Porta Coeli Built between 1606 and 1607, it is believed to be the oldest church in Puerto Rico. Foundation: San Germán (sahn her-MAHN), was founded May 12, 1570 in the Hills of Santa Marta, although the transfer wasn't completed until 1573. Rodrigo Ortíz Vélez is credited with its founding. Don Diego Colón named the town to honor Germana de Foix, a Navarrese-French princess who was King Fernando the Catholic's second wife.     Numerous Taínos native tribes existed in all of San Germán's territory. According to historian Aurelio Tió Nazario the native governors were: Chief Mabo el Grande in Higüey; Chief Agüeybana in Tavora; Chief Aymaco in Villa Sotomayor; Chief Guaryma in Guadianilla; and Chief Huamay or Chief Guamá in the Hills of Santa Marta.     On June 15, 1877 King Alfonso XII granted San Germán the title of city. Towards the first half of the XIX century this municipality contained the following wards: Ancones, Arenal, Benavento, Caín Alto, Caín Bajo, Duey, Guamá, Guanajibo, Guánica, Hormigueros, Indiera, Lajas Arriba, Lavadero y Jagüitas, Llanos, Tuna y Cotuy, Minillas, Montoso, Palmarejo, Retiro, Río Prieto, Sabana Eneas, Sabana Grande, Sabana Yeguas, San Germán Pueblo, Santuario de Lajas and Santuario del Rosario. During the rest of the century numerous changes in the composition of this municipality took place. Guánica was annexed to Yauco, and with many of San Germán's wards, municipalities like Hormigueros, Maricao and Lajas were created. The last change took place in 1940, when the Cotuy ward changed to Cotuí.     In 1856 a cholera epidemic to which many succumbed in Puerto Rico was felt in San Germán in dramatic way: it produced 2,843 casualties and it was necessary to improvise cemeteries in all the wards to bury to the "coléricos," as the infected people were called.     On August 10, 1898, General Schuann in charge of the United States forces took possession of the city, thus concluding the colonial presence of Spain in Puerto Rico. Location: Located in the southwestern region of the island, it is contiguous with Mayagüez and Maricao to the north, with Lajas to the south, Hormigueros and Cabo Rojo to the west, and with Sabana Grande to the east.t. Area: 140.4 sq km / 54.0 sq mi Population: 37,105 (census 2000) Population Density: 264.2 per sq km / 687.1 per sq mi People are known as: Sangermeños San Germán is also known as: Ciudad de las Lomas (The City of Hills) Ciudad de las Golondrinas (The City of Swallows) Ciudad Fundadora de Pueblos (Founding City of Towns) Ciudad Cuna del Baloncesto Puertorriqueño (The Home of Basketball) Ciudad Peregrina (Pilgrim City) Wards: Census 2000: Population by Wards - San Germán Habitants Ancones 1,742 Caín Alto 3,064 Caín Bajo 1,130 Cotuí 751 Duey Alto 1,471 Duey Bajo 951 Guamá 2,099 Hoconuco Alto 742 Hoconuco Bajo 1,681 Maresúa 1,231 Minillas 3,484 Retiro 7,361 Rosario Alto 761 Rosario Bajo 1,675 Rosario Peñón 725 Sabana Eneas 2,188 Sabana Grande Abajo 2,603 San Germán Town 3,307 Tuna 139 Total 37,105 Source: Census 2000 Political Division - Administrative: Senatorial District # 4 Mayagüez represented by Hon. Luis Daniel (PNP) and Hon. Carlos Pagán (PNP). Representative District # 20 represented by Hon. Norman Ramírez (PNP). Patron: San Germán de Auxerre San Germán de Auxerre Parish Apartado 305 San Germán, P.R. 00683 (787) 892-1027 Topography: It belongs to the Western Coastal Plain region. Towards the northeast we find the Central Mountain Range where the hills begin with the Tetas de Cerro Gordo (883 meters) and the Alto del Descanso (768 meters). Hydrography: It is watered by the Guanajibo, Cupeyes, Caín, Hoconuco and Nuevo Pasos rivers. Economy: Manufacturing includes: electrical items, electronic machinery, pharmaceutical, textile and nutritional products. Sugar cane and fruits are cultivated, and dairy farms are present in small scale. Average Salary: $293.00 weekly (1998) Flag: Green - the episcopal dignity and the colors of the Shield of Chistopher Columbus and his son, Virrey of