Isla de Cabras
Encyclopedia
Isla de Cabras is an islet located at the entrance of the San Juan
bay in Puerto Rico
.
Isla de Cabras is the current location of:
However, it has been a place of many uses during its history.
to prevent incoming ships from entering. It also provided defenses for the entrance of the Bayamón River at the other side of the island.,
, Segundo de la Portilla, set the first stone of the official building to house lepers, which was completed in 1883. However, it is believed that the colony was established before the construction of the building.
Upon the occupation of Puerto Rico
by the American
troops in 1898, the management of the building was handed to the government of the island. According to the 1910 US Census, there were 35 people living in the island at that time.
In 1926, a leper asylum was built in the main island (Trujillo Alto) next to a church, and the residents of the colony were moved there. However, the original building in Isla de Cabras still stands (see picture).
In the 1940s, the United States
inaugurated Fort Amezquita, a few hundred feet from El Cañuelo
. During World War II
, this fort served as a military reservation, or a "concrete gun battery" for the US Army. The base received its guns from Fort Delaware, Florida
.
Recently, the Isla de Cabras Recreational Park opened to the public with resting places for the family. The park has several gazebos available, plus a beach for swimming and fishing.
San Juan, Puerto Rico
San Juan , officially Municipio de la Ciudad Capital San Juan Bautista , is the capital and most populous municipality in Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 395,326 making it the 46th-largest city under the jurisdiction of...
bay in Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
.
Isla de Cabras is the current location of:
- Fortín San Juan de la Cruz, also known as El CañueloEl CañueloFortín San Juan de la Cruz , better known as el Cañuelo, is located on Isla de Cabras, Puerto Rico. It is part of San Juan National Historic Site.-History:This fort was originally built in wood in 1610...
. - A recently opened recreational park.
- A local police firing range.
However, it has been a place of many uses during its history.
Spanish Fortification
Due to its strategic location at the entrance of the San Juan Bay, Isla de Cabras provided a strategic point for an effective crossfire with the Fort San Felipe del MorroFort San Felipe del Morro
Also known as Fort San Felipe del Morro or Morro Castle, is a 16th-century citadel located in San Juan, Puerto Rico.- Rundown :Lies on the northwestern-most point of the islet of San Juan, Puerto Rico...
to prevent incoming ships from entering. It also provided defenses for the entrance of the Bayamón River at the other side of the island.,
Leper Colony
At the end of the 19th century, a leper colony was established in the island. On December 17, 1876, the governor of Puerto RicoPuerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
, Segundo de la Portilla, set the first stone of the official building to house lepers, which was completed in 1883. However, it is believed that the colony was established before the construction of the building.
Upon the occupation of Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
by the American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
troops in 1898, the management of the building was handed to the government of the island. According to the 1910 US Census, there were 35 people living in the island at that time.
In 1926, a leper asylum was built in the main island (Trujillo Alto) next to a church, and the residents of the colony were moved there. However, the original building in Isla de Cabras still stands (see picture).
American Fortification
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
inaugurated Fort Amezquita, a few hundred feet from El Cañuelo
El Cañuelo
Fortín San Juan de la Cruz , better known as el Cañuelo, is located on Isla de Cabras, Puerto Rico. It is part of San Juan National Historic Site.-History:This fort was originally built in wood in 1610...
. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, this fort served as a military reservation, or a "concrete gun battery" for the US Army. The base received its guns from Fort Delaware, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
.
Shooting Range & Recreational Park
In recent years, the grounds that belonged to Fort Amezquita were turned by the P.R.P.D. into a shooting range and training area. The remaining acres of land were disputed, and were finally transferred to the Department of Sports and Recreation.Recently, the Isla de Cabras Recreational Park opened to the public with resting places for the family. The park has several gazebos available, plus a beach for swimming and fishing.
External links
- Bio-political History of Isla de Cabras Leper Colony and the Problematics of the Memorialization of Suffering by Adriana María Garriga López, Columbia University