Naguabo, Puerto Rico: History
The first settlement in the area, Santiago, was built in 1513 near the Río Daguao with the intent of warding off Carib incursions. The Spanish failed in this task and abandoned it a year later. The current town of Naguabo was resettled in 1794 near a ravine on the east coast and relocated in 1821 to its current location. In 1878, Naguabo had the following barrios: Pueblo, Maizales, Duque, Mariana, Quebrada Palma, Daguao, Santiago y Lima, Húcares, Río, Peña Pobre and Río Blanco. In 1521, Daguao was burned down by Caribs.
Puerto Rico was ceded by Spain in the aftermath of the Spanish–American War under the terms of the Treaty of Paris of 1898 and became a territory of the United States. In 1899, the United States Department of War conducted a census of Puerto Rico, finding that the population of Naguabo was 10,873. By 2008, the estimated population was 24,803.
On September 20, 2017, Hurricane Maria struck Puerto Rico. In Naguabo, the sector Playa Húcares on the coast was the most affected, with most homes destroyed or losing their roofs. The boardwalk was destroyed, and over 6,000 people reported losses.