Coamo, Puerto Rico

Coamo (Spanish pronunciation: [koˈamo], locally [ˈkwamo]) is a town and municipality founded in 1579 in the south-central region of Puerto Rico, located north of Santa Isabel; south of Orocovis and Barranquitas; east of Villalba and Juana Díaz; and west of Aibonito and Salinas. The municipality of Coamo is spread over 10 barrios and Coamo Pueblo – the town or downtown area and administrative center of the city. The Coamo municipality is also a Micropolitan Statistical Area and as such is part of the Ponce-Yauco-Coamo Combined Statistical Area.

Coamo
Municipio Autónomo de Coamo
Town and Municipality
Coamo from Cerro Picó
Coamo from Cerro Picó
Flag of Coamo
Flag
Coat of arms of Coamo
Coat of arms
Nicknames: 
"La Villa de San Blás de Illescas", "Los Maratonistas", "La Villa Añeja", "Ciudad de las Aguas Termales"
Anthem: "Allá muy cerca del pueblo"
Map of Puerto Rico highlighting Coamo Municipality
Map of Puerto Rico highlighting Coamo Municipality
Coordinates: 18°04′48″N 66°21′29″W
Commonwealth Puerto Rico
Founded1579
Barrios
11 barrios
Government
 • MayorHon Juan Carlos García Padilla (PPD)
 • Senatorial dist.Guayama
 • Representative dist.27
Area
 • Total78.05 sq mi (202.15 km2)
 • Land78.04 sq mi (202.13 km2)
 • Water7 sq mi (0,017 km2)
Elevation
486 ft (148 m)
Population
 (2020)[1]
 • Total34,668
 • Rank34th in Puerto Rico
 • Density440/sq mi (170/km2)
DemonymCoameños
Time zoneUTC−4 (AST)
ZIP Code
00769
Area code787/939
Major routes
Websitecoamo.puertorico.pr
Church San Blas de Illescas of Coamo
Downtown plaza area

The town of Coamo and parts of its barrios are nestled in a valley about 20 miles (32 km) east of the town of Ponce (about 40 minutes by car). It was named San Blas Illescas de Coamo by Spanish settlers in 1579. Saint Blaise (San Blas) was designated by the Catholic Church as the patron saint of the town, and so it remains presently. Illescas is the Spanish town where some of the town founders originated (nowadays in Toledo province, Castile-La Mancha, Spain).

There are several theories regarding the origin of the word Coamo. One theory is that it comes from an indigenous word that means "valley". Another theory is that Coamo derives its name from Coamex (or Coamey), who was a celebrated local cacique. Archeological digs in the municipality of Coamo have produced extensive evidence of pre-Columbian habitants in the area. However, there is no historical or archeological evidence that a cacique named Coamex or Coamey ever existed.

Coamo is famous for its natural hot springs, Los Baños de Coamo, and for its annual San Blas Half Marathon. The Battle of Coamo was a decisive battle of the Spanish–American War (1898).

History

When Spanish settlers arrived, Coamo was inhabited by the Taino. Modern archeology has found evidence of at least four pre-columbian villages in the territory that is today the Coamo municipality:[2]

  • "Buenos Aires" village was located in the current downtown southern section, were today is Buenos Aires Street
  • "Baños de Coamo" village was located by the hot springs, across the river from the modern baths.
  • "Cuyón" village was located in what is now Cuyón barrio
  • "Las Flores" village was located west of the Las Flores neighborhood in San Ildefonso barrio. Artifacts found here suggest a high status cacique lived here.

It is believed the Coamo villages had strong ties with the coastal village "El Cayito" (in what is now Santa Isabel municipality) and the "Toíta" village (in what is now Cayey municipality) due to the large quantities of marine shellfish remains found in the Coamo and Cayey villages.[2]

After the Taino rebellion of 1511 was defeated by the Spanish fuerzas españolas, the hard labor in encomiendas, epidemics of smallpox and other European diseases, and conversion to Catholicism and intermarriage with Spanish colonist contributed to the assimilation of the Taino into the Spanish society and culture.

Founded on July 15, 1579, the town of Coamo is the third-oldest settlement of the island's post-Columbian period (after San Juan in the north and San Germán in the west). At that time, Coamo was the administrative center for a larger area that would eventually be subdivided into several municipalities: Guayama, Cayey, Juana Díaz, Orocovis, Barranquitas, Cidra, Patillas, Aibonito, Santa Isabel, Salinas and Arroyo.

By 1582, there were twenty families living in Coamo, in the same area where the Tainos had had their village of Guayama . Coamo officially became a town in 1616, and was given the title of "Villa" by Spanish Royal Decree in 1778.

