Utuado, Puerto Rico

Utuado, Puerto Rico Ciudad del Viví
Municipality
View of Utuado Pueblo from barrio Sabana Grande
Flag
Nickname(s): "La Ciudad del Viví", "Los Montañeses"
Anthem: "Valle Bendito El De Mi Otoao"
Location of Utuado in Puerto Rico
Coordinates: 18°15′56″N 66°42′02″W / 18.26556°N 66.70056°W / 18.26556; -66.70056Coordinates: 18°15′56″N 66°42′02″W / 18.26556°N 66.70056°W / 18.26556; -66.70056
Country	United States
Territory	Puerto Rico
Founded	1739
Government
• Mayor	Ernesto Irizarry Salvá (PPD)
• Senatorial dist.	5 - Ponce
Area
• Total	297.83 km2 (114.99 sq mi)
• Land	293.83 km2 (113.45 sq mi)
Population (2010)
• Total	33,149
• Density	110/km2 (290/sq mi)
Demonym	Utuadeños
Time zone	AST (UTC-4)
Zip code	00641, 00611
Area code	(787) 894; (787) 814

Utuado (Spanish pronunciation: [uˈtwaðo]) is a municipality of Puerto Rico located in the central-western mountainous region of the island known as La Cordillera Central. It is located north of Adjuntas and Ponce; south of Hatillo and Arecibo; east of Lares; and west of Ciales and Jayuya. In land area it is the third-largest municipality in Puerto Rico (after Arecibo and Ponce). According to the 2000 US Census, the city has a population of 35,336 spread over 24 wards and Utuado Pueblo (the downtown area and the administrative center of the city). The name Utuado derives from the Taíno word Otoao, meaning "between mountains". The municipality is known as La Ciudad del Viví meaning "The City of the Viví"; Viví is the river that runs through Utuado: one part of it comes from Adjuntas and the other from Jayuya. These two rivers then meet near the Fernando L. Ribas Dominicci Avenue and continue the journey to Lago Dos Bocas.

Utuado is the principal city of the Utuado micropolitan statistical area and is part of the San Juan-Caguas-Fajardo Combined Statistical Area.

History

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 and the 11th oldest established municipality in Puerto Rico, following San Juan, San Germán, Coamo, Arecibo, Aguada, Loiza, Ponce, Añasco, Guayama and Manatí.

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. In barrio Caguana, the Taínos built a series of courts or bateyes, The Caguana Ceremonial Park or Centro Ceremonial Indígena de Caguana, that is considered the best example of Taino engineering in the West Indies.

Early history: XVI-XVIII

In his work El Dorado Borincano, La economia de la conquista 1510-1550, Jalil Sued Badillo gives a detailed account of the economic state of Puerto Rico during the first decades after the discovery and mentions the importance of the Otoao region. From 1510 through 1513, the island witnessed a Taíno rebellion as a result of harsh and inhumane treatment by the Spanish settlers. During the process of pacification many Spaniards settled in the area now occupied by the municipality of Utuado and set up farms (haciendas), initially on behalf of the Spanish government (Hacienda Real), to provide food to the Indian slaves working the gold mines and the Spanish colonists in the area. One of the first settlers in the Otoao region in 1512 was Antonio Sedeño, the island's bookkeeper. His farm's main crop was yuca. His farm was sold in 1519 to Blas de Villasante, the island's treasurer, for 525 gold pesos.

Areas in the Utuado region that were exploited for gold include Salto Arriba, initially, then later in the 1530s Caguana and Don Alonso. In the 1530s, landowners in the Don Alonso area petitioned the Spanish Crown permission to establish a town in the area but it was never granted.

Once the gold mining era ends toward the end of the 16th century, very little is known about the Utuado region until the early 18th century. 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 that Utuado is the municipality with the most caves, that most likely served as dwellings for Indians or runaway slaves.

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 18th and early 19th centuries, 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 Ireland (Founder Sebastian de Morfi = Sebastian Murphy), Canary Islands and the Balearic Islands of Majorca and Minorca, all seeking the riches that coffee had to offer.

Golden era of coffee - "black gold"

During the late 19th century 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 1890s 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 life 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, María Cristina, honored the town with the title of Ciudad (City) on August 20, 1894.^[1] In 1896 or 1897 Utuado was the first city in Puerto Rico with a public electric lighting system powered by a hydraulic turbine power plant,^[2][3] and in that same year mayor Juan Casellas planned a train system to unite Utuado with Arecibo. By 1899 this golden era ended due to two events: 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), and Hurricane San Ciriaco in 1899, which destroyed the coffee haciendas.

