Valle de Guerra Resident Shares Life Story of Hardship and Love for Tenerife Town

Valle de Guerra is a valley on the north side of Tenerife, part of the San Cristóbal de La Laguna municipality. It sits between Tacoronte and Tejina. The valley and nearby Mount Guerra are named after Lope Fernández de la Guerra, who was given these lands after Tenerife was conquered. For most of its history, Valle de Guerra was its own town with its own town hall, until it was merged with La Laguna in 1846.

In this lovely part of Tenerife, José Nicanor Hernández Jorge was born in 1946. He was one of triplets and had three siblings. José Nicanor is remembered for his excellent memory and his deep affection for his family and the people of Valle de Guerra. He is married to María del Carmen González Alonso, and they have four children.

Both José Nicanor and María del Carmen had tough childhoods. In those days, life was all about work. By the age of ten, José Nicanor was already working in the fields under Gregorio Dorta. He described it as a difficult time, where he had to work hard just to earn a little money for his family. He worked on several estates, including those belonging to the Marquis, Finca Arroyo, Finca Monteverde, Finca la Condesa, and Isidro Calzadilla's land.

Despite the hardships he faced as a child and young man, José Nicanor is thankful for everything his town has given him. "I love my town as much as my family because I was born here and grew up here," he says with emotion.

Recalling the past in this area of La Laguna, he mentioned that there were fewer people and rural life wasn't easy, but they were happy. They played games like bowling with homemade balls and spun tops, often playing down at the Charca de los Ascanio.

He also spoke about the Nicanor Hernández toll booth, which was located at the bottom of El Boquerón. People had to pay a fee to bring goods into the area. Julián and Federico were in charge of the toll booth. A toll booth, he explained, was a small building at the entrance of towns where taxes were collected on goods, especially food, brought in for sale.

In his youth, Nicanor remembers there were two cinemas, La Paz and El Valle, as well as two gofio mills in Corazón de Jesús and El Calvario.

Nicanor, who is deeply connected to Valle de Guerra, also recalled that at night, people relied on oil lamps and candles for light. A kerosene lamp was considered a luxury for the wealthy.

Among his many memories, Nicanor remembers the Epiphany season, when he received an orange as a gift because there wasn't enough money for toys.

With his past vividly in his mind, José Nicanor Hernández shares his life story from an agricultural area where tobacco, cotton, tomatoes, and bananas once thrived, thanks to the hard work of its men and women.