Founded: 1511
Country: Puerto Rico
San Germán
History
The initial settlement of San Germán occurred in modern-day Añasco which was destroyed by a Taíno uprising in February 1511. The population of this time was recorded to be "about 50 neighbors" in this settlement. After its destruction, Miguel Díaz commanded the construction of settlement in Guayanilla and named it after the new Queen of Spain, Germania de Foix. This town was attacked by French corsairs in August 1528, May 1538, and 1554. A small fort began construction in 1540, but was abandoned when the population of the settlement began moving inland. Some would remain as the region was populated by the time the towns of Yauco and Guayanilla were recognized as town.
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On May 12, 1570 the Real Audencia de Santo Domingo authorized the two populations of San Germán and Santa María de Guadianilla be merged together for protection against French attacks. The new town was built on the hills of Santa Marta, next to the Río Guanajibo, in 1573. This was attributed to Rodrigo Ortíz Vélez. The official name was Nueva Villa de Salamanca, but the population called it San Germán el Nuevo and later on Villa de San Germán.
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In 1856, there was a cholera epidemic that ravaged Puerto Rico. In San Germán 2,843 died.
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On June 15, 1877, King Alfonso XII granted San Germán the title of city.
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On August 10, 1898, General Schuann of the United States took control of the city. The territory of Puerto Rico was then annexed to the United States.
Author's Notes
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Timeline
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1511 - Settlement in Añasco is destroyed.
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1511 - Settlement in Guayanilla is constructed.
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1528 - French attack.
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1538 - French attack.
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1540 - Fort begins construction.
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1546 - Fort ends construction
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1554 - French attack.
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1570 - San Germán and Santa María de Guadianilla merge.
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1573 - Modern location is settled.
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1856 - Cholera epidemic.
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1877 - San Germán becomes a city.
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1898 - Occupied by the United States.
Alcaldes
1514 - Gonzalo Ovalle Alonso Mendoza
1519 - Vasco de Tiedra, García Troche Bachiller, Diego Morales & Juan de Torres Figueroa
1523 - Luis de Añasco
1524 - Luis de Añasco & Pedro López de Angulo
1525 - Juan de Cueto, Alonso Rodríguez Minaya, Sebastián de la Gama & Luis de Añasco
1526 - Sebastián de la Gama, Rodrigo de San Lucas, Francisco de Quindos, Alonso de Vargas & Vasco Troche
1527 - Martín Garcés & Juan de Cueto
1528 - Luis de Añasco, Juan de Cueto, Martín Garcés, Antonio de la Gama & Francisco Quindos
1529 - Martín Garcés & Juan de Cueto
1530 - Alonso de Vargas & Rodrigo de San Lucas
1532 - Juan de Laso de Castellanos
1537 - Vasco de Tiedra
1538 - Lcdo. Alonso de Molina
1572 - Rodrigo Ortíz Vélez
1573 - Rodrigo Ortíz Vélez, Francisco del Río & Juan Ortíz de la Renta
1577 - Rodrigo Ortíz Vélez
1589 - Juan López de Aliseda
1596 - Juan Rodríguez de Olivencia
1600 - Juan López de Aliseda
1622 - Diego de Figueroa
1652 - Domingo de Olivera
1661 - Jacinto Ortíz de Peña
1679 - Diego de Montalvo & Gaspar Pérez de Figueroa
1681 - Gerardo González de Rivera
1692 - Manuel Julián de Almodóvar
1701 - Gerardo González Acevedo Rivera
1702 - José Ortíz de la Renta & Pedro Segarra
1705 - Juan Segarra
1735 - Remigio Ramírez de Arellano & Andrés de Toro Quiñones
1767 - Miguel de Quiñones & Juan Cancel
1769 - Germán Ramírez de Arellano
1770 - Germán Ramírez de Arellano, Nicolás Ramírez de Arellano & Juan Pablo Dávila
1771 - Florencio Pabón Dávila & Juan de la Seda
1772 - Juan Cancel & José Antonio de Rivera
1773 - Manuel Ramírez & Sebastián de Rivera
