Old Quarter of Colon facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Old Quarter of Colon Casco Antiguo de Colón
Historic District of Colon
Old Quarter of Colon Location in Panama
Province	Colón
District	Colón

The Old Quarter of Colon, also known as "Casco Antiguo de Colón," is a special historic area in the city of Colón. People sometimes call it the "Tacita de Oro" (Little Golden Cup) of the Atlantic Coasts. This important district is currently being renovated and rebuilt. It's a place where you can learn about Panama's past and how the country grew.

A Look at Colon's History

The city of Colón was started in 1850. Americans founded it to be the Atlantic end of the Panama Railroad. This railroad was being built to help people travel quickly to California. Many people were rushing to California for the "Gold Rush" at that time.

For some years, the American community living there called the town Aspinwall. They named it after William Henry Aspinwall, who helped promote the Panama Railroad. However, the local Hispanic community called it Colón. This name honored Christopher Columbus.

The city was built on the western side of an island called Manzanillo Island. This island was very marshy and difficult to build on. To construct the railroad, the island was connected to the mainland of Panama. Workers built a causeway, which is like a raised road, to link them. They also drained parts of the island. This made it possible to build strong, lasting buildings for the new city.

See also

In Spanish: Casco Antiguo de la Ciudad de Colón para niños