Peñuelas, Puerto Rico
{{short description|Town and municipality in Puerto Rico}}
{{use mdy dates|date=December 2021}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name = Peñuelas
| official_name =
| native_name = {{lang|es|Municipio Autónomo de Peñuelas}}
| native_name_lang = es
| settlement_type = Town and Municipality
| image_skyline = Escuela Daniel Webster - Penuelas Puerto Rico.jpg
| image_alt =
| image_caption = Daniel Webster School in Peñuelas
| image_flag = Bandera-peñuelas.svg
| flag_alt =
| image_shield = Escudo de Peñuelas, Puerto Rico.svg
| shield_alt =
| nicknames = "La Capital del Güiro" ("The Güiro Capital"), "El Valle de los Flamboyanes" ("The Valley of the Poinciana Trees")
| motto =
| anthem = "Así es mi pueblo"
| image_map = Locator-map-Puerto-Rico-Peñuelas.svg
| mapsize = 300px
| map_alt =
| map_caption = Map of Puerto Rico highlighting Peñuelas Municipality
| coordinates = {{coord|18|3|34|N|66|43|21|W|region:US-PR|display=inline,title}}
| coor_pinpoint =
| coordinates_footnotes =
| subdivision_type = Sovereign state
| subdivision_name = {{flag|United States}}
| subdivision_type1 = Commonwealth
| subdivision_name1 = {{flag|Puerto Rico}}
| established_title = Settled
| established_date = 1754
| established_title1 = Founded
| established_date1 = August 15, 1793
| founder = Diego de Alvarado
| parts_type = Barrios
| parts = 13 barrios
| p1 = Barreal
| p2 = Coto
| p3 = Cuebas
| p4 = Encarnación
| p5 = Jaguas
| p6 = Macaná
| p7 = Peñuelas barrio-pueblo
| p8 = Quebrada Ceiba
| p9 = Rucio
| p10 = Santo Domingo
| p11 = Tallaboa Alta
| p12 = Tallaboa Poniente
| p13 = Tallaboa Saliente
| seat_type =
| seat =
| government_footnotes =
| leader_party = PPD
| leader_title = Mayor
| leader_name = Sr. Gregory Gonzalez Souchet
| leader_title1 = Senatorial dist.
| leader_name1 = 5 - Ponce
| leader_title2 =
| leader_name2 =
| area_footnotes =
| area_magnitude =
| area_total_km2 = 137.42
| area_land_km2 = 114
| area_water_km2 = 23.42
| area_water_percent =
| area_note =
| elevation_footnotes =
| elevation_m =
| population_total = 20,399
| population_as_of = 2020
| population_density_km2 = auto
| population_demonym = Peñolanos
| population_note =
| population_blank2_title = Ethnic groups
(2000 Census){{Cite web |url=http://www.topuertorico.org/pdf/2kh72.pdf |title=Demographics/Ethnic U.S 2000 census |access-date=2008-05-30 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080216013103/http://www.topuertorico.org/pdf/2kh72.pdf |archive-date=2008-02-16 |url-status=live }}
| population_blank2 = 83.3% European
4.5% African
0.3% Arawak
0.1% Asian
0.1% Native Hawaiian/PI
9.4% Some other ethnicity
2.4% Two or more ethnicities
| timezone1 = AST
| utc_offset1 = −4
| postal_code_type = ZIP Code
| postal_code = 00624
| area_code = 787/939
| blank_name_sec1 = Major routes
| blank_info_sec1 = File:PR primary 2.svg File:PR secondary 132.svg File:PR secondary 385.svg File:Ellipse sign 127.svg
| website = {{URL|https://www.municipiodepenuelas.com}}
| footnotes =
| population_rank = 59th in Puerto Rico
}}
Peñuelas ({{IPA|es|peˈɲwelas}}, {{IPA|es|peˈɲwelaʔ|local}}) is a town and municipality in Puerto Rico located in the Peñuelas Valley on the southern coast of the island, south of Adjuntas, east of Guayanilla, west of Ponce and north of the Caribbean Sea. Peñuelas is spread over 12 barrios and Peñuelas Pueblo (the downtown area and the administrative center of the city). It is part of the Yauco Metropolitan Statistical Area. Peñuelas is known as "{{lang|es|La Capital del Güiro}}" (The Güiro Capital) and "{{lang|es|El Valle de los Flamboyanes}}" (The Valley of the Royal Poinciana trees). In 2020, Peñuelas had a population of 20,399.
