Aibonito, Puerto Rico
Encyclopedia
Aibonito is a small mountain town in Puerto Rico
located in the Mountain range of Cayey, north of Salinas
; south of Barranquitas
and Comerio
; east of Coamo
; and west of Cidra
, and Cayey
. Aibonito is spread over 8 wards and Aibonito Pueblo (The downtown area and the administrative center of the city). It is part of the San Juan-Caguas-Guaynabo Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Aibonito is located on a relative high elevation (its main plaza is the highest in the island at 2,401 ft [731 m] above sea level), which makes its climate cooler than most of Puerto Rico
's towns.
, it is believed that there were Taíno
settlements in the region that belonged to Cacique
Orocobix
domain.
After the Spanish arrived, it is believed that a ranch was established in the region by Pedro Zorascoechea in 1630, which prompted the surging of a hamlet
. However, it wasn't until 1822 when Don Manuel Veléz presented himself before the government, representing the inhabitants of the area, to ask for Aibonito to be officially declared a town. This was authorized on March 13, 1824 by Governor Don Miguel de la Torre
. The first Catholic church in Aibonito was built in 1825. The building was replaced by the current church, which was started in 1887 and completed in 1897. After the town was officially constituted, wards started developing in the area.
On the Spanish American War of 1898, around 800 Spanish and Puertorrican soldiers were able to defeat the invading American troops due to their strategic placement in the Asomante mountain. This scrimmage came to an end when the Spanish government surrendered on August 12, 1898. It is interesting to note that the Spanish and Puertorrican forces at Asomante never surrendered and would have held their position indefinitely if not for the buckling of the Spanish government in Madrid.
word "Jatibonicu", which was the name of a Cacique (leader) of the area. This name was also used to refer to a river in the area and was also the name used by the tribe of Orocobix
, Taíno chief of the area. Finally, there's a legend that tells of a Spanish soldier called Diego Alvarez who on May 17, 1615 reached one of the highest peaks in the area and upon watching the view, exclaimed "Ay, que bonito!" ("Oh, how pretty!") which eventually was turned into the name of the region.
mountain range ("Sierra de Cayey"), part of the Cordillera Central in Puerto Rico
. Aibonito is the town with the highest elevation in Puerto Rico
, located at 2,401 feet above sea level. Some of its mountains are La Sierra (2,394 ft), Asomante (2,042 ft) and Buena Vista (2,042 ft).
, Río Cuyón, Río de la Plata
and Río Usabón
.
franchise called the Polluelos de Aibonito. In 1986 they beat the defending champions, Atleticos de San German, in seven games to win their only championship. In 1987, the Polluelos reached the finals once again, but that time, they lost in seven games to the Titanes de Morovis. Recently, the Polluelos have not been able to see action on the BSN's tournaments because of economic and team ownership problems.
are held in July.
and coffee
. They are also known for their flower plantations. Also, a popular chicken
producer in the island, To-Ricos, operates from Aibonito.
has one of its factories located in Aibonito. They produce medical tools for the hospitals and other medical uses.
factories, as well as pottery
and ceramics.
), won the elections, beating former mayor Hon. Jose Alberto Diaz (PPD) by 3,658 votes.
that took place there. The upper right corner features a white band on a blue field, symbolizing the fog that covers the region in winter. To each side of the band, a purple color flower and a golden lily. The lower left corner features the gold tower of Casa Manresa, to symbolize the spiritual value of the institution. In the lower right corner a divided green mountain which represents the Cañon San Cristóbal with a seashell above it that symbolizes Apostle James.
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
located in the Mountain range of Cayey, north of Salinas
Salinas, Puerto Rico
Salinas is a small municipality in the southern part of Puerto Rico located in the southern coast of the island, south of Aibonito and Cayey; southeast of Coamo, east of Santa Isabel; and west of Guayama...
