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History of Anasco


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The town was founded on October 18, 1733 and named after Don Luis de A�asco, a colonist from the Extremadura region of Spain who came to Puerto Rico with Juan Ponce de Le�n. A�asco was founded by the initiative of rich landowner Don Jos� de Santiago, who wanted to establish the "villa" in properties owned by Don Luis de A�asco. The property was located on the margins of the r�o "Guaorabo", as the Ta�nos called it.

Anasco town was proceeded by the first settlement of San German. In Novermber 1511, Juan Ponce de Le�n handed over governorship to Juan Ceron, a lieutenant of the viceroy Diego Colon (son of Cristobal Colon or Cristopher Columbus). Ceron ordered Miguel de Toro, a lieutenant of Juan Ponce de Le�n, to create a "Christian Village" in western Borinquen, calling it San German. This was the second attempt of foundation given in 1511 at the mouth of the Guaorabo River (present day Rio Anasco), near the area known today as Anasco, Puerto Rico. This first settlement was attacked in 1528, 1538, and again in 1554. A fort to protect this town began in 1540, but its construction was suspended in 1546 when the people decided to move inland being tired of attacks. Attacks by Carib Indians forced the population to move south inland to the present site of the present town of San German.

In the 18th century, A�asco was the fourth most populous municipality in Puerto Rico, after San Germ�n, San Juan, and others. The A�asco River is also claimed to be the site of the popular legend of the drowning of the Spaniard Diego Salcedo in 1511 at the hands of the Ta�nos, proving the Spanish soldiers were not gods and igniting a revolt. It is believed that the revolt was led by the cacique Chayo�n and suppressed by Spanish soldiers.

Many of the first settlers to the area came from the Canary Islands and the south of Spain. The 1918 San Ferm�n earthquake destroyed A�asco's parish church, the town hall and other structures, almost eliminating most of the historic
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