The city was initially founded between 1771 and 1776 but was soon after
abandoned during the War of Independence. It was settled again shortly
after the Restoration War in 1865.
Dajabón is located on the Dajabon
River, also known as the Masacre River due to its connection to the
Parsley Massacre of an estimated 20 to 30 thousand Haitians ordered by
Trujillo in 1937. The river is shallow enough to make crossing on foot
prevalent. The bridge across the river connects Dajabón to its larger
Haitian sister city of Ouanaminthe. On Mondays and Fridays, Haitians are
permitted to temporarily cross the bridge to sell their goods which
mainly consist of the supplies donated to them by various organizations.
Most of the goods are used clothes, shoes, and house-wear. On these
days, an area of 20 square blocks of the city becomes a crowded business
place. In addition to the Haitians, Dominicans go to the market to sell
their food (vegetables grown in their part of the country)
