Orange Walk District – From logging to sugar after the Caste War
For more than a hundred years, logging dominated life in Orange Walk. Timber was floated down the New River into Corozal Bay, then on to Belize City and shipped abroad. Change came in the late 19th century, when refugees of the Caste War arrived from the north. As logging declined, the sugar industry took hold and shaped the district's future.
The 19th century also saw conflicts between Maya groups, most notably Marcus Canul and his Icaiche, and the settlers. The remains of Forts Mundy and Cairns, built by the West India Regiment, still recall this time. Today Orange Walk, Belize's inland district, is known for its sugar cane. Share your Orange Walk stories with our community!