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- Ruin ‘n’ Wrack March 21, 2014 The infamous Turks Island wreckers By Mark Parrish, Big Blue Unlimited The Grand Turk lighthouse was built in 1852. Its construction was borne out of necessity for the sheer volume of ships that fell victim to the treacherous reefs around the island. The history of the Turks & Caicos Islands during the eighteenth and ninteenth centuries ... Read more about this post
- The Iron Giant of Yankeetown March 21, 2014 What will be the fate of this abandoned steam engine? By Dr. Donald H. Keith, Chairman, TCI National Museum One of the most visually impressive historic sites you will find anywhere in the Turks & Caicos Islands is “Yankeetown” on West Caicos. I stumbled across it in 1983 during a survey for archaeological sites. The little ... Read more about this post
- Cold Case January 3, 2014 The loss of the US Navy Schooner Onkahye, 1848. By Dr. Donald H. Keith, Chairman, TCI National Museum, and Dr. James W. Hunter “Near Nine O Clock on Wednesday night the Vessel Struck and from the grating of her Keel . . . I concluded . . . that She Had run up and Lodged on ... Read more about this post
- Diving into Our History October 9, 2013 The Jeremiah Denis Murphy exhibit. Story & Photos By Dr. Donald H. Keith, Chairman, TCI National Museum The exhibits in the Guinep House were created in 1990 and have remained largely unchanged for more than 20 years. We have uncovered a lot more history since then, with more fascinating artifacts to show and more incredible stories to ... Read more about this post
- Many Hands Make (the) Light Work June 18, 2013 Join in the drive to re-create a working Fresnel lens display. Story & Photos By Dr. Donald H. Keith, Chairman, TCI National Museum Like any renovation, the Museum’s started out with a simple, concise plan that grew in complexity as we saw other things that ought to be dealt with at the same time. Once the most ... Read more about this post
- Mission Accomplished! March 12, 2013 A tribute to the Range Rats of Grand Turk By Bill Hocking “I salute—from my space helmet—the Range Rats, the unsung heroes of the space race to the future.” Buzz Aldrin, Apollo XI, 1969 On a clear St. Patrick’s Day, March 17, 1958 at 7:15 AM, the first Vanguard missile was successfully launched into a highly stable orbit. ... Read more about this post
- The Place We Called Home January 19, 2013 The on-going development of the Caicos Heritage House. By Dr. Donald H. Keith, Chairman, TCI National Museum The Turks & Caicos National Museum’s presence on Providenciales is growing! Construction of the “Caicos Heritage House” is nearing completion. Made possible by a grant from an anonymous donor, the House is the anchor exhibit for the “Caicos Heritage House ... Read more about this post
- Gretchen’s Christmas Letter January 19, 2013 Memories of an expatriate’s life on Grand Turk in 1957. By Gretchen Steffke St. John ~ Photos and Captions By Art St. John Gretchen St. John came to Grand Turk with her husband Art in 1957. Art St. John served as the Commanding Officer of “Waldo II,” the temporary US Coast Guard LORAN station set up in ... Read more about this post
- The Time-Traveling Beachcomber October 9, 2012 Stroll Grand Turk’s beaches with this native historian. By Sherlin Williams Beachcombing is a common practice on islands like these. Some folks look for shells, driftwood, sea-glass and the like. Others enjoy the simple tranquillity and intimacy with nature. But for a time-traveling beachcomber like me, who grew up on Grand Turk, strolling the beach offers glimpses ... Read more about this post
- Nothing Short of Miraculous October 9, 2012 The saga of the North Creek paddle. By Dr. Donald H. Keith, Chairman, TCI National Museum Discovery Saturday August 17, 1996, 4:30 PM: It is the end of another long day for Bob Gascoine, captain of the sailboat, Aquanaut, moored in “the lagoon,” a deepwater basin at the north end of Grand Turk’s North Creek. It is ... Read more about this post
- Carved Histories II June 26, 2012 A duho biography. By Joanna Ostapkowicz, Fiona Brock, Alex Wiedenhoeft and Mike Richards. In December 2007, Fiona Brock and I visited the Turks & Caicos National Museum (TCNM) to study the Lucayan duho—or ceremonial seat—in its collections. This visit had long been a goal of mine: I first studied the duho (at a distance, in the UK) ... Read more about this post
- Ancient Discoveries in the Caicos Caves March 2, 2012 Sometimes it takes a new pair of eyes . . . nearly 100 years later! By Mark Parrish, BSc Ocean Sciences I have been exploring caves and sinkholes in the Turks & Caicos Islands for almost 15 years. It was not something I was particularly interested in before moving to these islands, but I’ve always had a ... Read more about this post
- Twenty Years of Achievement January 14, 2012 This timeline highlights the TCI National Museum’s accomplishments. By Dr. Donald H. Keith, Chairman, TCI National Museum Let’s take a look at what the Museum’s Finders, Binders, and Minders have been up to for the last 20 years and what they have accomplished. Here is a sampling of a few of their more noteworthy achievements. 1980–1989 Molasses ... Read more about this post
- Birding in Paradise October 19, 2011 Grand Turk’s Bird Walk and Bird Drive Trails are the first in the Caribbean. By Pat Saxton, Director of Business Development, TCI National Museum I love plants. I can go out into my garden anytime and see my plants. Plants don’t have an optimum time to view them, unless it is a midnight blooming cactus, which only ... Read more about this post
- The Oldest Shipwreck: A Cautionary Tale October 19, 2011 This rollicking story reveals the Museum’s rather inauspicious start. Story & Illustrations By Dr. Donald H. Keith, Chairman, TCI National Museum “Divers find oldest shipwreck in the Caribbean . . . and treasure that could be worth MILLIONS” screamed the headline in the Daily Mail on April 29, 2011. Nicknamed the “Precioso site” by the American treasure ... Read more about this post
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On the Cover
This aerial “selfie” was taken by local photographer/athlete/artist/adventurer Wes Matweyew. Of the location, Wes says, “It’s an amazing spot just downwind from Daniel’s Café on Middle Caicos. There are holes in the boat that turn into waterspouts as the waves press up underneath—spraying you as you ride by and creating rainbows in the sun’s rays."
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