Municipality of Salama
Salamá is a municipality in the Department of Olancho in Honduras.
Location
The municipality of Salamá is one of the most historic in the Olancho Department. It is geographically located in the northwestern area of the Olancho plains.
The municipality borders Jano and La Unión to the north, Concordia and Juticalpa to the south, Silca and Manto to the east, and Guayape and El Rosario to the west. It occupies a flat locality surrounded by hills and near the small river Grande or Telica.
Topographically, it is located in a hilly area, as the extent of mountains, hills, and small hills is much larger than the flat area. Initially, it had some relatively large rivers that once delighted travelers but have now lost their natural flow due to human misunderstanding. People have been indiscriminately deforesting the forest along the banks of these sources. The climate is moderate, with a latitude of 14º, 49º, 075 from the equator. The altitude ranges between 600-700 meters above sea level.
Currently, the temperature varies according to seasonal cycles and sporadic atmospheric changes. Generally, it experiences hot temperatures as a consequence of the merciless deforestation of the forest.
Political Division
In addition to the municipal seat, the municipality of Salamá has 8 important villages: Talgua, Méndez, Jutiapa, La Jagua, Pozo Zarco, Cofradía, Sabana Grande, and La Pita.
Also, it has the following hamlets: Ajuquinapa, El Carrizal, Coyoles, La Tetona, El Jicarito, Aguacate 1, El Uval, Yocones, El Zapote, Cuevona, El Zuntul Arriba, Los Limones, Ojo de Agua, Las Cuestas, La Laguna, El Portillo, Los Dos Caminos, La Fría, San Luís, Planes, Wiles, El Panal, Boquín, Bodoques, Los Portillos, El Nance, El Zapote, and La Constancia.
The Municipal Seat is formed by the following neighborhoods: El Centro, Santa Clara, San Rafael, Las Palmas, Las Acacias, La Olla, El Taburete (San Antonio), Las Delicias, Candelaria, the «Gustavo Rafael Zúniga» neighborhood, Leonel Medina neighborhood, and Juan Jose Argueta neighborhood.
The urban area has 6 streets and 7 well-planned avenues, with houses neatly aligned and in an acceptable condition. Given its current characteristics, Salamá is considered to potentially become the next city of the Olancho Department in the immediate future. As a municipality, it also has the following physical elements: Mountains: Las chochoricas, La Fría, La Cecilia. Hills: El Zacate, El Coyol, Los Carrizales, Zunteco, La Laguna, Los Pozos, Los Naipes, Sabana Redonda, La Laguna, Macuelizo, El Chorro, La Uva, Vara de cohete, Quiscamote, El Liquidámbar, El Mogote, El Portillo, El Tule, La Mina, La Tetona, La Peña, La Cruz, El Sombrerón, El Cimarrón, Las Maguas, Grande de Caña Verde, El Zapatero, Los Moros, Cerro de Piedra, Portillo Negro, Cuchilla de Cerro Picudo, El Anís, El Montañón, Loma Sucia, Cueva del Zorrillo, Quebrachoso, Pelón, Peña Blanca, Perical, Cardosa, Cumba Chata, El Zapote, Mata de Cabeza, El Mogote, Los Tigres, Los Chagüites, La Pita, Las Pitas, El Toro. Valleys: Salamá Valley. Hills: La Cruz.
Population
- Salamá has a population of 6,596 inhabitants, distributed as follows:
- Urban area: Men: 936 Women: 1,234 Boys: 364 Girls: 395
- Rural area: 3,667 Men: 1,287 Women: 1,285 Boys: 519 Girls: 576
- It has a total of 839 houses in the urban area and 1,064 houses in the rural area, averaging 4 people per household.
History
According to legendary history, the municipality of Salamá was founded during the conquest in the year 1541 with the initial name of «Nueva Salamanca» by the orders of Don Alonso de Cáceres, who had received the ordinance from the Spanish kings to establish in Olancho a town with all the characteristics of Spanish settlers, namely, a valley near a river, accessible, and with a good climate to establish the grounds of the «Cofradía de la Virgen de Concepción» with strategic and evangelizing purposes for the towns in the northern part of Olancho.
In response to this request, a lady named María de la O was sent from Salamá, Guatemala, to fulfill the royal ordinance. At first, she thought Silca was a good site to create a town with the aforementioned characteristics, but she was later impressed by the savannah she saw before her eyes and succumbed to its beauty. She raised her staff of authority, firmly planted it in the ground, and said, «Here a town will be built with all the characteristics of Spanish towns, and it will be called Salamán, like my hometown.»
She then proceeded to plan the layout, with its square, where she located the church with its respective parish priest and the municipal hall. She then laid out its completely straight streets, a characteristic that it still maintains, except that the streets she envisioned would be traveled by horse-drawn carts and oxen. María de la O never imagined that in the future, vehicles fueled by diesel and gasoline, from the best brands and of the current year, would circulate there.
