Puerto Casado - History and Tourism

History and Tourism

Founded in 1889 in time of President Patricio Escobar, formerly known as Angel Custodio. It was based on Enterprise Taninera Carlos Casado, which is also called "Puerto Casado." Elevated by district in 1973.

This was used as a port of transit for Paraguayan troops on their way to fight the Bolivians during the Chaco War.

The Carlos Casado Company came to have more than 5,000,000 hectares in the Paraguayan Chaco, today the factory is shut down. It is from here that Mennonites and Paraguayan soldiers passed, using the narrow-gauge trains of the Chaco Central railroad that extended 145 km west from the River Paraguay.

In Puerto Casado there are places of historical epoch of the Chaco War, the first Mennonite settlers arrived here in 1920.

Galvan Hill is located 5 km south of "Kilometro 11," the former railway station that left from Puerto Casado. The boat makes a high Aquidabán here, part of Concepcion. Another boat that is here for the "Cacique II," which part of Asuncion for Vallemí.

At Galvan Hill one can still see the old railroad tracks. Here Emiliano R. Fernández wrote his poem "The Fashion" in 1926. This is the first railroad station of importance along the railroad.

The railway was built by the company for the extraction of timber, with nearly 150 km of narrow gauge track into the heart of the Chaco. The same route of the railway was extended up to 160 km, which enabled the Paraguayan troops in campaign to access the fortresses to stop the advance of Bolivians in this vast territory during the Chaco War.

During the Chaco War of the railroad was vital to transport soldiers, arms, ammunition, supplies, vehicles, fuel, medicines and wounded.

The old Kilometro 11 station, a former house that was part of the old railway station of the Carlos Casado Company, is one of the historic landmarks still standing in the locality.

With the sale of public lands in the late nineteenth century was established company Carlos Casado Ltda., which acquired in 1886 over 3,000 square miles (7,800 km2), about 5,625,000 hectares, was devoted to logging and production of tannin. Tannin is a substance extracted from the "quebracho" tree, used for tanning hides. The son of the founder, José Casado, arrived in 1929 to manage the site, lived on site until 1945.

During the Chaco War, the facilities were used as workshops for all kinds of machinery, armaments, especially motor vehicles, before being sent into battle. It also was used as river port and military post.

In 1931 the Command Infantry Division was installed at the port, José Félix Estigarribia accepted the post of Commander that he proposed the then president Joseph P. Guggiari since late July, 1931 Estigarribia was already installed there. When the new commander settled in the place, the owner of the factory provided him with a house, called "La Chaqueña", a large and comfortable residence located in the city centre.

Emiliano R. Fernandez, popular poet and musician, often called the "northern poet," to 1923 was in Puerto Casado, where he performed several tasks. Often his works are signed as having been written in Alto Paraguay.

As for handicrafts, in the early 80's a former worker of the company had the idea of making a guampa (mate cup) for his own use from pieces of the stainless steel that was used to store tannin. The idea was warmly accepted and began to receive orders and the manufacturer improved technology and creating new models of guampa for drinking mate and terere. Today these are manufactured in various designs on special orders for gifts or as souvenirs of Puerto Casado.

In the Paraguay and Apa Rivers and in the many streams in the area, an important tourist activity is fishing.