Historical account of when Corn Island became a municipality of Nicaragua

  

In the year 1890 at the request of the islanders, Nicaragua began to govern the Corn Islands directly. From then on, the Corn Islands were under the rule of a Magistrate named directly by Managua. The first magistrate's name was Mr. Michael Quinn, a native of the Quinn Hill neighborhood.

In 1894 the Corn Islands was officially made part of the newly created Department of Zelaya. During this time, the title of the political leader of the island was changed from Magistrate to Governor. The first to become governor was Mr. Jacob Chapman, another islander.

Mr. Jacob was also Judge, Mayor, Chief of Police, Register and in most cases did his own secretarial work. He was the “Government”.

Governor Chapman was followed by a succession of governors right down to the year 1940. All governors after Chapman were from the mainland (Bluefields) except the islander Adolphus Downs, who served the longest. Corn Island was part of the municipality of Bluefields until the year 1940 when it became a separate municipality.

The first mayor of Corn Island was appointed from Managua, this was Mr. Isaiah Lampson Jr., known as Cito Lampson. He was appointed on the 9th of February 1940. Thereafter, a succession of mayors that followed all appointed: Obadiah White, Harry Quinn, Ferdinand Nicholson, Marvin Wrights, David Richard, Norman Downs, Isaiah Lampson (reelected), Cardel Nicholson, Orvill Morgan, Cleaveland Webster, Hurley Morgan and Ena Moses.

The mayors who were elected by the people base on the constitution of the Republic of Nicaragua are George Howard, Robert Ow, Alex Dixon and Cleaveland Webster.