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61-486: The average annual temperature is of 80˚F (26.9˚C). Precipitation varies from 1,000 to 2,000 mm of average annual rain; it is rainiest during the wet season, from May to September. The swamp is located north of the Northern Karst zone of Puerto Rico and lies above a wide limestone area. Most of the terrain in the area consists of swamp deposits made of clay and silt with smaller quantities of sand and peat . Most of

122-533: A Strategic Air Command very long-range reconnaissance unit at Ramey AFB, Puerto Rico, but not operational until October 1952. Redesignated as 72d Strategic Reconnaissance Wing and received 3 (60th, 73rd and 301st) squadrons of RB-36D/E/F/H Peacemaker bombers. Also, the 915th Air Rescue Squadron. Conducted global strategic reconnaissance 1953–1955, gradually shifting to a bombardment training mission beginning in 1954, being upgraded to B-36J and B-36J(III) Featherweights by 1955. Redesignated 72d Bombardment Wing in 1958. With

183-1068: A certain amount of social exclusion . A map shows these communities occur in nearly every municipality of the commonwealth. Of the 742 places that were on the list in 2014, the following barrios, communities, sectors, or neighborhoods were in Aguadilla: El Palmar, Cerro Calero, Cerro Visbal, Cuesta Vieja, La Vía , and Poblado San Antonio . The city is currently home to a variety of industrial and pharmaceutical plants such sa LifeScan , Symmetricom, Honeywell , and Hewlett Packard Enterprise . Most of them are located at San Antonio Technological Park. The airport has Lufthansa Technik , while others like Suiza Dairy, Lockheed Martin and Productos La Aguadillana are located in Camaseyes Industrial Park. Other industries that are based in Aguadilla are rubber, plastics, leather, textiles, steel, wood, machinery, and food processing. The retail sector

244-511: A characteristic feature of northern Puerto Rico and they can be seen along the north coast from Aguadilla and Rincón in the west to Canóvanas in the east. The highest mogote in the Northern Karst is Cerro El Sombrero in Isabela, Puerto Rico at 1,069 feet (326 m) of elevation. Some renown mogote areas are the town of Florida , located on an alluvial valley completely surrounded by them, and

305-440: A decline of over 5,000 residents. As a whole, Puerto Rico is populated mainly by people from Creole or Spanish and European descent. Statistics taken from the 2000 census shows that 83.6% of Aguadillanos identify as having Spanish or white origin, 5.0% are black , 0.2% are Amerindian , 0.2% Asian , 0.1% Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander , 8.2% were some other race, and 2.8% two or more races. In March 2012, unemployment

366-529: A ditch where it exploded and one of the freight cars crashed into one of the passenger cars, killing many inside and injuring several. Witnesses described the scene as horrendous, with some accounts stating that parents were throwing their children out the windows to save them from the wreckage. Chief of Police Guillermo Arroyo stated that the locomotive (No. 72), the express car, and three second class passenger cars were completely destroyed. Oscar Valle, an Aguadilla correspondent to El Mundo newspaper, summarized

427-485: A future ECHL Minor League Hockey franchise for the city. The 1887 census conducted by Spain showed Aguadilla had a population of 16,140. According to the US 2010 Census, there were 60,949 people in the city. This represents a decrease of more than 3,000 from the 2000 Census. The population density was 1,668.5 inhabitants per square mile (644.2/km ). The 2020 Census indicated the municipality has 55,101 residents representing

488-640: A hindrance to the town economy, beginning with a large scale fire that destroyed most of the houses and had lasting repercussions. In 1825, hurricane Santa Ana struck Puerto Rico, destroying most of Aguadilla’s orange farms. In 1831, according to Don Pedro Tomás de Córdova, the area or "party" of Aguadilla belonged to Aguada. At this time, the territorial organization of Aguadilla was as follows: Pueblo Norte (North Town), Pueblo Sur (South Town), Ceiba Alta, Ceiba Baja, Montaña, Malezas, Aguacate, Dos Palmas, Camaseyes, Plainela, Borinquen, Arenales, Higüey, Corrales, Victoria, and Mangual. Don Pedro Tomás de Córdova mentions

