Rafael León y García

Rafael León y García, a.k.a., Rafael de León[1] (c. 1814 – c. 1885), was mayor of Ponce, Puerto Rico, from 1874 to 1875.[2]

Rafael León y García
78th Mayor of Ponce, Puerto Rico
In office
1874–1875
Preceded byPedro Rosalí
Succeeded bySerafín Donderis
Personal details
Bornc. 1814
Diedc. 1885
NationalityPuerto Rican
Professionpolitician

Mayoral term edit

León y García is remembered for various accomplishments during his short stay as Mayor of Ponce. He is remembered for issuing, in 1874, a circular describing the urgent need to conserve Puerto Rico’s forests to avoid ruining the island's agriculture. Only 9700 hectares (23,969 acres) of heavily timbered forest remained in the Luquillo Forest at the time.[3] Closer to his hometown of Ponce, he is also remembered for spearheading, on 20 May 1874, the project that would eventually result in the construction of the Acueducto de Ponce.[4]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ Socorro Giron. Ponce, el teatro La Perla, y La Campana de la Almudaina. Gobierno Municipal de Ponce. 1992. p. 171.
  2. ^ Autonomous Municipality of Ponce. Alcaldes. Archived 2013-09-29 at the Wayback Machine
  3. ^ El Yunque National Forest: Centennial Timeline Summary. USDA. Forest Service. 2003. Retrieved 14 August 2013.
  4. ^ Socorro Giron. Ponce, el teatro La Perla y La Campana de La Almudaina. Gobierno Municipal de Ponce. 1992. pp.171, 172. (Citing Lidio Cruz Monclova's Historia de Puerto Rico, Tomo II, pp. 871, 872.)

Further reading edit

  • Fay Fowlie de Flores. Ponce, Perla del Sur: Una Bibliográfica Anotada. Second Edition. 1997. Ponce, Puerto Rico: Universidad de Puerto Rico en Ponce. p. 204. Item 1051. LCCN 92-75480
  • Alcalde Rafael Leon y Garcia, Villa de Ponce. Villa de Ponce: Datos estadísticos de 1874. (microfilm) Ponce, Puerto Rico. 1874? (UPR-microfilm).
  • Fay Fowlie de Flores. Ponce, Perla del Sur: Una Bibliográfica Anotada. Second Edition. 1997. Ponce, Puerto Rico: Universidad de Puerto Rico en Ponce. p. 335. Item 1667. LCCN 92-75480
  • Villa de Ponce. Presupuesto municipal del ilustre Ayuntamiento de la Villa de Ponce para el año económico de 1874 a 1875. Ponce, Puerto Rico: H. Lara -- Imprenta Nueva, 1874. (Biblioteca del Congreso (Washington, D.C.; Colegio Universitario Tecnológico de Ponce, CUTPO [fotocopia])
Political offices
Preceded by Mayor of Ponce, Puerto Rico
1874-1875
Succeeded by