Municipality of La Unión Olancho
La Unión is a municipality in the Olancho Department of Honduras.
In 1852, there was a town named San Francisco de Yocon, which was burned by military forces led by General José María Medina, who was the President of Honduras in 1868. It was elevated to the category of Municipality in 1877 and was part of the Salamá District.
During the 19th century, a civil war was taking place in the Olancho Department. The inhabitants desired to separate the department from Honduras and establish it as an «Independent Republic» in retaliation for the high taxes known as «Diezmos de Olancho» imposed by the government in Comayagua, which was the capital at the time.
Between 1876 and 1883, under a decree by President Doctor Marco Aurelio Soto, the community was reconstituted under the jurisdiction of the town of Yocon. In 1882, La Unión was established as a Municipality, with General Máximo Gálvez as its governor.
The population engaged in trade with the northern coast of Honduras and Comayagua, which contributed to its commercial development. The urban growth of the municipality was influenced by regulations that required citizens from nearby rural communities with sufficient economic resources to construct houses in the area, even if they did not reside in them. Some of the main families were the Vargas family from El Paraiso, the Funes family from Palala, and the Zaldivar family from Los Salitres, among others.
- Among the first Municipal Mayors were Mr. Macario Vargas and Mr. Tomas Herrera. The Church of La Unión was founded in 1906 and built in honor of the patron saint, Saint Francis of Assisi.
- The telegraph service was installed in 1925 by Mr. Martin Murillo, and notable telegraph operators included Angela Figueroa and Mr. Jose Salgado from Silca.
- The first school was founded in 1930 and named after General Francisco Morazán.
During the late 20th and early 21st centuries, La Unión has experienced significant immigration primarily from neighboring municipalities, as well as from San Francisco de la Paz and Juticalpa.
Location
The municipality borders Olanchito to the north, Salamá and El Rosario to the south, Esquipulas del Norte and Jano to the east, and Yocón and Mangulile to the west. Its seat is located in a flat locality near the right bank of the El Camote River.
Villages
- La Unión
- El Díctamo
- La Pita
- Los Encuentros
- Palala
The distribution, according to the Municipal Corporation’s agreement, is as follows:
- El Díctamo village with the following hamlets in order of population:
- El Junco
- El Ecuador
- El Empedrado
- El Río
- El Golfo Pérsico
- La Florida
- La Laguna
Palala village with the following hamlets in order of population:
- Paso Real
- Cerro Verde
- Vallecito
- Sabana Grande
- El Cacao
- Timis
- La Leona
- Las Cañas
- La Pita
- Rancho Quemado
- Yuscarán
- El Alto
- El Limoncito
Los Encuentros village with the following hamlets in order of population:
- El Pacón
- Los Planes
- El Cacao
- El Higueral
- San Francisco
- Los Salitres
