Vintage St. John: Discover St. John's History Through Seven Generations of Heartfelt Stories

Seven generations of heartfelt stories of love and loss abound in this family memoir about the US Virgin Islands. Rich in history and heritage, the author shares some of the most memorable stories that have been handed down in her family from generation to generation. When a prominent St. Thomas merchant accumulates 2,500 acres on the island of St. John to raise cattle and cultivate bay leaves, he has no idea that his generation will be the last to farm the land. During the 1920s to the 1950s, Herman O. Creque's hard work pays off on his estates of Annaberg, Mary's Point, and Lamesure, but at the peak of their profitability, he dies, leaving them all to his wife, Emily. Francis Bay is their children's favorite with almost thirty years of summer memories, fishing, hunting, and crabbing. One day, the beach and summer cottage will be theirs, or so they believe. When two conservationists from the United States, Laurance Rockefeller, and Frank Stick visit the island in 1952, they find the unspoiled nature of Emily's lands enchanting and "wish to preserve them for the enjoyment of the nation." Little do Emily's children suspect that life as they know it is about to change forever, is a collection of their heartfelt memories woven together from personal interviews. They paint a vivid picture of life the establishment of the Virgin Islands National Park... Includes a brief history of the Creque Marine Railway on Hassel Island, the ownership of Mingo Cay, Norman Island and 140 acres of Peter Island in the British Virgin islands. Vacationing in Cruz Bay, memories of working at Caneel Bay, cultivating onions at Cinnamon Bay, growing bay leaves at Lamesure Estate for the Bay Rum Industry and the raising of livestock with a new type that originated in St. Croix called Senepol cattle. With 200 rare photographs of the Virgin Islands, this memoir is a visual feast for those curious about St. John's history under the Danish and US flags.