The mail schooner, Virginia was originally built in Curacao in the Dutch West Indies. She was one of the hundreds of vessels to visit the Creque Marine Railway for service and repairs. According to the railway’s surviving records, Virginia arrived on May 4, 1921. Herman Creque jotted down her dimensions as he spoke with her captain. She was 60 feet in […]
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How Harvest Festival was Celebrated in Tortola ~ 1912
Harvest Festival celebrations were an integral part of life in the British Virgin Islands! It was a time when families appreciated the crops grown and the nourishment they provided. The week was traditionally honored with Church celebrations and family festivities. Decorating the Church On November 20, 1912, St. George’s Anglican Church celebrated the Harvest festival with a Thanksgiving Service. According to […]
How the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Was Formed ~ 1914
The Bethany Mission House was the site of many important meetings in the history of the Danish West Indies. On January 20, 1914, the very first meeting took place for the purpose of establishing a Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Kindness to Animals “The attendance was large and the proceedings interesting with many prominent citizens present. Seated in […]
Big Job Pumping Out The Barge ~ 1930
In 1930, a potential client representing the United Sugar Company in Humacao, Puerto Rico, inquired about having the company’s barge hauled at the Creque Marine Railway. He spoke with Mr. Creque, who promptly responded with the price of hauling: 75 cents/gross ton, plus launching and each day on the rails. Repairing the Barge Three days after Christmas, […]
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 […]
The Arrival of an Airship! ~ 1925
In 1925, one of the most remarkable events occurred in the history of the Virgin Islands. An incredible airship flew over the harbor of St. Thomas for the very first time! Commander Captain George W. Steel Jr. received a special request from Governor Phillip Williams. The governor wanted Captain Steel to […]
Tortola Sloop Caught With Contraband! ~ 1933
From 1920 to 1933, the US Virgin Islands was included in the nationwide ban during prohibition. Despite the law, many inhabitants imported liquor secretly. Contraband Found! In November 1933, a Tortola sloop was found wrecked on White rock off St. Thomas. The owner reported to Harbormaster Simmons that he had no idea how the vessel came to be in St. […]
Carrying Cane Workers ~ 1917
Between 1914 and 1939, the Dominican Sugarcane plantations employed hundreds of seasonal cane workers from the British Virgin Islands! 🇻🇬 According to Canefields of the Dominican Republic, by Will Johnson, the sugar factories in La Romana and San Pedro de Macoris paid between $20 and $30 weekly for six consecutive days of work. In the Leeward islands, the average salary was barely $12 per […]