Firmat facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Firmat
City
Firmat Location in Argentina
Country	Argentina
Province	Santa Fe
Department	General López
Area
• Total	226 km2 (87 sq mi)
Elevation	96 m (315 ft)
Population
• Total	19,757
• Density	87.42/km2 (226.4/sq mi)
Demonym(s)	firmatense
Time zone	UTC-3 (ART)
CPA base	S2630
Dialing code	+54 3465
Website	firmat.gov.ar -->

Firmat is a city in the southern part of Santa Fe Province in Argentina. It is located in the General López area. The city's main activities are farming and businesses that process farm products.

Firmat covers an area of about 226 square kilometers. In 2010, about 19,757 people lived there. The temperature in Firmat usually stays between 10 and 23 degrees Celsius (50 and 73 degrees Fahrenheit) throughout the year.

Discovering Firmat's Past

How Firmat Began

Firmat was founded in 1888. This happened when a new railway station was built there. The railway line was part of the Santa Fe Western Railway.

A Spanish-Argentine investor named Carlos Casado del Alisal helped create this railway. He is known as the founder of Firmat. The local government, called a commune, was officially set up on November 20, 1894.

Sports and Industry in Firmat

Sports quickly became popular in Firmat. The Firmat Football Club started in 1907. Later, in 1922, the Club Atlético Argentino de Firmat was founded.

Firmat grew into an important center for farming in Argentina. Some big companies that provide jobs in the city include Vassalli Fabril. This company makes farm equipment and started in Firmat in 1949. Another well-known company is Nestlé. In 1962, Firmat was officially recognized as a municipality, which means it became a self-governing city. The city has its own local newspaper called Diario Firmat.

The Mystery of the Moving Swing

What Happened in 2007?

In June 2007, something strange happened in a children's playground in Firmat. People noticed that one swing was moving all by itself. It would swing back and forth non-stop for ten days. Other swings nearby stayed completely still.

Many parents and children thought a ghost was making the swing move. One teacher even said a child called it the "Blair Witch Playground." People were convinced the playground was haunted.

Investigating the Mystery

The TV show Fact or Faked: Paranormal Files came to Firmat in 2011 to investigate the swing. The team tried to make the swing move like the original. They found they could do it using a very thin fishing line, but they decided this was not how it was really happening.

After more tests, they put a large inflatable dome over the swing. They then did tests with wind. They found that wind was likely the reason the swing moved. They also noticed that the "haunted" swing was a bit bigger than the others. This meant it could catch more wind, causing it to swing on its own.

Lasting Legends

Even after the TV show, stories about the swing continued. A 2017 article claimed the swing had been moving by itself for five years. It even said the swing would keep moving even when people tried to stop it. Some people still believe the swing is used by the ghost of a small child. They say the child died nearby before the playground was built.

See also

In Spanish: Firmat para niños