History of Federación

Its origin dates back to 1777, when don Juan de San Martín (our liberator’s father) founded estancia Mandisoví as a stop on the road joining the villages settled down in the Province of Misiones and Buenos Aires. This first settlement lies only 12 kilometers from the local urban shell. It was not until 1810, more precisely on November 16, that in his campaign to Paraguay, General Juan Manuel Belgrano granted this town its own jurisdiction. This fact constituted the first foundation. In 1847, the fratricide wars enveloped the town of Mandisovi, which was repeatedly plundered, taken and abandoned by its dwellers. After all these events became public, General Justo José de Urquiza himself resolved to name it “Pueblo de la Federación” (Town of the Federation). Thus, Mandisovi was moved to the banks of the Uruguay River. Bizcocho Creek would become a harbor and a shelter for boats and, to the South, La Virgen Creek would be the natural boundary. In 1946, a treaty was signed between Argentina and Uruguay for the hydroelectric exploitation of the Uruguay River. Years later, this treaty gave origin to the Salto Grande Dam, located on the falls formed by the Uruguay River in this area. 1973 was a year of good and bad news for this long-suffering village. On the one hand, the construction works to build the Salto Grande Dam began, and on the other hand, and in spite of the opposition of many inhabitants, the project to move the town was signed and, as a consequence of this fact, the village was founded again as “La Nueva Federación” (The New Federation), but in a completely new site. Between 1977 and 1979, the construction of the new City of Federación was finished and it was during those years that the people began to move. But it was not until 1991, that the town could feel it had been founded for the third time when the Libertad Square was finished. The military dictatorship which ruled Argentina since 1976 to 1983 had managed to quiet down the voices of many citizens that were against the dismantling and transfer of the town as well as the way in which the poor were treated. Therefore, the completion and inauguration of the Libertad Square (which today is its main square) means much more for the dwellers of Federación than a simple tribute to the Liberator General San Martín. In 1992, research works began in order to detect the existence of hot spring waters. The result was successful and almost immediately, the new city found a reason to live again: to become the greatest hot spring resort in the littoral area. They had to wait for two years to drill the first well. In 1995, in an official event attended by all provincial authorities, the first hot spring site in the Argentinian littoral was inaugurated. Finally, in 1997, the city hot spring resort opened its doors to visitors. As a result of the heavenly treasure represented by water, this town has begun to dream once again.