# History Belize City was probably settled by Peter Wallace when he landed at the mouth of the Haulover Creek in 1638. Fort George was constructed in 1803 on the island later named Fort George Island as a defense for Belize City.https://quod.lib.umich.edu/g/genpub/AKD5459.0001.001/34https://ia600206.us.archive.org/10/items/colonybritishho00morr/colonybritishho00morr.pdf [[bridge:18]], constructed in 1859 was the first bridge connecting the [[settlement:356]] and [[settlement:357]] of Belize Town and was also the first bridge in British Honduras.https://quod.lib.umich.edu/g/genpub/AKD5459.0001.001/52 In 1922 the government planned to develop Fort George. A contract was given to the Jefferson Construction Company of the United States . For a sum of $BH300,000,000 the company, between 1922 and 1924, completely filled in the strait, making Fort George Island one with the city. A concrete wall surrounded the island, and a mound at the tip was made with a high groyne to form Memorial Park , in honour of the dead of the first world war. In 1926 Baron Bliss came to Belize City and died on his yacht in the harbour. He left his fortune to the Colony, and his tomb was placed at the point, with a lighthouse beside it. In 1952 the Colonial Development Corporation built the Fort George Hotel on a site reserved for that purpose, and a United Kingdom grant assisted in the construction of the head quarters of the British Honduras Volunteer Guard.https://ia601502.us.archive.org/27/items/british-honduras-gregg/BritishHondurasGregg.pdf Under Chapter 118 of the Consolidated Laws of 1924, a partly nominated and partly elected Town Board was established. This town board also functioned as a District Board and thus administered [[settlement:299]], [[settlement:47]] and Ambergris Caye.https://dn720005.ca.archive.org/0/items/colonial-reports-1923-1234/ColonialReports1923-1234.pdf New customs offices were erected at Fort George in 1924 at a cost of $8,130.49.https://dn720005.ca.archive.org/0/items/colonial-reports-1923-1234/ColonialReports1923-1234.pdf In 1933 the first sawmill was established in Belize Town.https://ia601502.us.archive.org/27/items/british-honduras-gregg/BritishHondurasGregg.pdf In 1970 the capital of Belize was relocated to [[settlement:14]] after the devastating effects of Hurricane Hattie. ## Boundaries In 1949, 50 plots of land was laid out for Ex-servicemen.https://ia801001.us.archive.org/20/items/colonial-report-brit-honduras-1948/ColonialReportBritHonduras1948.pdf Another 19 lots were laid out for the Ex-servicemen in 1950 at Cemetery Road west of Collet Canal. Also 55 lots in the Freetown Area were distributed to the Central Authority.https://ia801001.us.archive.org/20/items/colonial-report-brit-honduras-1948/ColonialReportBritHonduras1948.pdf ## Disasters September 2nd, 1787 at 3:00 in the morning, a hurricane struck Belize Town and destroyed every building except 1. Many lives were lost and all public records destroyed.https://ia601502.us.archive.org/27/items/british-honduras-gregg/BritishHondurasGregg.pdf Then in 1813 a hurricane hit Belize Town on August 1 and then again on the 13th of the same month, but there are no records of what damages happened.https://ia601502.us.archive.org/27/items/british-honduras-gregg/BritishHondurasGregg.pdf The Great Fire of 1854 happened in the [[settlement:357]] of Belize Town.https://quod.lib.umich.edu/g/genpub/AKD5459.0001.001/19 On July 17, 1856 arsons set fire to some houses on the north side of the town. In a few hours the fire took possession of the entire north side, including the Catholic church and residences of the Fathers.https://ia800600.us.archive.org/17/items/ThePilgrimOfOurLadyOfMartyrsVolXIX1903/ThePilgrimOfOurLadyOfMartyrsVolXIX1903.pdf On 31st August, 1864, another hurricane struck Belize and caused severe damage, but how much was lost was not