Coamo was the administrative center that encompassed most of the southern half of the island during the early colonial period. As the agricultural and sugar industries grew and became the mainstays of the colony's economy, the province would eventually subdivide into several distinct municipalities, and the administrative center of the region would later shift west to the coastal town of Ponce.

Coamo is the home of a series of natural hot springs, Los Baños de Coamo, which have attracted visitors since before the Spaniards landed.[3] These springs were once rumored to have been Juan Ponce de León's legendary fountain of youth. In the early nineteenth century, a system of pools of varying depths, sizes and temperatures was constructed at the site of these springs to serve as a spa for the colonials. During the American invasion in the Spanish–American War (1898), this site was the scene of one of the decisive battles of that conflict (the Battle of Coamo). The American troops took possession of the island, and the spa was subsequently abandoned. Though the site lay in ruins for most of the twentieth century, it continued to be a landmark to the Coameños, who would often go to bathe in its healing thermal waters. The pools remain, but the old buildings which once hosted the island's affluent and colonial soldiers are gone, except for the remains of one central wall structure. It has been preserved and incorporated into a fountain courtyard on the grounds of a popular tourist hotel and rest area and has replaced the ancient Spanish ruins.

Puerto Rico was ceded by Spain in the aftermath of the Spanish–American War under the terms of the Treaty of Paris of 1898 and became a territory of the United States. In 1899, the United States Department of War conducted a census of Puerto Rico finding that the population of Coamo was 15,144.[4]

Hurricane Maria on September 20, 2017 triggered numerous landslides in Coamo with the significant amount of rainfall.[5][6][7] As of October 9, no one in Coamo had electrical service, only 15% of Coamo had access to clean drinking water, and several people on dialysis had died. Around 2,000 homes were partially or completely destroyed. The iconic Hotel Los Baños de Coamo was a total loss.[8]

Geography

Coamo is located in the South Central region of Puerto Rico.[9]

Barrios

Like all municipalities of Puerto Rico, Coamo is subdivided into barrios. The municipal buildings, central square and large Catholic church are located in a small barrio referred to as "el pueblo", near the center of the municipality.[10][11][12][13]

  1. Coamo Arriba
  2. Coamo barrio-pueblo[14]
  3. Cuyón
  4. Hayales
  5. Los Llanos
  6. Palmarejo
  7. Pasto
  8. Pedro García
  9. Pulguillas
  10. San Ildefonso
  11. Santa Catalina

Sectors

Barrios (which are like minor civil divisions)[14] and subbarrios,[15] in turn, are further subdivided into smaller local populated place areas/units called sectores (sectors in English). The types of sectores may vary, from normally sector to urbanización to reparto to barriada to residencial, among others.[16][17][18]

Special Communities
See also: Puerto Rico Office for Socioeconomic and Community Development

Comunidades Especiales de Puerto Rico (Special Communities of Puerto Rico) are marginalized communities whose citizens are experiencing a certain amount of social exclusion. A map shows these communities occur in nearly every municipality of the commonwealth. Of the 742 places that were on the list in 2014, the following barrios, communities, sectors, or neighborhoods were in Coamo: Zambrana neighborhood, Cuyón, Sector Varsovia in El Cerro, Río Jueyes, and Sector Sabana Hoyo.[19][20]

Economy

Agriculture

Coamo is an agricultural center where mangoes, corn, guanabanas, tamarindo, quenepas, avocados, oranges and plantains are grown, and where poultry and cattle are raised.

Industry

Coamo is a trading center for machinery, aircraft radio components, and clothing.

Tourism
The house of Florencio Santiago, a philanthropist from Pasto, Coamo

Landmarks and places of interest

There are eight places in Coamo listed on the US National Register of Historic Places:[21]

Some of the landmarks of Coamo are:[22]

Culture

Festivals and events

Coamo celebrates its patron saint festival in February. The Fiestas Patronales de San Blas Illescas y La Virgen Candelaria is a religious and cultural celebration that generally features parades, games, artisans, amusement rides, regional food, and live entertainment.[9][23]

Other festivals and events celebrated in Coamo include:

  • San Blas Half Marathon – February[24]
  • Crafts festival in honor of the municipal flag – June
  • Coamo Anniversary – July
  • Concert and lighting of the Christmas tree – December

Sports

Coamo is famous for being the host of the San Blas Half Marathon, a yearly world-class professional marathon that attracts the best competitive runners in the world. It was inaugurated in 1963 by Delta Phi Delta fraternity in honor to the founder of the town. World-class international and local runners compete in a 13.1094-mile (21.0975 km) half-marathon. It is Puerto Rico's biggest race, and the crowds are always large.

