Signal Hill is a hill which overlooks the city of St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. Mostly a National Historic Site, adjacent to is the largely encaved museum of Johnson Geo Centre and its associated park. The highest point, Ladies' Lookout, above Cabot Tower, is high. The community of The Battery lies on the slope of the hill overlooking the Harbour. On 12 December 1901, the first transatlantic

wireless Wireless communication (or just wireless, when the context allows) is the transfer of information between two or more points without the use of an electrical conductor, optical fiber or other continuous guided medium for the transfer. The most ...

transmission was received by Guglielmo Marconi, to its abandoned fever hospital. Due to its strategic placement overlooking the

Narrows A narrows or narrow (used interchangeably but usually in the plural form), is a restricted land or water passage. Most commonly a narrows is a strait, though it can also be a water gap. A narrows may form where a stream passes through a tilted ...

, the only entrance to the harbor, fortifications date back to the mid 17th century.

Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador Memorial University of Newfoundland, also known as Memorial University or MUN (), is a public university in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, based in St. John's, with satellite campuses in Corner Brook, elsewhere in Newfoundland and ...

has a campus on the lower slopes, in the former Battery Hotel, and is also now the owner of the Johnson Geo Centre.

History

The final battle of the

Seven Years' War The Seven Years' War (1756–1763) was a global conflict that involved most of the European Great Powers, and was fought primarily in Europe, the Americas, and Asia-Pacific. Other concurrent conflicts include the French and Indian War (175 ...

in North America was fought in 1762 at the

Battle of Signal Hill The Battle of Signal Hill was fought on September 15, 1762, and was the last battle of the North American theatre of the Seven Years' War. A British force under Lieutenant Colonel William Amherst recaptured St. John's, which the French had sei ...

, in which the French surrendered St. John's to a British force under the command of Lt. Colonel William Amherst. Lt. Colonel Amherst renamed what was then known as "The Lookout" as "Signal Hill," because of the signalling that took place upon its summit from its flagmast. Flag communication between land and sea would take place there from the 17th century until 1960. Signal Hill was designated as the citadel for St. John's during its first construction period in the late 18th century. During the 19th century, Signal Hill was manned specifically during the

Napoleonic Wars The Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815) were a series of major global conflicts pitting the French Empire and its allies, led by Napoleon I, against a fluctuating array of European states formed into various coalitions. It produced a period of Fren ...

and the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...

. A second construction period in Signal Hill's history saw the construction of the Queen's Battery Barracks, which has been completely restored to the period of 1862. Construction on Cabot Tower began in 1897 to commemorate both

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 216 days was longer than that of any previo ...

's Diamond Jubilee in 1897 and the 400th anniversary of John Cabot's landfall which took place in 1497. The building was declared officially open in 1900. The practical uses of the building were flag mast signalling, and a Marconi wireless station which has since been moved to St. John's International Airport. On 12 December 1901, the first transatlantic

transmission was received by Guglielmo Marconi in the abandoned fever and

diphtheria Diphtheria is an infection caused by the bacterium '' Corynebacterium diphtheriae''. Most infections are asymptomatic or have a mild clinical course, but in some outbreaks more than 10% of those diagnosed with the disease may die. Signs and s ...

hospital, which has since been destroyed by fire. The transmission, in Morse code, originated from his Poldhu Wireless Station,

Cornwall Cornwall (; kw, Kernow ) is a historic county and ceremonial county in South West England. It is recognised as one of the Celtic nations, and is the homeland of the Cornish people. Cornwall is bordered to the north and west by the Atlantic ...

