Port Aux Basque, Nfld

The Home of Charles Musseau (Musson)

Comments by Bruce Musson:

My grandfather, Charles Musseau (Musson) was born in 1866 and he married (2nd marriage)in 1929. He bought the land in Mouse Island from Morgan Keeping and built (or took over) the house depicted in the photos which I have provided. It was all one piece of property (8 acres) on that point of land, with the house "very close" to the water. Waves used to fill the freshwater well, and hit the house. It is believed that the land was initially used for sheep, but my grandfather was first and foremost a fisherman. The house was torn down in May 2002 and all that remains of this original dwelling is a lime green shed - which had served as the back porch.

As we are aware, there was an American LORAN site set up on part of this property. The Americans initially rented the land from my grandfather (six of eight acres) for $70.00 US ($77.00 CDN) per month.

My grandmother (deceased in 1946) used to do the laundry with a washtub and scrub-board for 12-15 men at the American Base (until they finally got their own washing unit). Dad used to carry the laundry and remembers falling in the mud once and having to take all the laundry back for his mom to do again. Dad was born in 1932 so this would have been before he was 14 in 1946. My grandmother apparently also did the laundry for the RCAF radar station that had about 50 RCAF military personnel about a mile away.

Dad says that he went into all of the buildings at the American Base at one time or other and he used to watch the boats on the round radar screen. He says the last commander at the base was Commander Rogers and his wife.

Web Site Comment: The Americans left Mouse Island in 1953 and the LORAN site was taken over by the Department of Transport.

(L-R) - Matthew Edward Musson (b. 1932), Martha Grace Musseau (Bishop nee Simms b. 1897),
Charles Morgan Musseau (b. 1866) - Photo ca. 1945 Courtesy of Bruce Musson.