The following is a timeline of the history of the municipality of Mayagüez, Puerto Rico.

18th-19th centuries

1760 - Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria de Mayagüez (Our Lady of Candlemas) settlement established by Spanish colonist Faustino Martínez de Matos. 1763 - Settlement of Mayaguez formally separated from the larger San Germán area. 1770 - Population: 1,800. 1823 - José María Ramírez de Arellano becomes mayor. 1836 Mayaguez becomes a villa (chartered town). Public warehouse and dock constructed. 1841 Fire. "Entry port privilege" relocated to Mayaguez from Cabo Rojo (approximate date). 1845 - Mayagüez City Hall built. 1848 - El Imparcial and El Propagador newspapers begins publication. 1849 - Jail built. 1850 - El Semanario Mayaguezano begins publication. 1852 - Fire. 1860 Market building constructed. San Antonio Hospital active (approximate date). 1863 - Avisador del Comercio newspaper begins publication. 1870 - Cemetery established. 1873 - Mayagüez attains city status. 1874 - Biblioteca Popular de Mayagüez (public library) and Circulo de Amigos founded. 1883 - Population: 26,705 in ayuntamiento (city); 123,583 in departamento (province). 1893 - Sociedad Anónima Tranvía de Mayagüez (transit entity) active (approximate date). 1894 Escuela Libre de Música (music school) founded. City coat of arms granted. 1896 - Statue of Christopher Columbus erected in the Plaza Colón. 1898 - Theodore Schwan, a brigadier general of the U.S. enters Mayagüez with the American Cavalry after winning the Battle of Silva Heights. 1899 Hormigueros becomes part of Mayagüez. Population: 15,187.

20th century

1901 U.S. Tropical Agriculture Research Station founded. Voz de la Patria newspaper begins publication. 1909 - Teatro Yagüez built. 1910 - Population: 16,591. 1911 College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts opens. The US Department of Agriculture sends a field agent to the area of Mayagüez and Hormigueros to document everything he sees. Diario del Oeste newspaper begins publication. 1912 - Masonic Logia Adelphia built. 1913 Mayagüez Tramway Company formed. Centro Español built. 1918 - October 11: 1918 San Fermín earthquake. 1919 - June 19: Teatro Yagüez burns down. 1920 - Population: 19,069. 1926 - Tram service ends. 1930 - Population: 37,060. 1937 WPRA radio begins broadcasting. Compañía Cervecera de Puerto Rico in business. 1938 - Indios de Mayagüez baseball team formed. 1940 - Population: 50,376. 1946 - WKJB radio begins broadcasting. 1955 - WORA-TV (television) begins broadcasting. 1966 - University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez active. 1969 - Benjamin Cole becomes mayor. 1970 - Population: 68,872. 1976 - Roman Catholic Diocese of Mayagüez established. 1983 - First newspaper originating in Mayagüez begins publication. 1993 - José Guillermo Rodríguez becomes mayor. 2000 - Population: 78,647.

21st century

2010 Isidoro García Stadium and Mayagüez Athletics Stadium open. Parque del Litoral (park) built. 2010 Central American and Caribbean Games sport event held in Mayagüez. Population: 89,080.

See also

History of Mayagüez List of mayors of Mayagüez, Puerto Rico National Register of Historic Places listings in Mayagüez Timeline of Bayamón, Puerto Rico, Ponce, San Juan

References

Bibliography

in English (Also description of town)

(About Bejamín Cole era)

in Spanish (reprint 1998)

External links

(Includes bibliographic information on Mayagüez history) Items related to Mayagüez, Puerto Rico, various dates (via University of Puerto Rico's Biblioteca Digital Puertorriqueña) Items related to Mayagüez, Puerto Rico, various dates (via Digital Public Library of America) Digitized materials related to Mayagüez in the Archivo Histórico Nacional of Spain, records of the Ministerio de Ultramar; via Portal de Archivos Españoles