XIX Century - Colonial Era and Beginning of the Republican Era (1801-1900)

Güines parish church, made of masonry and inaugurated in 1804

The original hermitage made out of boards and palm fronds (of which we don’t have any description or reproduction) built in Indian Pedro Guzmán’s land, named San Julián, near the location of what used to be La Majagüilla farm as described before, was replaced by one made out of wood and tiles paid by Bishop de la Vega y Cancino from his own pocket, who transferred it to Los Güines Corral and whose church was partially destroyed on October 15, 1768 by the so called Santa Teresa hurricane.

The residents rebuilt this church little by little, this time being made out of mortar and inaugurated it in 1804, keeping Saint Julian as its patron, in memory of the hermitage built in the land of Indian Pedro Guzmán that was already destroyed.

Kapok tree planted by naturalist Baron Alexander von Humboldt in 1809 near Candela Hill

Baron Alexander von Humboldt (1769-1859)

Baron Alexander von Humboldt (1769-1859), German geographer and naturalist, visited Güines in 1809, exploring and traveling through the area for several months. He recognized the superiority of the geographic, topographic, chemical and climatological factors of the Güines region, in relationship to its economic life and future.

As a memento of his trip through the region, this illustrious scholar planted a kapok tree (“ceiba” in Spanish) with his own hands, in the vicinity of Candela’s Hill.

Despite the Royal Edict of Carlos IV dated February 24, 1798, Güines would continue to be governed by a Roving Captain until 1814 and until that date, it belonged to the Town Council of Guanabacoa.

Finally, the Town Council itself was formalized on March 14, 1815, being legally constituted in a meeting held on May 19, 1815 being the following persons the ones who formed the first Town Council: Captain Don Rafael Gavilán and Don Pedro Prado Borroto, Ordinary Mayors; Royal Second Lieutenant Councillor, Don Francisco Bizarrón; Councillor, Don Juan Francisco Fernández; Mayor’s Assistant, Don Manuel Cabrera; Common Councillors, Don Pedro Oliva, Don Santiago Travieso and Don Miguel Martínez; General Attorney and Community Representative, Don Antonio Moreno and Clerk, Don José Ramón Sánchez.

On March 6, 1817 a great fire caused damages to the town, then governed by Mayors Don Francisco María Héctor and Don Santiago Castellanos.

Fernando VII, King of Spain (1784-1833)

On October 22, 1817, after the petition filed by residents of Güines languished for 42 years, King Fernando VII issued his Royal Edict, granting Güines the title of Villa.

Francisco de Arango y Parreño (1765-1837)

Such Royal Edict was brought to Cuba by Francisco de Arango y Parreño upon returning from his trip to Spain on February 18, 1818 and delivered to Licentiate Don Santiago García Cepero, General Representative of Güines Town Council.

When Father Hermosilla died on January 6, 1824, Güines Parish was temporarily held by Father Don Luis Castellanos until April 2 of that same year in which Don Manuel Martínez de Hurtado, proprietary priest, took possession of his office lasting almost 11 years, until 1835.

In 1828 a second small bell was installed in the church.

In 1830 the alarm bell was installed with the following inscription: “Santa Clara [a cross] Year 1830.”

In 1831 a third small bell was installed in the church.

The Charity Hospital, which replaced the Hospital of the Pure and Immaculate Conception built by Bishop Morell in 1766, was built in 1831. It was paid for by residents and by special donations of the wealthier ones.

In 1833 there were bids for the offices of Regents, awarded to the highest bidders on perpetuity, for the benefit of the Royal Treasury.

That same year, on December 31, mason Rafael Muñoz finished the church’s steeple and on February 20, 1834, Father Martínez de Hurtado, Parish Priest, installed 3 new bells in its belfry.

The following month, on March 15, 1834, Father Martínez de Hurtado installed a public clock in the church’s steeple, with “excellent mechanism made of bronze and steel and of superior quality, paid for by the neighbors, together with the Parish Priest and the Ordinary Mayors Don Juan Vázquez and Don Santiago Satre.”

Don Juan María López was appointed temporary Parish Priest of Güines in 1835 until August 6, 1836, when the parish of San Julián de los Güines was held by its proprietary Parish Priest Don Francisco Martínez Martínez who stayed 12 years in his office until his death on December 26, 1848.

Villanueva Railroad Station, Güines

Locomotive used in the first Cuban railway (1837)

The surprising progress of Güines increased when it was converted into the head of its jurisdiction, center of an economic area which was expanding very rapidly and terminal of the first railroad built in Cuba whose section to Güines was inaugurated on November 19, 1838 which connected it to Havana, whose purpose was “to reduce the cost of transportation and facilitate at a lower cost, the exploitation of products and avoid or diminish the foreign competition.”

