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Adjuntas

Municipio Autónomo de Adjuntas
View of Adjuntas Pueblo and El Gigante Dormido from a nearby mountain.
View of Adjuntas Pueblo and El Gigante Dormido from a nearby mountain.
Flag of Adjuntas
Flag
Coat of arms of Adjuntas
Coat of arms
Nicknames: 
Anthem: Adjuntas es mi amor
Map of Puerto Rico highlighting Adjuntas Municipality
Map of Puerto Rico highlighting Adjuntas Municipality
Commonwealth  Puerto Rico
Founded August 11, 1815
Founded by Diego Maldonado
Barrios
Area
 • Total 67.10 sq mi (173.8 km2)
 • Land 66.69 sq mi (172.7 km2)
 • Water .41 sq mi (1.1 km2)
Elevation
2,316 ft (706 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 18,020
 • Density 268.55/sq mi (103.69/km2)
Demonym(s) Adjunteños
Time zone UTC−4 (AST)
ZIP Codes
00601, 00631
Area code(s) 787/939
Major routes PR primary 10.svg PR primary 123.svg PR secondary 129.svg PR secondary 135.svg PR secondary 143.svg Ellipse sign 131.svg

Adjuntas is a small mountainside town and municipality in Puerto Rico located central midwestern portion of the island on the Cordillera Central, north of Yauco, Guayanilla, and Peñuelas; southeast of Utuado; east of Lares and Yauco; and northwest of Ponce. Adjuntas is spread over 16 barrios and Adjuntas Pueblo (the downtown area and the administrative center of the city). Adjuntas is about two hours by car westward from the capital, San Juan. It is the principal city of and comprises the Adjuntas Micropolitan Statistical Area.

Adjuntas is nicknamed "the Switzerland of Puerto Rico", because of its relatively chilly weather. Many Puerto Rican mountain towns have cooler weather than the rest of the island; Adjuntas is no exception: the average yearly weather is 70 °F (21 °C) (High: 83 °F/28 °C; Low: 58 °F/14 °C). Puerto Rico's lowest temperature were recorded in Adjuntas at 38°F in 2018. Its mild climate attracts a good number of island tourists during the summer months. The town has a small hotel named Monte Rio and a good-sized parador, or country inn, called Villa Sotomayor.

Adjuntas' ZIP Code, 00601, is the lowest standard ZIP code in the United States ZIP code system.

History

Although there are petroglyphs and traces of Taíno people in Adjuntas, there is no proof that the region was dominated by a specific cacique. Nearby caciques like Guarionex and Urayoán could've had some control over the area.

According to historian Aurelio Tió, during the Spanish colonization of Puerto Rico in the 16th Century, it is believed that a Spanish interpreter called Juan González settled in the region. Also, historian Cayetano Coll y Toste wrote a legend about Spanish people looking for gold in the region of Adjuntas.

As colonization progressed, Adjuntas became part of the San Blas de Illescas de Coamo village, which was founded in 1579 and became the most important settlement in the south. It is believed that the name "Adjuntas" derives from the term of "being close" to Coamo. As population shifted to Ponce, Adjuntas became more linked to that town, and then to Utuado, being a ward of this municipality in 1739.

With 20 families established in the region, the residents of Adjuntas vouched for the settlement to be officially recognized. The town of Adjuntas was then founded in August 11, 1815, with Diego Maldonado being elected as its representative. A city hall and public square were built shortly after.

Adjuntas, early 20th Century
Adjuntas in the early 20th Century

Adjuntas was one of the main cities where the Anusim, Maranos, and other Sephardi Jews settled. Many of these families were of the Torres, Perez or Peretz, and Bennazar families among others. Berberena and Mozarabes settled there too.

Taíno families from neighboring Utuado can also be found in this area, along with escaped cimarrones, or African slaves, who intermarried with the Taíno. DNA genetic evidence shows that many Africans fled up the Camino Real into the mountains to escape the sugar plantations of Ponce. The Mandinka, Wolof & Fulani mtDNA African haplotype, L1b, is present here. Taíno haplogroups A & C can also be found in this area.

Theodore Roosevelt in Adjuntas, Puerto Rico
Postcard of President Theodore Roosevelt during his visit to Adjuntas

After the mid-19th century, Adjuntas welcomed many immigrants from the Mediterranean islands Corsica and Majorca. Some of them established coffee plantations. During the last decades of the 19th Century, the coffee produced in Adjuntas was exported to Europe, United States and even the Vatican.

