104-499: Parque Urbano Dora Colón Clavell (English: Dora Colón Clavell Urban Park ) is a passive park in Ponce, Puerto Rico . The park is named after the mother of ex-governor of Puerto Rico and Ponce native, Rafael Hernández Colón . It opened on 9 December 1995. The park was designed by Ponce architect Juan Dalmau Sambolín. The park is a passive urban family park. It is located in Ponce's Historic District , near several museums and parks, including
208-424: A tropical savanna climate ( Koppen Aw/As ). Ponce has summer highs averaging 92 °F (33 °C) and winter highs, 87 °F (31 °C). It has lows averaging 67 °F (19 °C) in the winter and 74 °F (23 °C) in the summer. It has a record high of 100 °F (38 °C), which occurred on 21 August 2003, and a record low of 51 °F (11 °C) which occurred on 28 February 2004, tying
312-501: A 3-hour trip has been reduced to 1 hour and 30 minutes (to reach the central town). There are 64 bridges in Utuado. Many of Utuados roads and bridges were destroyed by Hurricane Maria in 2017. Utuado sustained approximately $ 36 million in damages to its roads and bridges as a result of the hurricane . Funding to reconstruct a bridge in Arenas barrio, destroyed by Hurricane Maria in 2017,
416-532: A barrio referred to as "el pueblo" . Barrios (which are like minor civil divisions ) and subbarrios, are further subdivided into smaller areas called sectores ( 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
520-679: A bloody event when the Insular Police, a force somewhat resembling the National Guard of the typical U.S. state and which answered to U.S.-appointed governor Blanton Winship , opened fire on unarmed and defenseless members of the Cadets of the Republic and bystanders. When the shooting stopped, nineteen civilians had been killed or mortally wounded. Over two hundred others were badly wounded. Many were shot in their backs while running away, including
624-526: A captive population of the critically endangered Puerto Rican parrot ( Amazona vittata ). Captive parrots are slowly being released into Río Abajo in an attempt to form a second population of parrots on the island. East of the Rio Abajo Forest Reserve is the Dos Bocas Lake and dam, one of several man-made lakes in Utuado. From El Embarcadero , near routes 123 and 146, boats take guests around
728-464: A casino and theatre were established in the town. The progress of the town was so evident that the regent Queen of Spain, María Cristina , honored the town with the title of Ciudad (City) on August 20, 1894. 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 , and in that same year mayor Juan Casellas planned
832-591: A central plaza surrounded by a church and the governor's house, Utuado Pueblo is an example of a town built during the Spanish colonial era of Puerto Rico. The Iglesia San Miguel Arcangel , the local Catholic parish, 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
936-1058: 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 Utuado: Altos de Arena, Sector El Guano in Arenas Abajo, Sector Las Cuevas in Viví Abajo, Sector Mina de Oro in Ángeles Poblado, Sector Jácanas in Caguana, Mameyes, Caniaco, Cayuco, Chorreras, Don Alonso Motor, El Ensanche, El Hoyo in Mameyes, Judea, La Granja, La Playita, Loma Maestre, Lomas Colón (Colón neighborhood), Los Pinos, Matadero Viejo, Nuevo Londres, Sector (Calle) San Antonio, Sector Cuba, Sector (Calle) Borinquén, Tetuán III , and Calle Progreso in barrio-pueblo . With narrow streets leading up to
1040-509: A developed agricultural system, and a social organization based on caciques or chieftains . The Utuado area was ruled over by cacique Guarionex. In Caguana , the Taínos built a series of courts or bateyes , Caguana Ceremonial Ball Courts Site , the most extensive example of Taino engineering in the West Indies . The site is designated a US National Historic Landmark. From 1510 through 1513,
1144-450: A great number of exquisite residences that reflected the high standing of its bourgeoisie. On July 27, American troops, aboard the Cincinnati , Dixie , Wasp , and Gloucester , disembarked at Playa de Ponce. General Nelson Miles arrived the next day with reinforcements from Guánica and took possession of the city. There were some minor skirmishes in the city, but no major battle
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#17330930967231248-536: A hub of political activity on the island, and is the founding site of several major political parties. It has also been the birthplace of several important political figures of the island, including Luis A. Ferré and Rafael Hernández Colón , both former governors of Puerto Rico , as well as the childhood town of governor Roberto Sanchez Vilella . Statistics taken from the 2010 census show that 82.0% of Ponceños are white and 9.0% are African-American , with Taínos , Asians , people of mixed race and others making up
1352-425: A major downturn. Sugar cane had until 1976 been grown and refined at Ponce's Central Mercedita , but in that year agricultural production of sugar cane was halted in the lands of the municipality of Ponce and adjacent towns. Also, the headquarters of Banco de Ponce and Banco Crédito y Ahorro Ponceño were moved to San Juan. Unemployment of Ponce jumped to 25% as a result of these changes. On October 7, 1985, Ponce
1456-632: A mixture of Art Nouveau and neoclassic styles to give the city a unique look. This can be seen in the various structures located in the center of the city like the Teatro La Perla . To showcase its rich architectural heritage, the city has opened the Museum of Puerto Rican Architecture at the Wiechers-Villaronga residence. Many of the city's features (from house façades to chamfered street corners) are modeled on Barcelona 's architecture, given
