1945 Map of Playa De Ponce

About this map

Sugar production and maritime trade define the coastal landscape of southern Puerto Rico in the mid-1940s. The shoreline is anchored by the Playa de Ponce and its critical Muelle de Ponce, where the industrial infrastructure of the American Railroad meets the Caribbean Sea. Inland, the agricultural economy is dominated by large estates and processing facilities including Central Constancia, Central Fortuna, and Central Boca Chica. A series of family-named agricultural estates, such as Hacienda Estrella and Hacienda Santa Cruz, are distributed between the courses of the Río Portugués and Río Inabón. Farther offshore, the survey detail extends to Isla Caja de Muertos, featuring Cerro Morrillo and La Hamaca. This survey documents the transition of the Ponce region during an era of significant industrial and agricultural coordination.