Adjuntas was proclaimed a "villa", or a first order municipality, by the Spanish Government Monarchy in 1894. Several years after, the town was occupied by the United States Army forces during the Spanish–American War of 1898 and was visited by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1906.

The discovery of rich deposits of copper, gold and other minerals during the 1960s motivated some local community and environmental leaders to oppose the mining. Casa Pueblo, a local community organization settled in Adjuntas, opposed to the mining and advocates for the preservation of natural resources in Puerto Rico.

Geography

Weather chart for Adjuntas (Climate - Tropical Rainforest (Af))
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13
 
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11
 
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6.7
 
82
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3.2
 
80
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temperatures in °F
precipitation totals in inches

The terrain in Adjuntas is very mountainous, due to its location in the Cordillera Central. It borders Utuado in the north and east, Lares and Yauco to the west, and Guayanilla, Peñuelas, and Ponce to the south.

Historian Pedro Tomás de Córdova described the terrain as "high, and mountainous, and very healthy". He also praised the quality of the terrain for agriculture. Adjuntas' highest peak is Monte Guilarte (3,773 ft; 1,150 m), followed by Vaquiñas (3,346 ft; 1,020 m). Guilarte itself is the sixth highest peak in Puerto Rico, and is located in Guilarte State Forest. Córdova also mentioned the water features, describing 26 rivers and 16 creeks that ran through the region.

Climate

Adjuntas features a tropical rainforest climate that borders on a subtropical highland climate. While the town technically features a tropical rainforest climate, due to its high elevation, the climate is noticeably cooler than the norm for this climate category. Summers are warm (83°-85 °F) in the daytime and mild at nighttime (60°-63 °F). Meanwhile, winters are moderately warm with cool temperatures at night. During daytime, high temperatures are around 79 °F (26 °C) in the town and 68 °F (20 °C) in the nearby mountains. Winter night temperatures are between in the 55 °F (13 °C) and 60 °F (16 °C) range, but after cold fronts temperatures can drop down to 45 °F (7 °C).

Cityscape

Numbered map of Adjuntas wards

Barrios

The municipality of Adjuntas is made up of 17 barrios (wards/districts).

  1. Adjuntas Pueblo
  2. Capáez
  3. Garzas
  4. Guayabo Dulce
  5. Guayo
  6. Guilarte
  7. Pellejas
  8. Limaní
  9. Juan Gonzalez
  10. Portillo
  11. Portuguez
  12. Saltillo
  13. Tanamá
  14. Vegas Abajo
  15. Vegas Arriba
  16. Yahuecas
  17. Yayales

Tourism

Historian Lidio Cruz Monclova noted that some doctors requested patients to travel to Adjuntas to stay in a hotel called "La Adjunteña". The hotel was the property of C.L. Ginestre, and served both tourists and the sick. Cruz noted that doctors believed the colder temperatures of the town were beneficial to health.

Castillo de los niños
Castillo de los Niños

According to mayor Jaime Barlucea, Adjuntas receives approximately 700 tourists per weekend. Most of them want to visit the haciendas established there during past centuries. Some of them are: Hacienda Bareal, Hacienda El Muerto, Hacienda Arbela, and Hacienda Pietri. Other landmarks are Monte Guilarte, and the Inabón waterfall.

Another known tourist stop in Adjuntas is Casa Pueblo, a local museum and cultural institution founded by a group of activists that fought against the copper mine exploitation of the area for decades. Casa Pueblo is responsible for many environmental projects, namely the preservation of hundreds of acres of woods and bodies of water.

However, some residents and businesspeople from Adjuntas maintain that the government has not taken advantage of the many tourist attractions in town, which include three forests, waterfalls, lakes, and many renowned restaurants. One of the projects that has received media coverage is the Castillo de los Niños, built during the mayoralty of Barlucea. Castillo de los Niños is a recreational park resembling a castle, with gazebos.

Culture

Like most municipalities, Adjuntas celebrates its fiestas patronales annually. They begin in August 21 and are dedicated to Saint Joachim and Saint Anne.

Sports

The town has a professional volleyball team called Gigantes de Adjuntas that plays on the LVSM in Puerto Rico. The team won a title in 1973.

