# History ## Before the Mennonites In 1718 the Spaniards made a determined effort to conquer the British settlements of Honduras and got as far as Spanish Lookout, which they fortified. In 1754 another attempt was made, but they only got as far as [[waterway:160]] where they were defeated mostly by slaves. ## After the Mennonites came On December 16, 1957 an agreement was made between the government of British Honduras and a delegation of the Quellen Colony in Chihuahua and Durango in Mexico. In this agreement, British Honduras granted the Mennonites the right to run their own churches and schools, with their own teachers, in their own language, according to their religion. And also the privilege of affirming with the simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’ instead of making oaths in or out of the courts. And the right to administer and invest the estates of their own people, especially those of widows and orphans, in their own ‘Trust System’, called the ‘Waisenamt’, according to their own rules and regulations; Also the exemption from any social security or compulsory system of insurance. In return the Mennonites agreed among other things to bring into British Honduras capital investment amounting to 500k British Honduras dollars and to produce food not only for themselves but also for local consumption. One of the reasons that George Price invited the Mennonites to Belize was to lessen their economic dependence on neighbouring countries. In 1958 the Kleine Gemeinde Mennonites from Quellen Colony moved to Belize, creating the Spanish Lookout and [[settlement:25]] settlements. They objected to a new social welfare law in Mexico and arable land was available in Belize. In 1966 over 30 conservative families left the settlement for Paraguay due to conflicting beliefs about modernization. Another group also left the colony and started a new colony in [[settlement:151]]. In the 1980s, refugees arrived from Guatemala and El Salvador, settling in surrounding villages, finding employment and schooling for their children within Spanish Lookout. Spanish Lookout celebrated its 40th anniversary on March 19, 1998.https://archive.channel5belize.com/archives/25163 Spanish Lookout celebrated it’s 50th anniversary from February 28 to March 1, 2008.https://archive.channel5belize.com/archives/5325 Country Side Park was designed and constructed for the anniversary, the planning starting from an initial meeting in June 2006. ## Banking For a long time most of Spanish Lookout's banking was done at Farmers Trading Center, but around 2019 it was handed over to a new institution named Spanish Lookout Credit Union, but still situated at FTC. On August 22, 2023 a grand opening was held for the new building across the road from Western Dairies.https://www.facebook.com/breakingbelizenews/posts/the-grand-opening-of-this-financial-institution-is-a-significant-event-for-the-c/674444041380867/ Scotiabank was the first national bank established in Spanish Lookout sometime around 2008. [Needs exact date] Five bank robbers robbed Scotiabank on March 30, 2010, killed a security guard and got away with over $300,000.https://archive.channel5belize.com/archives/30435 Scotiabank closed its doors on April 20, 2018.https://archive.channel5belize.com/archives/160852 And then on January 16, 2019 Heritage Bank held it's inauguration ceremony in the same building. ## Boundaries 1958 - The first purchase was made for the Spanish Lookout Estate with an area of 84.87 km². 1968 - Barton Ramie was purchased on the south east side along the [[waterway:20]] for ranching and crop farming, bringing the total area to 86.15 km², an increase of 1.28 km². 1978 - The Duck Run tract of land was purchased, some of it was purchased by the Spanish people creating the villages of [[settlement:86]], [[settlement:87]] and [[settlement:88]]. This purchase brought the total land area up to 106.67 km², an increase of 20.52 km². 1986 - A few more sections of Duck Run were incorporated into Spanish Lookout, bringing the total area up to 116.55 km², an increase of 9.98 km². 1989, September - [[settlement:367]] was purchased for ranching and crop farming, bringing the total area up to 220.58 km², an increase of 103.93 km², nearly doubling the size of Spanish Lookout. 1995 - [[settlement:371]] was purchased for crop farming, bringing the total area up to 228.61 km², an increase of 8.03 km². 2000s - A parcel of land south of the Bullet Tree Falls - Spanish Lookout Road was subdivided and sold to [[settlement:86]]. This reduced the total area to 229.52 km², a decrease of 0.12 km². 2007, July - The Castile estate was purchased for crop farming, bringing the total area up to 244.29 km², an increase of 10.57 km². 2010s - A second parcel of land was subdivided and sold to residents of [[settlement:86]]. This reduced the total area to 244.2 km², a decrease of 0.09 km². 2012 - [[settlement:369]] and [[settlement:368]] were purchased for ranching and crop farming, bringing the total area up to 367.55 km², an increase of 123.35 km². 2022, May - The [[settlement:374]] Farm was purchased for farming and the [[settlement:375]] Farm was also purchased for farming and possible future settlement. This brought the total area up to 414.02 km², an increase of 46.47 km². 2022, September - [[settlement:372]] was purchased for farming, bringing the total area to 418.2 km², an increase of 