347:
manifestation of all that it represented to the local population. At the onset of operations, the
Honduran government provided the company with generous financial incentives, operating with essentially no tax burdens, shipping gold and silver to the US, but by 1895 the company suffered setbacks from declining silver prices, significant tax burdens and acute labor shortages. The company imported heavy machinery from the United States and was granted timber and water rights in the countryside. The timber harvests were utilised for housing construction and mine tunnel support and the water rights permitted the development of the country's first hydroelectric power. The result of this was incredibly rapid growth that meant that by 1888, the mines were far and away the most powerful economic interest in Honduras.
457:. The four core barrios are known by residents as Barrio el Centro, Barrio Arriba, El Plan, and Carboneras, and are divided by rivers and precipices. Two rivers meet in Barrio El Centro, with two bridges traversing them. The three outlying dependent hamlets are known as Nuevo Rosario (the former headquarters of mining operations), Guacamaya, and Plan Grande. The first two are located along an old mining road about 350 meters (1150 feet) above San Juancito proper, each about 2.5 kilometers from the town center. Nuevo Rosario and Guacamayas are located at 1621 meters (5300 feet) and 1538 meters (5000 feet) above sea-level, respectively.
315:/Jicaque people exploited, in small scale, the minerals of the region. In the 16th century, the Spanish made a short-lived attempt at extracting ore from in the area's mountains. Using the indigenous population as labour, they proceeded to extract gold and silver from the mountainside; however after a few years, the indigenous population was so ravaged by disease and abysmal working conditions that the Spaniards, with no reliable source of labour left, packed up and relocated to other seemingly more viable sites in Honduras.
54:
1099:
622:. In the tropics, altitude plays a larger role in determining temperature than does either precipitation or time of year. San Juancito's location at 1239 meters (4027 feet) above sea-level ensures a temperate, if not slightly cool climate year round. Highs during the summer (March–June) tend to be around 26˚C (78˚F) with lows during this season averaging at about 18˚C (64˚F). The average winter high is 20˚F (68˚F), and the average winter low is about 14˚C (58˚F).
591:
388:
631:
924:
441:
41:
478:
61:
727:. The aforementioned art workshop also operates as a training center for artisans who wish to fine-tune their skills, as well as offering scholarships and diplomas to adolescents who wish to pursue a career in art. The San Juancito Foundation also operates a school "La Escuela Magica," which is a free of charge art education center for children in the community.
740:
In 2003, a paved two-lane road from
Tegucigalpa reached San Juancito, connecting it to Honduras' growing network of highways. Currently, the road passes through the municipalities of Santa Lucía and Valle de Angeles on its way to San Juancito. Beyond San Juancito, the pavement continues 10 kilometers
362:
During its heyday, technological advancements came to San
Juancito before any town in Honduras. The first light bulb in Honduras flickered on in San Juancito as a result of the hydroelectric plant built by the mining company, also a national first. The first cinema in all of Central and South America
411:
struck
Honduras. It was and still is the most costly (in lives and money) natural disaster to ever befall the country. Its deluge of rain had a devastating effect on San Juancito with around 60 buildings destroyed by the cascading waters of the town's two rivers. In the aftermath of the hurricane, a
403:
and San
Juancito found itself located within the buffer zone at one of the two designated entrances. Many remnants of the former mining mecca such as mine tunnels and railworks can be found within the nuclear zone of the national park, as well as a number of historical buildings and homes erected by
342:
in 1880. While popular myth holds that the capital was moved because of the unwillingness on the part of the
Comayaguan elite to accept President Soto's indigenous wife into their social circles, the true motive behind the move was related to his business investments and the development of southern
468:
Barrio El Centro was the hardest hit by the hurricane, with most of the buildings lost having been located in this section of town. This barrio, along with Barrio Arriba, Carboneras, and the outlying hamlet of Nuevo
Rosario contain the vast majority of San Juancito's historical structures, however
383:
In 1954, due to the exhaustion of mineral reserves, which coincided with a national labor movement, and new mine development at El
Mochito, Las Vegas, Sta. Barbara, El Rosario mine ceased operations and left San Juancito. With the company went the vast majority of the town's inhabitants, as it was
379:
Life in San
Juancito during its mining days was highly segregated. The minority of foreign staff personnel lived in an established camp near the mining headquarters and the majority Honduran population lived below in San Juancito proper, Everything from dance-halls to schools, sporting clubs, and
700:
San
Juancito also has an art workshop, operated by the San Juancito Foundation, and located in the renovated Pepsi Co. bottling plant building. Most of the employees of the "Taller" as it is known, are women. The workshop produces extremely high quality paper, metal, and glass based functional
448:
Because of its history as a mining town, San Juancito was not founded with thought being given to terrain. It is perched in the mountains on very uneven land, and therefore does not have the Spanish-inspired central layout that tends to be the style of rural Honduran communities. For this, San
346:
Between 1880 and 1954, the company extracted gold and silver from veins in the mountainside, most of which was destined for the United States. Julius Valentine's son, Washington Valentine, soon took over his father's post and became the figurehead of the corporation, as well as the human
334:, founded the New York and Honduras Rosario Mining Company, exchanging 50% of the company's stock for the mining rights of the El Rosario deposits at San Juancito which were owned by Soto. Because of this, San Juancito may have played a role in the relocation of the nation's capital from
303:, providing water for over a half million people in the capital; San Juancito is located on the northern side of the La Tigra, and has had paved access since 2003. It is the lesser-visited of the park's two entrances (the other being at Jutiapa, on the southwestern side of the park).
