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A Brief HISTORY |
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The towns of St. Croix are a treat for pedestrian and lovers of distinctive, gracious architecture. The Danes adapted the 18th century European style to the tropical environment. They built well with imported yellow brick (used by returning ships as ballast) or coral blocks. The result was stately mortar and brick colonnades over covered walkways. The Sugar era in the Virgin Islands left a distinct mark upon the countryside. Wherever you drive, remnants of sugar mills enhance your views of the landscape. Toward the end of the eighteenth century, St. Croix had 1 14 cane crushing wind mills and fourteen ox mills. To this day, St. Croix retains the Danish land survey, which constitutes the legal description of |
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| property rights. All plots or parcels of property are described accordingly with the name given by the planter or plantation owner. St. Croix's recorded history began November 14, 1493 when Christopher Columbus anchored off Salt River on the north coast of the Island to find fresh water. After a less than friendly welcome from the Carib Indians, the explorer hastily pulled anchor. Impressed with the pristine beauty of the islands of the area, Columbus named them the Virgins in honor of St. Ursula and her 1 1,000 Virgins. He named the largest island Santa Cruz, Spanish for holy Cross, claiming it for Spain. The Carib Indians called the Island Ay Ay. Spain made little effort to colonize the Virgins, concentrating instead on nearby Puerto Rico. Within a century, English and Dutch settlers, planting at opposite ends of St. Croix, began to exploit her agricultural |
| potential. Repeated squabbles between the Spanish, English and Dutch ended by the mid 1600's when the French forcibly moved in and began their eighty year tenure. A French trading company administered St. Croix (Santa Cruz) but was soon replaced by the company's local governor who acquired title to the entire Island. He transferred possession in 1655 to the Knights of Malta. In 1665, possession of the Island was returned to the French. The Danes, meanwhile, had become interested in the trade profits of the West Indies. In 1733, The Danish West India Company purchased St. Croix from France and built Christiansted (1735) and later Frederiksted (1751). Due to the British influence, English became the language of the island and Danish the language of the courts. In 1917, concerned over hostile approaches to the Panama Canal during WWI, the United States purchased the Virgin Islands ($25 million dollars). The Stars & Stripes, the seventh flag to fly over the Islands, replaced the Danish Dannebrog and the Virgin Islands became a possession of the United States. |
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If you need any further information, or have any question just call us... 570-477-5994
Annette and Duane Updyke 26 Updyke Road, Hunlock Creek, PA 18621
