A forgotten ghost town resurrected. That’s La Gloria. This small settlement in La Pampa province Argentina holds a captivating history. It began during the Conquista del Desierto. General Roca’s forces displaced indigenous peoples. Among them was Cafulcurá’s family. His grandson Ceferino Namuncurá later became a beloved figure. He spent his childhood near La Gloria before moving to Italy.
The land was then distributed to soldiers as payment for their service. Some sold their land cheaply in Buenos Aires. Others expanded their holdings. Wealthy families acquired vast estates this way. Especially cavalry officers. Later the government encouraged European immigration. La Pampa became a destination. Ingeniero Luiggi attracted Italian settlers. Colonia Barón German settlers. Macachín Basque settlers.
Later British companies arrived. Railroads expanded. La Gloria estancia was owned by Angélica Roma. The railroad passed through it. This facilitated shipping livestock to Buenos Aires. Angélica donated land for workers’ homes. This marked the beginning of the town. La Gloria became a central hub. It shipped grain and cattle to the port of Buenos Aires. The town thrived. It had a post office police station butcher shop general store. There was a mechanic’s shop blacksmith shop and a gas station. It was self-sufficient.
Economic downturns caused an exodus. The railroad closed in the 1990s. La Gloria became a ghost town. Then a group of neighbors formed a commission. They worked with the provincial government. They used a national law allowing land grants. Families reclaimed land building houses.
La Gloria was reborn. Remnants of the past remain. The corrals and livestock chutes. The train station maintained by the commission. The old general store with its gas pump. About 20 houses have been built. There is a police station and a primary school. A bottled water factory operates. There’s a grocery store hardware store and carpentry shop. Local services include construction electrical work and rural contracting.
Water is abundant and sweet. The land is fertile. It’s suitable for alfalfa sunflowers and cattle. Electricity and bottled gas are available. Buses connect to Santa Rosa. Satellite TV cell phones and wireless internet are accessible. La Gloria is attracting new residents. People are drawn from neighboring cities and other provinces like Córdoba Mendoza and Buenos Aires. It’s close to the provincial capital. Land is affordable. Services are improving. La Gloria offers a desirable place to live. It’s a testament to resilience and rebirth. A place where the past lives alongside a promising future.