General Levalle

General Levalle is a town and municipality located in the Presidente Roque Sáenz Peña Department in the south of Córdoba Province, Argentina, at the junction of National Route 7 and Provincial Route 10. It lies approximately 380 km south of the city of Córdoba and is connected to the neighboring cities of Laboulaye and Vicuña Mackenna within the humid Pampas region. The settlement originated in the early 1890s with the construction of the Buenos Aires al Pacífico railway line to Valparaíso, initially developing around a small stop known as "Estación de ferrocarril km 536" and later called "La Bomba," "El Estanque," and "La Amarga." With the arrival of mainly Italian and Spanish immigrants, the population grew rapidly, and the town was officially founded on 7 July 1903, although commemorations are often held together with the national holiday of 9 July. The local economy has historically been based on the primary processing of agricultural products from the surrounding area, including cereals such as wheat and maize, legumes like soy, as well as milk and beef. Processing activities include flour and oil production, meatpacking, cured meat and dairy production ("tambos" and cheeses), along with tanneries and the manufacture of saddlery and leather goods. In 1980, the EPEC thermoelectric power plant was built, and in 2004 the Tigre Muerto dam was inaugurated about 15 km north, primarily to regulate water flows from the Cuarto or Chocancharava and Quinto rivers and various streams. There is also a probable presence of fossil hydrocarbon deposits (oil and methane) in the subsoil. Tourism is an emerging activity, with attractions such as Lake San Agustín, a 18-hectare area with a beach resort offering fishing, canoeing, motorboating, rowing, windsurfing, paddle, tennis, bocce, beach volleyball, and football. Other attractions include lagoons surrounded by dense deciduous forests and the proximity of the old fort line with fortines built between the 18th and 19th centuries. The municipal government operates through its official website, which offers residents online payment of municipal services, information on health services, public works, sports, popular university courses, recycling programs, and a museum and historical archive. The Municipal Health System is organized into three health zones and provides free care through the Municipal Hospital Dr. Luis V. Rodríguez and first aid rooms in neighborhoods such as Barrio San Cayetano. The town also has a rich institutional history, including the Sociedad Española de Socorros Mutuos, founded in 1911, which built the Cine Teatro Español in 1924 and organized the Grandes Romerías Españolas. According to the 2001 INDEC census, the urban core had 5,500 inhabitants, and by 2003 there were 8,000 inhabitants within a 5 km radius. General Levalle functions as a municipal entity providing public services and fostering community development in the region.

The area where General Levalle now stands was originally inhabited by the taluhet and didiuhet, part of the "old pampas" or het peoples. In the mid-18th century, these groups suffered a demographic catastrophe due to epidemics, which facilitated the expansion of the Mapuche and the cultural "mapuchization" of the pampas ethnic groups, giving rise to the Ranquel people, who had one of their frontier points with the huincas (gauchos and European-origin population) precisely where General Levalle is located. From 1875, a series of campaigns against the indigenous peoples removed them from almost all of Córdoba territory. The origin of the settlement dates back to the laying of the Buenos Aires al Pacífico railway tracks (to Valparaíso) in the early 1890s. Its core was the stop or small "Estación de ferrocarril km 536," around which a hamlet quickly gathered, known by the names "La Bomba (de agua)," "El Estanque," and "La Amarga." Thanks to the arrival of immigration (mainly Italians and Spaniards), the population grew quite rapidly, and it was officially founded on 7 July 1903, although it is currently commemorated together with the national holiday of 9 July. From its beginnings, economic activity has been predominantly derived from the primary processing of products from the agrarian surroundings: accumulation of cereals such as wheat and maize, legumes such as soy, as well as milk and beef. The primary processing of such raw materials includes the production of flours, oils, meatpacking, cured meat production, dairy ("tambos"), cheeses, along with tanneries and the making of saddlery and leather goods. In 1980, the EPEC thermoelectric power plant was built. In 2004, the Tigre Muerto dam was inaugurated nearby (about 15 km north), an important work that primarily regulates water flows caused by overflows of the Cuarto or Chocancharava River and the Quinto River, as well as several streams (Santa Catalina and Chaján among the main ones). The existence of fossil hydrocarbon deposits (oil and methane) in the subsoil of the area where General Levalle is located is considered very likely. An incipient economic activity is derived from tourism (especially weekend mini-tourism—mainly camping—, "gasolero"—a mode of economical mini-tourism practiced with motor vehicles—, and estancia tourism, as well as tourism derived from hunting and fishing). One of the main tourist attractions is Lake San Agustín, an 18-hectare property containing a beach resort where fishing, canoeing, motorboating, rowing, windsurfing, paddle, tennis, bocce, beach volleyball, and football can be practiced. The town also has other attractions: a series of lagoons frequently surrounded by fairly dense deciduous forests, as well as the proximity of the old fort line and, therefore, the possibility of visiting some of the fortines built between the 18th and 19th centuries. The INDEC census conducted in 2001 counted 5,500 inhabitants in the urban core, although by 2003 there were 8,000 inhabitants within 5 km around. Institutions: The Sociedad Española de Socorros Mutuos de General Levalle was the first mutual aid institution in the town. Its first organizing commission was convened on 10 October 1910, just seven years after the official founding of the town. The institution was officially founded on 24 September 1911, under the presidency of Tiburcio Jiménez, a native of the province of Soria, Spain, who held membership number one among the founding members. The first board of directors also included Ramón Pérez (vice president, born in Verín, Orense province), Faustino Viñes (treasurer, from Oviedo province), Braulio Lardizábal (pro-treasurer, from Idiazábal, Guipúzcoa), Francisco Zubiri (secretary, from San Sebastián), Diego Zabala (pro-secretary, from Vizcaya), and board members Bernabé Astraín (from Villava, Navarra), Jaime Zapata, Manuel García, and Felipe González. The society took as reference the statutes of the sister institution of Laboulaye, founded in 1895. During its early years it operated in different rented locations, including the house of Jaime Zapata and later a property of Mrs. Luisa viuda de Benítez. In 1922, a subcommittee was formed for the project of constructing the social headquarters, during the presidency of Miguel Cendoya. The building was constructed on a plot of 25 meters frontage by 50 meters depth, located on Pellegrini Avenue, with an initial mortgage of 25,000 pesos moneda nacional in favor of Miguel Martina. In 1924, the Cine Teatro Español was inaugurated, which became the center of cultural activity for the institution and the town. It initially operated as a silent cinema accompanied by piano, until December 1933 when sound equipment was acquired. The cinema theater remained active until the early 2000s. The society organized the Grandes Romerías Españolas, festivities that transcended the Spanish community and became distinctive events for the entire town.

• 2004

  Tigre Muerto dam inaugurated about 15 km north.

• 2003

  Population reaches 8,000 inhabitants within 5 km radius.

• 2001

  INDEC census counts 5,500 inhabitants in the urban core.

• 1980

  EPEC thermoelectric power plant built.

• 1933

  Sound equipment acquired for the Cine Teatro Español in December.

• 1924

  Cine Teatro Español inaugurated.

• 1922

  Subcommittee formed for the construction of the social headquarters of the Sociedad Española.

• 1911

  Sociedad Española de Socorros Mutuos officially founded on 24 September.

• 1910

  First organizing commission of the Sociedad Española de Socorros Mutuos convened on 10 October.

• 1903

  Official founding of General Levalle on 7 July.

1. 1Municipalidad de General Levalle | Sitio Oficialgenerallevalle.gob.ar
2. 2General Levalle - Wikipedia, la enciclopedia librees.wikipedia.org
3. 3General Levalle - Wikidatawikidata.org