Carraízo Dam Foundation: During the XVII century the Spanish Crown granted Alonso Pizarro Hermona de Francisco Pizarro, native of the population of Trujillo, in Spain, an ample cattle ranch that extended on both shores of the Grande de Loíza river. The population used his place of birth, as this was the custom at that time, to name the municipality. The neighbors of the wards that today compose the jurisdiction of Trujillo Alto (troo-HEE-yo AHL-to), went to the Bishop and the Governor of Puerto Rico to ask permission to build a chapel with the purpose of giving mass, and of which houses would be built around it, as it was done in those times, there after when there were a sufficient number of neighbors to found the town. Another one of the reasons were the great swellings of the river that for many weeks prevented the neighbors travel to Río Piedras in order to attend mass and receive comunion. The neighbors of the left (west) side shore were against the idea of populating the right (east) side of the river because during the swells they would not be able to go to the head of the population. The persistence of the neighbors of the right shore together with their representative, Don Juan Francisco Carazo finally overcame, and on January 8, 1801 the new municipality of Trujillo Alto was constituted.     In 1826 the communications of Trujillo Alto remarkably improved with the construction of the first two bridges, the one towards Río Piedras and the other to Río Grande. In 1831 Trujillo Alto was made up of the following wards: Carraízo, Cuevas, Quebrada Grande, Quebrada Infierno and Trujillo Alto Town. In 1844 the House of the King was built, and ten years later the first school was founded, with an enrollment of 49 students. In the following two years the population was reduced remarkably by the deaths caused by a cholera epidemic.     In 1902 the Legislative Assembly of Puerto Rico approved the Law for the Consolidation of Certain Municipal Terms, which eliminated the municipality of Trujillo Alto and incorporated it with all its wards to Carolina. It was not until 1905, when a new law of the Legislative Assembly countermanded the previous one and restituted to Trujillo Alto to its character of independent municipality. Location:   Area: 54.6 sq km / 21.0 sq mi Population: 75,728 (census 2000) Population Density: 1,386.9 per sq km / 3,606.0 per sq mi People are known as: Trujillanos Trujillo Alto is also known as: Pueblo de los Arrecostaos (Laid Back Town) Ciudad de los Manantiales (City of Springs) El Pueblo de las Ocho Calles (The Town of the Eight Streets) La Ciudad En El Campo (The City In The Country) Wards: Census 2000: Population by Wards -Trujillo Alto Habitants Carraízo 16,380 Cuevas 22,101 Dos Bocas 9,391 La Gloria 4,613 Quebrada Grande 3,957 Quebrada Negrito 5,835 St. Just 12,572 Trujillo Alto Town 879 Total 75,728 Source: Census 2000 Political Division - Administrative: Senatorial District # 8 Carolina represented by Hon. Lornna Soto (PNP) and Hon. Héctor Martínez (PNP). Representative District # 38 & 40 represented by Hon. Pedro A. Rodríguez González # 38 (PPD) and Hon. Epi Jiménez Jr. # 40 (PNP). Patron: La Santa Cruz Topography: It is located in the Northern Coastal Plain and in the karst zone. The terrian of Trujillo Alto is mainly made up of humid hills. Their higher elevations can reach between 200 and 500 meters of altitude above sea level. Hydrography: It is watered by the Grande de Loíza River which crosses it from south to east; the Colorada, Infierno, Limones, Naranjo, Grande, Pastrana, Haya