The
History of Cedros
Pre-Historic Period
It is believed that the first Cedrosan Saladoid, or Ceramic-period people, migrated out of
the South American continent and gradually made their way northward along the West Indian
island chain, reaching the area of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands by about 200 BC.
Popularly referred to as Arawaks or Island-Arawaks, this group is believed to have
migrated in considerable numbers into the Lesser and Greater Antilles over a period of
many centuries.
Cedrosan 'Adornos' - Ceramic Animal Figures
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Along with their ability to produce ceramic ware, the
Cedrosans possessed a knowledge of agriculture. The fact that their culture was based upon
the cultivation of the hearty manioc plant, and the preparation of a nutritious and
durable staple food from its pulp, meant that the Cedrosan Saladoid tended to establish
more permanent agrarian settlements. This afforded them the time, and therefore the
opportunity, to advance themselves in areas that were not necessarily related to every day
foraging for sustenance: a fact displayed by the presence of creative adornments on their
pottery, as well as other household, religious, and personal items [Highfield, 1995;
Rouse, 1992]. |
The Cedrosans were named after
James Rouse's excavations in Bonasse Village in Cedros discovered the first evidence of
these early Caribbean settlers in 1947.
1492 - Christopher
Columbus
In 1492 Christopher Columbus anchored his
ships in the sheltered bays of Cedros. One of the ship's anchors was lost; found later and
is now housed in the Trinidad National Museum. It is said that Columbus came ashore with
his men at what is now called Columbus Bay in Cedros to give thanks to God.
1786 - The first
European Settlers
Cedros saw its first settlers in 1786. Because
of the distance of Cedros from the Capital, the settlement may have been largely left
alone, although cedars must have provided useful timber for the caravels. The Sapinards
called the surrounding region "Quemada", which means "burnt" and this
points to the little-recorded fire which ahd swept a large part of the south-western
penninsula. (Names like Rancho Quemado certainly emerged from this incident).
By, 1849, Cedros was in full development. The indentured East Indians, who came here in
1845, were being introduced. Those were original grants under the Cedula of population. In
1849, all the giant cedars may have been hewn down, however Lord Harris named the entire
region around the village, the Ward of Cedros. The main settlement that had developed
along the old bay of cedars was called Bonasse although this is what people refer to as
Cedros. The name Bonasse is hardly used today.
Cedros was one of the most productive areas in Trinidad. The land is fit for surgar and
coffee but, cocoa and later coconuts were tried and these florised too. The British tried
sugar cane in the early days of sugar. Bananas were being tried out extensively. But it
was coconut that was to become the most important crop. By 1870, Coffee, as a crop had
become non-existent.
Cedros, because of its produce, had become one of the chief ports of call of the
round-island steamers.
By the 1870s the education of the children in the Cedros area was now occupying the minds
of the authorities and in 1874 the Government built the first school in the district,
under the school master Phillip Vincent.
From the Spanish days right down to this period, the 1880s, the predominant language
spoken in Cedros was Spanish. This came about, no doubt, becauseof its early Spanish
settlers. The Spanish influence was still so stong around this period that in order to
carry out his job as the Clerke of the peace John Jocob Thomas, had to teach himself
Spanish.
But these and many other aspects of the old Cedros have vanished without a trace. There
are still large coconut estates in the Cedros area, but agriculture today, in Cedros,
plays a much smaller part than formerly. Fishing plays a big part in Cedros today. The
fishing industries there involves about three- quarters of the population. Although
fishing in Cedros is a thriving industry, the coast is so near Venezuela - about eight
miles - that the fishermen are often plagued with disputes about territorial waters. |
