The failed attempts to produce salt on West Caicos.

Story & Historical Images By Jeff Dodge

Most readers are aware that salt was once the most important industry on the Turks & Caicos Islands. This important commodity was discovered in the mid 1600s by sailors from Bermuda on their way to trade with the West Indies. They would sometimes stop at Grand Turk or Salt Cay, both uninhabited islands at the time, to salvage cargo from ships wrecked on the nearby reefs. During these stopovers, they noticed salt from evaporated sea water collected in shallow depressions or pans near the shore. They gathered the  salt, more or less on a casual basis, and took it back to Bermuda.  

By about 1673, salt collection on the Turks Islands became an organized activity—first on Salt Cay and five years later on Grand Turk. Slaves were brought to the Islands to build salt ponds (salinas), construct canals to bring sea water from the sea to the ponds, and then to move the brine from pond to pond as the sun’s evaporation process progressed until only salt was left behind.  Salt production at East Harbour, South Caicos, began about 1848.

What most accounts of the salt business on the Turks & Caicos Islands fail to mention is that in the 1850s there was a serious attempt to cultivate salt on the island of West Caicos. 

Jamaican supervision

Under the Separation Act of 1848, the Turks & Caicos were placed under the supervision of the Governor of Jamaica on December 25, 1848, thereby severing control by the Bahamas. Under this Act, the Turks & Caicos Islands enjoyed a local Legislative Council and President to administer the Islands. The council consisted of eight persons—four who were elected and four appointed.

Efforts to expand salt production

In 1848, Capt. Fredrick H. A. Forth became the first president under the new system of government. He focused his efforts on developing and expanding the salt industry—especially on the Caicos Islands. To accomplish this goal, Forth lowered the export tax on salt to increase demand. To increase supply, Forth promoted the development of salt production on West Caicos Island. 

There were several large natural shallow salt water ponds on West Caicos. Because of the extent of these salinas, the potential salt output from them could have exceeded that of Grand Turk, Salt Cay, and East Harbour. These natural salt ponds included: Great Salina, about 240 acres in size; North Salina, 70 acres; Company’s Salina, 18 acres, and three small salinas of 30, 10, and 8 acres each. 

An exploratory trial

In 1849, a group of salt producers from Grand Turk investigated expanding their salt production by developing the 18 acre salina at Company Point. Unfortunately, the experiment was unsuccessful for reasons unknown.

The above map of West Caicos and the map on the following page shows the Great Salina, (also known as Forth Salina or Crown Salina), a natural depression where sea water collected and evaporated, leaving salt and other minerals behind. Great Salina, the largest on West Caicos, was reported to be about 240 acres in size.

A railroad (dotted line) stretched from the Great Salina across Lake Catherine to the deep water anchorages on the west coast of the island. The railroad was about 1.05 miles in length and was built by the Belle Isle Salt Manufacturing Company of Philadelphia in 1859 and 1860.

The first auction

In April 1852, following a survey of hundreds of acres of the largest of the natural salt ponds (Great Salina) on West Caicos, President Forth directed that Bermuda’s Royal Gazette newspaper publish a notice stating that  21 year leases for lots of the largest salt pond (Great Salina) would be offered at a public auction. The notice went on to paint a positive picture of West Caicos, including that a road from the salina to the anchorages on the west coast and a canal connecting the sea to the salina would be constructed at government expense. After several postponements, the date for the auction was set for November 15, 1852. The  auction took place as scheduled, but failed to interest buyers—no leases for the Great Salina were sold. 

The second auction

The government published a notice in 1852 advertising that they would auction small lots from the 70 acre North Salina on West Caicos on October 5.  

Following the North Salina auction, the Turks Islands Gazette published  that the sale took place on November 22 as scheduled and all or most of the 3 and 5 acre leases were sold—mostly to Turks Islanders.

Unfortunately, there is no evidence that any of these lots were ever put into production or that salt was ever produced or exported. No doubt, the failure of these leases to become productive would have resulted in these salina grounds reverting to government ownership as per the lease agreements.

A new president

In 1854 William Inglis became the second president of the Turks & Caicos Islands. Like President Forth, Inglis continued to promote the development of West Caicos—especially salt production there. 

