St. Maarten/St. Martin's Colorful History

St. Maarten/Martin enjoys the unique position of being the smallest landmass in the world to be divided and ruled by two sovereign powers. Ownership of the island is divided between the Dutch and the French, who have shared the island for more than 300 years. The French side of the island is actually part of the Guadeloupe Department of France, so when you're on French St. Martin, it's the same legally as if you were actually standing on the streets of Paris. However, the Dutch side is not really considered to be The Netherlands: It is part of the Netherlands Antilles, a group of Caribbean islands that belong to the Dutch Kingdom. St. Maarten/Martin has had a number of diverse residents throughout its fascinating history.

The island's first inhabitants were the Arawaks, who came here around 800 A.D. The Arawaks called the island Soualiga, or Land of Salt, because of the island's many salt ponds. In fact, the salt ponds, which still exist today, were once a key player in the island's economy. The Arawaks were followed by the significantly more violent and warlike Carib Indians.

The Spaniards were the first Europeans to arrive on the island. Tradition has it that the island was named by Christopher Columbus, who first sighted it on November 11, 1493, the feast day of Saint Martin of Tours and so gave it its name. Although he never came ashore, he claimed the land for Spain and kept sailing. Still, to this day, islanders continue to celebrate November 11 as St. Maarten/Martin Day.

After Columbus sailed on by, 138 years would pass before anyone would attempt to colonize the island. The French and Dutch arrived in the Caribbean and established a presence here in 1631. They were drawn to the island by its lucrative salt ponds and strategic location. In 1633, the Spanish reasserted their claim to the territory and drove out the French and Dutch colonies.

During their time on the island, the Spanish rebuilt Fort Amsterdam, which was originally built by the Dutch in 1632. Fort Willem was also constructed in the colonial era to further defend St. Maarten/Martin from attacks by other forces. Both forts are located in Philipsburg and can still be seen today.

The peaceful coexistence of Dutch and French forces was initialized with the signing of the Treaty of Concordia on March 23, 1648 atop Mount Concordia, where visitors can view a historical monument dedicated to the agreement. Although the treaty detailed how the island would be shared, the two powers continued to dispute the ownership of St. Maarten/Martin until 1817, when the boundaries that currently exist were finally established and upheld. During this tumultuous period of the island, the English held control for a brief period of time as well.

Unofficially, there's a popular folk story about the partition of the island known as "the legend of the drunk Dutchman." This legend explains that the Dutch and French divided St. Maarten/Martin by means of a race. A Dutchman and a Frenchman stood back-to-back and started to walk around the island. The spot where the two would meet would determine the border. Legend has it that the Frenchman carried a flask of wine, and the Dutchman had a flask of old Dutch Gin. The Frenchman covered more ground and claimed 21 square miles of territory. The Dutchman, who supposedly stopped for several breaks to drink his gin, ended up with only 16 square miles.

St. Maarten/Martin's economy was historically based on salt production and agriculture. On both the Dutch and French sides of the island, sugarcane plantations began production around 1648. Slaves were brought in from Africa to cultivate crops such as sugarcane, coffee, cotton and cocoa. Although slavery ended in 1848 on the French side, it was not abolished on the Dutch side until 15 years later in 1863.

This industry saw a sharp decline, however, due to decreased demand from the United States. As salt exports waned, workers began to leave the island for opportunities on other neighboring islands. Salt production on the Dutch side ended in 1949, and on the French side, in 1967. The salt ponds still exist but are no longer used to produce salt. The island's economy slowly slipped into depression for a brief period afterwards.

The development of Princess Juliana Airport on the island in 1943, as well as the establishment of hotels, brought the beginnings of a strong tourism economy to St. Maarten/Martin. More hotels were soon built on the island, along with casinos, restaurants and stores. This rapid construction and the quickly growing and developing economy brought with it a wealth of opportunities.

Residents who had left the island years ago began to come back to take part in its new tourism economy. These new opportunities also attracted citizens of countries as far away as China, India and Italy and as close by as Jamaica, Haiti and the United States. Today, St. Maarten/Martin is home to people of more than 100 different nationalities. The island's international and diverse ethnic population is reflected in the wide range of restaurants and cuisine that can be found here and in the numerous languages that people speak.

Tourism is now the island's main source of income, and St. Maarten/Martin attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors from all over the world every year. The island's government has recently undertaken a mission to invest in several key areas on the island. Princess Juliana International Airport is currently being rebuilt and the expansion is planned to take place over a two-year period. A new harbor was recently constructed in Philipsburg, along with a beautiful boardwalk, or promenade, that runs along the beachfront. Throughout the island, changes are being made to enable both visitors and residents to take advantage of all the island has to offer. The diversity and wealth of shopping opportunities, restaurants, nightlife and beaches in St. Maarten/Martin is unparalleled, and have helped make the island one of the most popular vacation destinations in the world.

The Philipsburg Courthouse

Completed in 1793 at the order of Commander Willem Hendrik Rink, the Philipsburg Courthouse is one of the island's oldest monuments. Located on Front Street in the heart of the city's famed shopping and dining district, this charming two-story structure was severely damaged by a hurricane in 1819, and it wasn't until 1826 before it was fully rebuilt, this time sans the upper floor but with the addition of the familiar bell tower. In 1964, then Lt. Governor Beaujon ordered the second floor rebuilt, and in 1994-95, the courthouse underwent its most recent restoration and received its pineapple on tower as a symbol of St. Maarten/Martin's hospitality.

The Man Behind the Name

As you travel around the island, you may see the name Claude Wathey quite a bit: for instance, the pier in Pointe Blanche is named after him, as well as the Legislative Hall of the Government Administration Building.

The reason for this is his legacy as one of the most patriotic citizens and influential political figures in Sint Maarten/St. Martin's history.

Born Albert Claudius Wathey in Philipsburg, St. Maarten on July 24, 1926, he attended St. Joseph's School, which is still located on Front Street. His formal educational training was in business and hotel management. Wathey began his active political career in1950, winning his first Island Council Elections in 1951. He later went on to form the prominent Democratic Party of St. Maarten with Clem Labega in July of 1954. Wathey enjoyed an illustrious political career, becoming a senator in the Netherlands Antillean Parliament in 1962 and later holding other prominent posts, among them Commissioner of Tourism. His vision of tourism being the driving force behind the island's economy is one of his most important legacies, and to that end he helped engineer deals that brought major hotels to the island.

In addition, his pride as a Sint Maartener led him to help create a national holiday for the island. Thanks to his efforts and those of other prominent island residents like Labega and Dr. Hubert Petit, on November 11, 1962, St. Maarten Day was born, a holiday islanders celebrate with pride to this day.