Foundation:
Before the discovery of the Island, Utuado (oo-too-AH-do), had
been populated by diverse indigenous cultures. The main groups were: the archaic,
igneris, sub-taínos and finally during twelvth century, the Taínos. Utuado's
name derives from Cacique (Chief) Otoao which means "between mountains". In
1512, several landowners had settled there, among them Blas de Villasante
and Antonio Cedeño. Both wanted to found a town on their estates, but the
governor did not accept. Several centuries passed before another attempt to
found a town began.
In 1733, a group of families from Arecibo delegated Don Sebastián de Morfi
to request of governor Matías de Abadía the founding of a town according to
the laws of the Indies. For such purposes the estates of the Ranch of Utuado,
owened by Don Manuel Natal were appraised. In October of 1734 the Ranch of
Utuado was sold to the settlers for 569 pesos and 5 reales for the foundation
of the new town.
On November, 1734, governor Matías de Abadía granted permission to initiate
the foundation of Utuado. Nevertheless, it was not until October 12, 1739,
that sixty families found the Villa del Otoao. These families came from Arecibo,
San Germán, Ponce and Aguada. Of the total of 117 people, only two were foreign
(2 Irish and 2 Andalusians). The construction of Utuado's church was finished
July 15, 1743, dedicated to its patron San Miguel Arcángel. It was built in
wood with a straw roof. In August, 1746, the church was constituted as an
independent parish. Utuado's population and economy continue growing during
the rest of the eighteenth century and all of nineteenth century. By 1769,
there were at least 110 farms registered, dedicated to cattle and agriculture.
The contraband activity with the English, Dutch and French was very popular
in that era, defying the serious penalties imposed by the Spanish government.
It was perhaps the only way to obtain tools and other goods since these articles
did not enter Puerto Rico or were of bad quality.
During the nineteenth century, the economic activity was centered around the
"black gold" boom, coffee. Between 1864 and 1885, 68 coffee plantations were
established. This economic growth induces a rich social life, the opening
of a casino and a theater in the town. On the day of the abolition of slavery
in 1873, 167 slaves were given their liberty. The twon progressed so much
in agriculture and commerce that on August 20, 1894, the regent Queen María
Cristina granted the town of Utuado the title of City. During 1895, Utuado
was the second city in Puerto Rico with a electrical plant and its mayor Juan
Casellas in 1897 planned the union of Utuado with Arecibo by train. At the
end of the century, two events finished with this golden era: the San Ciriaco
hurricane of 1899 and the change of sovereignty in 1898. The new king now
was, "sugar cane", for which Utuado's topography was not ideal. During the
decade of the 1990, the coffee industry revived making Utuado the second coffee
producer in Puerto Rico with 1,600 tons produced in 1,143 farms.
One of the most
tragic episodes in the history of Utuado and Puerto Rico was without a doubt
the Massacre of Utuado during the 1950 Nationalistic Revolt. On October 30,
in Arecibo, Peñuelas,
Naranjito, Mayagüez, Ponce,
Jayuya, Utuado and Washington
DC the Nationalistic Revolt exploded simultaneously. The orders of Pedro Albizu
Campos were to resist in each one of the respective towns and then to retreat
to Utuado. Once here, to continue resisting at least a month to attract the
attention of the UN and to force the intervention of the Security Council.
All the nationalistic groups were neutralized in their respective towns. The
group from Utuado was originally made up of 32 people, their leaders were
Heriberto Castro and Damián Torres. After being repelled by the police, the
group was reduced to twelve people who entrenched themselves in Damián Torres'
house. During the shooting, Heriberto Castro died. Due to their obstinate
resistance, the house was machine-gunned by four Thunderbolt airplanes using
50 caliber machine guns. The police were reinforced by the National Guard,
who arrived around seven pm. At midnight, their surrender was demanded. Minutes
later the rebel group, now of nine people, surrenders. From here they were
taken through Dr. Cueto Street up to the Recreation Plaza where they were
striped of their shoes, belts and pockets. Soon after, the group was taken
to the Police Station, where they were executed by machine-gun fire. Four
people died and five were severely wounded. A survivor, 17 year old Antonio
González, was finished off with a bayonet. The Nationalistic Revolt in all
the island ended with a toll of 29 dead people and 47 wounded.
Location:
Located in the mountainous region of the island, it is bordered by: Hatillo
and Arecibo on the north; Adjuntas, Ponce and Jayuya on the north; Lares on
the west; and Ciales and Jayuya on the east.
Area:
299.0 sq km / 115.0 sq mi
Population:
35,336 (census 2000)
Population Density:
118.1 per sq km / 307.2 per sq mi
People are known as:
Utuadeños
Utuado is also known as:
Ciudad del Viví (City
of the Viví)
Los Montañeses (The Mountaineers)
San Miguel Arcángel
San Miguel Arcángel Parish
P.O. Box 10
Utuado, P.R. 00641-0010
(787) 894-2696
Topography: It is
located in the Central Interior Mountain region. Its greatest elevations are
to the south where the Central Mountain Range is situated.
Hydrography:
It
is watered by the following rivers: Grande de Arecibo; el Guaónico; Roncador;
Viví; Caguana; Caguanita; Caonillas; Grande de Jayuya; Jauca; Limón; Naranjito;
Palmarejo; La Venta; Yunes; Tanamá; Caonillas and Limón rivers. It also has
the following four dams: Caonillas, Dos Bocas, Jordán and Viví.
Economy:
Agriculture; coffee,
tobacco and fruits.
