Albert E. Daniel—His Lifeworks by Jessica Hornbeck.

Magda Smith, long-time St. John resident, student of art history and former Director of the Virgin Islands Humanities Council, introduced those gathered at our November membership meeting to native Virgin Islands artist Albert E. Daniel with his own words:

“Never had a lesson in my life, some call me a hit and a miss, but I seldom miss. You can go to a thousand schools, they can teach you the technique of art, but expression, you must have it inside, they can’t put expression into you.”

Crystal Blue View of Tektite II by Don Near

(On November 6, 2010, the St. John Historical Society and Cleans Islands International, which manages the Virgin Islands Environmental Resource Station (VIERS) for the University of the Virgin Islands, co-hosted a 40th anniversary commemoration of the Conclusion of the Tektite II project at VIERS. Don Near is a long-time Interpretive Ranger at Virgin Islands National Park. Don wrote this article for an internal Park publication and we wanted to share it with Society members.) …more…

A Timeline of the Establishment of the Town of Cruz Bay, St. John by David W. Knight.

1672 — The Danish West Indies Company successfully occupies St. Thomas and claims it, along with adjacent unoccupied islands, in the name of the Danish Crown.

1680 - As early as 1680 census documents for the Danish West Indies record Danish-sanctioned settlers on St. John.

1718 — On March 25, 1718, Governor of the Danish West Indies Eric Bredal officially claims St. John on behalf of Denmark. A small defensive fortress is established at Coral Bay. …more…

Losing Ground By Eleanor Gibney.

The heavy rains that have saturated St. John this year have caused major inconvenience for many residents—and terror and heartbreak for some who live in vulnerable areas. The most visible and dramatic effects of the inundation have been along St. John’s most costly and heavily engineered stretch of road: the section of Centerline between Bordeaux and Coral Bay.…more…

Dear Judge, … Margaret Braithwaite by David W. Knight.

I never fail to be amazed at the depth and breadth of the information that can be gleaned from research in Danish West Indies archives. Once you have ventured beyond the volumes of governmental tax accounts and reams of administrative files — the proclamations, the probates, the auctions, the appraisals, the guardianships, the judgments and adjudications — one finds the poignant minutia — the notes, the asides, the scribbles, the sketches, the torn-out clippings from newspapers or pamphlets.…more…