"BRIEF HISTORY OF SAN NICOLAS ILOCOS NORTE"

    San Nicolas was formerly a small village inhabited by the descendants of Indonesians and Malays. In 1641, a group of Spanish traders sailed along the northwestern coast of Luzon , bartering their products with those of the natives. Unfortunately, their boat was wrecked near the coast of Laoag City. They landed on the shores and then finally moved to San Nicolas where they settled permanently.

    They intermingled with the natives and later on intermarried with them. When they increased in number, they formed a pueblo, a rural community, and named it San Nicolas in honor of San Nicolas de Tolentino.