in Bayamon, PR

Bayamón (Spanish pronunciation: [baʝaˈmon]) is a municipality of Puerto Rico located in the northern coastal valley, north of Aguas Buenas and Comerío; south of Toa Baja and Cataño; west of Guaynabo; and east of Toa Alta and Naranjito. Bayamón is spread over 11 wards and Bayamón Pueblo (the downtown area and the administrative center of the city). It is part of the San Juan-Caguas-Guaynabo Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

The Taíno people, the indigenous peoples who encountered European explorers and settlers, were the long-time settlers in this area. The Spanish colonist Juan Ramírez de Arellano established Bayamón as a Spanish settlement on May 22, 1772. Two beliefs exist about the origin of the name Bayamón. According to one belief, it was named after the local Taíno chief, Bahamon. As per the other belief, the name was derived from the Taíno word Bayamongo, which is a river that runs across this region, implying that Bayamón is the area around this main river, which later on became the center of the city's development.

In 1821, Marcos Xiorro, an African slave, planned to lead a revolt against the sugarcane plantation owners and the Spanish colonial government in Puerto Rico. The slave conspiracy was revealed and suppressed, but Xiorro became a hero among the slaves.