 c.1897 | |
  Location of Central San Vicente | |
| Country |  Puerto Rico |
|---|---|
| City |  Vega Baja |
| Coordinates | 18°26′40″N66°23′16″W / 18.444388°N 66.387672°W |
| Refinery details | |
| Owner(s) | L. Igaravidez (1873-1878) José Gallart (1878-1896) Rubert Hermanos (1896) Corp. Azucarera (1972) |
| Commissioned | 1873 |
| Decommissioned | 1967 |
Central San Vicente was the first sugarcane refinery in Puerto Rico, established in 1873 by Leonardo Igaravidez at Vega Baja.
In 1850, Manuel Lopez Landron founded the Hacienda San Vicente. After his death, his widow married Leonardo Igaravidez Maldonado (Vega Alta, 1830–1888), marquis of Cabo Caribe, who bought the neighboring plantations of Felicidad, Santa Inés, Fe and Rosario. He bought French machinery that allowed integration of the sugarcane fabrication process into a fully mechanized production flow. [1] [2] On January 30, 1872, a railroad opened for cane transport from the plantations to the Central.
In 1878, after its bankruptcy for a debt of more than 1 million pesos, the plant was bought by José Gallart. In 1880 four more Centrales operated in Puerto Rico: Luisa, San Francisco, Coloso and Canóvanas. In 1896, Gallart sold it to Rubert Hermanos, [3] who owned four additional plants with the Compañía Fabián, changing its name to Central San Vicente, Inc. In 1935 it had a grinding capacity of 1.500 tons daily, growing to 5,600 tons at 1958. In 1952 it achieve its greatest production, grinding 71.280 tons.
San Vicente closed in 1967, [4] after it was sold to La Corporación Azucarera in 1972 who sold it off in pieces. Some of the machinery was sold to el ingenio la Grecia in Choluteca, Honduras.
The chimney was rebuilt in 1952. Its ruins include two fireplaces, part of an oven, a crane, brick and walls, tanks and parts of a "Farrel" steam engine. It is located in the carr. 688, of the Cabo Caribe neighborhood, Vega Baja. [5]
Vega Alta is a town and municipality of Puerto Rico. Vega Alta is on the northern coast of the island, north of Morovis and Corozal; east of Vega Baja; and west of Dorado with an area of 28 square miles (73 km2). Vega Alta is subdivided into seven barrios and Vega Alta barrio-pueblo. It is part of the San Juan-Caguas-Guaynabo Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Vega Baja is a town and municipality located on the coast of north central Puerto Rico. It is north of Morovis, east of Manatí, and west of Vega Alta. Vega Baja is spread over 14 barrios. The population of the municipality was 54,414 at the 2020 census. It is part of the San Juan–Caguas–Guaynabo metropolitan statistical area.
Dr. Rebekah Colberg Cabrera, was a Puerto Rican athlete, who was known as "The Mother of Women's Sports in Puerto Rico". Colberg participated in various athletic competitions in the 1938 Central American and Caribbean Games celebrated in Panama where she won the gold medals in Discus and Javelin throw.
Scouting in Puerto Rico was introduced in the 1920s, and has been serving both boys and girls in the island since then. The Boy Scouts of America (BSA), serves both boys and girls in different programs, while the Girl Scouts of the USA serves only girls in various levels.
The Catholic Church in Puerto Rico is part of the worldwide Catholic Church in communion with the pope in Rome. The 78 municipalities in Puerto Rico have a Catholic church which is located in the downtown area, normally across from the central plaza.
The Panteón Nacional Román Baldorioty de Castro is a tract of land in Barrio Segundo of the city of Ponce, Puerto Rico, originally designed as the city's cemetery, but later converted into what has come to be a famous burial place. Established in 1842, it is Puerto Rico's first national pantheon. It is the only cemetery dedicated as a museum in Puerto Rico and the Caribbean. Prior to being dedicated as a Panteón Nacional, it was known as Cementerio Viejo or as Cementerio Antiguo de Ponce, and is listed under that name on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. The Pantheon is named after Román Baldorioty de Castro, a prolific Puerto Rican politician, and firm believer of Puerto Rican autonomy and independence. His remains are located here. The Pantheon also houses a small museum about the history of autonomism in the Island, and it is currently used both as a park and a venue for the expression of culture and the arts. It is called the Museo del Autonomismo Puertorriqueño.
Juan Cortada y Quintana was a Puerto Rican politician, businessman, and landowner. He served as Mayor of Ponce, Puerto Rico, from 27 September 1872 to 4 February 1874.
Juan de Dios Conde was mayor of Ponce, Puerto Rico, in 1836 and again in 1839.
Porta del Sol, or simply West Region, is a tourism region in western Puerto Rico. Porta del Sol was the first tourism region to be established by the Puerto Rico Tourism Company. It consists of 17 municipalities in the western area: Quebradillas, Isabela, San Sebastián, Moca, Aguadilla, Aguada, Rincón, Añasco, Mayagüez, Las Marías, Maricao, Hormigueros, San Germán, Sabana Grande, Guánica, Lajas and Cabo Rojo.
Porta Caribe is a tourism region in southern Puerto Rico. It was established in 2003 by the Puerto Rico Tourism Company, an agency of the Government of Puerto Rico. When created in 2003 it consisted of 14 municipalities in the south central zone. With the creation of the neighboring Porta Cordillera zone in July 2012, the municipalities of Adjuntas and Jayuya were transferred to the newly created Porta Cordillera zone and Porta Caribe became a 12-municipality tourism region. The name Porta Caribe translates to "Doorway to the Caribbean." Its executive director is Maritza W. Ruiz Cabán.
Central Coloso, also known as Coloso Sugar Cane Refinery, was a long-running sugarcane refinery in Aguada, Puerto Rico. The refinery was established in late 19th century becoming one of the biggest sugar emporiums in the island. It remained operational until 2003, becoming the last sugarcane refinery to cease operations on the island.
José Gualberto Padilla, also known as El Caribe, was a physician, poet, journalist, politician, and advocate for Puerto Rico's independence. He suffered imprisonment and constant persecution by the Spanish Crown in Puerto Rico because his patriotic verses, social criticism and political ideals were considered a threat to Spanish Colonial rule of the island.
Cabo Caribe is a barrio in the municipality of Vega Baja, Puerto Rico. Its population in 2010 was 3,989.
Vega Baja barrio-pueblo is a barrio and downtown area that serves as the administrative center (seat) of Vega Baja, a municipality of Puerto Rico. Its population in 2010 was 816.
Hacienda Azucarera La Esperanza is a former 2265-acre sugarcane plantation located in the Manatí river valley in the municipality of Manatí, Puerto Rico which was founded in the 1830s and, by the 1860s, was one of the largest in the island. It remained operational from 1830 to 1880.
Central Cortada, also known as the Cortada Sugarcane Refinery, was a sugarcane plantation and refinery located in Descalabrado, Santa Isabel, Puerto Rico. The area where the refinery is located has been used for the growth and processing of sugarcane since the 18th century.
Cibuco Swamp is a swamp located in northern Puerto Rico in the municipality of Vega Baja. The swamp is found at the mouth of the Cibuco River, in the barrios Cabo Caribe, Cibuco and Puerto Nuevo. The swamp is protected by the Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources (DRNA) as the Cibuco Swamp Nature Reserve, and it is home to a large number of species of plants and animals. The nature reserve is open to visitors who are allowed to hike and bike, and the area is also popular for birdwatching.
Media related to Central San Vicente at Wikimedia Commons