; south of Barranquitas
Barranquitas, Puerto Rico
Barranquitas is a small mountain town located in the central region of Puerto Rico, south of Corozal and Naranjito; north of Coamo and Aibonito; west of Comerío and Cidra; and east of Orocovis. Barranquitas is spread over 6 wards and Barranquitas Pueblo...
and Comerio
Comerío, Puerto Rico
Comerío is a municipality of Puerto Rico located in the center-eastern region of island, north of Aibonito; south of Naranjito and Bayamón; east of Barranquitas; and west of Cidra and Aguas Buenas. Comerío is spread over 7 wards and Comerío Pueblo...
; east of Coamo
Coamo, Puerto Rico
Coamo is a municipality in Puerto Rico located in the southern region, north of Santa Isabel; south of Orocovis and Barranquitas; east of Villalba and Juana Díaz; and west of Aibonito and Salinas. Coamo is spread over 10 wards and Coamo Pueblo...
; and west of Cidra
Cidra, Puerto Rico
Cidra is a municipality of Puerto Rico located in the central region of the island, north of Cayey; south of Comerío and Aguas Buenas; east of Aibonito and Barranquitas; and west of Caguas. Cidra is spread over 12 wards and Cidra Pueblo...
, and Cayey
Cayey, Puerto Rico
Cayey is a mountain town in central Puerto Rico located on the Central Mountain range, north of Salinas and Guayama; south of Cidra and Caguas; east of Aibonito and Salinas; and west of San Lorenzo Cayey is spread over 21 wards and Cayey Pueblo...
. Aibonito is spread over 8 wards and Aibonito Pueblo (The downtown area and the administrative center of the city). It is part of the San Juan-Caguas-Guaynabo Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Aibonito is located on a relative high elevation (its main plaza is the highest in the island at 2,401 ft [731 m] above sea level), which makes its climate cooler than most of Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
's towns.
History
Before the Spanish colonization of the AmericasSpanish colonization of the Americas
Colonial expansion under the Spanish Empire was initiated by the Spanish conquistadores and developed by the Monarchy of Spain through its administrators and missionaries. The motivations for colonial expansion were trade and the spread of the Christian faith through indigenous conversions...
, it is believed that there were Taíno
Taíno people
The Taínos were pre-Columbian inhabitants of the Bahamas, Greater Antilles, and the northern Lesser Antilles. It is thought that the seafaring Taínos are relatives of the Arawak people of South America...
settlements in the region that belonged to Cacique
Cacique
Cacique is a title derived from the Taíno word for the pre-Columbian chiefs or leaders of tribes in the Bahamas, Greater Antilles, and the northern Lesser Antilles...
Orocobix
Orocobix
Orocobix was the principal regional Taino Cacique of the central mountain region of Puerto Rico called Jatibonicu in the 16th century. The Jatibonicu territorial region covered the present day municipalities of Aibonito, Orocovis, Barranquitas, Morovis and Corozal...
domain.
After the Spanish arrived, it is believed that a ranch was established in the region by Pedro Zorascoechea in 1630, which prompted the surging of a hamlet
Hamlet
The Tragical History of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, or more simply Hamlet, is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1599 and 1601...
. However, it wasn't until 1822 when Don Manuel Veléz presented himself before the government, representing the inhabitants of the area, to ask for Aibonito to be officially declared a town. This was authorized on March 13, 1824 by Governor Don Miguel de la Torre
Miguel de la Torre
Miguel de la Torre y Pando, conde de Torrepando was a Spanish General, Governor and Captain General, who served in Spain, Venezuela, Colombia and Puerto Rico during the Spanish American wars of independence and after.At the age of fourteen he joined the Spanish Army as a soldier during the War of...
. The first Catholic church in Aibonito was built in 1825. The building was replaced by the current church, which was started in 1887 and completed in 1897. After the town was officially constituted, wards started developing in the area.
On the Spanish American War of 1898, around 800 Spanish and Puertorrican soldiers were able to defeat the invading American troops due to their strategic placement in the Asomante mountain. This scrimmage came to an end when the Spanish government surrendered on August 12, 1898. It is interesting to note that the Spanish and Puertorrican forces at Asomante never surrendered and would have held their position indefinitely if not for the buckling of the Spanish government in Madrid.