In June 1857, newspapers quoted President Inglis as saying the “most valuable salinas in the whole of the West Indies were located on West Caicos.”

Production achieved

It was not until 1857 that bringing the salinas on West Caicos into production was finally achieved. On July 13, Mr. John Winter, an American and the ex-U.S. Consul of the Turks & Caicos Islands, purchased a 21 year lease for 100 acres of the Great Salina plus the land necessary for buildings, wharves, etc. for 1£ per acre per year with the option to renew the lease for another 10 years.

In accordance with the lease, the leasee agreed to construct a railway from the salina to the west coast of the island. The lease stated that all railways, wharves, and buildings constructed by the leasee were to revert to the Crown at the expiration of the lease or upon failure of the leasee to comply with the terms of the lease.

Since finding laborers to work the salt ponds on West Caicos had been one of reasons development there had previously been unsuccessful, James Winter was offered financial incentives for each laborer he brought to the island under a one year contract.

James Winter signed the lease agreement in July 1857, but the term of the 21 year lease and rental payments did not begin until January 1, 1859.

Belle Isle Salt Manufacturing Company

In January 1859, the Belle Isle Salt Manufacturing Company of Philadelphia was formed. Company trustees Samuel Grant and Charles Jackson paid John Winter $50,000 for his lease for the 100 acre salt pond on West Caicos. 

During the year 1859, a considerable number of laborers and large quantities of building materials were sent to West Caicos from the United States. Buildings were constructed and a railroad for transporting salt from the salina to the west coast was partially completed.

Port of entry established

In early 1859, the U.S. Consul at Turks Island, James B. Hayne, declared that a port of entry had been established at West Caicos. Hayne said that he expected West Caicos to be a coaling depot for American steamers as well as a place for the manufacture of salt under the auspices of an American company. Hayne stated that “James Winter, Esq., the late U.S. Consul at Turks Island, has been appointed U.S. Consular Agent at West Caicos.”

On August 28, 1859, the New York Herald reported that the bark Gertrude arrived the previous day from West Caicos. She reported that the Belle Isle Company of Philadelphia was building a railroad on West Caicos to a salt pond in the interior. The Gertrude brought home 13 laborers who had been employed building a road.

Mr. Winter or his representative wrote to the Public Ledger of Philadelphia in September 1859 to announce that the Belle Isle Salt Manufacturing Co. believed their salt would be superior to any other collected in the region. An agent sent to West Caicos brought back samples of their salt that tested surprisingly high for both purity and strength. 

The Public Ledger article went on to say that production on West Caicos would exceed that of the other salt islands on a per acre basis. The Belle Isle Company also believed their salt would command a higher price than salt from the other islands because of its purity.

The demise of the Belle Isle company

In 1862, President Inglis told the Legislative Board of the Turks & Caicos Islands that he had received information in December last (1861) that the Belle Isle Salt Manufacturing Company had gone into insolvency. The reason given was that operations on West Caicos were terminated due to the “Great Rebellion” (Civil War) in the United States.  

In 1862, the Crown took possession of the assets of the Belle Isle Salt Company on West Caicos. These included the 100 acre Salina, a 1.05 mile long railroad, buildings, and wharves. There is no evidence that the Belle Isle Salt Company ever actually sold or shipped salt from West Caicos.

Exactly how or why the American Civil War caused the Belle Isle Salt Company to fail is unknown, as salt exports from Grand Turk, Salt Cay, and East Harbour (South Caicos) during that period continued to be favorable as shown in the chart above.

Unfortunately, the failed attempts to produce salt on West Caicos in the 1850s was enough to dissuade others from attempting development of the island for the next 30 years. That is, until 1890, when cultivation of the Pita plant (sisal fibre) began on West Caicos. The West Caicos Sisal Company was registered in 1891. However, failure was again in the cards for this endeavor as the West Caicos Sisal Company ceased operations in 1903—some say due to inept management.

The author wishes to thank Linda Abend, Bermuda researcher extraordinaire, and Nigel Sadler of the Sands of Time Consultancy, and former director of the Turks & Caicos National Museum.