Toa Alta, Puerto Rico
Encyclopedia
Toa Alta (ˈtoa ˈalta) is a municipality
of Puerto Rico
located in the northern coast of the island, north of Naranjito
; south of Dorado
and Toa Baja
; east of Vega Alta
and Corozal
; and west of Bayamón
. Toa Alta is spread over eight wards and Toa Alta Pueblo (the downtown area and the administrative center of the city). It is part of the San Juan-Caguas-Guaynabo Metropolitan Statistical Area.
, the town was founded in 1751 making it one of the oldest towns on the Island. The construction of the San Fernando Rey church in the town square began in 1752. The name Toa Alta comes from the Taino word for valley, "Thoa". Over the years, agriculture became an important economic force in the area. At the peak of the agricultural economy, the town was also known as the "Granja de los Reyes Católicos" (the Farm of the Catholic Monarchs). The town is also called "Ciudad del Josco". The town is commonly known by its nickname "La Cuna de los Poetas," or "Cradle of Poets," due to the numerous Spanish-language poets who were born there, such as Abelardo Diaz Alfaro
and the musician Tomás "Masso" Rivera.
(Canta: Luana Davila)
¡Cuna de historia y de grandes poetas;
Así es mi valle de verde tambor;
Valle hermosísimo, donde Abelardo
cinceló en lágrimas su gesta de amor!
¡Valle de luchas y de profundo llanto
donde Morales, nuestro héroe y cantor;
esculpió en letras de oro y de sangre
la libertad sagrada en nuestro corazón!
¡Oh Toa Alta, mi pueblo inmortal
tu gente levanta con orgullo
la radiante bandera de tu fundación!
¡Oh Toa Alta, mi pueblo inmortal
me abrazaré a tu escudo,
a la tierra y al honor!
Cuna de bravas y hermosas mujeres.
¡Oh tierra josca de mi ensoñación;
en donde un cuatro de musica encantado
elevo un dulce canto
como ofrenda de amor!
Vivan por siempre, por siempre vivan,
la raza, el empeño y el amor.
Vivan la fauna, el cielo, la montaña y el valle
en que se bañan tus noches estrelladas
que amanecen galanas con la hermosa
sonrisa del inolvidable sol.
.
Municipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
of Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
located in the northern coast of the island, north of Naranjito
Naranjito, Puerto Rico
Naranjito is a municipality of Puerto Rico located in the central region of the island, south of Toa Alta; north of Barranquitas and Comerío; east of Corozal; and west of Bayamón. Naranjito is spread over 15 wards and Naranjito Pueblo...
; south of Dorado
Dorado, Puerto Rico
Dorado is a small tourist town in the northern coast of Puerto Rico, west of San Juan and is located in the northern region of the island, bordering the Atlantic Ocean, north of Toa Alta, east of Vega Alta, and west of Toa Baja. Dorado is spread over five barrios and Dorado Pueblo...
and Toa Baja
Toa Baja, Puerto Rico
Toa Baja is a municipality of Puerto Rico located in the northern coast, north of Toa Alta and Bayamón; east of Dorado; and west of Cataño. Toa Baja is spread over 5 wards and Toa Baja Pueblo . It is part of the San Juan-Caguas-Guaynabo Metropolitan Statistical Area.Toa Baja considered to be a...
; east of Vega Alta
Vega Alta, Puerto Rico
Vega Alta is a municipality of Puerto Rico. Vega Alta is located on the northern coast of the island, north of Morovis and Corozal; east of Vega Baja; and west of Dorado with an area of . Vega Alta is spread over seven wards and Vega Alta Pueblo...
and Corozal
Corozal, Puerto Rico
Corozal is a municipality of Puerto Rico located in the central-eastern region, north of Orocovis and Barranquitas; south Vega Alta; southwest of Toa Alta; east of Morovis and Orocovis; and west of Naranjito. Corozal is spread over 12 wards and Corozal Pueblo...
; and west of Bayamón
Bayamón, Puerto Rico
Bayamón is a municipality of Puerto Rico located on the northern coastal valley, north of Aguas Buenas and Comerío; south of Toa Baja and Cataño; west of Guaynabo; and east of Toa Alta and Naranjito. Bayamón is spread over 11 wards and Bayamón Pueblo...
. Toa Alta is spread over eight wards and Toa Alta Pueblo (the downtown area and the administrative center of the city). It is part of the San Juan-Caguas-Guaynabo Metropolitan Statistical Area.
History
Toa Alta located west of the capital city of San JuanSan Juan, Puerto Rico
San Juan , officially Municipio de la Ciudad Capital San Juan Bautista , is the capital and most populous municipality in Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 395,326 making it the 46th-largest city under the jurisdiction of...
