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San Sebastián, Puerto Rico
— Municipality —
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″WCoordinates: 18°20′14″N 66°59′26″W
COUNTRY: United States
TERRITORY: Puerto Rico
Founded - 17
52
GOVERMENT:
- Mayor Javier Jiménez
- Senatorial dist. 4 - Mayagüez
- Representative dist. AREA:
- Total 71.7 sq mi (185.77 km2)
- Land 71.4 sq mi (185 km2)
- Water 0.3 sq mi (.77 km2)
POPULATION (2000):
- Total 43,514
- Density 606.7/sq mi (234.2/km2)
DEMONYM: Pepinianos
ZIP CODE: 00685
SAN SEBASTIAN
(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). 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 Sabastian 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. 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
Torefacion Cafe 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
REFERENCES:
I.C.P. San Sebastián del Pepino: Un inventario de sus recursos culturales. Diccionario Biográfico Pepiniano
^http://welcome.topuertorico.org/maps/sansebastian.pdf
^ San Sebastian
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 AND REFERENCES:
San Sebastián and its barrios, United States Census Bureau
http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/GCTTable?_bm=y&-geo_id=05000US72131&-_box_head_nbr=GCT-PH1&-ds_name=DEC_2000_SF1_U&-redoLog=false&-mt_name=DEC_2000_SF1_U_GCTPH1_CO2&-format=CO-2
Porta del Sol
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Porta_del_Sol
San Sebastian del Pepino
http://www.facebook.com/sansebastiandelpepino
Soy de San Sebastian,PR Group
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=230794039879
San Sebastian Places
http://www.facebook.com/pages/San-Sebastian/144860355544539
Club de Leones de San Sebastian
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Club-de-Leones-de-San-sebastian/29331827034
San Sebastian Peino Pepino
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000731034930
