Cat Island, Bahamas: History
The Indigenous Lucayan people called the island Guanima, meaning "middle waters land". The first white settlers were Loyalists fleeing the American Revolution, who arrived in 1783. The island may have been named after Arthur Catt, a pirate, or may be a reference to its one-time large population of feral cats.
Historically, the island gained wealth from cotton plantations, but slash and burn farming is now the main way of life for Cat Islanders. An economic crop is Croton eluteria (called also cascarilla) bark, which is gathered and shipped to Italy where it becomes a main ingredient in medicines, scents and Campari.
Until written accounts were found, Cat Island was thought to be Guanahani or San Salvador, the first island Christopher Columbus arrived at in the Americas. In 1926, an Act of Parliament was passed to rename the island Cat Island (and to rename Watling Island, as it was then, San Salvador).