History
In 1754, a group of workers had settled over the Bay of Tallaboa. Later gradually retreated deeper into the valley, heading to the most fertile land which would then be part of the town of Peñuelas. For the year 1788, approximately 80 families inhabiting the valley, which focused mainly on agriculture and livestock.
Peñuelas Township was founded August 25, 1793 by Diego de Alvarado.{{cite web |title=La Historia de Puerto Rico a través de sus Barrios: Barrio Tallaboa de Peñuelas [The History of Puerto Rico through its Barrios: Tallaboa Barrio of Peñuelas]|url=https://www.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/42815d68-e321-4d2e-ac80-f3b481a76eaf/barrios-de-puerto-rico-barrio-tallaboa-de-penuelas/ |website=www.pbslearningmedia.org |publisher=Fundación Puertorriqueña de las Humanidades |access-date=29 August 2020 |language=es |format=video}}
By 1874, the town had been developed and had a population of 9,206, according to a census of that year. The town had four main roads, some streets, a brick church and the town hall, which also served as a prison, barracks and a cemetery.
On March 1, 1902 the Legislative Assembly of Puerto Rico approved a law to consolidate certain municipal districts, so Peñuelas neighborhoods were attached to the municipality of Ponce. In 1905, the same Assembly repealed the law and Peñuelas became once again a municipality.
The first incident of the Puerto Rican Nationalist Party Revolt of 1950 occurred during the early hours of October 29, 1950 in Peñuelas when the insular police of that town surrounded the house of the mother of Melitón Muñiz Santos, the president of the Peñuelas chapter of the Nationalist Party in the barrio Macaná, under the pretext that he was storing weapons for the Nationalist Revolt. Without warning, the police fired upon the Nationalists in the house and a firefight between both factions ensued, which resulted in the death of two Nationalists and the wounding of six police officers.El ataque Nacionalista s La Fortaleza. by Pedro Aponte Vázquez. Page 7. Publicaciones RENÉ. {{ISBN|978-1-931702-01-0}} Nationalists Melitón Muñiz Santos, Roberto Jaume Rodríguez, Estanislao Lugo Santiago, Marcelino Turell, William Gutiérrez and Marcelino Berríos were arrested and accused of participating in an ambush against the local insular police.''[https://web.archive.org/web/20120407035314/http://www.pr-secretfiles.net/binders/SJ-100-3_18_018_152.pdf Nationalist Party of Puerto Rico-FBI files]
On September 20, 2017 Hurricane Maria struck the island of Puerto Rico. In Peñuelas, an estimated 1,500 homes were completely destroyed and 500 were partially destroyed.{{cite news | title=María, un nombre que no vamos a olvidar. María revuelca a Peñuelas y se lleva unas 1,500 casas | trans-title=Maria, a name we will never forget. Maria rolls through Peñuelas and takes some 1,500 homes |newspaper=El Nuevo Día| date=2019-06-13 | url=https://huracanmaria.elnuevodia.com/2017/municipio/penuelas/| language=es | access-date=2022-09-11}} With its winds and rainfall, the hurricane triggered numerous landslides in northern Peñuelas.{{cite web |title=Preliminary Locations of Landslide Impacts from Hurricane Maria, Puerto Rico |url=https://landslides.usgs.gov/research/featured/2017/maria-pr/ |website=USGS Landslide Hazards Program |publisher=USGS |access-date=2019-03-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190303143147/https://landslides.usgs.gov/research/featured/2017/maria-pr/ |archive-date=2019-03-03 |url-status=live }}{{cite web |title=Preliminary Locations of Landslide Impacts from Hurricane Maria, Puerto Rico |url=https://landslides.usgs.gov/research/featured/2017/maria-pr/images/PR_Maria_LS_density_map.pdf |website=USGS Landslide Hazards Program |publisher=USGS |access-date=2019-03-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190303143147/https://landslides.usgs.gov/research/featured/2017/maria-pr/images/PR_Maria_LS_density_map.pdf |archive-date=2019-03-03 |url-status=live }}
Geography
Peñuelas is located on the southern coast, slightly west of the center.{{cite web|url=https://enciclopediapr.org/en/encyclopedia/penuelas-municipality/|title=Peñuelas Municipality|publisher=Fundación Puertorriqueña de las Humanidades (FPH)|website=enciclopediapr.org|access-date=2019-03-20|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190828182928/https://enciclopediapr.org/en/encyclopedia/penuelas-municipality/|archive-date=2019-08-28|url-status=live}}
Rivers near Peñuelas include:
- Río Guayanés
- Río Macaná
- Río Tallaboa
=Barrios=
File:Peñuelas, Puerto Rico locator map.png
