Barranco was founded in the early 1860s as a fishing camp for Garifuna fishermen from Punta Gorda and quickly settled as a thriving fishing and farming community. In its early history, productive family farms extended from the Temash River all the way to the Sarstoon River. Barranco reached it's peak with a population of 250 in the 1890s.^[1]

Historically Barranco was called Barranco Colorado which means Red Cliff. The reason was a red clay coastline that stands at an elevation of about 15 feet above sea level.^[1]

Santiago J. Aviliz was the alcalde and Hector Loredo the deputy alcalde in 1963. Santiago Avilez died and Ignacio Nicholas replaced him on April 8, 1963 as the alcalde. ^[2]