Max Zwicker: The Coastal Trade

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Indian Point Store- 1960s

Grand Banks Schooner at the Indian Point wharf in the 1920s

Max talks about the dynamite wharf

“When she used to come in there, they had a siding back by the railway where the dynamite used to come to there. Well, for starters it used to be in where Mersey or Bowater had something…The dynamite used to always be plopped there or the offside tracks. But it used to come back there. Then they had a warehouse where they used to store a lot of it in. Most generally when they loaded the vessels, the dynamite cask was put in one end and then away from the explosive stuff at the other end.

They had different meetings back in our hall. I went to one meeting just to see what it was all about. Had one of those boats exploded in the bay comin’ out – in a twelve mile radius – everything would have been messed. Yeah, that’s how bad it was. Yeah, but It went on for quite a few years. They went down clean to the West Indies with dynamite and stuff like that. Willoughby was one of the big head men from down there was involved with that.”

Excerpt of Chart 4381, printed in 1945 Mahone Bay

Arrow indicates the location of the future Dynamite Wharf.

Please note: Local residents interviewed have mentioned the wharf was located here because of the railway was close, and Mahone Bay is a sheltered area. Many Oakland and Indian Point residents were concerned about the wharf’s location. This topic is one for possible future investigation.

from: Zwicker M. Indian Point Remembered (2004) (DVD #1)

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