America. White - The purity of the blood of the great families who colonized San Germán, according to book of Fray Iñigo Abad. The families of San Germán were distinguished; and the purity of the Guanajibo River, since their waters were considered medicinal, were taken to Europe for such purpose. Violet - Color of the Shield of Juan Ponce de Leon, first governor of Puerto Rico. Coat Of Arms: The pontificial hat and the walking stick represents San Germán, bishop of Auxerre (France) and patron of the city. The pontificial hat represents excellence, the sign of the episcopal dignity: it represents the fullness of the priesthood. The walking stick represents the power of the bishops to shepherd their spiritual flock. The green background represents the pontificial hat of patriarchs, archbishops and bishops, as well as their cords and tassels that for some years have been established also by the Holy See as the standard color of the canopies and other episcopal parameters. But the green color, along with the gold, which are the colors of this first quarter, have in addition another symbolism: First they remember don Diego Colón, first-born of the discoverer of America, and that in his character of governor of the Indies, with seat in Santo Domingo, by decree named the population San Germán. It was his intention to honor Queen Germana de Folix, second wife of don Fernando the Catholic, the monarch who imposed and presided over the colonization of Puerto Rico. First Quarter: Granted to Christopher Columbus by the catholic kings, in gratefulness of the family shield of the Colonos, it has, in a green field a royal gold castle, which is a heraldry modification of the arms of the kingdom of Castile, which in turn has, a red field with a gold castle of three towers, the one in the middle being the tallest, lined in black and clarified in red. The green and gold remember, who gave San Germán its name. Second Quarter: The second quarter exhibits the arms of the kingdoms of Aragon and Sicily, where don Fernando the Catholic reigned.     Third Quarter: In this quarter the arms combine with the County of Foix and the Kingdom of France, which constitute the family shields of Germana de Foix whose name perpetuates the city of San Germán. Fourth Quarter: Is Ponce de Leon's shield, branch of Puerto Rico that corresponds to a lineage (of many ramifications) that connected with the royal house of Leon, adopting its arms with a rampant purple lion, crowned and armed in gold in a silver field. This same shield, alone and in combination with other heraldry quarter elements, are used in the houses of the Ponce de Leon of Spain. The branch of Puerto Rico, for some unknown reason, was designed without a crown, like in the old church of Santo Tomás (today San José) in San Juan, and in the seals that Monsignor Murga reproduced in his book about Ponce de Leon. In its shield, San German's quarter perpetuates the memory of the conqueror of Puerto Rico, who always offered his stimulus and protection. The Crown: Is a civic or municipal standard and is used as a stamp for towns and cities, San Germán was assigned five towers to denote that this population formally obtained the title of city from the Spanish crown, in the last century. Public Schools San Germán District. Name Level Telephone Address AMINA TIÓ DE MALARET Elementary (787) 892-5750 PO Box 80 ANTONIA MARTÍNEZ Elementary (787) 264-3600 PO Box 5000476 BARTOLOMÉ DE LAS CASAS Elementary (787) 892-5756 PO Box 5000257 CARMEN BORRAS BATISTINI Elementary (787) 805-0006 PO Box 735 GEORGINA ALVARADO Elementary (787) 892-7590 PO Box 65 HENRY W. LONGFELLOW Elementary (787) 892-1358 PO Box 65 HERMINIA C. RAMÍREZ Elementary (787) 892-7105 PO Box 65 MARIANO ABRIL Elementary (787) 892-7403 PO Box 5000257 JULIO VÍCTOR GUZMÁN Intermediate (787) 892-1168 PO Box 65 LAURA MERCADO Secondary (787) 832-4155 Correo General LUIS MUÑOZ RIVERA Secondary (787) 892-7590 PO Box 65 FEDERICO DEGETAU Secondary (787) 892-7110 PO Box 1095 FRANCISCO MARIANO