1774 - Juan Ramírez, Faustino Martínez de Matos, Manuel Ramírez de Arellano & Sebastián de Rivera
1775 - José Nazario de Quiñones & German Pabón
1776 - Manuel Ramírez de Arellano & Bartolomé Vélez Borrero
1793 - Miguel Ponce de León
1795 - Miguel de Quiñones
1796 - José Ortíz de la Peña & Ramón Ramírez de Arellano
1797 - Ignacio de Torres Figueroa
1798 - Miguel Ortíz de la Renta, Dámaso Ramírez de Arellano & Miguel Ortíz de la Renta
1799 - Dámaso Ramírez de Arellano & Mateo Belvis
1800 - Mateo Belvis & Nicolás Quiñones
1801 - Tomás Ramírez de Arellano & Nicolás Quiñones
1802 - Nicolás de Quiñones & Antonio Ramírez de Arellano
1803 - Antonio Ramírez de Arellano & Felipe Quiñones
1804 - Felipe Quiñones & Manuel del Toro
1805 - Manuel del Toro & José Antonio de Sepúlveda
1806 - José Antonio de Sepúlveda & Tomás Ramírez de Arellano
1807 - José Antonio de Sepúlveda & Antonio Esteban de Quiñones
1808 - Francisco A. Ramírez de Arellano & Antonio Esteban de Quiñones
1809 - Antonio Esteban de Quiñones & Francisco A. Ramírez de Arellano
1810 - Germán Pagán & Bernardo Pabón Dávila
1811 - Bernardo Pabón Dávila & Manuel del Toro
1812 - Manuel del Toro & Manuel Esteban de Ribera
1813 - Faustino del Toro & Josef Monserrate Ramírez
1814 - Felipe de Quiñonez & Manuel Esteban de Rivera
1815 - Antonio Esteban de Quiñones & Francisco A. Ramírez de Arellano
1816 - José Ramírez de Arellano & Joaquín Nazario
1817 - Vicente Mariano de Quiñones & José Pabón Dávila
1818 - José de Quiñones & Vicente Ramírez
1819 - Manuel Esteban Rivera & Domingo Vélez Borrero
1820 - José Monserrate Ramírez
1821 - Vicente Mariano de Quiñones & José Barrientos
1822 - Pascasio Cardona & Manuel Jusino
1823 - José Ramón Ramírez & Esteban Vilanova
1824 - José Monserrate Ramírez
1825 - Nicolás Quiñones & José Ramón Ramírez
1826 - Ramón de Quiñones & Manuel del Toro Almodóvar
1827 - Mariano A. Ponce de León & Manuel del Toro Almodóvar
1828 - Bernardo Pabón Dávila & José Monserrate Ramírez
1829 - Joaquín Nazario & Ramón Delgado
1830 - Manuel del Toro Almodóvar
1830 - Ramón Genaro Porata
1831 - Domingo Postigo & Juan Antonio Ortíz de la Renta
1832 - José Monserrate Ramírez & Sebastián Rodríguez de Astadillo
1833 - Mayor Santiago, Cristóbal Casanova, Vicente de Lugo & Lorenzo de Torres
1835 - Joaquín de Sepúlveda &
Pedro María Martínez
1836 - Santurnino Mestre & José Víctor Sánchez
1837 - José Eusebio del Toro & Francisco de Paula Quiñones
1838 - Joaquín Nazario Figueroa & José Antonio Irizarry
1839 - Joaquín Nazario de Figueroa & Juan Antonio de Irizarry
1840 - José Monserrate Ramírez & Domingo de Rivera
1841 - José Dolores de Acosta & Domingo de Rivera
1842 - Genaro Cardona & Cayetano Quiñones
1846 - Mariano A. Ponce de León & Cayetano Quiñones
1847 - Jaime Carreras
1848 - José Ramón Irizarry
1849 - Ramón Delgado
1850 - José de Córdova
1851-1852 - Antonio Benito Padilla
1853-1843 - Cayetano Sánchez
1857-1865 - Ramón Santaella Canales
1866-1867 - Luis Quijano Font
1868 - Manuel González García
1869 - Jacinto García Pérez
1870 - Pablo de Camacho
1871 - Salvador Tió
1873 - Juan Gregory
1874 - Tomás Ramírez Quiñones
1875 - Juan Dávila
1876-1877 - Ignacio Guillot
1878 - Froilan Santana
1879 - Ángel Montaner
1880-1881 - Eugenio Comas Boada
1882 - Manuel Capetillo
1883 - Joaquín Aldea Berenguer
1884 - Joaquín Calvo
1885 - Luciano Martín
1886-1887 - José Arimon Cruz
1888-1890 - Antonio Aheran Rubio
1891 - Ramón Riopedre
1892 - José Sánchez Candelaria
1893 - Manuel Aldea Berenguer
1894-1896 - Juan Francisco Gregory
1897 - Ramón María Suris
1898 - Ramón Quiñonez
1899 - Félix Acosta Sepúlveda
1900 - William E. Almy
1901-1903 - Francisco Mariano Quiñonez
1904 - José Antonio Vivoni
1905 - Ulises Gregory
1906 - Jacinto Paradis
1907 - Ulises Gregory
1908 - Juan de P. Nazario & Enrique Rossy
1909-1910 - Enrique Rossy
1911-1915 - Ulises Gregory
1916-1918 - Francisco Severa Silva
1919-1924 - Genaro C. Nazario
1925 - Juan Ángel Tió
1925-1928 - Francisco Severa Silva
1928 - Néstor Rivera Porrata
1929-1932 - Santiago R. Palmer Silva
1933-1935 - Juan Ángel Tió Malaret
1936 - Dr. Edgardo Quiñonez
1936-1940 - Julio Montalvo
1940 - Dr. Nicolás Sanabria Fernández, Aurelio Tió de Nazario & Genaro C. Nazario
1941-1968 - Lisandro Lugo Penchi
1968 - José A. Cebollero Salas
1969-1981 - José del Carmen Alemañy
1981-1996 - Jorge Alberto Ramos Comas
1996-2000 - Llantín
2000-Present - Isidro Negrón Irizarry