'Utuado' is a
municipality of
Puerto Rico located in the central/western mountainous region of the island known as ''
La Cordillera Central''. It is located north of
Adjuntas and
Ponce; south of
Hatillo and
Arecibo; east of
Lares; and west of
Ciales and
Jayuya. In land area it is the third largest municipality in Puerto Rico (after
Arecibo and
Ponce). According to the 2000 US Census the city has a population of 35,336 spread over 24 wards and Utuado Pueblo (the downtown area and the administrative center of the city). The name Utuado derives from the
Taíno word “otoao", meaning "between mountains."
History
Utuado was founded
October 12,
1739 by Sebastian de Morfi, on behalf of 60 families from
Arecibo. It was the first town established in the interior mountainous region of the island known as ''La Cordillera Central'' and the 11th oldest established municipality in Puerto Rico, following:
San Juan,
San German,
Coamo,
Arecibo,
Aguada,
Loiza,
Ponce,
Añasco,
Guayama and
Manati.
Columbus's arrival
At the time of the discovery of the island on
November 19,
1493 by
Christopher Columbus, Puerto Rico was inhabited by the Taíno Indians. The Taínos were a culturally developed society with a universal language, a developed agricultural system, and a social organization based on Caciques or Chieftains. The Utuado area was ruled over by Cacique Guarionex and in barrio Caguana they built an impressive series of courts or bateyes, 'The Caguana Indian Ceremonial park' or
Centro Ceremonial Indígena de Caguana, that is considered the best example of Taino engineering in the
West Indies.
Utuado's early history: XVI - XVIII
In his epic work 'El Dorado Borincano, La economia de la conquista 1510-1550', Jalil Sued Badillo gives a detailed account of the economic state of Puerto Rico during the first decades after the discovery and mentions the importance of the Otoao region. From 1510 through 1513 the island witnessed a Taino Indian rebellion as a result of harsh and inhumane treatment by the Spanish settlers. During the process of pacification many Spaniards settled in the area now occupied by the municipality of Utuado and set up farms (Haciendas), initially on behalf of the Spanish government (Hacienda Real), to provide food to the Indian slaves working the gold mines and the Spanish colonists in the area. One of the first settlers in the Otoao region in 1512 was Antonio Sedeño, the island’s bookkeeper. His farm’s main crop was yucca. His farm was sold in 1519 to Blas de Villasante, the island’s treasurer, for 525 gold pesos.
Utuado in 1896 during the coffee golden era
Areas in the Utuado region that were exploited for gold include Salto Arriba, initially, then later in the 1530s Caguana and Don Alonso. In the 1530s, landowners in the Don Alonso area petitioned the crown permission to establish a town in the area but it was never granted.
Once the gold mining era ends toward the end of the 1500s, very little is known about the Utuado region until the early 1700s. According to the Puerto Rican historian Fernando Picó, the few documents that exist indicate the area was mostly unpopulated and densely forested. On the other hand, he states the fact that Utuado is the municipality with the most caves, that most likely served as dwellings for Indians or runaway slaves.
The agreement to establish the town of Utuado by the 60 families of Arecibo states they purchased the "Hato de Otoao" for 569
pesos and 5 reales from owners Manuel Natal and Felipa Román. It also states their desire to choose where on the land the Town Center would be located, which indicates the area was not populated yet.
During his visit to the island in 1771,
Fray Iñigo Abbad y Lasierra states the principal economic activity in the Utuado region was
cattle raising,
horses and
mules. He mentions a small amount of agricultural activity existed but the population only produced enough
tobacco and
coffee for their own consumption.
During the late 1700s and early 1800s Utuado's population continued to grow as coffee gained in importance and growers saw the need for high altitudes and mountainous terrain to produce the best coffee beans. People not only migrated from the Puerto Rican coastal towns but also from the
Canary Islands and the
Balearic Islands of Majorca and Minorca, all seeking the riches that coffee had to offer.
Utuado Street Scene 1899
The golden era of coffee - "black gold"
During the late 1800’s Utuado experienced an explosive economic growth centered around the cultivation of coffee, also known at the time as “oro negro” or “black gold.” By the 1890s Utuado was the largest producer of coffee in Puerto Rico and the second municipality (after Ponce) with the largest population. It produced a rich social lifestyle for many of its citizens and a
casino and
theatre were established in the town. The progress of the town was so evident that the regent
Queen of Spain, Maria Cristina, honored the town with the title of ''Ciudad'' (City) on
August 20,
1894.
[1] In 1896 or 1897 Utuado was the first city in Puerto Rico with a public electric lighting system powered by a
hydraulic turbine power plant,
[2] [3] and in that same year mayor Juan Casellas was planning a
train system to unite Utuado with Arecibo. By 1899 this golden era came to a screeching halt due to two very important events that had a lasting negative effect on the city’s
economy. The first event was the
United States occupation of the island in 1898, which made
sugar the new crop of importance instead of coffee. Utuado’s mountainous landscape was not ideal for growing sugarcane making it impossible for it to compete in the sugar industry on a significant level. The second event and the one to have the most profound impact was
Hurricane San Ciriaco in 1899, which literally wiped out the coffee haciendas.
