USVI-On-Line

I'm wondering how the park aquired Island Fancy from Grandma McCully's estate.I didn't think she was a big fan of the park...but maybe she was...Also was she buried on S.T.J. or was she taken back to the states?I wonder if Hugo knows? Parafins

based on my readings, I believe she sold to the park while she was still alive.

Some people had the foresight to see what would happen to STJ and sold their land to the park. I remember when the only building at Peter Bay was the small roadside store/bar -The Kite -and the beach was a campground of sorts - look at what happened to that piece of land. So God bless Mrs McCully and the others who saved their land from the speculators.

Yes, Ethel sold in the late 1960's , with life tenancy, so the Park didn't get it until she died. I don't believe she's in the Cruz Bay cemetery, but I don't remember where else she'd be.
Your reference to bad feelings about the Park probably is related to the NPS attempt to take all " inholdings" by eminent domain, in 1962. This was obviously not popular on the island. Ethel was one of those who went to Washington to lobby against the attempt, which had already passed the Senate and was up for vote in the House before anyone on St. John knew about it. When the Federal Gov. backed down (pretty unprecedented, but it was the early civil rights era, and St. John was still overwhelmingly native-born black in population) they pretty much threw the baby out with the bathwater. It would have been an ideal time to negotiate easements, or restrictions on development on the inholdings.
Most of the people who fought hard to keep their land, did so because they loved it more than anything, and over time they came to see the Park as the only option to protect it in perpetuity.
As an aside, the land where the Kite was at Peter Bay is still not part of the Peter Bay development. Victor Hall's mother, Ethlyn, lives there, at 92. She was the only one of 5 heirs to not sell. Victor had a big falling out with his mother about the bar and campground on the land, which is why he's pumping gas in Coral Bay...

Hugo you are the best - Thanks - well there was some music and camping there at The Kite that is hazy, but still memorable for me.

Hugo,Thanks for the info.If I recall, Ethel wasn't to keen on the Maho Campground project either until she found out how "green" the campground was.Parafins

I believe Ethel was 90 when Maho campground opened in 1976, so she wasn't too keen on anything anymore. Not that she ever wanted neighbors: Patti Birch, who built the house that is now the green "pavilion" on the beach at big Maho about 1953, described tiny Ethel trotting down the beach to hiss and spit at her, along with setting up phony voodoo- curse items on the beach (or maybe not so phony...)

Interesting lady...Mrs. McCully...Hey Hugo,what's your story.I would love to here about your past experiences with St.John if you don't mind.You seem to be a guy that I could sit down and have a cup of coffee with or maybe a smoothie and talk about old times!Parafins

Just checked "St. John People" (Ruth has the best books) it says Mc Cully [1886-1980] was buried at sea on January 5, 1981. The night before she died, she had spent dancing at Caneel Bay until 2 a.m. She had arranged for an "old fashioned wake party" which was held at Caneel. She had a practice waje party about five years earlier.

God I wish I had net this woman.

This is a terrific book, written in 1993 profiling 22 St. John people.

So that must be Domino Victor...we have all his cd's. He is a very nice guy. It still gets me how it can be like 400 degrees in Coral Bay and he will be in a shirt and jeans while I am melting in a tank top and shorts.

Thanks for the hiistory lesson. The island has a very rich past.

On our first trip to STJ, The Kite was the first place we stopped (on our way out to stay at Maho) and Victor was the first islander we met. I miss that place and those days. There was a recent video of him on onSTJ (with some additional comments by him:

http://www.on-stjohn.com/2008/08/25/on- ... h-tea-man/

thanks for the insight on the demise of the kite--still, gotta love victor.......