Virgin Islands History by Valerie Sims
Virgin Islands History and Culture in Photographs
The Loss of a Loved One Aboard the SS Proteus ~ 1941
As I was flipping though the pages of an old album, a small faded photograph of a sailor in his uniform fell onto the floor! I picked it up and didn’t recognize the person. As the family historian, I feel as though I can identify everyone, regardless of age in a photograph. Curious, I contacted a relative […]
The Yacht, FLIGHT Takes Party-Goers to Tortola ~ 1946
For many years members of our family enjoyed the annual August festival in Tortola! Here is an excerpt of an article written by W. Evelyn Pickering. It appeared in the August 17, 1946, VI Daily News. Below the article is a link to the kind of music played by band, Conjuncto Tropical. Can you imagine the party-goers dancing to this and the […]
Dancing with the Danmark Cadets ~ 1951
Above, the Governor, Morris F. de Castro observes the Conga line at Government House, while hosting a party for the Danmark cadets. My mother remembers fondly the pretty, lace dress she wore that evening with the tangerine lining underneath. The first of many visits of the Danmark occurred on January 17, 1934. She was a picturesque […]
Purchasing the FIRST Commemorative Stamp ~ 1937
When the announcement of the issuing of a commemorative stamp for the US Virgin Islands was published, many island citizens were eager to purchase a small part of their heritage! 🇻🇮 On December 15, 1937, my grandfather attempted to be one of the first to purchase his set but was deprived of the privilege. That honor went to Enrique Vazquez, a […]
The JUMPING Jumbie Bed ~ 1934
Growing up in the US Virgin Islands has been a fascinating experience, one that I could never forget. Where else could one say they lived in a haunted house where strange happenings were the norm? 👻 My grandmother shared many haunted house stories with us and some we experienced first hand. However, this story is one […]
Honoring the Men of the MARION ~ 1930s
The USCG Marion was a 125-foot patrol boat. She carried 20 enlisted men. After finding this photograph of the USCG Marion’s crew in our family’s album, I was curious about their deployment in the islands. The photograph was obviously taken at the Creque Marine Railway on Hassel Island, a business our great-grandfather owned. He must have taken it while […]
Watching the St. John-Pelican Cay Sloop Race ~ 1937
Boat racing was one of the sports our great-grandparents loved watching! In 1937, hundreds of spectators enjoyed watching a sailboat race organized for the Thanksgiving holiday! ⛵ The course extended from the eastern end of St. John, around Pelican Cay in the British Virgin Islands and back to East End. It was a lovely spectacle […]
Visiting a German School Ship! ~ 1938
I’ve looked at this photograph at least a hundred times, hoping to figure out what vessel our family members were visiting! 🔎 It was obvious to me that it was taken in the 1930s, but hundreds of vessels have visited the US Virgin Islands. In the center are our grandmother and her siblings. The Clue 🔎 […]
Listening to a Pulitzer Prize Winner, Edna St. Vincent Millay ~ 1935
At the suggestion of her physician and close friends, Edna St. Vincent Millay arrived in St. Thomas for a lengthy, restful holiday during the Christmas season of 1935. Welcoming Edna St. Vincent Millay Bandmaster, Alton A. Adams, a local celebrity himself, was one of the lucky ones to be the first to greet her. Bandmaster […]
Selling Hudson Cars and Coty Cosmetics ~ 1937
The men in my family loved cars! 🚗 My great grandfather started importing Chevrolets in the 1930s and my grandfather followed suit in the 1940s. His specialty was Hudsons and Studebakers. The Hudson Motor Dealership Leon A. Mawson opened his first showroom on Main Street at 11 Dronningens Gade on August 18, 1946. He had been selling Hudson […]