Massacre

One of the most tragic moments in Utuado's history occurred on October 30, 1950, during the Utuado Uprising against United States rule, which culminated in what is known as the "Utuado Massacre".^[4] In Utuado a group of 32 nationalists, led by nationalist leaders Heriberto Castro and Damián Torres, fought against the local police during the independence revolts which occurred in various cities and towns of the island. The group was reduced to 12 men and retreated to the house of Damián Torres. Torres' residence was attacked by 50-caliber machine-gun fire from ten American P-47 Thunderbolt planes.^[5] The National Guard arrived later that day and ordered the nine men who survived the attack to surrender. Once the nationalists surrendered they were forced to march down Dr. Cueto Street to the local town plaza where their shoes, belts and personal belongings were removed. The group was then taken behind the police station where they were machined gunned. Four of the nationalists died in the act, they were nationalist leader Heriberto Castro, Julio Colón Feliciano, Agustín Quiñones Mercado, Antonio Ramos and Antonio González. González, who was 17 years old, pleaded for water and instead was bayoneted to death.^[4]

Geography

• Rio Abajo State Forest - between Arecibo and Utuado

Wards

Tourism

Landmarks and places of interest

• Cascada El Saltillo
• Lago Dos Bocas
• Lago Caonillas
• Hacienda Roses
• Monumento a los Soldados Utuadeños
• Represa Dos Bocas
• Taller Hacienda Taína
• Centro Ceremonial Indígena de Caguana
• Rio Abajo State Forest

With narrow streets leading up to a central plaza surrounded by a church and the governor's house, Utuado Pueblo is an example of a town built during the Spanish Colonial era of Puerto Rico. The Iglesia San Miguel Arcangel, the local Catholic parish, 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 architectural features include The Center for Art, Culture and Tourism in the old Tobacco Coop building, the old hospital "Hospital Catalina Figueras and Teatro San Miguel, among others.

The Rio Abajo State Forest (Bosque Estatal Rio Abajo) is a 5,780-acre (23 km²) forest reserve shared with Arecibo and home to 223 plants and wildlife species including: native Ceiba (Ceiba pentandra), Asian teaks (Tectona spp.), West Indian Mahogany (Swietenia mahagoni), Honduran Mahogany (S. humilis) and Australian pines (Casuarina spp.). It is also home to the federally endangered Puerto Rican Broad-winged Hawk (Buteo Platypterus Brunnesscens) as well as a captive population of the critically endangered Puerto Rican Parrot (Amazona vittata). Captive parrots are slowly being released into Rio Abajo in an attempt to form a second population of parrots on the Island.

East 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 (130 km²) and was constructed in 1948 by the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority.

Economy

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 pigs. Industrially, Utuado counts with a few companies that produce textiles, paper and stone.

Business

Utuado today is equipped with a modern and competitive telecommunications infrastructure. Major cell phone companies including Claro, AT&T, Sprint and Open Mobile offer mobile coverage, and Liberty Cablevision and DirecTV offer cable and satellite television service, respectively, with Spanish and English channels as well as high-speed Internet service. Most of the upper building in the University of Puerto Rico Utuado campus as well as the Recreational Plaza of Utuado are both set up with public Wi-Fi Internet access.

Government

Like all municipalities in Puerto Rico, Utuado is administered by a mayor. The current mayor is Ernesto Irizarry Salvá, from the Popular Democratic Party (PPD). Irizarry was elected at the 2012 general election.

The city belongs to the Puerto Rico Senatorial district V, which is represented by two Senators. In 2012, Ramón Ruiz and Martín Vargas Morales, from the Popular Democratic Party, were elected as District Senators.^[7]

Culture

Scouting

• Boy Scouts

For over 50 years a Boy Scout Troop has been active in Utuado, changing its number from time to time. Troop 1996 was led by Scoutmaster Raúl A. Pérez from 1997 to April 2011. He is a local agronomist who has been in the Scouting movement for over 30 years, since he was 11 years old. Its Facebook page is still maintained though as a news giver for Scout units all over Puerto Rico.^[8] As of April 2011, Troop 1996 has ceased operations due to lack of parent support. A new Troop has been formed on April 2013. Spawning from Cub Scouts who have completed the Arrow of Light in Cub Scouting in Pack 601, Troop 40 is sponsored by the Army National Guard in Utuado.

• Cub Scouts

The first Cub Scout Pack was formed around 2000 as Pack 551. This number was chosen as commemoration to former Boy Scout Troop 551 (later Troop 1996); the Pack failed sustainment in 2003. The second, Pack 894, was formed in 2008 but failed sustainment later. The third, Pack 601, was formed around 2010 in Barrio Angeles, named after the road for where it is established. The Pack transferred is now sponsored by the Army National Guard in Utuado and therefore changed its unit number to Pack 40.

