Title: Gorgona before the Railroad

Source: Gleason’s Pictorial

Date: 1854

Title: Sights in the gold region, and scenes by the way

Source: Library of Congress

Date: 1849

We now approached bolder shores and observed trap rock on some of the banks, while directly in front of us up rose a mountain in the shape of an immense mass of conical verdure from whose  bowels the river seemed to gush into sudden being; but we soon glided around its sweeping base and beheld, on a high bluff beyond, Gorgona, “the place of rocks,” and the welcome termination of our long pilgrimage of forty-one hours, for the accomplishment of as many miles in the tortuous and rapid Chagres. 

WE found at Gorgona a collection of about one hundred houses; and natives in all respects similar to those at Chagres, except that among the former were fewer Creoles. The scenery here partakes of a bolder and more varied character. From the high table-land on which the town is built, mountains rise in every direction, forming a complete amphitheatre perpetually reflected from the sparkling streamlet in their midst. 

Ushered into an adobe house with tiled roof, denominated by the sounding title of Hotel Française. Here joining more of our famished travellers we made furious onslaught upon mule steaks and other delicacies of the season, washed down by some very good 31 coffee and tea or claret. Breakfast, dinner, and tea were continually in progress from morning till night, and the “Française” was the crack hotel of the place. As the sleeping apartments, the hammocks and floors were all, however, “mortgaged” to previous comers, we were fain to take up our abode with the Alcalde, or chief magistrate, of the town; who, besides being the richest man, was notorious as the greatest rascal and cheat in Gorgona. 

Wandering through the village we found a few little shops, embellished sometimes with fancy china ware, but chiefly supplied with aguardiente, wines and cordials; and the rows of empty and half empty bottles showed that the money earned from the Americans had not subserved the cause of temperance. 

Situated on a rising ground, we also discovered the old church or cathedral; and a ricketty old building it is, a large part being entirely in ruins, and the remainder, now in use, being enclosed on one side by a rude board partition, through the chinks of which we could perceive the altar and the images of various saints. 

Title: Wonderful Adventures of Mrs. Seacole in Many Lands.

Source: University of Pennsylvania Digital Library

Date: 1857

Mary Seacole was a Jamaican nurse who left the island after a terrible cholera outbreak that took her mother’s life. She joined her brother in Cruces, Panama and eventually moved to Gorgona where started her own hotel to service the large amount of Gold Rush travelers. She put her nursing skills to use in the disease-ridden area, and eventually went on to fame as a nurse for the British army during the Crimean War. Below is an excerpt from her memoir:

My readers can easily understand that when any Americans crossed the Isthmus, accompanied by their slaves, the Cruces and Gorgona people were restlessly anxious to whisper into their ears offers of freedom and hints how easy escape would be. Nor were the authorities at all inclined to aid in the recapture of a runaway slave. So that, as it was necessary for the losers to go on with the crowd, the fugitive invariably escaped. It is one of the maxims of the New Granada constitution—as it is, I believe, of the English—that on a slave touching its soil his chains fall from him. Rather than irritate so dangerous a neighbour as America, this rule was rarely supported; but I remember the following instance of its successful application. 

A young American woman, whose character can be best described by the word “vicious,” fell ill at Gorgona, and was left behind by her companions under the charge of a young negro, her slave, whom she treated most inhumanly, as was evinced by the poor girl’s frequent screams when under the lash. One night her cries were so distressing, that Gorgona could stand it no longer, but broke into the house and found the chattel bound hand and foot, naked, and being severely lashed. Despite the threats and astonishment of the mistress, they were both carried off on the following morning, before the alcalde, himself a man of colour, and of a very humane disposition. When the particulars of the case were laid before him, he became strongly excited, and called upon the woman to offer an explanation of her cruelty. She treated it with the coolest unconcern—“The girl was her property, worth so many dollars, and a child at New Orleans; had misbehaved herself, and been properly corrected. The alcalde must be drunk or a fool, or both together, to interfere between an American and her property.” Her coolness vanished, however, when the alcalde turned round to the girl and told her that she was free to leave her mistress when she liked; and when she heard the irrepressible cheering of the crowded court-hut at the alcalde’s humanity and boldness, and saw the slave’s face flush with delight at the judge’s words, she became terribly enraged; made use of the most fearful threats, and would have wreaked summary vengeance on her late chattel had not the clumsy soldiery interfered. Then, with demoniac refinement of cruelty, she bethought herself of the girl’s baby at New Orleans still in her power, and threatened most horrible torture to the child if its mother dared to accept the alcalde’s offer. 

The poor girl trembled and covered her face with her hands, as though to shut out some fearful sight, and, I think, had we not persuaded her to the contrary, that she would have sacrificed her newly won freedom for the child’s sake. But we knew very well that when the heat of passion had subsided, the threatener would be too ’cute to injure her own property; and at once set afloat a subscription for the purchase of the child. The issue of the tale I do not know, as the woman was very properly removed into the interior of the country. 

Title: Unknown (Gorgona Train Station)

Source: Canal Zone Images

Date: unknown

Caption: The fences were erected along the tracks after a Government protest against the Conductor’s practice of throwing non-paying passengers off of moving trains.