History

Founding

The permission to found the town was officially given in 1752 under the leading of 'Cristobal Gonzalez de la Cruz'. The foundation of the town, from the religious aspect, was consummated in December of 1762 by Mariano Martin, the island Catholic bishop at that time. At the beginning, by 1700, San Sebastian was a conglomerate of few cowfarms, owned by some residents of the Partido de Aguada. Las Vegas was the former plain site of one of the first cowfarms located by the Guatemala riverside at the north. Also, another of those cowfarms was Pepinito (today's downtown) that was a low green mountain with a white calcium carbonate face. On the north side of the town it can be seen some of this "pepinos". These two cowfarms gave the town its first name. These geographical accidents come the first name of the new village: Las Vegas del Pepino. In 1765 it is documented as San Sabastian de Las Vegas y Pepino.

At the beginning of 1800, rich business families arrived to Pepino fleeing from the independence revolutions of Venezuela and the Dominican Republic. Later, by 1850, some came directly from Cataluña and Vasconia, Spain. These people, after taking over the local political power, developed a coffee industry and brought some material progress to the town. The resident vasconians in the municipality, in remembrance of their town and religious patron of Spain, saw the need of upgrading the old traditional canarian Pepino to the new and "uptodated" San Sebastian, promoted and got the name changed of Pepino to San Sebastián from the central government authority. Nevertheless, the citizens of San Sebastian are called "pepinianos".

San Sebastián Martir is the patron saint of the town since its early history, brought by the canarian immigrants and confirmed by the vasconians with the town name changed in 1869.

Flag

It consists of a rectangular flag of the usual proportions, crossed by a white waved band that separates its red superior part from the inferior one, that is green.

Coat of Arms

The Mountains: With silverplated borders, represent the characteristic mountains (Pepinos) The Crown: Is the heraldic standard used to identify towns, villas and cities. The Sugar Cane and Coffee Branches: They represent main agricultural products.

Barrios (Districts/Wards)

• Aibonito
• Aibonito Guerrero
• Altozano
• Bahomamey
• Calabazas
• Cibao
• Cidral
• Culebrinas
• Eneas
• Guacio
• Guajataca
• Guatemala
• Hato Arriba
• Hoyamala
• Juncal
• Magos
• Mirabales
• Perchas I
• Perchas II
• Piedras Blancas
• Pozas,
• Robles
• Salto
• Sonador

Geo/Topography

Guajataca Lake.
Rivers; Culebrinas, Guajataca, Grande de Añasco.

Agriculture

Coffee, Sugarcane.

Landmarks and Places of Interest

• Barandillo
• Guajataca Lake
• Merchant Plaza
• Robles Waterfall
• Salto de Collazo
• Sombrero Hill
  

Festivals and Events

• Patron Celebrations - January
• Three Kings Festival - January
• Festival of the Heifer - January
• Hamac Festival - July

Notable Pepinianos

• Delia Margarita (Margie) Castro Alberty - Opera singer
• Juan F. Acosta - Composer & muscian (biography)
• Dr. Salvador Arana Soto - Historian
• Sinforoso Vélez Arocho - First Puerto Rican to participate in WW1.

San Sebastián, Puerto Rico. (2006, October 12). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 23:47, October 20, 2006, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=San_Sebasti%C3%A1n%2C_Puerto_Rico&oldid=81013676