Like all municipalities of Puerto Rico, Peñuelas is subdivided into barrios. The municipal buildings, central square and large Catholic church are located in a barrio referred to as {{lang|es|"el pueblo"}}.{{cite book |last1=Picó |first1=Rafael |last2=Buitrago de Santiago |first2=Zayda |last3=Berrios |first3=Hector H. |title=Nueva geografía de Puerto Rico: física, económica, y social, por Rafael Picó. Con la colaboración de Zayda Buitrago de Santiago y Héctor H. Berrios. |url=https://archive.org/details/nuevageografad00pic/page/247 |publisher=San Juan Editorial Universitaria, Universidad de Puerto Rico,1969 |access-date=2019-01-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181226171916/https://archive.org/details/nuevageografad00pic/page/247 |archive-date=2018-12-26 |url-status=live }}{{cite book|author=Gwillim Law|title=Administrative Subdivisions of Countries: A Comprehensive World Reference, 1900 through 1998| url =https://books.google.com/books?id=nXCeCQAAQBAJ|access-date=25 December 2018|date=20 May 2015|publisher=McFarland|isbn=978-1-4766-0447-3|page=300}}{{Cite web |url=http://welcome.topuertorico.org/maps/penuelas.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180324204920/http://welcome.topuertorico.org/maps/penuelas.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=2018-03-24 |title=Map of Peñuelas at the Wayback Machine|access-date=2018-12-29 }}
{{div col}}
- Barreal
- Coto
- Cuebas
- Encarnación
- Jaguas
- Macaná
- Peñuelas barrio-pueblo
- Quebrada Ceiba
- Rucio
- Santo Domingo
- Tallaboa Alta
- Tallaboa Poniente
- Tallaboa Saliente
{{div col end}}
Within barrios are communities: For example, the Santo Domingo {{lang|es|comunidad}} ('community') in Santo Domingo barrio and the Tallaboa community in the barrio of Encarnación.
=Sectors=
Barrios (which are, in contemporary times, roughly comparable to minor civil divisions){{cite web |title=US Census Barrio-Pueblo definition |url=https://factfinder.census.gov/help/en/barrio.htm |website=factfinder.com |publisher=US Census |access-date=5 January 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170513190743/https://factfinder.census.gov/help/en/barrio.htm |archive-date=13 May 2017 |url-status=dead }} and subbarrios,{{cite web |title=P.L. 94-171 VTD/SLD Reference Map (2010 Census): Peñuelas Municipio, PR |url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/pl10map/vtd_sld/st72_spanish/c72111_penuelas/PL10VTDSP_C72111_001.pdf |website=www2.census.gov |publisher=U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE Economics and Statistics Administration U.S. Census Bureau |access-date=22 August 2020 |archive-date=22 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200822192336/https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/pl10map/vtd_sld/st72_spanish/c72111_penuelas/PL10VTDSP_C72111_001.pdf |url-status=live }} are further subdivided into smaller areas called {{lang|es|sectores}} (sectors in English). The types of sectores may vary, from normally sector to urbanización to reparto to barriada to residencial, among others.{{cite web|url=http://www.presupuesto.pr.gov/Presupuesto2015-2016/PresupuestosAgencias/229.htm|title=Agencia: Oficina del Coordinador General para el Financiamiento Socioeconómico y la Autogestión (Proposed 2016 Budget)|website=Puerto Rico Budgets|language=es|access-date=28 June 2019|archive-date=28 June 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190628234856/http://www.presupuesto.pr.gov/Presupuesto2015-2016/PresupuestosAgencias/229.htm|url-status=live}}{{Citation | author1=Rivera Quintero, Marcia | title=El vuelo de la esperanza: Proyecto de las Comunidades Especiales Puerto Rico, 1997-2004 | publication-date=2014 | publisher=San Juan, Puerto Rico Fundación Sila M. Calderón | edition=first | isbn=978-0-9820806-1-0 }}{{cite web|url=http://www.lexjuris.com/lexlex/Leyes2001/lex2001001.htm|title=Leyes del 2001|website=Lex Juris Puerto Rico|language=es|access-date=24 June 2020|archive-date=14 September 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180914224408/http://www.lexjuris.com/lexlex/Leyes2001/lex2001001.htm|url-status=live}}
=Special Communities=
{{Main|Puerto Rico Office for Socioeconomic and Community Development}}
{{lang|es|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 Peñuelas: Maldonado neighborhood (Los Chinos), Santo Domingo barrio, Comunidad Caracoles, and Comunidad La Moca in Tallaboa Alta.{{Citation|author1=Rivera Quintero, Marcia|title=El vuelo de la esperanza:Proyecto de las Comunidades Especiales Puerto Rico, 1997-2004|publication-date=2014| publisher=San Juan, Puerto Rico Fundación Sila M. Calderón| edition=Primera edición|page=273|isbn=978-0-9820806-1-0}}
Demographics
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 Peñuelas was 12,129.
