Cayey

Cayey, Puerto Rico
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Cayey, Puerto Rico |
— Municipality — |
|

Flag |
Coat of arms |
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Nickname(s): Ciudad de las Brumas","Ciudad del Torito", "Ciudad del Coquí Dorado" |
Anthem: "Alma Boricua" |
Location of Cayey in Puerto Rico |
Country | United States |
Territory | Puerto Rico |
Founded | August 17, 1773 |
Government |
• Mayor | Rolando Ortiz Velázquez (PPD) |
• Senatorial dist. | 6 – Guayama |
• Representative dist. | 29 |
Area |
• Total | 50.2 sq mi (130.01 km2) |
• Land | 50.2 sq mi (130 km2) |
•Water | 0 sq mi (.01 km2) |
Population (2010) |
• Total | 48,119 |
• Density | 958.6/sq mi (370.1/km2) |
Demonym | Cayeyanos |
Time zone | AST (UTC-4) |
Zip code | 00736 , 00737 |
Website | http://www.cayey.gobierno.pr/ |
Cayey (Spanish pronunciation: [kaˈʝei]) is a mountain town in central Puerto Rico located on the Central Mountain range, north of Salinas and Guayama; south of Cidra andCaguas; east of Aibonito and Salinas; and west of San Lorenzo Cayey is spread over 21 wards and Cayey Pueblo (The downtown area and the administrative center of the city). It is part of the San Juan-Caguas-Guaynabo Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Cayey is notable for its surrounding mountains. The city has been actively growing since the 1990s, evidenced by its designation as a Metropolitan Area bythe U.S. Census Bureau. It has experienced significant growth in commerce, and many major retailers, such as Wal-Mart have opened stores in this city. A new coliseum and hospital facilities have also been built. Coca-Cola and Procter & Gamble are two major corporations that have manufacturing facilities in the town. Cayey is also host to one of the campuses of the University of Puerto Rico, theUniversity of Puerto Rico at Cayey.
Contents[hide] * 1 History * 1.1 Flag * 1.2 Coat of Arms * 2 Demographics * 2.1 Barrios (Districts/Wards) * 2.2 The Golden coquí * 2.3 Topography * 2.3.1 Climate * 2.3.2 Landmarks and places of interest * 2.3.3 Festivals and events * 2.4 Education * 2.5 Higher Education * 2.6 Hospitals * 3Buildings and structures * 3.1 Telemundo WKAQ TV Tower * 3.2 Pedro Montañez Stadium * 3.3 Cayey Pegasus Broadcasting Tower * 4 Transportation * 5 Notable natives and residents * 6 Sister cities * 7 References * 8 External links |
[edit] History

Cultivating tobacco at a Puerto Rico Reconstruction Administration experimental area, 1941
Cayey was founded on August 17, 1773by Juan Mata Vázquez, who became its first mayor. It is said that Cayey derives its name from the Taino Indian word for "a place of waters". Its original name was "Cayey de Muesas".
During 1880, a fire that later acquired legendary status took place in Cayey's Mirador Echevarria area. The fire broke out on the property of a timber company near Charca Del Pato. Many people and dogs died, and legendhas it that the dogs' barking can still be heard, and sometimes, at night, the screams of the men who burned to death can still be heard too[citation needed].
During the first half of the 20th century,[1] Cayey was basically an agricultural area of small farmers and local haciendas dedicated to the farming of crops for the local market. During the 1920s and 1930s farmers increasingly lost theirland to absentee landowners, mostly American companies, that turned to the cultivation of sugar cane and, to a lesser extent, tobacco for export. In the 1950s and 1960s some manufacturing concerns established plants in Cayey taking advantage of tax incentives offered by "Operation Bootstrap", Puerto Rico's industrialization program. Among the most notable were the "Consolidated Cigars", making...