Estate Cotton Valley

Cotton Valley is estate 11 in St. Croix’s East End B Quarter. Cotton Valley was involved in both cotton and sugar production. Sugar production here likely started after 1794. This windmill tower in very good condition and is the easternmost windmill for crushing sugar cane built on St. Croix. The date 1827 inscriped on the keystone for the main entrance suggests this construction date.

Estate Cotton Valley had sugar production arise after 1794, not atypical for an estate on the far East End. Like the entire eastern one third of St. Croix, no habitation is shown during the French period. The plantation is in cotton production by 1750, with ownership attributed to Jan Williams. Through the variations of the Beck maps, Jan Williams is attributed as the owner of the east half of the estate, with Jacob Dans owner of the west half on some of the maps. The early 1790s maps attribute ownership to Ed Shaw. Oxholm’s 1794 map indicates a cotton plantation in estate 11, calling it the grove. Parsons depicts a windmill in 1856 at elevation 245 feet with a complex of structures to the south, down the hill.

These structures appear on the 1921 USGS topographic map, with only the windmill on the 1982 photo-revision. On each of the USGS topographic maps, the base of the mill is placed at over 240 feet elevation and the top of the mill at 286 feet elevation, indicating a mill tower height of approximately 40 feet. As the McGuire description below shows, the estate still had cotton and sugar cane growing in the 1860s and this had changed to more common bush found in the area by the turn of the century.

Photos of Cotton Valley, 2020s

Close up of Cotton Valley windmill from the southeast featuring the main entrance and machine slot openings.
Closeup of Cotton Valley windmill from the southeast featuring the main entrance and machine slot.
Top of Cotton Valley windmill from the southeast.
Top of Cotton Valley windmill from the southeast.
Cotton Valley windmill from the southeast featuring the main entrance and machine slot openings.
Cotton Valley windmill from the southeast

Historic Maps of Cotton Valley

Snippet of the U.S. Geological Service topographic map of 1982 featuring East End B Quarter estate # 11, currently named Cotton Valley.
The 1982 photorevision of the USGS topographic map shows a windmill ruin where Cotton Valley is located with the base at approximately 240 feet elevation.
Snippets of the U.S. Geological Service topographic maps of 1958 & 1982 featuring East End B Quarter estate # 11, currently named Cotton Valley.
The 1958 and 1982 photorevision of the USGS topographic map shows a windmill ruin where Cotton Valley is located with the base at approximately 240 feet elevation.
Snippet of the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey topographic map of 1920 featuring East End B Quarter estate # 11, currently named Cotton Valley.
The 1921 USGS topographic map shows an old mill tower with the base at over 240 feet and the top at 286 feet elevation.
Snippet of the Danish Atlantic Islands Association map of 1907 featuring East End B Quarter estate # 11, currently named Cotton Valley.
The 1907 map indicates a circle at Estate Cotton Valley.
Snippet of the Parsons map of 1856 featuring East End B Quarter estate # 11, currently named Cotton Valley.
Parsons’ 1856 map depicts a windmill in Estate Cotton Valley at 245 feet elevation. Other structures lie to the south.
Snippets of the Oxholm map of 1799 and the Lang updated to it of 1820 featuring East End B Quarter estate # 11, currently named Cotton Valley.
Oxholm’s 1799 map and the 1820 revision with the Lang revisions both show a cotton plantation symbol in estate 11 with the name the grove that extended into estate 18a.
Snippet of the Oxholm map of 1799 featuring East End B Quarter estate # 11, currently named Cotton Valley.
Oxholm’s 1799 map shows a cotton plantation symbol in estate 11 with the name the grove that extended into estate 18a.
Snippets of the Mühlenfels map of 1790 & the Janssen map of 1791 featuring East End B Quarter estate # 11, currently named Cotton Valley.
The 1790 & 1791 manuscript maps after Beck by Mühlenfels & Janssen attribute ownership of estate 11 to Ed Shaw.
Snippet of the Küffner map of 1767 featuring East End B Quarter estate # 11, currently named Cotton Valley.
Küffner’s 1767 Beck replica includes no settlement in the area of estate 11.
Snippets of the 2 manuscript copies of Beck from 1766 featuring East End B Quarter estate # 11, currently named Cotton Valley.
The 1766 manuscript copies of Beck depict no sugar machinery in estate 11. Ownership for the estate is split, with the western half attributed to Jacob Dans and the eastern half to John Williams.
Snippet of the annotated Beck map of c.1770 featuring East End B Quarter estate # 11, currently named Cotton Valley.
The c.1770 annotated Beck maps splits ownership of the estate east and west with no owner name attributed in either half.
Snippet of the annotated Beck map of 1770 featuring East End B Quarter estate # 11, currently named Cotton Valley.
The 1770 annotated Beck map illustrates no sugar machinery in estate 11. Ownership for the estate is attributed to Jan Williams.
Snippets of the 3 annotated Beck maps made from 1766 to 1767 featuring East End B Quarter estate # 11, currently named Cotton Valley.
The 1766, 1767, and c.1767 annotated Beck maps illustrate no sugar machinery in estate 11. Ownership for the estate is split, with the western half attributed to Jacob Dans and the eastern half to John Williams.
Snippets of both Beck maps printed in 1754 & circa 1757 featuring East End B Quarter estate # 11, currently named Cotton Valley.
In the original printings in the 1750s, Beck shows no sugar machinery in estate 11.
Snippet of the Cronenberg and von Jaegersberg map of 1750 featuring East End B Quarter estate # 11, currently named Cotton Valley.
The Cronenberg and von Jægersberg map of 1750 indicates estate 11 is planted in cotton, evidenced by the blue coloring. A plantation house is in the northern portion of the estate, with other structures to the south and west. Ownership attributed to Jan William.
Snippet of the Lapointe map of 1671 featuring East End B Quarter estate # 11, currently named Cotton Valley.
During the French period, no settlement is indicated near Cotton Valley.