Utuado visited by a President
In 1906 Utuado had the honor of being visited by President
Theodore Roosevelt, who recommended building a bridge in the area known as "La Playita."
Demographics
'Barrios' (Districts/Wards)
★ Ángeles
★ Arenas
★ Caguana
★ Cayuco
★ Caonillas Abajo
★ Caonillas Arriba
★ Consejo
★ Don Alonso
|
★ Guaonico
★ Las Palmas
★ Limón
★ Mameyes Abajo
★ Paso Palma
★ Río Abajo
★ Roncador
★ Sabana Grande
|
★ Salto Abajo
★ Salto Arriba
★ Santa Isabel
★ Santa Rosa
★ Tetuán
★ Viví Abajo
★ Viví Arriba
|
Geography and topography
★ '
Rio Abajo State Forest' - between Arecibo and Utuado
Anthem
By Amilcar Rivera Díaz
Valle bendito el de mi Otoao,
mundo de verde, de azul y sol,
tierra del pitirre y del guaraguao,
cáliz y altar de mi amor.
Es de mi patria su corazón.
Es fiel guardián de su tradición.
Es el perenne y firme bastión
del alma de mi país.
Utuado, amado Utuado,
¿Como no has de estar en mí
si creció mi alma en tus campos
y mis sueños acunó el Viví?
Si algún día de ti me alejo
o si calla al fin mi voz
dejo como eterna ofrenda a ti
hecho canción mi amor.
Economic
Agriculture
Utuado has regained some of its
coffee producing power and was the 3rd largest coffee producer in Puerto Rico in the 2002
USDA Agricultural Census. It also produces
oranges (ranked 4th),
plantains (ranked 6th) and
bananas (ranked 9th). It has also been successful with livestock inventory ranking 3rd with hives of
bees and 13th with
pigs. Industrially, Utuado counts with a few companies that produce
textiles,
paper and
stone.
Business
Utuado today is equipped with a modern and competitive
telecommunications infrastructure. Major cell phone companies including
Claro,
Centennial and
Sprint offer
mobile coverage, and Liberty Cablevision and
DirecTV offer
cable and
satellite television service, respectively, with Spanish and English channels (
ABC,
CBS,
NBC,
FOX,
CNN, and many others) as well as high-speed
internet service. Most of the public areas in the University of Puerto Rico Utuado campus are set up with
Wi-Fi wireless internet access.
Landmarks and places of interest
★ Cascada El Saltillo
★
Lago Dos Bocas
★ Galería Ivanet
★ Hacienda Roses
★ Monumento a los Soldados Utuadeños
★ Represa Dos Bocas
★ Taller Hacienda Taína
★
Centro Ceremonial Indígena de Caguana
Iglesia San Miguel Arcangel - Established 1746
With narrow streets leading up to a central plaza surrounded by a
church and Governors House, 'Utuado Pueblo' is a perfect example of a town built during the Spanish
Colonial era of Puerto Rico. The Iglesia San Miguel Arcangel, the local Catholic parrish, was founded in 1746. The current double-steepled church was built between 1872 and 1878 and is listed in the
National Register of Historic Places, along with the Caguana Ceremonial Park and the Blanco Bridge or "Puente Blanco" located in barrio Arenas joining Utuado with Adjuntas. Other buildings in Utuado Pueblo that retain their colonial arquitectural features include The Center for Art, Culture and Turism in the old Tobacco Coop building, the old hospital "Hospital Catalina Figueras and Teatro San Miguel, among others (for pictures of these and other buildings see photo gallery below).
The Rio Abajo Forest Reserve (''Bosque Estatal Rio Abajo'') is a 5,780 acre
forest reserve shared with Arecibo and home to 223 plants and wildlife species including: native
silk-cotton trees, Asian
teaks, Dominican and Honduran
mahogany and Australian
pines. It is also home to a captive population of the critically endangered
Puerto Rican Amazon.
Lago Caonillas in Barrio Don Alonso
East of the Rio Abajo Forest Reserve is
Lago Dos Bocas, one of several man made lakes in Utuado. From El Embarcadero, near routes 123 and 146, boats take guests around the water to one of the many restaurants for lakeside dining.
''Lago Caonillas'' in the western region of Utuado is another man made lake. This reservoir encompasses over 50 square miles and was constructed in 1948 by the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority. People seeking a great mountain getaway with breath-taking views of the lake can stay in the several hotels in the area including Casa Grande Mountain Retreat and Hostal Villas del Lago.
Festivals and events
Barrio Angeles Fiesta - April
The Agricultural Technology department of the
University of Puerto Rico at Utuado hosts an annual festival, ''Festival Tierra Adentro'', featuring arts and crafts by local artisans, music, food and plant and animal exhibitions. This festival is held in early April.
