In the early 1950's Laurance Rockefeller founded the Jackson Hole Preserve Corporation. He purchased over 6000 acres of land on St. John and subsequently donated most of this land (with the notable exception of Caneel Bay) to the federal government for the creation of a National Park.

Not all St. Johnians sold their land to Rockefeller, and the private lands remaining within the Park became known as inholdings. Since its establishment, the Park has demonstrated a great interest in obtaining these lands.

In 1970 I had a conversation with Arnet Marsh over a bottle of ginger wine at Arnet’s establishment in Coral Bay called the Sputnik Bar. He told me a story about his encounter with an attorney who came to St. John in the early 1950’s as an agent for Lawrence Rockefeller.

The attorney had asked Mr. Marsh, whom he knew only as Arnet, if he would accept the job of driving him around the island and helping him to locate various individuals in St. John. Arnet accepted. Those who the attorney wanted to meet were all owners of large cattle estates on the island. One of these owners, was a certain Mr. Marsh. Arnet always postponed this particular meeting. When all of the other estate owners who could be found were found, the attorney said to Arnet, “Now please take me to talk to the Marsh fellow.” Arnet asked him what he wanted to talk to Mr. Marsh about. The attorney told Arnet that he was trying to buy up all the large cattle estates on the island for his boss Lawrence Rockefeller. “Why does he want to purchase all this land?” Arnet asked. “Mr. Rockefeller intends to make this island a National Park.” was the reply. “Now can you take me to meet this Marsh fellow.” I am the Mr. Marsh you’re looking for,” Arnet responded.

Arnet Marsh, for his part, decided not to sell any land to the attorney.

In 1957, shortly after the Park came into being, the Park proposed a plan to condemn all the land in St. John and to resettle the inhabitants on property on the south shore referred to as "Green Valley".

Cruz Bay was to be made into an exhibition featuring a typical native-style village with costumed employees demonstrating old-time arts and crafts. The Battery in Cruz Bay was to become the National Park headquarters The Park dropped the idea after meeting a fierce storm of resistance from St. Johnians.

But in 1962 the Department of the Interior and the National Park made another, more serious, attempt to acquire the privately owned land within the Park in the form of "Bill S-2429, to revise the Boundaries of the Virgin Islands National Park, St. John, VI, and for Other Purposes".

The bill was passed by the United States Senate on June 29 of that year and sent on to the House of Representatives for their approval.

The stated purpose of the bill was to extend the St. John National Park to include about one half mile of adjacent ocean waters. An amendment to the bill, however, would give the Secretary of the Interior the right to appropriate privately held land within the Park boundaries without the owner's consent.

The amendment read: "The Secretary of the Interior is authorized to acquire lands, waters, and interests therein by purchase, donation, with donated funds or by exchange, or by such other means the Secretary of the Interior shall deem in the public interest." On June 8, 1962 the wording "such other means" was changed to "condemnation".

"That is the purpose of it; to eliminate inholdings in a national park," Representative John Saylor from Pennsylvania, one of the sponsors of the Park bill was quoted in the Congressiona1 Record for September 18, 1962.

The Senators who voted for the bill were under the impression that it was supported by the Virgin Island authorities. It was, in fact supported by two notable Virgin Island authorities.

One such authority was "Honest John" Lewis, (This is how his name actually appeared on his business cards) the superintendent of the Virgin Islands National Park. He declared that the purpose of the bill was solely to protect the underwater environment and that although the Park would have condemnation authority, it would never use it.

The other authority was the governor of the Virgin Islands, Ralph Paiewonsky who had written a letter to the sponsor of the bill congratulating him on its passage through committee. Gov. Paiewonsky, however, later declared that he was unaware of the condemnation clause.

Another supporter of the bill was Laurance Rockefeller, who was instrumental in the establishment of the National Park on St. John. He offered to match any Federa1 funds, which might be appropriated to acquire more St. John land. Rockefeller also later denied being aware of the condemnation clause.

