So we all know that technology is awesome, for the most part. We are able to see things miles and miles away from simply typing in some words and BAM there is the Eiffel Tower on our screen. But more importantly we can see where our ancestors lived.
By looking at the 1930 Census and using Google Maps I was able to look at where my great grandparents had lived during that time. My great grandfather Alejandro Rivera González born in 1883 married for the third time in 1922 with Mercedes Ortiz Marrero who was only about 18 years old. Alejandro was originally from Toa Alta, Puerto Rico while Mercedes was from Corozal, Puerto Rico. In 1930, both were living together in the barrio Mercado in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
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| Alejandro & Mercedes in 1930 living in Mercado, San Juan |
Along the left-hand side you can see that it says they were living on Calle Lucila Silva in Mercado, San Juan, Puerto Rico. By typing in Cll (Short for Calle) Lucila Silva into Google Maps I was able to find it on the map. Calle Lucila Silva is actually located inside La Perla located near the Fort of El Morro in Old San Juan. Ironically, if always passed near this place every time I go visit Puerto Rico not knowing that my great grandparents lived in that neighborhood. The neighborhood unfortunately isn’t very welcoming to outsiders due to the high issues with drug trafficking so it wouldn’t be safe for me to roam around and find Calle Lucila Silva.
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| Calle Lucila Silva in La Perla, San Juan, Puerto Rico |
If you notice, La Perla is located very close to the Santa Maria Magdalena de Pazzis Cemetery. Here it is said that my great grandmother is buried! I didn’t even know this as well until last year when I spoke to an aunt in Puerto Rico. So hopefully I’ll be able to head into that cemetery and check to see if she really is buried in there! The story goes they had a plot in the cemetery so they buried her in there, my guess is that maybe her husband Alejandro Rivera González is buried in there who passed away before her. I guess we’ll find out soon! Thanks to the power of technology we’re able to figure out things like this!