Balcarce

History and Legends

The origins of the city of Balcarce are linked with the history of Mar del Plata, due to the conflicts undergone by these districts back in 1860. In those days, the settlers were divided into “coast settlers” and “mountain range settlers”. The former wished the emerging village to grow around the Los Padres Lagoon harbor and the latter preferred that the head of the district be founded in the mountains. In 1874, the plans of the Balcarce harbor or De Los Padres Lagoon harbor were approved. But two years later, the mountain range settlers managed to found the town of San José de Balcarce to pay tribute to brigadier general Antonio González Balcarce, who was Second Chief of the First Expedition to Alto Perú.
General Balcarce was in charge of the army once led by General Ortíz de Ocampo. Under his command, the patriot troops defeated the realistas in the battle of Suipacha on November 7, 1810, the first triumph for the campaign. In its important career, Balcarce was also named Second Chief of the Army of the Andes and Supreme Director of the United Provinces of the River Plate.

According to the cesus carried out in 1869, a total of 4,198 inhabitants would ocuppy the area today represented by the districts of Balcarce, Gral. Pueyrredón and Gral. Alvarado. The conflict about the determination of the head city ended on October 15, 1879, when the district division law was passed, thus turning San José de Balcarce into the head city of the district of Balcarce.