Name
There are several stories regarding the name of the town. Some people say that it is derived from the TaínoTaíno language
Taíno, an Arawakan language, was the principal language of the Caribbean islands at the time of the Spanish Conquest, including the Bahamas, Cuba, Hispaniola, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, the Florida Keys, and the Lesser Antilles...
word "Jatibonicu", which was the name of a Cacique (leader) of the area. This name was also used to refer to a river in the area and was also the name used by the tribe of Orocobix
Orocobix
Orocobix was the principal regional Taino Cacique of the central mountain region of Puerto Rico called Jatibonicu in the 16th century. The Jatibonicu territorial region covered the present day municipalities of Aibonito, Orocovis, Barranquitas, Morovis and Corozal...
, Taíno chief of the area. Finally, there's a legend that tells of a Spanish soldier called Diego Alvarez who on May 17, 1615 reached one of the highest peaks in the area and upon watching the view, exclaimed "Ay, que bonito!" ("Oh, how pretty!") which eventually was turned into the name of the region.
Geography
Aibonito is located in the CayeyCayey, Puerto Rico
Cayey is a mountain town in central Puerto Rico located on the Central Mountain range, north of Salinas and Guayama; south of Cidra and Caguas; east of Aibonito and Salinas; and west of San Lorenzo Cayey is spread over 21 wards and Cayey Pueblo...
mountain range ("Sierra de Cayey"), part of the Cordillera Central in Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
. Aibonito is the town with the highest elevation in Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
, located at 2,401 feet above sea level. Some of its mountains are La Sierra (2,394 ft), Asomante (2,042 ft) and Buena Vista (2,042 ft).
Water features
Some of the rivers that flow through Aibonito are the Río de AibonitoRío de Aibonito
-See also:*List of rivers of Puerto Rico-References:*USGS Hydrologic Unit Map – Caribbean Region *...
, Río Cuyón, Río de la Plata
Rio de la Plata (Puerto Rico)
The Rio de la Plata is the longest river in the island of Puerto Rico. It is located in the north coast of the island. It flows from south to north, and drains into the Atlantic Ocean about 11 miles west of San Juan...
and Río Usabón
Río Usabón
-See also:*List of rivers of Puerto Rico-References:*USGS Hydrologic Unit Map – Caribbean Region *...
.
Climate
Aibonito holds the record for the lowest temperature in Puerto Rico. That is 39 °F (3.9 °C) on March 9th, 1911. The highest temperature record is 98 °F (36.7 °C) recorded on September 29th, 1920. Aibonito is among Puerto Rico's coolest towns. Winter's high temperature is between upper 60's to low 70's and low to 50's and occasionaly down in the 40's. Summers are mild to warm with highs between the upper 70's to middle 80's and lows in the upper 60's.Cityscape
Aibonito is divided into 9 barrios:- Aibonito Pueblo—including Bda. San Luis
- Asomante
- Algarrobo
- Caonillas
- Cuyón
- Llanos
- Pasto
- Plata
- Robles
Landmarks and places of interest
- Cañón de San Cristóbal - Between Barranquitas and Aibonito
- Casa Manresa - Aibonito
- La Piedra de Degetau - Aibonito
- La Trinchera de Asomante - Aibonito
Sports
Aibonito had a BSN basketballBasketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
franchise called the Polluelos de Aibonito. In 1986 they beat the defending champions, Atleticos de San German, in seven games to win their only championship. In 1987, the Polluelos reached the finals once again, but that time, they lost in seven games to the Titanes de Morovis. Recently, the Polluelos have not been able to see action on the BSN's tournaments because of economic and team ownership problems.
