Editing Aguadilla, Puerto Rico (section)

==History==
===Pre-Columbian settlements and foundation===
According to sources, a [[Taíno people|Taíno]] settlement called ''Aymamón'' was located close to the [[Culebrinas River]].<ref>[
http://www.proyectosalonhogar.com/link%20p.r/www.linktopr.com/caciques.html Caciques y Yucayeques de Puerto Rico
] {{webarchive |url=
https://web.archive.org/web/20121107001412/http://www.proyectosalonhogar.com/link%20p.r/www.linktopr.com/caciques.html
|date=November 7, 2012 }} on Proyecto Salon Hogar</ref>

The present territory of Aguadilla was originally part of the territory of [[Aguada, Puerto Rico|Aguada]]. Movement towards creating a separate municipality began as early as 1736.<ref name="Rivera17">{{Harvnb|Rivera|1985|pp=17}}</ref> A resident of Aguada named Pedro de Arce wrote about the matter to the Spanish crown.<ref name="Rivera16">{{Harvnb|Rivera|1985|pp=16}}</ref> In this document, widespread enthusiasm among the residents of the Aguadilla barrio in support for the idea is claimed.<ref name="Rivera17"/> However, a strong opposition emerged from their neighbors in other areas of Aguada.<ref name="Rivera17"/> This conflict stalled the process for decades.<ref name="Rivera17"/> The first advances came in the form of a small chapel being built in 1770.<ref name="Rivera17"/> Two years later, the community hosted influential Spanish politicians Luis de Córdova and Miguel de Muesas. Their host, Bernardo Sosa, and several neighbors requested them to lobby in favor of their request before peninsular authorities.<ref name="Rivera17"/>

In 1775, the foundation of Aguadilla was approved by Córdova, with Sosa as the town's first mayor.<ref>[
http://boricuaonline.com/index2.php?option=com_content&do_pdf=1&id=17 Aguadilla
] {{webarchive|url=
https://web.archive.org/web/20130315161913/http://boricuaonline.com/index2.php?option=com_content&do_pdf=1&id=17
|date=
2013-03-15
}} on
BoricuaOnline.com
</ref> Following the celebrations, a larger Church began being built.<ref name="Rivera18">{{Harvnb|Rivera|1985|pp=18}}</ref> In 1776, [[Fray Íñigo Abbad y Lasierra]] in his description of the towns of the island, mentioned it as the "new Town of '''San Carlos de La Aguadilla'''."

But it was not until 1780 that the territory was properly segregated, making the founding of the town official. Originally, Aguadilla was constituted by the [[Victoria, Aguadilla, Puerto Rico|Victoria]] and Higüey barrios.<ref name="enciclopediapr">[
http://www.enciclopediapr.org/esp/article.cfm?ref=08060301&page=2 Aguadilla: Fundación e historia
] {{Webarchive|url=
https://web.archive.org/web/20130315161941/http://www.enciclopediapr.org/esp/article.cfm?ref=08060301&page=2
|date=
2013-03-15
}} on Enciclopedia de Puerto Rico</ref> The population in the town of Aguadilla continued to increase constantly mainly due to its excellent port and strategic location in the route of the boats. In 1776, when [[Santo Domingo]] became independent for the first time, the loyalists of [[Criollo people|Spanish descent]] emigrated to Puerto Rico, mainly to Aguadilla, which caused the population to continue increasing significantly.

===19th Century, becoming a Loyal Village===
The early decades of the 19th Century brought with them several incidents that were a hindrance to the town economy, beginning with a large scale fire that destroyed most of the houses and had lasting repercussions.<ref name="Rivera19">{{Harvnb|Rivera|1985|pp=19}}</ref> In 1825, hurricane Santa Ana struck Puerto Rico, destroying most of Aguadilla's orange farms.<ref name="Rivera19"/> In 1831, according to Don Pedro Tomás de Córdova, the area or "party" of Aguadilla belonged to Aguada. At this time, the territorial organization of Aguadilla was as follows: Pueblo Norte (North Town), Pueblo Sur (South Town), Ceiba Alta, Ceiba Baja, Montaña, Malezas, Aguacate, Dos Palmas, Camaseyes, Plainela, Borinquen, Arenales, Higüey, Corrales, Victoria, and Mangual.<ref name="Cordova169">{{Harvnb|Córdova|1831|p=169}}</ref>

