Both cities share the same origin date: April 22, 1779, when the fort and the population of Our Lady of Carmen were founded by don Francisco de Viedma y Narvaez. After surveying several kinds of soil in search for the perfect spot, don Francisco found it six or seven leagues away from the mouth of the river and about a hundred meter south of this waterway; that is to say at the very spot where the building housing Viedma’s Culture Municipal Center stands today. After several comings and goings, storms and floods, both cities experienced a remarkable growth (and they even changed their location) lying one in front of the other and separated only by the Negro River. They gradually began to welcome groups of colonists arriving from Europe in the early 1880s. The life of these families was hard and gruelling, especially due to the great distance separating them from the rest of the populated areas. Agriculture, cattle raising, salt, fat, fish, flour, salted meat, sea lions, leather and pork ham were their main resources. There was no luxury but the first colonists did not give in. They continued working with spirit and passion. Nowadays, the inhabitants of both cities are grateful for the work done by their ancestors and they continue giving life to this wonderful location. LegendsBajo del Gualicho It is said that a girl went into the lowlands called Bajo del Gualicho (gualicho stands for “bad spell” or “devil” in Spanish) and got lost. No traces of her were ever found. Nothing. She got lost while taking care of the sheep, because animals used to be taken care of on foot. There were no horses. When I was a little girl, we had no horses. Afterwards, my father had money and bought horses at Río Colorado. He carried woven items and blankets and he traded all that. The girl was lost. Then they said she was found petrified on top of a salt bank. Those who saw her got scared an escaped. They went to tell her father and mother, but when they all went to see her, she was no longer there. They did not even find a trace. It is said that nobody could reach that place. The wind was blowing and it was rainy. A thunderstorm. The girl was never seen again. It had to be the gualicho. That is what they said. We know about this from the conversations people used to have. It is called Bajo del Gualicho because the devil lives there. (Compilation by Berta V. de Battini, 1984, from the book Cuentan los mapuches, Nuevo Siglo. Account given by D. Pastora Suarez, Mapuche woman, 1971) Bajo del Gualicho It is said that a girl went into the lowlands called Bajo del Gualicho (gualicho stands for “bad spell” or “devil” in Spanish) and got lost. No traces of her were ever found. Nothing. She got lost while taking care of the sheep, because animals used to be taken care of on foot. There were no horses. When I was a little girl, we had no horses. Afterwards, my father had money and bought horses at Río Colorado. He carried woven items and blankets and he traded all that. The girl was lost. Then they said she was found petrified on top of a salt bank. Those who saw her got scared an escaped. They went to tell her father and mother, but when they all went to see her, she was no longer there. They did not even find a trace. It is said that nobody could reach that place. The wind was blowing and it was rainy. A thunderstorm. The girl was never seen again. It had to be the gualicho. That is what they said. We know about this from the conversations people used to have. It is called Bajo del Gualicho because the devil lives there. (Compilation by Berta V. de Battini, 1984, from the book Cuentan los mapuches, Nuevo Siglo. Account given by D. Pastora Suarez, Mapuche woman, 1971)