549-583: A result of expansions to Ramey. In the process, Roberto Román Acevedo designed a town flag and emblem for the ostensible project. Aguadilla hosted these facilities for almost five decades. During this period, Aguadilla was home to the Strategic Air Command , equipped with RB-36s and 72d Bombardment Wing, Heavy equipped with B-52s , an important strategic facility during the Cold War . Activated in June 1952 as

610-545: A visual inspection, but emphasized that it had the sole jurisdiction to decide the final outcome. A historical report was commissioned to Adolfo de Hostos , the Puerto Rico Government’s Historian. The matter was contentious enough that it attracted parties from other places, such as a physician from Rio Piedras named Carlos González, who supported Aguada’s claim. The Board ruled that Parque Colón belonged to Aguada, with mayor Alfredo González Pérez appealing

671-419: Is a limestone karst landscape located in the northwestern region of Puerto Rico . A karst is a topographical zone formed by the dissolution of soluble porous rocks, such as limestone , with features such as mogotes , canyons , caves , sinkholes , streams and rivers , all of which are common on this region of the island. Some of the island's main rivers, including its longest ( La Plata River ), traverse

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732-727: Is a religious and cultural celebration that generally features parades, games, artisans, amusement rides, regional food, and live entertainment. Other festivals and events celebrated in Aguadilla include: Aguadilla is home to several professional and amateur sports teams. The most notable are the Aguadilla Divas of the Female Superior Volleyball League , and the Aguadilla Sharks of the Superior Baseball League (Double-A). The Divas play their home games in

793-442: Is another source of economy in Aguadilla. Shopping malls like Aguadilla Mall, Aguadilla Shopping Center, Aguadilla Town Center, and others are some of the main commercial and retail centers of the city. In 2018, Suiza Dairy , a milk brand, opened a plant in Aguadilla at the cost of $ 40,000,000 United States dollars . The plant is expected to earn $ 160,000,000 US dollars in the period form 2018 to 2038. In 2019, Aguadilla received

854-600: Is managed jointly by the Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources (DRNA) and the Puerto Rico Department of Agriculture . The flora found in the swamp is typical of that found in wetlands and most species are hydrophytes, which are aquatic or semiaquatic plants that require flooded conditions to survive. Some of the most common plants in the swamp are the southern cattail ( Typha dominguensis ), aquatic ferns such as mangrove fern ( Acrosticum aureum ), Paspalum , and mangrove . The area around

915-715: Is now the Courtyard by Marriott Punta Borinquen Resort & Casino, a 150-room hotel with a casino and the first Marriott in Puerto Rico outside of the San Juan Metropolitan Area. The area which formerly housed Ramey also hosts the University of Puerto Rico at Aguadilla and the Friedrich Froebel Bilingual School (K-9). The high school became Ramey Job Corps Campus and the elementary school became

976-469: The Arecibo and Manatí rivers. Runoff flows from these rivers are integral in the formation of this wetland. The karst zone is important for the sustainability of the wetlands since it is favorable for the flow of rivers which feed the marshy areas along the northern coast of Puerto Rico. The nature reserve was established in 1998 with the purpose of preserving the ecological integrity of the swamp. The reserve

1037-781: The Arecibo Telescope which was built into a natural sinkhole surrounded by mogotes in Arecibo . The San Patricio State Forest is partially located on the Mogote de San Patricio in San Juan and mogotes can also be seen at the Julio Enrique Monagas Park in Bayamon . The Arecibo River flows through a wide alluvial canyon called the Arecibo Valley (Spanish: Valle de Arecibo ). Highway PR-10 runs from north to south parallelly to

1098-721: The Atlantic "), Pueblo de los Tiburones (" Shark Town") and La Villa del Ojo de Agua ("Villa of the Water Spring ") after the natural water spring that was used by early settlers and Spanish soldiers as a water source which is now located in El Parterre Square in Aguadilla Pueblo . According to sources, a Taíno settlement called Aymamón was located close to the Culebrinas River . The present territory of Aguadilla

1159-637: The Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, north of Aguada , and Moca and west of Isabela . Aguadilla is spread over 15 barrios and Aguadilla Pueblo (the downtown area and the administrative center of the city). It is a principal city and core of the Aguadilla-Isabela-San Sebastián Metropolitan Statistical Area . This region was already inhabited and known as Aguadilla before 1770. Nevertheless, according to Dr. Agustín Stahl in his Foundation of Aguadilla , it

