As goofy as the idea sounds, the legend of how the Dutch and the French divvied up a Caribbean island in the 17th century is still held by some islanders as the gospel truth. The story gets complicated. Exactly 350 years ago on March 23 the island 150 miles east of Puerto Rico was partitioned to become St. Martin, which today is still French turf, and Saint Maarten, still Dutch property. With its 36 pristine beaches, seven casinos and duty-free shopping, the island today is a tourist oasis that last year drew 1.4 million visitors, including Hollywood icons and other nabobs, an enticing place where Jackie Kennedy Onassis once had a vacation home. Then in 1648 the Dutch and the French signed the Treaty of Concordia establishing dual ownership with an open border, an arrangement that remains in place today.
Local legend has it that the boundary was set with a contest.
Where they met marked the other end of the boundary. Alas, the French wound up with 21 square miles and the Dutch with only 16 square miles. The Dutchman is suspected of stopping to nap after nipping on geneva, that bitter Dutch gin, while the Frenchman, fortified with nothing stronger than vin rouge, was able to cover more ground. It's also the only landmark designating the boundaries of the two governments. It was the first of two anniversaries of important historic events on the island this year.