{{US Census population
| 1900= 12129
| 1910= 11991
| 1920= 13598
| 1930= 13278
| 1940= 14789
| 1950= 14931
| 1960= 14887
| 1970= 15973
| 1980= 19116
| 1990= 22515
| 2000= 26719
| 2010= 24282
|estyear=
|estimate=
|align-fn=center
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census{{cite web|url=https://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/PEP/2016/PEPANNRES/0500000US72005|title=U.S. Decennial Census|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=September 21, 2017|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150426102944/http://www.census.gov/prod/www/decennial.html|archive-date=April 26, 2015}}
1899 (shown as 1900){{cite web|url=https://archive.org/stream/reportoncensusof00unitiala#page/n245/mode/2up|title=Report of the Census of Porto Rico 1899|publisher=War Department Office Director Census of Porto Rico|access-date=September 21, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170716033905/https://archive.org/stream/reportoncensusof00unitiala#page/n245/mode/2up|archive-date=July 16, 2017|url-status=live}} 1910-1930{{cite web|url=https://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/00476569ch4.pdf|title=Table 3-Population of Municipalities: 1930 1920 and 1910|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=September 21, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170817181600/https://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/00476569ch4.pdf|archive-date=August 17, 2017|url-status=live}}
1930-1950{{cite web|url=https://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/23761117v1ch12.pdf|title=Table 4-Area and Population of Municipalities Urban and Rural: 1930 to 1950|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=September 21, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150830033735/http://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/23761117v1ch12.pdf|archive-date=August 30, 2015|url-status=live}} 1960-2000{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/prod/cen2000/phc-3-53-eng.pdf|title=Table 2 Population and Housing Units: 1960 to 2000|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=September 21, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170724061852/https://www.census.gov/prod/cen2000/phc-3-53-eng.pdf|archive-date=July 24, 2017|url-status=live}} 2010{{cite book|title=Puerto Rico:2010:population and housing unit counts.pdf|url=https://permanent.access.gpo.gov/gpo35934/cph-2-53.pdf|year=2010|publisher=U.S. Dept. of Commerce Economics and Statistics Administration U.S. Census Bureau|access-date=2018-12-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170220183043/https://permanent.access.gpo.gov/gpo35934/cph-2-53.pdf|archive-date=2017-02-20|url-status=live}}
Tourism
=Landmarks and places of interest=
The main attractions in Peñuelas are:
- Charco La Soplaera (a natural water pool)
- El Convento Cave
- Don Angel Pacheco Monument
- Guilarte Forest
- Unknown Soldier's Monument
- Parque de Bombas (the old firehouse)
- {{lang|es|La Negra Cocola}} is an 0-4-2T Baldwin Steam Locomotive on display in the main town square
- Peñuelas Museum of Art and History
- Cancha Carlos Rentas Gallardo (Quebrada Ceiba)
Economy
=Industry=
Manufacturing, refinery.
Government
{{Main|Mayoralty in Puerto Rico}}
All municipalities in Puerto Rico are administered by a mayor, elected every four years. The current mayor of Peñuelas is Josean González Febres, of the New Progressive Party (PNP). He was first elected at the 2024 general elections.
