The History of Ragged Island and Duncan Town in The Bahamas
At the southern end of the Jumentos Cays and Ragged Island chain, the history of Ragged Island is closely tied to salt, the sea, migration and the persistence of a remarkably small community. Its only settlement, Duncan Town, developed around an industry that once connected this remote part of The Bahamas with regional markets.
Government historical material identifies the development of Ragged Island's salt ponds with Duncan Taylor in the 19th century, while official tourism information credits Duncan Taylor and his brother Major Taylor, who arrived from Long Island. The salt ponds became one of the defining features of Duncan Town and remain visible today.
Fishing, boatbuilding and sailing also became important parts of island life. Over time, declining salt production, migration and destructive hurricanes reduced the population, but Duncan Town endured.
This article focuses specifically on that historical development. For beaches, fishing, transportation, accommodations and present-day trip planning, travelers should continue to the Ultimate Ragged Island Travel Guide.
EARLY HISTORY OF RAGGED ISLAND
The earliest history of the Ragged Island chain is not as extensively documented as that of some larger Bahamian islands. Even the official 2010 Census report states that relatively little is known about the chain's early days.
What is better documented is the development of the community that became Duncan Town and its relationship with salt production.
Historical research into the Bahamian salt industry indicates that Duncan and Archibald Taylor were involved in developing productive salt ponds on Ragged Island. Salt became increasingly important across several Bahamian islands as plantation agriculture declined, particularly because the dry climate and shallow saline environments of the southern islands were well suited to evaporation-based production.
This wider history is important because Ragged Island's story was part of a broader economic pattern across The Bahamas in which salt became a valuable export commodity.
HOW DUNCAN TOWN DEVELOPED
Duncan Town became the center of settlement on Great Ragged Island and remains the island's only permanent settlement.
There is some inconsistency among official sources concerning precisely whom Duncan Town was named for. A Bahamas government agricultural history states that the salt ponds were opened in the late 19th century by Duncan Taylor, "hence Duncan Town," while the official 2010 Census report says the settlement was named in honor of "the Duncans" who came from Long Island during the 19th century and developed the salt industry.
The current Bahamas tourism site provides the clearest practical connection: it identifies Duncan Taylor and his brother Major Taylor as developers of the Ragged Island salt ponds after coming from Long Island in the 19th century.
Rather than overstating an uncertain detail, Duncan Town's history is best understood through this well-established relationship between the Taylor family, settlement and the development of salt production.
Geographically, Duncan Town developed on an elevated site overlooking a shallow, protected harbor. The Census report describes the town as sitting on a breezy hill and extending for just over a mile.
SALT AND THE GROWTH OF RAGGED ISLAND
Few features are more closely connected with Ragged Island's history than its salt ponds.
Salt production depended on evaporation. Water collected in the ponds, and under suitable conditions the resulting salt crystals could be gathered, dried and prepared for sale.
The industry eventually supported trade beyond the island. Bahamas government historical material records a thriving salt trade with Cuba before the Castro era and trade with Haiti.
Salt production therefore connected remote Duncan Town with a much wider Caribbean economy.
The industry also influenced the physical landscape. Today, the Ragged Island Salt Ponds remain one of the clearest surviving reminders of this period.
Importantly, salt harvesting has not disappeared completely. The official Bahamas tourism site states that salt collection continues on a smaller scale. The largest reservoir is government-owned, while other sections consist of family plots passed down to heirs. Harvesting generally occurs between April and August, when conditions allow.
For visitors interested in the island's history, the Ragged Island Salt Ponds therefore represent more than a natural feature—they are part of a continuing cultural landscape.
FISHING, BOATBUILDING AND MARITIME TRADITIONS
Salt was only one part of Ragged Island's relationship with the sea.
Fishing became another important source of livelihood, while boatbuilding and sailing developed as recognizable elements of local culture.
The official Bahamas tourism authority describes Ragged Islanders as a seafaring people associated with building boats, booms and masts for sailing sloops, racing boats in regattas and fishing.
These traditions make geographic sense. Great and Little Ragged Island sit at the end of a chain of islands, cays and rocks extending for more than 100 miles, placing boats and marine knowledge at the center of transportation and economic life.
Fishing remains one of the activities most closely associated with Ragged Island today, linking its historical maritime economy with its modern identity.
MIGRATION AND THE DECLINE OF THE SALT INDUSTRY
Ragged Island's population changed considerably as economic conditions shifted.
Government historical material states that many residents left after 1950, relocating particularly to New Providence. The decline of the salt economy reduced one of the island's traditional sources of employment.
Regional political and economic changes also mattered. Ragged Island had previously traded salt with Cuba, but that relationship changed following the Cuban Revolution and Castro era.
The 2010 Bahamas Census recorded only 72 residents on Ragged Island, illustrating just how small the community had become.
Migration consequently became an important part of Ragged Island's modern historical story. Many descendants of island families established lives elsewhere in The Bahamas while maintaining familial and cultural connections to Duncan Town.
HURRICANE DONNA AND RAGGED ISLAND
Natural disasters also influenced the island's development.
Hurricane Donna struck in 1960, damaging houses and land on Ragged Island. Bahamas government historical material records roofs being swept from homes and considerable land damage.
The hurricane arrived during a period when the community was already facing economic and demographic pressures.