After the foundation of the «Concepción» Virgin’s brotherhood, whom María de la O baptized with the name «Salamán,» it became a true cattle empire over time. Then, as a result of the war that devastated the Olancho Department in 1829, the neighboring municipality of Silca was set on fire, and most of its residents moved to Salamán, forming a community that some called Nuevo Silca.
It was on January 1, 1832, that the government created the Municipality of Salamá, with its municipal seat in the same location where the «Cofradía de Nuestra Señora de Concepción» had been located. With the creation of this municipality, some territorial disputes arose with the municipality of Silca, who demanded border demarcation. However, since Salamá occupied the much older territory of the brotherhood, the struggle of the people from Silca was in vain and proved unsuccessful.
On May 23, 1852, the municipalities of Silca and Salamá signed an agreement regarding the border limitation, in the presence of the special judge and with the approval of the church. Silca was granted ten (10) cattle ranches from the territory of the brotherhood, and the rest was allocated to Salamá.
But on July 20, 1880, the government presided over by Doctor Marco Aurelio Soto decreed the secularization of the dead assets, taking 35 cattle ranches of the brotherhood’s land for itself, which then passed into the hands of the State of Honduras.
The inhabitants of Salamá have always shown great intelligence and capability, so they did not sit idly by and embarked on a struggle. On December 6, 1881, they requested the transfer of all the communal lands that previously belonged to the brotherhood of Our Lady of Concepción. It was not until June 3, 1889, that the government of General Luís Bográn agreed to transfer and legalize ten (10) cattle ranches to Silca, twenty-two (22) cattle ranches to Salamá, and three (3) to the State of Honduras.
In addition to those twenty-two cattle ranches, Salamá had 37 located in Coyoles and 23 in El Portillo, totaling 82 cattle ranches of communal land, all owned by the municipality of Salamá. Recently, in the years 1994-97, with the mandate of Mr. Carlos Virgilio Romero and Mr. Gustavo Rafael Zúniga representing the municipalities of Silca and Salamá, respectively, and in the presence of Engineer Oscar Fúnez Abarca, representative of the National Agrarian Institute, they recognized the following border line: «From Sabaneta to Quebrada del Cordoncillo to Portillo de Agua Zarca; from Agua Zarca to the summit of Cerro El Zapatero, bending south until reaching the Telica River, continuing downstream where it converges with the La Lima stream that divides the lands of El Zuntul; it continues downstream until reaching the confluence of the Telica with the middle river.» The INA (National Agrarian Institute), the municipal corporations of Silca and Salamá have documents of this agreement.
Families of the Colonial Era
Lanza Torres Family: Their parents were Juan Lanza and his wife, Mrs. Lucía Torres, parents of prominent individuals such as the girls Chon and Merceditas Lanza Torres, who provided education to numerous students in exchange for goods such as chickens, eggs, beans, and others. This family also included the unforgettable Mr. Eusebio Lanza, a musician and intellectual of that era.
It is worth noting that Merceditas Lanza not only served as a teacher but also practiced medicine, curing stomach ailments, fevers, and other illnesses using herbs, roots, elixirs, and marvelous concoctions. Due to her dedication to the people of Salamá, Merceditas undoubtedly deserved an «Honoris Causa» title in medicine and education.
Ramos-Figueroa Family: They were known as the cattle ranchers of that time, humble, kind, and very charitable. Don Santos Ramos Figueroa served as the municipal mayor for several terms: in 1910 and later in 1923 and 1930.
Lanza Domínguez Family: Their progenitor, Mr. Paulino Lanza, also served as the mayor back in 1887, but he was particularly notable for leading the Wind Band, famous at the departmental and national levels. His sons Demetrio, David, and Chendo accompanied him, playing the clarinet, the concertina, and the bass. Most of the band members were from the same family.
Ramos Obando Family: Their parents were Eusebio Ramos and Teresa Obando, parents of Carlos Alberto Ramos Caballero, highly esteemed and a member of the Armed Forces with the rank of Infantry Colonel. He was a personal friend of General Tiburcio Carias Andino.
Romero-Méndez Family: The progenitor was a renowned physician, famous and accurate. They were engaged in commerce in this town, and some of their descendants served as municipal mayors, including Luis Romero Méndez, José Romero, Santiago Romero Méndez, Santiago Romero Ayala.
Zelaya-Obando Family: They also engaged in trade in the area. They were very humanitarian, helpful, and highly respected. Some of them served as municipal mayors, such as the progenitor, Mr. Gregorio Zelaya Obando, on several occasions. The honorable poet Juanita Zelaya was also a part of this esteemed family.
