Toa Baja

Heraldry of the World Civic heraldry of the United States > Puerto Rico

TOA BAJA

Origin/meaning

The waving stripe represents the Toa River, one of the first mentioned in the history of Puerto Rico, and in whose shores Juan Ponce de Leon tried to settle the first population of Puerto Rico.

The keys, crossed in vane, symbolize St. Peter, patron of the town. In similar form they appear in the altar of the Parochial Church San Pedro Apostle, of Toa Baja. The F and the J, represent Don Fernando II of Aragón and V of Castile, and his daughter, Doña Juana, sovereign of Castile and Leon.
The handfuls of yucca refer to one of the main crop of this area, and constitute a symbol of the Indians who cultivated it, and whose main food was cassava or bread of yucca.

The sugar cane stems refer to the cultivation and industry, that represented the main source of wealth of Toa Baja; the wealth is represented by gold of the field of the shield.

Literature : Information and image from Nelson L. Román