1220-490: The Caribbean flamingo ( Phoenicopterus ruber ) and flamingo sightings can be considered as a good sign of the ecological revitalization and recovery of the area. The recreational infrastructure in the wetlands are limited but there are opportunities for ecotourism (kayak tours are offered), birdwatching and fishing. Northern Karst (Puerto Rico) The Northern Karst Belt ( Spanish : Cinturón del Carso Norteño )

1281-518: The Federal Aviation Administration for flights in and around Puerto Rico were damaged by Hurricane Maria , and it took nearly two weeks to fix them. One of the radar systems is located in Aguadilla. In recent years, the town has gathered some international celebrity due to the release of a Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP) footage captured by a Customs and Patrol aircraft near Rafael Hernández Airport on April 26, 2013, after

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1342-702: The Luis T. Díaz Coliseum in Downtown Aguadilla from January to March, while the Sharks play their home games at Luis A. Canena Márquez Stadium from February to May. Aguadilla also had a professional basketball team called the Aguadilla Sharks, that played for the BSN league. This team was merged into the Cangrejeros de Santurce in 1998. Aguadilla is also a place where many famous baseball players originate from. There are plans for

1403-485: The Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources , Aguadilla has the most beaches on the island, with nineteen in total. Some of the beaches are considered among the best for surfing , like Surfer's Beach, Gas Chambers , Crash Boat , Wilderness, among others. Because of this, Aguadilla has served as host to surfing competitions, like the ISA World Championship in 1988. Other attractions of

1464-668: The Puerto Rico Police Department and the Puerto Rico National Guard . There is also a post office, the Centro de Servicios al Conductor (DMV), a bakery, and a Banco Popular de Puerto Rico location. Hurricane Maria struck Puerto Rico on September 20, 2017, causing large-scale damage and destruction to infrastructure. In Aguadilla 10 inches of rain were recorded and its more than 54,000 residents were left with no electrical power. The four radar systems used by

1525-593: The Voy Turistiendo ("I'm Touring") campaign in 2021. The campaign featured a passport book with a page for each municipality. The Voy Turisteando Aguadilla passport page lists Crash Boat Beach, Survival Beach, Rompeolas Beach, and Peña Blanca Beach as places of interest for locals. There are 32 beaches in Aguadilla. Some of the more well-known beaches include: Aguadilla celebrates its patron saint festival in October. The Fiestas Patronales de San Carlos Borromeo

1586-462: The cave system of the same name in the south. The canyon also constitutes the border between the municipalities of Camuy and Hatillo . Other caves in the area are Cueva Espiral and Cueva Catedral . The Tres Pueblos sinkhole is also located nearby. The Guajataca River flows into the Atlantic passing through a canyon called the Guajataca Valley (Spanish: Valle de Guajataca ), between

1647-623: The City Livability Award from the United States Conference of Mayors and honored the efforts spearheaded by Carlos Méndez Martínez. Specifically mentioned was "Pintalto", a project where Cerro Cabrero area, in the downtown area of Aguadilla was painted in rich, lively colors. Aguadilla is part of the Porta del Sol touristic region in Puerto Rico. The Porta del Sol website highlights Aguadilla's beaches for surfing . According to

1708-612: The Esther Feliciano Mendoza Middle School. Centro de Adiestramiento y Bellas Artes (CABA) since 1979 has been the only public school of arts in Puerto Rico (7–12). Ramey is also the site of the Ramey Skating Park and a new mariposario (butterfly farm) and the Ramey Shopping Center. By 1980, the population of Agadilla had risen to more than 54,600 residents, most of which lived in the urban areas of

1769-456: The air traffic tower reported sighting a pinkish glowing orb flying near the facility. The 5-minute long thermal sequence was captured with a FLIR camera and released by the agency in September 2023, one of several acknowledged by the government as filmed by an official source since 2018, becoming colloquially known as “The Aguadilla UFO Incident”. Initially sent to Homeland Security for analysis,

