# History San Ignacio and Santa Elena was established in the mid 1860s as a baccadier or logging camp. In 1881 the Western District (now Cayo) was formed and El Cayo was made the capital.https://www.sisetc.gov.bz/history.php In 1905 the district commissioner was Mr Robert Holmes Franklin.https://ia904501.us.archive.org/35/items/explorationsinde04malerich/explorationsinde04malerich.pdf In the 1930s the construction of the Cayo Road was initiated, and by the 1940s the road had reached the twin villages. In 1949 the [[bridge:25]] was constructed, joining the two villages together. Thereafter the river traffic dried up and goods were hauled over the road from [[settlement:12]]. Before 1949 the only access to the two towns was by boat up the [[waterway:20]] or in the later years by plane. There was an airfield where the Macal River Park is now located. In 1957 the town got electric lights.https://archives.gov.bz/british-honduras-newsletter/ ## Boundaries In 1950 new town boundaries for Cayo and Santa Elena were surveyed and demarcated.https://ia801001.us.archive.org/20/items/colonial-report-brit-honduras-1948/ColonialReportBritHonduras1948.pdf 1978 - S.I. No. 47 Town boundaries defined.https://elections.gov.bz/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Chapter-87S-Town-Councils-Act-Subsidiary-Act.pdf 1981, October 20 - New town boundaries defined with a total area of 33.64 sq. km.https://elections.gov.bz/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Chapter-87S-Town-Councils-Act-Subsidiary-Act.pdf The town did not include Hill View in 2010.https://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/348871468210274213/txt/IPP4320v20P1111BLIC10LCR1SA1P111928.txt 2025, April 1 - all cities and towns in Belize had their boundaries updated. [[settlement:274]] gave up some land to [[settlement:74]] on the east side of the [[waterway:170]] and some borders in the [[settlement:426]] area were slightly redefined. Meanwhile [[settlement:230]] gave up land to [[settlement:36]] and gained some land on the south west along the [[road:7]]. In total the area was reduced by 2.3 sq km to 31.34 sq km. ## Education The Catholic School had 200 students in 1927 and 211 in 1928.Catholic Directory 1927Catholic Directory 1928 On July 16, 2021 the new Santa Cruz Government Preschool was inaugurated.https://archive.channel5belize.com/archives/221481 ## Etymology Father Andrew Bavastro S. J., a Catholic priest, named the area **San Ignacio** in 1870. But in 1881 the Cayo District was established and the village was gradually renamed to **El Cayo**. In the past a creek ran between the [[waterway:170]] and [[waterway:197]] one mile west of [[settlement:230]]. This creek fulfilled the definition of an island (cayo in spanish).https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Ignacio,_Belize On October 19, 1904 El Cayo was officially declared a town as **El Cayo Town**.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Ignacio,_Belize El Cayo was renamed in 1960 to **The Twin Towns of San Ignacio and Santa Elena** by the new mayor Hector Silva.https://ambergriscaye.com/photogallery/180404.html ## Infrastructure On March 19, 1963 these roads were declared to be MAJOR ROADS: Massiah Street: from its junction with the Benque Viejo Road to its junction with Hudson and Eve Streets, Hudson Street: from its junction with Massiah Street and Eve Street to its junction with Burns Avenue and Waight Street, Waight Street: from its junction with Burns Avenue to its junction with Church Street, Burns Avenue: from its junction with King Street to its junction with West Street, George Street: the whole length falling within the suburb of Santa Elena. At the same time these streets were deemed to be one-way streets with no waiting areas: King Street: from its junction with Burns Avenue to its junction with Wyatt Street, running East. King Street: from its junction with Burns Avenue to the western end of Columbus Park, running west. Burns Avenue: from Hawkesworth Bridge to its junction with King Street running North. Rectory Lane: from its junction with West Street to its junction with Burns Avenue, running east. George Street: from its junction with Waight Street to its junction with West Street was declared a quiet zone. ## Police In 1948 an imposing new Police substation was constructed in [[settlement:274]] and completed by 1950.https://ia801001.us.archive.org/20/items/colonial-report-brit-honduras-1948/ColonialReportBritHonduras1948.pdf In 1949 the Administrative Block which includes the Police Station was constructed. At the time the police force consisted of 8 officers and 1 car for transportation.https://ia801001.us.archive.org/20/items/colonial-report-brit-honduras-1948/ColonialReportBritHonduras1948.pdf # Religious Institutions ## Roman Catholic The Roman Catholic Church had 200 attendees in 1894.British Honduras Blue Book 1894 V2 **Church of the Sacred Heart** **Missions** This church was a mission of Our Lady of Carmel in Benque Viejo before 1925.Catholic Directory 1918 In 1925 the Missions of [[settlement:221(1925)]], [[settlement:329(1925)]], [[settlement:501]] and [[settlement:274(1925)]] were transferred from Our Lady of Carmel to San Ignacio.Catholic Directory 1925 In 1928, the missions of Baking Pot, Happy Home and San Jose were added.Catholic Directory 1928 # Social Services ## Education The Catholic School had 51 students in 1927 and 53 in 1928.Catholic Directory 1927Catholic Directory 1928