Yankee Town

Yankee Town is a late 19th century abandoned and damaged village on West Caicos' remote central west coast. The West Caicos Sisal Company established this site in 1891 as a base of operations for sisal and cotton planting. Yankee Town is one of the best historical places in the Turks & Caicos Islands because of its small size and historical significance. The last standing testaments to Yankee Town are about seven stone structures, various cisterns, wells, machinery, and the railroad.

The fibrous agave sisal was the primary crop of West Caicos, unlike the late 18th century Loyalist era estates on North Caicos, Middle Caicos, and Providenciales, which mostly relied on Sea Island Cotton. The fiber collected from the large leaves of the sisal plant was sent for rope manufacture after first processing.

A fully intact and enormous Burrell Traction Engine, a forerunner to the modern farm tractor, is one of the best-known items left over in this village. Despite the fact that the sheet-iron boiler and tanks have suffered from severe corrosion and deterioration, the cast iron components have weathered well in the marine environment. The engine's original planned destination, on the other hand, remains a mystery. According to records, the equipment was supposed to be sent to West India but ended up in the West Indies' West Caicos. Yankee Town would have been virtually defunct by this year, according to the tractor's construction date of 1904.

Although the grounds surrounding Yankee Town are somewhat open, because to West Caicos' general location and remoteness, entry remains difficult. Several Providenciales boat cruises visit the West Caicos Marine National Park's excellent nearby snorkeling sites on occasion, and it's often possible to swim ashore and scale the low coastal cliffs to visit Yankee Town on such an excursion.

Location: Yankee Town, Turks and Caicos Islands