It's ironic that this tiny unfinished structure perched atop a small little would be the main dwelling for a property that measures close to a hundred acres.

Even more surprising, the fact that the owner and tenant is 100 years old.

And it's a long but that's the way that John likes it.

Simple and free to live as he pleases with the peace and serenity to look back at a life that has seen and experienced so much.

Well, Mr. Trumbo.

Yes, sir.

Johnny, it's real nice to be here with you today.

I mean, we we have to talk because I know your birthday's coming up.

You're going to be making 100 years old in April, and your birthday is one of the 17th of April.

And you were born in 19 1916.

So you're born 1916, April 17th?

Yeah.

And I think it's very important for us to talk because since you have so much experience and knowledge, I thought it would be a good idea for us to have a chat and and to record it.

So I'd like you to give us some description of your early life.

Like, where were you born?

I was born in Washington, D.C., from Washington State.

My Washington is on the West, then on the west end of my father's side, which he bought in 1902.

Your father bought the estate in 1909 to 1902.

Marc Washington.

Yes.

And that estate is located just along west of the western end of the island.

Yes.

Okay.

When your father bought the estate, was he the owner of other estates also?

No.

He bought Mogul.

Washington was the first one he bought in 1902.

That was his first as this.

And he bought Nicholas here in 1909.

Okay.

And then he bought Nicholas next.

And that's what we are now.

That's right.

Okay.

Then he bought the state more in 1924 and stayed.

My pleasure.

Yeah.

He's turned it over to the system's geographic.

Okay.

Yeah.

So your father, what was his name?

Laura Eckstrom.

Poet laureate.

Yeah.

John Berg.

And?

And he was born where he was born, I think in Upper Concordia on St Court.

Yeah.

He was born on the island of Saint Croix.

His father was then.

He's also named Lord.

His father.

King The king in the early 18th century.

I don't know what time that came here.

Okay.

But so his father came here.

But your your your grandfather came here from Denmark?

Yeah, but your father was born here.

Born here on the island.

Right.

And so your name was once here.

Your father, your grandma.

Grandfather was Hans?

Yeah.

Yeah.

And so your father was a white man?

Yes.

Okay.

What about your mother?

My mother was a native born citizen.

Okay.

And she was a black woman.

Okay.

So your mother was a black woman.

Regina Percival Trumble.

Okay.

And was your mother and father close in age to each other?

No.

He was a good many years older than Holly.

And I think from what alone?

Her mother used to work.

Work for him.

And this very.

Oh, so your your grandmother worked for your father?

Yes.

Okay.

I'm on this estate.

Yeah.

Okay.

But all of us children was born an estate mogul.

Washington.

Okay.

But your grandmother actually worked on Nicholas.

Yes.

And then your father met your mother, too, having his.

His whole mother working on his estates.

Right.

Okay.

So you remember about how old your mother was when when you were born, or do you know how?

No, I haven't figured it.

But how many did she have?

Seven.

And who was the oldest in The mean was always he died.

Okay.

And Neil, then Olivia Lois's mother.

Uh huh.

And then me, then.

Otto.

Uh huh.

And then after auto was in a I, you know, Annie.

So.

Okay, So that's the seven children your mother had.

Yeah.

And all for the same father.

Yes.

And what about your father?

How many children did he have?

Well, he.

He was married to a Henderson, you know, before your mother?

Yeah, the former model.

Mr. Gutter Henderson.

Was she white or black?

She.

She was wrong skinned.

Oh, so she was mixed?

Yeah.

Mr. Henderson, was there something like a chief in the.

The Danish time or before the transfer?

Of course.

Okay.

Okay.

So your father had some other children other than descendants with your mother yet judging.

And then, Jenny, you're Jenny Ford in all centerfold, Centerfolds and Thomas.

Yeah.

His grandmother was my sister.

And grandmother.

Your sister?

Yeah.

Okay.

Yeah.

Jenny Ford.

And really, the Chinnery.

She was married to the children.

Okay, now let's talk about your childhood, because I know you were born at Mount Washington.

Yes.

Why did you.

You remember when you first went to school?

Where you went to school day boarding school.

And tell me that's the old David school in Felixstowe?

That's right.

In Queen Street.

Okay.

And you were living at Mount Washington at the time?

Yes.

So how did you go from Washington to school?

How did you go to school where we had to cart one milk out?

You should go from here.

And we used to carry milk from town.

So drive in and milk that.

Okay, So you used to use to take milk to town like that was part of your father's business.

Yes.

He used to sell milk to the town.

All the farmers.

More or less, you should say.

Okay.

Butcher.

Animal.

So you had a a half bottle of medical A6 then?

Okay.

And who was H and.

Oh, okay.

I remember giving out milk before I go to school.

So you would deliver milk and the milk carton?

That same milk.

That was your transportation to get to school.

Yeah.

In those days, most of the people walk.

Children walk from Nicholas Spring Garden.