The city belongs to the Puerto Rico Senatorial district V, which is represented by two Senators. In 2024, Marially González Huertas and Jamie Barlucea, from the Popular Democratic Party and New Progressive Party, respectively, were elected as District Senators.[https://elecciones2024.ceepur.org/Escrutinio_General_121/index.html#es/default/SENADORES_POR_DISTRITO_Ponce_V.xml Elecciones Generales 2024: Escrutinio General] {{webarchive|url= https://elecciones2024.ceepur.org/Escrutinio_General_121/index.html#es/default/SENADORES_POR_DISTRITO_Ponce_V.xml |date=2025-01-03 }} on CEEPUR
Symbols
The {{lang|es|municipio}} has an official flag and coat of arms.{{cite web | title=Ley Núm. 70 de 2006 -Ley para disponer la oficialidad de la bandera y el escudo de los setenta y ocho (78) municipios. | website=LexJuris de Puerto Rico | url=https://www.lexjuris.com/LEXLEX/Leyes2006/lexl2006070.htm | language=es | access-date=2021-06-15}}
=Flag=
It has a rectangular bottom in canary yellow and stands for the sun, symbol of the physical life. In the center it has a purple or violet cross: symbol of Christianity and its ecclesiastical order; it represents the spiritual life. The cross purple extends to all the points of the yellow rectangle.{{cite web | title=PENUELAS | website=LexJuris (Leyes y Jurisprudencia) de Puerto Rico | date=19 February 2020 | url=http://www.lexjuris.com/pueblos/pueblos_files/PENUELAS.html | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200219000739/http://www.lexjuris.com/pueblos/pueblos_files/PENUELAS.html | archive-date=19 February 2020 | url-status=live | language=es | access-date=17 September 2020}}
=Coat of arms=
The adornment above the shield, a stone wall, represents the perpetuity. The cross represents Santo Cristo de la Salud that "stopped the sea from flooding Peñuelas". The purple arm represents the priesthood and the town of Peñuelas. The canary yellow represents the sun. The blue and white symbolize the choppy sea and the regal ensign represents the faith in Christianity, "In God We Trust".
Culture
=Festivals and events=
Peñuelas celebrates its patron saint festival in late October / early November. The {{lang|es|Fiestas Patronales de San Jose}} is a religious and cultural celebration that generally features parades, games, artisans, amusement rides, regional food, and live entertainment.{{cite web | last=Torres Guzmán | first=Sandra | title=Peñuelas: Regresan las fiestas patronales | website=La Perla del Sur | date=2014-10-29 | url=https://www.periodicolaperla.com/repletas-de-musica-las-fiestas-patronales-de-penuelas/ | language=es | access-date=2020-07-18 | archive-date=2020-07-18 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200718194023/https://www.periodicolaperla.com/repletas-de-musica-las-fiestas-patronales-de-penuelas/ | url-status=live }}
Other festivals and events celebrated in Peñuelas include:
- Endless Fun Festival – April
- Festival of the Cross – May
- National Güiro Festival – May
- Festival of the Flamboyan Tree – Summer
- Children's Festival – August
- Folk Festival – October
- The Cantatas – December
Sports
Peñuelas AA Amateur Baseball team is called Los Petroleros de Peñuelas (The Peñuelas' Oilers.) The origin of this name dates back to the days when Peñuelas was home to a major petro-chemical complex known as CORCO. Although CORCO closed operations in 1980, the name stuck throughout the years.
Also known as Luis "Tite" Arroyo's hometown, a baseball hero.
Another hometown hero is Ivelisse Echevarria, who was inducted into the International Federation Softball Hall of Fame in 2003 and is considered by many to be the greatest softball pitcher born in Puerto Rico. Myrian "Betty" Segarra, who was inducted into the International Federation Softball Hall of Fame in 2003 and the best first base in the woman softball in Puerto Rico.
Transportation
Peñuelas' public bus service ("la guagua") connects passengers to Ponce city (east) and Guayanilla (west).
Education
6 Elementary schools, 4 Intermediate Schools, 1 High School
See also
{{Portal|Puerto Rico|Geography}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [http://pr.gov/Directorios//Pages/InfoMunicipio.aspx?PRIFA=M111 Puerto Rico Government Directory - Peñuelas]
{{Adjacent communities
|Centre = Peñuelas
|North = Adjuntas
|Northeast =
|East = Ponce
|Southeast =
|South = Caribbean Sea
|Southwest =
|West = Guayanilla
|Northwest =
}}
{{Porta Caribe}}
{{Puerto Rico subdivisions}}
{{Subject bar|auto=y|d=y}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Penuelas, Puerto Rico}}
Category:Municipalities of Puerto Rico