assessed.https://ia601502.us.archive.org/27/items/british-honduras-gregg/BritishHondurasGregg.pdf The hurricane of 1931 happened on September 10 as people were celebrating the Battle of St. George's Caye Day. The hurricane flattened the entire town and drowned over 2,000 people. That was about 5% of the entire colony's population at the time.https://ia601502.us.archive.org/27/items/british-honduras-gregg/BritishHondurasGregg.pdf ## Etymology **Belize Settlement** derived it's name from the [[waterway:20]] which in turn came from the Mayan word Balis meaning "muddy waters" or possibly the name is a corruption of Wallace from Peter Wallace. In 1783 the Belize Settlement was incorporated as a town and made the capital of Belize as **Belize Town**. In 1981 Belize Town was upgraded to a city, **Belize City**. ## Important Structures **St. John's Cathedral** St. John's Church was built between 1812 and 1820 with bricks used as ballast aboard ships. It is situated on Regent St. in Belize City. It was the first church to be built in British Honduras. The exterior of the church is of brick; the interior is fitted out in mahogany and sapodilla. It was built by the British using slave labour. The cathedral is a historical landmark of Belize from the colonial influence of the country's past. Attached to the church is the oldest cemetery in the country, Yarborough Cemetery. On January 18, 1816 George Frederic Augustus I was crowned king of the Miskito Kingdom in St. John's Church. When George Frederic Augustus I was murdered by his wife, his brother Robert Charles Frederic was crowned King. The coronation happened in St. John's Church on April 23, 1824. It was a strategy of the British to use the Church of England to crown their kings as a means to control the indians from the Miskito Kingdom in Honduras and Nicaragua. Initially a parish church, St. John's Church was renamed St. John's Cathedral in 1891, a few years after the diocese of British Honduras had been erected. On September 2, 2018 his Excellency Pedro Moore Ricardo came to Belize and was crowned in St. John's Cathedral by Anglican Bishop Philip Wright. The reason was to restore ties with the Miskito people that settled in British Honduras in the 1700s. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._John%27s_Cathedral_(Belize_City) **Government House** The Government House was constructed in 1814 and was surrounded by *"grounds tastefully laid out and planted with cocoanut, bamboo, mango and other trees"*.https://quod.lib.umich.edu/g/genpub/AKD5459.0001.001/52 **Courthouse** The Court-House was constructed in 1880 and occupied a central position in town.https://quod.lib.umich.edu/g/genpub/AKD5459.0001.001/52 In 1924 the Couthouse wsa reconstructed at a cost of $61,866.08.https://dn720005.ca.archive.org/0/items/colonial-reports-1923-1234/ColonialReports1923-1234.pdf # Infrastructure ## Telephone Since before 1924https://dn720005.ca.archive.org/0/items/colonial-reports-1923-1234/ColonialReports1923-1234.pdf there were 4 telegraph lines extending from Belize to the other districts. These lines still existed in 1950.https://ia801001.us.archive.org/20/items/colonial-report-brit-honduras-1948/ColonialReportBritHonduras1948.pdf - [[settlement:12(1948)]]-[[settlement:159(1948)]]-[[settlement:186(1948)]]-[[settlement:64(1948)]]-[[settlement:59(1948)]] - [[settlement:12(1948)]]-[[settlement:214(1948)]]-[[settlement:231(1948)]]-[[settlement:15(1948)]] - [[settlement:12(1948)]]-[[settlement:79(1948)]]-[[settlement:294(1948)]]-[[settlement:172(1948)]] - [[settlement:12(1948)]]-Hill Bank (Belize Estate and Produce Company) ## Transportation Improved mail and passenger services by motor vessels were established in 1924, the routes being [[settlement:12]]-[[settlement:64]]-[[settlement:186]] and [[settlement:12]]-[[settlement:79]]-[[settlement:387]]-[[settlement:172]]-[[settlement:202]]. These services