• Venturing

There has been only one Venturing crew in Utuado in 2006, but failed sustainment afterwards.

• Girl Scouts

There are between 7 to 10 Girl Scout Troops in Utuado.

Sports

• Baseball

On September 1, 2007, Utuado's baseball team Los Montañeses (The Mountaineers) won their third Double A League National championship against Los Bravos (The Braves) of Cidra. Their first victory was in 1941 in the then Federación Deportiva del Norte (Sports Federation of the North). In 1970 they won the first championship under the new Federación de Béisbol Aficionado de Puerto Rico (Federation of Baseball Enthusiast of Puerto Rico).^[9] On August 21, 2009, Los Montañeses lost to Los Patrulleros of San Sebastian del Pepino in the last Double A semi-finals game, thus the opponent won 4 of the 7 required games to win for the advancement to the finals. As of mid September 2009, Francisco J. Artau quit the Doble AA baseball team as owner. The post was later resumed by Montañeses' player Leonardo Matos then quit the position and later taken by physical therapist Héctor "Dalito" Rodríguez. The team's present-day owner is Pedro Soto.

• Table Tennis

Utuado has promising young table tennis players such as the Diaz sisters Adriana, Melanie, Gabriela and Fabiola, Bryan Afanador, Daniel Gonzalez, Richard Pietri, Daniely Rios and Yomar Gonzalez. Brian Afanador and Adriana Diaz are members of the International Table Tennis Federation World HOPES Team. These prominent young members of the Aguilas de la Montana Table Tennis Club have proven the best in the Caribbean, Latin America and the world in their respective categories. The head coach is Mr. Bladimir Diaz assisted by his brother Eladio Afanador, high level performance program coach.

• Rifle shooting

Paola Álvarez is Utuado's rifle shooting champion. She started to experience rifle shooting in 2007 in the inauguration of the pneumatic shooting range in Club Central de Tiro in Caonillas. After one year, shooting the equivalent of 2 years of expert shooting in 6 months, Albergue Olímpico de Salinas offered her a scholarship for the tenth grade which she accepted and studied there until graduation. She has competed in Guatemala (being the only Puerto Rican female, earning 2nd place among her category) and in Georgia. She studied in Colegio Utuadeño San José, Colegio San Miguel, and graduated Albergue Olimpico in Salinas in 2011. She studies at the PUCPR at Ponce. She is one of the six Utuado athletes who have competed in the 2010 Central American and Caribbean Games.

Her sister, Fabiola, is also a shooting champion. She studies at the Albergue Olímpico de Salinas since 7th grade, currently in her 10th. She is the youngest athlete ever to compete in Mayagüez 2010 and any Central American and Caribbean Games.

• Mayagüez 2010 athletes

Six athletes of Utuado have competed in Mayagüez 2010, they are Antonio "Tonito" Acevedo (Baseball), Diamilette Quiles (Softball), Giovanni González (Table Tennis), Luis Collazo (Marathon) and sisters Paola and Fabiola Álvarez (both Pneumatic Shooting).