319:
351:
420:
Since the closing of the mines, reforestation efforts have brought back foliage to previously barren swaths of mountainside. Accordingly, the pueblo sits in a verdant amphitheater of sorts, with the backdrop being dominated by the three highest peaks in the department:
371:
was erected by the mining company's headquarters at over 1600 metres (5300 feet) above sea-level. In the early 20th century, San Juancito had a population of 44,000, roughly equalling that of Tegucigalpa at the time, and was a major trading centre in
646:
production, as its climate and altitude are incredibly conducive to the production of high quality coffee beans. COMISAJUL, a joint cooperative of a few hundred small coffee farmers in central Honduras, has its office in San Juancito.
460:
Of the four core barrios, El Plan is distinct in that many of its structures were built after Hurricane Mitch. It is located on a small mesa well above the river, so not surprisingly it was chosen as the main redevelopment site when
522:. The town center is located 2.5 kilometers (1.6 mi) from the entrance to the nuclear zone of the national park, which is actually in the hamlet of Nuevo Rosario. In La Tigra there are over 200 species of bird, including the
720:, the latter being named for the president who played such a large role in the history of the pueblo. There are also three small elementary schools in the outlying communities of Nuevo Rosario, Guacamaya, and Plan Grande.
412:
large number of NGOs came to San Juancito to help with the rebuilding effort. While the skeletal remains of some buildings damaged by the hurricane can still be seen today, much of the infrastructure has been rebuilt.
1118:
773:
San Juancito sees very, very few tourists because it is the most inaccessible of La Tigra's entrances, and because very little has been done to develop an infrastructure that promotes tourism.
913:
311:
The history of San Juancito is inextricably linked to the mineral wealth of the mountains in which it is perched. Before the arrival of the Spaniards, the descendants of today's
281:. Including the dependent hamlets of Nuevo Rosario, Guacamaya, and Plan Grande, the population totals at about 1400. Its central neighborhood is depicted on the back of the 500-
693:
Much of San Juancito's male population works in a massive sugarcane cropping and refining operation located 10 kilometers to the south in the valley of Cantarranas,
697:. Outside of agriculture many townspeople work in Tegucigalpa, as urban migration has put a strain on job opportunities in small communities like San Juancito.
906:
723:
Also providing independent trade-based education to the community are two initiatives set up by the San Juancito Foundation, the brainchild of Honduran artist
704:
A small number of residents work part or full-time with AMITIGRA, the organization in charge of the administration and maintenance of La Tigra National Park.
433:(2,290 metres (7,510 ft)). In the immediate vicinity of the pueblo there is still some limited deforestation, the work of local small farmers using
82:
803:
899:
380:
graveyards. The Honduran miners were well paid by local standards and enjoyed the benefits of schools and the hospital established by the company.
53:
1063:
983:
973:
330:
advertised the mineral wealth of San Juancito, with the intention of attracting foreign investment. In 1880, Julius Valentine, of
650:
Aside from coffee, San Juancito has a relatively diverse array of subsistence-based agricultural activities, with small plots of
126:
1058:
927:
131:
384:
the only major source of labour in the region; many of the El Rosario miners were subsequently employed at El Mochito.
