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Private company

Aruba Phosphate Company

Guano industry of Aruba (1879–1914)

The discovery of guano on Klein Curaçao by John Godden in 1871, sparked a "guano mania" across the Antillean islands, including Curaçao (Santa Barbara). In 1874, J. H. Waters Gravenhorst is credited with the discovery of guano in Aruba, although an earlier interest was shown by an American named S.R. Kimball in 1859.2 It ceased to exist in 1915.1 Wikipedia text CC BY-SA 4.0

Last updated Oct 21, 2026.

Overview

Dec 18, 1879Founded1
  • Industryphosphate industry1

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BNA-DIG-EXT-KITLV-106637
Photo: Soublette et Fils; Soublette, Robert, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons3

The discovery of guano on Klein Curaçao by John Godden in 1871, sparked a "guano mania" across the Antillean islands, including Curaçao (Santa Barbara). In 1874, J. H. Waters Gravenhorst is credited with the discovery of guano in Aruba, although an earlier interest was shown by an American named S.R. Kimball in 1859.2

Timeline

  1. Jun 2, 1915Dissolved Dissolved1
  2. Dec 18, 1879Founded Founded1

Sources

The numbers on this page point here. Each one links to the record it came from.

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