Rafael Rivera Esbrí

Rafael Rivera Esbrí
Rafael Rivera Esbrí
	Mayor Rafael Rivera Esbrí
113th Mayor of Ponce, Puerto Rico
	In office; 2 January 1915 – 2 January 1917
Preceded by	Simón Moret Gallart
Succeeded by	Luis Yordán Dávila
Personal details
Born	2 July 1870
Died	9 November 1965; Ponce, Puerto Rico
Nationality	Puerto Rican
Spouse(s)	Fausta Bengoa
Relations	Benicio del Toro (great-grandson)[1]
Profession	Handyman[2]

Rafael Rivera Esbrí (2 July 1870 – 9 November 1965) was Mayor of Ponce, Puerto Rico from 1915 to 1917.

Early years

Rivera Esbri was the son of Ramón Rivera Alvarado and Julia Esbri.[3] He married Faneta Bengoa y Larrauri and had a daughter named Lili Belen, born around 1904.[4] His great-grandson is actor Benicio del Toro.[5]

El Polvorin

Rivera Esbri is best remembered for an incident that has little to do with his work as mayor. He is remembered as the only civilian who in the company of seven of Ponce's firefighters confronted and brought under control the fire of 25 January 1899 that took place at the American munitions depot in the city of Ponce, located where the Ponce High School is currently located. Rivera Esbri and the others did this in defiance of an order from the American invaders not to attempt to fight the fire.[6] Their bravery is said to have saved the city from total destruction.[7]

Obelisk

In 1906,[8] the Legislature of Puerto Rico issued a proclamation to officially declare Rafael Rivera Esbri and the seven firefighters heroes.[9] In time, the city of Ponce also built an obelisk to their memory which is located at Plaza Las Delicias (See Monumento a los heroes de El Polvorin), and is dedicated to Rivera Esbri and the seven firefighters who risked their lives in the 25 January 1899 fire. Rivera Esbri's name, along with those of the firefighters are engraved on the obelisk.[10]

Mayoral work

As mayor, Rivera Esbri founded, in 1916, the cemetery at Barrio Coto Laurel in Ponce.[11] Rivera Esbri founded Partido Ponceño, which was short-lived, and around 1950 he ran for mayor of Ponce.[12]

Death and burial

Upon his death, Rafael Rivera Esbri was buried at the mausoleum reserved for Ponce firefighters in the Monumento a los heroes de El Polvorín at Cementerio Civil de Ponce.[13] He is the only civilian non-firefighter in the mausoleum. He died on 9 November 1965.[14]

Honors

In Ponce there is a street in Urbanización Las Delicias of Barrio Magueyes named after him.

References

Historic Buildings and Structures in Ponce, Puerto Rico. Jorge L. Perez (El Nuevo Dia) and Jorge Figueroa (Ponce Municipal Historian). Text accompanying Drawing No. 20, titled "Tumba de los Bomberos". Puerto Rico Historic Buildings Drawings Society. 2019. Accessed 4 February 2019.
Puerto Rico, Civil Registrations, 1885-2001
Puerto Rico, Civil Registrations, 1885-2001
1910 United States Federal Census.
Historic Buildings and Structures in Ponce, Puerto Rico. Jorge L. Perez (El Nuevo Dia) and Jorge Figueroa (Ponce Municipal Historian). Text accompanying Drawing No. 20, titled "Tumba de los Bomberos". Puerto Rico Historic Buildings Drawings Society. 2019. Accessed 4 February 2019.
Comentario del libro "El Rostro Oculto de la Desobediencia Civil", by José Enrique Ayoroa Santaliz Archived 20 October 2008 at the Wayback Machine
"Album Histórico de Ponce", by Ruth Fortuño Sellés
Pergamino Continua Desaparecido. Archived 21 February 2010 at the Wayback Machine
Univison
Obelisk to the Heroes Archived 21 February 2010 at the Wayback Machine
Coto Laurel Cemetery Archived 21 March 2009 at the Wayback Machine
Mariano Vidal Armstrong. Ponce, Notas para su Historia. Second edition. 1986. p. 78.
Conmemoran 113 aniversario del Fuego del Polvorín en Ponce: Los “Héroes del Polvorín” son: Rafael Rivera Esbri, Juan Romero, Rafael del Valle y Valle, Cayetano Casals, Pedro Sabater, Gregorio Rivera, Pedro Ruiz y Tomás Rivera. Primera Hora. 27 January 2012. Accessed 4 September 2018.
Puerto Rico, Civil Registrations, 1885-2001.