The Winslow mail., 1899-03-04
NOW OUR OLDEST CITY
The Distinction Now Belongs to Ca
para, Porto Rico.
Founded by Ponce de Leon in 1909
Historic Rufns Which stilI
Remain in the Old
Town


The settlement of Ponce de Leon at
Caparra, near the site Of Pueblo Vieio,
across San Juan bay, is now, by more
than 55 years, the first town estab-
hshed within the present borders Of
he United States. Historians, there
lore, must give the prestige Of antiqui-
y, not to the Spanish town of St. Au-
sustine, Fla, of 1868, as formerly. but
to Caparra founded in the wear 1859.
DR.. NJ. w. Harrington, Of the San
Juan weather office, discovered the ex-
act location of the historical Cararra
unexpectedly On a pleasure walk into
the country two weeks ago he hap
pened to select the read to Pueblo
Niejo, and when talking with the native
residents learned their traditions Of the
first Spanish town in Porto Rico. He
accordingly procured guide and made
an examination Of the nearly extinct
ruins. Ofhis interesting discovery DR..
Harrington says:
without doubt, IT, ruins found are
those of the first settlement estab-
lished by the explorer and colonizer
Ponce Ge Leon. Both local tradition
and history name Caparra as the earli-
est town on the island, and agree, more
over, on this same site near Old Village,
or Pueblo Niejo. Even the native ne
groes, some Of whom could neither
read nor write, knew the story Of Ca
para. Ny personal investigation
further satisfied me of the correctness
Of their tradition
The only remains of the original
town visible now are the ruins of a
church, hospital, and a repaired lime
stone furnace. Most of the stone from
the church. hospital, and houses has
been used, according to the natives, in
the construction of new highways. On
a little elevation from the shore
swamps. the site of Caparra is hidden
from San Juan bay, three miles distant,
by a row of hills. Another historical
landmark near by is the reputed gold
mine worked by the first Spanish set
tiers. Ponce de Leon greatly enriched
himself, says tradition and also history,
by the compulsory labor Of the native
144CidIIS Ill tic iItluGSs 1A1lUOQgn at
tackled by hordes of mosquitoes, the
grayhaired old warrior and explorer
remained in Caparra until 1912, and
then set sail for the miraculous foun-
tain of youth. His voyage ended on
Easter Sunday, March 27, 1912, in the
discovery Of the present peninsula of
Florida. But the greater part of the
original colony stayed in Caparra until
compelled a few years later to abandon
the town in order to escape the hot
fever weather and an army of mos
quitoes. The final evacuation is said
to have been in 1852.
The story Of the foundation of Ca
para is told at length in The History
Of Porto Hico," published in 1866 BY
Fray lingo Abbad y Lasierra, and re-
vised by Jose Julian de Acosta Cubic
Under he title of the First Colonizer'
the authors say: when Ponce de
leon was in possession of the govern
ment Of the island he decided to es-
tablish 4 town separate from the In
dams. He chose d place near the mines
they were working and started to build
tCWl. which he called Caparra 1t was
situated on the north coast, cppcsitc
the sea OF St. John. near Pueblo Niejo
The ruins are seen in he vicinity Of the
plantation Of Don Manuel Diaz, near
the brock named Margarita a place
surrounded by swamps. So difficult
was the work of bringing supplies
there from the ships in the bay, Gis-
tance Of only league, that the cost
was more than that of getting them
from Spain TO Porto Rico. But the op-
pOrtunity this place save the Spaniards
to satisfy their desire for gold made
light for them the hardships which
they endured in this town for ten
years. The historians, Her
rera and Oyicdo. disagree about the
year Of the establishment of Caparra,
the former saying in 1910 and the lat
ter in 1909"
In The Elementary Geography OF
Porto Rico" the authOr'm3kes tie fol-
lowing remarks concerning Caparra:
Ponce de Leon was the first coionizer
in 15C9 The first settlement was the
city of Caparra, in the place named
QUebrada MarSarlta, near IueDlO leJO,
and of which town no more remains
than the ruins, worthy of worship as
the cradle of the Spanish race on the
island. The city was abandoned in
1862"
DR.. Harrington has already called the
attention of educators in the United
States to Caparra in the hope of saving
the ruins from further destruction.
Such a historical settlement he thinks
at least ought to be marked by a monu-
meEt. Even thus early the American
relic hunters have begun to chip off
pieces Of the church foundation stones
for souyenirs.-N Y. Sun.