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Posted

A small team of workers are chipping away at the facade of the Municipio building. Looks like they are preparing to apply bit of fresh repallo. I hope they choose a better color than the garish green they chose in Dolega (or maybe Pintecasa offered a super discount...).

Boquete Municipio Bldg.JPG

Posted (edited)

Former Mayor Manolo Ruiz had those tiles applied to the building. They looked like something he purchased on promotion at Super Piso.

image.png.28d6ccbaf96812f20a09e7346c136533.png

Apparently, the plan is that the former train station will eventually be restored for use as a museum and the Alcaldia will move to the Matadero site in Alto Boquete.

Edited by Keith Woolford
Posted
17 minutes ago, Jim Bondoux said:

A small team of workers are chipping away at the facade of the Municipio building. Looks like they are preparing to apply bit of fresh repallo. I hope they choose a better color than the garish green they chose in Dolega (or maybe Pintecasa offered a super discount...).

Boquete Municipio Bldg.JPG

Repallo?  There's Repello, which means revulsion.  Then there's Ripio, the stuff they use to firm up roads and use like stucco.  Then Repollo, cabbage.  What is Repallo, and what did you mean?  Perhaps they will put on tile?  I hope they don't cover the building with cabbage.

Posted
3 hours ago, Keith Woolford said:

It seems to have different meanings.  Here stucco is ripio.  But then what is repallo?  No wonder many of us have trouble learning Spanish.  I know I have asked that my road be paved with cabbage.

Posted

"Repello"  means stucco in Spanish. See Keith's cite. "Ripio" means rubble or debris. "Repallo" is not a word in Spanish. Jim just misspelled "repello." I keep a Spanish dictionary app on my desktop computer and on my iPad for instances such as this.

Posted
14 hours ago, Keith Woolford said:

The Matadero property is located adjacent to the new condominiums on the east side of the highway, just south of Volcancito Road.

mat.jpg.65b6920a47fe50cc2db2c708cd6f0bb9.jpg

Ok...thanks. So da mayor and the whole staff is moving into this place? Including the post office?

Posted
10 minutes ago, TwoSailors said:

So da mayor and the whole staff is moving into this place? Including the post office?

The long range plan is to have a new Municipal building erected on that site which extends right out to the highway.

Not scheduled, as far as I know.

Posted
12 hours ago, Bonnie said:

"Repello"  means stucco in Spanish. See Keith's cite. "Ripio" means rubble or debris. "Repallo" is not a word in Spanish. Jim just misspelled "repello." I keep a Spanish dictionary app on my desktop computer and on my iPad for instances such as this.

Ripio does mean that.  But here in Boquete they use the word for the stuff they put on roads to firm them up.  It's fine dirt/sand from river banks.  Just having fun with the Spanish.

Posted

I am delighted that my phonetic approach to spelling Panamanian stucco created such a learning experience.

I am also amused to read of the planned move of municipal services to the slaughterhouse property. Seems appropriate in a way - the site may continue to be dedicated to sausage-making...

Is CL a great site, or what?

Posted
4 hours ago, JudyS said:

Ripio does mean that.  But here in Boquete they use the word for the stuff they put on roads to firm them up.  It's fine dirt/sand from river banks.  Just having fun with the Spanish.

In your earlier post you wrote, "Here stucco is ripio." This is likely to be misleading if left unchallenged. Yes, they use ripio on the roads, but they don't use ripio to stucco.

  • 4 weeks later...
Posted

Here's another post from the Mayor's office about the changes down at the Alcaldia.  Basically it says that this project has it's critics but the work is being done at a low cost to the community and the former train station will be left in a more authentic manner.

The new facing will be natural stone lajas.

21686418_1828101627219862_67335332885774468_n.thumb.jpg.99a025db462e1cad775c7ce4d967b66c.jpg

21616405_1828101340553224_6324084630483832960_n.thumb.jpg.ec98ac417029fe7f663aa21c7383f1d8.jpg

 

 

Posted
1 hour ago, Keith Woolford said:

Basically it says that this project has it's critics but the work is being done at a low cost to the community and the former train station will be left in a more authentic manner.

So stone slate was on the original building? 

Posted

The original building was a wood structure, subsequently replaced with the current cement building. The undated picture I have looks to be taken shortly after the new construction, and I can't identify any stone facing. The word "authentic" has multiple connotations...

BoqueteRR Station.jpg

  • Upvote 1
Posted
1 hour ago, TwoSailors said:

So stone slate was on the original building? 

Nope, but it beats shiny floor tile.

Maybe 'authentic' was the wrong choice of words to describe the Mayor's desire for a look which he hopes will be culturally and historically more appealing. 

