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Foundation:
Populating Las Marías (lahs mah-REE-yahs) began late in the history of the island because of difficulties in building roads in this region. The lack of roads made cattle operations difficult, which were the origin of almost all the local economies. Its foundation was carried out by Canaries and Majorcans.
Las Maríaswas a ward of its capital San Sebastián, which was at a great distance. In a 1857, when the Furnias ward of the municipality of Mayagüez was reconstituted as a separate parish, having a population of 249, the residents and proprietors of Las Marías made a request to the Provincial Delegation to be segregated from San Sebastián and be incorporated into the parish of Furnias. Such incorporation was authorized in 1859.
But the development of Las Marías already had begun, with a remarkable increase of the population in just a few years. For that reason the local population asked for authorization from the government to reconstitute themselves as an independent town from Mayagüez.
On March 20, 1871 the Provincial Delegation authorized this request and it was carried out. Shortly after, Las Marías was constituted as an independent parish under the avocation of the Inmaculada Concepción de María. Once constituted it shared with Mayagüez military, judicial and ecclesiastical matters. By the end of this century Las Marías was made up of the following wards: Anones, Alto Sano, Bucarabones, Buena Vista, Cerrote, Chamorro, Espino, Furnias, Las Marías Pueblo, Naranjales, Palma Escrita, Purísima Concepción and Río Cafías.
Location:
Located in the west, towards the center of the island, it is bordered byk: Añasco and San Sebastián to the north, Maricao to the south, Lares to the east, and Añasco and Mayagüez to the west.
Area:
122.2 sq km / 47.0 sq mi
Population:
11,061 (census 2000)
Population Density:
90.5 per sq km / 235.4 per sq mi
People are known as:
Marieños
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Las Marías is also known as:
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Pueblo de la China Dulce (Town Of The Sweet Orange)
Ciudad de los Cítricos (Citric City)
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Wards:
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Census 2000:
Population by Wards - Las Marías
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Habitants
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Alto Sano
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145
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Anones
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1,443
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Bucarabones
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598
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Buena Vista
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715
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Cerrote
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612
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Chamorro
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220
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Espino
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183
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Furnias
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1,508
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Las Marías Town
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397
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Maravilla Este
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944
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Maravilla Norte
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663
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Maravilla Sur
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1,899
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Naranjales
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485
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Palma Escrita
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693
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Purísima Concepción
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144
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Río Cañas
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412
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Total
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11,061
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Source:
Census 2000
Political Division - Administrative:
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Patron:
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La Inmaculada Concepción de María
La Inmaculada Concepción de María Parish
Apartado 126
Las Marías, PR 00670
(787) 827-3300
Mass Schedule:
Daily: 7:00pm
Saturdays: 5:00pm
Sundays: 10:00am
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La Inmaculada Concepción de María Parish
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Topography:
Las Marías is located in the spurs of the Central Mountain Range with the municipality of Maricao. Some of its elevations are: Las Marías, Plan Bonito and Herencia. The Urayoán Mountains, that run thru the southwest separate it from Mayagüez.
Hydrography:
Las Marías is well known for its numerous water springs. It is bathed by the Grande de Añasco river (known as Guasio), which serves as border with San Sebastián. Its affluents are the: Guaba, Bucarabones, Mayagüecilla, Sands, Casey and Cañas rivers; and the Fría, Mayagüecilla, La Verde, Las Marías, Los Verracos, Cintrona, Vélez, Collera, Pepinera and La Mota gorges.
Economy:
Agriculture: coffee, bananas and citrus; and manufacturing: clothing.
Average Salary:
$218.09 weekly (1998)
Flag:
The flag is divided by an imaginary diagonal line whose ends are the superior left angle of the flag and the opposite inferior angle. The superior part is yellow and the inferior one green. It was designed by the Marieño historian José Luis Medina Caraballo.
Coat Of Arms:
The shield is divided into six parts with three in silver and three in blue. A "María" tree (Callophylum brasiliense antillum), with a pair of coffee tree branches to the sides of its trunk, adorns each silver part. The monogram and crown of Nuestra Señora la Santísima Virgen de Plata is placed in the top center portion of the shield. The shield's border is red with a broken chain at the bottom. Above the shield resides three tower crown in gold.
The monogram refers to the old Parish of Dulce Nombre de María, origin of the town, and the frequent use of the name of Maria here by people of both sexes. The name of the municipality refers directly to the María trees, although they do not abound in the territories of the municipality, act as talking souls.
The blue and silver, main colors of the shield, also refer to the Virgin. The coffee tree branches indicate that Las Marías is located in the coffee region of Puerto Rico and that coffee has been always one of its main agricultural products.
The broken chain, symbol of freedom, recalls the participation of the revolutionaries of Las Marías in the "Grito de Lares" revolt, who in 1868 proclaimed in the town of Lares the independence of Puerto Rico.
Public Schools sorted by educational levels.