Don Pedro Tomás de Córdova mentions the road of Aguadilla formed by [[Punta Borinquen]] and San Francisco, as the "anchorage of the ships that travel from Europe to [[Havana]] and [[Mexico]]". He adds that its "port is the most frequented in the Island due to the proportions that it offers to refresh all class of ship."<ref name="Cordova169"/> San Antonio community was established in the mid-19th century. It was populated by 60 families. Originally the place where these families were located was known as ''Bajura de Vadi'', the place later to become known as San Antonio. In January 1841 a Royal Order transferred the judicial party from Aguada to Aguadilla.

In 1860, Aguadilla was officially declared a village (“villa leal”) by Queen [[Isabela II]], with all the benefits associated with it.<ref name="enciclopediapr"/> Several years later, when the island was territorially organized into seven departments, Aguadilla became the head of the third department that included the municipalities of Aguada, [[Isabela, Puerto Rico|Isabela]], [[Lares, Puerto Rico|Lares]], [[Moca, Puerto Rico|Moca]], [[Rincón, Puerto Rico|Rincón]], and [[San Sebastián, Puerto Rico|San Sebastián]]. A municipal cemetery was inaugurated in 1804, but its space was limited by 1873. In 1878, according to Don Manuel Ebeda y Delgado, the territorial organization of Aguadilla had varied a little. At this time Plainela, Higüey, and Mangual barrios are not mentioned. The Dos Palmas barrio appears as Palmar. Also at this time, three new barrios are mentioned: Guerrero, Caimital Alto, and Caimital Bajo. In 1893, hurricane San Roque brought devastation to the village's plantation and destroyed some houses.<ref name="Rivera19"/>

===Following the Spanish-American War===
[[File:Aguadilla Plaza, Puerto Rico, 1910.JPG|thumb|200px|left|Aguadilla in 1910]]
Following the change of sovereignty over the island in 1898, the territorial organization of Aguadilla remained unchanged in comparison to 1878. A series of natural disasters would impact the town.<ref name="Rivera19"/> In 1899, hurricane San Ciriaco passed over Puerto Rico, causing widespread destruction everywhere, including Aguadilla.<ref name="Rivera19"/> In the Census held that year, downtown Aguadilla appears constituted by Higüey, Iglesia, Nueva, Santa Barbara, and Tamarindo barrios. Malezas barrio appears subdivided into Maleza Alta and Maleza Baja. The [[1918 San Fermín earthquake]], and the tsunami that followed, directly impacted Aguadilla, killing 40 and damaging or destroying several landmarks including the church and town hall.<ref name="Rivera19"/> San Antonio was completely destroyed by the tsunami, due to its proximity to the shore. The residents of the community decided to re-localize to a higher area further from shore.

Luis R. Esteves and Juan Garcia established the first two theaters in the area. A new was social club form, known as "Luz del Porvenir" (Light of the Future). A new school system was the pride of the village because it offered them the opportunity to give their children an education without having to go {{convert|9|mi|km}} south downtown. There was also a new bakery and a post office, among other facilities. At this time, the village also began its Patron Festival. The clothing industry was a major source of employment. In 1925, the District Hospital was inaugurated, later becoming known as “El Distrito”.<ref name="Rivera26">{{Harvnb|Rivera|1985|pp=26}}</ref> After the Pedro J. Zamora Hospital opened in 1976, this facility became a private school.<ref name="Rivera26"/>