All the way to town.

To town?

Yeah.

Oh.

And people used to walk.

There was no transportation to Christmas that you walk from for extracurriculars and stuff like that.

Okay.

You went to school about 12:00.

You either had some family, A cousin?

No.

Friend of the family.

Tell me about your eating.

Okay.

But you could have feet of chairs for $0.05, but then you could back then.

Yeah.

So you would get lunch from a family friend or relative.

And I said, Michelle, the you know, Thomas famous mother was cousin to my mother.

So that's how we used to eat.

That's what you eat?

Yeah.

Now, the school that you went to, was it mostly for the native black children?

Yes, the white.

You know, it was for the black children, the public school, the in school, the public school.

So you went to the school for the black children?

Absolutely.

Whether the white children go to school, as far as I know.

Oh, and there was a teacher is a teacher, Miss Mina.

She was black.

She was a black teacher.

But she's a teacher.

What to a.

Okay.

And then went to her house or you know Joan, they went to her house until telling, you know, just a few there were just a few of them.

So they went to a house in town and they were taught by this lady that was actually a black lady teaching the white children separate from the black children.

That's right.

Okay.

And so and when we went to school, you had to be yourself.

Right.

That is Miss.

I remember.

It was.

Okay.

They were who?

You could cut your pants if you messed up.

Let's.

Let's talk about when you got a little older.

Now.

Yeah, you got older.

You.

You went to school.

You.

You remember how old you were when you finished school?

I was about 16.

About, you know, she said, you know, horrible treatment.

No, it.

No, I don't.

He was a man that he fought in World War Two, native of this island.

And this she bought with his wife.

He came back and my family, she about three, fought in Wah, wah, wah, wah, wah, wah, wah, wah, wah, wah, wah, wah wah wah.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

He said.

I remember seeing big a big picture of him in World War One.

And look, and he when I got to sixth grade, he got a job for me with the Western Ocean.

Moved that on.

O'Gorman and O'Gorman he was, you know more than a the foreigners who would moved on on a war with the Western Ocean.

I was to go sailing in a book called the Newnham Ah Ulama, yeah.

And, and he wanted you to work on the boat.

Yeah, I was to go sailing and then my father threw a monkey wrench in the whole day.

You feel you said you had to go.

Had had to walk.

He had enough infested.

Stayed for you to keep you busy.

That's right.

Okay.

So you couldn't go sailing.

And I remember the first airplane landed here.

And Prosperity Fighter.

Oh, yeah?

Yeah.

Santamaria, I think I was, of course, the second grade.

She came right down from You had a come, right?

They come in the shuttle and went straight across the island.

She didn't land.

Then she came back and ran the second time she came to mock a plane.

Okay.

Ready for a departure there.

So when you.

When you finish school, what was your first job that you that you did?

I, I didn't go to work and Neil went to work in Lagrange or go flat or not refer to what we had so much work.

Yeah.

So you stayed at the estate.

You want me to st okay.

What you older brother?

He was working in the Lagrange Sugar factory.

Okay.

It's there's a lot of work here to do.

And you see it your own, right?

Yeah.

And so when was your first job outside of your father's estate?

Well, I work with some of the, uh, weather.

A man.

Oh, yeah?

Yeah, That's a beaver.

Yeah.

As a weatherman?

Yeah, something like that.

W what you did as a weatherman with pat clothes and.

Oh, yeah.

Yeah.

And so you would observe the clouds.

Yeah, I know.

I know everything up there.

You know, all the different types of clothes.

Yes.

Okay.

You have a cumulus out of cumulus.

Okay.

Shot of cumulus.

And you could tell when you look at them, you could tell that from which direction of the clouds.

And then that's you would report that.

Yes.

And then that would form the weather report.

Weather report.

Okay.

And do you know if he was working for the government or he came here working for the government of the United States government?

Yes.

These are some people you work with him?

Yes.

Well, that must have been an interesting experience.

That's right.

Yes.

Okay.

So you work with him and then do you remember the next job you worked after that?

I didn't work.

I went from from him.

I went to Army.

So you went into the United States Army?

Yeah.

What year was that?

That was around 1904, 1944.

So that was coming to the end of World War Two.

Yeah.

So tell us about your army experience.

Well, it was very good.

I did think that things that a soldier would have done go and tell them you drink a lot of liquor, Have a good time.

Where?

Where what?

Where were you stationed?

Buchanan?

In Puerto Rico.

That was your first.

That was your first place?

First place was poor.

Buchanan And in Puerto Rico, yes.

That's close to San Juan, right?

Yes.

Right.

Okay.

Okay.

So you you were in Puerto Rico when you first enlisted, and that was your basic training.

And that's what you got, Basic training.

Yes.

And we went from there to New Orleans, New Orleans campus, Louisiana.

Louisiana.

Okay.

And tell us about what happened.

And I well, the same thing.

I went to town having and had a lot of fun.