1830-589: The canyon and it provides access to Cueva Ventana , a cave located on one of its cliffs. Many important tributaries of the Arecibo River, such as the Tanamá and Caonillas Rivers , flow into the canyon. Dos Bocas Lake is a reservoir located in the southern edge of the valley. The Río Abajo State Forest is located nearby. The Camuy Canyon (Spanish: Cañón del Río Camuy ) is formed by the Camuy River , which flows from

1891-436: The decision. Ultimately, Aguadilla prevailed and the contentious area remained in its jurisdiction. In September 1939, some 3,796 acres (15.4 km ) covered by sugar cane, was expropriated for the military at the cost of $ 1,215,000, in order to build an air base that came to be known as Ramey Air Force Base . San Antonio’s ambitions to become a separate town were unfruitful, and the community suffered three expropriations as

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1952-720: The film was then remitted to the Air Force before ultimately being released to civilian groups interested in the topic. The Scientific Coalition for Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (SCU) has called it the "most compelling" footage of the anomalous aerial activity. Since then, the footage has been replayed in several shows covering fringe topics, mostly aired in network television such as the History Channel , National Geographic and Discovery Channel . Debate remains ongoing, with Chinese lanterns, drones, birds and balloons being proposed as potential explanations by skeptics. In September 2024,

2013-592: The head of the third department that included the municipalities of Aguada, Isabela , Lares , Moca , Rincón , and San Sebastián . A municipal cemetery was inaugurated in 1804, but it’s space was limited an by 1873. In 1878, according to Don Manuel Ebeda y Delgado, the territorial organization of Aguadilla had varied a little. At this time Plainela, Higüey, and Mangual barrios are not mentioned. The Dos Palmas barrio appears as Palmar. Also at this time, three new barrios are mentioned: Guerrero, Caimital Alto, and Caimital Bajo. In 1893, hurricane San Roque brought devastation to

2074-416: The highest biodiversity in the island with 1,300 species of plants and animals, including 30 federally listed threatened and endangered species. Aguadilla, Puerto Rico Aguadilla ( Spanish pronunciation: [aɣwaˈðiʝa] , locally [awaˈðiʝa] ), founded in 1775 by Luis de Córdova, is a city and municipality located in the northwestern tip of Puerto Rico , bordered by

2135-503: The island general elections to be held that same day. It stopped at the Jiménez Station in Aguadilla for a routine engineer and boilerman exchange with Train No. 4 which was heading to San Juan. The engineer assigned to Train No. 3's ride from Jiménez Station to Ponce was José Antonio Román, an experienced freight train engineer who had never worked in passenger travel. When the train left

2196-532: The karst and form some of the most distinctive Puerto Rican geographical features such as the Camuy caverns . Many of these rivers feed into and are important in the formation of many marshy areas such as the Caño Tiburones wetlands. A mogote (English: /məˈɡoʊti/, Spanish: /moˈgote/) is an isolated hill with steep, almost vertical, walls that are completely or partially surrounded by alluvial plains. These hills are

2257-461: The map of the city and its barrios, and following instructions of city authorities, Higüey and parts of Caimital Alto barrios are annexed to Downtown Aguadilla . During that decade, there had been a territorial dispute with Aguada, when that municipality claimed that the area belonging to Parque Colón was on their side of the Culebrinas river. The matter became contentious when a diversion was made of

2318-759: The military infrastructure still exists, the airport was handed over to the Government of Puerto Rico in 1973. The aerial facilities are now controlled by the Puerto Rico Ports Authority and comprise the Rafael Hernández International Airport . The barracks now host the Faro Inn Suites, a 79-room hotel. The Officer's Club now hosts the Faro Conference Center, a 22,000-square-foot (2,000 m ) meeting facility. The hospital

2379-486: The municipal government filled a lawsuit against private consortium LUMA Energy , citing collective losses related to the corporation’s mismanagement of the energy distribution system. Aguadilla is located in the northwest coast of the island of Puerto Rico , in the Western Coastal Plains. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean in the north, the municipalities of Isabela on the east, and Moca and Aguada in

2440-470: The municipalities of Isabela and Quebradillas . The Guajataca State Forest is located along the western edge of the valley. The karst region of Puerto Rico holds the most extensive forest canopy cover on the island due to its rugged topography; the Northern Karst is considered of high potential for recovery of endangered species , including the Puerto Rican parrot ( Amazona vittata ). This area has

