History of Andros

The history of Andros can be traced back to pre-Columbus times when the island was inhabited by the Lucayan Indians. The early inhabitants of the island were known as the invisible people, because no one could see them due to the fact that they coated themselves with a special mud comprising the blue-green algae found on the island. That made them invisible in sunlight and only visible under ultraviolet light. When the Europeans came to the island they saw evidence of human inhabitants but could not see them.

The first recorded "discovery" of Andros—or "La Isla del Espiritu Santo" (The Island of the Holy Spirit) as the Spanish named it—was in 1550 while they were searching for slave labor. They referred to the island by that name because of its vast forest and the interplay of land and water, which made Andros one of the more mystical land forms in the Caribbean at the time.

However, by 1782 the island was called San Andreas, possibly named after the 1,400 inhabitants of St. Andreas Island off the Mosquito Coast who came to inhabit the island in 1787. Although no one really knows for sure, the modern name Andros is believed to be in honor of Sir Edmond Andros, Commander of His Majesty’s Forces in Barbados in 1672.

When the vast pine forest of the island was explored it was reported that large bird-like creatures that looked half human had mystical powers and turned your head backwards if you had bad thoughts. It is said that this mystical creature was called the 'Chickcharnie'.