river La Vieja.
In
1791 received the Spanish crown the title of Judge Populator thus starting the
foundation of the first population of Quindio mountains which he called San Sebastian de la Balsa (now Alcala).
There was another population between Carthage and Ibague.
Its first settlers were from Carthage : Don Ignacio de
Castro, Don Caietano de Castro, Don Francisco Javier de Castro, Don Manuel
Chavez, Benito Caicedo, Jose Anselmo Holguin, Miguel Suarez, Miguel Geronimo
Suarez Garcia Apolinario, Aniseto Aguilar, Jose Antonio Ortiz Francisco Ortiz,
Simon Gálviz, Manuel Rodriguez, Narciso Galindo, Juan de la Virgen, José
Sánchez, Lorenzo Amaya, Manuel Angel Salvador Sabaletas, Rubensindo Torres,
Jose Laurian Pérez, Isidro Selemín, Matías Rugeno, Utanachi Vicente, Miguel
Rivas, José Angel Jose Gálviz, Santiago Guzman Salanilla Julian, Julian Tellez
and Juan Quintero. Marisancena provided them with
food, tools, materials and land to each family have made their home installed.
Also with money built the temple and housing for the priest
with all the ornaments required by the Holy Catholic Church.
Due to its long name was popularized as the hamlet La Balsa,
so knowing until the early twentieth century. His
appearance no longer that of a small village with houses far apart from each
other at the roadside where some services for travelers as food, rest, stable
and blacksmith shop were offered. The houses were made of dried palm roofs, backed with
thick trees, bamboo walls and dirt floors.
The management