Murillo Family: They formed a matriarchy, led by Mrs. Francisca Murillo, with her daughters Elbia, Yita, and Leonor. They excelled in the production of soaps, sweets, and various pastry products. They were kind, affectionate, but also honest and respectful.
Villages
- Salamá
- Cofradía
- Jutiapa
- La Jagua
- Méndez
- Pozo Zarco
- Sabana Grande
- Talgua
Economic Activity
The workforce, represented by the economically active population, is engaged in agricultural, livestock, commercial, and industrial activities. In the agricultural sector, they cultivate crops such as corn, beans, rice, cassava, coffee, vegetables, sugarcane, bananas, and others.
Livestock production provides various meats, milk, and its derivatives.
Commercial activities predominantly involve the buying and selling of basic grains, vegetables, milk, curd, eggs, groceries, clothing, shoes, cosmetics, hardware, agricultural supplies, sports equipment, and transportation to different places within the department and the country.
Industrial activities include falconry, the manufacture of mosaic bricks, clay bricks and tiles, blocks, adobe bricks, carpentry, tailoring, shoemaking, bakery, and beauty care products and services.
History of Education
Foundation of the first schools and colleges:
In the early 20th century, illiteracy was widespread in the municipality of Salamá. Very few people knew how to read and write, mainly due to the lack of educational institutions. This prompted several parents to seek out individuals in the town who had completed their primary education elsewhere or acquired knowledge from people associated with the town. Students were taught in the teachers’ homes, using small boards and slates instead of notebooks and pencils. They had to memorize what was written on the board before erasing it.
Among these individuals who served as teachers were Miguel Lanza Ramos, Felipe Lanza Ramos, Presentación Lanza Torres, Mercedes Lanza Torres, and Eusebio Lanza Torres. They fought against illiteracy in the town, receiving remuneration from parents in the form of corn, beans, coffee, and various goods such as sweeteners.
Salamá was the intellectual hub for the northern towns of Olancho (Yocón, El Rosario, La Unión, Jano, Guata, Silca). Children and young people came to Salamá to complete their primary education. They were lodged in the homes of relatives and friends. It is worth noting that there was no interaction between boys and girls; they had to be kept separate. In addition to reading and writing, they were taught mathematics, good manners, civility, and catechism. The Lanza Torres sisters, Chon and Merceditas, took on the task of teaching these subjects.
In the late 1910s, a school called «Ramón Rosa» was established in the municipal center. The teacher in charge was Mrs. Estela Lanza. As the number of students increased, annexes were set up in the homes of Gregorio Zelaya, Amalia Sarres, and Salvador Santos.
On September 14, 1938, at the initiative of the teacher María Teresa Hernández, a young graduate of the Normal School for Girls, the school «República de Honduras» was created. It operated in private homes paid for by the municipality. The directors of this school were Estela Lanza, Cleofe Lanza, Atilia Zelaya, Amparo J. de Lanza, María Teresa Hernández de Vásquez, José María Chávez, Dina Luz Girón, Paula Medina, and Nubia Lanza (currently).
Most of these teachers were self-taught and did not have job security. After the coup d’état in 1963, the self-taught teachers were replaced by graduates who came from Juticalpa and Catacamas.
Edificios Históricos
The «República de Honduras» school operated in its own building in the late 1970s. The then-municipal mayor, Luis Felipe Romero (1972-1975), constructed three classrooms in Santa Clara Square. In 1976, Humberto Baltazar Ramos Olivera, as mayor, added three more classrooms. During the term of President Juan Alberto Melgar Castro, six classrooms and an auditorium were built.
The Council of Teachers of the aforementioned school, with the assistance of «Plan en Honduras» – which donated construction materials – and the collaboration of the Community Development Board, led by Marco Tulio Domínguez Matute, Héctor Manuel Santos Domínguez, and Lindolfo Adalberto Obando Lanza, among others, received a subsidy of Lps 40,000.00 from President Rafael Leonardo Callejas for the construction of the school’s auditorium building.
Today, the «República de Honduras» school has 11 classrooms, a fully renovated auditorium, a spacious and efficient library, an educational innovation room, an administrative office, a storage room, a kitchen, and separate male and female restroom facilities.
A total of 24 teachers, mostly university graduates, work there. They are distributed as follows: Principal, Vice Principal, 2 librarians, 2 educational innovation coordinators, an administrative assistant, and 17 sections from 1st to 6th grade. The current enrollment is 512 students. With highly qualified staff, it stands out as one of the prominent educational institutions at the departmental and national levels.
Currently, there are other educational levels in the community, including Pre-Basic Education. The Kindergarten, established in 1986 under the name «Amparo J. de Lanza,» emerged from the innovative ideas of the Council of Teachers at the «República de Honduras» school. It is named in recognition of the teaching work of an exemplary teacher native to this town, who dedicated her love, talent, and wisdom to the children of Salamá. During President José Simón Azcona’s administration, a subsidy was granted for the construction of the Kindergarten building.
