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(This article first appeared in the summer/fall 2004 edition of the Kapok Chronicles, the official [bi-yearly] newspaper of Virgin Islands National Park. Don Near, editor of the publication, is an Interpretive Ranger and has been with the Park for 21 years. We thank Don for allowing us to reprint his
Eleanor Gibney’s maternal grandmother, Mildred Flagg of Boston, filmed home movies of her daughter and grandchildren on St. John on several visits to the island between 1947 and 1960. Robert and Nancy Gibney came to the West Indies from New York City in 1946. They were on their honeymoon, and
(A presentation by Rafe Boulon, summarized by Vicki Bell) Rafe Boulon began his family story in the early 1900s when his great grandfather was a meteorologist in Puerto Rico. Rafe’s grandfather grew up in Puerto Rico and in 1927 purchased 100 acres for $5,000 which included Trunk Bay. Rafe’s father was
(A summary of the February 14th, 2006 presentation by Bruce Schoonover) This year being the 50th Anniversary of the VINP, it is a fitting time to recognize our nation’s 29th National Park. Congress passed the enabling legislation for the establishment of the VINP on August 2, 1956, and it was
The ruins of the Annaberg School at Mary’s Creek are among the most significant historic sites on St. John. Not only are they a wonderful example of uniquely Danish-colonial architecture in the neoclassical style, but they are also a physical representation of the first effort to institute compulsory education throughout
(Editor’s Note: On March 25th, Society President, David Knight and Mr. Reggie Callwood will help us explore the ruins at Cinnamon Bay and review restoration work and techniques used by Mr. Callwood in the 1960s and 70s to stabilize and preserve historic sites throughout the National Park on St. John.
(Compiled by Jan Frey) Mr. Sprauve was a young St. Johnian attending school at the Bethany School in Pastory in the 1940’s and Charlotte Amalie High School in St. Thomas in the early 1950’s. The entire villages’ holiday celebrations centered around church and school. There were two teachers for the
(Editors Note: Last Fall, while at the Rockefeller Archive Center in Sleepy Hollow, New York, my wife and I ran across the following April 5, 1956 memo from Mr. Hjalmar Bang, regarding his early association with the Caneel Bay Estate.) (Published by permission of Rockefeller Archive Center. Ads are from
We all know these wonderful words: “ ‘Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house, not a creature was stirring not even a mouse…” They were read to us as children, re-read as young parents; and now, we recite them almost from memory to our grandchildren. But, do
Bay rum is tightly woven into the fabric of Native Virgin Islands culture. In the olden days, every single pantry in the Virgin Islands contained a bottle of bay rum. It is the one historic industry that St. John and St. Thomas can claim as being our very own. In
(Editors note: Rafe is Chief, Division of Resource Management for the Virgin Islands National Park and one of our newest Board members.) I was born and live on St. John, USVI and have been living with Soldier (land hermit) crabs all my life. (Shown at left, without shell.) They are