National

Unveiling History At Hanna Homestead

ACKLINS, BAHAMAS – It’s a multi-generation property that Patricia Cleare nee Hanna and her husband Louis now proudly call home.

Published

8 months ago

March 13, 2024

Kendeno Knowles

ACKLINS, BAHAMAS – It’s a multi-generation property that Patricia Cleare nee Hanna and her husband Louis now proudly call home.

Situated in the widest expanse of Acklins it’s the very thing Pat tells us drew John Hanna, the only Hanna she says is known to set foot in The Bahamas, to claim this land.

She tells us how John initially settled in Crooked Island post-American Revolution, perpetuating the dark legacy of slavery. It was Acklins she says enticed him with promises of superior cotton.

Most remained in Portland, direct ancestors to the Hanna clan we know today.

Their legacy is intertwined with the history of this land, a history we could not wait to uncover on our weeklong journey across Acklins.

Then it was up a hill. Moments later, our first stop on the plantation.

Their labor, a testament to their skill, that beckoned me to try my hand.

Amidst the lush vegetation, teeming with cacti, mahogany, lignum vitae and an abundance of halback and poison wood and the plantation also holds the remnants of a downed World War II aircraft which we weren’t able to capture but Pat and Louis tell the story.

Yet with more to uncover, another reason to return. It was now time to brave the downhill drive.

And as our journey nears its end, I couldn’t help but leave this humble token of gratitude with our ancestors, a gesture that pales in comparison to the debt of thanks we owe.