Mills in Alto Aragón — central eléctrica
Hecho
Hecho is a nucleus of Valle de Hecho a village
in the Jacetania region. You should find it on any decent map of the region. The mill is situated
just outside the village at the North side. Take the HU-V-2131 towards
Siresa.
Just at the last houses at the right side of the road, there is a branch to the right.
At the left side there is enough space to park a vehicle. From there you may walk to the mill which is in sight.
The entrance was tightly closed; we therefore have no pictures of the situation inside.
Pictures: 11.i.2016
(1) The mill of Hecho seen from the South West.
The mill is probably a construction from the early 20th century.
In El Diario de Huesca of January 13th of 1908 on page 3 we can read:
Hace pocos días se inauguró en la villa de Hecho un nuevo y hermoso
molino harinero, construido merced á la iniciativa de aquellos simpáticos habitantes.
También tendrán los vecinos de Hecho muy en breve el alumbrado eléctrico.
Reciba la importante villa nuestra felicitación por esas mejoras que tanta utilidad han de prestar al vecindario.
A few days ago a new and beautiful flour mill was inaugurated in the town of Hecho, built thanks to the initiative of those friendly inhabitants. The residents of Hecho will also have electric lighting very soon. May the important town receive our congratulations for these improvements that are so useful to the neighborhood.
News about the mill of Hecho can again be found in El Diario de Huesca of March 5th of 1908 on page 2:
Hemos saludado en estos días, con mucho agrado, á los señores D. Pedro Lagrava y D. Leandro Coarasa, de Hecho, muy queridos amigos nuestros, venidos á la capital por asuntos particulares.
Nos han informado del entusiasmo, muy justificado, del vecindario de aquella villa,
por las importantísimas mejoras del alumbrado y del molino eléctrico.
Las instalaciones están muy adelantadas con la perfección de que se ocupó nuestro ilustrado corresponsal Sr. Brun. Pronto se darán por terminadas para la inspección y comprobación correspondientes, previos y necesarios á la inauguración oficial.
We have greeted these days, with great pleasure, Mr. Pedro Lagrava and Mr. Leandro Coarasa, in fact, very dear friends of ours, who have come to the capital [Huesca, that is] on private business. We have been informed of the enthusiasm, very justified, of the neighborhood of that town, for the very important improvements in lighting and the electric mill. The facilities are very advanced with perfection which our illustrious correspondent Mr. Brun took care of. They will soon be finished and ready for inspection and verification, prior to and necessary for the official inauguration.
(2) The mill in Hecho seen from the North West.
It took a while before the production of electricity could really start.
In El Diario de Huesca of September 7th of 1909 on page 2 we have found
the following news:
La Comisión provincial en sus últimas recientes sesiones, han despachado,
informándolos favorablemente los expedientes de proyectos de instalaciones eléctricas:
… Otro, instado por D. Pedro Lagraba, vecino de Hecho, en demanda de permiso para instalar dos líneas
de conducción de energía eléctrica desde un molino de la Sociedad
«Electra Harínera Chesa» á las poblaciones de Hecho y Siresa con
destino al alumbrado público y al particular de ambas y para el movimiento
de una sierra mecánica de maderas.
The Provincial Commission in its last recent sessions, has treated and approved applications for electrical installation projects: ... Another, urged by Mr. Pedro Lagraba, a resident of Hecho, in demand for permission to install two lines of electrical energy from a mill of the Sociedad «Electra Harínera Chesa» to the villages of Hecho and Siresa for public and private lighting of both villages and for the movement of a mechanical wood saw.
(3) Entrance below the porch.
(4) Pressure pit.
It is interesting to notice that in the trade yearbooks of the time
(Bailly-Bailliere 1908
†, 1911
‡)
Pedro Lagraba is not the miller, but the owner of a cafe, groceries, and knitwear (only 1911) shop.
The millers listed for both years are
Miguel Terren
and
Manuel Sanchez respectively.
According to the Guía General de Aragón of 1924 (¶) Hecho enjoys public lighting and the mill was operated by
Juan Cabana for the aforementioned Society which was created in March 1907 (¥).
A study about the valley (
¥) also mentions some former millers: Miguel de la Flaira,
Lanaspa, Machín, Mercader, Domingo de Chandardéu, and several more, some with an indication
of the years in which they were active. Not all the data seem to fit, however, Sanchez f.e. figures in the yearbook of 1911
‡ but he was the miller only for 1914-15 according to the study (
¥).
(5) Canal arriving at the mill.
(6) Grate protecting the pressure pit.
The maps of the Instituto Geográfico Nacional (MTN50, sheet 144)
of 1933 show no lines coming from the mill. In the edition of 1954 however power lines are present.
One line goes to the north to Siresa, and another one south to Hecho and stops there without
extension to the saw mill 1 km south of the village.
The saw mill receives its electricity from the mill of Aragües del Puerto: a line of 7 km long which
also services Urdués about halfway. The line from the mill of Aragües comes from (or goes) further south
and it may be that the electricity came from much further away (in the 1940s power for the saw mill
came from Castiello de Jaca
¥).
(7) South wall with cárcavo and bank of insulators.
(8) Staires leading to the cárcavo.
(9 – 10) Mouth and inside of the cárcavo.
(11) Bank of insulators.
†: Bailly-Bailliere — 1908 —
Anuario del Comercio, de la Industria, de la Magistratura y de la Administración de España,
sus Colonias Cuba, Puerto-Rico y Filipinas, Estados Hispanoamericanos y Portugal.
— Editorial de Bailly-Bailliere e Hijos, Madrid.
‡: Bailly-Bailliere — 1911 —
Anuario del Comercio, de la Industria, de la Magistratura y de la Administración de España,
sus Colonias Cuba, Puerto-Rico y Filipinas, Estados Hispano-Americanos y Portugal.
— Casa Editorial Bailly-Bailliere, Madrid.
¶: Roman Garcia Garate — 1924 —
Guía General de Aragón, Navarra, Soria y Logroño.
Imprenta Editorial V. Campo, Huesca.
¥: Constancio Calvo Eito — 2015 —
Valle de Hecho – Estudio antropológico y etnológico.
ISBN 978-84-8321-459-6