, the town was founded in 1751 making it one of the oldest towns on the Island. The construction of the San Fernando Rey church in the town square began in 1752. The name Toa Alta comes from the Taino word for valley, "Thoa". Over the years, agriculture became an important economic force in the area. At the peak of the agricultural economy, the town was also known as the "Granja de los Reyes Católicos" (the Farm of the Catholic Monarchs). The town is also called "Ciudad del Josco". The town is commonly known by its nickname "La Cuna de los Poetas," or "Cradle of Poets," due to the numerous Spanish-language poets who were born there, such as Abelardo Diaz Alfaro
Abelardo Díaz Alfaro
Abelardo Díaz Alfaro was a Puerto Rican author who reached great fame throughout Latin America during the 1940s. Some say his actual year of birth was 1919, but officially it was always announced as 1916...
and the musician Tomás "Masso" Rivera.
Flag
Horizontally divided in three, the bottom and top red stripes double the size of the center yellow stripe. In the upper left corner a yellow eight point star. The original design was elaborated by professor Herman E. Perez and adopted by the City Council in 1983Coat of arms
The shield in gold, a red board with a silver sword topped with a gold crown of the same metal, to each side two small shields in red, the right-hand one with a tower in gold and the left-hand one with a gold eight point star, a five tower crown lined in black with red openings. Motto: Non Deserit Alta.Anthem
By Israel Rivera Náter(Canta: Luana Davila)
¡Cuna de historia y de grandes poetas;
Así es mi valle de verde tambor;
Valle hermosísimo, donde Abelardo
cinceló en lágrimas su gesta de amor!
¡Valle de luchas y de profundo llanto
donde Morales, nuestro héroe y cantor;
esculpió en letras de oro y de sangre
la libertad sagrada en nuestro corazón!
¡Oh Toa Alta, mi pueblo inmortal
tu gente levanta con orgullo
la radiante bandera de tu fundación!
¡Oh Toa Alta, mi pueblo inmortal
me abrazaré a tu escudo,
a la tierra y al honor!
Cuna de bravas y hermosas mujeres.
¡Oh tierra josca de mi ensoñación;
en donde un cuatro de musica encantado
elevo un dulce canto
como ofrenda de amor!
Vivan por siempre, por siempre vivan,
la raza, el empeño y el amor.
Vivan la fauna, el cielo, la montaña y el valle
en que se bañan tus noches estrelladas
que amanecen galanas con la hermosa
sonrisa del inolvidable sol.
Barrios
- Contorno
- Galateo
- Mucarabones/Bucarabones
- Ortiz
- Piñas
- Quebrada Arenas
- Quebrada Cruz
- Río Lajas
- Sector los charriez
- Cuco
Landmarks and places of interest
- Legendary Tree "Bala de Cañón"
- Tomas "Maso" Rivera Municipal Teather
- Tomas "Maso" Rivera Statue
- Recreo Egozcué Plaza
- San Fernando Rey Parish
- Villa Tropical Recreation Center
- Plaza Aquarium Mall
- Valle "El Toa"
Festivals and events
- Chopa Marathon - March
- Festival de Bellas Artes - April
- Patron Celebrations - May
- Typical Music - November
Education
Toa Alta counts with several public and private schools distributed through several regions. Public education is handled by the Puerto Rico Department of EducationPuerto Rico Department of Education
The Puerto Rico Department of Education is the department of Puerto Rico's government which manages state-operated schools in the United States commonwealth. The department is the equivalent of a state department of education and only one of two composed of a single school district...
.
Elementary schools
- Alejandro Junior Cruz
- Heraclio Rivera Colón
- José De Diego
- José María Del Valle
- Luis Muños Rivera
- Manuel Velilla
- María C. Osorio
- Merced Marcano
- Secundino Díaz
- Violanta Jimenéz
- Virgilio Morales
Middle and junior high schools
- José Pablo Morales
- Abelardo Díaz Alfaro
- Felipe Díaz González
- Tomás "Maso" Rivera Morales
Notable natives and residents
- Sergeants Jose Díaz and Francisco DiazJose and Francisco DiazSergeants José "Pepe" Díaz and Francisco Díaz were two cousins in the Toa Alta Militia who helped defeat Sir Ralph Abercromby and defend Puerto Rico from a British invasion in 1797.-Early years:...
- defended Puerto Rico from a British invasion in 1797 - Dayanara Torres DelgadoDayanara TorresDayanara Torres Delgado is a Puerto Rican actress, singer, model, and former Miss Universe.Torres was discovered at age 17 while walking through the Plaza de Toa Alta in her hometown, and was invited to represent Toa Alta in the annual Miss Puerto Rico pageant. She won the pageant and the right...
- Miss Universe 1993