Okay.

Some time we had a fight of some fight here and there because, you know, in those days they had this segregation business, had segregation in in Louisiana.

Yes.

During the first half of the 20th century, Jim Crow laws enforced racial segregation in the Southern United States.

In the South, White only signs in public facilities were a typical sight.

But for the soldiers from the Virgin Islands, not only was it unfamiliar, but also unacceptable, John said he and other VA soldiers would toss the signs out of busses through the windows.

Okay.

And tell me about that, how that how that experience was.

Well, we're allowed to revisit our own because we learned to walk or one and two, very seldom we find one or two people.

We find us in groups of slaves and say, So you all learn not to walk alone.

Yes.

Okay.

And that was so.

Now when you are in Fort Buchanan, that that what was it, a company they call a group?

Not that it was a camp.

A camp.

BUCHANAN But I mean, the platoon or company that you were with?

Yeah, I was from Virgin Islands was, you know, in Harlem.

They had Puerto Rican sugar, four separate Puerto Rican company.

Separate company You had to work towards, you know, one company each.

And the second was I. I was in an eight each and be the eight know.

No that wasn't it's a we were in each and the second is that we had that big a revolt y'all had a revolt.

Yeah.

You know, you had to raid in a bucket at most.

Okay, so this was in Louisiana and Louisiana.

Well, tell me about the revolt you had come, Sheila was.

Yeah, let's say pushing Lucia.

Yeah.

John's first sergeant at the time was demoted and replaced for his alleged failure to discipline one of his black soldiers for whistling at a white woman.

And what was the reason for the revolt?

Because we didn't want Captain Mark to know another company.

He was from another company to take over our company.

So you didn't like the leadership change?

No.

And so you all revolted.

Yeah, well, that's.

That's very serious.

And I mean, I mean, you could get put in jail for that.

No discipline.

So the very night I remember that they put you under that they put you in, they brought out a some National Guard to truckload and that National Guard with the in that line, like live ammunition.

I mean, they had six and a lot of rifle in the rock and stuff not knowing your weapons.

Yes.

Okay.

Yeah.

And I more what we went to mass how an eight and a 1:00 tonight we removed the tree and one of these little cream and two British Columbia in Canada.

In Canada.

Okay.

And it was from there we went overseas to the Hawaiian Islands.

So you you went to British Columbia by train.

By train, Yeah.

And then they put you on a ship to Hawaii that was was trains were slow.

It took about four days with all the changes and stuff.

Had to get to get up to British Columbia.

Yeah.

Okay.

So now at this time, the Japanese were still very strong in the South Pacific.

So they had you were supposed to be going to the South Pacific.

Yes.

Right.

They had dropped the bomb already dropped the bomb on Japan.

United States had arranged dropped the bomb on Japan by the time you get to Hawaii.

Yes.

Yeah, we were in Sun Island, Hawaii.

The commanding officer in mid-Pacific, Pearl Harbor.

Yeah.

He was a he's a poor again.

A Puerto Rican.

Yeah.

They have a priest divided now because he valley and Puerto Rican who went in 1914 from Puerto Rico to the Philippines and to the Hawaiian Islands.

The cotton sugar cane.

Okay.

Yeah.

And encouraging for you, when we got there in the sea that the families would had a little freak out and he was anxious, you know, how tings was back in Puerto Rico.

And so, okay, so you met people who who were actually descendants of Americans 1914.

You met them in Hawaii or you met them in the Philippines in Hawaii.

Okay.

Okay.

Yeah.

Interested.

And so they had a little area that they lived separately.

There is a large street hair.

Everybody.

Okay.

Was this a long street?

Yeah, right.

So how long did you send me?

I came.

I saw four years and four years.

Okay, So when you came out, the war was over.

The war was over.

And did you go to live in the States or did you go?

I came right back home.

Oh, you came straight.

I was the only one.

Came back home and took over where I left.

Oh, okay.

But your friends, the other guys were an army with you.

Most of them did what?

Well, a lot of them came back.

Yeah, but.

And me and my brother, he started in the States or didn't come back.

Your brother Emil and your brother Otto.

They didn't come home.

I was more along.

Came home, came to over to help your father.

Yeah, I guess that's the reason.

The way he the.

Yeah.

So your father.

Your father at that time was getting older.

But do you remember what year your father died?

September 18, 1997.

Your father died in 1972.

So he died at a very old age.

Yeah.

I don't remember what it was.

The interview was one minute.

Okay, but how old are you?

Remember how old he was when he died?

About 96.

So he was 96.

Okay.

So if he was if he died in 72, he was born somewhere around in the seventies.

Yes.

1870s or the 18th century.

Yeah.

Yeah.

There may be some discrepancies with the age of large trauma at the time of his death, if we were to reference the 1911 census record, Lawrence, 43 at the time would have been about 105 when he died.