1560-582: A mob. They harshly criticized Winship's actions as governor and said he had numerous abuses of civil rights. The event has since been known as the Ponce massacre . It was the largest massacre in Puerto Rican history. As a result of this report and other charges against Winship, he was dismissed from his position in 1937 and replaced as governor. The history of this event can be viewed at the Ponce Massacre Museum on Marina Street. An open-air park in
1664-522: A new community built on stable ground. In 2005, the National Science and Technology Council's Subcommittee on Disaster Reduction of the United States reported that the Mameyes landslide held the record for having inflicted "the greatest loss of life by a single landslide" up to that year. The municipality of Ponce became the first in Puerto Rico to obtain its autonomy on October 27, 1992, under
1768-487: A new law ( The Autonomous Municipalities Act of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ) enacted by the Puerto Rican legislature. Ponce's mayor for 15 years, Rafael Cordero Santiago ("Churumba"), credited for leading the municipal government to that accomplishment, died in office on the morning of January 17, 2004, after suffering three consecutive strokes. Vice-mayor Delis Castillo Rivera de Santiago finished his term. Cordero
1872-472: A seven-year-old girl named Georgina Maldonado who was "killed through the back while running to a nearby church." The US commissioned an independent investigation headed by Arthur Garfield Hays, general counsel of the American Civil Liberties Union , together with prominent citizens of Puerto Rico. The members concluded in their report that the event was a massacre, with the police acting as
1976-419: A surface area of 116.0 square miles (300 km ). The main physiographic features of the municipality of Ponce are: (1) the mountainous interior containing the headwaters of the main river systems, (2) an upper plain, (3) a range of predominantly east-west trending limestone hills, (4) a coastal plain, and (5) a coastal flat. The northern two-thirds of the municipality consists of the mountainous interior, with
2080-431: A train system to connect Utuado with Arecibo. By 1899 this golden era ended due to two events: 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), and Hurricane San Ciriaco in 1899, which destroyed the coffee haciendas . Utuado
2184-507: Is Puerto Rico's fourth highest peak. Nineteen barrios comprise the rural areas of the municipality, and the topology of their lands varies from flatlands to hills to steep mountain slopes. The hilly barrios of the municipality (moving clockwise around the outskirts of the city) are these seven: Quebrada Limón , Marueño , Magueyes , Tibes , Portugués Rural , Machuelo Arriba , and Cerrillos . The barrios of Canas , Coto Laurel , Capitanejo , Sabanetas , Vayas , and Bucaná also surround
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#17330930967232288-434: Is a 5,780-acre (23 km ) forest reserve shared with Arecibo and home to 223 plants and wildlife species including: native ceiba ( Ceiba pentandra ), Asian teaks ( Tectona spp.), West Indian mahogany ( Swietenia mahagoni ), Honduran mahogany ( S. humilis ) and Australian pines ( Casuarina spp.). It is also home to the federally endangered Puerto Rican broad-winged hawk ( Buteo platypterus brunnescens ) as well as
2392-468: Is a religious and cultural celebration to honor the archangel Michael and generally features games, artisans, amusement rides, regional food, and live entertainment. Other festivals and events celebrated in Utuado include: With the recent completion of 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
2496-487: Is administered by a mayor. Jorge "Jorgito" Pérez Heredia ( NPP ) took office as mayor of Utuado on January 16, 2021, succeeding Ernesto Irizarry Salvá ( PDP ) after an 8-year term. Utuado belongs to Representative District 22, which is represented by one Representative. In 2020, Jorge Alfredo Rivera Segarra was elected as District Representative. The city belongs to the Puerto Rico Senatorial district V , which
2600-726: Is called the historic district. There is a seismic detector that the University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez Campus, has placed in Barrio Cerrillos. Elevations include Cerro de Punta at 4,390 feet (1,340 m), the highest in Puerto Rico, located in Barrio Anón in the territory of the municipality of Ponce. Mount Jayuya, at 4,314 feet (1,315 m) is located on the boundary between Barrio Anón and Barrio Saliente in Jayuya. Cerro Maravilla , at nearly 3,970 feet (1,210 m) above sea level,
2704-596: Is located to the east of Barrio Anón. There are many other mountains at lower elevations in the municipality, such as the Montes Llanos ridge and Mount Diablo, at 2,231 feet (680 m) and Mount Marueño, at 2,100 feet (640 m), and Pinto Peak, among others. Part of the Toro Negro Forest is located in Barrio Anón. Coastal promontories include Cuchara, Peñoncillo, Carnero, and Cabullón points. Fifty-six percent of
2808-494: Is now Ponce belonged to the Taíno Guaynia region, which stretched along the southern coast of Puerto Rico. Agüeybaná , a cacique who led the region, was among those who greeted Spanish conquistador Juan Ponce de León when he came to the island in 1508. Archaeological findings have identified four sites within the municipality of Ponce with archaeological significance: Canas , Tibes , Caracoles , and El Bronce . During
