History

Founding

Utuado was founded October 12, 1739 by Sebastian de Morfi, on behalf of 60 families from Arecibo. It was the first town established in the interior mountainous region of the island known as La Cordillera Central.

Columbus's arrival

At the time of the discovery of the island on November 19, 1493 by Christopher Columbus, Puerto Rico was inhabited by the Taíno Indians. The Taínos were a culturally developed society with a universal language, a developed agricultural system, and a social organization based on Caciques or Chieftains. The Utuado area was ruled over by Cacique Guarionex and in barrio Caguana they built an impressive series of courts or bateyes, The Caguana Indian Ceremonial park or "El Centro Ceremonial Indigena Caguana," that is considered the best example of Taino engineering in the West Indies (for more about the park, see "Landmarks" section below).


Utuado's early history: XVI - XVIII

View of Utuado Pueblo from CaguanaVery little is known about the Utuado region during the first two centuries after the discovery of the island. According to the Puerto Rican historian Fernando Picó, the few documents that exist indicate the area was mostly unpopulated and densely forested. On the other hand, he states the fact that Utuado is the municipality with the most caves, that most likely served as dwellings for Indians or runaway slaves. Undoubtedly the area must have been visited and exploited by Spaniards seeking gold and other precious minerals, proof in the Indian names given to the rivers.

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 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 the late 1700's and early 1800's 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 the Canary Islands and the Balearic Islands of Majorca and Minorca, all seeking the riches that coffee had to offer.

The golden era of coffee - "black gold"

During the late 1800’s 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 1890’s 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 lifestyle for many of its citizens and a casino and theatre were established in the town. The progress of the town was so evident that the regent Queen of Spain, Maria Cristina, honored the town with the title of Ciudad (City) on August 20, 1894. In 1895 Utuado was the second city in Puerto Rico with it’s own electric plant and in 1897 mayor Juan Casellas was planning a train system to unite Utuado with Arecibo. By 1899 this golden era came to a screeching halt due to two very important events that had a lasting negative effect on the city’s economy. The first event was 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 on a significant level. The second event and the one to have the most profound impact was Hurricane San Ciriaco in 1899, which literally wiped out the coffee haciendas.

Utuado visited by a President

In 1906 Utuado had the honor of being visited by President Theodore Roosevelt, who recommended building a bridge in the area known as "La Playita."

Barrios (Districts/Wards)

• Angeles
• Arenas
• Caguana
• Caníaco
• Caonillas Abajo
• Caonillas Arriba
• Consejo
• Don Alonso
• Guaonico
• Las Palmas
• Limón
• Mameyes Abajo
• Paso Palma
• Río Abajo
• Roncador
• Sabana Grande
• Salto Abajo
• Salto Arriba
• Santa Ísabel
• Santa Rosa
• Tetuán
• Viví Abajo
• Viví Arriba
  
  

Geo/Topography

Rio Abajo State Forest - between Arecibo and Utuado.

Agriculture

Utuado has regained some of its coffee producing power and was the 3rd largest coffee producer in Puerto Rico in the 2002 USDA Agricultural Census. It also produces oranges (ranked 4th), plantains (ranked 6th) and bananas (ranked 9th). It has also been successful with livestock inventory ranking 3rd with hives of bees and 13th with hogs and pigs. Industrially, Utuado counts with a few companies that produce textiles, paper and stone.

Business

Utuado today is equipped with a modern and competitive tele-communications infrastructure. Major cell-phone companies including Verizon, T-Mobile and Sprint offer excellent cell-phone coverage and 2 cable companies (Liberty Cablevision and Adelphia Communications) offer cable television service with Spanish and English channels (ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, CNN and many others) as well as high-speed internet service. Most of the public areas in the University of Puerto Rico Utuado campus are set up with Wi-Fi wireless internet access.

Landmarks and Places of Interest

• Cascada El Saltillo
• Lago Dos Bocas
• Galería Ivanet
• Hacienda Roses
• Monumento a los Soldados Utuadeños
• Represa Dos Bocas
• Taller Hacienda Taína
  

The Caguana Indian Ceremonial Park or "El Parque Ceremonial Indigena

Caguana" in barrio Caguana is considered one of the most important archeological sites in the West Indies and studies estimate it is over 700 years old, built by the Taíno around 1270 AD. Approximately 30 courts or "bateyes" have been identified and the Puerto Rican Institute of Culture has restored many of them to their original state. Monoliths and Petroglyphs carved by the Indians can be seen among the rocks and stones, some weighing over a ton, that were most likely brought from the Tanama River located right next to the park. Also located next to the park is the Cemí Mountain (Montaña Cemí) which was believed, by the Tainos, to be the home of their gods and the reason they built the park in that area. The park also includes a small museum containing Indian artifacts, archaeological exhibits and a botanical garden featuring the plants the Taínos harvested for food, such as sweet potatoes, cassava, corn and yautía. Many of the trees used by the Indians to construct their homes, called "bohíos," such as mahogany and ceiba can be seen throughout the park.

