History
The founder of Villa Urquiza was Francisco Seeber, who was a soldier in the War of the Triple Alliance against Paraguay, Mayor of Buenos Aires between 1889 and 1890, merchant and president of the Buenos Aires Western Railway. In its beginnings, the barrio was composed of three small neighborhoods called Villa Catalinas, Villa Mazzini and Villa Modelo.
The neighborhoods were situated on top of highlands, almost 40 meters (130 feet) above sea level. At the time, Francisco Seeber owned a company downtown called "Muelle de las Catalinas" (Catalinas Wharfs), located at the time on very low ground. He bought land in the former area with the intent of hauling soil to Catalinas for land reclamation. The workers that had worked on the project were mostly from the Province of Entre Ríos, and in 1901, they successfully petitioned for the neighborhood to be named after their provincial hero, Justo José de Urquiza.
Villa Urquiza has been served by the Mitre Railway Line since 1902. Work began on a Buenos Aires Metro Line B extension into Villa Urquiza in 2010, helping increase the neighborhood's appeal as a bedroom community for downtown-bound commuters.
Day of the neighbourhood: October 2
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“History takes time.... History makes memory.”
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