Remember the name Quilmes. This city echoes with the struggles of its namesake people. The Quilmes people were an indigenous tribe. They lived in what is now Tucumán province in northwestern Argentina.
The Quilmes fiercely resisted the Inca invasions of the 15th century. They also resisted the Spanish for 130 years. The Spanish finally defeated them in 1667. The Spanish invaders relocated the last 2,000 Quilmes survivors. They moved them to a reservation. The reservation was 20 km south of Buenos Aires.
This journey covered 1,500 km. It was made on foot. Hundreds of Quilmes died during the journey. By 1810, the reservation was a ghost town. The survivors settled in what is now the city of Quilmes.
The Quilmes Indians were a fierce culture. They resisted the Incas. They eventually fell to the Spaniards. Today, only a few Quilmes remain in Tucumán Province. The name Quilmes serves as a stark reminder of a tragic past. It speaks of resistance, resilience, and forced displacement.
The city of Quilmes was founded in 1666. It started as Exaltación de la Santa Cruz de los Kilme. The settlement aimed to control the defeated Quilmes. The 1,000 km journey from Tucumán was brutal. Hundreds of Quilmes died.
The colony was abandoned by 1810. It became a ghost town. The land was divided. The town of Quilmes was established in 1818. It flourished with immigration in the late 19th century.
During the first British invasion in 1806, the British marched through Quilmes. They were headed to Buenos Aires. They were later defeated and expelled. Quilmes has a history of immigration. Juan Clark from Yorkshire, England, was a mayor in 1855. The Clark family owned land. They were connected to the Irish and Scottish community since the 1830s.
In 1898, St. George’s College was established. It was a private school run by Reverend Joseph Thomas Stevenson. The town grew during Argentina’s immigration wave in the late 19th century. Quilmes was considered for a new provincial capital. This was during the Federalization of Buenos Aires in 1880. La Plata was ultimately chosen.
The Argentine Air Force set up a base in East Quilmes in 1943. In 1944, Impa opened Argentina’s first airplane plant. Impa was blacklisted by the U.S. for Nazi ties. The planes were seen as old-fashioned.
East and West Quilmes are divided by train tracks. East Quilmes has wealthy areas and a shopping district. Traveling east towards the Río de la Plata, neighborhoods become poorer. Large slums near the river often flood.
Quilmes is home to two old football teams. Quilmes Atlético Club was founded in the 19th century. It was founded by Cannon J. T. Stevenson. Club Atlético Argentino de Quilmes was founded later. It was founded by Argentines excluded from QAC.
The Cerveza Quilmes beer company is named after the city. Otto Bemberg started the brewery here in 1888. It remains a major employer. Other manufacturers include La Bernalesa textiles and Cerámica Quilmes.
Quilmes is more than just a city. It’s a story etched in the landscape. It is a testament to a people’s struggle and a nation’s evolution. As you explore, remember the echoes of the past that resonate within these streets.