Festivals
Aibonito is known for its annual Flower Festival, held in July. During this event, many visitors from other towns and countries come to Aibonito to see a huge display of various flowers and others. Aibonito also celebrates a Festival de la Montaña in November. Finally, the town's Fiestas PatronalesFiesta patronal
The Fiestas patronales are yearly celebrations held in countries influenced by Spanish culture.A fiesta patronal is usually dedicated to a saint or virgin, who is the patron of whichever city holds the fiesta. Usually, town members adorn the town streets with colorful decorations and other things...
are held in July.
Agriculture
Aibonito has several plantations of tobaccoTobacco
Tobacco is an agricultural product processed from the leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. It can be consumed, used as a pesticide and, in the form of nicotine tartrate, used in some medicines...
and coffee
Coffee
Coffee is a brewed beverage with a dark,init brooo acidic flavor prepared from the roasted seeds of the coffee plant, colloquially called coffee beans. The beans are found in coffee cherries, which grow on trees cultivated in over 70 countries, primarily in equatorial Latin America, Southeast Asia,...
. They are also known for their flower plantations. Also, a popular chicken
Chicken
The chicken is a domesticated fowl, a subspecies of the Red Junglefowl. As one of the most common and widespread domestic animals, and with a population of more than 24 billion in 2003, there are more chickens in the world than any other species of bird...
producer in the island, To-Ricos, operates from Aibonito.
Business
Baxter InternationalBaxter International
Baxter International Inc. , is an American health care company with headquarters in Deerfield, Illinois. The company primarily focuses on products to treat hemophilia, kidney disease, immune disorders and other chronic and acute medical conditions...
has one of its factories located in Aibonito. They produce medical tools for the hospitals and other medical uses.
Industrial
Other industries located in Aibonito are clothing, furniture and tapestryTapestry
Tapestry is a form of textile art, traditionally woven on a vertical loom, however it can also be woven on a floor loom as well. It is composed of two sets of interlaced threads, those running parallel to the length and those parallel to the width ; the warp threads are set up under tension on a...
factories, as well as pottery
Pottery
Pottery is the material from which the potteryware is made, of which major types include earthenware, stoneware and porcelain. The place where such wares are made is also called a pottery . Pottery also refers to the art or craft of the potter or the manufacture of pottery...
and ceramics.
Government
On November 4, 2008, William Alicea Perez (of the New Progressive PartyNew Progressive Party of Puerto Rico
The New Progressive Party of Puerto Rico is a political party that advocates for Puerto Rico's admission to the United States of America as the 51st state...
), won the elections, beating former mayor Hon. Jose Alberto Diaz (PPD) by 3,658 votes.
Flag
The flag of Aibonito features four equal horizontal bands of blue, white, red, and yellow; a green isosceles triangle based on the hoist side bears the town's coat of arms.Coat of arms
The coat of arms features a four-paneled shield. The upper left corner features the Asomante mountain with a sword in front, representing the last battles of the Spanish-American WarSpanish-American War
The Spanish–American War was a conflict in 1898 between Spain and the United States, effectively the result of American intervention in the ongoing Cuban War of Independence...
that took place there. The upper right corner features a white band on a blue field, symbolizing the fog that covers the region in winter. To each side of the band, a purple color flower and a golden lily. The lower left corner features the gold tower of Casa Manresa, to symbolize the spiritual value of the institution. In the lower right corner a divided green mountain which represents the Cañon San Cristóbal with a seashell above it that symbolizes Apostle James.
Notable people
- Rubén Berrios MartínezRubén BerríosRubén Ángel Berríos Martínez is a lawyer, a Puerto Rican politician, and the current president of the Puerto Rican Independence Party...
, politician - Rafael Pont FloresRafael Pont FloresRafael Pont Flores was an educator, sportsman and journalist. He was from the town of Aibonito, Puerto Rico. He directed the "Escuela del Departamento de Instrucción Pública" Magazine. As a sport chronicler he was honored by being included in the Hall of the Immortals of the Crónica Deportiva en...
, journalist - Juan Martínez Capó, writer
- Manuel Alvarez Nazario, writer
- Dennis Rivera, former president of 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East
- Obie Bermudez, artist