“Escalada” echoes in the air. That’s not just a name. It is a place brimming with history. Today, we explore the story of Remedios de Escalada.
Remedios de Escalada is a city in Buenos Aires Province. It is part of the Lanús Partido. It’s within Gran Buenos Aires. The city covers almost 10 square kilometers. In 2001, over 81000 people called it home. Locals are known as “escaladenses.”
The story of Remedios de Escalada begins as “Argentine Eden.” Agustin Eguren founded it in 1873. It was meant to be a bedroom community. For years, only a few hundred people lived here.
Things changed in 1890. The Buenos Aires Great Southern Railway built a rail yard nearby. This was in Villa Galíndez. La Fraternidad formed in 1887. It was one of Argentina’s first trade unions. Workers at the rail yard founded it.
More rail installations followed. Eliseo Ramírez and the Ramírez de Lafuente family opened them in 1901. The area became a major rail hub. The Great Southern opened its first commuter station in 1902.
The town’s first football club appeared in 1906. It was named Club Atlético Talleres de Remedios de Escalada. It still plays in Argentina’s lower leagues.
Many Italian Argentines settled here. Luis Máspero was one. He ran one of Argentina’s largest hat factories. Víctor Marangoni owned a big metalworks. The Italian Mutual Insurance Company started here in 1913.
Several cooperatives opened their doors. El Hogar Argentino opened in 1911. La Internacional followed in 1914. La Idea, a news daily, started in 1915. The Unión Ferroviaria appeared in 1921. It rivaled La Fraternidad.
The Parish of Nuestra Señora de los Remedios opened in 1924. Villa Galíndez and Argentine Eden joined together in 1933. They became Remedios de Escalada. The city was named for María de los Remedios de Escalada. She was the wife of General José de San Martín. He led Argentina’s War of Independence.
Remedios de Escalada became a city in 1974. The Buenos Aires Province Legislature declared it.
Later, a freeway expansion plan failed. It was during the dictatorship of 1976-83. The plan aimed to extend the General Paz Freeway. It was to go from Villa Riachuelo to Avellaneda. The project never finished. Demolitions left many empty lots. These areas were not properly rebuilt.
The National University of Lanús opened here in 1995. It is one of Argentina’s smaller national universities.
And so, Remedios de Escalada stands as a testament. It is a testament to Argentina’s growth. It is a monument to the dreams of its people. Its story is etched in its streets. The echoes of its past resonate even today.