We enjoyed reading the St. Croix Source’s three-part series about conditions in the U.S. Virgin Islands at the time they became part of the United States, as described in the 1917 special U.S. Census of the territory. The third part of the series capture a slice of the territory’s heritage.
The census officials’ highlighted that in 1917:
- St. Croix was the “most productive” of the islands because of the sugar and related rum industry there.
- 91.2% of St. Croix’s land was devoted to crops and animal husbandry. Sugar was the primary crop.
For more of a glimpse of daily life on St Croix, St. Thomas, and St. John back then, read the full article here.