4.18 km². 2022, October - [[settlement:373]] was purchased and the land auctioned off to the farmers on November 26, 2022. This brought the total area up to 423.23 km², an increase of 5.03 km². 2024, July - A parcel of land was sold to [[settlement:86]] as they needed more land for the village. This decreased the total area down to 422.99 km², a decrease of 0.24 km². 2024, October - Boiton Land was purchased for ranching, bringing the total area up to 425.3 km², an increase of 2.31 km². ## Crude Oil Oil was discovered in 2005, the oil reservoir covered an area of approximately 438,000 acres of land, spanning parts of [[settlement:15]], [[settlement:329]], Spanish Lookout, [[settlement:14]], and even [[settlement:37]]. https://archive.channel5belize.com/archives/9556 On September 1, 2005 a second well struck oil.https://archive.channel5belize.com/archives/10848 And then a third well struck oil on January 16, 2006.https://archive.channel5belize.com/archives/10054https://archive.channel5belize.com/archives/9556 On January 9, 2007 Spanish Lookout residents had to clean up oil for half a mile downwind of an oil well, leaving residents fed up with the oil boom.https://archive.channel5belize.com/archives/6020 Spanish Lookout received its first oil royalty cheque of $433,000 on November 14, 2007.https://archive.channel5belize.com/archives/6020 By 2008 Belize Natural Energy was producing 4,400 barrels per day.https://www.7newsbelize.com/sstory.php?nid=11218 ## Industry **Spanish Lookout Export Board** Since 2024 the Spanish Lookout Export Board has enabled live chicken exports to Guatemala. This dramatically increased the amount of chicken barns in the community.Spanish Lookout Monthly Committee Meeting 2024-07-27 **Western Dairies** At a monthly community meeting in July of 1968, Gerhard Koop announced to everyone that to keep milk clean it was better to use stainless steel buckets and cans, so he was going to order them for everyone.Spanish Lookout Monthly Meeting Minutes ## Media In 2006 a documentary of Mennonites in Belize was filmed with interviews of residents in Spanish Lookout, [[settlement:151]], [[settlement:25]], [[settlement:291]] and [[settlement:146]].https://archive.channel5belize.com/archives/8250 ## Police & Security On January 4, 2000 the government allocated $30,000 for the construction of a police station in Spanish Lookout.https://archive.channel5belize.com/archives/21745 ## Transportation In 1968 the Government of British Honduras constructed their own ferry across the [[waterway:20]] to officially replace Spanish Lookout's self made ferry at Baking Pot across from Listowel, now Cayo Deaf Institute. The ferry and it's parts were sold at auction on July 31, 1968.Spanish Lookout Monthly Meeting Minutes A community law was established in August 1968 that trucks shouldn't be loaded with more than 7 tons to cross the ferry and to drive on Spanish Lookout's roads.Spanish Lookout Monthly Meeting Minutes The Chevron Oil Company used some of Spanish Lookout's roads, but their heavy trucks messed up the roads, so in 1968 they started charging them part of the repair costs.Spanish Lookout Monthly Meeting Minutes The [[road:21]] was upgraded and paved in 2005.https://www.centralbank.org.bz/docs/default-source/3.3.4-annual-reports/central-bank-annual-report-2005---full-document.pdf?sfvrsn=117ea9cb_0 ## Visits by Heads of States - Early 2000s, **Prime Minister Said Musa** and Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Dan Silva visited Western Dairies on private business asking for assistance in shutting the border to dairy product imports.Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Dan Silva2025 Private report from a person involved at the time. - March 1, 2008, **Prime Minister Dean Barrow** attended the 50th anniversary celebrations of Spanish Lookout. Barrow had been sworn in as Prime Minister just weeks earlier (February 8, 2008). He was described as “the new Prime Minister” on hand for the event, alongside **Former Prime Minister Manuel Esquivel** (who attended as a special consultant to the government) and Hon. Elvin Penner (the first Mennonite elected to the National Assembly).https://ambergriscaye.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/posts/273298.html - March 30, 2022, **Prime Minister Johnny Briceño** attended and oversaw the ground-breaking ceremony for a new soybean oil refinery in Spanish Lookout. He described the project as an exciting development for Belize's economy and agriculture.https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=975312980011016 - December 17, 2025, **Prime Minister Johnny Briceño** served as the keynote speaker at the grand opening of Country Foods' new Tazty corn flour processing plant. The event highlighted job creation, local production, and export potential, with the Prime Minister commending the company's contributions to Belize's food security and economy.https://lovefm.com/pm-briceno-opens-country-foods-corn-processing-factory-to-boost-food-security/ - February 2, 2026, the **President of Guyana, Mohamed Irfaan Ali** and **Prime Minister Johnny Briceño**, visited Belcar Exports, Quality Poultry Products and Western Dairies as part of his 3 day visit to Belize. The entourage arrived at Belcar in the afternoon in 2 helicopters.https://newsroom.gy/2026/02/01/president-begins-belize-state-visit/

History

Bridges over the Mopan River