Furthermore, in a U.S. census taken in 1918, this loris is 50 years old, confirming the age on the census.

Nonetheless, according to some private ancestry records, Lance's date of birth to death is 1867.

To 1962, which would have made him 95 close to what John remembers.

That's interesting.

So your father was well, the young man in the young boy in the Firebird.

And so you, your family, like yourself, have the ability to live very long.

Yes.

Yes.

That's great.

And I know you have a brother still alive.

Also, your daughter is.

She's the only brother you have alive, right?

Yeah.

He's one of the two of us.

Only two siblings.

You two just you and him.

Okay, Now tell me a little bit about your work, because, you know, our public was commissioned as we have to talk a little bit about construction of roads and all that.

I know you do.

Well, they started in 1929 to paint Road here.

Oh, yeah, Yeah.

1929 before all the streets and everything was done and use of gravel, use of gravel, gravel them and spread it and all the potholes and stuff like that.

Right.

So I know they had, they had gravel and they, I know that they used to build people, they had pretty good base road the W most of it.

You see the other gravel pit where the people dig it and you put it in some dirt and how you find a gravel pit.

A gravel pit looked like, well, it was just a place that have not blue B stone.

This red stone read it where you could dig it out and put it in a shovel it up, put in a cart, and you know, if you were to look for if you had to look for a gravel pit, you think you could find one.

All right.

Down in motion on the road.

Dig challenges.

Yeah, that's the gravel pit.

We use the grave.

And so you just dig up gravel and that's what you use.

Yeah.

And put it in.

And you got an oak On what?

In the street.

Old country road of the put it in.

So they didn't have any crushers.

No.

Oh no.

Crusher The first Crushers opened in 1929.

The crusher is different from the the quarter that's on your property.

Yes.

Yes.

That was the first quarter false crusher.

And I'm saying grow in a tree.

Virgin Island, the first in the Virgin Islands.

Yes.

They used to take stone from from over here and take this in tunnels.

And so.

Okay, now what about Cookie?

Damn.

When did they build cookie them.

That piece of land was sold to the government in 1903.

And so Cookie done was built before the crusher?

Yes.

Okay.

Okay.

The the reservoir was sold in 1943.

Truck two.

Yeah.

We were supposed to have a naval base here.

I don't know if that's the one, the building or RICO.

Okay, But oh, that, that was a false cross entry.

Virgin Island low.

And so in terms of 1929, Mackenzie and Percy, she was the name of the company.

No, that was the girl they were walking over.

Probably.

Cool.

Okay.

So when when they started paving roads, you know, if it was it was public works workers or it was contractors, It was public all the government.

It was government workers, government workers paving the roads.

Yes.

Okay.

And so did did you work with the government at any time or.

No, I didn't do when I. I went to war in World War Two, when they started bringing in the planes to hunt and build bomb bombs.

One thing.

I was a good fellow before you joined the Army.

Yes.

Okay.

All right.

But then when I know you work with what we work with, see, did you walk with Sanford?

You see some of what I work with.

You see some girl I work with?

Married, young engineering.

Okay.

When you work with A.C. Sanford, you remember about what the year that was, the sixties or the fifties?

Is it in the late fifties?

Late fifties, Yeah.

Okay.

So I see Sanford.

I remember them when I was a child and see Sanford used to Bill Rhodes.

That's right.

Yeah.

Yeah, that was a contract.

And I came in in the fifties.

Yes.

Okay.

Now did did they hire you as a laborer operator or what.

I went on did as an operator.

What kind of operator you saw on a greater.

A greater.

And then I started running bulldozers and out of our young men with a heavy equipment.

So you, you built roads mostly where I and all over the island at that time, you had to, you know, quickly.

They were little.

Yeah, that's as far as a roads used to be.

So we didn't have any road to Christmas Park or to, or to point, you know, definitely not.

Okay.

And so when you went up to I walked in all those roads.

So you walked on the roads going to the east.

Yeah.

Yes.

Okay.

And that was is he Sanford you working for them.

Meridian Engineering welcome them.

I really do, because I found your Pitts was there.

Okay.

I know that name and religion so job it was around here for a long time yes but I know his the legend.

He was the first one to marry.

Engineer Meridian was here for very long.

And God, I remember Meridian even one.

That's the first company.

And then.

Okay, you know, and so these this road building.

Tell me about it.

Did they do a lot of heavy bass like me?

Yes.

They had greeters to greet a road, and we're doing repairs.

All right.

And your livelihood.

And we're already done.

Really done with a big.

Yeah, that big role as a big, big role.

A heavy role.

Okay.

Yeah.

Yeah.

So then when you were working in in this construction, did you work in any other island or.

I worked in St Albans, Puerto Rico.

I worked in Trinidad.

Oh yeah.

Yeah.

For the same company.

Yeah, I, I, I did Rhode Island, Trinidad.

I think I was telling you about the Red House.

Told me all about Trinidad, about the get the records.

