Guyanese Online

It’s all in the name – the story of Linden

An Article by Sherene Noble

Nestled in the heart of Guyana, amidst lolling white, grey and red sand hills, brown water creeks, blue water lakes and clear water springs; in the lush green of Guyana’s Amazonian vegetation, is the sleepy little bauxite town called Linden.

The story of how the town came into being is by no means a mystery. Three communities, Christianburg, Wismar and McKenzie merged into Macmarburg, then Markenburg;  and eventually became a township on April 29^th, 1970. We have been told how George Bain McKenzie, that adventurous American discovered bauxite in the area in 1913 and commenced mining operations, paving the way for the development of McKenzie, after him. We know of how the Germans inhabited the land on the opposite bank of the Demerara River, 65 miles from the capital Georgetown, and named it Wismar, after a town and seaport in the northern regions of their native land. We have also heard stories of how the Dutch occupied the area immediately north of the boundaries of Wismar and combined the names of its then Governor, Christian Fenet, and his wife’s family name, Burg, to give Christianburg its moniker. Continue reading →