What has the name Phoebe Morgans got to do with the annual conch cracking contest in McLeans Town?

One of the early conch cracking contests at McLean’s Town.

Phoebe was an English teacher who came to work in the tiny McLean’s Town school around 1970. McLean’s is at the farthest end of Grand Bahama. At the time the road after High Rock was a dirt road that became almost impassable after a rainstorm. Pine trees, scrub and mangroves covered mile after mile. It was unusual to meet another vehicle on the long, arduous drive from Freeport to McLean’s.

Phoebe and her husband Geoff, also a teacher, were young and enthusiastic and welcomed as many children as possible, including those from the nearby cays who came by boat! Soon it became obvious that they needed more space, more equipment, more supplies. The Ministry of Education had no answers.

Phoebe and Geoff Morgans with their friend Cassandra Davenport, second from left, at a Toastmasters event at The King’s Inn.

So they set about getting donations of school supplies from businesses in Freeport; Bellevue Stationery, D’Albenas and others who kindly donated lunch items and drinks for the children as well. The Morgans would collect them at the weekends when they did their weekly grocery shop. On one such weekend Phoebe announced to her friend Cassandra Davenport that she had come up with an idea.

Conchs were easy to obtain and, once you knew how, easy to crack (get the mollusk out of its shell). Phoebe’s idea was a contest to see who could crack the most conch in the shortest time. Each contestant would receive the same number of conch, with the winner being the quickest to extract and skin them.

It was a novel idea! But would people come and would it make money for the little school? There was no internet, no WhatsApp.

Phoebe shared her idea with the people of McLean’s Town who were very enthusiastic and said they would provide the food for the event.

Key people in the Freeport community were informed and a date was chosen to coincide with Columbus Day, a public holiday.

Cassandra, her husband Julian and sister Linda Bullard made signs pointing the way to McLean’s Town as well as collecting donations of food and drinks that were to be sold.

The day arrived. People followed the signs and drove the 1.5 hours it took to get there on the rough roads. A lot of people made that journey, a mix of the many nationalities that were on the island at the time.

And it was a huge success! Many competed but it was the McLean’s Town fishermen who won, hands down!

It was a first for The Bahamas and the request that everyone made was that it should become an annual event. Thus began the Conch Cracking Contest in the place we fondly know as the Conch Cracking capital of the world!

Undated press cutting describing the contest’s early years.

The Morgans left Grand Bahama around 1985 but their legacy remains.

With thanks to the late Cassandra Davenport, whose memories of helping organize the first contest made this story possible.