Trelew, Argentina

Trelew is a city in the Chubut Province of Patagonia. The population is about 85,000. It has a small commercial center, several neighborhoods, and some "villas," which are comparable to the Brazilian favelas, in which the houses are made of tin metal or pressed cardboard. The living conditions in these villas are very harsh, because winters of -10 C are common. As of 2005, unemployment is high and the city is losing population.

History

Trelew’s foundation is linked with the Welsh settlement of Patagonia, the leaders of which were Captain Sir Love Jones Parry, Madryn Baron, and Lewis (Luis) Jones, who acted as spokesmen to deal with the Argentine government beginning in the 1860s.

Trelew was established in 1886 as head station for the railway track that linked the Lower Chubut River Valley to Puerto Madryn, with railway building equipment and 400 settlers arriving on July 28 of that year on the steamer Vesta. The town was named Trelew in honour of Lewis, tre meaning "town" in Welsh and Lew being an apocope for Lewis.