Virgin Islands History by Valerie Sims
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The History of the Danish West Indies
44 Ships Belonging to the North Atlantic Fleet Pass St. Croix ~ 1917
Imagine looking out to the horizon and seeing a flotilla of battleships coming into view. This happened in 1917 on […]
How a Family Historian Discovered Where Hugo Larsen Painted One of His Masterpieces ~ 1905
By Dr. Dante Beretta A little over 100 years ago, a talented young Danish artist named Hugo Larsen, visited […]
Honoring Alexander Hamilton’s Birthday
#OnThisDay At 17 years of age, Alexander Hamilton wrote a captivating letter to his father about a devastating hurricane that […]
A Famous English Actor Causes Quite a Stir ~ 1903
Did you know that one of England’s most popular actors visited St. Thomas? Edward Compton visits St. Thomas Edward Compton […]
Celebrating Three King’s Day ~ 1910
Three King’s Day had the reputation of being the happiest of the holiday seasons! It was a half-holiday that started at […]
Rebuilding a Sunken Sailboat ~ 1916
The Schooner, Eagle Last year, I shared a fascinating story about the inter-island sloop, Eagle. Included were rare photographs of her crew […]
How One Family Shared the Sad Story of the 1733 Slave Revolt
A group of captive men from the African Akwamu tribe planned an attack against their masters at Estate Fortsberg in Coral Bay. […]
Lost at Sea! A Jost Van Dyke Sloop Vanishes Without a Trace ~ 1916
Imagine saying farewell to your loved one at the dock as they boarded a boat, then discovering later that they […]
ON THIS DAY, The Devastating Hurricane of 1867 hit the British Virgin Islands and Danish West Indies
ON THIS DAY, the costliest and deadliest hurricane of 1867, hit the British Virgin Islands and the 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 […]
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 […]
Peruvian Independence Celebrated ~ 1916
During the history of the Danish West Indies, the honoring of Peruvian Independence was an important commemoration. 🇵🇪 The History […]
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 […]
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. […]
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 […]
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 […]
Taking the Last Danish Census ~ 1911
By Dr. Dante Beretta Census Day The 1st of February 1911, Census Day, was an important day for the town of Charlotte […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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Interested in the maritime history under the Danish flag?
Here are a few stories ...
