Maripaston

Maripaston was a village in the Bigi Poika resort of the Para District, Suriname. The village was located along the Saramacca River and used to be the main village of the Matawai maroons.

Maripaston
Village
Maripaston (1890)
Maripaston (1890)
Maripaston is located in Suriname
Maripaston
Maripaston
Coordinates: 5.3305°N 55.3530°W / 5.3305; -55.3530
Country Suriname
DistrictPara District
ResortBigi Poika
Time zoneUTC-3 (AST)

History

The wood plantation Sonnette was located at the site since at least 1819, and was abandoned after 1832.[1] The village was founded after 1836 by Adensi, a daughter of granman (paramount leader) Kodjo, but the inhabitants were later chased away by the authorities.[2] Noah Adrai resettled the village in 1852. A Moravian church was constructed in the village in 1860 by Johannes King.[3]

Maripaston developed into the main village of the Matawai and the seat of the granman.[4] In 1898, Lavanti Agubaka, who lived in Boven Saramacca, was elected as the new granman, and the village lost the status as main village[5][6] In 1899 plans had been developed to build a tramway from Berlijn to Maripaston, however the line was never constructed.[7]

Maripaston was last mentioned in newspapers in 1951 as a settled place.[8] and has probably been abandoned. There is economical activity at the site, because illegal gold prospectors used to be active.[9] In 2011, the gold concession was awarded to Grassalco who is operating a gold mine in the area.[10][9]

Maripaston can only be reached by boat and is located half an hour downstream of Kwakoegron.[11]

Notable people
  • Granman Adrai Vroomhart in Maripaston
    Granman Adrai Vroomhart in Maripaston
  • Maripaston on a 1880 map (bottom left)
    Maripaston on a 1880 map (bottom left)

References
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Maripaston.
  1. "Plantage Sonnette". Suriname Plantages (in Dutch). Retrieved 10 July 2022.
  2. "Boekbespreking Skrekiboekoe". Suriname.nu. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
  3. Ursy M. Lichtveld & Jan Voorhoeve (1975). Creole drum. New Haven: Yale University. p. 118. ISBN 0-300-01661-1.
  4. Johan Cateau van Rosevelt (1880). "Kaart van Suriname" (in Dutch).
  5. "Wij lezen in de N.Surin.Crt". Haagsche courant (in Dutch). 20 April 1895. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
  6. Ben Scholtens (1994). Bosneger en overheid in Suriname (in Dutch). Paramaribo: Afdeling Cultuurstudies/Minov. p. 155. ISBN 9991410155.
  7. "Paramaribo". Dagblad van Zuidholland en 's Gravenhage (in Dutch). 30 April 1899. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
  8. "Het District Suriname in 1950". De West (in Dutch). 28 June 1951. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
  9. "Salomons oordeel ruziënde Surinaamse goudzoekers". Waterkant (in Dutch). 30 July 2011. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
  10. "Maripaston Goudmijn". Grassalco (in Dutch). Retrieved 10 July 2022.
  11. Willy Grader (1 January 1932). "Mijn vacantiereis naar Suriname". De West (in Dutch). Retrieved 10 July 2022.
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