We need HELP! Researching the History of Critterville Cove

The Critterville Cove Historical Society is dedicated to the preservation and documentation of the history of the Island Republic of Critter Key (IRoCK). The Society is comprised of residents and descendants of past residents. We are located at the southern end of the Critterville Cove boardwalk and run tours 6 days a week from 10am til 4pm, closed on Sundays. The Society is always looking for new members, and asks for the public's help. Due to the infamous "Schubert's Folly"* of World War II , the Society is looking to replace lost records and photographs that will help fill in lost periods of our island's history. We ask all residents, past and present, to search their attics, talk to their grandparents and older relatives, and help us make certain that the proud history of the Island Republic of Critter Key is forever preserved for future generations.

* On a foggy October 13th, 1941, Kapitan Elrich Schubert of the German U-boat U-812, mistook the Critterville Cove Lighthouse for an Allied Force battleship, and fired 3 torpedoes at it, two of which destroyed the lighhouse. As the lighthouse was one of the only concrete buildings on the island and thus deemed safest from fire, all official records were stored there. During the week after Schubert's Folly, some documents and photographs came to be found upon the beach, but many years of history are still unaccounted for.

the ISLAND itself

The Island Republic of Critter Key (IRoCK) is 10 miles long and 3 miles wide. There are 2 towns on opposite ends of the island, Critterville Cove on the southwestern side, and Parrotsburg on the northern shore. Parrotsburg is more of a metropolitan center, with industry, larger schools, a Hospital, Rum distillery, and many of the other places you'd expect to see in any large town. The lands between the towns are known as the Highlands, location of vineyards which use the fertile soil and southern exposure to grow both grapes and hops locally to make world class wines and beer.

Critterville Cove on the other hand, is essentially a sleepy fishing village, with a few restaurants, bars, and various shops. The most prominent geographic feature at the northern end of Critterville Cove is Cape Poirot, known locally as Pirate Surf Bluff for its sheer cliff plunging into the ocean waves. It is named for Jean Luc Poirot, a French Capitaine who claimed to be a French Naval Officer but was later tried and hung as a pirate. Poirot and his expedition first visited these waters over three hundred years ago. The bluff begins in the calmer waters on the northwest shore of the cove and extends around northward on the west shores of the island. A few years ago, with an endowment from a mysterious unknown source*, an amphitheater was carved into the bluff along the cove. Seating is built into the bluff itself, while the stage is on the water's edge, making for memorable evening concerts featuring many international acts with beautiful sunsets and surfers on the waves in the background.

* rumored but never publicly confirmed to be a wealthy rock star and entrepreneur

From the Amphitheater, you can walk the beach thru town and to the marina on the southern point, which curls like a Shepherd’s Hook to provide safe harbor for ships in all kinds of weather. At the entrance to the marina is a ramp which the many seaplanes that bring fresh supplies from the mainland (and the occasional rock star) use to get to the airport that lies just beyond the marina. The airport is small, and cannot accommodate large commercial airlines, but using the seaplanes, one can connect to them on nearby islands.

The only motor vehicles on the island are a fleet of jeepneys operated by a Rastafarian family that ferries people from Critterville Cove to Parrotsburg where some people work, via CK-1 the main roadway which runs north-south along the length of the island. In the past few years, golf carts, once only seen at Critterville Cove Country Club, are now being used by the locals to get around. Both the carts and Jeepneys are personalized by bright colors, flags and other accessories. The only other mode of transportation is bicycles, and there is a bike shop in Critterville Cove which keeps them in running order.

With the larger schools and other metropolitan conveniences mostly located in Parrotsburg, the township of Critterville Cove has become more of a fishing and tourist community, with the population mostly made up of residents who make their living in trades, bars and shops catering to the tourist industry. That said, there is a child-like feel to the community, and a distinct love of life that brings people from all over the world to experience it over and over again. People are free to be themselves without judgment...in a word, Paradise.

The island was inhabited by a tribe of Carib Indians who welcomed their new friends. The tribe were a very friendly and outgoing people, and were known for stopping work and throwing huge celebrations for almost any reason, something the French crew enjoyed very much during their stay.