By Dr. Dante Beretta Census Day The 1st of February 1911, Census Day, was an important day for the town of Charlotte Amalie in the Danish West Indies and a busy day for at least two of my ancestors. Choosing the Census Takers The Danish Police Magistrate appointed two respectable inhabitants for each street who were the census takers for […]
DANISH West Indies
Discovering One of the Earliest Stories by J. Antonio Jarvis
J. Antonio Jarvis Great discovery!! Here is one of the EARLIEST stories published by J. Antonio Jarvis! He was only fifteen years old in 1917 when this story was published in the Brooklyn Daily Eagle newspaper. HOW WOLF SAVED TOM by J. Antonio Jarvis Tom was living near the river and he had a pet […]
How a New Name for the Danish West Indies was Chosen ~ 1917
Choosing a New Name Months prior to the official Transfer Day ceremony, a resolution was submitted to the House of Representatives with a recommendation for a new name for the Danish West Indies. They wished to name the islands in honor of Admiral George Dewey. Admiral George Dewey Admiral Dewey was a US Naval officer […]
The Landing of Colonel Theodore Roosevelt in St. Croix ~ 1916
Governor Lars Christian Helweg-Larsen on left stands next to Colonel Theodore Roosevelt (wearing a suit of dark grey tweed) and Mr. R.L. Merwin with distinguished guests in the rear. Photo Source: Digital Collection at the University of the Virgin Islands. Used with permission. Theodore Roosevelt Valentine’s Day was extra exciting for residents of St. Thomas and […]
How a Heartfelt Letter Written 100 Years Ago Still Has Meaning ~ 1902
As I perused through fragile, old letters and newspaper clippings that have been saved by many generations in our family, there was one hand-written letter that stood out among the rest! 📝 It was a sympathy letter from Max E. Trepuk to his friend, Henry O. Creque upon the death of his father, John Bedford Creque (1902). The Letter My […]
Sugarcane Laborers Return Home on a German Cargo Ship ~ 1912
During the summer of 1912, many seasonal sugarcane laborers from the British Virgin Islands, working in the Dominican Republic, returned by steamer to St. Thomas in the Danish West Indies. SS Prasident At the end of July, the German passenger-cargo ship, SS Prasident departed Kingston, Jamaica with eight passengers en route to Santo Domingo. She picked up at […]
Sad Sea Catastrophe: The Loss of the British Sloop, SYRIA ~ 1912
The history of the Creque family is filled with intrigue and adventure! However, it also has its fair share of calamities. Six branches of the family have been involved in terrible sea catastrophes! Six Sea Catastrophes In 1902, J. Creque, a fireman aboard the cable ship Grappler, lost his life after Mount Pelee in Martinique erupted. In 1941, a relative of a […]
A Few Lucky Residents Tour a One of a Kind Wonder Before She Sunk ~ 1914
Many generations of our family have loved touring the vessels that anchored off St Thomas. ⚓ Watching movies on the Carla C, climbing through the USS Nimitz, posing with the Cadets on the Horst Wessel or touring the Danish ship, Danmark were highlights for all! When the great, new motorship Malakka arrived in St. Thomas on October 16, 1914, there’s no doubt that family members […]