1. 150 year Journey of
Boquete’s Melting Pot
Rodrigo Marciacq
November 15, 2011

2. In the beginning...
750 AD Volcan Baru
Eruptive history
1,270 BC, 260AD, 710AD (major), 1,130AD,1,340AD, 1,550AD

3. Pre-Columbian people
Doraces, Changuinas, Nogbe(Guaymies),
Buricas, Bri-bri, Naso
Cultures of Chibcha origin, that ranged from Northern
Honduras, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia & Venezuela
24 related tongues, half of them extinct now

4. The Spaniards ... from
1524 on
• 1500 300,000 1911 337,000
• 1789 60,000 1920 446,000
• 1835 115,000 1940 623,000
• 1851 138,000 1960 1,076,000
• 1871 220,000 1980 1,805,000
• 1896 311,000 2000 2,800,000
• 2010 3,400,000
Population of Panama

5. Colonial Phase, Independence from
Spain & incorporation to the Great
Colombia 1821

6. The Pioneers
• The locals: Gonzales, Rodriguez, Ledezma, Vasquez, Miranda,
Candanedo, Samudio, Villareal, Ruiz, Rios, Dominguez, Diaz,
Carmona, Del Cid, Quiel, Armuelles, Guerra, Galan, Bilbao,
Sanchez, Saldana, Valenzuela, Quiroz, Pitti, Acosta, Gutierrez,
Rovira, Caballero, Vega, Cianca, Castillo
• The immigrants: Kant, Taylor, Watson, Tedman, McIntyre,
Boutet, Bradley, Lescure, Thomas, Lowell, Denham, Turner, Kuckler,
Landau, Hargrove, Serracin (Saraceni), Arrechea, Medica, Sitton,
White, Landero, Sandberg, Koyner, Laws, Moniche, O’Donnell, De
Dianous, Suarez (Suadi), Creegan, Bell, Talboy, Archer, Lamastus,
Sasse, Mathews

7. Some of Pioneers

8. Pioneers

9. The Early Days
• Jose Manuel Lambert 1851-1906
• Jose Nicholas Rodriguez
• Colombia’s Supreme Court Verdict
• Economic Considerations

10. secession from Colombia and
the new republic 1903

11. Forming of a new
society and institutions
• 1905 First Hotel (Henry Watson)
• 1907 Catholic Church in Alto Lino
• 1908 The first School
• 1911 Boquete formally a District

12. President Belisario Porras
1856-1942
President from 1912-1924
• “What we need the most in an imperative and urgent way, is to have agriculture
in our country, since the first and basic requirement of man is to feed himself
and agriculture is what will give us the main sustenance obtained from the
toiling of the land. Have faith, for you well know that in your farming endeavors
first the seed enters the furrow and later on you reap the harvest. The railroads
develop roads around it, promote agriculture and industry, attracts
immigration, enhances commerce and awakens sleeping energies.”

13. The Export Economy

14. The Railroad1916-1949

16. Agricultural Economy
and journey to today