Estate Wheel of Fortune

Wheel of Fortune is estate 39 in St. Croix’s West End Quarter. The 1799 and 1856 maps indicate a windmill to the east of the road to Frederiksted. Field reconnaissance failed to locate any ruins identifiable as a windmill.

The estate now known as Wheel of Fortune appears to have been settled in the French period under the name la Granderie. By 1750 sugar cultivation in the western portion of the estate, in estate 38, also included an animal mill and other structures. The portion where the windmill may have been built in estate 39 is occupied with a structure without indicating crops cultivated.

The first Beck map printing depicts an animal mill in estate 39 with no sugar machinery in estate 38. The second Beck map printing adds an animal mill in estate 38. Most of the annotated Beck maps and the manuscript copies of the 1760s depict the printed animal mills. However, one of the annotated maps omits the animal mill in estate 38 and another has it scratched out. Similarly, Oxholm’s 1778 map of Frederiksted depicts a single animal mill in the center of the combined estates with other structures surrounding it.

The 1750 map attributes ownership to the Widow Schempen in the west and Hans Nielsen Stang in the east. The annotated Beck map and manuscript copies dated 1766 attribute ownership to John Willet. The 1767 and 1770 maps attribute ownership to Jorgen Hardung of all of the Wheel of Fortune properties. The 1778 Oxholm map attributes ownership to Friederich Hardung’s heirs. The 1790s manuscript copies of Beck attribute ownership of the Wheel of Fortune properties simply to Hardung.

The 1799 Oxholm map includes a windmill in the center of estate 39 to the east of the road to Frederiksted, naming the area Wheel of Fortune. The 1856 Parsons map also only indicates a windmill in a similar location at Wheel of Fortune.

The 1920s topographic map locates structures at Wheel of Fortune in a similar configuration to the 1778 Oxholm map. While a chimney is identified, a windmill is not. The 1958 and 1982 topographic maps indicate ruins but none suggesting a windmill at Wheel of Fortune. Field reconnaissance found no evidence of a windmill.

As the McGuire geographic dictionary of the Virgin Islands (p. 198) describes, sugar cane was still cultivated here in the 1920s. The estate village was 1,500 yards east of the Frederiksted waterfront.

