History
Developments in Grand Cayman
Will Jackson
No longer may the once forgotten Islandsbe termed as helpless babes, tossing around on a hard floor, cryingto be handed a nurse bottle with sugar water in order to survive.
Developments in Grand Cayman since the 60'shave been steadily moving forward.
The hotel era was entered into with a keenperception of a bright future in tourism, and that optimisticview that filled the mind of investors is still glowing on towardbuilding larger and more modern hotels, and guest houses. Thatis what has changed the whole main source of family life, fromsailorizing, causing long separations in home life to construction,giving families the opportunity of sharing their lives together.
While our islands' men have been affordedthe opportunity of being employed at home, a great many men fromforeign countries have entered the country being employed in variousjobs, helping to make up the labour force. It is indeed marvelousthe many thousands who are admitted to these small, once invaluableocean rocks in a deep blue sea.
But come with me as we take a walk backin the old days. We'll take a walk back in the old days. We'lltake a close-up view of fifty years ago and backward: George Townfor many years back was the islands' capital, but was never moreto look at than a sleepy little town on the water front.
There was nothing absolutely to give theappearance of the capital of a country. One little shopping centreon Shedden Road, owned by the Merrens and Dr. Roy McTaggart wasthe life of the town for visitors and dwellers alike.
A good many people had their homes builtalong the travel paths through the town. The waterfront attractionwas in the opening of the iron shore, a place called the dock;where the turtlers used regularly to land their catch and to loadup their vessel for another fishing trip.
Or perhaps once or twice a month, a schoonercoming from Jamaica, landed the little grocery pickings for thestores from Jamaica. A little later on the Cimboco, a little motorvessel was built and put in the Jamaica run, bringing a littlemore colour to the scenes of arrival and departures.
The next attraction on the scene was Dixie,where the people received their honours as their last rights,that was the cemetery where the weary rested from their labours.We are moving away from George Town toward West Bay, but we haveto walk along the Seven-mile Beach. From Dixie cemetery righton to West Bay cemetery we are seeing coco plum trees; throughthe bushes there is a road of sorts, through the sand where, whenthe motors came in, they could be driven, if kept with the tiresin the lanes on each side with the sand bank right in the centre.
We arrive in West Bay and all we see arehouses widely separated with cow pastures in between, some wherefurther on there is a little store here and there.
You are asking, "where may I get ameal to eat here?" "Sorry man", we are told "Nextyear I Hear that a cook shop will open up in Bosun Bay; but inthe main time if you go to Mr. Ebanks little store out there hewill sell you a bottle of Cream Soda and some hard tacks."
So, we didn't see any thing of interestand now we must get back to George Town and move on easterly travelingthe same path now to Town out of West Bay. First, we are attractedby the many motor vehicles that are encountered along the way.There is a nice highway up there but yet it is seemingly not goodenough to absorb the traffic that rolls along the surface.
All along the way we notice that the cocoplum bushes have disappeared and cement buildings have filledthe voids. "What are all those buildings about anyway?"You ask.
Well, we have been talking about hotels.Take a good look as you go by: For just a couple of hundred dollarsper night we may enjoy the pleasures of checking into any oneof them. Then there are condos to be rented and enjoyed even asone's own home: Oh yes, some of what we are seeing along thereare privately owned homes. There is much of interest along theway that cannot be seen from the highway, but adds to the royaltyof the New Cayman. There are a great many eateries of style andfashions along the seven-mile beach background.
Now we come back to Dixie Cemetery, no longera farewell marker leaving George Town, but look around there atthe many buildings that grace the area.
There is the great Kirks Super Market, andthe Cox Hardware Building, while all the way up Eastern Avenueis fabulous building, all representing some modern business;
What are we seeing now? When we step backto where the little sleepy town was yesterday, boy, look at allthe high-rise buildings that grace Cardinall Avenue and the vicinity.Skip over to Harbour Drive and look on up South Church Street.
What we saw yesterday and called it a townis indeed today a modern city.
But not only has these western areas beenblessed by changes; in fact, the entire island of Grand Caymanis beginning to lose sight of the yesterdays and seeing a newsurrounding taking shape where they once gave over to the animalsas their domain.
North Side is a good picture of the oldbeing changed into the new. Leaving Grape Tree Point and travelingtoward the Rum Point build up, we see much there in the form ofdevelopments. An area in which there was not more than white crabsto attract one's attention, now has beautiful private homes alongthe way.
Then the Kai with its modern lodgings, righton into the popular Rum Point and the much talked about Kaibo.These spots are highly attractive to visitors and Islanders alike.
As we travel back South from North Sideon the sea front, we see many lovely homes along the way untilwe are in colliers where the Tortuga Club has stood for many yearsoperating from one stage to another, each new owner having triedto make it a little more modern, and envisioned as a very popularspot for tourists from all over.
The Morritts Tortuga, now is in the processof further developments, which can be termed as the East End developmentof which East End is justly proud.
More recently, alongside the Tortuga, hassprung up the Royal Reef Lodge, which also gains popularity fromvisitors and natives alike. These new developments offer jobsto the locals in their own vicinities and thus are assets to eachcommunity in which they are established.
A quick look at the Island of Grand Caymanhas brought to light much of the great things that have been happeningin our island during recent times. But it would not be fittingto ignore the sister Islands, as if they were still crawling aroundand nothing good happens to them.
Let's take a look at Little Cayman, thefirst of the Cayman Islands to have had human footsteps plantedon their soils. Little Cayman, first seen by Columbus on a Mayday 1503, like the other two islands remained for many years,populated only by Boobies and Iguanas, having nothing to offerhuman beings as an existence.
However, an attempt was made to settle onthe shore by Jamaica fishermen which was not profitable to anyoneconcerned.
After the passing of years, when Grand Caymanhad been settled, a few families chose to take up residence inLittle Cayman where they planted coconut trees and in processof time started a coconut industry there from whence copra wasshipped in abundance.
Large schooners were built there in LittleCayman, which traded all the way to the Carolinas and Baltimorein the United States with the copra and other coconut productsproduced right there on the Island.
Then there was the other sister, CaymanBrac, which was always the business center of the Caymans, evenwhen there were scarcely a few people settled there.
The Kirkconnells, among the early settlers,started right into the shipping business, building sailing vessels,and sending them into foreign trade, since there was not reallyany thing they could do other than the fishing trade in the CaymanIslands.
The modern day Fosters and Scotts who dominatethe present business scene, were originally the business pioneersin Cayman Brac, who moved to Grand Cayman to keep up with developments.Cayman Brac has been face lifted with the presence of a coupleof small hotels; who moved to Grand Cayman to keep up with developments.
Cayman Brac has been face lifted with thepresence of a couple of small hotels; while Little Cayman is alsoa modern resort in a small way, claiming tourists from far andnear. The sister Islands, like Grand Cayman fast outgrow the knowledgeof the old timers ways of living.
The Cayman Islands have gained their popularityby the clear beautiful water and the beautiful beaches that borderthe shorelines. Sun, sand and sea, have done their part in nourishingthe growth of the country. Thus may we ever keep it clean andsparkling.
Surely the land that time forgot has growninto world recognition; a place to be proud of, and to call home.
Will Jackson
Seafarer and noted
Caymanian Historian