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Los Ángeles |
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History and Legends |
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Back in the XVIth century, these lands were dwelled by the Indians known as “collunche” or “coyunche” , which in their native tongue means “dweller of the soft lands”.
Upon the arrival of the Spaniards, this place was soon called “Laja Island”, as this is a sandy territory bordered by the Laja and the Bío-Bío Rivers. The conquerors built a large number of military forts in order to sustain the position of the white man in the region. It was not until the XVIIIth century that the then governor of Chile, don José Manso de Velasco, ordered the foundation of the village of Los Ángeles. This took place in March 20, 1739 under the command of Major Pedro de Córdova y Figueroa and the staff under his charge, who performed the first tasks, which included the location of the main square, the layout of the streets and the borders of the land plots in order to start building the first public institutions, such as the church and what would later become the Town Hall.
Even if this was a key spot for the Spanish conquest, there were no settlements on these lands for a long time and the agricultural boom took place a century later. But it was during the XXth century that the city changed as a result of the population increase in the capital of the Bío-Bío region. Today, development is evident. The peak of cattle and agricultural activities has been materialized in local industry and exports. The forest activity is another big treasure in the area.
Bernardo O’Higgins is its most distinguished citizen. He stood out as the first mayor in 1810. In January 10, 1811, he was chosen by the people as a representative from La Laja (like this province was known in those days) for the First National Congress, a key institution where the spirit of national independence began to take shape. |
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