This is the second installment in a series of re-prints of the first hand account of Mark Trafton Jr., one of the original Woodland Banana Farm Overseers in the early days of United Fruit Company in Barú. In this episode,…
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When Claral Richards gave me this excerpt from a book called “Bananeros in Central America”, by Clyde Stephens, I couldn’t wait to dive into reading. Once I began, I couldn’t put it down! This is a first hand story from…
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Chiquita Banana (previously United Fruit Company) was instrumental in the economic growth of Puerto Armuelles. Masters of marketing, they took a little known, tropical and exotic, fruit back in the 1940’s and turned it into one of the…
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I’ve been on a tangent researching Chiquita history, which has led to some fun discoveries too. Here are some old recipes that were published by Chiquita to educate the public on the multiple uses of bananas – must buy more!…
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Chiquita Banana (previously United Fruit Company) has a deep rooted history in Puerto Armueles and Baru. Did you know that Chiquita was the first company to ever brand a fruit? Their commercials and marketing were some of the most effective…
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If you have you ever wondered how Puerto Armuelles got its name or who the man perched on the statue in Malecón Park is, here are the answers you seek, in the story of Colonel Tomás Armuelles. Tomás Armuelles was born…
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During the community building of the United Fruit Company (later Chiquita Banana) an impressive hospital was built in Puerto Armuelles. The hospital of the Chiriqui Land Company was built in 1932. It was one of the best and most modern…
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The first time you drove south of Puerto Armuelles, heading down the Burica Peninsula about 5 minutes, you probably made a U-Turn when you came to the guarded and gated entrance to PTP. It doesn’t look like a place that…
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The beautiful beach town of El Palmar, Chiriquí was originally named El Rompío, meaning The Break/Broken. The name El Rompío came from the fact that the first inhabitants arrived by “breaking the mountains” or creating paths using machetes before there…
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The big news in Barú these days is the revival of the banana industry here. Watch for changes that have already begun in Puerto Armuelles! I came across this concise Infographic at Prensa and thought it worthwhile to translate and post…
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