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In 2006 I had the honor of visiting Don Pedro Mendez Valentin, one of the founders of Los Enchaquetaos in Moca. Don Pedro built a small building in back of his home, which after my first two visits, he took me on a tour of.
It was a small plywood building with a pitched roof, whose stairs led to an interior lined with shelves. On them were objects that he collected for many years– bottles of products bottled in Moca, that included various sodas, liquors and even seltzer water.
Besides bottles, there were paperweights, a barber’s kit, things that he understood had no value for those discarding them, but that had historic value as the material culture of Moca’s past. Times were changing, and he was fascinated by what was left in its wake.
Moca actually had its own soda and seltzer plants, small businesses that older people remembered, but it was Don Pedro who saved the bottle. Labels identified what area of Puerto Rico the bottles were from.
It was not only bottles, but other things that spoke of the past– a carved wooden handle that ended in a long sharp point was actually used to test the curing of bales of tobacco. One poked it in and could tell by the smell of the residue whether a bale was ready or not. Underneath are some of the cast iron weights used in a scale.
The soda bottle is from La Puertorriquena, a plant established in Moca that lasted from 1925-1932. It seems the owner was one FC Benejam, whose name appears on top of the logo. The bottle originally had a plug with a metal wire that sealed it. According to Angel M. San Antonio’s Hojas Historica de Moca (2004, p.127), the company made cola, lemonade, raspberry, vanilla and cream of anise flavored sodas. Among the employees were Esteban Lorenzo Mendez (chemist), Cayo Mendez, Chilo Mendez, Antonio Hernandez Lebron, Pablo Gerena & Polo el de Trevo. Their sodas were popular across the district of Aguadilla. I’m not sure if the Mendez mentioned were related to Don Pedro or not.
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Ellen, el Blog está fenómeno. Creo que están haciendo patria ya que así la gente conoce mejor a P.r. y a Moca con todos sus encantos.
Comment by haydee Reichard March 27, 2009 @ 11:57 pmTe felicito a ti y los que te ayudan,
Cariños,
Haydée Reichard
I enjoyed reading your first article on your blog about Don Pedro Mendez Valentin.
Comment by Danny Nieves April 3, 2009 @ 7:18 pmWonderful idea. These are the things that keep our history alive. People like Mr. Pedro Méndez that see the value in preserving artifacts and people like you that bring it to our attention.
Comment by Evelyn M. Hutto April 3, 2009 @ 8:00 pmCariños, Evelyn
This is great Ellen! I just read this and it made me very happy to see Don Pedro Mendez who I and my family know personally. Don Pedro is a descendant of the Founding Father of Moca. I have this information and still have not had the opportunity to tell him. Hopfully I can give him this information next time I go to Puerto Rico.
Comment by Carlos Soto May 2, 2009 @ 1:53 pmI am always searching for new articles in the WWW about this subject. Thanks.
Comment by Looriason December 13, 2009 @ 2:03 amThis is such a wonderful article. Pedro Mendez is my grandfather and I almost cried when I saw this. Unfortunately, the collection does not exist anymore. I remember spending my summers at my grandparents house and always hanging out in the casita with grandpa and looking at all his collectibles. I visited in June 2010 and my grandpa is doing well and I’m hoping to get back there again soon. Thank you again for such a wonderful article.
Comment by Debbie Leon September 17, 2010 @ 8:02 pmDeb