Yeah, the records in Want to know You a Billy Rhodes?

Yeah, that's what we went there to do.

Okay.

Yeah.

Building roads.

All right.

Yeah.

All right.

And so you spent a lot of years with.

With these construction companies.

Yeah, well, quite.

Quite a few years with them coming a little bit about because we have a project which we are trying to restore some of the the historic properties in the Virgin Islands, the buildings.

And I wanted to ask you if you remembered some of these all the buildings.

I know you went to the day in school.

Yeah, that one has already been restored.

Uh huh.

That the barracks?

Yeah.

Do you remember the barracks?

Yes, I remember it very well.

Yeah.

And what what was it useful when you in the Marines was, was dear when I was a child.

Okay.

Which Marines?

The United States.

Marines?

Yeah, that same January and the same thing I can out of them.

Right.

That's what it was in the back yard and Christmas.

Yes.

And they had a group of Marines there.

A lot of Marines.

They just.

A handful.

Well, I couldn't tell you how much we used to see them driving around and walking.

And they were really in those groups.

I couldn't tell you.

Right.

But you just saw them in in small numbers.

Okay.

Did that building, do you remember?

They had a the building in the front of that building was in use.

So just the barracks to the back, It was in use at one time.

It was public auction too.

Right.

And that's where I start working very quickly.

Oh yeah.

I remember when I was coming out and I couldn't start to agree to that.

I just went and tell them I got to agree to.

And one of the mechanics come and tell me money.

You know, this, this thing hard to start building.

This started for you and you started it up and I jump in a dumb thing and and drive off with it.

But you never that was your first time driving.

All this time.

I never been in one.

I did.

I said, But you told you cooperate.

Yeah.

Okay.

And here's a little trick to turn a corner would agree to.

You know, you push your what are you on the wheel lean and you could come wrong, but I didn't know, so I was trying to get out of the not knowing that and backing up backing up and going in flow to get or get Delta.

And finally, a fellow, show me the tree lever we read.

Okay.

I guess you have I've seen I've seen the grid up.

I've never seen it.

But if you run a greater with a wheel, Rick, you you can't know it made to go straight to go through that covering and then turn right arrow.

Okay so you you learn how to write.

I agree and all the roads and hence I clean Atlanta with bulldozer and Hess.

Yes.

And Hess went out okay.

Russia bought sold it.

Sold it to the has.

Yes.

Well I rode machinery.

Yea.

Okay.

I never work for the refinery but we worked on has he was a very nice man a mess hall and the hill is a come up on each with us talking very friendly and stuff.

Okay.

You know when you were working he would sit down with us and talk it and yeah, that's good.

I remember one president Rusal and one came to see him.

Okay.

Yeah.

And they they were here, but he was no longer president at the time, right?

He was no out of office.

No, he was president.

Then he came, you know, Julie Drew Fleming.

Alexander Fleming.

If you how about Donna Williams that used to say you have the president a Packard was the fuck.

Yeah.

And he drove Miss Mr. and Mrs. Russo's room.

Okay.

In terms of your experiences in seeing Louis and your experiences abroad, I notice you always came right by?

Physically, Yes.

I just love seeing cracks.

I didn't.

I was in New York when I came back from overseas with my wife, Cynthia.

She had two children.

You know, you had a wife.

Where was that when you were married?

I married a and my no, married in the army When you in the year she fought the trigger and then they before I went in.

Okay.

So you had children.

You have how many during the four of them.

Okay.

But the girl and the boy, they died of muscular dystrophy.

Two of them died of?

Yeah.

How one?

John named John.

Like me.

I'm hoping that he would come.

No one to take over because I'm not going.

I met one of your sons.

That name is kind of a skull.

Okay, That's the one or two.

One in the same.

The property over to no.

Right.

And he's not the oldest?

No, he was.

He's my youngest son.

Oh, okay.

Yeah, Yeah, I've met him.

Yeah, He wanted me to sign my rights after the property hit me.

All right, I'm.

Then maybe he and his wife would say, Oh, yeah, I speaking about selling.

I know you don't like to sell off your properties.

No, I don't think we should.

Okay.

You think that related people?

Should we have sold too much of the island?

Okay, I'll make you your biggest mistake.

Remember?

You can buy them.

No.

Right.

The prices is too high for when I was fixing a road with a car or something in a palace in John.

Yeah, Yeah, I know the place where they have the.

That's what we bring in the barges.

Yeah, well, how much of your plan was then.

How much was it you to make a guess.

I know land was cheap back then and $50.

$50.

$50 for acre of land.

That is $1,000,000.

It's $1,000,000 for Nicholas.

Yeah.

That's a paid 25 40,000 you get.

You can't get it.

I know we are the target.

35,000.

That's true.

You know.

So you your father had three or four estates?

Yeah.

How many of them does your family still control?

A lot of mom players gone.

Oh, with the crushes.

Yeah.

Huh.

