Hacienda Azucarera la Esperanza
Hacienda Azucarera la Esperanza was a 2265-acre sugarcane plantation in Manatí, Puerto Rico which was founded in the 1830s and by the 1860s was one of the largest in Puerto Rico. It remained operational from 1830 - 1880. History. The plantation depended on mechanized technology along with slaves which numbered 175 in 1873. The first mill on the plantation produced 100-150 tons of raw sugar every harvest. A second mill is estimated to have generated 200 tons while a third mill produced between 500-600 tons. Two steam engines were purchased to mechanize sugar production  at the hacienda: one in 1841 and another in 1861. The Steam trapiche purchased in 1861 remains on the property making it the last known engine of its kind that remains preserved. The "Hacienda La Esperanza" steam engine has been designated a National Historic Mechanical Engineering Landmark. Today the entire property is owned by the Puerto Rico Conservation Trust (FCPR, for the initials in Spanish) which preserves and protects it, the property includes some of the only coastal forest left in the region. Owner. José Ramon Fernández (1808–1883), an influential, conservative politician and businessman, owned Hacienda Azucarera la Esperanza. Ramon  was named by Spain during a tumultuous time in Puerto Rico.The crisis allowed Ramon to purchase more land and expand the Hacienda. Ramon, the 1st Marquis of La Esperanza was the wealthiest sugar baron in Puerto Rico in the 19th century. He was also one of the most powerful men of the entire Spanish Caribbean.