Older tourism accounts consequently connect Hurricane Donna, declining salt production and changing Cuban trade with further population loss from Ragged Island.
It would not be the last major hurricane to reshape Duncan Town.
HURRICANE IRMA AND DUNCAN TOWN
On September 8, 2017, Hurricane Irma brought another defining moment in Ragged Island's modern history.
Irma was a Category 4 hurricane when it affected the island, with winds around 150 mph. An Inter-American Development Bank and ECLAC assessment identified Ragged Island as the Bahamian community most heavily affected by the storm.
The destruction in Duncan Town was extensive.
Homes, government buildings, the school, water system, telecommunications and electrical infrastructure suffered severe damage. The airport terminal was destroyed, and government estimates indicated that nearly 90% of buildings were destroyed or severely damaged.
The hurricane also affected the historic salt ponds when storm surge opened a channel allowing ocean water into the salt pans.
Accounts recorded after Irma reveal how deeply the disaster affected the community. The National Art Gallery of The Bahamas documented the destruction and the difficult question residents faced afterward: whether to relocate or remain connected to Duncan Town despite the devastation.
Recovery from Irma consequently became another chapter in Ragged Island's long history of adaptation.
THE HISTORIC SALT PONDS TODAY
For travelers interested in Ragged Island history, the salt ponds provide the most direct physical connection between past and present.
They are remnants of the once-important industry that helped sustain Duncan Town, yet they are not simply abandoned historical ruins.
Salt continues to be harvested on a smaller scale. Some pond sections remain family plots inherited across generations, while harvested salt may be sold locally or transported to Nassau.
This continuity makes the ponds particularly important to understanding Ragged Island. They connect:
Duncan Town → family heritage → salt production → regional trade → modern Ragged Island
Visitors should treat the ponds and associated working areas respectfully, particularly where family plots or active harvesting are involved.
WHY DUNCAN TOWN'S HISTORY MATTERS
Duncan Town's historical importance is not based on grand colonial architecture or a large collection of monuments.
Its history is found instead in the relationship between people and landscape.
The salt ponds reveal an economy built around climate and geography. Fishing and boatbuilding demonstrate dependence on the surrounding sea. Migration reflects the economic challenges faced by small Family Island communities, while Hurricanes Donna and Irma demonstrate their vulnerability to severe weather.
Yet Duncan Town remains Ragged Island's only settlement.
Its continuing existence gives travelers an opportunity to understand a different dimension of Bahamian history—one centered on a very small Southern Bahamas community whose development was shaped by salt, fishing, maritime traditions, migration and resilience.
FAQS ABOUT RAGGED ISLAND AND DUNCAN TOWN HISTORY
What is Duncan Town known for historically?
Duncan Town is closely associated with Ragged Island's historic salt industry. Its salt ponds became an important economic resource and supported trade with markets including Cuba.
Where is Duncan Town?
Duncan Town is the only settlement on Ragged Island in the southern Bahamas, at the end of the long Jumentos Cays and Ragged Island chain.
Why is Duncan Town called Duncan Town?
Official sources associate the name with the people who developed Ragged Island's salt industry, although accounts differ slightly on the precise naming history. Current Bahamas tourism information identifies Duncan Taylor and his brother Major Taylor as developers of the salt ponds.
What happened to Ragged Island's salt industry?
The once-important industry declined significantly, although small-scale salt harvesting continues. Some sections of the salt ponds remain family plots passed between generations.
How did Hurricane Donna affect Ragged Island?
Hurricane Donna struck in 1960, damaging houses and land during a period when many residents were already leaving the island.
How did Hurricane Irma affect Duncan Town?
Hurricane Irma severely damaged Duncan Town in September 2017. Nearly 90% of buildings were estimated to have been destroyed or severely damaged, along with critical public infrastructure.
Are the historic Ragged Island salt ponds still visible?
Yes. The salt ponds remain a recognizable feature of Duncan Town, and limited salt collection continues today.
EXPLORE MORE RAGGED ISLAND GUIDES
LOCAL & DESTINATION CONTEXT
Ragged Island sits at the southern end of the Jumentos Cays and Ragged Island chain, a long arc of islands, rocks and largely undeveloped cays that includes places such as Hog Cay and other remote marine environments. Duncan Town became the chain's principal settlement through salt production and maritime activity, while fishing and boating continue to connect residents with the surrounding waters. This combination of settlement history, salt landscapes and maritime culture places Ragged Island within the broader story of the Family Islands of The Bahamas.
CONCLUSION
The history of Ragged Island and Duncan Town is fundamentally a story of adaptation. Salt production helped establish and sustain the settlement, while fishing, boatbuilding and sailing reflected the community's close relationship with the sea. Economic decline and migration reduced the population, and Hurricanes Donna and Irma brought periods of severe destruction.
Yet Duncan Town remains.
The historic salt ponds, maritime traditions and continuing community provide tangible connections between Ragged Island's past and present. Travelers interested in understanding the island beyond its beaches and fishing grounds can use this history as context for exploring Duncan Town and interacting respectfully with the people and landscapes that preserve its heritage.
For transportation, accommodations, beaches, fishing and broader trip planning, continue to the Ultimate Ragged Island Travel Guide.
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Updated as of August 2026.