Could the unassuming Arroyo Manga before you hold secrets of Montevideo’s past? This stream, also known as Arroyo Manga de Carrasco, might seem like a minor waterway. But it plays a role in the story of this land.
Arroyo Manga flows through the Department of Montevideo in southern Uruguay. It is a right-bank tributary of the Arroyo Carrasco. The Arroyo Manga rises west of Fraccionamiento Camino del Andaluz and Ruta 84. This is southwest of Villa Crespo and San Andrés. The stream flows in a northwest-southeast direction. It runs toward the Aeropuerto Internacional de Carrasco area. Finally, Arroyo Manga flows into the Arroyo Carrasco. This confluence marks the border with the Department of Canelones. It is southwest of Colonia Nicolich.
The name “Manga” itself has an interesting origin. Some believe it comes from “Mangangá.” This name appeared as early as 1780. An expert in Manga’s history, Benito Tesore, studied the area’s early inhabitants. He noted the many trenches and strongholds built here. These fortifications may have been to defend against the Portuguese. This is during the times of Artigas. The municipal authority named two roads “Trinchera” and “Fortín”. They may commemorate these defenses.
Esteban Artigas, son of Captain Juan Antonio Artigas, was the first ranch owner in Manga. The Spanish Government granted him this land. The Aldecoa Register from 1772-1773 lists him living in The Manga with his six young children. At that time, the area was known as “Pago del Arroyo de Sierra”. This translates to “Zone of the brook of Mountain Range”. It got this name from a neighbor’s surname.
The farm “Mangafue” changed hands over the years. In February 1834, Marcos Drapple offered it for sale to a Salting House called “Los Dos Hermanos”. This translates to “The Two Brothers”. It was located about three and a half miles from Montevideo. The property included two buildings. One had sixteen rooms, a store, and a slaughterhouse. It also had a “barn raised” for storing hides, tallow, wool, and grains. A large warehouse with eaves was used to desalinate goods. The second building featured a wooden trellis for stacking meat, four ventilation doors, and a stable.
According to “El Universal”, the farm had good grazing lands, water, willow trees, and quinces. Fencing protected ten pitas acres of crops. In January 1834, the grounds of Manga also included two flourmills. A bricked oven with a pond and a footrest were also present. Luis Fernández purchased the property. He and his brother José had been active in the area since the late eighteenth century. They ran a farm, grocery store, and flourmill. After José’s death in 1819, Luis Fernandez kept ownership of the farm. Manuel Cifuentes, a prominent figure in Cordón, inherited it later. He served as justice of the peace.
Cifuentes joined the Public Education Committee of Extramural in 1832. He was designated by the Economic Administrative Board of the Department of Montevideo. From 1839 to 1841, he was a member of that Board. After living in Manga with his family during the Guerra Grande, he joined the communal body in 1863.
So next time you see Arroyo Manga, remember its place in the history of Montevideo. It is more than just a stream. It is a landmark with stories of ranches and fortifications. It is a witness to the changing landscape of this Uruguayan barrio.