QUIÑÓNEZ Secondary (787) 892-6315 PO Box 65 GALO ROSADO Secondary (787) 892-0715 PO Box 65 LOLA RODRÍGUEZ DE TIÓ High School (787) 892-1320 PO Box 206 Source: Departamento De Educación Hymn: By Raquel Quiñones San Germán es mi pueblo querido, en sus lomas alegres nació, y no encuentro otro sitio en el mundo donde yo pueda ser tan feliz. Es antiguo, legendario y muy culto, y fue cuna de hombres grandes ayer, de poetas, maestros artistas, y de damas muy nobles también. Porta Coeli se levanta orgulloso cual reliquia de un tiempo que fue, en sus muros antiguos aun vibra, un pasado de gloria y de fe. Yo no cambio mis verdes colinas por París, Nueva York, ni Berlín porque allí no se ven golondrinas como siempre las vemos aquí. Dios bendiga este pueblo tan más, este pueblo en donde nació, del que puedo yo estar orgulloso, donde siempre me siento feliz. Events: Patron Celebrations - July Anón Festival - September Christmas Festival - December Places To Visit: Casa Morales Ceiba de la Libertad Historic Gallery Porta Coeli Church Santo Domingo Plazuela Bolas Bridge Three Races and One Culture Mural Lola Rodríguez de Tió Museum Ramírez de Arrellano y Rossell Museum Distinguished Citizens: Juan F. Acosta - Composer (biography) Francisco Mariano Quiñones - Abolition leader, politician and writer. (biography) Samuel R. Quiñones - Participated in the Liberal Party and was one of the founders of the Popular Party. (biography) Lola Rodríguez de Tió - Poet and patriotic. (biography) Manuel F. Rossy - Lawyer, journalist, orator and leader of the statehood movement. (biography) Aurelio Tió - Historian San Germán Mayors 1514 - Present Year Mayor Year Mayor 1514 Gonzalo Ovalle Alonso Mendoza 1830 Manuel del Toro Almodóvar 1519 Vasco de Tiedra, García Troche Bachiller, Diego Morales & Juan de Torres Figueroa 1830 Ramón Genaro Porata 1523 Luis de Añasco 1831 Domingo Postigo & Juan Antonio Ortíz de la Renta 1524 Luis de Añasco & Pedro López de Angulo 1832 José Monserrate Ramírez & Sebastián Rodríguez Astadillo 1525 Juan de Cueto, Alonso Rodríguez Minaya, Sebastián de la Gama & Luis de Añasco 1833 Mayor Santiago, Cristóbal Casanova, Vicente de Lugo & Lorenzo de Torres 1526 Sebastián de la Gama, Rodrigo de San Lucas, Francisco de Quindos, Alonso de Vargas & Vasco Troche 1835 Joaquín de Sepúlveda & Pedro María Martínez 1527 Martín Garcés & Juan de Cueto 1836 Santurnino Mestre & José Víctor Sánchez 1528 Luis de Añasco, Juan de Cueto, Martín Garcés, Antonio de la Gama & Francisco Quindos 1837 José Eusebio del Toro & Francisco de Paula Quiñonez 1529 Martín Garcés & Juan de Cueto 1838 Joaquín Nazario Figueroa & José Antonio Irizarry 1530 Alonso de Vargas & Rodrigo de San Lucas 1839 Joaquín Nazario de Figueroa & Juan Antonio de Irizarry 1532 Juan de Laso de Castellanos 1840 José Monserrate Ramírez & Domingo de Rivera 1537 Vasco de Tiedra 1841 José Dolores de Acosta & Domingo de Rivera 1538 Lcdo. Alonso de Molina 1842 Genaro Cardona & Cayetano Quiñonez 1572 Rodrigo Ortíz Vélez 1846 Mariano A. Ponce de León & Cayetano Quiñonez 1573 Rodrigo Ortíz Vélez, Francisco del Río & Juan Ortíz de la Renta 1847 Jaime Carreras 1577 Rodrigo Ortíz Vélez 1848 José Ramón Irizarry 1589 Juan López de Aliseda 1849 Ramón Delgado 1596 Juan Rodríguez de Olivencia 1850 José de Córdova 1600 Juan López de Aliseda 1851-1852 Antonio Benito Padilla 1622 Diego de Figueroa 1853-1843 Cayetano Sánchez 1652 Domingo de Olivera 1857-1865 Ramón Santaella Canales 1661 Jacinto Ortíz de Pena 1866-1867 Luis Quijano Font 1679 Diego de Montalvo & Gaspar Pérez de Figueroa 1868 Manuel González García 1681 Gerardo González de Rivera 1869 Jacinto García Pérez 1692 Manuel Julián de Almodóvar 1870 Pablo de Camacho 1701 Gerardo González Acevedo Rivera 1871 Salvador Tió 1702 José Ortíz de la Renta & Pedro Segarra 1873 Juan Gregory 1705 Juan Segarra 1874 Tomás Ramírez Quiñonez 1735 Remigio Ramírez de Arellano & Andrés de Toro Quiñonez 1875 Juan Dávila 1767 Miguel de Quiñonez & Juan Cancel 1876-1877 Ignacio Guillot 1769 German Ramírez