Rawlins Cross, St. John's
Rawlins Cross takes its name from the Rawlins family who had a grocery store there from at least 1864. Another early business was grocer, James G Pennicuick. T J Eden later had a grocery business in Rawlins Cross, which was bought out by W J Murphy in 1919, as well as O'Mara-Martin Drugs, established in 1892. W J Murphy had initially worked in the drugstore, and T J Eden's before establishing a grocery store nearby at the top of Prescott Street.
It was the site of the first traffic light for the city that was manually operated by a police constable. A commemorative plaque for the St. John's Electric Light Company is located at Rawlins Cross, although the business was established on nearby Flavin Street in 1885.
The popular Newfoundland Celtic Rock band, Rawlins Cross, formed in 1988, takes its name from this St. John's landmark.
References
- ^ Parks Canada: "Fort Townshend National Historic Site of Canada".
- ^ Wallace Furlong,Georgestown. St John's, NL: Flanker Press, 2004, p.32.
- ^ Mrs Ellen Rawlins, Hutchinson's Directory 1864-65
- ^ Hutchinson's Directory 1864-65
- ^ "W.J. Murphy's is for sale" CBC News· Posted: Jun 22, 2000
- ^ "Murphy, Ed. Interview about W.J. Murphy store". Intangible Cultural Heritage Inventory - Avalon, Memorial University Digital Archives.