The Maratonistas de Coamo (from the BSN) is the only professional team which the town hosts. The team has played in Coamo with mixed success since joining the league in 1985.

Demographics
Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
190015,144—
191017,12913.1%
192017,7493.6%
193018,1252.1%
194022,77225.6%
195026,48516.3%
196026,082−1.5%
197026,4681.5%
198030,82216.5%
199033,8379.8%
200037,59711.1%
201040,5127.8%
202034,668−14.4%
U.S. Decennial Census[25]
1899 (shown as 1900)[26] 1910-1930[27]
1930-1950[28] 1960-2000[29] 2010[12] 2020[30]
Race - Coamo, Puerto Rico - 2000 Census[31]
Race Population  % of Total
White30,26480.5%
Black/African American2,1655.8%
American Indian and Alaska Native1010.3%
Asian250.1%
Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander60.0%
Some other race3,79910.1%
Two or more races1,2373.3%

Government
Main article: Mayoralty in Puerto Rico

All municipalities in Puerto Rico are administered by a mayor, elected every four years. The current mayor of Coamo is Juan Carlos García Padilla, of the Popular Democratic Party (PPD). He was elected at the 2000 general elections.

The city belongs to the Puerto Rico Senatorial district VI, which is represented by two senators. In 2012, Miguel Pereira Castillo and Angel M. Rodríguez were elected as district senators.[32]

Transportation

There are 31 bridges in Coamo.[33]

Education

Coamo's first school was built in 1901.[34]

Symbols

The municipio has an official flag and coat of arms.[35]

Flag

The flag of Coamo derives its colors from the coat of arms. Its colors are red, yellow, and black.[36]

Coat of arms

The top left and the lower right have a red background with a gold Episcopal hat each. These parts of the coat of arms represent the old seat of San Blas de Illescas. The horse and the bull represent the cattle wealth of the population. The gold color that serves as background in contrast with the black color, recalls the yellowish reddish tone of the fields of Coamo during the droughts. The heavy border of the coat of arms contains the following figures: two flames; three bell towers with gold bells outlined in red; two red crosses with arms ending in three petals; and a circle with a surface divided by horizontal blue and silver-plated stripes.[36]

Notable people

Some of its notable people include:[22]