That's crazy.

And mom player land, right?

So by Mr. Brown, you know that Big Andrew?

Oh, you're talking about Springfield, Kosher.

Springfield.

Kosher.

That's not the same kosher we were talking about before.

Sure.

That we have here is in cricket.

In cricket down right, Right.

But the question you're talking about, the one my girlfriend was also by in your is probably right.

Do you belong to mom Montclair okay so which states you still have no in the Trumbo family we have not.

Washington and you still own one Washington Yeah.

Owns on some of the land and Neil son and and so you own my Washington and Nicholas here Nicholas is yeah I are 25 Nicholas right now this okay and by the old crushes with the governor all by the question by the cookie that that is for 14 you be not huh That's not how Yeah.

All right And 15 be not how And so right And then you have a nephew live over this way, right?

That's Rafael.

Rafael?

Yeah, that's my youngest sister, son.

And she died.

And that.

That estate is lesbians Who bonds here.

So you all know about who?

Yes.

Okay.

That was.

They had a holding.

I'm then the name of Nicholas.

I was all name Nicholas then.

Yes.

Okay.

Nobody spoke about born.

You didn't call anything Bombshell.

No, no.

I know that a male right here, you can remember.

You know anything about this male.

The male.

I gave that to Olivia, my sister.

You gave it to your sister despite that piece of land?

Yes.

Okay.

And then when she dies, she.

She left it to Laurie and he sold that for the against the John Brady.

Okay.

But that mill that was a familiar.

I didn't know that was the sugar sugarcane.

Yeah.

But it was pushed by wind.

By wind is not by animals that way anymore.

Okay.

And the, you know, if the if the mechanisms or I mean, did you ever see the mechanisms of that?

I saw some of who the top of it so it was still a wrong in your is.

Yeah.

But it wasn't running you know it wasn't running so by the time you came along that mill was new.

There was a man by the of Franklin and Mildred Williams.

I don't know if you remember that.

She did know the so he told me here you should put take bring to this We know that I know the whole place wasn't sure again this all this area was planted in the whole island.

I You remember that.

No, no, I don't.

I Yeah, we're the village alarm company, but.

But.

Yeah, but by the time you came along, you're saying that it wasn't that the whole.

No, no, no one was running it.

Right.

The military.

Okay, so this mill, you know, was a windmill and you saw some of the mechanism.

Some other mechanism, but you didn't.

It was tree, tree ruler had tree rolled up like the one.

Were he one or the other one in the new.

And they used to have the king piled up.

And so you had this way of they used to squeeze the king.

Yeah.

And then the juice used to run out.

It was a ruler so.

Right.

And they used to have middle king pile up.

Horrible.

I want a tree for this sometime.

We didn't win.

Okay.

And whenever.

Whenever what ever time the when you start to blow the managers all over season of the week, you open.

Oh.

So even if the wind was blowing in the daytime and then the wind started blowing in the night and the night they would wake up the walkers and make them come.

And whatever time in the night that we start to rule, the overseer would call them or the driver and wake up everybody, woman and manager and go to sleep, feed the mill, feeding new.

Yeah.

Okay.

And I notice up there and by that mill you have some other buildings and stuff there.

So that was right right here.

That was the front pillow once that was on the house of the owner of the estate.

Oh the house you Aladdin.

Okay.

This is familiar.

Mm.

Okay.

And so when you got past that edge where the, the sugar mills were running like the ones up here and when you were still.

Yeah.

When I was going well no one was around it.

None of them was, but then they started Bethlehem Factory.

Bethlehem factories were started by Lakshman Lakshman and that was in the thirties.

Oh no man.

Bethlehem was grinding before the thirties.

Okay.

Oh there was the, the Danish.

Danish time right before the stronghold and then it was run by, we knew where the sugar factory was and that the American Oh see low level will love this there.

That was of course she knew.

Oh yeah, yeah.

That was the first thing.

The frozen milk.

Yeah.

Okay.

And that's the one, right.

They buy Bethlehem too, right?

That's right.

Yeah.

And that tall chimney you see there that was was green in and a Danish term.

That was the old.

That's old, yes.

Okay.

The use of wind powered mills on the island ended around the 1830s.

The Bethlehem Sugar factory is said to have upgraded to steam power in 1826.

As for the chimney that still stands at the site, it is not the original chimney.

It dates back to 1905 when it, along with the central factory, was constructed to replace the old masonry factory and chimney that was torn down in 1904 by the owner and president of the West India Company, Jacob Lachman.

You told me one time that you work for up for mowing in the power plant.

Yes, across from the first one in front extent, though, in fact, that till I walked under the sea and you walk under Mr. Jensen running FedEx, the power plant.

Yes.

There was three more to three more to one of the old models.

And the new water was used to start.

But you had your tanks pressurized.

You don't use that gentleman just right.

Yeah.

So gentleman motors.

Yeah.