[[File:Sign for former train station, Aguadilla, Puerto Rico.jpg|thumb|150px|Sign at former train stop in Aguadilla]]
On the early morning hours of November 7, 1944, Puerto Rico suffered the worst railroad accident in its history.<ref name="endi">''La Tragedia del 7 de noviembre de 1944'' (The Tragedy of November 7, 1944) by Haydee E. Reichard de Cancio, [[El Nuevo Dia]], Por Dentro Section, Pg. 116, December 7, 1996, retrieved on July 31, 2006 {{in lang|es}}</ref> Train No. 3 was traveling from [[San Juan, Puerto Rico|San Juan]] to [[Ponce, Puerto Rico|Ponce]] carrying passengers to their different hometowns for the island general elections to be held that same day.<ref name=Mundo>{{cite news|title=Tren quedó destrozado en un desnivel|author=Oscar Valle|publisher=El Mundo|language=Spanish|date=November 8, 1944|page=1 (cover)}}</ref> It stopped at the Jiménez Station in Aguadilla for a routine [[Railroad engineer|engineer]] and [[fireman (steam engine)|boilerman]] exchange with Train No. 4 which was heading to San Juan.<ref name=Mundo/> The engineer assigned to Train No. 3's ride from Jiménez Station to Ponce was José Antonio Román, an experienced freight train engineer who had never worked in passenger travel.<ref name="endi"/> When the train left the station at
2:00 am, it was carrying 6 passenger cars with hundreds of commuters and two freight cars.<ref name=Mundo/>
[[File:Cuesta Vieja, street in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico.jpg|150px|thumb|{{lang|es|Cuesta Vieja}}, a sector of Aguadilla, where the train derailed]]

At 2:20&nbsp;a.m. the train started to descend a hill section known as ''Cuesta Vieja'' (Old Hill) in Aguadilla at, what some witnesses described as, an exaggerated speed.<ref name=Mundo/> When the train reached the leveling-off point at the bottom of the hill it [[Derailment|derailed]].<ref name=Mundo/> The steam locomotive crashed into a ditch where it exploded and one of the freight cars crashed into one of the passenger cars, killing many inside and injuring several.<ref name= Mundo/> Witnesses described the scene as horrendous, with some accounts stating that parents were throwing their children out the windows to save them from the wreckage.<ref name="endi"/> Chief of Police Guillermo Arroyo stated that the locomotive (No. 72), the express car, and three second class passenger cars were completely destroyed. Oscar Valle, an Aguadilla correspondent to ''[[El Mundo (Puerto Rico)|El Mundo]]'' newspaper, summarized the scene with: "The locomotive suffered a terrible explosion as it derailed, and the impact was so strong that 3 passenger cars were converted into a fantastic mound of wreckage".<ref name="endi"/> In the end, 16 passengers lost their lives, including the engineer and the boilerman, and 50 were injured in the crash.<ref>{{Cite web|url=
http://www.eleditor.net/medio-ambiente/puerto-rico-y-aquel-tren-que-nunca-llego-a-destino/|title=Puerto Rico y aquel tren que nunca llegó a destino|language=es|access-date=
2019-09-28
|archive-url=
https://web.archive.org/web/20190928140427/http://www.eleditor.net/medio-ambiente/puerto-rico-y-aquel-tren-que-nunca-llego-a-destino/|archive-date=2019-09-28|url-status=live
}}</ref>

