Once thought to be the longest river in Jamaica but has more recently lost that title to the Rio Minho, the Black River, originates in the mountains of Manchester and flows west where it disappears underground and re-emerges in St Elizabeth.

Measuring 53.4 kilometres (33 miles), it is navigable for about 40 kilometres (25 miles), and is supported by many tributaries including Y.S., Broad, Grass and Horse Savannah. The river was the main transportation route for the parish, as the route travelled through the dense and humid mangrove swamps.

The river get’s its name from the darkness of the river bed that has over the years been lined with thick layers of decomposing vegetaion. This gives the river a dark almost black hue especially in the more thickly vegetated areas.

The Black river begins as an underground stream in the Cockpit Country and emerges north of Siloah on the southern border of the Cockpits.

At Maggotty, the river runs alongside the road where it is convenient to explore its banks and to view the many small waterfalls and the Black River Gorge. The vegetation is dense and overgrown in places but the Apple Valley Park maintains a cleared trail to the gorge and will also provide a guide.

To the south of Maggotty past Newton, the river flows into the Upper Morass where the waters merge with those of the Smith River and other smaller tributaries. It is dominated by thick rushes and is easily explored by canoe. Sugar cane is grown on the land to the north of the Upper Morass where the fertilizer and pesticide run off has polluted the river.

In the Elim area, a variety of African perch known locally as the “Jesus fish” is being farmed to help combat the overfishing of Jamaica’s coastal waters. Its local name refers to the miracle of the multiplication of fishes because it is a prolific breeder.

Also found in these swamps is the “Jesus bird”, the northern jacana that wades among the floating leaves of aquatic plants giving the impression of walking on water. Jamaican colloquialism is uniquely descriptive and frequently imbued with biblical references.
The river flows to the plain known as the Savannah, through the Great Morass and to the sea at Black River, the capital of the parish.

HISTORY Black River, Jamaica

In the 18th and 19th centuries, when the area prospered from the lucrative logwood trade, exports of rum, pimento, and cattle skin garnered from nearby Holland, Vineyard and Fullerswood Estates. The town itself, because of its port then, was vital to the slave trade. Slaves were brought here and sold at auction at Farquharson Wharf, originally called ‘Town Wharf’, which is still standing.

The town of Black River, established close to the banks of the river after which it was named, was designed by the Leyton brothers, three wealthy landowners who were notable business men of the era.

It was established sometime around 1671 and was designated the captal of the parish of St. Elizabeth in 1773, when it replaced Lacovia.

Situated at the mouth of the Black River, where it flows into the sea, the town played an important role in the slave trade, sugar and logwood industry throughout the seventeenth, eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.

After passing through Lacovia, the river flows into the Lower Morass, the largest (14,085 acres) swamp environment exhibiting the greatest biodiversity in the entire Caribbean.

The river merges with the waters of the YS River near Middle Quarters, an area well known for its crayfish that is sold at roadside stands as “hot pepper shrimps”. It is in this region of the Lower Morass that “shrimp” fishermen can be found tending their trap baskets that are similar in design to those still used by fishermen on the Niger River in Africa and brought to the island by slaves over 300 years ago.

Upriver, the YS Falls are a delightful contrast to the somnolence of the Lower Black River. The cool, clear water rushes over three levels for 120 feet to form one of the largest and prettiest waterfalls in Jamaica. Large pools at each level allow for a refreshing swim and are accessed by stairs alongside the river.

t was a thriving town, second only to Kingston, where local farmers transported their sugar, logwood that was used to make dyes, and pimento to for trade or export.

West African slaves were auctioned at Farquharson Wharf. Today, there are only a few surviving wharves that were used to auction slaves.

As a major sea port, it became a major commercial center on the south coast of Jamaica. It’s wealth contributed to it being the first town in Jamaica to be lit by electricty in 1893. It was also the first town to have cars in 1903 and telephone 10 years after it was invented.
Black River Historic district was designated a Protected National Heritage on April 8, 1999. These properties include the Magdala House, the Invercauld Guest House, St. Elizabeth Parish Library, the Black River Court House, the Public Works Office, the Parish Council Office, the Health Centre, the St. Theresa Catholic Church, the Black River Post Office the St. Elizabeth Parish Church, the Bank of Nova Scotia, the Revenue Office, the Black River Safari, and all the buildings and warehouses situated along the coastal side of High Street and those situated between the eastern banks of the Black River and Crane Road.

The 19th Century

The demand for logwood during the 1800s fueled prosperity within the town of Black River. Logwood, a tree from the pea family, has a dark heartwood that yields hematoxylin used for making dyes used within the textile industry. The logwood was harvested in the interior of the parish and shipped to the town of Black River through waterways created by connecting tributaries of the black river. The wood was transported for distances as much as 20 miles, through this interconnected waterway. In 1893-94 the export value of logwood from Jamaica surpassed that of traditional leading crops of sugar and coffee.

The creation and production of synthetic dyes eventually saw the demise of the logwood industry.

Pandemic

In 1850, Jamaica suffered through the Asiatic cholera epidemic that killed ~40,000, people across the island, one-tenth of the population. The burial registers in places, only state “Unidentified Persons” followed by the number of unidentified. In the last weeks of 1850, the epidemic after devastating Kingston, advanced towards the west of Jamaica. It devastated the Black River. Bodies were being buried as fast as possible to try to stop the spread of the disease and to contain the transmission the disease, victims were buried in specially designated parts of the cemetery.