I used to get a dollar and I set up a night.

Yeah.

Set in 2:00 in the day and wake up 12 at night.

Okay.

What happened at 12 midnight.

What.

They took the lead switch.

What, like flying a ton wood going.

Okay.

So when you left at 12 midnight, you shut off the motors.

Yes.

But you still have.

It was battery.

They used to charge about three shaves.

A battery.

I don't know how much.

Right.

But you the way that the way they power plant work then it had battery.

Yeah.

Recharge the batteries and so the motors will run charge the batteries from what then they started the motor 2:00 in the afternoon.

You didn't run the motors in the daytime.

No money.

No.

No.

Okay.

And unless it was necessary.

Right.

Okay.

Triceps, batteries, right there.

There were batteries of all that height and iboga and all night.

And until 12:00 they would shut up.

So 12:00 you shut out the motors?

Yeah.

Leave the battery.

The battery and the batteries would power the place as long as they could.

Yeah.

And when the batteries died out, then you just have to wait until the next day.

Wait until the next week for the most of the stuff again.

And recharge the batteries, I guess.

Yeah.

I work for a dollar a night and you got paid a dollar night to do that.

That night.

Yeah.

Do you remember that was before you went to the army or after you went to them?

That was before I went to the Army.

Before you all Yeah, before forties.

You know how much they used to pay when they're a little crude, you know, $0.60 a day when the bills cooking up.

Yeah.

That's why they used to be the.

The secret somebody.

Okay, so you had already started making a melody.

Yeah.

I remember the people working for 40 Cent or you right now when you had that power plant in predicts then you know if they had a power plant like that in Christian Center I evidently, yes they did because there was a man waiting in the facility there.

Okay.

It was the power plant.

Was that you mean he had over more than right more of it and suited there so they bought one had mowing have product said yeah and so they may have still okay and they ran these power plants up there's charge batteries.

Yes.

Which is interesting because I believe we're going to end up going back to that system.

But it was tree shell and it's I have to put acid in the batteries.

Yes, acid.

Okay.

I remember when when they get into full charge, they were awful, awful on the top and the whole place smoking was burning in our brains.

That was never.

And yeah, I remember the scent of acid.

Acid used to actually be had and in the night common how possible.

And so often in the battery the wiring for and given off I gas Yes and so that's about the time when you were just about ready to show that.

Yeah.

That's interesting.

Before we before we move out from this location, go, we want to just take a walk up the hill.

Tell me a little bit about crime and punishment back in those days.

Well, I would say I wish it was like those days.

No, no.

Okay.

First of all, a poor, poor, a black person couldn't have a gun.

Okay.

The only where a poor person like the Heidegger's, my father used to sign a paper so you could have a good guy.

Your father had a gun.

Yeah.

Yeah, but nobody and there wasn't crazy.

See, if you tell a police that that that boy had a gun, that man that.

Come on, kick your daughter and turn everything and search for gun.

Yeah.

There's nothing more right than I was when I arrived.

But some people had guns.

I know my grandfather had a gun.

And where he if he had a gun, somebody the in the flat.

And most of saying he didn't have a gun.

Yeah, but you couldn't have a gun or carry a knife to school or anything.

They beat the hell out of you and I'll beat you.

I'll, I'll about boys.

We didn't have bad boys.

I went the same four day and get one beaten.

So they were beaten.

People in the fourth beat.

Hello to you.

So you were already a good man and they were still beaten.

Didn't know I was going to school in schools.

Yeah, I remember right to the library.

What was the take?

You're going there?

Who?

We were on my tree and beat the hell out of you.

And I tell you one, one time there was a group in there and in the fort, we knew them.

Yeah, I remember.

If we were to come out of the black hole.

Yes.

Yeah, well, that when they shut you up and they could have with what happened a while you.

Oh it was that dampened it.

Yeah.

Well they shut you down in there and they'll I, I tell you the truth, I had my own with some, with some black because they kept order in the place I didn't appreciate if you appear going and some things stick out sticking out in your pocket and they holy of whatever it is a Polish company but you're doing that No no need That's right you weren't Yeah you couldn't turn back on other party.

No shooting party.

I can't help brag.

I agree with all of them.

You know, I have never gotten we couldn't get in trouble because my father was a shrink.

Okay.

Yeah.

And the audience.

And so, yeah, I lost stubbornness or big gun shooting.

No, no police, No, you not.

You couldn't have a gun, much less to pull up a gun or to shoot a police.

Otherwise, nothing like that you not going to a your head away.

You.

Mm.

Yeah.

I really appreciate you taking the time to talk with us.

I certainly appreciate that.

And I'm sure that the that the young people are going to really enjoy hearing this this conversation.

Well, they're not going to enjoy hearing that.

I agree to most of the I know you turn back at a and my if you couldn't do that, not even in my days you couldn't do the environment.

But in those days there was some corporal punishment that you got.

