1811 David Buchan travelled up the exploits river to establish a friendly contact with the Beothuk
1819 Demasduit (Mary March) was captured by John Peyton at Red Indian Lake and her husband Nonosabusat (last chief of the Beothuk) was killed.
1820 David Buchan attempts to return Demasduit to Red Indian Lake, but she dies of tuberculosis during the voyage back.
1827 William Epps Cormack explores Exploits River and the east end of Red Indian Lake
1875 James Howley explores Red Indian Lake and Victoria River.
1899 Lewis Miller send his trusted servant, Alex McCombie, to survey pine stands and obtain necessary acreage for two mills.
1900 Scotsman Lewis Miller builds a town and steam operated sawmills.
1900 A 19-mile spur line to Red Indian Lake from Millertown Junction was built.
1901 The church was built, an opening dedication service was held on March 10th
1901 Lewis Miller opens the first school; Mr. Whiteway was the first teacher in Millertown.
1903 Lewis Miller sells his lumbering enterprise to Harry Crowe and W.D. Reid (Newfoundland Timber Estate LTD.)
1905 Harmsworth purchases the operation, establishes the A.N.D Company.
1908 Hugh Cole brings a herd of reindeer to Millertown to be used for the logging company as a source of food for the men in lumber camps; they were also used to haul wood.
1909 Millertown becomes headquarters for one of A.N. D’s four wood divisions.
1910 Millertown railroad was sold to the A.N.D. Company
1910 A.N. D Builds a 19-mile extension to Lake Ambrose, the harpoon logging railway.
1910 The first E.V. Royal Stores were opened in Millertown. It was converted from part of Lewis Miller’s old Mill on the right ride of the steam engine, facing the Lake.
1911 A.N.D. builds small hospital in Millertown
1921 On June 8th to 12th, a large forest fire in the lumber woods in Millertown area came dangerously close to destroying the Town.
1926 The Town that was built on the point was moved to higher ground in anticipation of raising the water level of the Lake.
1927 Dam built on the Exploits River, Red Indian Lake.
1931 On October 16th, a public meeting was held to appoint trustees for the newly built Town Hall.
1933 A Promising copper prospect was opened near the Victoria River.
1937 The Men’s Club was formed
1938 Girl Guides and Brownies were formed; they were active until 1978
1939 Boy Scouts were formed.
1940 New two-classroom school opened October 14th
1945 On September 17th, a new classroom was added to the school. Mr. Potts, A.N.D. Company Manager, and Reverend Maidment, Anglican Minister, officiated the opening.
1947 Towers are built on hungry Hill and Harpoon Hill in the lumber woods area, used as lookout towers for fire patrol.
1948 44 Housing units were wired for electricity in Town. The power was turned on November 11th.
1952 Millertown Memorial Athletic Association was formed.
1956 Highway was completed to Millertown.
1957 The Lake Ambrose and Millertown to Buchans Junction railway lines were dismantled
1968 Osmond’s Sawmill begins operations.
1977 Millertown Volunteer Fire Department is formed
1991 Book named Heave out Millertown: A History of Logging, is published by the Red Indian Lake Heritage Society
1991 School closes; students are now bused to Buchans
1995 New 273-foot baily Bridge is opened, replacing the dam crossing.
2000 Millertown Come Home Year celebrates 100 years of Logging.
2004 AUR Resources announces decision to proceed with development of the Duck Pond Mine. (Located just 30km SW of Millertown.)
2005 Opening of the Lewis Miller Snowmobile Trail
2007 Duck Pond officially Opens on May 9th
2013 Duck Pond Mine officially closes its doors
2019 Marathon Gold Announces decision to proceed with the development of Valentine Lake Gold Mine (Located 65km South of Millertown)
2020 Millertown Celebrates their Come Home Year Celebrating 120 years of Logging and Mining History.
Lewis Mille’r Sawmill on the shores of Red Indian Lake
Great snap of the Royal stores and “Up-town”
Millertown around 1949. Looking Downtown with the old train platform on your left and Carol Yates store in the background.
Early Days of Millertown
Town office and Vault in the early days
Millertown in 1901: The house next to the pine tree was Lewis Millers home next to Mary March River.
Community Garden Party in 1949
Residents of the Town skating on Red Indian Lake in winter, this was quite a social event every winter in Millertown.
A Young man carrying a couple buckets of water home for drinking and washing for the family.
One of the earliest photos of the Millertown church taken in 1901. There are some changes over the last 120 years but not many .
Orange-mans Parade. Picture is taken on the train platform near the post office.
The residents of the community constructed a house for the doctor who resided here.
The hotel in Millertown in the Early days. Many people out enjoying the evening.
The Millertown fleet-way