"No,
we do not feel that our gesture in coming
here was a striking
blow against war or that, in itself, will
it have any great effect toward
bringing universal peace among men. But
every wave on the ocean
has its beginning in a tiny ripple somewhere,
and perhaps our action
will be that ripple which starts others
to thinking and acting so that
eventually the wave of public opinion
will attain the desired end." |
Arthur
Rockwell
Founding member of the Monteverde
community |
The community
they named Monteverde was first settled by 11
Quaker (also known as Friends) families, from
Alabama, who decided to leave the United States
and settle in Costa Rica in the early 1950’s.
They did so because of strong beliefs against
the military system in the US and because Costa
Rica had chosen to abolish its army.
They
later wrote, "And so it was that with green
forests, green pastures, and green crops growing
the year round, we named our new found land
Monteverde (Green Mountain)."
The Road
to Monteverde
The decision
to move to Monteverde was taken
after a scouting party of four men
on horseback returned to the central
valley of Costa Rica to tell the
others of their findings. |
|
The
meeting in which the group listened
to the reports from the scouting
party and made their decision to
move to what is now Monteverde.
April. 1951 |
|
Traveling
overland from the United States,
Hubert Mendenhall’s truck
made it to approximately 30 kilometers
outside of Monteverde at which point
the contents were transferred to
oxen and cart for the balance of
the journey. May, 1951 |
|
Monteverde
Day
Rex Benson
wrote in his 1957 article for the
Tico Times, “April 19th is
now 'Monteverde Day' in the colony,
celebrated each year as the anniversary
of the day when the first members
of the group, one of several committees
which had been scouting every part
of Costa Rica, slugged their way
up the final grade onto what was
erroneously described as “Cerro
Plano.” The name is a misstatement
as there is no “level hill”
within sight. But it does slant
off enough from the perpendicular
to be habitable. And to the weary
would-be colonists, who had searched
from the Panamanian border up the
length of the republic and around
over the Nicoya peninsula for land
suitable to their needs, it looked
good.” |
|
Monteverde
Day was celebrated in tandem with
the work bee on the school grounds
in 1956. |
|
April
19th, 1988. A picnic celebrating
Monteverde day at Campbell’s
pasture. |
|
Firsts
The first wedding under the care
of the meeting was held in August
of 1951. The newlyweds exchanged
the standard honeymoon vehicle for
a traditional Costa Rican ox and
cart. |
|
The
first Christmas was celebrated in
the building that housed the meeting/school/general
store. |
|
Work Bees
“Work
bees” were a tradition in
the early Monteverde community.
In his 1957 article for the Tico
Times, Rex Benson wrote, “Each
family has built its own house but,
in the cooperative spirit common
to the Plain People, there is always
a “house raising bee”
for the setting of the foundations
and raising the heavy frame.”
|
|
A
work bee was held on the tent platform
for Lucky and Wolfe’s new
home in 1952. |
|
In
more recent years, students formed
work bees to clear grounds and plant
grass for the current soccer field. |
|
Dairy Farming
The founding
families brought with them their
skill and experience in dairy farming
and cheese production and established
the Monteverde Dairy. Early cheese
production was about 10 kg per day;
today, Monteverde’s cheese
factory produces over 1000 kg of
cheese daily which is in great demand
throughout the country. |
|
The
first dairy plant under construction
in 1953 |
|
The
first cheese tank in production
in 1954
|
|
A New School
Because the
Quakers needed a place in which
to educate their children, they
founded the Monteverde Friends School
soon after their arrival and it
has operated ever since. The first
settlers wrote, “We believe
we should try to create an atmosphere
for our children in which real values,
as we see them are given first place.
As part of this, a school is maintained
in which we try to help our children
grow strong spiritually and mentally.” |
|
The
community at the last Meeting held
in the old building. April 1957 |
|
Current
schoolhouse, completed in 1957.
Lucky Guindon wrote, “There
have been bees and more bees on
the schoolhouse until it was done
enough to move into and start
school. We have Meeting there
and it sure was nice to be able
to wiggle, let alone breathe.
And so much cheerier."
|
|
Integrating
The Quakers
soon became acquainted with the
Costa Rican families of the area.
“The Costa Ricans, with the
innate courtesy of all Latins, were
quick to proffer their assistance
to get the newcomers settled and
teach them the art of existence
where language, food and methods
were all strange. And the friendly
Quakers, whose beliefs acknowledge
no barriers of race, creed or nationality,
returned the gift with sorely needed
medicines and nursing.” Lucky
Guindon wrote in a letter dated
1956, “Humberto Solano (one
of the original Ticos in the area)
stopped in with his wife to be and
her sister the other day. They have
been living in our old house and
have fixed it up real nice for family
quarters. She seemed real nice and
I’ll enjoy having her for
a neighbor. Alejandro will live
with them. The two brothers are
about as nice a people as you’ll
find around here.” |
|
Humberto
Solano and his bride, Cristina.
February, 1957. |
|
|
