Saint Croix Island International Historic Site

Saint Croix Island International Historic Site commemorates the winter of 1604–1605 experienced by Pierre Dugua’s French expedition. Iced in by freezing temperatures and cut off from fresh water and game, 35 of the expedition’s 79 men died. In spring, native people traded game for bread, improving the health of those who remained. Although the expedition moved on by summer, the beginning of French presence in North America had begun.