San Sebastián, Puerto Rico

San Sebastián, Puerto Rico
—  Municipality  —
Flag
Nickname(s): "San Sebastián Del Pepino", "Pepino", "Cuna de la Hamaca", "Los Patrulleros"
Anthem: "Van más de dos siglos de historia de vida"
Location of San Sebastián in Puerto Rico
Coordinates: 18°20′14″N 66°59′26″W
Country	United States
Territory	Puerto Rico
Founded	1752
Government
• Mayor	Javier Jiménez (PNP)
• Senatorial dist.	4 - Mayagüez PNP
• Representative dist.
Area
• Total	71.7 sq mi (185.77 km2)
• Land	71.4 sq mi (185.0 km2)
• Water	0.3 sq mi (0.77 km2)
Population (2010)
• Total	42,430
• Density	590/sq mi (230/km2)
Demonym	Pepinianos
Time zone	AST (UTC-4)
Zip code	00685
Website	Municipio de San Sebastián

San Sebastián (Spanish pronunciation: [san seβasˈtjan]) is a municipality of Puerto Rico located northwest of the island south of Isabela and Quebradillas; north of Las Marías; east of Moca and Añasco; and west of Lares. San Sebastián is spread over twenty-four wards and San Sebastián Pueblo (The downtown area and the administrative center of the city). It is a principal city of the Aguadilla-Isabela-San Sebastián Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

The permission to found the town was officially given in 1752, under the leadship of the founder, Captain Cristóbal González de la Cruz, who among other neighbors had an interest in converting some cow farms into an agricultural village. The foundation of the town from the religious aspect, was consummated in December of 1762 by Mariano Martin, the island catholic bishop at that time. At the beginning, by 1700, San Sebastian was a conglomerate of a few cow farms, owned by some residents of the Partido de Aguada. Las Vegas was the former plain site of one of the first cow farms located by the Guatemala riverside at the north. Also, another of those cow farms was Pepinito (today's downtown) that was a low green mountain with a white calcium carbonate face. On the north side of the town it can be seen some of this "pepinos" (cucumbers). These two cow farms gave the town its first name. From these geographical accidents come the first names of the new village: Las Vegas del Pepino (Cucumber Fields). In 1865 it is documented as San Sebastián de Las Vegas del Pepino.

At the beginning of the 19th century, wealthy families arrived in Pepino, fleeing the revolutions of Venezuela and the Dominican Republic. Later, by 1850, several families from Catalonia and the Basque Country in Spain joined the large number of isleños (Canary Islanders) that had made El Pepino their home. These people, after taking over the local political power, developed a coffee industry and brought some material progress to the town. The resident Basques in the municipality, in remembrance of their home region and its religious patron, saw the need of upgrading the old traditional Pepino used by the Canary Islanders to the new and "up-dated" San Sebastián, promoted and thus got the name formally changed by the central government authority. Nevertheless, the citizens of San Sebastián are called "pepinianos".

San Sebastián Mártir (Spanish for Saint Sebastian the Martyr) is the patron saint of archers and was chosen to be the patron saint of the town since its early history, first brought by the immigrants from the Canaries and later confirmed by the Basques, with the town name changed in 1869.

Flag

It consists of a rectangular flag of the usual proportions, crossed by a white waved band that separates its red superior part from the inferior one, which is green.

Coat of Arms

The Mountains: With silver-plated borders, represent the characteristic mountains under which the vegetable namesake of the town grow (Pepinos) The Crown: Is the heraldic standard used to identify towns, villas and cities. The Sugar Cane and Coffee Branches: They represent main agricultural products.

Barrios (Districts/Wards)

• Altozano
• Aibonito
• Bahomamey
• Calabazas
• Cibao
• Cidral
• Culebrinas
• Eneas
• Guacio
• Guajataca
• Guatemala
• Hato Arriba
• Hoya Mala
• Juncal
• Magos
• Mirabales
• Perchas I
• Perchas II
• Piedras Blancas
• Pozas
• Robles
• Saltos
• Saltos II
• San Sebastián Pueblo
• Sonador

Geography

• Guajataca Lake
• Río Grande de Añasco
• Río Culebrinas
• Río Guajataca

Sports

San Sebastián holds the Luis Aymat Cardona Coliseum, ground for the professional volleyball team, the Caribes de San Sebastián, under the auspices of the Upper Women's Volleyball League. In amateur baseball or baseball AA, the city is represented by the Patrulleros de San Sebastian, who play at the Estadio Juan Jose "Titi" Beniquez Stadium.

Economy

Agriculture

Coffee, Minor Fruits, Dairy Farms

• Torrefacción Café El Coquí

Tourism

Hacienda El Jibarito

Landmarks and places of interest

• Doña Bisa Cabrero House - Facing the Public Square
• Guajataca Lake
• Luis Aymat Cardona Coliseum
• Market Plaza
• Church San Sebastian Martir of San Sebastian
• Robles Waterfall
• Collazo Waterfall
• Sombrero Hill
• Hacienda El Jibarito
• Juan Jose "Titi" Beniquez Stadium
• Cancha Luis Muñoz Marin
• Guajataca Scout Reservation

Festivals and events

• Patronal Religious Fiesta - January
• Three Kings Festival - January
• Heifer Festival (Festival de la Novilla) - January
• Chess Tournament - January
• Ateneo Pepiniano Cultural Festival - January
• Hammock Festival - July
• Comeback to the Mountaintop - September

List of people from San Sebastián

• Luis V. Gutiérrez, first Latino to be elected to Congress from the Midwest.

• Nathan Lebron, first Latino to run for mayor of Albany, NY.

References

Bibliography

• Boceto Histórico Del Pepino - Andrés Méndez Liciaga
• San Sebastián Del Pepino, Notas Para Su Historia - Walter Cardona
• La Fundación De Las Vegas Del Pepino - Eliut González Vélez
• La Formación De La Etnia Cultural Pepiniana - Eliut González Vélez
• El Gallito Del Pepino- Ismael Nuñez Pratt
• La Paloma- Regalada Perez
• Cantante-Maciano Rocky Duran
• La Cantautora,Hizo Teatro-Nena Rivera

External links

• San Sebastián and its barrios, United States Census Bureau