2912-401: Is represented by two Senators. In 2012, Ramón Ruiz and Martín Vargas Morales (both PDP ), were elected as District Senators. In 2020, Marially González ( PDP ) succeeded Vargas Morales for her first term as District Senator, while Ramón Ruiz was elected to his second. The Montañeses de Utuado ( Utuado Mountaineers ) are a semi-professional baseball team based in Utuado that competes in
3016-553: Is the third-largest municipality in land area in Puerto Rico (after Arecibo and Ponce ). According to the 2020 US Census , the municipality has a population of 28,287 spread over 24 barrios and Utuado pueblo (the downtown area and the administrative center of the city). Utuado is the main municipality of the Utuado micropolitan statistical area and is part of the San Juan-Caguas-Fajardo Combined Statistical Area . The name Utuado derives from
3120-509: Is titled " Valle Bendito el de Mi Otoao " ( Blessed Valley of my Otoao ). There are currently 20 schools under the Puerto Rico Department of Education system, 2 private schools and one college level institution; the vast majority of children in Utuado attend public schools. The main primary-level education institutions include María Libertad Gómez, Bernardo González, and Judith A. Vivas, among others located outside Utuado Pueblo. Among
3224-430: Is within these original six core city barrios. These eleven barrios composed what is known as the urban zone of the municipality. The remaining eight barrios ( Magueyes , Tibes , Montes Llanos , Maragüez , Portugués , Machuelo Arriba , Cerrillos , Sabanetas ) are located in the interior of the municipality. These last eight are outside the city limits and are neither coastal nor bordering barrios. A summary of all
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3328-607: The Montañeses won their fourth national championship title against the Brujos de Guayama ( Guayama Warlocks ) in a 7-game final. On May 16, 2019, the Montañeses signed Diamilette Quiles , making her not only the first female to play for the team, but also the first female signed in Béisbol Doble A . Quiles was previously on the roster for the Lobas de Arecibo ( Arecibo Wolves ) in
3432-536: The Autonomous Municipality of Ponce , is located in the southern coastal plain region of the island, south of Adjuntas , Utuado , and Jayuya ; east of Peñuelas ; west of Juana Díaz ; and bordered on the south by the Caribbean Sea . The municipality has 31 barrios , including 19 outside the city's urban area and 12 in the urban area of the city. It is the second largest in Puerto Rico by land area, and it
3536-700: The La Guancha and El Tuque beaches. There is also a beach at Caja de Muertos Island . Lake Cerrillos is located within the limits of the municipality, as will be the future lake resulting from the Portugués Dam . The Cerrillos State Forest is also located in the municipality of Ponce. Coastal geographic features in Ponce include Bahía de Ponce , Caleta de Cabullones (Cabullones Cove), and five cays: Jueyes , Ratones , Cardona , Gatas , and Isla del Frio . Caja de Muertos Island and Morrillito islet are located at
3640-517: The Museo de la Historia de Ponce , which opened in the city in 1992. It depicts the history of the city from its early settlement days until the end of the 20th century. On September 20, 2017 Hurricane Maria struck the island of Puerto Rico. In Ponce, $ 1,000 million in damages were the initial estimates. An estimated 3,500 homes were completely or partially destroyed. The hurricane triggered numerous landslides in Ponce. The Municipality of Ponce sits on
3744-565: The Ponce Cement , Puerto Rico Iron Works , Vassallo Industries , and Destilería Serrallés . El Dia was also founded in Ponce in 1911. On March 21, 1937, a peaceful march was organized by the Puerto Rican Nationalist Party to celebrate the 64th anniversary of the abolition of slavery and protest the incarceration of their leader, Dr. Pedro Albizu Campos , in a federal prison on charges of sedition . The march turned into
3848-539: The Ponce Massacre Museum and the Abolition Park . It features a number of kiosks that open on an as-needed basis (i.e., depending on the function taking place at the park) and a central stage where the Banda Municipal de Ponce stages free open-air concerts. The location where the park now sits used to be occupied by Hospital Damas before it moved to its current location on Ponce By Pass on 6 May 1973. The park
3952-594: The Portuguese Don Pedro Rodríguez de Guzmán, from nearby San Germán . On September 17, 1692, the King of Spain Carlos II issued a Cédula Real (Royal Permit) converting the chapel into a parish, and in so doing officially recognizing the small settlement as a hamlet. It is believed that Juan Ponce de León y Loayza, Juan Ponce de León's great-grandson, was instrumental in obtaining the royal permit to formalize
4056-692: The Puerto Rico Amateur Baseball Federation 's Liga Doble A . The team achieved its first national championship in 1941 under the then Federación Deportiva del Norte ( Sports Federation of the North ) as the Utuado Stars. Their second national championship was in 1970 under the current baseball federation. The team won their third national championship on September 1, 2007, against the Bravos de Cidra ( Cidra Braves ). On September 14, 2014,
4160-454: The San Juan metropolitan area, Ponce was founded on August 12, 1692 and is named after Juan Ponce de León y Loayza , the great-grandson of Spanish conquistador Juan Ponce de León . Ponce is often referred to as La Perla del Sur (The Pearl of the South), La Ciudad Señorial (The Manorial City ), and La Ciudad de las Quenepas ( Genip City). The city serves as the governmental seat of
