ON THIS DAY, the costliest and deadliest hurricane of 1867, hit the British Virgin Islands and the Danish West Indies! My 2x great-grandfather was just 9 years old. He spent that fateful day huddled in a two room home in the Anegada settlement with his parents and six siblings. Had the hurricane’s path veered further north, […]
DANISH West Indies
The Disappearance of the Sloop, SPIDER ~ 1916
St. Thomas was struck by one of the most destructive hurricanes in the history of the Danish West Indies! ⚡ The unforgettable date was October 9, 1916. The Spider Captain William Creque, the brother of our direct ancestor, sailed right into its fury. On that fateful day, he was the captain on board the Spider. The 45-ft sloop […]
Running a Mom and Pop Shop in St. Croix ~ 1900
Ever wonder what the mom-and-pop stores sold in the Danish West Indies? Generally speaking, EVERYTHING! Our forefather opened several stores in his lifetime, each with an eclectic collection of items from various places around the world. Opening the Store On August 4, 1900, Henry O. Creque opened a store in St. Croix. It was called The American Notion […]
Peruvian Independence Celebrated ~ 1916
During the history of the Danish West Indies, the honoring of Peruvian Independence was an important commemoration. 🇵🇪 The History of Peruvian Independence In 1821, General Jose de San Martin organized a plan to defeat Spanish forces by taking control of Lima, Peru. He won and became known as Peru’s liberator. Since that day, the Peruvian Independence holiday […]
Fire Destroys the St. Thomas Telegraph Office ~ 1909
On this day in 1909, a horrific fire destroyed the iconic building which housed the Telegraph Office in St. Thomas! The fire alarm went off shortly after 5 o’clock in the morning and within an hour the building was totally consumed! The only remnants were the upper northwestern wall which had to be pulled down […]
How St. Thomas Honored the Longest Serving Veteran Postman ~ 1903
Recently, several friends on Facebook have wondered about the identity of a Veteran Postman seen in this postcard image above. Mystery Postman Identified! While researching another topic, I stumbled upon the postman’s name in an old newspaper! He is Mr. Joseph Lorand, the longest-serving postal service worker in the Danish West Indies! Receiving an Honorary Award […]
GRUNDLOV Constitution Celebrated! ~ 1914
The Grundlov Celebration ON THIS DAY in 1914, the Grundlov celebration took place at the Apollo theatre in St. Thomas. This historic celebration marked the granting of a new Constitution for Denmark and the Danish West Indies! Hundreds attended the meeting wearing their red and white badges, in what was, the first patriotic celebration of its kind. History of Denmark’s Constitution Mr. […]
How the VALKYRIEN’S Band Honored Their Commander ~ 1916
HMS Valkyrien After rumors of an impending disturbance among the laboring class began to surface, the local government sent a despatch to Denmark for support. They sent the cruiser, HMS Valkyrien with a complement of approximately 230 men. Upon her arrival, she was welcomed warmly with the customary salutes and flags. Finding everything in order, […]