Guarionex Fiestas - April
'Feria Artesanal de Angeles'' is an annual arts & crafts fair held in early May in barrio Angeles featuring local artisans, music and food.
Cross Rosary - May
''Festival Cultural del Otoao'' is an annual event held in the beginning of December celebrating Utuado's Taino heritage. It features arts & crafts, concerts, food and dance and takes place in the central plaza "'Plaza del Recreo'" in Utuado Pueblo.
The annual Patron Saint Festival is held towards the end of September to early October. The town's patron saint,
San Miguel Arcangel, is honored with processions, music, and in 2005 featured amateur
boxing matches,
softball and
domino games. It is held in Utuado Pueblo's central plaza, "Plaza de Recreo."
Transportation
With the recent completion of the
highway 10, Utuado has become one of the easiest towns in the interior mountainous region to reach from the
San Juan metropolitan area, what used to be a 3-hour trip has been reduced to 1 hour and 30 minutes (to reach Utuado Pueblo).
Education
There are currently 20
schools under the Department of Education system, two college level institutions,
University of Puerto Rico at Utuado and
Universidad del Este (UNE), a hospital and two radio stations (WERR 104.1 FM, WUPR 1530 AM).
Sports
On September 1, 2007 Utuado’s baseball team '''Los Montañeses''' (The Mountaineers) won their third Double A League National championship against '''Los Bravos''' (The Braves) of Cidra. Their first victory was in 1941 in the then Federación Deportiva del Norte (Sports Federation of the North). In 1970 they won the first championship under the new '''Federación de Béisbol Aficionado de Puerto Rico''' (Federation of Baseball Enthusiast of Puerto Rico).
[4]
Notable "Utuadeños"
★ María Libertad Gómez (1898-1961). Educator and Politician, founding member of the
Democratic Popular Party (PPD, Partido Popular Democratico) and was a member of the
House of Representatives of Puerto Rico. Founded the first Tobacco Cooperative on the Island. In 1952 the
Constitution of Puerto Rico was adopted, creating the Commonwealth of
Puerto Rico. She was a member of the
Constituent Convention of Puerto Rico.
★ Dolores Rivera Candelaria - Mayor from 1945 to 1952. Member of the
Constituent Convention of Puerto Rico.
★ Isaac González Martínez (1871-1954) -
doctor who pioneered the fight against
cancer in Puerto Rico.
★ Ramón Juliá Marín (1878-1917) - Poet and Novelist. Among his most celebrated works are Tierra Adentro and La Gleba.
★ Jesús María Lago (1873-1927) - Poet and Painter. Some of his better known works include the poems La Flota de los Sueños, La Princesa Ita-Lu, Marina and Ojos Negros.
★ Jorge "Peco" Gonzalez (born c. 1953) is a famous Puerto Rican
marathon runner. He has won many races and competed in many international events, such as the
Central American and Caribbean Games and the
Olympic Games.
★ Norma Burgos Andújar- Senator, Former Secretary of State
★ Normando Valentín- TV Journalist
★ Nuria Sebazco- TV Journalist
★ Rafael Rivera Aquino- Representative 2004-2008
★ Dr. Iván González Cancel- Cardiologist
References
Books
★ El Porvenir de Utuado: estudio historico, descriptivo y estadistico, by Ramón Morel Campos, published by El Vapor: Ponce in 1896.
★ Libertad y Servidumbre en el Puerto Rico del siglo XIX: (los jornaleros utuadeños en vísperas del auge del café), by Fernando Picó, published by Ediciones Huracan in 1979.
★ Los Gallos Peleados, by Fernando Picó, published by Ediciones Huracan in 1983.
★ Amargo Café: los pequeños caficultores de Utuado en la segunda mitad del siglo XIX, by Fernando Picó, published by Ediciones Huracan in 1981.
★ El Dorado Borincano: La economia de la conquista 1510 - 1550, Jalil Sued Badillo, published by Ediciones Puerto Rico in 2001.
★ Historia Geografica, Civil y Natural de la isla de San Juan Bautista de Puerto Rico, Fray Iñigo Abbad y Lasierra, originally published in 1788, later published in 1866 with anotations by Jose Julian Acosta y Calbo,
Notes
1. Archivo General de Indias, Reference Code: Ultramar 5147, EXP. 13, Document accessed and viewed at Archivos Españoles en red: www.http://aer.mcu.es/sgae/
2. Autoridad de Energia Electrica de Puerto Rico (AEEPR) http://www.aeepr.com/historia.asp
3. Book: Utuado: Notas Para su Historia, Dr. Pedro H. Hernandez Paralitici, San Juan, 1983, Page 43
4. http://www.beisboldoblea.com/noticias/2007/20070903a.cfm, viewed September 4, 20067
Photo gallery
External links
★
Utuado and its barrios, United States Census Bureau
★
Link to Puerto Rico Utuado
★
Utuado on Google Maps
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