PARISH INFORMATION |
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 GENERAL
POSITION/SIZE/DESCRIPTION Portland is the most north-easterly parish in the island with an area of 814 square kilometres. It lies in the direct path of the north-east trade winds and the Blue Mountain ridge to its south traps the moisture causing the parish to have the highest rainfall in the island. Much of the interior is inaccessible with thick rain forests and the parish has lush vegetation. The highest elevation is Blue Mountain peak which is 2,256 metres above sea level. The John Crow Mountain range is in the east. The parish has a variety of complex landforms and unmatched fertility. There are 17 rivers which form a network throughout the parish. The largest are the Rio Grande. Buff Bay and Hectors Rivers. Rafting on the Rio Grande is a favourite recreational pastime for locals and tourists alike. Portland is considered by many to be the most beautiful parish. The
entire coastline is dotted with caves, bays, rivers, waterfalls and
verdant hills. There are fourteen caves which include those at Buff Bay,
Orange Bay, Hope Bay, Port Antonio, Boston Bay, Long Bay, Innis Bay and
Nonsuch. It also boasts the Blue Lagoon believed to be the crater of an
extinct volcano. The capital Port Antonio, has a double harbour with a
small island, Navy Island close to the coast there. The parish of Portland was formed in 1723 by merging the parish of St George with part of the parish of St Thomas-in-the-East. It was named after Henry, Duke of Portland who was then governor of the island. The chief town in the area was Titchfield Town but it was superceded by Port Antonio as it was named in 1685 after the Spanish name Puerto Santo Antonio. Portland's settlement was very slow. In addition to the high death toll from tropical diseases, the Maroons, (descendants of the slaves left behind by the Spaniards and runaway slaves) constantly raided the fledgling plantations. An Act passed in 1725 gave attention to the control of diseases in Portland. In 1729 Fort George was built and in 1739 a treaty with the Maroons was signed. Settlers started to go to Portland to establish sugar estates. The climatic conditions were not suitable and of the 138 sugar estates established by 1800, none remained a century later. Much of the land was taken over by peasant farmers who grew bananas which had been introduced by the Spaniards and other subsistence crops. A devastating hurricane in 1871 brought Lorenzo Dow Baker fruit shipping magnate to Jamaica. His success in promoting the export of bananas put Port Antonio on the map and it expanded rapidly. So did the planting of bananas islandwide. In the mountains of Portland the abeng (the Maroon cow horn used for sending messages over long distances or difficult terrain) was used to alert farmers in remote areas about the buying of bananas and the arrival of the banana boats. However, the bulk of the new wealth remained in the hands of the wealthy. The Boston Fruit Company which initiated this industry, eventually merged and became the United Fruit Company which dominated the banana trade in the West Indies and Latin America. By the 1930s the trade dwindled due in part to disease and Port Antonio again became a sleepy rural town. Today the parish looks to eco-tourism to boost its economy. There are several parks and protected areas. It is already a favourite spot for the jet set many of whom have property there. POPULATION: 79,300 (1999) CAPITAL: Port Antonio MAJOR TOWNS: Buff Bay, Manchioneal
MAJOR INDUSTRIES/SOURCES OF EMPLOYMENT Agriculture: This remains the economic mainstay of the parish.
Bananas, coconuts, breadfruits are grown for export as well as local
consumption. Portland has the richest land on its coastal strips suitable
for any kind of cultivation so lots of domestic crops are produced.
However, bananas have never returned to the former levels of production.
Blue Lagoon: The crater of an extinct volcano, it periodically bubbles gently with an accompanying temperature rise, giving evidence of fire far below the surface. It is over 180 feet deep and is a popular haunt for divers and skiers. In 1951 Blue Hole ( the local name) and the surrounding lands were put under the Jamaica National Trust Law. Athenry Gardens and Nonsuch Caves: A former coconut plantation and agricultural research station, the gardens today have many exotic and native species. The caves have nine separate chambers, dimly lit with lanterns revealing stalagmites and stalactites. Fossils of fish and other sea creatures are seen in the limestone formation proving that Jamaica was once beneath the sea. One chamber has a ceiling forty feet high and is a favourite haunt for bats. The Rio Grande Valley: Coming from an elevation of 3,000 feet in the Blue Mountains the Rio Grande River and its main tributaries the Back and Stony Rivers have carved a gorge between that range and the John Crow Mountains. Mainly banana fields crowd its banks. The valley has vast potential for eco-tourism. There are many hiking trails which lead to places like Scatter Waterfalls, Fox's Caves, Moore Town, Nanny Town and Corn Puss Gap. Visitors should use guides. At specific times of the year the large swallowtail butterfly, the largest in the western hemisphere can be spotted in some of these areas. Rafting on the Rio Grande from Berrydale to Rafters' Rest is a favourite recreational activity for locals and tourists alike. The scenic trip takes two and a half hours. Rafting first developed as a means of transportation on the river as the rapids prevented the use of boats. Raftsmen spend many years as apprentices. Moore Town: This Maroon village on the banks of the Wildcane River was founded in 1739 when the Maroons signed a peace treaty with the English and obtained their freedom and 500 acres of land. The treaty forbad them to harbour runaway slaves. The community is still governed by a Colonel assisted by a Council of 24 members. At one end of the village is Bump Grave. It is the grave of the Right Excellent Nanny of the Maroons, Jamaica's only National Heroine. The plaque on the grave reads: "Nanny of the Maroons/ National Hero of Jamaica/Beneath this place known as Bump Grave lies the body of Nanny, indomitable and skilled Chieftainess of the Windward Maroons who founded this town." Both the Jamaican and Maroon flags fly there. Somerset Falls: Nine miles to the west of Port Antonio, these falls are easily accessible on the main coastal road. They are on a former indigo and spice plantation and the Daniel's River cascades through a lush tropical garden. A short boat ride leads to a hidden waterfall that plunges 33 feet into a small gorge which forms a pool where one can swim in the cool water. The property has a small menagerie, a fish farm, a snack bar and rest rooms. Nanny Town: This Maroon settlement referred to as "the great negro town" in most official documents is situated on the southern slopes of the Blue Mountains in the Stony River Valley. .A recent expedition discovered the long buried remains of this town. Its inhabitants were the Windward Maroons of Queen Nanny and Captain Quaco who as an excellent guerilla fighter. They successfully terrorized the plantocracy in that end of the island. The town was captured in 1734 by a successful expedition of white forces, prior to the signing of the June 1739 Peace Treaty. Titchfield School (Fort George and Barracks): The main building of Titchfield School was once a military barracks. The building was completed in 1743 for the protection of the planters against invasion. Fort George was built in 1729. Titchfield School was founded in 1786 as a "free" school for the education of the youth in the parish. It was one of the first six to be established in Jamaica. |
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