AS THE MINING town of Linden celebrates its 46th birthday coupled with the 50th Anniversary celebration and 100 years of bauxite mining in the region, a trail of the town’s history and hallmarks would furnish the ill-informed of the town’s evolvement over the centuries from a balata bleeding settlement to once being the bread basket of Guyana.

Often mistaken for a depressed and dusty township where opportunities are limited and entertainment is basic, the rich history of Linden has been cast aside leaving the younger generation ignorant of what built this 34 square mile town located 66 miles up the Demerara River.

The steep sandy hills, the refreshing black water creeks, the unlimited fat-poke trees, pockets of blue lakes and countless valleys are smeared with the permeation of thick bauxite dust often giving a false impression of what Linden is and most importantly what Linden was.

As facts have it Linden before becoming a township was deemed the bread basket of Guyana as many flocked the bauxite mining town to secure a lucrative job with the then bauxite company DEMBA (Demerara Bauxite Company). Affluence permeated the town which was managed by the white expatriates who made it clear that the town’s flourishing resulted from the materializing of their intuition that wealth was found in the soil.

Demba took charge of the entire development of Linden which ranged from building schools, churches, clubs, hospitals, recreational halls and even houses for the employees.
The establishment of a town
Even as the town evolved to one of the most sought after for internal migration, it only became a town on April 29th, 1970 when the Local Authority established Supernumerary Constabulary whose members were constituted as Town Constables. The 55 square miles or 85 square kilometers was legally constituted a town called Linden.

The genesis of this establishment started in 1759, when Surveyor Mr. L.L. Bercheych sought to border the area. He commenced on the western shore now called Wismar and Christianburg which originally was home to the Dutch who engaged in balata bleeding.
The economic balance shifted in 1966 with the discovery of bauxite by George Bain Mackenzie whom the ward of Mackenzie of the eastern bank of the river was named after. Mackenzie became the central of Linden with the establishment of the bauxite company which was a subsidiary of Aluminum Company of Canada ( ALCAN).

The company constructed pristine houses for senior staff and the layout of the Ward was distinct since every major road was strategically laid out. Only company employees resided in Mackenzie and some communities such as Richmonhill and Watooka was only occupied by expatriates. As history has it, the locals had to acquire an official pass to enter the area and only during the day.

Families from the depth and breadth of Guyana flocked Linden to experience the wealth that emerged from bauxite mining. In Amelia’s Ward there can be found an avenue called “Hope Town Square” where all of the families hail from the village of Hope Town in West Coast Berbice to seek employment at the company.

“The Mackenzie Man” as the employers were called was immediately identified from their mode of dress and high living when visiting other regions. The great influx of people from all across Guyana resulted in Linden possessing a rich heritage as there was a mixture of ethnicity, culture, religion and beliefs to form one town of people. As a result of this genesis, Linden pioneered several national events such as Mashramani, Town week, Jacees, National Football competition among others.

The first school in Mackenzie was built in 1924 while the first hospital was built in 1925. A shopping plaza began operations in 1941 and 8 years after the town was graced with its first commercial bank. In 1951 the Mackenzie Sports Club was laid out and the first public cinema opened its doors.

Development of the municipality
In 1970 the Mayor and Town Council appointed the first mayor Mr. Egbert Benjamin whose tenure concluded in 1973. Ms Gloria Layne was his successor followed by Mr. Hugh Harris, Mr. Ashton Alleyne, Mrs. Evelyn Dodson, Mr. Patrick Haynes, Mr. Abdul Kadir and Mr. Stanley Smith. Mr. Smith’s tenure ended in 2003 and an Interim Management Committee was enacted led by Mr. Orin Gordon until the 2016 Local Government Elections which allowed for the appointment of the 10th and present Mayor Carwyn Holland.

With the decline in bauxite production, the town’s economy has spiraled to the all-time low and cannot exclusively depend on what is currently produced compared to years ago.

The unemployment rate in Linden is above 70% and with limited career opportunities many youths migrate after completing their secondary education. The newly elected municipality is seeking avenues to stimulate the economy through agriculture, enterprising and tourism so that Linden would return to the way it used to be; the bread basket of the Caribbean.