Lobos - History

History

The history of Lobos began in 1740 when a Jesuit mission led by Reverend Father Falkner, who surveyed the centre and South of the Province of Buenos Aires and thus picked up some geographic information of the area. In 1772 thanks to Falkner's notes a map of the region was printed in London. The map contained the inscription Laguna de Lobos (Lagoon of Wolves, in Spanish) below the drawing of the lagoon.

It's said that the name Lobos stems from the amount of otters that at that time populated the lagoon and were known as "lobos de agua" ("water wolves") or "lobos de río" ("river wolves"), however, there are historians who believe Lobos had been given this name due to the wild dogs staying around and because they bore a resemblance to wolves.

By 1779 several guards settled down there and several forts, fortresses and military positions were built to form a defence wall against the natives. These positions were set up by order of viceroy Juan José de Vértiz y Salcedo and named them Chascomús, Ranchos, Monte, Lobos, Navarro, Areco and Rojas.

On August 21, 1779 Gunnery Sergeant Pedro Rodríguez concluded the construction of the main parts of the fort San Pedro de Los Lobos, over the eastern bank of the Lagoon about 300 meters from its shoreline and nearly 1,500 meters east of the mouth of Las Garzas stream, finishing the work Lieutenant Bernardo Serrano.

By the end of 18th century José Salgado and his wife Pascuala Rivas de Salgado were granted an area to colonize as a donation made by viceroy Vértiz, founding Pago de Los Lobos on June 2, 1802.

Back in that time, their Christian faith brought them to build a straw-and-mud oratory, under advocation of Nuestra Señora del Carmen, forming the Chapel in June 1803 being the first priest doctor José García Miranda. The chappel became the urban core of Lobos.

Surveyor Federico C. De Meyrelles conducted important mesures, and planning in 1868, from which the city was constituted. The regime of city management started when Fructuoso Velásquez was named by the Cabildo of Buenos Aires as Mayor of the Brethrem in 1805; after the regime was modified, the first city counsellor was Silvestre Cabral in 1822. after the first corporative city hall was established, with limited authority the first counsellor and president of the city hall was Juan Antonio Cascallares in 1856. Finally, the first mayor of the autonomous community was Manuel Antonio Caminos Arévalo in 1877.

After the school councils were set up in 1875. the first president of the división for Lobos was presbyterian Felipe Olivera, who became parish in 1876.

The first councillor with exclusive functions was Felipe Aráoz between 1877-1878.

Referencies about education in Lobos date back to the establishment of an elementary school by 1832, however, it is possible that there had already been school teachers settled in Lobos since 1826.