  • The Bathhouses at Coamo in 1899
    The Bathhouses at Coamo in 1899

See also

References
  1. Bureau, US Census. "PUERTO RICO: 2020 Census". The United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 25, 2021.
  2. Rivera Bermudez, Ramón (1980). Historia de Coamo, la Villa Añeja, Siglos XVI al XX. Coamo PR.: Imprenta Costa Inc.
  3. "Destination Puerto Rico: Exploring Historic Ponce". YouTube. October 14, 2010. Archived from the original on November 14, 2010. Retrieved November 28, 2019.
  4. Joseph Prentiss Sanger; Henry Gannett; Walter Francis Willcox (1900). Informe sobre el censo de Puerto Rico, 1899, United States. War Dept. Porto Rico Census Office (in Spanish). Imprenta del gobierno. p. 161.
  5. "Preliminary Locations of Landslide Impacts from Hurricane Maria, Puerto Rico". USGS Landslide Hazards Program. USGS. Archived from the original on March 3, 2019. Retrieved March 3, 2019.
  6. "Preliminary Locations of Landslide Impacts from Hurricane Maria, Puerto Rico" (PDF). USGS Landslide Hazards Program. USGS. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 3, 2019. Retrieved March 3, 2019.
  7. "With Bottles And Buckets, Puerto Ricans Seek The Water To Survive". NPR.org. Archived from the original on October 24, 2019. Retrieved October 24, 2019.
  8. "María, un nombre que no vamos a olvidar. Un icónico hotel, símbolo de la destrucción que dejó María en Coamo" [Maria, a name we will never forget. An iconic hotel, symbol of Maria's destruction in Coamo]. El Nuevo Día (in Spanish). June 13, 2019. Retrieved September 19, 2021.
  9. "Coamo Municipality". enciclopediapr.org. Fundación Puertorriqueña de las Humanidades (FPH). Archived from the original on February 14, 2019. Retrieved February 14, 2019.
  10. Picó, Rafael; Buitrago de Santiago, Zayda; Berrios, Hector H. Nueva geografía de Puerto Rico: física, económica, y social, por Rafael Picó. Con la colaboración de Zayda Buitrago de Santiago y Héctor H. Berrios. San Juan Editorial Universitaria, Universidad de Puerto Rico,1969. Archived from the original on December 26, 2018. Retrieved December 30, 2018.
  11. Gwillim Law (May 20, 2015). Administrative Subdivisions of Countries: A Comprehensive World Reference, 1900 through 1998. McFarland. p. 300. ISBN 978-1-4766-0447-3. Retrieved December 25, 2018.
  12. Puerto Rico:2010:population and housing unit counts.pdf (PDF). U.S. Dept. of Commerce Economics and Statistics Administration U.S. Census Bureau. 2010. Archived (PDF) from the original on February 20, 2017. Retrieved December 30, 2018.
  13. "Map of Coamo at the Wayback Machine" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on March 24, 2018. Retrieved December 29, 2018.
  14. "US Census Barrio-Pueblo definition". factfinder.com. US Census. Archived from the original on May 13, 2017. Retrieved January 5, 2019.
  15. "P.L. 94-171 VTD/SLD Reference Map (2010 Census): Coamo Municipio, PR" (PDF). www2.census.gov. U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE Economics and Statistics Administration U.S. Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on August 22, 2020. Retrieved August 22, 2020.
  16. "Agencia: Oficina del Coordinador General para el Financiamiento Socioeconómico y la Autogestión (Proposed 2016 Budget)". Puerto Rico Budgets (in Spanish). Archived from the original on June 28, 2019. Retrieved June 28, 2019.
  17. Rivera Quintero, Marcia (2014), El vuelo de la esperanza: Proyecto de las Comunidades Especiales Puerto Rico, 1997-2004 (first ed.), San Juan, Puerto Rico Fundación Sila M. Calderón, ISBN 978-0-9820806-1-0
  18. "Leyes del 2001". Lex Juris Puerto Rico (in Spanish). Archived from the original on September 14, 2018. Retrieved June 24, 2020.
  19. Rivera Quintero, Marcia (2014), El vuelo de la esperanza:Proyecto de las Comunidades Especiales Puerto Rico, 1997-2004 (Primera edición ed.), San Juan, Puerto Rico Fundación Sila M. Calderón, p. 273, ISBN 978-0-9820806-1-0
  20. "Comunidades Especiales de Puerto Rico" (in Spanish). August 8, 2011. Archived from the original on June 24, 2019. Retrieved June 24, 2019.
  21. "Puerto Rico: Registro Nacional de Lugares Históricos" (PDF). geoisla.com. Government of Puerto Rico. Retrieved May 15, 2021.
  22. "Coamo Municipality Places of Interest". enciclopediapr.org. Archived from the original on February 14, 2019. Retrieved February 14, 2019.
  23. J.D. (May 2, 2006). "Coamo". Link To Puerto Rico.com (in Spanish). Archived from the original on April 19, 2019. Retrieved July 18, 2020.
  24. The Christian Science Monitor (April 16, 2012). "Boston Marathon is a hot one, but is it the hottest marathon ever?". The Christian Science Monitor. Archived from the original on July 18, 2020. Retrieved July 18, 2020.
  25. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved September 21, 2017.
  26. "Report of the Census of Porto Rico 1899". War Department Office Director Census of Porto Rico. Archived from the original on July 16, 2017. Retrieved September 21, 2017.
  27. "Table 3-Population of Municipalities: 1930 1920 and 1910" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on August 17, 2017. Retrieved September 21, 2017.
  28. "Table 4-Area and Population of Municipalities Urban and Rural: 1930 to 1950" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on August 30, 2015. Retrieved September 21, 2014.
  29. "Table 2 Population and Housing Units: 1960 to 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 24, 2017. Retrieved September 21, 2017.
  30. Bureau, US Census. "PUERTO RICO: 2020 Census". The United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 25, 2021.
  31. "Ethnicity 2000 census" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on February 16, 2008. Retrieved January 29, 2008.
  32. Elecciones Generales 2012: Escrutinio General Archived December 3, 2012, at the Wayback Machine on CEEPUR
  33. "Coamo Bridges". National Bridge Inventory Data. US Dept. of Transportation. Archived from the original on February 21, 2019. Retrieved February 20, 2019.
  34. "Coamo, Puerto Rico". coamo.net (in Spanish). Retrieved August 1, 2021.
  35. "Ley Núm. 70 de 2006 -Ley para disponer la oficialidad de la bandera y el escudo de los setenta y ocho (78) municipios". LexJuris de Puerto Rico (in Spanish). Retrieved June 15, 2021.
  36. "COAMO". LexJuris (Leyes y Jurisprudencia) de Puerto Rico (in Spanish). February 19, 2020. Archived from the original on February 19, 2020. Retrieved September 16, 2020.

Sources
  • Historia de Coamo, "La Villa Añeja", Ramon Rivera Bermúdez, 1980.
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