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1900 19,484
1910 16,954 −13.0%
1920 17,988 6.1%
1930 18,075 0.5%
1940 22,556 24.8%
1950 22,424 −0.6%
1960 19,658 −12.3%
1970 18,691 −4.9%
1980 18,786 0.5%
1990 19,451 3.5%
2000 19,143 −1.6%
2010 19,483 1.8%
2020 18,020 −7.5%
U.S. Decennial Census
1899 (shown as 1900) 1910-1930
1930-1950 1960-2000 2010 2020
Racial - (self-defined) Adjuntas, Puerto Rico
- 2010 Census
Race Population  % of Total
White 18,146 93.1%
Black/African American 603 3.1%
American Indian and
Alaska Native
68 0.4%
Asian 5 0.0%
Native Hawaiian
Pacific Islander
1 0.0%
Some other race 411 2.1%
Two or more races 249 1.3%

In 2020, Adjuntas had a population of 18,020.

80% of the Per capita income of Adjuntas is a product of agriculture. In 2010, unemployment hit 20.2%. According to mayor, Jaime Barlucea, it decreased to 18.7 in 2011. However, according to the Department of Employment of Puerto Rico, it increased to 21.3.

Special Communities

Comunidades Especiales de Puerto Rico (Special Communities of Puerto Rico) are marginalized communities whose citizens are experiencing a certain amount of social exclusion. A map shows these communities occur in nearly every municipality of the commonwealth. Of the 742 places that were on the list in 2014, the following barrios, communities, sectors, or neighborhoods were in Adjuntas: Acueducto neighborhood, Calle del Agua, Guayo barrio, Rullán neighborhood, Saltillo Vaca, Tanamá barrio, and Yahuecas barrio.

Symbols

Adjuntas, Puerto Rico, Coat of Arms
Coat of arms of Adjuntas

Coat of Arms

The coat of arms of Adjuntas is divided in two. The left side features a shepherd's staff crossed with a yarnwinder in a purple field. They symbolize the Old Testament patriarchs, representing Saint Joachim and Saint Anne, parents of the Virgin Mary. An eight-pointed star sits above them representing the Virgin.

The right side of the coat of arms is divided in three fields. The upper and lower field have green crosses in white fields. The crosses, known as the "Illesca cross" is also present in the symbols of Coamo, because of the relationship between both towns. Two bells lie in the middle field, also a representation of the name of "Adjuntas".

Two coffee branches surround the coat of arms, representing Adjuntas location and its importance in the coffee industry of the island. The castle at the top represents the title of village given to Adjuntas by Spain in 1894.

Flag

The flag of Adjuntas has similar symbolisms. A white diagonal stripe divides the flag in two triangles. The upper one is purple, while the lower one is green. In the middle of each triangle lies a white "Illesca cross". The white color symbolizes purity, while purple represents Saint Joachim's cloth and green the nature of the town.

Anthem

The anthem of Adjuntas was written by José Nieves Pérez and is called "Adjuntas, mi amor".

Nicknames

Adjuntas has several nicknames. One is "La ciudad del gigante dormido" ("The city of the sleeping giant"). This is a reference to one of the mountains of the city, which is compared to a "sleeping giant". Another nickname is "La Suiza de Puerto Rico" ("The Switzerland of Puerto Rico") which is a reference to Adjuntas' relatively low temperatures. Adjuntas has an average yearly weather of 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Finally, Adjuntas is also called "La tierra de los lagos" ("Land of lakes") because of its many waterholes.

Transportation

PR-123 Ponce-Adjuntas Rd circa 1920
The Ponce–Adjuntas Road (PR-123) c. 1920

In 1874, General José Laureano Sanz, Governor of Puerto Rico, sponsored a road from Ponce to Arecibo, going across Adjuntas and Utuado. In 1885, it is believed that the road was under construction.

Nowadays, the main road to Adjuntas is PR-10, that connects the cities of Ponce in the south and Arecibo in the north, going across Adjuntas in the center. Before the PR-10 was built, roads like the PR-123, and other small roads were used to reach town.

There is also a small airport in Adjuntas that caters to private airplanes.

Adjuntas has 30 bridges. Built in 1919, Las Cabañas Bridge, made of steel and concrete is a one-lane, historic bridge which remains in operation.

