Digitized/Digital Books

The Formation of the Province of Pinar del Río (1878)

On June 9, 1878, by Royal Decree, the province of Pinar del Río was formally constituted. It was composed of the districts of Nueva Filipina, San Cristóbal, Guanajay, and Bahía Honda, with its capital established in the town bearing the same name. Brigadier Luis E. Pando was appointed as its first Governor. The creation of the province, undertaken in the immediate aftermath of the Ten Years’ War, reflected an effort to reinforce the administrative centralization of the Vueltabajo region in economic, political, and social matters. From a military perspective, the measure sought to ensure more effective control over the territory, given its strategic location in close proximity to the capital of the Island.

According to the census of 1878, the province registered a population of 190,176 inhabitants. By 1880, however, this figure had declined to 177,416. Such a reduction appears to reflect patterns of emigration toward other provinces following the cessation of hostilities, since Vueltabajo had previously functioned as a place of refuge, insulated from the direct effects of the conflict in the westernmost part of Cuba. By the time of the 1897 census, the population had further diminished to 173,082, representing a decrease of 52,800 residents in comparison with the census of 1887.

The Municipal Council of the city of Pinar del Río initially functioned in its traditional headquarters on Real Street until the building was demolished in August 1908 due to advanced structural deterioration. The institution was subsequently relocated to premises on Martí Street, at numbers 112 and 114. This property belonged to Juan María Cabada and had served as the private residence of Professors Manuel Solano Romero and Nicolás Fernández of the Secondary Education Institute. The Fire Station was, in turn, transferred to Yagruma Street, near the corner of Mercado Street, although this site was later lost when the block on Sánchez Street was destroyed by fire between February 25 and 26, 1959.

The new administrative configuration adopted by the province facilitated significant advantages for its subsequent development. In August 1883, the Secondary Education Institute was established, with Francisco Barrena y Coloma appointed as its first Director. The institution commenced operations on Martí Street, near its intersection with Nueva Street. In that same year, construction was completed on the third parish church, situated at the corner of Maceo and Vélez Caviedes Streets, thereby consolidating both the educational and religious infrastructure of the provincial capital.