Fría y Maracuto gorges and the Carraízo dam. This dam or lake is greatest of Puerto Rico as far as area of water-drainage, since it covers 533 square kilometers / 206 square miles. Its original capacity is 20,000 acres/foot, almost 25 million cubic meters. It is used for potable water supply for the metropolitan area of San Juan. Economy: Factories that elaborate nutritional products, wood, fabric, metal, electrical and electronic machinery; also the operation of stone quarries, cultivation of fruits and cattle ranching. Average Salary: $263.34 weekly (1998) Flag: Wilfredo Colón Sánchez from Trujillo Alto informs us; As far as the flag there is much confusion in this town, since it was changed some say that it is square and only with the central part of the shield, but in the 200 year celebration of the I saw the white rectangular flag and the whole shield in the center of the flag. That is the most accepted. The flag as well as the shield were changed by the municipal administration (Hon.Brunilda Soto Echevarria) by means of the decree series 19,1997-98, of May 29,1998. Coat Of Arms: In a silver field, three green mountains, a Latin cross of blue centered above the mountains. Bordered in blue with eight spurts of water, in silver. The shield is stamped with a gold crown, heightened with five towers.     Underneath the shield a banner with the inscription: Trujillo Alto. The eight water spurts represent the eight wards of the municipality and symbolize the numerous water-bearing resources of Trujillo Alto like the Grande de Loíza River, the numerous springs, the gorges and the Carraízo Lake. The mountains represent the mountainous topography of the town. The Latin cross is one that is found in Carraízo, the Santa Cruz (Holy Cross). Note: Thanks to Wilfredo Colón Sánchez from Trujillo Alto with his contribution of the descriptions of the flag and Coat of Arms. Trujillo Alto Public Schools. Name Level Telephone Address ANTONIO S. PEDREIRA Elementary (787) 760-2085 PO Box 1217 EL CONQUISTADOR Elementary (787) 760-2865 PO Box 631 FAIR VIEW Elementary (787) 761-3280 PO Box 1236 HERMINIA DÍAZ APONTE Elementary (787) 761-1425 Calle Patillas JESÚS SILVA Elementary (787) 761-0565 PO Box 1189 JESÚS T PIÑERO Elementary (787) 761-0900 PO Box1189 JOSÉ F DÍAZ Elementary (787) 760-4255 Villas de Caraízo JUAN J. OSUNA Elementary (787) 760-5755 PO Box 1216 NUESTRA SEÑORA DE COVADONGA Elementary (787) 761-4866 PO Box 1235 PAUL G. MILLER Elementary (787) 755-2680 Suite 8 RAFAEL CORDERO Elementary (787) 760-8474 PO Box 1867 TULIO LARRINAGA Elementary (787) 761-1154 PO Box 987 ANDRÉS VALCÁRCEL Intermediate (787) 761-1060 PO Box 1203 EUGENIO MARIA DE HOSTOS Intermediate (787) 761-0860 PO Box 1242 RAFAEL CORDERO Intermediate (787) 761-0340 Suite 21 ALEJANDRO TAPIA Y RIVERA Second Unit (787) 760-0370 Calle 2 Sector Parcela MEDARDO CARAZO High School (787) 760-6575 PO Box 1867 PETRA ZENÓN DE FABERY High School (787) 760-0685 PO Box 1337 Source: Departamento De Educación Hymn: Duerme mi lindo Trujillo entre rojos tulipanes bordado de flamboyanes como silencioso nido Eres remanso tranquilo eres jardín en el valle ensoñación inefable prolongación de un idilio Cuando subo a la montaña miro de lo alto a lo hondo y se retrata en el fondo como cristal que no empaña El Loíza que te baña y al margen de su recodo te va filtrando un tesoro de rubia arena y de caña Y en la charca transparente de la gran comba serena en noches de luna llena vuelca su arco reluciente, tu centinela de puente y es invertida