In the summer of 1813 the HMS Rosamond was moored off Sandy Point in Bay St. George. Lt. Chappell and the ship's purser, accompanied a local to the Main Gut area where they purchased a cow to supplement their provisions.

In 1835 the Reverend Wix on his trip through Newfoundland made mention of five families at the Main Gut area.

An 1838 census shows three families, namely those of Jean Lucas, Jean Filler, (both of whom had arrived in 1823 from France via St. Pierre) and a Mr. Jim Young (Jacques LeJeune) who had arrived in 1830.

The town first appears on a McAlpines census of 1904 under the name Prairie. The family names listed were Benoit, Hawkins, and Luca, ancestors of whom are still found here today.

Many people in the area of Bay St. George trace their ancestory back to the First Nations Mi'Kmaq people. This also holds true for the residents of Stephenville Crossing. This link will take you to a site at Newfoundland and Labrador Heritage which has a detailed account of the Mi'Kmaq of Newfoundland.

If you are interested in researching the origins of early families in the Stephenville Crossing/Bay St. George Area can use the Newfoundland and Labrador Genealogy Project.

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