It wasn’t until the 19th century that the first permanent settlers arrived on Grand Bahama Island. To make ends meet, most earned a living as fishermen or by harvesting the land for timber. The island population declined during the American Civil War when people fled to Nassau to join the economic boom. But even a mini-boom in the 1920s caused by Prohibition in America couldn’t sustain any momentum.

The island remained sparsely populated until 1955 when a wave of change landed on Grand Bahama Island as American developer Wallace Groves joined forces with British industrialist Sir Charles Hayward. Their vision was to build a tax-free city on Grand Bahama that could support both tourism and manufacturing. The resulting city is modern Freeport.

The innovation of Wallace Groves attracted more investors to Grand Bahama Island between 1963 and 1967 -- causing the population of the island to more than triple. Today, tourism remains the lifeblood of the island, and every year tourists come to take advantage of its many attractions and tax-free status.