Posted

From : Boquete, Rasgos de su Historia by Milagros Sanchez Pinzon

In Feb 1914 the govt of Panama commissioned  RW Herbert & Co of New York to construct a railway from Pedregal in David  to end up in Boquete with railways to Conception and Potrerillos. The work was completed Feb 1916.   The railroad was 57.4 km long and cost B/1,964,829.00. It's construction was a great influence to the local agriculture and commerce in the entire district esp. Boquete who's population grew as a result.

The railroad began at Pedregal all the way to Cochea ( 340 meters above sea level).  From there the train made more abrupt ascent to the Valle of Boquete ( more than 100 meters in elevation).  Years later ( 1928) rails were laid from David through Concepcion all the way to Pto. Armuellas.   With the railroad to Boquete, machines for agriculture were introduced which labors were formerly done by horse and mule. Tourists would arrive with baggage that was eagerly carried by local children in order to earn dos reales for the job. Children were as well able to attend schools in David for more advanced education. The sale of agricultural goods was also enhanced by transport of the goods via rail rather than by mule on muddy trails. This advantaged all citizens of Chiriqui to enjoy the produced delivered to them. As well markets opened to the City of Panama an as well abroad. There were cars especially made for cattle, for dry goods and as well for passengers. There was first and second class passenger seats depending upon whether you wanted a wood seat or one with cushions. The trip from David to Boquete was most impressive over the river Majagua !  When the train reached the altitude of Cochea, some of the passengers had to disembark the train at which time sand was spread onto the track to afford more traction. This trip took 2 1/2 to 3 hours on average.  By  l949 due to the high coast and slow travel the use of the train was beginning to slow down .  By 1952 to 1960 all the rails were lifted and the era of the "iron horse " had come to an end.

  • Upvote 1
Posted

Milagros Sanchez Pinzon is a wonderful resource on local history, but I think she misspelled the builder's name - he was Roy W. Hebard, who was an engineer and a partner in a construction outfit that was tasked with some of the Canal's excavation work. I am unsure that he was from New York, but since the railroad was financed by bonds underwritten by JP Morgan and National City Bank (precursor to today's Citibank) his name is often associated with New York.

Project people involved with the Canal were released upon its completion, and a number of them gravitated to Chiriqui. The only access to Boquete was on foot or horseback, although Mr. & Mrs. Carl Curtis (he was master carpenter with the Canal, she was a nurse at the Canal's hospital) drove a Model T Ford up to Boquete in 1915. The railroad opened up Boquete as well described by Milagros. The train trip was a spectacular adventure, as the rails crossed the rivers on elevated trestle bridges and the landscape views of Baru, etc. were very much out of the ordinary.

But the train, with a twice-daily round trip schedule could not compete with the higher frequency and flexibility offered by buses, once the road was paved. The tracks were pulled up, mainly in 1954, although vestiges of the right-of-way can be found.

Looks like the stone cladding of the old station is being applied up to wainscoting level, with a surrounding concrete molding.

 

Stonework.jpg

  • Like 1
Posted
11 hours ago, Brundageba said:

From : Boquete, Rasgos de su Historia by Milagros Sanchez Pinzon

In Feb 1914 the govt of Panama commissioned  RW Herbert & Co of New York to construct a railway from Pedregal in David  to end up in Boquete with railways to Conception and Potrerillos. The work was completed Feb 1916.   The railroad was 57.4 km long and cost B/1,964,829.00. It's construction was a great influence to the local agriculture and commerce in the entire district esp. Boquete who's population grew as a result.

The railroad began at Pedregal all the way to Cochea ( 340 meters above sea level).  From there the train made more abrupt ascent to the Valle of Boquete ( more than 100 meters in elevation).  Years later ( 1928) rails were laid from David through Concepcion all the way to Pto. Armuellas.   With the railroad to Boquete, machines for agriculture were introduced which labors were formerly done by horse and mule. Tourists would arrive with baggage that was eagerly carried by local children in order to earn dos reales for the job. Children were as well able to attend schools in David for more advanced education. The sale of agricultural goods was also enhanced by transport of the goods via rail rather than by mule on muddy trails. This advantaged all citizens of Chiriqui to enjoy the produced delivered to them. As well markets opened to the City of Panama an as well abroad. There were cars especially made for cattle, for dry goods and as well for passengers. There was first and second class passenger seats depending upon whether you wanted a wood seat or one with cushions. The trip from David to Boquete was most impressive over the river Majagua !  When the train reached the altitude of Cochea, some of the passengers had to disembark the train at which time sand was spread onto the track to afford more traction. This trip took 2 1/2 to 3 hours on average.  By  l949 due to the high coast and slow travel the use of the train was beginning to slow down .  By 1952 to 1960 all the rails were lifted and the era of the "iron horse " had come to an end.

line 5 from the top correction: " more than 100 meters in  elevation"     "....abrupt ascent to the valle of Boquete which is 1000 meters in elevation"

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