The city of Yauco was named after the river Yauco which was originally known as coayuco by the Ta�nos, meaning "yucca plantation".
The area of Yauco was considered as the capital of "Boriken" (Ta�no name of Puerto Rico) and was governed by Ag�eybana, the most powerful Ta�no "cacique" (chief) in the island. All the other Caciques were subject to and had to obey Ag�eyban�, even though they governed their own tribes. Upon Ag�eyban�'s death in 1510, his nephew, G�eyban� (also known as Ag�eyban� II), became the most powerful Cacique in the island. Ag�eyban� II had his doubts about the "godly" status of the Spaniards. He came up with a plan to test these doubts; he and Urayo�n (cacique of A�asco) sent some of their tribe members to lure a Spaniard by the name of Diego Salcedo into a river and drown him. They watched over Salcedo's body to make sure that he would not resuscitate. Salcedo's death was enough to convince him and the rest of the Ta�no people that the Spaniards were not gods. This in turn led to the failed Ta�no rebellion of 1511.
In 1755, the Spanish settlers of the region built a small chapel and named it "Nuestra Se�ora del Sant�simo Rosario" (Our Lady of the Rosary). The settlers sent Fernando Pacheco as their representative to the Spanish Government, to request the establishment of a municipality, since one of the requisites to such a request, the establishment of a place of worship, had been met. On February 29, 1756, the King of Spain granted the settlers their request and the town of Yauco was established. Fernando Pacheco was named First Lieutenant of War of the new town.
19th century Corsican immigration
The island of Puerto Rico is very similar in geography to the island of Corsica and therefore appealed to the many Corsicans who wanted to start a "new" life. Under the Spanish Royal Decree of Graces, the Corsicans and other immigrants were granted land and initially given a "Letter of Domicile" after swearing loyalty to