Average Salary: $263.16 weekly (1998)
Flag:
On January 5, 1987, the Municipal Assembly of Utuado adopted the official
flag of Utuado. The superior green stripe symbolizes the green mountains;
the brown stripe (in the middle) symbolizes the rich land of Utuado, and the
bottom clear blue stripe is symbol of the rivers and lakes of our land. The
Sun of Otoao in the center is a copy of one of most important of our indigenous
culture because it is a symbol of the Taíno culture. Designed by Luis A. Lafontaine.
Coat Of Arms: The design of the Coat of Arms of Utuado was made
by Dr. J.J. Santa Pinter de Arga and adopted in 1981 approved by the Decree
Number 24 of the 1980-1981 series. Its heraldic description is the following
one:
In a blue
field the figure of the Cemí in its original color with a silver sword,
gold grip.
In the head
to right the figure of the Woman of Caguana, of gold, and to left a stick
with a pick in gold with a silver lamp with red flame.
In the base,
an undulated stripe in silver.
At the top
a five point crown in gold, surrounded with a brown stripe and covered
in silver.
The banner's
inscription "City Of The VIVI".
The symbolic meaning
is the following one:
The main figure
of the Coat of Arms is a Cemí crossed by a sword. The color of the Cemí
is brown, imitating the color of the earth. The silver sword with gold
grip invokes San Miguel Arcángel, Patron Saint of Utuado. The Cemí indicates
the rich pre-Columbian historical tradition. The combination of the symbols
stands for the unity and continuity of the pagan past of the Taíno and
the Christian present of Utuado.
The mythological
indigenous figure represents the Woman of Caguana, symbol of fertility
for the Taínos.
The symbols
of the mines, the gold pick and shovel crossed with the traditional lamp
of the silver miners, with the red flame, refer to the mineral wealth
of the zone and the mining operations of the past.
The color
of the field is blue for the blue skies of the town contrasting with the
green of the landscape.
The waving
silver stripe invokes the Vivi River, of which Utuado takes its name from
"City of Vivi".
For the top
an Indian crown brown. With it the traditional value of Utuado in pre-Columbian
history is indicated. This symbol distinguishes Utuado from the remaining
municipalities of the island.
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.
Events:
Barrio
Angeles Fiesta - March
Tierra Adentro Festival - April
Guarionex Fiestas - Abril
Cross Rosary - May
Patron Festivities - September
Places
To Visit:
Cascada El Saltillo
Lago Dos Bocas
Galería Ivanet
Hacienda Roses
Monumento a los Soldados Utuadeños
Represa Dos Bocas
Reserva Forestal Rio Abajo
Taller Hacienda Taína
El Gran Centro Ceremonial Indígena de Caguana
The
Indigenous Ceremonial Center of Caguana was discovered during the
first decades of the twentieth century. With the change of sovereignty,
numerous interested scientists arrived to Puerto Rico. The works of
excavation and investigation in Caguana began with the work of doctors
Franz Boas, James Alden and A. T. Aitken at that time. Since the thirties,
Caguana has been systematically excavated and studied, and at the
present time it is considered by the specialists as the most valuable
center of the Taíno culture in all the Antillean region. The plazas
or playing grounds found seem to indicate the existence of a center
of complex religious ceremonies where ball games seem to have been
of spiritual significance. Its believed that Caguana was a ceremonial
center in which few people lived permanently, although at certain
moments great crowds of neighboring towns met to participate in important
ceremonies. The ceremonial area consists of a great central plaza,
ten rectangular plazas of diverse dimensions and one circular plaza.
The plazas are bordered by rows of great variety of monoliths with
engravings of mythological figures. In 1956 the Institute of Puerto
Rican Culture acquired and recovered this valuable monument of our
native culture, to conserve it within the natural frame of the indigenous
flora of the trees and the native plants of Puerto Rico. A Taína culture
museum is located in the building within the facilities of the park.
Here are shown a variety of representative objects of the Taíno culture.
Distinguished Citizens:
María Libertad Gómez - Educator y politician leader.
Luz María Negrón de Hutchinson - Pianist & profesor.
Isaac González Martínez - Doctor
Jesús María Lago - Poet & paintor
Foundation:
Before the discovery of the Island, Utuado (oo-too-AH-do), had
been populated by diverse indigenous cultures. The main groups were: the archaic,
igneris, sub-taínos and finally during twelvth century, the Taínos. Utuado's
name derives from Cacique (Chief) Otoao which means "between mountains". In
1512, several landowners had settled there, among them Blas de Villasante
and Antonio Cedeño. Both wanted to found a town on their estates, but the
governor did not accept. Several centuries passed before another attempt to
found a town began. 
The
Indigenous Ceremonial Center of Caguana was discovered during the
first decades of the twentieth century. With the change of sovereignty,
numerous interested scientists arrived to Puerto Rico. The works of
excavation and investigation in Caguana began with the work of doctors
Franz Boas, James Alden and A. T. Aitken at that time. Since the thirties,
Caguana has been systematically excavated and studied, and at the
present time it is considered by the specialists as the most valuable
center of the Taíno culture in all the Antillean region. The plazas
or playing grounds found seem to indicate the existence of a center
of complex religious ceremonies where ball games seem to have been
of spiritual significance. Its believed that Caguana was a ceremonial
center in which few people lived permanently, although at certain
moments great crowds of neighboring towns met to participate in important
ceremonies. The ceremonial area consists of a great central plaza,
ten rectangular plazas of diverse dimensions and one circular plaza.
The plazas are bordered by rows of great variety of monoliths with
engravings of mythological figures. In 1956 the Institute of Puerto
Rican Culture acquired and recovered this valuable monument of our
native culture, to conserve it within the natural frame of the indigenous
flora of the trees and the native plants of Puerto Rico. A Taína culture
museum is located in the building within the facilities of the park.
Here are shown a variety of representative objects of the Taíno culture.
