Toa Alta, Puerto Rico

Infobox Settlement

settlement_type =
subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_name = United States

subdivision_type1 = Territory
subdivision_name1 = Puerto Rico
subdivision_type2 =
subdivision_name2 =

timezone=AST
utc_offset=-4
timezone_DST=
utc_offset_DST=
unit_pref=Imperial
map_caption =Location of PAGENAME within Puerto Rico.
latNS=N
longEW=W| official_name = Toa Alta, Puerto Rico | nickname = La Ciudad del Toa", "Cuna de Poetas", "Los Ñangotaos", "Ciudad del Josco


image_
| population_blank1 = Toalteños|population_blank1_title=

---

| map_caption = Location within the island of Puerto Rico

established_date = 1751 | leader_title|established_title=Founded| = Mayor | leader_title=Mayor
leader_name = Hon. Luis Collazo "Jumbo"
political party = Partido Nuevo Progresista
leader_party = PNP
leader_title1=Senatorial dist.
leader_name1= 3 - Arecibo
leader_title2=Representative dist.
leader_name2 = 11| area_magnitude = | area_total_km2 = 71.08
area_land_km2 = 70.88| area_water_km2 = .20| population_as_of = 2000 | population_note =
population_total = 63929|population_footnotes= | population_density_km2 = | timezone = AST | utc_offset = -4 | timezone_DST = | utc_offset_DST = -4| latd= |latm= |lats=
longd=|longm= |longs=
latitude =
longitude =
website =
footnotes = Anthem – "Cuna de historia y de grandes poetas" |

Toa Alta (TO-ah AHL-tah) is a municipality of Puerto Rico located in the northern coast of the island, north of Naranjito; south of Dorado and Toa Baja; east of Vega Alta and Corozal; and west of Bayamón. Toa Alta is spread over eight wards and Toa Alta Pueblo (the downtown area and the administrative center of the city).

History

Toa Alta located west of the capital city of San Juan, the town was founded in 1751 making it one of the oldest towns on the Island. The construction of the San Fernando Rey church in the town square began in 1752. The name Toa Alta comes from the Taino word for valley, "Thoa". Over the years, agriculture became an important economic force in the area. At the peak of the agricultural economy, the town was also known as the "Granja de los Reyes Católicos" ("the Farm of the Catholic Kings"). The town is also called "Ciudad del Josco". The town is commonly known by its nickname "La Cuna de los Poetas," or "Cradle of Poets," due to the numerous Spanish-language poets who were born there, such as Abelardo Diaz Alfaro and the musician Tomás "Masso" Rivera.

Flag

Horizontally divided in three, the bottom and top red stripes double the size of the center yellow stripe. In the upper left corner a yellow eight point star.

Coat of Arms

The shield in gold, a red board with a silver sword topped with a gold crown of the same metal, to each side two small shields in red, the right-hand one with a tower in gold and the left-hand one with a gold eight point star, a three tower crown lined in black with red openings. Motto: Non Deserit Alta.

Demographics

Barrios (Districts/Wards) [http://welcome.topuertorico.org/maps/toaalta.pdf]

*Contorno *Galateo *Mucarabones *Ortiz

*Piñas *Quebrada Arenas *Quebrada Cruz *Río Lajas

Geo/Topography

Toa Alta Northern Coastal Plain and to the karst zone.

Anthem

By Israel Rivera Náter

¡Cuna de historia y de grandes poetas;
Así es mi valle de verde tambor;
Valle hermosísimo, donde Abelardo
cinceló en lágrimas su gesta de amor!

¡Valle de luchas y de profundo llanto
donde Morales, nuestro héroe y cantor;
esculpió en letras de oro y de sangre
la libertad sagrada en nuestro corazón!

¡Oh Toa Alta, mi pueblo inmortal
tu gente levanta con orgullo
la radiante bandera de tu fundación!

¡Oh Toa Alta, mi pueblo inmortal
me abrazaré a tu escudo,
a la tierra y al honor!

Cuna de hermosas mujeres.
¡Oh tierra josca de mi ensoñación;
donde las cuerdas de un cuatro
encantado remolinó a los pájaros
y éstos en su empeño despertaron a Dios.

Revolcaron la cama
de un noble trovador
que una tarde de lluvia
le regaló una décima
como ofrenda de amor.

Vivan por siempre, por siempre vivan,
la raza, el empeño y el amor.
Vivan la fauna, el cielo, la montaña y el valle
en que se bañan con tus noches estrelladas
que amanecen galanas con la hermosa
sonrisa del inolvidable sol.

Landmarks and places of interest

*Legendary Tree "Bala de Cañón"
*Masso Rivera Municipal Teather
*Masso Rivera Statue
*Recreo Egozcué Plaza
*San Fernando Rey Parish
*Villa Tropical Recreation Center
*Plaza Aquarium Mall
*Valle "El Toa"

Festivals and events

*Chopa Marathon - March
*Patron Celebrations - May
*Typical Musica - November

Education

Toa Alta counts with several public and private schools distributed through several regions. Public education is handled by the State Department of Education.

;Elementary schools

*Alejandro Junior Cruz
*Heraclio Rivera Colón
*José De Diego
*José María Del Valle
*Luis Muños Rivera
*Manuel Velilla
*María C. Osorio
*Merced Mercado
*Secundino Díaz
*Violanta Jimenéz
*Virgilio Morales

;Middle schools / Junior High schools

*Abelardo Díaz Alfaro
*Felipe Díaz González
*José Pablo Morales
*Tomás "Maso" Rivera Morales

;High Schools

*Adela Rolón Fuentes
*Nicolas Sevilla

ports

Notable "Toalteños"

* Sergeants Jose Díaz and Francisco Diaz: defended Puerto Rico from a British invasion in 1797.
* Dayanara Torres Delgado: Miss Universe 1993.
* Karem Negron: Miss Mundo Toa Alta 2008
* Eddie Santiago: Salsa singer.
* Juan Carlos Diaz "El Rompe corazones": (Leading jockey at Camarero Race Track)
* Manuel Santiago Rivera (Manolo Santiago): Trovador, Writer, Poet.
* José Pablo Morales Miranda: Journalist, Educator and Progressist
* Pablo Morales Cabrera: Story writer and Essayist
* Tomás "Maso" Rivera Morales: He brought the sound of the "Cuatro Puertorriqueño" to Europe

References

MI CUNA PRECIOSA DONDE ME VIO NACER.QUE LINDO MI BELLO PUEBLO TOA ALTA.ESTE PUEBLO TAN HUMILDE DE GENTE PRECIOSA SENCILLA Y HUMANITARIA.NACIDA Y CRIADA EN ESTE PRECIOSO PUEBLO,POR EL MOMENTO ESTOY LEJOS DE MI HUNILDE PUEBLO MI LINDO PAIS,PERO LO VISITO CADA VEZ QUE PUEDO......... MARIA OQUENDO

External links

* [http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/GCTTable?_bm=y&-geo_id=05000US72135&-_box_head_nbr=GCT-PH1&-ds_name=DEC_2000_SF1_U&-redoLog=false&-mt_name=DEC_2000_SF1_U_GCTPH1_CO2&-format=CO-2 Toa Alta and its barrios, United States Census Bureau]