Dabneys in the Azores

Recently we arrived in the Azores. We soon found history museums and went to visit one. There, I learned about the Dabneys and their effect on the Azores.

Especially in the mid-to late 1800's, the Azores were a very important place for ships crossing the Atlantic because they could restock fuel, food, and water. In 1804, John Bass Dabney, a U.S. Consul, moved to the Azores from New England. His family would stay in the Azores for 83 years, having a large effect on the islands. Dabney started exporting oranges and wine, improving the local economy greatly. When he died in 1826, his son, Charles William Dabney took over.

Charles William Dabney was considered the most important of the Dabneys in the Azores. He constructed a more weather proof port and strengthened the whaling industry. When a storm destroyed the grape crop, thus reducing the amount of wine they could produce, and disease destroyed the orange crop, the island's people lost their primary sources of income and were looking at a year of starvation. Charles Dabney used one of his ships to get corn from the United States and sold it to the islanders for less than his cost. He was the U.S. Consul of the Azores, major merchantman, and hero to struggling islanders until 1893 when he also became a manager of the trans-atlantic telegraph line, which passes through the Azores. When he died, his son took over his jobs. Unfortunately, another merchant landed in the Azores and began to rival the Dabneys. Soon afterwards, the Dabneys left for good.

Rabbit and I sitting above the Dabney's personal vineyard. You can see some of their buildings behind us and in the background is the city of Horta and the marina where Sila is tied up.

Behind us you can see the countryside that surrounds Horta

I learned all of this in the Dabney Museum of the Azores. I enjoyed learning about the family and looking at how they affected the Azores. Everywhere I look in Horta, the town where we are, the Dabneys show their effect; the port break water, the street names, the farms on the distant hill sides are all examples. I always enjoy learning about the places Sila visits and it was no different in this case.- Porter