The territorial organization of Aguadilla did not change, until 1948, when the [[Puerto Rico Planning Board|Puerto Rico Planning, Urbanization, and Zoning Board]] prepared the map of the city and its barrios, and following instructions of city authorities, Higüey and parts of Caimital Alto barrios are annexed to [[Aguadilla barrio-pueblo|Downtown Aguadilla]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://docs.pr.gov/files/OECH/Informaci%C3%B3n%20Arqueol%C3%B3gica%20por%20Municipio/Informacio%CC%81n%20Arqueolo%CC%81gica%20del%20Municipio%20de%20Aguadilla.pdf|title=Sitios Arqueológicos de Aguadilla|publisher=Puerto Rico State Historic Conservation Office|access-date=November 12, 2024}}</ref> During that decade, there had been a territorial dispute with Aguada, when that municipality claimed that the area belonging to Parque Colón was on their side of the Culebrinas river.<ref name=river>{{cite news|title=JP dictamina que Parque Colón está en Aguada|publisher=El Mundo|language=Spanish|date=July 3, 1948|pages=10 & 23}}</ref> The matter became contentious when a diversion was made of the original route in 1931, with Aguada mayor Julio César Román basing its complain on Law 60-1945, preparing a memorial with historical maps and other documents supporting its position that the old geographic divisions remained, which was presented before the board on
September 20, 1946.<ref name=river/> The municipality alleged that taxes had been paid over these terrains, which Aguadilla refuted by claiming that adequate corrections had taken place.<ref name="Rivera24">{{Harvnb|Rivera|1985|pp=24}}</ref> The agency called for public hearings and a visual inspection, but emphasized that it had the sole jurisdiction to decide the outcome.<ref name=river/> A historical report was commissioned to [[Adolfo de Hostos]], the Puerto Rico Government's Historian.<ref name=river/> The matter was contentious enough that it attracted parties from other places, such as a physician from Rio Piedras named Carlos González, who supported Aguada's claim.<ref name=river/> The Board ruled that Parque Colón belonged to Aguada, with mayor Alfredo González Pérez appealing the decision.<ref name=river/> Ultimately, Aguadilla prevailed and the contentious area remained in its jurisdiction.

===Militarization during the Cold War===
[[File:FAA radar tower in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico.jpg|thumb|FAA radar tower in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico]]

In September 1939, some {{convert|3796|acre|km2|1}} covered by sugar cane, was expropriated for the military at the cost of $1,215,000, in order to build an air base that came to be known as [[Ramey Air Force Base]]. San Antonio's ambitions to become a separate town were unfruitful, and the community suffered three expropriations as a result of expansions to Ramey. In the process, Roberto Román Acevedo designed a town flag and emblem for the ostensible project. Aguadilla hosted these facilities for almost five decades. During this period, Aguadilla was home to the [[Strategic Air Command]], equipped with [[RB-36]]s and [[72d Bombardment Wing, Heavy]] equipped with [[B-52]]s, an important strategic facility during the [[Cold War]].

Activated in June 1952 as a Strategic Air Command very long-range reconnaissance unit at Ramey AFB, Puerto Rico, but not operational until October 1952. Redesignated as 72d Strategic Reconnaissance Wing and received 3 (60th, 73rd and 301st) squadrons of RB-36D/E/F/H Peacemaker bombers. Also, the 915th Air Rescue Squadron. Conducted global strategic reconnaissance 1953–1955, gradually shifting to a bombardment training mission beginning in 1954, being upgraded to B-36J and B-36J(III) Featherweights by 1955. Redesignated 72d Bombardment Wing in 1958.
With the phaseout of the B-36s in 1958, received B-52G Stratofortress intercontinental strategic bombers.

The town's urban center was reformatted, with a new plaza named after [[Federico Degetau y González]] being inaugurated on September 30, 1955.<ref name="Rivera22">{{Harvnb|Rivera|1985|pp=22}}</ref> In 1971, Aguadilla lost its spot as Senatorial District Head following an electoral reform that included it in the new Mayagüez-Aguadilla District.<ref name="Rivera36">{{Harvnb|Rivera|1985|pp=36}}</ref> During that decade, the municipality emphasized industry, with a facility that fabricated aviation parts being established at the base's hangars in 1979.<ref name="Rivera30">{{Harvnb|Rivera|1985|pp=30}}</ref> Five years earlier, an agreement to establish a [[DeLorean Motor Company]] plant at Calero was publicly announced, but the facility was ultimately built at Northern Ireland.<ref name="Rivera30"/> The municipality's main tourist site, Hotel Montemar was reworked into Parador Montemar.<ref name="Rivera30"/>

