History

Established on September 17 of 1897. The founder of Puerto Tejada was General Manuel Tejada Sanchez, the town was named after him. Puerto Tejada was founded to organize blacks in Colombia. During the 18th and 19th century black slaves and free blacks were revolting in this region. After the abolition of slavery in 1852 the free slaves established themselves in this area where they created family farms producing coffee, corn, plantain, cassava and cacao. The Population created a pulsating agricultural economy at the end of the 19th century and beginning of the 20th century.

Its first inhabitants established themselves at the riverbanks of the Palo and Paila rivers, developing a market economy. The blacks and mestizos are the descendants of the maroons that escaped to Dark Bush, presently called Puerto Tejada. It was called Dark Bush due to is dense tropical vegetation before the town was established. These new population were farmers and colonists with a regular market with a prosperous agricultural economy. Puerto Tejada was the result of the colonization of the plains. With the creation of the town, others towns surged around the area.