On October 5, 1844 and again on October 10, 1846, violent hurricanes caused great damage to the town, the church made out of mortar, which was inaugurated in 1804, was also damaged and it had to be demolished and the religious services had to be transferred to the hospital’s chapel.

On December 26, 1848, Don Carlos María Pardo was appointed proprietary Parish Priest and he remained in office until September 1850. That same year, Güines jail was built.

On September 1850, Don Francisco de Paula Almohalla Mollano held Güines Parish as temporary Parish Priest, remaining in office until December 4, 1851, being replaced on December 21, 1851 by Father Don Manuel María Belaza, who remained in office as Güines Parish Priest for 9 years, until December 1860.

Twin tower church, built in 1848 and inaugurated on March 2, 1851

On March 2, 1851, the new church with two towers was inaugurated, finished by popular donations and biddings, and built by Master Contractor Don Ramón de Gorrondona Soparda. It cost 60,000 pesos. Captain General of Cuba, Don José Gutiérrez de la Concha attended its inauguration, together with civil, religious and military authorities. For 19 years this church and its two towers did not have any contingencies or problems, unless you consider the amortization of a few thousands pesos, for the construction of the building, and many of those debts, were donated by the creditors.

The peaceful life of the parishioners was only interrupted by news of changes or substitutions of Parish Priests, Sacristans and notices of Holy Visits by the Bishop, which would allow the parishioners to become ready for confirmations and happy in seeing the Bishop.

Map of Güines, 1851, by F. Coello

The town was growing little by little and in 1851, a general town’s blueprint was made by Engineer F. Coello, showing the church, the Town Council, the jail, the hospital, the Royal or Main Street (“calle Real” in Spanish), the exit road to Havana and the exit road of Queen Street (“calle Reina” in Spanish).

In 1857, Justo G. Cantero, wrote: “the valley [of Güines]… famous for its fertility and luxuriant vegetation… you can not set sight without extreme pleasure in the crystal clear currents which after following its capricious course in different directions, set in movement a great number of rice and corn mills, and later on, slide under the rustic bridges which crisscross it in all directions to continue its peaceful course licking the trees’ roots reflecting in the clarity of its waters all of its fresh greenness, or crossing the rice crops which so abundantly reward the fatigue and efforts of the hard working peasant. To resume, everything seems to smile in that valley that all of a sudden, transport us to those temperate climates, where dry seasons and high temperatures are never encountered and that so frequently affect the tropical regions.”

The construction of the Town Council and City Hall building started in 1859. On Friday, September 30, 1859, His Excellency The Superior Civil Governor of Cuba granted Don Ignacio Valdés O’Farrill the right to establish a gas lighting system in the Villa of Güines for 25 years or until 1884. The Gasometer was installed in La Ceiba (i.e., The Kapok Tree) neighborhood, across the Bridge of Peace, to the right, where Máximo Gómez and Saint Julian Streets intersect, selling the fluid until 1906 when the electric lighting system was inaugurated in Güines.

Santa Barbara’s procession, December 2000, Güines

In 1860, Father Don Tomás Rodríguez Mora, very much loved by the people, was able to obtain permission from the Bishopric to allow processions of Santa Bárbara, which originated in the Lucumí (an African tribe) Association, headed by Pascual Fernández and Jacobo Padrón. At the beginning it was a street demonstration without any image with a banner having the image adhered to it. Later on, an image of the saint was obtained from Barcelona and every December 4, Santa Bárbara procession would compete in attendance with that of San Julián.

Father Tomás Rodríguez Mora, Parish Priest of Güines (1861-1882)

The following year Father Tomás Rodríguez Mora (popularly known as Father Mora) was appointed proprietary Parish Priest of Güines Parish and he remained as such for 21 years, until his death on January 2, 1882.

In 1861 another small bell, the fourth one, was installed in the church’s belfry.

In 1862 a fifth small bell was installed in the church's belfry.

The coffee crops had also several decades of growth, but in 1862 the sugar crops dominated the agricultural landscape of Güines. The jurisdiction had 89 sugar mills; 78 were steam operated and 4 hydraulically operated.

Around the Villa, 61 active tobacco plantations were concentrated, producing more than 30,000 pounds annually.

In 1862, the jurisdiction of Güines (from Alacranes to Guara) had the more diversified agriculture of the Island and the average of its area under cultivation, reached 20% of its total, when in the rest of the country, according to official data, the average was only 8.6%.