, UK. The

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

maintained anti-aircraft guns on the hill during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

. A battery of two 8-inch M1888

railway gun A railway gun, also called a railroad gun, is a large artillery piece, often surplus naval artillery, mounted on, transported by, and fired from a specially designed railway wagon. Many countries have built railway guns, but the best-known are ...

s was emplaced there on 1 May 1941, but relocated to Red Cliff circa 1943. Signal Hill was also one of three prepared sites for a battery of two 155 mm guns on

Panama mount Panama ( , ; es, link=no, Panamá ), officially the Republic of Panama ( es, República de Panamá), is a transcontinental country spanning the southern part of North America and the northern part of South America. It is bordered by Cost ...

s.Harbor Defenses of St. John's at FortWiki.com
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Signal Hill National Historic Site

Signal Hill is a National Historic Site.

Signal Hill Tattoo

The Signal Hill

Tattoo A tattoo is a form of body modification made by inserting tattoo ink, dyes, and/or pigments, either indelible or temporary, into the dermis layer of the skin to form a design. Tattoo artists create these designs using several tattooing ...

showcases the Royal Newfoundland Regiment of Foot from 1812, the Royal Newfoundland Regiment Band from 1795, and the Royal Newfoundland Regiment of 1917. Wearing full military uniforms as per the period, the soldiers give a display by each section and portray the drills and battle tactics of the time. The Artillery provide an exhibition of

cannon A cannon is a large- caliber gun classified as a type of artillery, which usually launches a projectile using explosive chemical propellant. Gunpowder ("black powder") was the primary propellant before the invention of smokeless powder ...

fire to add to the program.

Cabot Tower

Cabot Tower, located at the top of the hill, features exhibits about Guglielmo Marconi and the wireless station that operated in the tower. There is a gift shop, and an amateur radio station VO1AA, which may be operated by visiting amateur radio operators in the summer months. It is sponsored by the Society Of Newfoundland Radio Amateurs. An active amateur

radio repeater A radio repeater is a combination of a radio receiver and a radio transmitter that receives a signal and retransmits it, so that two-way radio signals can cover longer distances. A repeater sited at a high elevation can allow two mobile stations, ...

, VO1AAA 146.790+, is located inside the building and is operational year round. A tourist information radio station, CJSH-FM, also broadcasts from the Signal Hill site.

Visitor Centre

The visitor centre is open during the tourist season and features interactive exhibits, a film about the site's military and communications history, and the history of St. John's, along with a cafe.

Trails

The North Head Trail is located along the edge of St John's Harbour and the sea. The Lady's Lookout Trail descends steeply from Lady's Lookout, above Cabot Tower, the highest point of Signal Hill, to the Burma Road Trail. There is also a short trail to the summit of Gibbet Hill. The Burma Road trail, built by American servicemen who manned coastal batteries on Signal Hill during the Second World War, runs from George's Pond, Signal Hill Road to Cuckold's Cove, close to

Quidi Vidi Quidi Vidi is a neighbourhood in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador (pronunciations vary, even amongst longtime residents, but "Kiddy Vidi" is the most common). The village is adjacent to Quidi Vidi Lake (where the Royal St. John's Regatta is ...

. Along it there were barracks.Parks Canada
/ref> There are Eight looped trails in the Johnson GEO Park with informative outdoor displays. Stoneworks and panels explain the local geological formations, botanical species, and traditional uses of stone. Completed in 2007, the park surrounds the Geo Centre and includes Deadman's Pond acres the road. Both the Geo Park's and Signal National Historic Park's trails are linked to the Grand Concourse walkway system. NLA StJohns1 tango7174

Climate

References

Bibliography

*Zierler, Amy, and Cam Mustard, Signal Hill: An Illustrated History, 1982, reprint 1997, Newfoundland Historic Parks Association, St. John's. *Canadian Heritage - Parks Canada, Welcome to Signal Hill National Historic Site brochure, undated (2000 ?).

External links

Signal Hill National Historic Site
- Parks Canada
Atlas of Canada Relief Map
{{Authority control Military history of Newfoundland Landforms of Newfoundland and Labrador Military forts in Newfoundland and Labrador National Historic Sites in Newfoundland and Labrador Museums in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador Military and war museums in Canada History museums in Canada Landforms of St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador Hills of Canada History of St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador