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 […]
USVI Boats
See the Four-Masted Schooner Before She was Destroyed by Fire ~ 1920
Our ancestors purchased many of their properties at auctions! They bought Cane Garden Bay, Carrot Bay, a portion of Peter Island and Norman Island in the British Virgin Islands, as well as properties in the Danish West Indies. One particular purchase our forefather loved was the Marine Railway on Hassel Island. He was proud to be the only bidder for the nine acre parcel. Photographs […]
Rare Photograph of the EAGLE at the Railway ~ 1920s
Oct 21, 1930, V.I. Daily News Ever wonder what the inter-island sloops were transporting below in their holds? Some may think it contraband and many times it was, but mostly it was passengers, cases of fruit, home grown vegetables and cattle. During the early 1900s, a popular little sloop called the Eagle was making the […]
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 […]
Servicing the USS RANGER at the Railway ~ 1925
Source: Library of Congress The USS Ranger In August 1924, a deadly hurricane caused severe damage to the homes on Tortola and many in the US Virgin Islands. The USS Ranger came to the rescue! When called upon, she transported lots of workers to the outlying islands to assist those in need. Governor Philip Williams was so grateful […]
Repairing the MAMIE COYLE ~ 1929
Photo Source: Memphis Public Library and Information Center The Creque Marine Railway on Hassel Island provided hauling and marine repair services to hundreds of vessels during its ownership by the Creque family, 1910 – 1978. Historic vessels with fascinating histories routinely scheduled slots on the slip weeks in advance. Mamie Coyle’s History One such vessel was the Mamie Coyle. […]
The Most Beautiful Ship in the World Visits St. Thomas ~ 1938
When I first saw this faded photograph of an ocean liner, I thought I would never know her identity. 📷 Like most of the photographs in our ancestors albums, nothing was written on the back of the picture. As I looked closely, I realized that the ship wasn’t anchored inside the Charlotte Amalie harbor, but rather, behind Hassel Island,where all the oversized […]
How a Crew Survived their Ship’s Sinking ~ 1932
During the 1920s and 1930s, the yawl, To Windward transported mail and passengers between the islands. Its owner was Captain Christian Moller. On August 15, 1932, they departed Christiansted for Denmark by way of Portsmouth, England with a cargo of mail. The Wreck Unfortunately, five hundred miles off Lisbon, the vessel ran into trouble! Gale force winds battered the boat until most of […]