Welcome To Puerto Rico Spots

Guayama is a municipality of Puerto Rico founded in January 29, 1736 and located on the Southern Coastal Valley region, bordering the Caribbean Sea, south of Cayey; east of Salinas; and west of Patillas and Arroyo. Guayama is spread over 9 wards and Guayama Pueblo.

History

The town was founded in January 29, 1736 as San Antonio de Padua de Guayama by Matías de Abadía, although there is knowledge of it being populated by native Indians as early as 1567. Guayama took its name from an Indian leader, or cacique who governed the Southeastern region of the Island, the Guamaní cacique and the Guayama cacique. The meaning of the Indian name is “Great Place” (in Spanish Sitio Grande). It was Governor Don Tomás de Abadía who officially declared Guayama a “pueblo” (town) with the name of San Antonio de Padua de Guayama. That same year the Catholic Church in town, San Antonio de Padua, was declared a Parish. In 1776 Guayama had 200 houses, the church and a central plaza. In the 1828 the construction of the King’s House (Casa del Rey) was completed. In 1881 Guayama is declared a Villa (First Order Municipality).

During the Spanish-American War, American forces under General Nelson A. Miles landed at Guanica near Ponce on July 26, 1898. The landing surprised the United States War Department no less than the Spanish, as Miles had been instructed to land near San Juan (the War Department learned of the landing through an Associate Press release.) However, en route to Puerto Rico Miles concluded that a San Juan landing was vulnerable to attack by small boats, and so changed plans. Ponce, said at the time to be the largest city in Puerto Rico, was connected with San Juan by a 70 mile military road, well defended by the Spanish at Coamo and Aibonito. In order to flank this position, American Major General John R. Brooke landed at Arroyo, just east of Guayama, intending to move on Cayey, which is northwest of Guayama, along the road from Ponce to San Juan. General Brooke occupied Guayama August 5, 1898, after slight opposition, in the Battle of Guayama. On August 9, the Battle of Guamani took place north of Guayama. A more significant battle, the Battle of Abonito Pass, was halted on the morning of August 13 upon notification of the armistice between the United states and Spain.

Geo/Topography

• Islands include Cayo Caribes, Isla Morrillito and Mata Redonda.
• Carite Dam
• Gorges; Barros, Branderí , Cimarrona, Corazón , Culebra, Palmas Bajas, and Salada.
• Lake Melania
• Las Mareas Lagoon
• Rivers: Río Chiquito, Río Guamaní, Río de la Plata and Río Seco.

Comments

Name *
Email (For verification & Replies)
Code   
ChronoComments by Joomla Professional Solutions

Submit Comment