Spanish Wells

St. George's Cay
Coordinates: 25°32′45″N 76°45′40″W
Country	Bahamas
Island	St. George's Cay
Established	1853
Government
• Type	District Council
• Chief Councillor	Robert Roberts
• Deputy Chief Councillor	Herbie Albury
Population  (2022)
• Total	1,608 [1]
Demographics 2010
• White	81.95%
• Black	15.48%
• Black and white	0.84%
• Other	0.97%
Time zone	UTC−5 (EST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Area code	242

Spanish Wells is a district of the Bahamas.^[2] The settlement consists of a medium-sized town on the island of St. George's Cay ^[3] 610 m (2,000 ft) wide by 2,860 m (9,380 ft) long, located approximately 500 m (1,600 ft) off the northern tip of Eleuthera island. According to the 2022 census, it has a population of 1,608 residents.

It is the only majority white district in The Bahamas.

Overview

Spanish Wells is extended by a bridge that links it to neighboring Russell Island, which is 5.8 km (3.6 mi) long and has become an integral part of the community.^[4] Spanish Wells is so small that many residents get around the island using golf carts instead of full-sized cars. Spanish Wells is known for its white powdery beaches, tropical breezes, laid back atmospheres and friendly people.^[5]

History

Historically, the island was used as a last stop for the Spanish treasure fleet returning to Europe and Iberian Peninsula. Spanish galleons and Spain's medieval ships refilled their water supply from wells created for this purpose - thus the English name of the settlement: Spanish Wells.

The first British colonists were the Eleutheran adventurers from Bermuda (intending to be some of the first settlers of Eleuthera), who suffered shipwreck on a reef, known as the "Devil's Backbone" off Eleuthera in 1647. After living in a cave known as "Preacher's Cave" on Eleuthera, they ended up at Spanish Wells. Among other, later, groups of settlers were Crown loyalists, who left the United States after the American Revolutionary War.

Economy

In the late 1970s and early 1980s an illegal drug trade in the Bahamas had a prevalence, Spanish Wells served as a transshipment point for illicit recreational drugs being shipped from Latin America to North America as part of the transoceanic illegal drug trade.

Commencing in 2006, Spanish Wells developed as a centre for lobster fishing and tourism in Bahamas.

Demographics

Spanish Wells is populated primarily by White Bahamians, who constitute 81.95% of the district's population. Afro-Bahamians constitute a further 15.48% of the population. As of the 2010 census, the district is home to 1,551 residents.^[6]

Tropical storms

The area suffered extensive property damage during a direct hit from Hurricane Andrew in 1992 and Floyd in 1999.

Notable people

• Clay Sweeting, Member of Parliament and Cabinet Minister

References

1. "Census population and housing" (PDF). Bahamas Gov. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
2. Spanish Wells District in Geonames.org (cc-by)
3. "About Spanish Wells Spanish Wells Bahamas Dot Com". Archived from the original on 2008-02-23.
4. "About Spanish Wells, Russell Island & the Bahamas".
5. "Home - Our Spanish Wells".
6. "Department of Statistics of the Bahamas" (PDF). bahamas.gov.bs. Retrieved 30 March 2022.

• Everild Young, Eleuthera the island called Freedom, Regency Press (London, 1969)