Updated: 08/07/2003
Mayagüez Region
Las Marías District
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Name
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Level
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Telephone
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Address
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Elementary
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BRYAN
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K-6
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(787) 827-3066
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HC 2 Box 11018, P.R. 00670-9069
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BUCARABONES
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K-6
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(787) 827-0085
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PO Box 10880, P.R. 00670-9062
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CONSUMO
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K-6
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(787) 831-0818
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PO Box 233, P.R. 00670-9069
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ESPINO
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K-6
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(787) 827-3070
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HC 2 Box 11018, P.R. 00670-9069
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LUIS SANTALIZ CAPESTANY
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K-6
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(787) 827-2320
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PO Box 233, P.R. 00670-2004
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Intermediate
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INTERMEDIA NUEVA
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7-9
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(787) 827-2100
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# 5 Calle Palmer Suite 1, P.R. 00670-2104
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Secondary
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FORTUNATO JORGE CORONA
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K-9
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(787) 827-2033
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HC 2 Box 10462, P.R. 00670-9044
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SU LAURO GONZÁLEZ HIJO
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PK-9
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(787) 827-2540
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PO Box 233, P.R. 00670-9069
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High School
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EVA Y PATRIA CUSTODIO
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10-12
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(787) 827-4115
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163 Calle Mathias Bruckman, P.R. 00670-2016
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Hymn:
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Por tus montes y tus aguas cristalinas.
Por tus hombres, tus mujeres y tu fe.
Por tu aroma a flor de azahar que dan tus chinas
y tu aroma y fuerte sabor a café.
Por el fuego del combate desde Guacio.
Porque Furnias el Grifo al aire lanzó por el pasado,
presente y el futuro llevas el nombre de la madre de Dios.
Desde el pico de Cerrote hasta Río Grande.
Desde el este, el oeste, norte
y sur por ser tres tus maravillas,
Dios te guarde bajo un dosel que corona un cielo azul.
Privilegio es de tus hijos ser nacidos
en un lugar tan colmado de ilusión
que un certero poeta una vez dijo
"Eres chiquito pero grande en corazón".
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Las Marías City Hall
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Events:
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Orange Festival - March
Foundation of the Town - March
Paso Fino Festival - June
Matron Festivities - December
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Places To Visit:
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Barrietos Cavern
Fronteras Hacienda
Planell Hacienda
Rullán Hacienda
San Calisto Hacienda
San Carlos Plaza
Paco Gaztambide Sugar Mill Ruins
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San Carlos Plaza
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Distinguished Citizens:
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Mathias Bruckman - Leader of the Grito de Lares revolt
Tomás Manzano Hernández - Police Officer
José Luis (Luisito) Medina Caraballo - Historian
Benito Recio - Founder and first mayor
Domingo Silá Ortíz - Educator and writer
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Las Marías Mayors 1842 - Present
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Year
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Mayor
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Year
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Mayor
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1842
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Francisco Pruna
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1921
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Manuel "Nolo" Muñoz Torellas
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1868-1872
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Benito Recio
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1922
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Manuel "Lito" Muñiz Vélez
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1872- 1873
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Francisco Ramos Gómez
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1923-1924
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Eustaquio M. Gaztambide Gómez
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1873
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Pedro Beauchamp y Froilan Santana
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1925-1928
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Manuel "Lito" Muñiz Vélez
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1874-1879
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José María Guerra Betancourt
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1929-1932
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Eustaquio M. Gaztambide Gómez
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1879-1882
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Francisco Annoni Nivo
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1933-1936
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Fortunato Jorge Corona
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1883-1884
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Benito Recio
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1937-1940
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Eustaquio Ramos Meléndez
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1884-1885
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José Muxo Espinet
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1941-1944
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Lauro González González
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1887-1889
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A. Annoni Nivo
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1945-1948
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Luis Santaliz Capestany
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1889-1890
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Juan Bascaran
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1949-1964
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Eustaquio Ramos Meléndez
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1891-1895
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José Guiscafre Llampart
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1965-1996
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Adrián Heriberto Acevedo Cruz
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1895-1897
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Francisco Lulladosa
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1997- Present
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Edwin Soto Santiago
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1898-1904
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Rafael Olivencia Elías
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1905-1920
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Carlos María Beauchamp Goirgi
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Source: Municipality of Las Marías
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Mayor:
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Hon. Edwin Soto Santiago (PNP)
P.O. Box 366
Las Marías, P.R. 00670
(787) 827- 2280
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2004 General Election Results
Municipality of Las Marías
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Party
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Candidate
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Votes
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Percent
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EDWIN SOTO SANTIAGO
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3,691
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56.40%
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COCO RIOS
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2,688
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41.08%
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PEDRO IVAN PARRILLA RODRIGUEZ
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87
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1.33%
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*OTHERS
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78
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1.19%
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Total
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6,544
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Breakdown of Others
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Reported Voting Centers Participation
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Direct Nomination
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8
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Registered Voters
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7,442
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Blank
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41
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Votes
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6,544
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Null
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29
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Participation Percent
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87.93%
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Reported Voting Centers: 32 out of 32 for 100.00%
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Total Registered
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7,442
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Source: Comisión Estatal de Elecciones de Puerto Rico
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