Mayaguez, Puerto Rico

History

Taino Indians who inhabited the territory, called the island Boriken or Borinquen which means: "the great land of the valiant and noble Lord" or "land of the great lords". Today this word -used in various modifications- is still popularly used to designate the people and island of Puerto Rico. The Taino Indians, who came from South America, inhabited the major portion of the island when the Spaniards arrived. The Taino Indians, lived in small villages, organized in clans and led by a Cacique, or chief. They were a peaceful people who, with a limited knowledge of agriculture, lived on such domesticated tropical crops as pineapples, cassava, and sweet potatoes supplemented by seafood.

Mayaguez was officially founded on September 18, 1760 by a group led by brothers Faustino and Lorenzo Martinez de Matos, Juan de Silva and Juan de Aponte, at a hill located about one kilometer inland from Mayaguez Bay and the outlet of the Yaguez River. The Spanish Crown granted the founders the right to self-government in 1763, formally separating the town from the larger Partido de San German. Originally the settlement was named Nuestra Senora de la Candelaria de Mayaguez (Our Lady of Candelaria of Mayaguez) to evoke an apparition of the Virgin Mary on the island of Tenerife, one of the Canary Islands. Most of the towns settlers, including its founders, originally migrated from the archipelago, whose patron saint is the Virgin of Candelaria.

On May 7, 1836, the settlement was elevated to the royal status of villa, and Rafael Mangual was named its first mayor. At the time, the villas principal economic activity was agriculture. The famous patriot, educator, sociologist, philosopher, essayist, and novelist Eugenio Maria de Hostos was born in Mayaguez in 1839.

On July 10, 1877 the villa formally received its city charter from the Royal Crown of Spain.

The citys main Roman Catholic church, "Our Lady of the Candelaria" (plot consecrated on August 21, 1760, first masonry building erected in 1780, current church originally built in 1836) was rebuilt in 1922. The original redesign by architect Luis Perocier sought to restore the building to its original splendor. Not only had the 1918 Puerto Rico earthquake destroyed the temples ceiling, but a lightning bolt also struck and tore down a wedge-shaped corner of one of its two bell towers. However, lack of proper funding and the extent of the damage of the original structure forced the actual rebuilding of the to be scaled-down considerably.

In 1911, the College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts was founded in Mayaguez. Today it is known as the University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez (UPRM) — the Caribbeans leading science and engineering institution.

Between 1962 and 1998 Mayaguez was a major tuna canning and processing center. At one time, 80% of all tuna products consumed in the United States were packed in Mayaguez (the biggest employer, StarKist, had 11,000 employees working three daily shifts in the local plants heyday). Mayaguez was also a major textile industry hub; until very recently, almost a quarter of all drill uniforms used by the United States Army were sewn in the city.Today, Mayaguez is the fifth-largest city and is considered one of the most important cities in the island. The city itself is centered around the impressive Spanish-style Plaza Colon, a tribute to Christopher Columbus, whose stature stands in the middle of the square, surrounded by 16 bronze statues. In addition, Mayaguez has become a major college town with the establishment of the UPRM, the Eugenio Maria de Hostos Law School and the Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico.