Rafael Rivera Esbrí (2 July 1870 – 9 November 1965) was Mayor of Ponce, Puerto Rico from 1915 to 1917.
Early years Rivera Esbri was the son of Ramón Rivera Alvarado and Julia Esbri.Puerto Rico, Civil Registrations, 1885-2001 He married Faneta Bengoa y Larrauri and had a daughter named Lili Belen, born around 1904.1910 United States Federal Census. His great-grandson is actor Benicio del Toro.Historic Buildings and Structures in Ponce, Puerto Rico. Jorge L. Perez (El Nuevo Dia) and Jorge Figueroa (Ponce Municipal Historian). Text accompanying Drawing No. 20, titled "Tumba de los Bomberos". Puerto Rico Historic Buildings Drawings Society. 2019. Accessed 4 February 2019.
El Polvorín Rivera Esbri is best remembered for an incident that has little to do with his work as mayor. He is remembered as the only civilian who in the company of seven of Ponce's firefighters confronted and brought under control the fire of 25 January 1899 that took place at the American munitions depot in the city of Ponce, located where the Ponce High School is currently located. Rivera Esbri and the others did this in defiance of an order from the American military officials not to attempt to fight the fire.Comentario del libro "El Rostro Oculto de la Desobediencia Civil", by José Enrique Ayoroa Santaliz Their bravery is said to have saved the city from total destruction.
Obelisk In 1906,Pergamino Continua Desaparecido. the Legislature of Puerto Rico issued a proclamation to declare Rafael Rivera Esbri and the seven firefighters heroes officially. In time, the city of Ponce also built an obelisk to their memory which is located at Plaza Las Delicias (See Monumento a los heroes de El Polvorín), and is dedicated to Rivera Esbri and the seven firefighters who risked their lives in the 25 January 1899 fire. Rivera Esbri's name, along with those of the firefighters are engraved on the obelisk.Obelisk to the Heroes
Mayoral work As mayor, Rivera Esbri founded, in 1916, the cemetery at Barrio Coto Laurel in Ponce.Coto Laurel Cemetery Rivera Esbri founded Partido Ponceño, which was short-lived, and around 1950 he ran for mayor of Ponce.Mariano Vidal Armstrong. Ponce, Notas para su Historia. Second edition. 1986. p. 78.
Death and burial Upon his death, Rafael Rivera Esbri was buried at the mausoleum reserved for Ponce firefighters in the Monumento a los heroes de El Polvorín at Cementerio Civil de Ponce.Conmemoran 113 aniversario del Fuego del Polvorín en Ponce: Los “Héroes del Polvorín” son: Rafael Rivera Esbri, Juan Romero, Rafael del Valle y Valle, Cayetano Casals, Pedro Sabater, Gregorio Rivera, Pedro Ruiz y Tomás Rivera. Primera Hora. 27 January 2012. Accessed 4 September 2018. He is the only civilian non-firefighter in the mausoleum. He died on 9 November 1965 at age 95.Puerto Rico, Civil Registrations, 1885-2001.
Honors In Ponce there is a street in Urbanización Las Delicias of Barrio Magueyes named after him.
See also
Ponce, Puerto Rico List of Puerto Ricans List of mayors of Ponce, Puerto Rico 25 de Enero Street
References
Further reading Fay Fowlie de Flores. Ponce, Perla del Sur: Una Bibliográfica Anotada. Second Edition. 1997. Ponce, Puerto Rico: Universidad de Puerto Rico en Ponce. p. 216. Item 1109. Cayetano Coll y Toste. Boletín Histórico de Puerto Rico. San Juan, Puerto Rico: Cantera Fernandez. 1914–1927. (Colegio Universitario Tecnológico de Ponce, CUTPO). Fay Fowlie de Flores. Ponce, Perla del Sur: Una Bibliografía Anotada. Segunda Edición. 1997. Ponce, Puerto Rico: Universidad de Puerto Rico en Ponce. p. 174. Item 893. Ramon E. Bauzá. Con la ventana abierta...era mejor cuando era peor. San Juan, Puerto Rico: Cordillera. 1996. (UPR-RP; CUTPO)