4264-616: The Spanish–American War , Ponce was the largest city in the island with a population of 22,000. Ponce had the best road in Puerto Rico, running from Ponce to San Juan , which had been built by the Spaniards for military purposes. The taking of Ponce by American troops "was a critical turning point in the Puerto Rican campaign. For the first time the Americans held a major port to funnel large numbers of men and quantities of war material into
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4368-587: The Taíno word otoao , meaning roughly between mountains (i.e., a valley). The letters "o" and "u" are often variable in Taíno. The "d" originated as a hypercorrection : colloquial Spanish often reduces /aðo/ to /ao/, so an un-etymological "d" was added to the Taíno name. The municipality is known as Ciudad del Viví (Viví City), derived from the Viví River which runs through Utuado: one river branch comes from Adjuntas and
4472-453: The 11th oldest established municipality in Puerto Rico, following San Juan , San Germán , Coamo , Arecibo , Aguada , Loiza , Ponce , Añasco , Guayama and Manatí . At the time of the Spanish initial occupation of the island on November 19, 1493, by Christopher Columbus , Puerto Rico was inhabited by the Taíno . The Taínos were a culturally developed society with a universal language ,
4576-507: The 1530s, landowners in the Don Alonso area petitioned the Spanish Crown allow for the establishment of a town in the area but it was never granted. Once the gold mining era ended toward the end of the 16th century, very little is known about the Utuado region until the early 18th century. According to the Puerto Rican historian Fernando Picó , the few documents that exist indicate the area
4680-754: The 2002 USDA Agricultural Census. It also produces oranges (ranked 4th), plantains (ranked 6th) and bananas (ranked 9th). It has been successful with livestock inventory ranking 3rd with hives of bees and 13th with pigs. In terms of manufacturing, Utuado has facilities producing textiles , paper and stone. Utuado today is equipped with a modern and competitive telecommunications infrastructure. Major cell phone companies including Claro and AT&T offer mobile coverage. Liberty Cablevision and DirecTV offer cable and satellite television service, with Spanish and English channels as well as high-speed Internet service. Like all municipalities in Puerto Rico , Utuado
4784-524: The Blanco Bridge or Puente Blanco located in Arenas barrio which connects Utuado with Adjuntas . Other buildings in Utuado Pueblo that retain their colonial architectural features include The Center for Art, Culture and Tourism in the old Tobacco Coop building, the old hospital Hospital Catalina Figueras and Teatro San Miguel , among others. The Rio Abajo State Forest ( Bosque Estatal Rio Abajo )
4888-684: The Caribbean sea at Ponce Playa ward. The Matilde River, also known as the Pastillo River, runs for 12 mi (19 km); its tributaries are the Cañas River and the Limón and del Agua brooks. Lakes in Ponce include Bronce and Ponceña as well as lakes bearing numbers: Uno, Dos, Tres, and Cinco; and the Salinas Lagoon, which is considered a restricted lagoon. Other water bodies are the springs at Quintana and
4992-679: The International Table Tennis Federation World HOPES Team, have risen to prominence all over the Caribbean, Latin America and the world in their respective categories. The head coaches of the table tennis athletes are Bladimir Diaz, father of the Díaz sisters, and Eladio Afanador, a high-level performance program coach. Utuado celebrates its patron saint festival in September. The Fiestas Patronales de San Miguel Arcangel
5096-465: The Ponce Municipal Band traditional Sunday concerts, a trolley stop, a restaurant, and food stands. This Mudéjar-style kiosk is a smaller replica of the one built on Plaza Las Delicias , in 1882, but since demolished, for the town's 1882 Feria-Exposición. It was designed by José Carlos Villaró, a Spanish architect from Málaga . The park also has an underground parking garage with two levels. In
5200-590: The Puerto Rico Women's Amateur Baseball Federation as well as playing softball for Puerto Rico in the Central American and Pan American Games . Utuado's table tennis players include sisters Adriana , Melanie , Gabriela and Fabiola Díaz, Brian Afanador (cousin to the Díaz sisters), Daniel González, Richard Pietri, Daniely Ríos and Yomar González, all members of the Águilas de la Montaña Table Tennis Club. Both Brian Afanador and Adriana Diaz, members of
5304-678: The Southern Coastal Plain region of the Puerto Rico, on the shores of the Caribbean Sea. It is bordered by the municipalities of Adjuntas, Utuado, Jayuya, Peñuelas, and Juana Díaz. Ponce is a large municipality, with only Arecibo larger in land area in Puerto Rico. In terms of physical features, the municipality occupies a roughly rectangular area in south-central portion of the Island of approximately 10 miles (16 km) wide (east-to-west) by 13 miles (21 km) long (north-to-south). It has