The official House of representatives report on the Bill S-2429 explaining the reasons behind the condemnation clause read:

"The 6,000 acres which have already been acquired have all been procured by donations from Mr. Laurance Rockefeller at a cost of about $4,000,000. Some of the owners of the land that remains to be acquired have been holding out for unreasonably high prices on the assumption that the donors would pay their asking price, regardless of what it might be. The donors cannot be expected, and they ought not to be asked, to do this…The estimated cost of land acquisition is $2,500,000."

The 2.5 million would place the value of St. John land at $750 per acre at a time when Virgin Islands land was valued at more than $5,000 per acre.)

In 1962 the Virgin Islands had no representation in the United States Congress and the citizens of St. John were unaware of the events transpiring in the nation's capitol that would have such a profound effect on their lives.

On August 13, 1962 the bill was submitted to the House of Representatives. On August 27 there was a motion to bring the bill up for vote without debate. This motion was blocked by Senator Jack Westland (Republican from the state of Washington), a frequent and well-liked visitor to St John.

It was at this point in the proceedings that the bill came to the attention of the Washington correspondent for the San Juan Star who sent in the story. The article was published the next day and soon afterwards the news was broadcast on the St. Thomas radio station and was heard by the Administrator of St. John, George Simmons.

Despite the lack of time to organize, St. Johnians fought back. They persuaded the Virgin Islands Legislature, the VI Chamber of Commerce, Hotel Association, Rotary Club and the various political parties of the Virgin Islands to send a wire to the Senate protesting the condemnation amendment.

Governor Paiewonsky changed his stance declaring that "Extremely serious problems of relocation and related social hardships would result if condemnation is resorted to."

Laurance Rockefeller sent a cable to administrator Simmons saying he was "…greatly shocked to learn that condemnation had been included in proposed bill and am doing everything possible to express opposition to this provision."

On September 7 the influential congressman J.T. (Slick) Rutherford (Democrat from Texas) and a public relations man representing Rockefeller came to Caneel Bay on a fact-finding expedition. Administrator Simmons called together some of the most respected and influential people in St. John to meet with Senator Rutherford.

One of these prominent St. Johnians was VI Senator Theovald Moorehead, known affectionately as Mooie. He was circulating a petition to be sent to President Kennedy. It read:

"For generations, since the abolition of slavery under the Danes, these lands have been owned and lived on by these families and it is our heritage..."

Sen. Moorehead eventually received 700 signatures - the population of St. John at that time was just over 900.

Also present was retired Senator Julius Sprauve. He had been a supporter of the National Park and had lobbied the Virgin Islands Legislature to approve its establishment in St. John with the stipulation that "condemnation be eliminated as a firm condition and promise forever".

Other notable St. Johnians present on that day were Victor Sewer, Albert Sewer, captain Edmund Thomas, Luis Encarnación, George Simmons, Erva and William Thorp and Nancy and Robert Gibney and Neptune Richards, the owner of the Estate Susannaberg.

Senator Rutherford left the meeting saying that he would do what he could to have the condemnation clause eliminated.

On September 16 Theovald Moorehead flew to Washington.

"Somebody better get up there and tell them the truth for a change", Mooie was heard to say before he left for the capitol.

On September 24 the United States Congress yielded to the political pressure applied by the St. Johnians. A motion to omit the condemnation clause was submitted by Senator Rutherford. The motion was approved and Bill S-2429 was passed with the condemnation amendment deleted.

Senator Moorhead, meanwhile, returned to St. John a little worse for the wear after spending eighteen hours a day in tireless lobbying. He had been called a "liar" by the bill’s original sponsor, John Saylor who declared himself to be an expert on the "Virginian" Islands.

While in the nation's capitol Mooie had another experience he shared with friends on St. John upon his return.

It seems that when some Washington socialites and government officials had heard that an important Virgin Island dignitary was in town, they called Mr. Moorehead at his hotel and invited him to a party that was to be held in his honor at a posh Washington club.

"I got myself all dressed up. Man, I looked sharp,” Mooie told friends. “Then, just as I'm starting out, someone tells me he's sorry, but I can't go to the party.”

“This club where they're having it doesn't let black people in," Mooie said with a laugh. “And the party was for me!