My favorite out-of-the way place. The Notre Dame Bay Copper Boom began in 1870. This boom peaked in the 1880's and died out with WW1. There were over two dozen copper mines scattered throughout NDB. The combined output briefly transformed Newfoundland into the world's sixth-largest copper producer. One of these abandoned copper mines was located in Tea Arm located about 3 km north of Pleasantview. In 1895, William Cook, a St. John's butcher was managing this mine. By 1897, he abandoned the mine and staked the Fortune Harbour iron deposits.
The photo shows the vertical 4ft X 6ft shaft at the Tea Arm mine. This is approximately 100 feet deep. A hoist constructed over the opening pulled the copper to the surface. Rock was blasted loose and removed with pickaxes and crowbars. Local residents claim the material was hauled to the surface in buckets, using block and tackle and oxen.
Note the color of the soil. Waste material from the mine contains iron and sulfur. When exposed to water and salt it turns a rusty colour. Local residents mixed this soil with seal oil to paint their boats.
Tea Arm is only accessible by boat, and we often have picnics there in the summer.
Joseph Roberts, who resided at Beaver Brook Cove (near Point Leamington) stated he was the only man able to stay a full shift underground in the unusually dusty Tear Arm Prospect (Photo of Joseph Roberts available if needed).   Submitted By: NULL