Was Etchegoyen named after someone significant? Etchegoyen is a small town in Exaltación de la Cruz. It sits in the province of Buenos Aires Argentina. This rural area once thrived because of the railroad.
Let me tell you about Etchegoyen’s history. Locals say Etchegoyen was founded in 1887. It started with the opening of the Pulpería. This was a general store of its time. People could buy supplies there. They also played games like truco.
Alberto Crosatto arrived in 1942. He came from San Andrés de Giles. He worked as an assistant at the Etchegoyen train station. The station also served as a post office. Seven trains passed through Etchegoyen daily. Four carried passengers between F. Lacroze and Rojas. The others were steam trains. People called them the “milk train.” These trains carried cargo mail and some passengers. Etchegoyen station was part of the Urquiza Railway branch. It ran from Federico Lacroze to San Andrés de Giles.
The pulpería originally belonged to Don Vivado. Crossato took over after marrying Maria Elena Nacello. She was the daughter of the town’s school principal. He continued working at the railroad. This lasted until the branch line closed.
Today Etchegoyen is a shadow of its former self. The closure of the railway caused young people to leave. The dairy industry declined as well. Etchegoyen now consists of a small group of houses. These include Crosatto’s old store. There is also the school and the abandoned train station. The station still bears the name Etchegoyen.
Interestingly El Paraiso Polo is nearby. Horacio Heguy founded it in 1989. It breeds and trains polo horses. Today it is a small ranch with a hotel and polo school. Haras El Dok is also close. It was founded in 1998. This place breeds Arabian horses. It has won important awards both locally and internationally.
Also nearby is Estancia La Mimosa. It belongs to the Goyenechea family. Its origins date back to 1869. Ángel Vélaz a Basque immigrant bought 1000 hectares. He established a rural pulpería. Locals gathered there to cope with the isolation and silence. Carts also passed through on the Royal Road. They brought goods and mail. This was before fences trees mills or trains existed.
The pulpería was called “La Esquina de Vélaz.” It gathered European immigrants and gauchos on Sundays. They drank alcohol and flashed knives. This forced the pulpero to hide behind iron bars.
Camila O’Gorman passed along the Royal Road. This road had permission from the Spanish monarch. It ran from San Antonio de Areco to Pilar. She was on her way to be executed. Don Segundo Ramírez also used this road. Ricardo Güiraldes idealized him in his novel “Don Segundo Sombra”. He drove cattle to Buenos Aires. In 1871 the house sheltered the family and locals. They were escaping a yellow fever epidemic in the capital. One of Velaz’s daughters married a Goyenechea. Their descendants are the current owners. Today the estancia hosts country days with gaucho festivals.
Etchegoyen is not very well known. However its picturesque dirt streets hide much history. The area has beautiful rural surroundings. Carlos Gardel himself liked to visit Etchegoyen. He enjoyed the local food and peacefulness.
The pulpería and general store of the Crosatto family is a must-see. This place seems frozen in time. It keeps rural traditions alive. Visitors enjoy delicious snacks sandwiches and empanadas. You can also find elements of the site’s historical legacy there. There are even traces of Carlos Gardel’s visits.
The old “Las Delicias” hotel is another historical site. It is a beautiful house with over 100 years of history. Lush trees and wild plants surround the building. Carlos Gardel sang from its balcony.