First Settlement
Iron Explotation
Apogee of Sierra Grande and exodo
Location
Education and Culture

If we go back to the beginnings of de Sierra Grande, situated in the province of Río Negro, Patagonia, Argentina, we must center our attention in the mountain formation that actually surround it. This were the paths and homes of the native communities, more precisely of the mapuches who were the result of the bounding between the tehuelches who lived in that area and the araucanos from Chile who in the XVIII century invaded the Patagonia and y imposed to the native. They became nomads and started hunting ostriches and guanacos (a kind of llamas); from this last one they obtained meet and leather to make the quillango (blanket with the hair facing the inside), moccasins and wind breakers. They also practiced food gathering and in a smaller scale the harvest of some cereals and vegetables. They can actually be found but with diverse groups.
In Sierra Grande, it is said that they lived in the border of the Arroyo El Salado (small steam El Salado). After the drought that affected the area, the y moved south, more precisely to Cochicó in the N.E. of the province of Chubut.
The city owes its name to the mapuches who lived there, because they called the place "Vuta Mahuida" that means Sierras Grandes.
Since 1890 white men and women established there, the y came from Viedma and Carmen de Patagones.
Between the years 1925 and 1935 a second wave of people coming from that same area arrived looking for better land for their cattle.
Finally, iron appeared and due to the enormous richness it offered, a third wave of people arrived between the years 1970 and 1980.

FIRST SETTLEMENT (To the Top)

The first settlement was next to the actual approximately 2 Km. And the name was Sierra Vieja. It received after the name of Colonia Chilavert.
The first habitant was Anacleto "Canchas" Calvo, who established in 1893. In a few years the population grew a lot and transformed into a little village full of plantations and villas.
On October 19th, 1903 a Peace Court started to work. This date is taken as the foundation date of Sierra Grande because it is the first written testimony found.
In 1910 there was already a Post Office, in 1920 a Police Station and in 1930 a warehouse.
Years passed but couldn’t take the town away of its stillness. Life resumed into incipient and poor cattle raising and to a limited agriculture. But it was other activity the one that would give the city half century later, importance and prosperity to the youngest city of Rio Negro, that was the mining.

Iron explotation (To the Top)

Manuel R. Novillo, a passionate pioneer for mineral search in the country, discovered the iron deposits in Sierra Grande in the year 1944. It is the Industrial Bank with participation of the National Mine Direction who make the first exploitation works.
Then, these deposits are transferred to General Direction of Military Fabrication. They continued with the exploitation studies. After some intents of passing this job to private enterprises, the HI.P.A.S.A.M. appeared in 1969 and started with the exploitation of the mine. Also in that year, a road joining the iron deposits and Punta Colorada was built; there are situated the peletization plant and the y pier from were the processed material is transported.

HIPASAM and Sierra Grande’s apogee came together. Between 1973 and 1989 approximately, they grew socially and economically. The enterprise already counted with the factories in the Industrial Area I (Deposits, Central Pique, Pre-concentration and Concentration Plants, 32 Kms Railroad, big maintaining workshops and Industrial Area II Pelletizado Plant and Pier.
A village with 800 homes in four districts, two social and sports clubs and great forestation for amusement and relaxation. In the coast, near the Pelletizado Plant, there was a small village and a camping for the employees, as well as an exclusive beach.
In the city, the construction of new houses prospered some because of National Government Plans, others due to the effort of the people. The entire commercial areas grew. In the year 1980 a Hospital was opened with important services for the community. Already two banks were working, Nacion Argentina and Provincia of Río Negro.
Between 1985 and 1987 pavement roads were built in the principal streets of the village and joined it with Villa HIPASAM. A municipal gymnasium is inaugurated, gas and water nets were extended, small squares were opened, and sidewalks were built. Several municipal governments followed the construction. Important sports clubs were founded. Natives demonstrated to be working people and the economy helped with the development. The mean age was 30 years old. In 1980 we broke a national record in births.
In the decade of 1990, the national government advised by outside interests, that didn’t take into account the economy and Argentinean development declared the closing of the mineral deposits. Though population and organizations fought against this, the enterprise closed leaving 1.000 workers out of laborer system and with the only possibility of emigrating to other city, leaving their years of effort behind. The city that had 14.000 habitants was left with only 6.000. During 2000/2002 almost 50% of the population was unemployed.

INTEREST FACTS

Location (To the Top)
Sierra Grande is situated in the south of the province of Río Negro, and it is part of the San Antonio Department, located at 41º36`41" south latitude and 65º21`27" west latitude. In the 1250 kilometer of National Road 3, that joins it to the north with San Antonio Oeste, Viedma - Patagones, Bahía Blanca, Buenos Aires; and to the south with Puerto Madryn, Rawson, Trelew, Comodoro Rivadavia, etc.
It has an altitude of 250 meters over sea level, in the east hillside of the mountain range, that protects it from the southern winds.

Education and Culture (To the Top)
Nowadays, education is conformed by two secondary schools, each one in it’s own building. One is a Commercial school that has three different schedules, the other is an Industrial school. There is also a Special Education school, (till 1992 a University Development Institute, dependant of the University of Comahue), five primary establishments, one of them with a night timetable for adults.
There is a Cultural House for arts, with municipal dependence, which main interests are paintings, drawings and ceramic art.
The Popular Library, (not official) is sustained with private resources and public aid.
Many entities, private associations and individual artists express their artistic restlessness in several areas, receiving great support from our people.