Southeast is located along one of the Arms of the Sea surrounding Placentia and is the rural part of the town. The history of Southeast parallels the history of Placentia. Southeast Arm which runs inland to a rich salmon river is sheltered from prevailing winds. This made the area an obvious site for Basque and French fishermen. History mentions a camp of Natives living 'near the river' during the time of the French settlement. This may have been the twenty-five Mic-Mac Indians that arrived in Placentia in 1705 with the French.
Southeast was settled very early by the Irish who came during the immigration of the late 1700's and early 1800's. Lannon from County Kilkenny was one of the first Irish settlers. He settled on land 'across the arm'. Early Irish settlers in Southeast include: Collins, Cox, Kelly, Lambe, Lannon, McLennon, Morrissey, and Shaw. The 1860 census identifies other Irish names such as Barron, Fulford, Hickey, Lynch, and Miller. Later settlers were Gale, King, O'Keefe and Phippard.
The Southeast Salmon River was coveted by many of Placentia's governors, especially
Colonel Gledhill
Salmon fishing was a big attraction for the St. John's politicians and merchant class in the early
1900's. Southeast River was a favourite spot which attracted many of these elite making the
community a resort area. Sir John Crosbie had a summer home near the river and there were
several hotels in the area. Phippard's operated a hotel from the 1920's, Fulford's Resort opened in
1935 and Lannon's Hotel in the 1940's.
The Morrissey brothers of Southeast were the four-man crew who walked to St. John's carrying their boat and won the St. John's Regatta in 10:28 record time in 1877.
The first school in Shaw's Lane was opened in the late 1800's. There were two schools built in
Southeast in this century but today the school children travel by bus to the schools in nearby
Placentia. As in the past, the residents of Southeast rely on Placentia for most of their services.
