Gurabo, Puerto Rico
Encyclopedia : G : GU : GUR : Gurabo, Puerto Rico
Gurabo is a municipality (municipio) in eastern Puerto Rico. It has a land area of 27.84 square miles, with a population of 36,743. It is bordered by Caguas, San Lorenzo, Trujillo Alto and, to the north-east, Carolina.
Gurabo's history dates as far back as the 1600s, when Gurabo was actually part of Caguas. Then, the area was known as Burabo. By 1700, transportation, medical and economic trouble were crippling the population of the Burabo area; traveling to Caguas' center for business and medical help was not easy and took hours. This led to many of Burabos citizens to seek for the area to gain autonomy.
It would be long, however, before Gurabo was separated from Caguas. The separation movement was brought forward by a 1812 meeting of all 168 family leaders in Gurabo, who decided to have Luis del Carmen Echevarría lead them in their quest for autonomic independence, based on the large number of residents in Burabo.
In 1815, Gurabo became a municipality. In 1822, the first Catholic church in town was erected. In 1903, the First Baptist Church opened its doors in Gurabo town.
Gurabo is also known as "La Ciudad de las Escaleras", or "city of the stairs", for which Gurabo is known today for. Located in the town center, the stairs are about twenty two floors high, and they are painted in bright colors. They cross an important business area of Gurabo. Gurabo's mayor is "Manolito". It's wards are Celada, Hato Nuevo, Jaguar, Jaguas, Mamey, Masas, Navarro, Pueblo, Rincón and Santa Rita.
More information can be found at the Municipal Government website: http://www.gurabopr.com
References
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