Festivals and events

• Festival Nacional Del BBQ en Utuado - Originated by locals Samuel Kanig and Ramon G. Garcia, it is a one-day barbecue festival held in early January. It is an annual family event where people exhibit their own creativity by building unique barbecues made from common and uncommon household items. The festival has exhibited a barbecue grill made items such as a toolbox, coffin, light post, and even automobiles.
• Bicicletada De La Amistad Juan Domingo Reyes Negrón - An annual bike day celebrated on a Friday usually around the week of Valentine's Day since 2001. Celebrated in memory of Juan Domingo Reyes Negrón, a local boy who died in a truck impact while in his bicycle in 2000, the idea was originated by the First Lady, Ivelisse Reyes, and has been sponsored by the Municipal Government of Utuado and the Municipal Office of Recreation and Sports. On February 17, 2010, a Municipal employee lost his life in an accident in the Arecibo Waste Dump, therefore the Municipal Government postponed the bike day from February 19, 2010, to March 5, 2010. On this date, the starting point was moved from the Ramón Cabañas Baseball Stadium to the Utuado campus of the University of Puerto Rico. The 2011 edition's starting point was moved to the end of the under-construction PR-10, near the Utuado campus of the University of Puerto Rico. The 2012 starting point was the Ramón Cabañas Baseball Stadium, once again. On the 2012 edition of the bike day, the First Lady, asked the next mayor elected to continue this family activity for years to come and generations to enjoy as her husband stepped down as mayor that year.
• Barrio Angeles Fiesta - April
• Festival Tierra Adentro - Hosted annually by the Agricultural Technology department of the University of Puerto Rico at Utuado, featuring arts and crafts by local artisans, cultural music, food and plant and animal exhibitions. This festival is held in April from a Wednesday to Sunday.
• Guarionex Fiestas - April
• Feria Artesanal de Angeles - An annual arts & crafts fair held in early May in barrio Angeles featuring local artisans, music and food.
• Cross Rosary - May
• Festival de la Longaniza - Celebrated its first year on June 26–28, 2009, it was the lifelong dream of Don Jose A. Carmona "Don Toño" to establish it to celebrate his legacy with his children (his own recipe for seasoning the sausage) and bring another special celebration to the mountain town and celebrate something as delicious as "longaniza".
• Fiestas Patronales - Held towards the end of September to early October in honor of the town's patron saint, San Miguel Arcangel. Utuado's Fiestas Patronales honor their patron saint with processions, music and in 2005 featured amateur boxing matches, softball and domino games. It previously was held in the town's central plaza and after remodeling of the plaza, to prevent major damage, the festival moved to the Ramón Cabañas Baseball Stadium parking lot. The 2009 and 2011 editions of the Fiestas Patronales was not celebrated due to low budget from the Municipal Administration. The 2013 edition of the "patronales", under the municipal government of Ernesto Irizarry Salvá, returned to the recreation plaza in front of City Hall and the San Miguel Church.
• Festival Cultural del Otoao - An annual cultural 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.

Transportation

With the recent completion of the Highway 10, 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 the central town).

Education

There are currently 20 schools under the Department of Education system, 2 private schools, two college level institutions, University of Puerto Rico at Utuado and Universidad del Este (UNE), a hospital (Hospital Metropolitano de la Montaña) and a radio station (WUPR 1530 AM).

Most students in Utuado attend public schools, these being spread all over the town. Public education in Utuado is the best fit to the town's economic reality. Principal primary education institutions include; Maria Libertad Gomez, Felix Seijo and Bernardo Gonzalez among others. Among the principal secondary level institutions are the Francisco Ramos Middle School, Luis Muñoz Rivera High School (underway remodeling as of June 2010), Judith A. Vivas High School (operating as the Luis Muñoz Rivera High School), and Antonio Reyes Padilla Vocational High School (also known as "The Vocacional").

While most students attend the above-mentioned schools there are also private schools in Utuado. There are only two private schools currently operating: Colegio Utuadeño San José and Academia Dailén, both serving Pre-K to the sixth grade. Meanwhile the main private educational institution of Utuado was Colegio San Miguel. This Catholic school offered all lower level education grades (Pre K-12) and, during its former glory, attracted students hailing from adjacent municipalities such as Jayuya, Adjuntas and Arecibo. Founded in the early 1920s, its building is located in downtown Utuado. On May, 2010, the elementary building was forcefully closed leaving 7 teachers and its principal fired. On December 2010, Colegio San Miguel Middle/High School was completely forced shut down by its San Juan administrators for supposedly "lack of economic support." A lawsuit was filed in local court against the administrators, for damages to the students and faculty. Later, a federal injunction was also filed against the administrators for pursuing a chapter 7 bankruptcy. On August 2012, the administrators acceded to rent the Middle/High School building to federal program Proyecto CASA.

See also

• List of Puerto Ricans
• History of Puerto Rico
• Did you know-Puerto Rico?
• National Register of Historic Places listings in Puerto Rico

References

Further reading

• El Porvenir de Utuado: estudio historico, descriptivo y estadistico, by Ramón Morel Campos, published by El Vapor: Ponce in 1896.
• Libertad y Servidumbre en el Puerto Rico del siglo XIX: (los jornaleros utuadeños en vísperas del auge del café), by Fernando Picó, published by Ediciones Huracan in 1979.
• Los Gallos Peleados, by Fernando Picó, published by Ediciones Huracan in 1983.
• Amargo Café: los pequeños caficultores de Utuado en la segunda mitad del siglo XIX, by Fernando Picó, published by Ediciones Huracan in 1981.
• El Dorado Borincano: La economia de la conquista 1510-1550, Jalil Sued Badillo, published by Ediciones Puerto Rico in 2001.
• Historia Geografica, Civil y Natural de la isla de San Juan Bautista de Puerto Rico, Fray Iñigo Abbad y Lasierra, originally published in 1788, later published in 1866 with anotations by Jose Julian Acosta y Calbo.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Utuado, Puerto Rico.

• Utuado and its barrios, United States Census Bureau
• History of Utuado and Old Archival Photos

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