Notable Adjunteños

Among the notable Adjunteños are the following:

  • Aristides A. Moll Boscana - Poet, writer, translator and politician. He was the first Puerto Rican to write a complete modernista poetry book: Mi misa rosa (1905). In United States he worked as a technical writer for the federal government, as a translator of the first Spanish-language edition of the Journal of the American Medical Association, and as Secretary of the Pan American Sanitary Bureau in Washington, DC, where he edited the Latin American edition of its bulletin. He participated of many Latin American public health conferences, the first World Health Organization conference in Paris, France, and represented El Salvador during the WHO constitutional conference in New York. He wrote many public health related essays and prepared two bilingual (Spanish - English) medical dictionaries and a Spanish medical manual for physicians. He published Æsculapius in Latin America, (a History of Medicine in the Americas).
  • César Luis González - The first Puerto Rican pilot in the United States Army Air Forces and the first Puerto Rican pilot to die in World War II. His name is listed on the "Roll of Honor" of the 314th Troop Carrier Group World War II and Adjuntas has honored his memory by naming a street, Calle Cesar González, after him.
  • Norman Maldonado - One of Puerto Rico's leading hematologists and former president of the University of Puerto Rico.
  • Ismael Alicea - Librarian who worked at the New York Public Library for many years.

Economy

Agriculture

Farm in Adjuntas
A coffee and banana farm in Adjuntas

Since its foundation in the 19th century, the production of coffee, sugarcane, small fruits, and cattle have formed the foundation of the economy of Adjuntas. During the middle of the 20th century, however, the production of sugar declined with the arrival of manufacturing industries.

Adjuntas is still the main producer of coffee on the island. Other products produced in Adjuntas are tropical crops such as bananas, citron and peaches.

After the economic hardships caused by Hurricane Maria in 2017, some economic gains were being made by a number of women working in agriculture in Adjuntas.

Industry

During the middle of the 20th century, some manufacturing industries established themselves in town as part of Operation Bootstrap. However, as of 2012, most of them have already closed. One of the last manufacturing companies in town, a military uniforms company, closed in March 2012.

Tourism

Although tourism hasn't been an integral part of the economy of Adjuntas, according to historic records, it has been present since the 19th century. Historian Lidio Cruz Monclóva noted that around 1871, some doctors requested patients to travel to Adjuntas to stay in a hotel called "La Adjunteña". The hotel was the property of C.L. Ginestre, and served both tourists and the sick. Cruz noted that doctors believed the colder temperatures of the town were beneficial to health.

Castillo de los niños
Castillo de los Niños

In 2018, Adjuntas received approximately 700 tourists on weekends, according to mayor Jaime Barlucea. Most of them want to visit the haciendas established there during past centuries. Some of them are: Hacienda Don Juan, Hacienda Bareal, Hacienda El Muerto, Hacienda Arbela, and Hacienda Pietri. Other landmarks are Monte Guilarte, and the Inabón waterfall.

Another known tourist stop in Adjuntas is Casa Pueblo, a local museum and cultural institution founded by a group of activists that fought against the copper mine exploitation of the area for decades. Casa Pueblo is responsible for many environmental projects, namely the preservation of hundreds of acres of woods and bodies of water.

However, some residents and businesspeople from Adjuntas maintain that the government has not taken advantage of the many tourist attractions in town, which include three forests, waterfalls, lakes, and many renowned restaurants. One of the projects that has received media coverage is the Castillo de los Niños, built during the mayoralty of Barlucea. Castillo de los Niños is a recreational park resembling a castle, with gazebos.

Villa Sotomayor is a parador, featuring ecotourism. Villa Sotomayor features food prepared with local ingredients, from a nearby estate Hacienda Nur.

In early 2021, in alliance with neighboring Lares, Adjuntas launched agri-tourism for tourists to visit haciendas where coffee is grown, and processed.

There are two places in Adjuntas recognized for their historic significance: Las Cabañas Bridge, a one-lane bridge made of steel and concrete, which was built in 1919, and Quinta Vendrell, a country house built in 1918. The Washington Irving Grade School was also added to the US National Register of Historic Places in 2015.

To stimulate local tourism during the COVID-19 pandemic in Puerto Rico, the Puerto Rico Tourism Company launched the Voy Turistiendo (I'm Touring) campaign in 2021. The campaign featured a passport book with a page for each municipality. The Voy Turisteando Adjuntas passport page lists the Hacienda Tres Angeles (for agritourism), the Bosque Guilarte, and Lago Garza as places of interest for locals.

Images for kids

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Adjuntas para niños

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