Maricao was founded on April 1, 1874 when Bernardo Collado, Juli�n Ayala, Francisco M. Sojo, Napole�n Pietri and Leoncio S. Mart�nez requested the Provincial Deputation authorization to establish an official town. It originally belonged to the district of San Germ�n, but they alleged the roads were too long and almost impassable. Their request made references to a parish already established in 1866.
During the 19th century coffee boom, Maricao and other regions surged economically. When the spurt of coffee in the island ended by the start of the 20th century, the economic conditions deteriorated again. Many of the old plantation houses have been converted in museums to stimulate the tourism industry. While Puerto Rico still has a niche in the gourmet coffee market, the large scale coffee growing which built Maricao is no longer economically feasible
