In this volume, we engage with local writers and visitors to St. John s, Newfoundland, from 1800 to 1900, a tune when it emerged from its status as a garrison community and took on the characteristics of a more industrialized city. These writers recount significant events that contributed to a sense of community in St John s, and thus I have chosen articles that present a collage of styles and perspectives that give the reader a taste of life as it evolved throughout the nineteenth century.