Yeah, I remember it when they used a clean pick and then told me to pick in the pit.

Yeah, we're in dung.

We used to clean in the mine.

I mean the pits around the houses, the.

All the old houses.

Yes.

Had outhouses.

And this man had a new cat used to and he, they reportedly tiled floor and he could only do with a shovel and a bucket and a full cat.

Litter was a big cat.

Right.

You sit right right down by fish, man.

So you take off the whole seat off of the old hose, The whole pool match.

Yeah.

And leave the floor or leave the floor open.

And then somebody would actually go down in the pit.

Go down in the pit and devote everything.

And foolishly, you've got, when you pass from fish market there.

My guess my money.

Right.

Right.

There would have been.

Yeah.

That's where they used to dump the the You careful of this stuff out of the stuff.

Yeah.

Then they had closed up the toilet and did pan a pan.

I remember the old garbage pan thing that the.

Yeah.

The pit and put it in the truck.

I'm sure you should dump it right over there you sakala the night soil, man.

That's right.

The man that used to drive me and my friend from nothing.

He had a motor vehicle then?

Yes, Yes, I remember that.

But I remember when the government passed a law that you had to have a flushing toilet?

Yeah.

In any house.

Yeah.

And that was when I was still young.

I remember your brother.

Yes.

Yeah, that.

Unless that was all around you.

Yeah.

He was the oldest of us.

The oldest?

Yeah.

He was one of my outside church, Joe.

Well, I did My mother.

You know, my father was a nice, respectable man, but you couldn't get near him if you were in a frock, if you were in a frat boy.

Mischievous.

They don't understand that.

They kind of see someone other than you.

No, no, no, no.

He won't like that.

No ghosts.

I mean, for a lot of things.

And I forgot.

I swear that it isn't that you.

What?

When I had this one, the tree.

That was the number.

Yeah.

123.

I had a girlfriend one and she one and she used to bring her whole girlfriend and, you know, we used to sell mango and sell everything.

So I was able to have some money in my pocket, but my girlfriend would bring her girlfriend and then she'd bring home the orphan.

So I used to have this car full, full of girls, full of woman.

And this rare that I was going without.

And it wasn't my hand to God because I'm a very respectable man.

Oh, a lot of women used to be in love with me and stuff like that.

And I couldn't tell you how they look, what I am up to now for having a heap of money.

You having to scare the guy that that guy.

130 Yeah.

133 Well, I guess I guess it was not common for to have a car back then.

Not many people had a car.

I bought that car to take my mother and Tom to take insulin for diabetes.

Right.

So you been a man with a car?

Yeah, I would have had a lot of.

Yeah.

I used to take up.

Yeah.

For me Saturday afternoon.

We're just careful not to see too.

Yeah.

And that's where I was going without my hand to God to that wasn't true.

But I just like I said, we were friends.

That book I have.

Yes.

And cookbook.

And so with other, well, very special lady.

She used to read anything to read and she would read.

Okay.

She was a great, great person.

Great, great.

So you you had a you had an interest in life.

And we're going to we're going to stop now and, you know, move out from here.

But I really appreciate this.

Yeah.

Yeah.

I can tell you a lot about Yeah I know and ordained and so but I mean with certain things that you didn't do.

Yeah.

And wickedness out on myself you know up here so it I can put it on you can put it on the record.

Yeah.

For many of us our knowledge of the island's historical events during the early 20th century are simply references to words and pictures in books and documents.

But for John Trembath, they are the memories and experiences acquired over a long and prosperous life.

They are the moments he's witnessed and the events he's lived through at 100 years of age.

John is one of the last remaining living links to the Danish West Indies.

He was born under the Danish flag, lived through the transfer of the Danish West Indies to the United States.

He came of age during the Second World War, served his country, traveled the world, and returned home to raise a family and help develop his island home.

I've seen it.

He lived through all eight naval governors, 12 civilian governors, and have seen all eight elected governors of the U.S. Virgin Islands.

He survived nine siblings, a spouse and two children.

100 years of life, 100 years of love, laughter and sorrow, 100 years of bearing witness to the ever changing hand of time.

He is a true Coogan's son, a priceless timepiece, and the rarest and most precious of the ages.

Well, thank you, Johnny.

And we're going to sign up for Mr. John Trumbo.

And born April 17, 1916, 1916.

Excellent.

And I had a good time and you've had a good time and you're still having a good on behalf of the comrades of Post 1.3 of the Bromley Berkeley Post in Frederick said, I want to thank you for being here.

I want to thank the good Lord for giving you 100 years of life.

And I him that you grant you as many more as he will grant you.

Cheers to Comrade Trumbo.

I had a wonderful time.

We never know of one.

We always had some money, some food for sale, and everything is all right.

And I have my little grandchildren and my grandmother who really my pleasure, love.

And then, you know, you feel for one more, you know, what an act of God of the day.

So happy birthday.

And so, you know, I have your money.

I had.