2501-406: The municipality emphasized industry, with a facility that fabricated aviation parts being established at the base’s hangars in 1979. Five years earlier, an agreement to establish a DeLorean Motor Company plant at Calero was publicly announced, but the facility was ultimately built at Northern Ireland. The municipality’s main tourist site, Hotel Montemar was reworked into Parador Montemar. Though

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2562-603: The municipality. There is still an active part of the base that hosts the Coast Guard Borinquen Air Station. There are also other government agencies based at Ramey, including the United States Department of Homeland Security , U.S. Customs & Border Protection's Office of Air and Marine and Office of Border Patrol , the Fuerzas Unidas de Rápida Acción (United Forces for Rapid Action) of

2623-484: The original route in 1931, with Aguada mayor Julio César Román basing its complain on Law 60-1945, preparing a memorial with historical maps and other documents supporting its position that the old geographic divisions remained, which was presented before the board on September 20, 1946. The municipality alleged that taxes had been payed over these terrains, which Aguadilla refuted by claiming that adequate corrections had taken place. The agency called for public hearings and

2684-461: The phaseout of the B-36s in 1958, received B-52G Stratofortress intercontinental strategic bombers. The town’s urban center was reformatted, with a new plaza named after Federico Degetau y González being inaugurated on September 30, 1955. In 1971, Aguadilla lost its spot as Senatorial District Head following an electoral reform that included it in the new Mayagüez-Aguadilla District. During that decade,

2745-417: The process for decades. The first advances came in the form of a small chapel being built in 1770. Two years later, the community hosted influential Spanish politicians Luis de Córdova and Miguel de Muesas. Their host, Bernardo Sosa, and several neighbors requested them to lobby in favor of their request before peninsular authorities. In 1775, the foundation of Aguadilla was approved by Córdova, with Sosa as

2806-419: The reserve is considered important for wildlife, including migratory species. The area is also an important nesting area for numerous fish species. The wetlands are home to 206 bird species, more than 25 insect species, 6 reptile species, 9 crustacean species and more than 20 species of fish. The Puerto Rican boa ( Epicrates inornatus ) can also be found in the region. The swamp was formerly an important site for

2867-480: The road of Aguadilla formed by Punta Borinquen and San Francisco, as the "anchorage of the ships that travel from Europe to Havana and Mexico ". He adds that its "port is the most frequented in the Island due to the proportions that it offers to refresh all class of ship." San Antonio community was established in the mid-19th century. It was populated by 60 families. Originally the place where these families were located

2928-509: The scene with: "The locomotive suffered a terrible explosion as it derailed, and the impact was so strong that 3 passenger cars were converted into a fantastic mound of wreckage". In the end, 16 passengers lost their lives, including the engineer and the boilerman, and 50 were injured in the crash. The territorial organization of Aguadilla did not change, until 1948, when the Puerto Rico Planning, Urbanization, and Zoning Board prepared

2989-429: The soil is hydric and organic with high acidity and poor drainage which sustains the swampy terrain. The factors that contribute to the flooding characteristics of the wetlands are the number of fresh water springs located in the southern portion of the wetlands, the salt water springs to the north and the number of rivers that flow into the area, some of which are Puerto Rico's longest and most torrential rivers, such as

3050-1113: The south. The area of the municipality is 35.5 square miles. It is mostly plain, with some notable hills being Jiménez (728 feet) and Viñet (689 feet). It has only one river, the Culebrinas , which separates Aguadilla from Aguada. Also, Cedro Creek which separates Aguadilla from Isabela in the north. Like all municipalities of Puerto Rico, Aguadilla is subdivided into barrios ( wards ). The municipal government buildings, central square and large Catholic church are located in barrio Pueblo. Barrios (which are, in contemporary times, roughly comparable to minor civil divisions ) in turn are further subdivided into smaller local populated place areas/units called sectores (which means sectors in English). The types of sectores may vary, from normally sector to urbanización to reparto to barriada to residencial , among others. Comunidades Especiales de Puerto Rico (Special Communities of Puerto Rico) are marginalized communities whose citizens are experiencing

