Olanchito
| Olanchito | |
|---|---|
| Municipality | |
 Olanchito
|
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| Coordinates: 15°29′N 86°35′W / 15.483°N 86.583°W | |
| Country | Honduras |
| Department | Yoro |
| Area | |
| • Total | 2,028 km2 (783 sq mi) |
| Population (2015) | |
| • Total | 108,422 |
| • Density | 53/km2 (140/sq mi) |
| Time zone | Central America (UTC-6) |
| Climate | Aw |
Olanchito is a town and municipality in the Honduran department of Yoro. The municipality was founded in 1530 and today comprises 70 villages, over 300 hamlets, and around 100,000 inhabitants. It is 107 mi (or 172 km) North-East of Tegucigalpa, the country's capital. The local timezone is named "America / Tegucigalpa" with an UTC offset of -6 hours. The city is the birthplace of many exponents of Honduran literature, such as Ramón Amaya Amador. Olanchito has his manuscripts, his collection of books, the table at which he wrote, and even his ashes. Known locally as the Civic City, Olanchito's main industry is based around agriculture.
The conquest of Honduras began with the arrival of several expeditions sent by Hernán Cortés to extend the domain of Spain in Central America. In 1525 he seized the town of Truxillo, which would become an important Atlantic port and the first capital of Honduras. Truxillo served as an outpost for the colonisation of the hostile territory of Olancho Valley. Hernando de Saavedra, Governor of Honduras, had a dispute with his counterpart in Nicaragua, Pedrarias Davila, on the rich gold deposits and rivers of Olancho. After several battles between rival groups of Spanish for control of the area, the town of San Jorge de Olancho was established. But because of the mistreatment of the natives of Olancho, they unexpectedly rebelled and attacked the place, destroying it completely. In this rebellion, Captain Juan de Grijalva, one of the conquerors of the Aztec empire, was killed. The survivors were scattered, some to the town of Border of Caceres, in 1526, and others to the Valley of Aguan.
With the death of Diego de Salcedo, Governor of Honduras in 1530, the province was in chaos. But the important issue of extending the settlement and continuing the conquest of people who were not yet subjugated continued. Stories differ as to who actually founded the settlement that became Olanchito, and are somewhat confusing. According to the statistical yearbook of Antonio Vallejo, this town was founded by Captain Diego de Alvarado in 1530, with the name of San Jorge de Olanchito." The Guatemalan historian José Mata Gavidia explains: "With these and other graces came to Guatemala D. Pedro de Alvarado, for the year April 30. bringing people of Mexico, and some that found here in Nicaragua, Diego de Alvarado sent brother Jorge to found the city, called Olanchito, in the province of Honduras."
It follows that the town of San Jorge de Olanchito was founded in 1530, located on the right bank of the Aguán river. Its first inhabitants were the few survivors of San Jorge de Olancho and others sent by Pedro de Alvarado, becoming a stage of El Camino Real, which led from Truxillo to Olancho. Ten years later (1540) the Governor Francisco de Montejo, was ordered to continue the colonisation of Olancho and sent his officer Alonzo Caceres, who established a settlement with the same last name: "San Jorge de Olancho" (The Viejo). Years later Alonzo de Reinoso founded the village of "New Salamanca", which was rapidly depopulated due to continuing native rebellions. Olancho as a mining town was flourishing, producing huge amounts of gold and silver that was shipped from the port of Truxillo and Puerto Caballos.
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