Images of Güines

That Antonio Rodríguez Méndez, the father of Teté, Beba and Luisito Rodríguez Tejera, before owning La Teresita (The Little Theresa) clothing store located on Clemente Fernández and San Julián Streets, was the owner of the shoe and hat store La India (The Indian Girl) located on Máximo Gómez Street between Habana and Trujillo Streets, in front of the park…

The local newspaper El Noticiero (The News Bulletin) edited by Leovigildo Ugidos, owner of the print shop located on Máximo Gómez Street between Suárez and Nicolás García Streets. It had a satiric section entitled Local Cinema written by Güinero journalist who came from San Nicolás, Enrique Díaz, under the nom-de-plume “Henry Zaid,” his name in English and his last name backwards…

Güines radio station C.M.R.T. the idea of Engineer Francisco (aka.  Panchito) Tejera with the contributions of my brother Fernando Estévez (r.i.p.), Héctor (aka.  Neno) Zervigón and Raúl Torres Pardal. The letters R.T. that completed its station name was due to the fact that Raúl signed the license application before the Communications Ministry, which was granted due to repeated efforts made by our good friend, an a hundred per cent Güinero Francisco (aka.  Paquito) Gómez Héctor. The broadcasting plant and studios were initially located upstairs of Gachache Building on Máximo Gómez Street between Nicolás García and Suárez Streets. Later on, they were transferred to some sort of mezzanine within the Agricultural Bank Building, donated by Darwin Cabrera when he opened a furniture store in the rest of the building; later on, it was transferred to the upper floor of a house next to the Police Station on Maceo Street. It is appropriate to say that this station existed due to the efforts of those three young Güineros, but mainly due to the financial support of Antonio (aka.  Ñico) Echevarría for the purchase of all electronic equipment of the same, reason why for a long time it was called “C.M.R.T. of Partagás cigarettes” because “Ñico” was the agent in our area of that firm. Later on it was called “The Voice of the Valley”…

Rafael Santiago’s photographic studio which was located next to Leovigildo Ugidos’ print shop on Máximo Gómez Street between Nicolás García and Suárez Streets…

That before the Plaza Hotel Building was constructed and up to the house where Dr. Ignacio Rodríguez Arias lived, there were, among others, the following businesses and family homes: In the corner of Máximo Gómez and Habana Streets, the clothing store La Sirena (The Mermaid) of Isidro (aka.  Panollo) Fernández; then the fine leathers business El Potro Cubano (The Cuban Colt) of Fernando Madera; next to it, several family dwellings would follow, in one of them lived the eminent and never forgotten Güines public instruction Professor Don Nicolás García Pérez, the grandfather of Nicolás (aka.  Kolín) García and the great-grandfather of Nicolás (aka.  Kolincito) García; also Camilo Castellanos’ family and the sundry store La Mascota (The Mascot), that was destroyed by fire…

That the first house you would find on Habana Street on the left sidewalk, entering into Güines, before the existence of Fraga’s Development was the grocery store of Francisco (Paco) Llanillo, who lived with his family next to it…

That the first building located on the same street, entering the Villa, on the right hand side, was the Tropical beer warehouse of Nicolás B. Lluy who transferred part of the same to José María Báez for his automotive repair shop and later on, when Fragas’s Development started, the first house across the street from the before described building, was built by Francisco Valls Jiménez…

That Maceo Street (formerly Reina Street) started very close to Galindo’s Bridge with the bread and grocery store La Espiga de Oro (The Golden Wheat Ear) the property of brothers Fermín and Felipe Álvarez. Later on, the latter one went on his own, establishing himself in the same business, in the same Maceo Street in its corner with Masó Street. Across the street from La Espiga de Oro there were family dwellings…

That Mr. James F. Chambless Smith purchased all the land that he subdivided and named Chambless’ Development which would be the first in Güines and as time went by, Mr. Chambless generously donated to Cuba’s Ministry of Education all the land needed to build Güines High School…

That the roof tile factory Fidela belonging to Engineer Gerardo Sarmiento, manufactured bricks and if my memory serves me right also floor tiles and it was located at the back of what later on was El Vedado’s Development that was due to the initiative of National Land Company being its representative in Güines, Rogelio Delgado Zamora…