de Arellano 1878 Froilan Santana 1770 German Ramírez de Arellano, Nicolás Ramírez de Arellano & Juan Pablo Dávila 1879 Ángel Montaner 1771 Florencio Pabón Dávila & Juan de la Seda 1880-1881 Eugenio Comas Boada 1772 Juan Cancel & José Antonio de Rivera 1882 Manuel Capetillo 1773 Manuel Ramírez Sebastián de Rivera 1883 Joaquín Aldea Berenguer 1774 Juan Ramírez, Faustino Martínez de Matos, Manuel Ramírez de Arellano & Sebastián de Rivera 1884 Joaquín Calvo 1775 José Nazario de Quiñonez & German Pabón 1885 Luciano Martín 1776 Manuel Ramírez de Arellano & Bartolomé Vélez Borrero 1886-1887 José Arimon Cruz 1793 Miguel Ponce de León 1888-1890 Antonio Aheran Rubio 1795 Miguel de Quiñonez 1891 Ramón Riopedre 1796 José Ortíz de la Pena & Ramón Ramírez de Arellano 1892 José Sánchez Candelaria 1797 Ignacio de Torres Figueroa 1893 Manuel Aldea Berenguer 1798 Miguel Ortíz de la Renta, Dámaso Ramírez de Arellano & Miguel Ortíz de la Renta 1894-1896 Juan Francisco Gregory 1799 Dámaso Ramírez de Arellano & Mateo Belvis 1897 Ramón María Suris 1800 Mateo Belvis & Nicolás Quiñonez 1898 Ramón Quiñonez 1801 Tomás Ramírez de Arellano & Nicolás Quiñonez 1899 Félix Acosta Sepúlveda 1802 Nicolás de Quiñonez & Antonio Ramírez de Arellano 1900 William E. Almy 1803 Antonio Ramírez de Arellano & Felipe Quiñonez 1901 Francisco Mariano Quiñonez 1804 Felipe Quiñonez & Manuel del Toro 1902 Francisco Mariano Quiñonez 1805 Manuel del Toro & José Antonio de Sepúlveda 1903 Francisco Mariano Quiñonez 1806 José Antonio de Sepúlveda & Tomás Ramírez de Arellano 1904 José Antonio Vivoni 1807 José Antonio de Sepúlveda & Antonio Esteban de Quiñonez 1905 Ulises Gregory 1808 Francisco A. Ramírez de Arellano & Antonio Esteban de Quiñonez 1906 Jacinto Paradis 1809 Antonio Esteban de Quiñonez & Francisco A. Ramírez de Arellano 1907 Ulises Gregory 1810 German Pagan & Bernardo Pabón Dávila 1908 Juan de P. Nazario & Enrique Rossy 1811 Bernardo Pabón Dávila & Manuel del Toro 1909-1910 Enrique Rossy 1812 Manuel del Toro & Manuel Esteban de Ribera 1911-1915 Ulises Gregory 1813 Faustino del Toro Josef & Monserrate Ramírez 1916-1918 Francisco Severa Silva 1814 Felipe de Quiñonez & Manuel Esteban de Rivera 1919-1924 Genaro C. Nazario 1815 Antonio Esteban de Quiñonez & Francisco A. Ramírez de Arellano 1925 Juan Ángel Tió 1816 José Ramírez de Arellano & Joaquín Nazario 1925-1928 Francisco Severa Silva 1817 Vicente Mariano de Quiñonez & José Pabón Dávila 1928 Néstor Rivera Porrata 1818 José de Quiñonez & Vicente Ramírez 1929-1932 Santiago R. Palmer Silva 1819 Manuel Esteban Rivera & Domingo Vélez Borrero 1933-1935 Juan Ángel Tió Malaret 1820 José Monserrate Ramírez 1936 Dr. Edgardo Quiñonez 1821 Vicente Mariano de Quiñonez & José Barrientos 1936-1940 Julio Montalvo 1822 Pascasio Cardona & Manuel Jusino 1940 Dr. Nicolás Sanabria Fernández, Aurelio Tió de Nazario & Genaro C. Nazario 1823 José Ramón Ramírez & Esteban Vilanova 1941-1968 Lisandro Lugo Penchí 1824 José Monserrate Ramírez 1968 José A. Cebollero Salas 1825 Nicolás Quiñonez & José Ramón Ramírez 1969-1981 José del Carmen Alemañy 1826 Ramón de Quiñonez & Manuel del Toro Almodóvar 1981-1996 Jorge Alberto Ramos Comas 1827 Mariano A. Ponce de León & Manuel del Toro Almodóvar 1996-2000 Llantín 1828 Bernardo Pabón Dávila & José Monserrate Ramírez 2000-Present Isidro Negrón Irizarry 1829 Joaquín Nazario & Ramón Delgado     Source: RootsWeb Mayor: Hon. Isidro Negrón Irizarry PPD) P.O. Box 85 San Germán, P.R. 00683 ( 787 ) 892- 3500       2004 General Election Results Municipality of San Germán Party Candidate Votes Percent   ISIDRO NEGRON IRIZARRY 10,559 50.95% LUIS CANCEL 9,215 44.47% GREGORIO 'GOYO' OLIVERAS LLANTIN 599 2.89% *OTROS 350 1.69% Total 20,723   Breakdown of Others   Reported Voting Centers Participation Direct Nomination 133   Registered Voters 24,923 Blank 156   Votes 20,723 Null 61   Participation Percent 83.15% Reported Voting Centers: 91 out of 91 for 100.00%   Total Registered 24,923 Source: Comisión Estatal de Elecciones de Puerto Rico