1018:
570:
can be found here as well. The common infiltration of clouds into the forest also means that the region abounds with
326:
In the late 19th century, mining activities were revived but on a much larger and highly organised scale. President
1038:
288:
While its history is linked to mining, its current importance lies in that it is located within the buffer zone of
183:
745:). Currently, there is construction on the 30-kilometer segment to the north of Cantarranas toward the town of
499:
179:
891:
754:
430:
166:
1053:
811:
1088:
1033:
1028:
493:
485:
289:
1043:
923:
422:
367:. Pepsi built the first bottling plant in all of Central America there, and a fully operating American
851:
1083:
519:
278:
724:
1078:
642:
San Juancito's modern-day economy is heavily based in agriculture, most of which being small-scale
542:. Aside from the wild fruits and vegetables that grow in the region, there is also an abundance of
523:
1048:
988:
753:. This segment, along with another segment bypassing Tegucigalpa on its way to the department of
742:
694:
690:, and other local fruits and vegetables all existing in the immediate vicinity of the community.
327:
1098:
426:
226:
968:
958:
282:
143:
590:
408:
373:
671:
555:
434:
300:
1112:
1008:
606:, San Juancito sees little temperature variation year round. As such, what is called
400:
355:
331:
635:
527:
503:
293:
138:
506:
upon entering La Tigra National Park. As a result of the abundance and variety of
993:
953:
938:
630:
339:
274:
477:
387:
963:
619:
611:
575:
543:
318:
40:
465:
efforts were working to provide housing to those displaced by the hurricane.
97:
84:
762:
679:
547:
515:
481:
392:
368:
364:
350:
335:
296:
236:
883:
872:
1073:
978:
758:
655:
599:
579:
270:
119:
440:
1068:
1023:
1013:
998:
750:
746:
675:
663:
659:
651:
603:
567:
563:
539:
531:
454:
312:
114:
1003:
667:
643:
615:
607:
535:
450:
687:
683:
629:
589:
559:
511:
507:
476:
439:
386:
349:
317:
241:
174:
839:
Bronze, Silver and Gold: A Historical Walking Tour of El Rosario
826:
Bronze, Silver and Gold: A Historical Walking Tour of El Rosario
804:"Tour Operador Honduras - Honduras tour operator - San Juancito"
791:
Bronze, Silver and Gold: A Historical Walking Tour of El Rosario
571:
895:
551:
462:
253:
859:
399:
In 1980, Honduras declared La Tigra as the nation's first
363:
was built in San Juancito. as well as the nation's first
277:, the nation's capital. The town is in the department of
437:
agricultural techniques, mostly for banana cultivation.
299:
and Honduras' first national park. The park is a huge
946:
248:
235:
224:
216:
211:
203:
195:
190:
172:
162:
157:
149:
137:
125:
113:
21:
1119:Municipalities of the Francisco Morazán Department
701:artwork that is sold at a gallery in Tegucigalpa.
449:Juancito is really an agglomeration of four core
444:The steep setting of San Juancito, Barrio Arriba.
60:
469:mine-shafts dot the landscape indiscriminately.
530:. The park is also home to some very reclusive
322:San Juancito's "Barrio El Centro" in the 1920s
907:
8:
914:
900:
892:
18:
765:, was scheduled to be completed by 2011.
498:The town of San Juancito is located in a
884:http://www.sanjuancito.com/community.htm
873:http://www.sanjuancito.com/community.htm
852:"La Tigra Honduras - Fundacion Amitigra"
782:
247:
234:
210:
202:
189:
156:
148:
112:
77:
46:
37:
27:
223:
215:
194:
171:
161:
136:
124:
7:
16:Place in Francisco Morazán, Honduras
429:(2,270 metres (7,450 ft)) and
578:, and literally hundreds of other
273:, located 40 km northeast of
14:
749:, connecting with the highway to
741:until Cantarranas (also known as
1097:
922:
712:San Juancito has a high school,
594:The river that's cross the town.
425:(2,245 metres (7,365 ft)),
59:
52:
39:
453:, and three outlying dependent
1:
638:coffee beans in San Juancito.
