"BRIEF HISTORY OF SOLSONA ILOCOS NORTE"
In the early part
of the 18th century, settlers from Laoag immigrated to the plains of Solsona
which were then occupied by the illiterate tribes called Itnegs. However, these
settlers did not live permanently in the place. They only built temporary houses
where they would stay during harvest seasons.
In 1788, Solsona was organized with Nicolas Joban as
cabeza de barungay. The first seat of government was in
After the great flood in 1855, the people no longer build
their houses in
In 1904, another flood swept the town, destroying the central
part of the poblacion and the two big barangays, Bago-bago arid Bagbag. Many
damages were incurred. Animals were drowned, houses were destroyed and big trees
fell.
In the same year, Solsona was annexed to Dingras.
However, its annexation did not last long because in 1910 Solsona became
again an independent municipality through the efforts of some leaders of the
town.
Origin of Its Name
The town was first named Kaitnegan, because the first
settlers were Itnegs. In the middle of the 19th century, the place was given
another name, Sonsona (place of pushing), because the Itnegs were
forcibly pushed back to the mountains.
When a team of surveyors arrived in the place to look for a
more suitable town site, they asked the name of the place and received the
answer, "Solsona," because that was how the word sounded to
them. They thought that the name was appropriate, because the place seemed to be
where the sun rises. Thus, the term Sonsona was corrupted and hispanized into Solsona
which sounded better and was more appropriate.
There is another theory regarding the naming of the town.
Instead of adapting the name rancheria, the Spaniards named it Nueva Solsona
after the name of a town somewhere in the northern part of