"The
Place", as it is referred to by the old-timers, is about twenty-two
miles south of Marsh Harbour, the capital of Abaco, one of the northern
most Bahama Islands, a little more than two hundred miles off the eastern
coast of the United States and Florida's southern shores. It measures approximately
one square mile in size and has a population of about 160 residents.
No one knows for sure where 'the place' got its name but one theory
is that it was named after a local wild 
cherry
tree and according to some old-English sailing charts was identified as
'Cherry Cay' (cay pronounced 'key' locally today). Another story about
the first settler being an old Indian woman who was suppose to have come
from the Cherokee Nation in North Carolina during the American Revolution,
and she named the settlement after her ancestors. Records of marriages,
births, deaths, crop yields and annual rainfall were forwarded to Nassau
since the early 1800's, but no journals, diaries or other communications
have survived to tell us the real history about 'the place' except local
storytellers. We do know that a Petition was submitted to Parliment following
a severe storm in 1822; it pleaded for financial assistance to keep many
families from starving. The list of petitioners included Albury, Bethel,
Johnson, Pinder, Roberts, Russell, Sands, Sawyer and Sweeting, and all
but two of these families still reside in Cherokee today.
Long ago, before the Government regulated and installed navigational
lights to aid sailing ships, salvaging was a very lucrative occupation
for many Islanders. 
Then
around the turn of the last century boat-building, fishing and sponging
soon took over as the little community swelled to over 400 persons, making
it the largest settlement in Abaco at that time. They also made rope from
the sisal plant that grew so well in the rocky soil of the pine forests
and later collected shells which were sent away to be made into buttons
as the Depression Era swept through the Bahamas. Farming is still done
in the nearby fields of Yellow Wood, while some work at their trade here
on 'the place' and others traverse back and forth to Marsh Harbour to their
jobs, but the majority of our men still fish for a living by crawfishing,
hauling, deep-sea fishing or as bonefishing guides.
Many
a story is still told of the old-time Cherokee fishermen. A Cherokee Fishing
Smack was unique and stood out from the other island fishing boats since
they carried only five sails, instead of the usual seven. They had a crew
of nine men and were completely at the mercy of Mother Nature and her prevailing
winds, with none of the modern facilities onboard boats today. They would
be gone from home for up to six weeks at a time and kept their fish in
live wells till they could get into market, and often salted and dried
the catch to preserve it. However, during the 1950's most of the Smacks
were converted to motor vessels and gone forever were the cries heard round
the settlement as the returning boats were sighted, "Sail Ho".
But many of the old-timers can still remember when all the Smacks were
in port and anchored in Riding Cay Channel, maybe nine or ten vessels,
what a glorious sight it must have been. 
Today
there is a monument honoring the fishermen, those that were lost at sea
and their "Cherokee Smacks", most of which were built on 'the
place'.
In the past, the women of Cherokee made all their family's clothes, but now they are probably more well known for their beautiful handmade quilts, which are given as traditional bride's gifts and have been known to be excellent fund raisers when auctioned off for a special event, as well as being made to sell to interested customers. In addition, a couple of the ladies gathered some of the old time recipes and preserved them in a locally produced cookbook called "ABACO COOKS", which has been selling now for ten years, with all the profits being returned to the community for special needs.
Some of the first settlers in Abaco wrote back home to family members in England that there was a good supply of pork available on the Island. Today our men still hunt wild boar with specially trained dogs and it is one of the food staples with many different recipes on how to prepare it. Besides the wild pork, the men also shoot and eat the white crowned pigeon (a migratory bird that frequents our shores every fall) and hunt the large land crabs which emerge from the ground after heavy rainfalls every summer. These and many unusual fish from the sea are the mainstay of the islander's diet and are prepared and eaten fresh according to the individual seasons of each one. Bahamian dishes are highly seasoned, with hot peppers and local spices, and undeniably delicious.
Cherokee
has no marina and thus no docking facilities, but many boats visiting us anchor
in Little Bay, just around the point of the ocean. Some try to make it to our
famous 'Long Dock' and usually need assistance from one of the locals to guide
them in because of a treacherous reef that runs all along our frontage to the
sea. We do have some of the best bonefishing grounds in all the Bahamas, in
addition to being located on the edge of deep ocean where some record game fish
have been caught. Since the early 1950's when a fishing camp was established
on the hill, Cherokee has been a well-kept secret by the real fishing enthusiasts.
Unfortunately, the camp did not survive, but many of its 
visitors
come back year after year to be picked up at Big Mangrove by a Cherokee Fishing
Guide to spend the day fishing in our waters. Up until 1986 you could only get
to Cherokee by a boat ride from Big Mangrove when the bulldozer pushed through
a rough road. However, as of the end of May 1997 that rough road was tarred
and paved.
There are two churches on 'The Place', one Methodist and the other is an Assemblies of God Church. We have a two-room schoolhouse, a Post Office and Library, a Laundromat, Gas Station and Boat Haven, plus a General Store and Telecommunications Station, but no Bar or Restaurant. A trip to Marsh Harbour is only a forty minute drive on our new road for additional shopping or dining out.
Abaco is still the home of a herd of completely wild horses, as well as a very unique parrot that makes its home in the rock holes and caves in the more remote parts of the Island, and a small bat (which the natives call 'Joe Doggins') that take up residency in any abandoned old building. Then there is our ever-present and extremely friendly curly-tailed lizard. There are some snakes, but they are of the non-poisonous type and are very shy. A large number of migratory birds pass through our island every year and many different varieties of beautiful butterflies seem to be with us all year long.
The 700 Bahama Islands are often referred to as the "ISLES OF PERPETUAL JUNE" and most Abaco resident's consider themselves truly 'Blessed', for not many enjoy the Sun, the Sand and the Sea all year round in such a relaxed and peaceful atmosphere as we do.
Our thanks to Lee Pinder, Seaview Cottage , Cherokee Sound, Abaco, Bahamas
Abaco Bahamas' Home Page
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Ltd.
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May 2, 2002