diadema suspendida en la corriente aunque se vaya la arena... De tus delicados lirios a lo largo del Loíza lleva un secreto la brisa que lo roba con sigilo Cuando en sus pausados giros en una tierna caricia les regala una sonrisa y les arranca un suspiro La tortuosa carretera que serpentea en tu entrada es una cinta enlazada que parte en dos la ladera... Y en invierno y primavera se ve con flores regada... Es que flora perfumada es tu bendición eterna. Y cuando rompe la calma y su ira desenfrena el Río Grande, ruge austera su corriente y se derrama sobre la ancha rivera; y a tus manteles de grana prende girones de arena con alfileres de palma Gracias a Wilfredo Colón Sánchez por su aportación del himno. Events: Patron Festivities - May Paso Fino Fair - November Macabeo Festival - December Places To Visit: Convent Carmelitas de San José Lourdes Grotto  Website Manantial de la Montaña (spring) Doña Inés Park Carraízo Dam Distinguished Citizens: Emilio Díaz Valcarcel - Writter Tulio Larrinaga - - Civil Engineer and Commissioned Resident Medardo Carazo - Educator José Fermín Díaz Viera - Historian Manuel Rivera Morales - Speaker and sports narrator Yolandita Monge - Singer and Actress Trujillo Alto Mayors 1801 - Present Year Mayor Year Mayor 1801 Juan Francisco Carazo 1861 José Tomás de Zarraga 1802 Víctor Fernández 1866 José Ruíz 1803 Francisco de Andino 1867 Ramón Sánchez López 1806 Pedro Díaz 1870 Emiliano Díaz Manuel Mellado Romero 1812 Buenaventura Quiñonez 1874 José B. Torres Ramón Sánchez López 1814 Lino M. Valdejuli 1879 Manuel Mellado Romero 1818 Manuel Díaz 1885 J. Antonio García 1821 Nicolás Vizcarrondo 1890 Ramón Sánchez López 1822 Juan Villalobos 1892 Ramón Castro 1823 Mateo Ramos Buenaventura Quiñonez 1898 José Gonzalo Díaz 1824 Antonio Chaparro Tomás Ruíz Juan Rodríguez 1899 José Monserrate Monge 1825 Juan Colón 1900-1902 Francisco Nemesio Díaz 1826 Manuel Díaz Juan Dolores Morales 1902 Trujillo Alto anexado a Carolina 1827 Juan B. Ramírez 1903-1904 Andrés Valcárcel 1829 Andrés S. Vizcarrondo 1905 Trujillo Alto restituido como municipio 1830 José Joaquín Díaz Gaspar de Andino 1905-1937 Andrés Valcárcel 1832 Manuel de Rivera Tomás Ruíz 1937 Ricardo Viera 1834 José Ramírez de Arellano 1937-1940 Fermín Viera 1836 José María de Rivera 1941-1944 Luis Cruz 1838 Juan B. Ramírez 1944 Jusina Viñas 1840 Juan Pablo de Rivera 1945-1958 Natalio Aponte Valentín 1841 José María de Torres 1958-1962 Isabel Díaz de Díaz 1842 Mateo Ramos 1962-1968 Heriberto Zayas Montanez 1843 José María de Rivera 1969-1972 Arturo Crespo Valentín 1846 José Joaquín Díaz 1973-1976 Elsie Calderón de Hernández 1848 José A. Díaz José C. Carrión 1977-1980 José Rivera 1850 Fausto García 1981-1992 Pedro A. Padilla Ayala 1851 Eusebio Colón 1993-1996 Ramón Rivera 1857 José R. Aguirre 1997-2000 Brunilda "Brunnie" Soto Echevarria 1858 José Martínez Díaz 2000-Present Pedro A. Padilla Ayala Source: Municipality of Trujillo Alto Mayor: Hon. Pedro Padilla Ayala (PPD) P.O. Box 1869 Trujillo Alto, P.R. 00977 (787) 748-1723       2004 General Election Results Municipality of Trujillo Alto Party Candidate Votes Percent   PEDRO PADILLA 21,048 58.25% JULIO ANDINO 13,626 37.71% LUIS A. CRUZ BATISTA 1,121 3.10% *OTHERS 338 0.94% Total 36,133   Breakdown of Others   Reported Voting Centers Participation Direct Nomination xxxx   Registered Voters xxxxx Blank xx   Votes xxxx Null xx   Participation Percent xxxx% Reported Voting Centers: xx out of xx for 100.00%   Total Registered xxxxx Source: Comisión Estatal de Elecciones de Puerto Rico