Rawson

History and Legends

Enrique Libanus Jones was at the service of British companies which had the intention of forming colonies in any part of Argentina. What he never thought was that those poor houses he built by the river Chubut would be the initial point for final settlement in the province of Chubut, when an important group of Welshmen settled there temporarily, and thus gave way to one of the most important epopees of the second half of XIX century in Patagonia.
This place, where Libanus raised the flag himself as Julián Murga did later, is called "Fuerte Viejo" by the colonists.
Fuerte Viejo acquires an important historical value , because there was born the village called Trerawson, today Rawson.
Lieutenant Colonel Julián Murga gave the village the name Rawson in homage to the Minister of Interior Mr. Guillermo Rawson on 15th September 1865.
Some 150 Welsh colonists formed the final population that came from Puerto Madryn, where they had arrived in July that same year and then moved to by the river Chubut to form the new village, being irrigation of vital importance for their settlement.
During the first years, colonists formed a legislative system of twelve members, and there was the governor and two courts of justice.
In 1976, the central government sent Antonio Oneto to be the first sheriff of the colony. Then by law 1534 is created the national territory of Chubut, and on 16th October 1884 transformed into government and the limits are traced. The first governor, Luis Jorge Fontana, was appointed on 30th May 1885.. On 14th September 1888, the first municipal government was appointed and presided by Gregorio Mayo.
With the constitution of 1957, Chubut got the status of province, and Rawson was appointed capital. On 24th August 1901, and due to the repeated problems with floods, and given the necessity to improve the public service, the little community was divided into three districts: Rawson, Trelew and the rural area.
The XX century marked for Rawson a slow but sustained development, adding to the laboriosity of its inhabitants, all the technological improvement required by a capital: the railway, and the port, which was first used for commercial activities, and then turned into a fishing port.
Commercial and administrative activities add to fishing, specially in two moments: during the 40s, and at present. A bust of Guillermo Rawson was installed in the central square on 12th October 1936, and many delegations from different points of the province attended the act. The decade of the 50s is very important for the city because it was at that time appointed capital of the province.

Prof. Carlos A. Malbarez – historiador- Autor del trabajo historiográfico.