Nicolás Azcárate Escovedo, Güines Delegate to the Information Committee (1866)

On Sunday, March 25, 1866, elections were held in all of the Island and Don Nicolás Azcárate Escovedo was elected by Güines Town Council as Delegate to the Information Committee created by Antonio Cánovas del Castillo, Overseas Spanish Minister, to study and recommend laws that would apply to Cuba and Puerto Rico.

In 1868 the sixth and last small bell was installed in the church.

The Ten Year War, which started in Yara on October 10, 1868, had its repercussions in the jurisdiction of Güines beginning in 1869. Neighbors, sons of well-to-do and relevant residents of the Villa and its jurisdiction, sugar mill owners and landowners were prosecuted for being disloyal, some of them being sentenced to jail in the Island and others, like Leandro Rodríguez Colina (later on Mayor of Güines during the Republican era), José Trujillo Cabrera and his son, Manuel and Nicolás Álvarez Gómez, deported to Fernando Poo.

Other residents, such as Ricardo Zamora Cabrera and his brother Eduardo were placed under house arrest. Once freed, Ricardo left for the United States to return in an expedition with other Güineros. There was so much conspiracy and turmoil in Güines, that the Government appointed a Military Prosecutor, Don Mariano de las Peñas, who was instrumental in making several families go into exile to the United States.

The year 1870 was uneasy and full of anxieties. In the month of October during the evening of the 7th, the wind started to blow and the constant rain made the residents remain inside their homes. As the hours went by, the storm grew in strength and during the early morning hours, the wind strongly increased, shutting off the gas lighting system that flickered faintly in the street lamps.

When the eye of the hurricane went by, creating a false sense of peace and calm among the neighbors, the wind started again with greater fury and velocity, lasting until the 8th. Reason why this hurricane was labeled the Twin Storm because it lasted 2 days and hit the town 2 times.

More than 50 families consisting of more than 250 persons were left homeless. The jail was almost destroyed, the hospital was damaged, many houses collapsed, several people were dead and wounded and the church was left without one tower, with the façade destroyed, the organ gone, the cross knocked down and thrown at a great distance and the clock, the pride of Güineros, a pile of iron, copper and bronze.

Twin tower church, damaged on October 7, 1870, by the so called Twin Storms hurricane

A Parochial Board was formed to obtain through popular donations and petitions to the Bishopric and the Government, the necessary funds to rebuild the church.

Twin tower church during repairs following the Twin Storms hurricane of October 7, 1870

The reconstruction of the inside of the church advanced relatively well and already on January 7, 1873, the Parish Priest received the notification that it was “ready to celebrate the religious ceremonies of the Holy Religión and that the referred church was placed at his charge and disposal for whatever activities he would deem convenient,” from Architect José Lorenzo Sánchez Monagas, who resigned as supervisor of the works several days later, claiming fees owed to him and also differences of opinion with the Parish Priest, Father Mora. The interior of the church was finished but the exterior and façade, remained to be done.

Plans for the project to rebuild the church’s façade (1870-1885). José Lorenzo Sánchez Monagas, Architect

Beginning in 1874, the steps taken by the Board in connection with the collection of funds made it decide to rebuild the church with only one tower instead of two. There was a call to all Master Contractors of the Villa and the idea of Manuel Veiga was considered the best, but he was eliminated later on, because he did not agree with the Parochial Board on price and conditions.

The design contemplated only one tower “of modified Byzantine style according to the times, because this one and the Gothic style are the more appropriate for this type of construction.” Even though the Board agreed that this design could be changed, “making nevertheless some changes that without harming the totality in the way shown on the blueprints, although giving its top a pyramidal shape.”

When beloved Father Mora died on January 2, 1882, Don Fidel Sanz de Rodrigáñez replaced him as temporary Güines Parish Priest and the latter was replaced by Don Juan Fuentes, as proprietary Parish Priest until 1886. He was the priest that inaugurated in 1885 the one tower rebuilt church, that is the familiar one to present day Güineros.

The Parochial Board continued collecting funds, besides the Town Council, Councilmen and residents. It was at the end of 1884 that the director and Master Contractor of the works Don Manuel Ferreiro Nájeras, finished the same, being in charge and official carpenter of the same, Don Domingo Rodríguez Mora.

Don José Rigau installed a new clock and its bell, donated by Don Mariano González, owner of Amistad sugar mill. Esteban Garzón, who owned a blacksmith shop, built the tower’s railing. Don Raimundo Cabrera Bosch donated the lightning rod and Doña Teresa Cueto de Marqués, donated the iron cross on top of the cupola.

