Florence Lavinia Salter - The Lure of the Big City

 As part of the 52 Ancestors project, it was suggested that this month we write about a few of the women in our family tree who we felt were fearless. I looked through my tree and suddenly realized I have so many from which to choose. Let's face it; if you lived in Newfoundland and Labrador during the 1800's you deserved a medal. It wasn't an easy life especially if you lived in the rural areas of the land. The turn of the 20th century was not much better.

Those women worked hard and persevered through extreme conditions. Whether it was Bridget Sisk from Ferryland who went to Riviere St-Paul, Basse-Cote-Nord, Quebec, Lavinia Roberts from Brigus who met up with her brother Issac in the Strait of Belle Isle, Labrador or Mary Ann Vane Courtenay of Devon, England who was shipwrecked on the shores of Brador, each and everyone of them deserves to be admired for their determination to create a life for themselves and their families.

Rather than focus on a female ancestor who moved to or stayed in the province, I have decided to focus on one of the women who left her homeland behind to find a "better" life.

Flossie Salter, cousin Howard
& sister Maud, 1914 

My grandmother Poole's sister, Florence Lavinia Salter, married my grandfather Poole's brother Harold in 1927. To make it clear - two sisters married two brothers. Shortly after, Flossie and Harold were New York City bound. Harold was hired as an ironworker, building the high rises in the massive city. Starting in the early 20th century, there was an exodus of Newfoundlanders who had left to make money in the bustling American economy. Whether it is New York City or Boston, you will find many families with Newfoundland roots. The men became legendary for their ability to walk the narrow iron above the busy streets below. Many of the young wives, if they hadn't started a family, worked as domestics to help settle into this new normal.

Flossie & Harold
Prospect Park, Brooklyn, NYC late 1920's

Flossie and Harold moved to the borough of Brooklyn as did many of their compatriots. However the 1929 stockmarket crash, as we all know, drove the country into economic depression.  Ironwork continued for a short while but like everything else, was scaled back. Flossie and Harold remained in Brooklyn until 1930/31 but soon after packed their belongings and moved back to Hant's Harbour, Newfoundland where they built a house.  Much of Harold's family still lived in Hant's Harbour; all of them trying to ride out the depression storm. It wasn't the fast paced life of the big city but there they had a roof over their heads and plenty of food.



Towards the end of the decade, the economy began to improve and the city beckoned. Flossie was not much for the outport life in Newfoundland and wanted to get back to New York and the lifestyle she so desired. The construction industry started to boom and more ironworkers were needed. By 1940, Harold and Flossie had settled back in Brooklyn leaving their old lives behind.

Harold died in 1980 at the age of 77 while Flossie lived to the age of 94. She passed away in 1994 in her beloved Brooklyn.