Though the military infrastructure still exists, the airport was handed over to the [[Government of Puerto Rico]] in 1973. The aerial facilities are now controlled by the [[Puerto Rico Ports Authority]] and comprise the [[Rafael Hernández International Airport]]. The barracks now host the Faro Inn Suites, a 79-room hotel. The Officer's Club now hosts the Faro Conference Center, a {{convert|22000|sqft|m2|adj=on}} meeting facility. The hospital is now the Courtyard by [[Marriott Hotels & Resorts|Marriott]] Punta Borinquen Resort & Casino,<ref>{{Cite web |url=
http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/bqncy-courtyard-aguadilla
|title=
Marriott.com
|access-date=
2007-09-25
|archive-url=
https://web.archive.org/web/20071012044552/http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/bqncy-courtyard-aguadilla
|archive-date=
2007-10-12
|url-status=live }}</ref> a 150-room hotel with a casino and the first Marriott in Puerto Rico outside of the [[San Juan, Puerto Rico|San Juan]] Metropolitan Area.

The area which formerly housed Ramey also hosts the [[University of Puerto Rico at Aguadilla]] and the Friedrich Froebel Bilingual School (K-9).<ref>{{Cite web |url=
http://www.froebelbilingualschool.com/
|title=Home |access-date=
2012-08-06
|archive-url=
https://web.archive.org/web/20120827093233/http://www.froebelbilingualschool.com/
|archive-date=
2012-08-27
|url-status=live }}</ref> The high school became Ramey Job Corps Campus<ref name="
Ramey.jobcorps.gov
">{{Cite web|url=
https://ramey.jobcorps.gov/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060929061222/http://ramey.jobcorps.gov/|url-status=dead|title=Home &#124; Ramey Job Corps Center|archive-date=September 29, 2006|website=
ramey.jobcorps.gov
}}</ref> and the elementary school became the Esther Feliciano Mendoza Middle School. Centro de Adiestramiento y Bellas Artes (CABA) since 1979 has been the only public school of arts in Puerto Rico (7–12). Ramey is also the site of the Ramey Skating Park and a new ''mariposario'' (butterfly farm) and the Ramey Shopping Center.

By 1980, the population of Agadilla had risen to more than 54,600 residents, most of which lived in the urban areas of the municipality.<ref name="Rivera24"/> There is still an active part of the base that hosts the [[United States Coast Guard|Coast Guard]] Borinquen Air Station. There are also other government agencies based at Ramey, including the United States [[Department of Homeland Security]], [[U.S. Customs and Border Protection|U.S. Customs & Border Protection's]] [[Office of Air and Marine]] and [[United States Border Patrol|Office of Border Patrol]], the ''Fuerzas Unidas de Rápida Acción'' (United Forces for Rapid Action) of the [[Puerto Rico Police Department]] and the [[Puerto Rico National Guard]]. There is also a post office, the ''Centro de Servicios al Conductor'' (DMV), a bakery, and a [[Banco Popular de Puerto Rico]] location.

===Early 21st Century and Hurricane Maria===
[[File:Hurricane Maria damage - 170923-H-NI589-0009 (23543368528).jpg|thumb|Aerial view of Aguadilla a few days after Hurricane Maria]]
[[Hurricane Maria]] struck Puerto Rico on September 20, 2017, causing large-scale damage and destruction to infrastructure.<ref name="USGS_Maria_Landslides">{{cite web |title=Preliminary Locations of Landslide Impacts from Hurricane Maria, Puerto Rico |url=
https://landslides.usgs.gov/research/featured/2017/maria-pr/
|website=USGS Landslide Hazards Program |publisher=USGS |access-date=
2019-03-03
|archive-url=
https://web.archive.org/web/20190303143147/https://landslides.usgs.gov/research/featured/2017/maria-pr/
|archive-date=
2019-03-03
|url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="USGS_Maria_Landslides map">{{cite web |title=Preliminary Locations of Landslide Impacts from Hurricane Maria, Puerto Rico |url=
https://landslides.usgs.gov/research/featured/2017/maria-pr/images/PR_Maria_LS_density_map.pdf
|website=USGS Landslide Hazards Program |publisher=USGS |access-date=
2019-03-03
|archive-url=
https://web.archive.org/web/20190303143147/https://landslides.usgs.gov/research/featured/2017/maria-pr/images/PR_Maria_LS_density_map.pdf
|archive-date=
2019-03-03
|url-status=live }}</ref> In Aguadilla
10 inches
of rain were recorded and its more than 54,000 residents were left with no electrical power.<ref>{{cite web | title=María, un nombre que no vamos a olvidar - Aguadilla |trans-title=Maria, a name we will never forget - Aguadilla| website=El Nuevo Día| date=
2019-06-13
| url=
https://huracanmaria.elnuevodia.com/2017/municipio/aguadilla/
|language=es | access-date=
2021-08-24
}}</ref>