199:5 km (2 sq mi)
928:Francisco Morazán Department
716:, and an elementary school,
207:1,239 m (4,027 ft)
484:clinging to a waterfall in
269:is a small town in central
1135:
718:Escuela Marco Aurelio Soto
491:
1095:
934:
614:, whereas what is called
502:, which transitions into
78:
67:San Juancito de Las Minas
47:
38:
28:
23:San Juancito de Las Minas
500:subtropical moist forest
354:Men on the tower of the
837:van der Meer, Kirsten:
824:van der Meer, Kirsten:
808:www.jctourshonduras.com
789:van der Meer, Kirsten:
602:is situated within the
518:, San Juancito is in a
431:Cerro La Peña de Andino
395:(left) in Nuevo Rosario
167:Democratic municipality
98:14.219958°N 87.068367°W
1089:Villa de San Francisco
1034:San Antonio de Oriente
639:
595:
494:La Tigra National Park
489:
445:
396:
359:
323:
290:La Tigra National Park
714:Colegio Marcial Solis
633:
593:
480:
443:
407:On October 30, 1998,
390:
353:
321:
103:14.219958; -87.068367
757:, and further on to
520:biodiversity hotspot
404:the mining company.
634:Drying and sorting
566:. A high number of
524:resplendent quetzal
514:supported by these
391:The abandoned U.S.
94: /
1049:San Juan de Flores
743:San Juan de Flores
695:San Juan de Flores
640:
596:
490:
446:
397:
360:
328:Marco Aurelio Soto
324:
1106:
1105:
526:and a variety of
423:Cerro La Estrella
279:Francisco Morazán
264:
263:
217: • City
196: • City
163: • Type
132:Francisco Morazán
1126:
1101:
1079:Valle de Ángeles
1039:San Buenaventura
969:Distrito Central
926:
916:
909:
902:
893:
886:
881:
875:
870:
864:
863:
858:. Archived from
856:www.amitigra.org
848:
842:
835:
829:
822:
816:
815:
810:. Archived from
800:
794:
787:
618:is actually the
610:is actually the
260:
257:
255:
144:Distrito Central
109:
108:
106:
105:
104:
99:
95:
92:
91:
90:
87:
63:
62:
56:
43:
19:
1134:
1133:
1129:
1128:
1127:
1125:
1124:
1123:
1109:
1108:
1107:
1102:
1093:
942:
930:
920:
890:
889:
882:
878:
871:
867:
850:
849:
845:
836:
832:
823:
819:
802:
801:
797:
788:
784:
779:
771:
761:and ultimately
738:
733:
710:
628:
588:
556:Caribbean pines
496:
475:
427:Cerro El Volcán
418:
409:Hurricane Mitch
374:Central America
309:
252:
102:
100:
96:
93:
88:
85:
83:
81:
80:
74:
73:
72:
71:
70:
69:
68:
64:
34:
29:Nickname:
24:
17:
12:
11:
5:
1132:
1130:
1122:
1121:
1111:
1110:
1104:
1103:
1096:
1094:
1092:
1091:
1086:
1081:
1076:
1071:
1066:
1061:
1056:
1051:
1046:
1041:
1036:
1031:
1026:
1021:
1016:
1011:
1006:
1001:
996:
991:
986:
981:
976:
971:
966:
961:
956:
950:
948:
947:Municipalities
944:
943:
935:
932:
931:
921:
919:
918:
911:
904:
896:
888:
887:
876:
865:
862:on 2007-10-14.
843:
830:
817:
814:on 2007-02-12.