Historic Maps of Wheel of Fortune

Snippet of the U.S. Geological Service topographic map 1982 featuring West End Quarter estate # 39, currently named Wheel of Fortune.
The 1982 photorevision adds no useful information.
Snippet of the U.S. Geological Service topographic map of 1958 featuring West End Quarter estate # 39, currently named Wheel of Fortune.
The 1958 USGS topographic map does not clearly identify a windmill among the ruins.
Snippet of the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey topographic map of 1920 featuring West End Quarter estate # 39, currently named Wheel of Fortune.
The 1920 USGS topographic map shows a similar cluster of structures found in the 1778 Oxholm map. The Wheel of Fortune Chimney is identified but no windmill is distinctly identified.
Snippet of the Danish Atlantic Islands Association map of 1907 featuring West End Quarter estate # 39, currently named Wheel of Fortune.
The 1907 map indicates a windmill ruin at Estate Wheel of Fortune.
Snippet of the Parsons map of 1856 featuring West End Quarter estate # 39, currently named Wheel of Fortune.
Parsons’ 1856 map depicts a windmill at Estate Wheel of Fortune.
Snippet of the Oxholm map of 1799 featuring West End Quarter estate # 39, currently named Wheel of Fortune.
Oxholm’s 1799 map shows a windmill in Wheel of Fortune in a similar location to where the animal mill was in his 1778 map, roughly centrally located within the combined estates 38 and 39. Oxholm includes a dotted line as the estate boundary, indicating common ownership.
Snippets of the Mühlenfels map of 1790 & the Janssen map of 1791 featuring West End Quarter estate # 39, currently named Wheel of Fortune.
The 1790 & 1791 manuscript maps after Beck by Mühlenfels & Janssen attribute ownership to Hardung for estates 38 and 39.
Snippet of the Oxholm map of Frederiksted from 1778 featuring West End Quarter estate # 39, currently named Wheel of Fortune.
Oxholm’s 1778 map of Frederiksted shows an animal mill north of center in the combined estates 38 & 39 (note that north is to the left on this map). The animal mill has two plantation structures immediately to the west and two more to the south and east. A slave village is depicted to the northeast of the mill. Ownership is attributed to Friederich Hardung’s arvinger, or heirs.
Snippet of the Küffner map of 1767 featuring West End Quarter estate # 39, currently named Wheel of Fortune.
Küffner’s 1767 Beck replica includes an indication of settlement in the area of estate 38 and a sugar mill in the area of Wheel of Fortune.
Snippet of the Zöllner manuscript copy of Beck from 1766 featuring West End Quarter estate # 39, currently named Wheel of Fortune.
Zöllner’s 1766 manuscript copy of Beck’s map does not clearly demarcate boundaries between estates 38 and 39. Two animal mills are depicted at the eastern and western most portions of the estates with ownership attributed to John Willet.
Snippet of the 1766 unsigned Beck manuscript copy featuring West End Quarter estate # 39, currently named Wheel of Fortune.
The 1766 unsigned manuscript copy of Beck’s map depicts a flip flop of the estate lines, with 38-39 being a single block rather than splitting estate 38 from 39, with 38 being smaller. On this map, the estate to the east, which is part of estate 39 on the other maps, is unnumbered. Each of the estates has a single animal mill in roughly the same position as the other Beck variations.
Snippets of the annotated Beck maps of 1767-1770 featuring West End Quarter estate # 39, currently named Wheel of Fortune.
The updated, 1770, and c.1770 annotated Beck maps retains the animal mills in the center of estates 38 and 39, with ownership attributed to Jorgen Hardung. Unlike the 1767 Beck annotation, the animal mill in estate 38 is not scratched out. On the 1770 map, the name underlined in red indicates a sugar plantation and the plantation outlined in red indicates the landowner a Dane resident in Denmark.
Snippet of the annotated Beck map of 1767 featuring West End Quarter estate # 39, currently named Wheel of Fortune.
The 1767 annotated Beck map retains the mill in the center of estate 39 with ownership attributed to Jorgen Hardung. This annotation appears to be drawn on the second Beck printing. Notice how the animal mill in estate 38 has been scratched out.
Snippet of the annotated Beck map of 1766 featuring West End Quarter estate # 39, currently named Wheel of Fortune.
The 1766 annotated Beck map retains the mill in the center of estate 39 with ownership attributed to John Willet. This annotation appears to be drawn on a first printing map due to the absence of an animal mill in estate 38.
Snippet of the Beck map printed circa 1757 featuring West End Quarter estate # 39, currently named Wheel of Fortune.
The c1757 Beck map shows an animal mill in the center of estate 39 and east of the Concordia road, along with an animal mill in estate 38 not depicted on the first printing.
Snippet of the Beck map printed in 1754 featuring West End Quarter estate # 39, currently named Wheel of Fortune.
The 1754 Beck map shows an animal mill in the center of estate 39 and east of the Concordia road.
Snippet of the Cronenberg and von Jaegersberg map of 1750 featuring West End Quarter estate # 39, currently named Wheel of Fortune.
The 1749 map shows what is today Wheel of Fortune as separated into 3 sections. Estate 38 is depicted planted in sugar cane with the yellow coloring. In this estate, two plantation structures sit to the east and west of an animal mill. A slave village lies to the east. Ownership is attributed to Enk. Schempen, or the Widow Schempen. The landholding to the east, which became part of estate 39, is depicted as part of Estate La Grange. To the east of this, what would become part of estate 39 has a plantation house but no indication of what is planted. Ownership is attributed to Hans Nielsen Stang.
Snippet of the Lapointe map of 1671 featuring West End Quarter estate # 39, currently named Wheel of Fortune.
During the French period, in the area of what is now Wheel of Fortune, the words la Granderie is written.