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#17330930967235408-748: The U.S. Census Bureau provides detailed demographics statistics for each of Ponce's barrios. The 2000 Census showed that Montes Llanos is the least populated barrio in the municipality. Thanks to its larger area, barrio Canas was by far the most populated ward of the municipality. At 68 persons per square mile, San Patricio was the least populated, while Cuarto was the most densely populated at 18,819 persons per square mile. Ponce has nine barrios that border neighboring municipalities. These are Canas , Quebrada Limón , Marueño , Guaraguao , San Patricio , Anón , Real , Coto Laurel , and Capitanejo . Canas and Capitanejo are also coastal barrios, and together with three others ( Playa , Bucaná , and Vayas ) make up
5512-461: 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 yuca . His farm was sold in 1519 to Blas de Villasante , the island's treasurer, for 525 gold pesos . Areas in the Utuado region that were exploited for gold include Salto Arriba barrio, initially, then later in the 1530s Caguana barrio and Don Alonso barrio. In
5616-692: The autonomous municipality as well as the regional hub for various Government of Puerto Rico entities, such as the Judiciary of Puerto Rico . It is also the regional center for various U.S. Federal Government agencies. Ponce is a principal city of both the Ponce Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Ponce-Yauco-Coamo Combined Statistical Area with, as of the 2020 US Census, a population of 278,477 and 333,426 respectively. The municipality of Ponce , officially
5720-576: The barrios of the municipality, their population, population density, and land and water areas as given by the U.S. Census Bureau is as follows: Utuado, Puerto Rico Utuado ( Spanish pronunciation: [uˈtwaðo] ) is a town and municipality of Puerto Rico located in the central mountainous region of the island known as the Cordillera Central . It is located north of Adjuntas and Ponce ; south of Hatillo and Arecibo ; east of Lares ; and west of Ciales and Jayuya . It
5824-422: The boundary between Ponce and Juana Díaz. There is a mangrove covering an area of approximately 100 acres (40 ha) at Cabullón promontory and Isla del Frio. The Salinas Lagoon, part of Reserva Natural Punta Cucharas , has a mangrove that expands about 37 acres (15 ha). The lagoon itself consists of 698 cuerdas (678 acres; 274 ha). The Rita cave is located in Barrio Cerrillos. Ponce features
5928-477: The capital, neglecting the south and thus starting a period of socio- economic stagnation for Ponce. This was worsened by several factors: At least one author has also blamed the stagnation on "the strife between the U.S. and the local Nationalist Party ." The 20th century financial stagnation prompted residents to initiate measures to attract economic activity back into the city. Also, a solid manufacturing industry surged that still remains. Examples of this are
6032-416: The city of Ponce is the second largest in Puerto Rico outside of the San Juan metropolitan area. Its nicknames include: La Perla del Sur (The Pearl of the South) and La Ciudad Señorial (The Noble or Lordly City). The city is also known as La Ciudad de las Quenepas ( Genip City), from the abundant amount of this fruit that grows within its borders. The complete history of Ponce can be appreciated at
6136-698: The city's strong Catalan heritage. In 2020, the National Trust for Historic Preservation named the Ponce Historic Zone as one of America's most endangered historic places. With 31 barrios , Ponce is Puerto Rico's municipality with the largest number of barrios. Ponce's barrios consist of 12 located in the urban area of the city plus 19 outside the urban zone. Of these nineteen, seven were considered suburban in 1999. The suburban barrios were: Canas , Magueyes , Portugués , Machuelo Arriba , Sabanetas , Coto Laurel , and Cerrillos . A 2000 report by
6240-630: The city, the Pedro Albizu Campos Park , is dedicated to the memory of the president of the Puerto Rican Nationalist Party. As a result of this event, Ponce has been identified as "the birthplace of Puerto Rican national identity." Ponce history in general is expressed at the Ponce History Museum , on the block bordered by Isabel, Mayor, Cristina, and Salud streets in the historic downtown area. Ponce has continued to be
6344-403: The electric grid of the city of Ponce was inaugurated on the first day of the Ponce Fair. In this occasion the Plaza Las Delicias and various other buildings, including the Mercantile Union Building, the Ponce Casino , and some of Ponce's homes were illuminated with the incandescent light bulb for the first time". At the time of the U.S. invasion and occupation of Puerto Rico in 1898 during
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#17330930967236448-449: The first (top-most) level of the garage there is a Ponce tourist police station. The parking garage has space for 400 vehicles. Ponce, Puerto Rico Ponce ( US : / ˈ p ɔː n s eɪ , ˈ p oʊ n -/ PAWN -say, POHN - , UK : / ˈ p ɒ n -/ PON - , Spanish: [ˈponse] ) is a city and a municipality on the southern coast of Puerto Rico . The most populated city outside
6552-538: The first years of the colonization , Spanish families started settling around the Jacaguas River , in the south of the island. For security reasons, these families moved to the banks of the Rio Portugués , then called Baramaya. Starting around 1646 the whole area from the Rio Portugués to the Bay of Guayanilla was called Ponce. In 1670, a small chapel was raised in the middle of the small settlement and dedicated in honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe . Among its earliest settlers were Juan Ponce de León y Loayza , and