795:
781:
780:
778:
775:
770:
767:
737:
734:
732:
731:Transportation
729:
725:Regina Aguilar
709:
706:
672:bitter oranges
627:
624:
587:
584:
474:
471:
435:slash-and-burn
417:
414:
308:
305:
262:
261:
250:
246:
245:
239:
233:
232:
229:
222:
221:
218:
214:
213:
209:
208:
205:
201:
200:
197:
193:
192:
188:
187:
177:
170:
169:
164:
160:
159:
155:
154:
151:
147:
146:
141:
135:
134:
129:
123:
122:
117:
111:
110:
76:
75:
66:
65:
58:
57:
51:
50:
49:
48:
45:
44:
36:
35:
30:
26:
25:
22:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1131:
1120:
1117:
1116:
1114:
1100:
1090:
1087:
1085:
1082:
1080:
1077:
1075:
1072:
1070:
1067:
1065:
1062:
1060:
1057:
1055:
1054:San Miguelito
1052:
1050:
1047:
1045:
1042:
1040:
1037:
1035:
1032:
1030:
1027:
1025:
1022:
1020:
1017:
1015:
1012:
1010:
1009:Nueva Armenia
1007:
1005:
1002:
1000:
997:
995:
992:
990:
987:
985:
982:
980:
977:
975:
972:
970:
967:
965:
962:
960:
957:
955:
952:
951:
949:
945:
941:
940:
933:
929:
925:
917:
912:
910:
905:
903:
898:
897:
894:
885:
880:
877:
874:
869:
866:
861:
857:
853:
847:
844:
840:
834:
831:
827:
821:
818:
813:
809:
805:
799:
796:
792:
786:
783:
776:
774:
768:
766:
764:
760:
756:
752:
748:
744:
735:
730:
728:
726:
721:
719:
715:
707:
705:
702:
698:
696:
691:
689:
685:
681:
677:
673:
669:
665:
661:
657:
653:
648:
645:
637:
632:
625:
623:
621:
617:
613:
609:
605:
601:
592:
585:
583:
581:
577:
573:
569:
565:
561:
557:
553:
549:
545:
541:
537:
533:
529:
525:
521:
517:
513:
509:
505:
501:
495:
487:
483:
479:
472:
470:
466:
464:
458:
456:
452:
442:
438:
436:
432:
428:
424:
415:
413:
410:
405:
402:
401:National Park
394:
389:
385:
381:
377:
375:
370:
366:
357:
356:hydroelectric
352:
348:
344:
341:
337:
333:
332:New York City
329:
320:
316:
314:
306:
304:
302:
298:
295:
291:
286:
284:
280:
276:
272:
268:
259:
251:
243:
240:
238:
230:
228:
225: •
219:
206:
198:
185:
181:
178:
176:
173: •
168:
165:
152:
145:
142:
140:
133:
130:
128:
121:
118:
116:
107:
79:Coordinates:
55:
42:
33:
20:
1029:Sabanagrande
937:
879:
868:
860:the original
855:
846:
838:
833:
825:
820:
812:the original
807:
798:
790:
785:
772:
739:
722:
717:
713:
711:
703:
699:
692:
649:
641:
612:rainy season
597:
528:hummingbirds
504:cloud forest
497:
467:
459:
447:
419:
406:
398:
382:
378:
361:
358:power plant.
345:
325:
310:
294:cloud forest
287:
267:San Juancito
266:
265:
256:.sanjuancito
180:Nasry Asfura
153:16th century
139:Municipality
32:San Juancito
31:
1064:Santa Lucía
1044:San Ignacio
994:Lepaterique
984:La Libertad
974:El Porvenir
939:Tegucigalpa
340:Tegucigalpa
275:Tegucigalpa
101: /
1084:Vallecillo
777:References
755:El Paraíso
620:dry season
582:species'.
576:bromeliads
544:eucalyptus
516:ecosystems
492:See also:
343:Honduras.
212:Population
158:Government
127:Department
89:87°04′06″W
86:14°13′12″N
1059:Santa Ana
936:Capital:
763:Nicaragua
708:Education
680:pineapple
580:epiphytic
548:sweet gum
482:Epiphytes
416:Geography
393:Consulate
369:Consulate
365:telegraph
336:Comayagua
301:watershed
297:ecosystem
244:(Central)
237:Time zone
204:Elevation
1113:Category
1074:Tatumbla
989:La Venta
979:Guaimaca
954:Alubarén
841:, page 4
828:, page 3
793:, page 1
736:Highways
656:potatoes
600:Honduras
598:Because
486:La Tigra
271:Honduras
120:Honduras
1069:Talanga
1024:Reitoca
1014:Ojojona
999:Maraita
964:Curarén
769:Tourism
751:Olancho
747:Talanga
676:avocado
664:cabbage
660:bananas
652:berries
636:organic
626:Economy
604:tropics
586:Climate
568:orchids
564:avocado
540:ocelots
532:monkeys
473:Ecology
455:hamlets
451:barrios
313:Tolupan
307:History
283:lempira
249:Website
150:Founded
115:Country
1004:Marale
959:Cedros
668:celery
644:coffee
616:summer
608:winter
562:, and
538:, and
285:bill.
1019:Orica
759:Danlí
684:guava
572:ferns
560:Ocote
536:pumas
512:fauna
508:flora
242:UTC-6
231:1,400
227:Metro
175:Mayor
688:corn
552:oaks
510:and
292:, a
258:.com
191:Area
463:NGO
338:to
254:www
220:900
184:PNH
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686:,
682:,
678:,
674:,
670:,
666:,
662:,
658:,
654:,
574:,
558:,
554:,
550:,
546:,
534:,
376:.
915:e
908:t
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488:.
186:)
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