On January 1, 1884 the Irrigation Community of Güines of Mayabeque River was legally founded, under the protection of the Water Laws of 1866.

In 1884 the Town Councils annexed to the Judicial Jurisdiction of Güines were: Madruga, Melena del Sur, Catalina, Nueva Paz, San Nicolás, Guara and Pipián.

Present day church

Fifteen years after the so-called Twin Storm the bells tolled announcing the happy event, the new church being inaugurated in 1885.

In 1886, Güines parish church was held by Don Francisco Clarás y Río as proprietary Parish Priest until his death on October 19, 1889.

The Volunteer Firemen Corps of Güines was founded in 1887 due to the initiative of Dr. Francisco (Panchito) Sánchez Curbelo. Also in that year the Güines Spanish Society was founded.

On October 19, 1889, Licentiate Don Tomás Bassas Prat was appointed as Güines proprietary Parish Priest acting as such until May 31, 1890.

When Father Bassas died on May 31, 1890, Father Epifanio Díaz Saavedra held the parish church of Güines as temporary Parish Priest until his death on May 8, 1892, being replaced by Father Clemente Pereira y Casines, proprietary Parish Priest from May 8, 1892 until 1898 when he was transferred to Cienfuegos.

During the War of Independence, violent skirmishes took place in this zone. The forces of Máximo Gómez and Antonio Maceo had numerous encounters with the Spanish troops when they crossed the valley of Güines in the invasion campaign to the west. A column of mambises led by Colonel Calunga attacked the Spanish garrison in Catalina on February 9, 1896, taking the town and destroying it. Later, General Maceo’s column fought the Spaniards in Loma del Gato (Cat’s Hill) battle (1896) causing serious casualties to the enemy.

José Clemente Fernández Castellanos, popularly known as “Pitirre” (1864-1897)

During 1897, Güines was devastated by a yellow fever epidemic that decimated almost 10% of its population. On March 4, 1897 Güinero Colonel José Clemente Fernández Castellanos, known as Pitirre, attacked Güines at the head of his rebel troops, being the last combat where this brave mambí participated in, because sometime later, on December 13, 1897, while sick, he was caught unawares in a hill near San Nicolás and killed with machete blows together with four men from his escort, freedom fighter Captain Pedro Núñez being the only survivor.

On June 24, 1897, Major José Miguel Valle attacked an enemy transport in the Güines to Havana highway, dispersing the escort, causing casualties to the Spanish troops and capturing besides, weapons, ammunition and valuable correspondence.

On April 1898 two more combats were fought in the zone. Cuban forces led by Lieutenant Colonel Luis Delgado and a squadron from the Havana Regiment led by Captain Quirino Zamora, fought the guerrilla of Catalina, in the demolished sugar mill Esperanza (Hope) of Count Romero inflicting some casualties, eight dead and several wounded. In the same place, several days later, a counterattack by Spanish forces commanded by Colonel Aguilera was rejected, causing them 38 dead and a great number of wounded.

There was an intense battle on October 14, 1898 in Amistad sugar mill when the fort built there by the Spaniards was attacked by forces of Adolfo Castillo Regiment led by Captain Juan Aguilar and Lieutenant Alfredo Suárez. In such attack the Spanish Commander of the fort died, the same was taken and weapons, ammunition and food supplies were taken from the enemy.

On November 16, 1899, Father Licentiate Don Miguel Jaume Munar occupied the parish church of Güines remaining as such until July 1, 1901.

At the end of the War of Independence with the American intervention, American military forces occupied the Island. Its first Military Interventor was General Leonard Wood who in good faith and wishing to pacify and make the country progress, began to issue Military Orders, organizing the entire infrastructure.

Brigadier General Jacinto Hernández Vargas, first republican Mayor of Güines (1899-1901)

In 1899, General Jacinto Hernández Vargas held the Mayoral ship of Güines, replacing Tomás Febles García the last Autonomist Mayor of Güines. There were no elections. Its appointment to the Municipal Chair was arbitrarily decided, when the names of the candidates were deposited in a hat, pulling one out at random that happened to be the battle-hardened mambí. He started his government program, cooperating with the Intervention Government, organizing the educational system in the Jurisdiction and starting some public works. Born in the Canary Islands, he was the first Cuban Mayor that Güines had after 407 years of Spanish domination.

The following year 1900, General Hernández was re-elected as Mayor of Güines, continuing his program under the Intervention Government and having very limited resources to lead the municipal government because the country was in ruins after so many years of war and conflict. He finished his term in 1901.