The four radar systems used by the [[Federal Aviation Administration]] for flights in and around Puerto Rico were damaged by [[Hurricane Maria]], and it took nearly two weeks to fix them. One of the radar systems is located in Aguadilla.<ref>{{Cite web|url=
https://www.nationalguard.mil/News/Article/1331405/puerto-rico-air-national-guard-returns-key-radar-to-service/|title=Puerto Rico Air National Guard returns key radar to service|website=National Guard|access-date=
2019-07-04
|archive-url=
https://web.archive.org/web/20190704092611/https://www.nationalguard.mil/News/Article/1331405/puerto-rico-air-national-guard-returns-key-radar-to-service/|archive-date=2019-07-04|url-status=live
}}</ref>

===The 2020s===
In recent years, the town has gathered some international celebrity due to the release of a [[Unidentified Flying Object|Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena]] (UAP) footage captured by a Customs and Patrol aircraft near [[Rafael Hernández Airport]] on April 26, 2013, after the air traffic tower reported sighting a pinkish glowing orb flying near the facility. The 5-minute long thermal sequence was captured with a FLIR camera and released by the agency in September 2023, one of [[Pentagon UFO videos|several]] acknowledged by the government as filmed by an official source since 2018, becoming colloquially known as “The Aguadilla UFO Incident”.<ref>{{cite web|url=
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/amp-video/mmvo193517125723|title=
CBP releases videos of unidentified aerial phenomena|publisher=NBC News|date=September 21, 2023|access-date=November 12, 2024}}</ref> Initially sent to Homeland Security for analysis, the film was then remitted to the Air Force before ultimately being released to civilian groups interested in the topic.<ref>{{cite web|url=
https://www.wwlp.com/news/what-flies-in-the-in-the-air-zips-through-the-ocean-and-splits-in-two-scientifically-investigating-the-aguadilla-ufo-incident/|title=
What flies in the in the air, zips through the ocean, and splits in two? Scientifically investigating the Aguadilla UFO incident|author=Duncan Phenix & George Knapp|publisher=WWLP-22|date=February 12, 2021|access-date=November 12, 2024}}</ref> The Scientific Coalition for Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (SCU) has called it the "most compelling" footage of the anomalous aerial activity. Since then, the footage has been replayed in several shows covering fringe topics, mostly aired in network television such as the [[History Channel]], [[National Geographic]] and [[Discovery Channel]].<ref>{{cite web|url=
https://www.history.com/videos/puerto-rico-ufos|title=
Puerto Rico UFOs|publisher=History|date=2023|access-date=November 12, 2024}}</ref> Debate remains ongoing, with Chinese lanterns, drones, birds and balloons being proposed as potential explanations by skeptics.<ref>{{cite web|url=
https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/a61827898/unidentified-submerged-objects-uso-threat/|title=
Are Underwater UFOs an Imminent Threat? The U.S. Government Sure Thinks So—And Here's the Proof|author=Manasee Wagh|publisher=Popular Mechanics|date=August 8, 2024|access-date=November 12, 2024}}</ref>

In September 2024, the municipal government filed a lawsuit against private consortium [[LUMA Energy]], citing collective losses related to the corporation's mismanagement of the energy distribution system.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.metro.pr/noticias/2024/09/19/municipio-de-aguadilla-demanda-a-luma-por-perdidas-provocadas-por-apagones/|title=Municipio de Aguadilla demanda a LUMA por pérdidas provocadas por apagones|publisher=Metro Puerto Rico|language=Spanish|date=September 19, 2024|access-date=November 12, 2024}}</ref>