Iglesia San Miguel Arcangel - Established 1746With narrow streets leading up to a central plaza surrounded by a church and Governors House, Utuado Pueblo is a perfect example of a town built during the Spanish Colonial era of Puerto Rico. The Iglesia San Miguel Arcangel, the local Catholic parrish, 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 the Blanco Bridge or "Puente Blanco" located in barrio Arenas joining Utuado with Adjuntas. Other buildings in Utuado Pueblo that retain their colonial arquitectural features include The Center for Art, Culture and Turism in the old Tobacco Coop building, the old hospital "Hospital Catalina Figueras and Teatro San Miguel, among others (for pictures of these and other buildings see photo gallery below).

The Rio Abajo Forest Reserve (Bosque Estatal Rio Abajo) is a 5,780 acre forest reserve shared with Arecibo and home to 223 plants and wildlife species including: native silk-cotton trees, Asian teaks, Dominican and Honduran mahogany and Australian pines. It is also home to a captive population of the critically endangered Puerto Rican Parrot.

Lago Caonillas in Barrio Don AlonsoEast of the Rio Abajo Forest Reserve is Lago Dos Bocas, one of several man made lakes in Utuado. From El Embarcadero, near routes 123 and 146, boats take guests around the water to one of the many restaurants for lakeside dining.

Lago Caonillas in the western region of Utuado is another man made lake. This reservoir encompasses over 50 square miles and was constructed in 1948 by the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority. People seeking a great mountain getaway with breath-taking views of the lake can stay in the several hotels in the area including Casa Grande Mountain Retreat and Hostal Villas del Lago.

Festivals and Events

• Barrio Angeles Fiesta - March
• The Agricultural Technology department of the University of Puerto Rico at Utuado hosts an annual festival, Festival Tierra Adentro, featuring arts and crafts by local artisans, music, food and plant and animal exhibitions. This festival is held in early April.
• Guarionex Fiestas - Abril
• 'Feria Artesanal de Angeles is an annual arts & crafts fair held in early May in barrio Angeles featuring local artisans, music and food.
• Cross Rosary - May
• Festival Cultural del Otoao is an annual event held in the beginning of December celebrating Utuado's Taino heritage. It features arts & crafts, concerts, food and dance and takes place in the central plaza "Plaza del Recreo" in Utuado Pueblo.
• The annual Patron Saint Festival is held towards the end of September to early October. The town's patron saint, San Miguel Arcangel, is honored with processions, music, and the most recent festival (2005) featured amateur boxing matches, softball and domino games. It is held in Utuado Pueblo's central plaza, "Plaza de Recreo."
  

Transportation

With the recent completion of the express highway 22, 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 a 3-hour trip has been reduced to 1 hour and 30 minutes (to reach Utuado Pueblo).

Education

There are currently 20 schools under the Department of Education system, 2 college level institutions, University of Puerto Rico at Utuado and Universidad del Este (UNE), 1 hospital and 2 radio station (WERR 104.1 FM, WUPR 1530 AM).

Notable Utuadeños

• María Libertad Gómez (1898-1961). Educator and Politician, founding member of the Democratic Popular Party (PPD, Partido Popular Democratico) and was a member of Puerto Rico's House of Representatives. Founded the first Tobacco Coop on the island.
• Isaac González Martínez (1871-1954). Doctor who pioneered the fight against cancer in Puerto Rico.
• Ramón Juliá Marín (1878-1917). Poet and Novelist. Among his most celebrated works are Tierra Adentro and La Glebo
• Jesús María Lago (1873-1927). Poet and Painter. Some of his better known works include the poems La Flota de los Sueños, La Princesa Ita-Lu, Marina and Ojos Negros.

Utuado, Puerto Rico. (2006, October 8). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 23:49, October 23, 2006, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Utuado%2C_Puerto_Rico&oldid=80154991