Coamo is the third oldest town in Puerto Rico having been founded in 1539. Its name is Taino in origin and roughly translates to "broad plain." Its original chapel, La Virgen de Altagracia, was constructed around 1622 and replaced in 1685 with another one, La Virgen de Valvanera. According to legend it was constructed in recognition of answered prayers to that Virgin that ended a cholera epidemic. When originally established Coamo's boundaries were quite extensive and included such present day towns as: Orocovis, Barranquitas, Comerio, Cidra, Villalba, Aibonito, Cayey,Juana Diaz,Santa Isabel, Salinas, Guayama. Arrroyo and Patillas. The following is an incomplete list of ancestors who helped build and develop Coamo in past centuries. It was compiled from: "Coamo: Notas para su Historia" by Ramón Rivera Bermudez. To make it easier for readers to find potential ancestors I put their names, dispersed in various chapters, in alphabetical order.