Pococi, Limón, Costa Rica Genealogy

Guide to Canton of Pococi ancestry, family history and genealogy: birth records, marriage records, death records, church records, parish registers, and civil registration.

History

 * During pre-Hispanic times, the Pococí canton region was inhabited by indigenous groups whose culture belonged to the Intermediate Area.
 * At the time of the conquest, in the Suerre region (plains of Tortuguero and Santa Clara, north of the canton) Camaquiri and Cocorí reigned, who were captured and tortured by Diego Gutiérrez y Toledo in 1544.
 * After the independence of Costa Rica in 1821 to open a path through the Central Volcanic Mountain Range that would allow the communication of the Central Valley with the Atlantic.
 * This route, called Camino Carrillo, crossed a jungle and inhospitable region, leaving from San José to a place called Carrillo, near the current city of Guápiles, head of the canton.
 * Both Guápiles and other points along the road began to develop thanks to the cultivation of bananas, undertaken by Minor C. Keith, a railroad contractor, in order to have products to move along the aforementioned railway.
 * On September 19, 1911, the Canton of Pococi was created, segregated from the canton of Limón.
 * On July 31, 1966, the title of city was given to the town of Guápiles.
 * Pococi Canton has a population of approximately 142,000 people.

Civil Registration

 * 1823-1975 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1860-1975 Costa Rica, Civil Registration, 1860-1975 at Ancestry - images ($)

Church Records

 * 1595-1992 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * Iglesia Católica. Sagrado Corazón de Jesús (Guápiles, Limón) Registros parroquiales, 1908-1941 - Click on the link to see the records’ availability.

Cemeteries
Indexes of burials in the cemeteries of the Pococi Canton may be found at findagrave.com
 * 1958-2013 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * Cementerio Municipal de Guápiles
 * Dirección: 6673+HM2, Guápiles, Pococi
 * Cementerio Jiménez
 * Dirección: 6754+7GG, Jiménez, Pococi