6656-451: The founding of the hamlet . Captains Enrique Salazar and Miguel del Toro were also instrumental. The city is named after Juan Ponce de León y Loayza, the great-grandson of Spanish conquistador Juan Ponce de León. In the early 18th century Don Antonio Abad Rodriguez Berrios built a small chapel under the name of San Antonio Abad. The area would later receive the name of San Antón , a historically important part of modern Ponce. In 1712
6760-545: The importing of industrial machinery, iron foundries and other enterprises. At the time of the American invasion of the Island in 1898, Ponce was a thriving city, boasting the Island's main financial center, the Island's first communications link to another country, the best capitalized financial institutions, and even its own currency. It had consular offices for England, Germany, the Netherlands, and other nations. Following trends set in Europe and elsewhere, in 1877, Don Miguel Rosich conceived an exposition for Ponce. This
6864-417: The island witnessed a Taíno 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 Dos ), to provide food for the Indian slaves working the gold mines and the Spanish colonists in
6968-452: The island." Ponce also had underwater telegraph cable connections with Jamaica and the West Indies , putting the U.S. forces on the island in direct communication with Washington, D.C. , for the first time since the beginning of the campaign. Just prior to the United States occupation of the island, Ponce was a flourishing and dynamic city with a significant number of public facilities, a large number of industries and commercial firms, and
7072-544: The king. They were developed into estancias or lands apt to be cultivated for agricultural use. Hatos were lands not granted to anyone in particular, but available for communal use where cattle could roam at will. Monterías were hilly areas located next to hatos were cattle could be reigned in or gathered together with the help of trained dogs. Criaderos were lands were cows could be herded for milk production. Goats, sheep, pigs, asses, and mares were also herded in criaderos . Terrenos realengos were lands that belonged to
7176-421: 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
7280-425: The late 18th and early 19th centuries, 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 Ireland (founder Sebastian de Morfi was Irish), the Canary Islands and the Balearic Islands of Majorca and Menorca , all seeking
7384-478: The local police during the independence revolts which occurred in various cities and towns of the island. The group was reduced to 12 men and retreated to Damián Torres' house. Torres' residence was attacked by 50-caliber machine-gun fire from ten American P-47 Thunderbolt planes. The National Guard arrived later that day and ordered the nine men who survived the attack to surrender. Once the nationalists surrendered, they were forced to march down Dr. Cueto Street to
7488-405: The main town square where their shoes, belts and personal belongings were removed. The group was then taken behind the police station where they were gunned down. Five of the nationalists died in the act, these were nationalist leader Heriberto Castro, Julio Colón Feliciano, Agustín Quiñones Mercado, Antonio Ramos and Antonio González. González, who was 17 years old, pleaded for water and instead
7592-407: The mountains of the town, brown for the fertile soils and blue for the many rivers across the municipality. Centered in the flag is the sun of Otoao, a Taíno representation of the sun. The coat of arms bears a shield with a cemí (deity or ancestral spirit) and a silver sword. The color of the cemí alludes to the color of the earth, while the silver sword with a hilt in gold recalls Saint Michael ,
7696-427: The municipality consists of slopes 10 degrees or greater. The 14 rivers comprising the hydrographic system of Ponce are Matilde , Inabón , Bucaná , Jacaguas , Portugués , Cañas , Pastillo , Cerrillos , Chiquito , Bayagan , Blanco , Prieto , Anón and San Patricio The Jacaguas River runs for a brief stretch on the southeast area of the municipality. The Inabón River springs from Anón ward and runs through
7800-777: The municipality for some 18 mi (29.0 km); the tributaries of the Inabón are the Anón and Guayo rivers and the Emajagua Brook. The Bucaná River springs from Machuelo Arriba ward and runs for 18.5 mi (29.8 km) into the Caribbean Sea. The tributaries of the Bucaná are the San Patricio, Bayagán , and Prieto Rivers and Ausubo brook. The Portugués River springs from the ward of that name in Adjuntas, and runs for 17.3 mi (27.8 km) into
7904-401: The municipality's five coastal barrios. There are also five barrios within the city limits ( Canas Urbano , Machuelo Abajo , Magueyes Urbano , Portugués Urbano , and San Antón ) that in addition to the original six city core barrios — named Primero , Segundo , Tercero , Cuarto , Quinto , and Sexto — make up the 11 urban zone barrios of the municipality. The historic zone of the city
8008-469: The offices of Ponce's island-wide El Dia newspaper that he owned, as well as the headquarters of his Empresas Ferré , to San Juan. In 1976, CORCO —southern Puerto Rico's main source of economic vitality—shut down its industrial operations in Guayanilla leaving thousands of area residents without work; its impact on indirect sources of employment was even greater. Also, the sugar cane industry, also suffered
8112-459: The other from Jayuya . These two rivers then meet near the Fernando L. Ribas Dominicci Avenue and continue the journey to Lago Dos Bocas . The town of Utuado was founded October 12, 1739, by Irishman Sebastian de Morfi ( Sebastian Murphy ), on behalf of 60 families from Arecibo . It was the first town established in the interior, mountainous region of the island known as Cordillera Central and