were subsidized by the government and mail was carried under contract.https://www.jacar.archives.go.jp/acv/contents/pub/pdf/B02/B02032223100.ba0141a.a-0980.00000198.pdf # Religious Institutions The first Catholic church in Belize Town was constructed entirely of mahogany and was a beautiful building. In 1856 the church burned down. In April 1858 a new church was consecrated including residences and a school. These buildings were built better than before and were made of brick.https://quod.lib.umich.edu/g/genpub/AKD5459.0001.001/19 ## Vicariate Apostolic of British Honduras **Cathedral of the Most Holy Redeemer** **Reverends** - Very Rev. W. A. Mitchell, S.J., V.G. (1917-1918) - Rev. William L. Hornsby, S.J. (1917-1918) - Rev. Allan Stevenson, S.J. (1917) - Rev. David E. Hamilton, S.J. (1917-1918) - Rev. Daniel Coady, S.J. (1917) - Rev. Louis Fusz, S.J. (1917-1918) - Rev. Francis J. Pichardo, S.J. (1917-1918) - Rev. Joseph B. Kammerer, S.J. (1918,1927-1928) - Rev. Henry G. Huerman, S.J. (1918) - Rev. Aloysius C. Kemper, S.J. (1918) - Rev. Bernard F. Abeling, S.J. (1918, 1927-1928) - Rt. Rev. Joseph A. Murphy, S.J. (1925-1928) - Rev. Robert A. Henneman, S.J. (1925) - Rev. Francis J. Kemphues, S. J. (1925, 1928) - Rev. Joseph L. Kemper, S.J. (1927) - Rev. Robert C. Harder, S.J. (1927-1928) - Rev. William A. Ryan, S.J. (1928) https://dn710208.ca.archive.org/0/items/the-official-catholic-diectory-1925/The%20Official%20Catholic%20Diectory%201925.pdf **Missions** - [[settlement:258(1925)]] (1917-1928) - [[settlement:47(1925)]] (1917-1928) - [[settlement:159(1925)]] (1917-1928) - [[settlement:28(1925)]] (1917-1928) - [[settlement:460(1925)]] (1917-1925) - [[settlement:206(1925)]] (1917-1928) - [[settlement:129(1925)]] (1917-1928) # Social Services ## Banking The Government Savings Bank was established in 1846. It was operated by the Treasury.https://quod.lib.umich.edu/g/genpub/AKD5459.0001.001/62https://ia801001.us.archive.org/20/items/colonial-report-brit-honduras-1948/ColonialReportBritHonduras1948.pdf In October 1912 the Royal Bank of Canada bought out the Bank of British Honduras.https://ia801001.us.archive.org/20/items/colonial-report-brit-honduras-1948/ColonialReportBritHonduras1948.pdfhttps://ia801507.us.archive.org/6/items/colonial-reports-1938-1894/ColonialReports1938-1894.pdf Barclays Bank (D.C. and O.) opened a branch in Belize Town on September 4, 1949.https://ia801001.us.archive.org/20/items/colonial-report-brit-honduras-1948/ColonialReportBritHonduras1948.pdf ## Burial Grounds At the end of September 1881, work commenced on the Queen Charlotte's Town Vaults. By January of 1882 they were in use already.https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/BL/0003218/18820218/001/0001 ## Education Sometime around 1926 the compulsory attendance age was lifted from 12 to 14 years.https://www.jacar.archives.go.jp/acv/contents/pub/pdf/B02/B02032223100.ba0141a.a-0980.00000198.pdf The Catholic School had 472 students in 1927 and 508 in 1928.Catholic Directory 1927Catholic Directory 1928 ## Police In 1948 the building formerly known as the Roosevelt Hotel building which adjoined the Police Compound in [[settlement:12(1948)]] was acquired by the department and at the close of the year was being renovated prior to being put into use as extra sleeping and messing accommodation and offices. This building was slated for completion during 1949 and would greatly relieve the congested Barracks and Office accommodation of Headquarters.https://ia801001.us.archive.org/20/items/colonial-report-brit-honduras-1948/ColonialReportBritHonduras1948.pdf In 1949 the police force consisted of 117 officers, with transportation consisting of 1 Station Wagon, 1 Prisoner's Van, 2 Motorcycles and 2 Launches.https://ia801001.us.archive.org/20/items/colonial-report-brit-honduras-1948/ColonialReportBritHonduras1948.pdf

Clifford E. Betson Bridge