The founding date for Arroyo is December 25, 1855. In 1899, the first census found the population of Arroyo was approximately 4900 inhabitants. Arroyo is a municipality between Guayama and Patillas.
However, some historians believe there were previous settlements in the area, even before the Spanish colonization. There are several different versions of the establishment of the town. One is that a small group from Guayama came to the region looking for a port to export and import merchandise. Still, a local newspaper, La Gaceta de Puerto Rico, reported in 1868 that Arroyo’s founding date was 1852. Between 1859 and 1860, City Hall signed agreements to open streets and build a town square and a sewer system for the town.
Like all municipalities of Puerto Rico, Arroyo has a total of six barrios. The municipal buildings, central square, and sizeable Catholic church surround “el pueblo,” near the center of the municipality.
- Ancones
- Arroyo barrio-(main square)
- Guásimas
- Palmas
- Pitahaya
- Yaurel
For the Researcher
When locating records of your ancestors, you must research surrounding areas. For example, if you are finding a baptism, and you know your ancestors’ marriage or death took place in Arroyo, and the record states they are from Arroyo, but you don’t find a record, what do you do? Look for it in Guayama, as Arroyo, before 1855, was part of Guayama. In addition, I will look at Patillas as it sits east of Arroyo. If your research takes you into the early 1800s, look at the records in Coamo.
Arroyo Baptisms Books
There are only three films on church records available for this municipality. The documents are as follows:
| Book | Years | Race | Image | Index | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1856-1863 | All Classes | 4 | X | |
| 1856-1870 | (AC) | 250 | 355 | ||
| 3 | 1864-1868 | (AC) | 399 | 364 | |
| 4 | 1868-1878 | (AC) | 652 | 898 | |
| 5 | Jul 1872 August 1876 | (AC) | 937 | 1207 | |
| 1 | August 18, 1876-Aug. 1881 | (AC) | 6 | 283 | Film # 008100607 (2nd film) |
| 6 | 1881-1887 | (AC) | 320 | 655 | |
| 7 | 1887-1892 | (AC) | 701 | 924 | |
| 8 | 1892-1897 | (AC) | 958 | 1156 | |
| 9 | 1897-1905 | (AC) | 1167 | 1475 | |
| 10 | 1906-1908 | (AC) | 1504 | 1586 | |
| 11 | 1908-1916 | (AC) | 1595 | 1934 | |
| 12 | 1917-1925 | (AC) | 1953 | X |
Confirmation Books
| Book | Year | Image |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1860-1938 | 486 |
Arroyo Marriage Books
Side note: Book 3 of Marriages states it ended in 1906. That is not the case. It ended in 1938.
| Book # | Years | Race | Image | Index | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1856-1873 | All Classes(AC) | 2311 | 2456 | Indexed by year and couple’s name. (starts with 1857) |
| 2 | 1873-1909 | (AC) | 4 | 281 | Indexed by year and surname. |
| 3 | 1910-1938 | (AC) | 312 | 472 | Indexed by surname, including some from 1906. |
Arroyo Burials
| Book # | Years | Race | Image | Index | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1856-1862 | All Classes(AC) | 593 | ||
| 2 | 1863-1868 | (AC) | 796 | 1029 | Indexed by year and surname |
| 3 | 1868-1875 | (AC) | 1091 | 1340 | Indexed by year and surname |
| 4 | 1875-1884 | (AC) | 1421 | 1381 | |
| 5 | 1884-1888 | (AC) | 1700 | 1825 | |
| 6 | 1888-1896 | (AC) | 1860 | 2111 | |
| 7 | 1896-1901 | (AC) | 2146 | 2256 | |
| 1920-1921 | I cannot locate 1920 – 1921. It may be miscategorized. |
Arroyo Civil Registration Records
This link will take you to a breakdown of all the books available from 1885 to 1999.
Civil registration in Puerto Rico began in 1885. Prior to that, registrations of vital events were kept by the Catholic Church, which was the predominant religion. This collection includes registrations of births, marriages, and deaths in Puerto Rico, which at the start of civil registration was a colony of Spain and after the Spanish-American War in 1898, a protectorate of the U.S.
Civil registration typically took place within a few days of the event, although the gap was sometimes longer. Pay close attention to differentiate the date of the registration versus the actual event date. This collection also includes a few records for events that occurred as early as 1836 but weren’t registered until later. For example, you may find a record for an 1852 birth that wasn’t registered until 1912.
Birth records generally include:
- name of the registrant (who may be the father), age, marital status, occupation, origin, and residence
- date, time, and place of birth
- name of the child and legitimacy
- names of parents, their age, marital status, occupation, origins, and residence
- grandparents’ names, origins, and whether deceased
- date and place of registration
Marriage records can include:
- groom’s name, age, race, marital status, occupation, residence, and origin
- bride’s name, age, race, marital status, occupation, residence, and origin
- names of both sets of parents, origins, age, race, occupation, residence
- name and age of person giving consent (usually bride’s father)
- date and place of the declaration
- date and place of the marriage
- names of witnesses, marital status, occupation, origins, and residence
Death records may contain the following details:
Medical certificate
- name of the deceased (married women’s death records may be registered with her married name or maiden name)
- decedent’s age, marital status, residence, and race
- date and time of death
- cause of death
- informant’s name and relationship to the decedent
Death declaration
- informant’s name, age, marital status, occupation, origins, residence, and relationship to the deceased
- decedent’s name, origin, age, race, marital status, occupation, residence
- date, time, place, and cause of death
- parents of the decedent and their origins
- grandparents of the decedent
- burial place
- date and place of registration