8216-492: The outskirts of the city but these are mostly flat. The remaining six other barrios are further away from the city and their topology is rugged mountain terrain. These are (clockwise): Guaraguao , San Patricio , Monte Llano , Maragüez , Anón , and Real . The ruggedness of these barrios is because through these areas of the municipality runs the Central Mountain Range of the Island. The remaining barrios are part of
8320-523: The principal secondary-level institutions are the Francisco Ramos Middle School, Luis Muñoz Rivera High School and Antonio Reyes Padilla Vocational High School. While most students attend the before-mentioned schools, Utuado also has two private education institutions, both primary-level: Colegio Utuadeño San José and Academia Dailén. Founded in 1979, the University of Puerto Rico at Utuado is
8424-508: The record low of 51 °F (11 °C) from 25 January 1993. The mean annual temperature in the municipality is 79 °F (26 °C). During the 19th century, the city was witness to a flourishing architectural development, including the birth of a new architectural style later dubbed Ponce Creole . Architects like Francisco Valls, Manuel Víctor Domenech , Eduardo Salich, Blas Silva Boucher , Agustín Camilo González, Alfredo Wiechers, Francisco Porrata Doria and Francisco Gardón Vega used
8528-501: The regional hub for various commonwealth entities. For example, it serves as the southern hub for the Judiciary of Puerto Rico. It is also the regional center for various other commonwealth and federal government agencies. Ponce has improved its economy in the last years. In recent years, Ponce has solidified its position as the second most important city of Puerto Rico based on its economic progress and increasing population. Today,
8632-480: The rest. The 1970s brought significant commercial, industrial and banking changes to Ponce that dramatically altered its financial stability and outlook of the city, the municipality and, to an extent, the entire southern Puerto Rico region. After Luis A. Ferre concluded his term as governor of Puerto Rico on January 1, 1973, he closed the Puerto Rico Iron Works foundry on Avenida Hostos , and transferred
8736-469: The rest. At 82.0% vs. 76.2% for the island as a whole, Ponce has the highest concentration of white population of any municipality in Puerto Rico. However, the US Census Bureau changed the definitions of its racial makeup categories for the 2020 Census resulting in 19.0% of Ponceños being classified as white and 13.3% as Black/Afro Puerto Rican' , 0.3% as Asian , and people of mixed race making up
8840-559: The revolutions and disruption of societies as nations gained independence from Spain in the 1810s-1820s. Third, the Spanish Royal Decree of Graces of 1815 attracted numerous European immigrants to Puerto Rico. It encouraged any citizen of a country politically friendly to Spain to settle in Puerto Rico as long as they converted to the Catholic faith and agreed to work in the agricultural business. With such mass migrations, not only
8944-416: The riches that coffee had to offer. During the late 19th century 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 life for many of its citizens and
9048-503: The size of the town was changed, but the character of its population was changed as well. Europeans, including many Protestants , immigrated from a variety of nations. On July 29, 1848, and as a result of this explosive growth, the Ponce hamlet was declared a villa (village) by Queen Isabella II , and in 1877 the village obtained its city charter. Some of these immigrants made considerable fortunes in coffee , corn and sugarcane harvesting, rum production, banking and finance ,
9152-451: The southern side of the central mountain range and the Cayey mountain range. The central area of the municipality is part of the semi-arid southern hills. These two regions are classified as being the driest on the island. The northern part of the municipality is considered to be within the rainy western mountains. Barrio Anón is home to Cerro Maravilla , a peak that at 4,085 feet (1,245 m)
9256-458: The southern third divided between hills, coastal plains, and the coastal flat. Ponce's municipal territory reaches the central mountain range to the north and the Caribbean Sea to the south. Geographically speaking, the southern area of the territory is part of the Ponce-Patillas alluvial plain subsector and the southern coastal plain, which were created by the consolidation of the valleys of
9360-835: The state (to the king). However, in the 1820s, three events dramatically changed the size of the town. The first of these events was the arrival of a significant number of white Francophones , fleeing the Haitian Revolution of 1791–1804. The effect of this mass migration was not felt significantly until the 1820s. These French Creole entrepreneurs were attracted to the area because of its large flatlands, and they came with enough capital, slaves , and commercial connections to stimulate Ponce's sugarcane production and sales. Secondly, landlords and merchants migrated from various Latin American countries. They had migrated for better conditions, as they were leaving economic decline following
9464-413: The town's patron. The Taíno mythological figure that appears on the upper left side symbolizes the "Caguana woman". The mine, the peak and the gold shovel crossed by the lamp of the copper miners establish the mineral wealth of this area. Finally, the blue background of the coat of arms remembers its skies, while the lower white stripe alludes to the Viví River that crosses the town. The anthem of Utuado