3111-401: The station at 2:00 am, it was carrying 6 passenger cars with hundreds of commuters and two freight cars. At 2:20 a.m. the train started to descend a hill section known as Cuesta Vieja (Old Hill) in Aguadilla at, what some witnesses described as, an exaggerated speed. When the train reached the leveling-off point at the bottom of the hill it derailed . The steam locomotive crashed into

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3172-651: The town are Las Cascadas Water Park and the Aguadilla Ice Skating Arena , which is the only ice skating complex in the Caribbean . There are nine places in Aguadilla listed on the US National Register of Historic Places : Other places of interest in Aguadilla include: To stimulate local tourism during the COVID-19 pandemic in Puerto Rico , the Puerto Rico Tourism Company launched

3233-440: The town of Aguadilla continued to increase constantly mainly due to its excellent port and strategic location in the route of the boats. In 1776, when Santo Domingo became independent for the first time, the loyalists of Spanish descent emigrated to Puerto Rico, mainly to Aguadilla, which caused the population to continue increasing significantly. The early decades of the 19th Century brought with them several incidents that were

3294-497: The town’s first mayor. Following the celebrations, a larger Church began being built. In 1776, Fray Íñigo Abbad y Lasierra in his description of the towns of the island, mentioned it as the "new Town of San Carlos de La Aguadilla ." But it was not until 1780 that the territory was properly segregated, making the founding of the town official. Originally, Aguadilla was constituted by the Victoria and Higüey barrios. The population in

3355-412: The tsunami that followed, directly impacted Aguadilla, killing 40 and damaging or destroying several landmarks including the church and town hall. San Antonio was completely destroyed by the tsunami, due to its proximity to the shore. The residents of the community decided re-localize to a higher area further from shore. Luis R. Esteves and Juan Garcia established the first two theaters in the area. A new

3416-663: The village’s plantation and destroyed some houses. Following the change of sovereignty over the island in 1898, the territorial organization of Aguadilla remained unchanged in comparison to 1878. A series of natural disasters would impact the town. In 1899, hurricane San Ciriaco passed over Puerto Rico, causing widespread destruction everywhere, including Aguadilla. In the Census held that year, downtown Aguadilla appears constituted by Higüey, Iglesia, Nueva, Santa Barbara, and Tamarindo barrios. Malezas barrio appears subdivided into Maleza Alta and Maleza Baja. The 1918 San Fermín earthquake , and

3477-542: Was a major source of employment. In 1925, the District Hospital was inaugurated, later becoming known as “El Distrito”. After the Pedro J. Zamora Hospital opened in 1976, this facility became a private school. On the early morning hours of November 7, 1944, Puerto Rico suffered the worst railroad accident in its history. Train No. 3 was traveling from San Juan to Ponce carrying passengers to their different hometowns for

3538-407: Was known as Bajura de Vadi , the place later to become known as San Antonio. In January 1841 a Royal Order transferred the judicial party from Aguada to Aguadilla. In 1860, Aguadilla was officially declared a village (“villa leal”) by Queen Isabela II , with all the benefits associated with it. Several years later, when the island was territorially organized into seven departments, Aguadilla became

3599-444: Was not until 1780 that the town was officially founded. The construction of a new church and the proceedings to become an independent village began in 1775. Aguadilla is a shortening of the town's original name San Carlos de La Aguadilla . The name Aguadilla is a diminutive of Aguada , which is the name of the town and municipality located to the south. Some of the municipality's nicknames are: Jardín del Atlántico ("Garden of

3660-489: Was originally part of the territory of Aguada . Movement towards creating a separate municipality began as early as 1736. A resident of Aguada named Pedro de Arce wrote about the matter to the Spanish crown. In this document, widespread enthusiasm among the residents of the Aguadilla barrio in support for the idea is claimed. However, a strong opposition emerged from their neighbors in other areas of Aguada. This conflict stalled

3721-455: Was social club form, known as "Luz del Porvenir" (Light of the Future). A new school system was the pride of the village because it offered them the opportunity to give their children an education without having to go 9 miles (14 km) south downtown. There was also a new bakery and a post office, among other facilities. At this time, the village also began its Patron Festival. The clothing industry

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