Convinced that the Pre-School Center could not function for long in a private home, these teachers sought the assistance of state authorities and international institutions such as «Plan en Honduras» to build their own facility.
To give strength to their initiative, they organized a board consisting mainly of individuals who held some political power and would represent the community to the central government. Currently, three teachers work at the Kindergarten with an enrollment of 62 students. It has two classrooms and a small area where children engage in recreational activities.
INSTITUTO CANDELARIA: In 1970, Father Xavier Carnicelly promoted the need to create a secondary school. This creative and futuristic idea of the priest was embraced and praised by all sectors of the community. With the support of the Council of Teachers and parents of the «República de Honduras» school, as well as the rest of the community and the municipality presided over by José Romero Jácome, the «Candelaria» institute was established. It initially provided education at the basic level as a private and evening school.
The struggle continued until the school eventually became semi-official, with part of its funding coming from the government and the rest from parents.
In 1982, during President Dr. Roberto Suazo Córdova’s term, the institute was officially recognized. There was a change in personnel as it required individuals with greater scientific knowledge. The name of the institute was assigned in honor of the patroness of the Catholic parishioners of the Municipality. The institute began its operations in the old rectory house and later in the school; however, neither of these places met the requirements established by educational laws.
Years later, the municipal corporation, led by Gustavo Meza Acosta (1980-1981), constructed a significant part of the institute’s building, which has undergone substantial improvements in its structure. It currently has 24 teachers, an accounting laboratory, an internet center, a natural science laboratory, a practical activities workshop, an administrative office, a sub-director’s office, a secretary’s office, a counseling office, a multi-purpose court, and 11 classrooms. It operates in both morning and afternoon sessions and offers the following modalities: common cycle, commercial education, and high school programs in sciences and humanities, as well as computer technology. Since its foundation, the institute has had the following principals: José María Chávez, Heriberto Flores Guzmán, María de Ramos, Ramón Olivares, Auberto Escobar, Tomás Alemán, and currently Orlando Murillo.
Catholic Church: The Catholic church of this municipality was built in the early 20th century at the request of the parish priest by the municipal authorities. It is worth mentioning that many foreign priests came to shepherd the Catholic parishioners. Over the years, as priests arrived and departed, the physical appearance of the church improved, and an extension called the rectory was added to serve as the priests’ residence. One of the unforgettable priests was the American priest Rogelio Imperiale in the 1940s.
In the early 1950s, another American priest named Guillermo Facitelly, better known as Father Vicente, arrived in this place as a heavenly envoy. He was an innovative person who, with the community’s help, built a new rectory next to the parish church. The rectory was reconstructed with stone by Teodoro Vargas and Héctor Santos.
Father Vicente brought a Jeep, an electric generator for lighting the church at night, replacing the use of ocote. He also brought a film camera and a projector, allowing the parishioners to enjoy movie screenings. He obtained used clothing from his country and distributed it among the needy. He generously provided medicine and treated the sick, as he had knowledge of healing. Father Vicente visited households daily and promptly provided assistance to those in need. He organized different congregations for women, such as the Daughters of Mary, the Franciscans, the Ladies of the Blessed Sacrament, and the Knights of the Holy Sepulcher.
The procession of priests continued, including Xavier Carnicelli (promoter of the creation of the Candelaria Institute), Father Lucas and Pablo, Father Miguel Braun (may he rest in peace), Father Nicolás, Father Gumercindo Guillén, Father Osmíin, Father Mundo, Father Bernabé, and in 1997, Father Andrés Tamayo arrived from San Francisco de la Paz. He is characterized by his revolutionary spirit, but with the privilege of serving God and the people, as he took ownership of the municipality’s projects.
Each of the priests made progress in improving the physical aspect of the church, such as expanding the building, constructing the main altar, restoring the image of the patroness Virgin of Candelaria, reconstructing and remodeling the rectory and church building, constructing the Candelaria gymnasium, reconstructing and remodeling the Santa Teresita house where workshops for baking, brickmaking, tailoring, and construction of pews were located. The pedestrian street in front of the church was also paved. Currently, the parish priest José Euceda leads the Catholic parishioners.
Municipal Building: It began with a simple wattle and daub house located in the same place where the current building stands today. It was not until 1913 that the Municipal Corporation, led by Miguel Lanza Ramos, initiated the construction of the municipal building. The work continued under the leadership of mayors Santos Ramos Figueroa (1914), José Eduardo Lobo (1915), Santiago Romero Ayala (1916), Gregorio Zelaya Obando (1917), Ignacio Rodríguez (1918), and Santos Lanza Ramos (1919). The building was inaugurated in 1920 by the municipal government headed by Juan Lanza Sarres.