9568-507: The urban zone of the city. There are six barrios in the core urban zone of the municipality named Primero , Segundo , Tercero , Cuarto , Quinto , and Sexto . They are delimetered by streets, rivers, or major highways. For example, Barrio Tercero is bounded in the north by Isabel Street, in the east by the Rio Portugués, in the south by Comercio Street, and the west by Plaza Las Delicias . Barrio Tercero includes much of what
9672-547: The village was chartered as El Poblado de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe de Ponce (The Village of Our Lady of Guadalupe of Ponce). In the early 19th century, Ponce continued to be one of dozens of hamlets that dotted the Island. Its inhabitants survived by subsistence agriculture , cattle raising , and maritime contraband with foreigners. Mayor José Benítez categorized the jurisdiction into cotos , hatos , criaderos , monterías , and terrenos realengos . Cotos were lands awarded to residents as reward for their services to
9776-481: The water to one of the many restaurants for lakeside dining. The Caonillas Lake and dam in the western region of Utuado is another man-made lake. This reservoir encompasses over 50 square miles (130 km ) and was constructed in 1948 by the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority . Utuado has regained some of its coffee producing power and was the 3rd largest coffee producer in Puerto Rico in
9880-658: Was approved in 1880, and the Ponce Fair was held in the city in 1882. It showed several industrial and agricultural advancements. "It is important to establish a relationship between the European exhibitions that I have mentioned and the Ponce Fair, as the Fair was meant as a showcase of the advancements of the day: Agriculture, Trade, Industry, and the Arts. Just as with the 1878 World's Fair in Paris,
9984-444: Was bayoneted to death. Hurricane Maria on September 20, 2017, triggered numerous landslides in Utuado. In many areas of Utuado there were more than 25 landslides per square mile due to the intense rainfall from Hurricane Maria. Utuado is in the central mountainous region. Like all municipalities of Puerto Rico, Utuado is subdivided into barrios . The municipal buildings, central square and large Catholic church are located in
10088-566: Was built in 1995 under the administration of mayor Churumba and, in the same year, it received the award for Outstanding Construction Work of the Year (Spanish: "Obra Sobresaliente del Año") from the College of Engineers and Surveyors of Puerto Rico . It was built with an original appropriation of $ 5.5 million. Final cost in December 1995 was $ 11 million. The park features gardens, a Mudéjar -style kiosk for
10192-470: Was fought. Three men were killed and 13 wounded on the Spanish side, while the Americans suffered four wounded. The American flag was raised in the town center that same day and most of the Spanish troops retreated into the surrounding mountains. The U.S. Army then established its headquarters in Ponce. After the U.S. invasion , the Americans chose to centralize the administration of the island in San Juan ,
10296-564: Was made available in February 2021 and work was set to begin in June. The municipio has an official flag and coat of arms. The flag, coat of arms and anthem of Utuado were all adopted in 1987, under the incumbency of Mayor Waldemar Quiles . The flag and coat of arms were designed by Amílcar Rivera Díaz; he is also the writer and composer of the anthem of Utuado. The flag consists of three colored stripes, green, brown and blue laid across; green for
10400-482: Was mostly unpopulated and densely forested . On the other hand, he states 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
10504-475: Was succeeded by Francisco Zayas Seijo . In the 2008 general elections María "Mayita" Meléndez was elected mayor of the city of Ponce and served three terms. The current (2021) mayor is Luis Irizarry Pabón who became the first mayoral candidate in the modern history of Ponce to win with more than 60% of votes cast. The city is also the governmental seat of the Autonomous Municipality of Ponce, and
10608-474: Was the first in Puerto Rico to obtain its autonomy , becoming the Autonomous Municipality of Ponce in 1992. The historic Ponce Pueblo district, located in the downtown area of the city, is composed by several of the downtown barrios , and is located approximately three miles (4.8 km) inland from the Caribbean coast. The historic district is characterized for its Art Deco , Neoclásico Isabelino and Ponce Creole architectures . The region of what
10712-521: Was the first municipality to elect officials after Spain ceded Puerto Rico to the United States. One of the most tragic moments in Utuado's history occurred on October 30, 1950, during the Utuado uprising against United States rule, which culminated in what is known as the Utuado Massacre . In Utuado, a group of 32 nationalists, led by nationalist leaders Heriberto Castro and Damián Torres, fought against
10816-425: Was the scene of a major tragedy, when at least 129 people lost their lives to a mudslide in a sector of Barrio Portugués Urbano called Mameyes . International help was needed to rescue people and recover corpses. The United States and many other countries, including Mexico, France, and Venezuela , sent economic, human, and machinery relief. The commonwealth government, subsequently, relocated hundreds of people to
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