José María Caro Martínez (; 1830 – 11 November 1916) was a Chilean politician and éMaríaCaroMartícivil servant. In May 1894, he was unanimously elected as the first mayor of the commune of Pichilemu, with Pedro Nolasco de Mira and Francisco Reyes made second and third magistrate respectively. Caro Martínez had previously served for several years as administrator or llavero of the San Antonio de Petrel hacienda and, between 1891 and 1892, was the Subdelegate of the 13th Subdelegation of San Fernando Department which comprised the district of Cáhuil.
The eleven-year mayorship of Caro Martínez, which lasted from 1894 and 1905, was described by journalist and local historian José Arraño Acevedo as "the most fruitful" in the history of the commune. In his four terms, Caro Martínez built roads connecting Pichilemu and San Fernando, capital of the department of the same name, and founded several schools in Pichilemu and parts of current Marchigüe.
He resigned in May 1905 and completed his fourth mayoral term as a segundo alcalde. As a mayor, he was succeeded by Francisco Javier Asalgado who held the office for two non-consecutive terms. Caro Martínez was the father of the following progeny: José María Caro Rodríguez, who became the first Chilean Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church; Francisco Adriano Caro Rodríguez, who became first the regidor for multiple terms intermittently since 1906 and then the eighth mayor of Pichilemu on the resignation of Luis Barahona Fornés in December 1925; as well as Pedro Pablo Caro Rodríguez, a lawyer from the University of Chile who became an active judge in several Chilean cities.
Early life
José María Caro Martínez was born in San Antonio de Petrel, in current Pichilemu, Region of O'Higgins, to Pedro Pascual Caro Gaete and Cayetana Martínez Ríos, in 1830. The exact birth date is unknown, since all the books of the parish of Ciruelos with baptism records between 1830 and 1834 were burnt in a fire. The Caro Martínez family, of "devout Catholics", is described as having a "profound Christian faith," with their members "complying with unblemished devotion their Christian duties." Since he was a child, Caro shaped his personality on the "fulfillment of his duties"; according to a 1944 article from the Pichilemu newspaper, "his personality became even more robust in his youth as he faced an accident whose consequences stood by him until his death."
Like his father, he dedicated his life to agricultural activities, and "managed to raise a small fortune." Caro served for several years as administrator (llavero) of the hacienda of San Antonio de Petrel, property of José Vicente Ortúzar Formas. During his administration of San Antonio de Petrel, the hacienda was "rich", as it "possessed 1,500 cows, [...] and produced yearly 15 thousand sacks of wheat, each of 100 kilograms."
Caro Martínez and his family lived in the Petrel area until the 1880s, when they moved to nearby village Quebrada del Nuevo Reino; he lived there until his death. Caro Martínez became an active member of the parish of Ciruelos. According to journalist José Arraño Acevedo, the archives of the Archiepiscopate of Santiago —which are published yearly— show he was elected as a steward of the Confraternity of the Blessed Sacrament for the years of 1888, 1890, 1892, and 1900.
Political career
Caro Martínez was a member of the Conservative Party of Chile, and was appointed by the party's leaders as the perpetual president of the party's seat in the commune of Pichilemu. In 1891, he was appointed by President Jorge Montt Álvarez as subdelegate of the 13th Subdelegation of San Fernando Department, which comprised the district of Cáhuil, territory of the current commune of Pichilemu. He held the position until 1892, and was succeeded by José Domingo Fuenzalida.
Also in 1891, on 21 December, the commune of Pichilemu was created by the Autonomous Commune Law (), written by Ministry of the Interior Manuel José Irarrázabal Larraín. The new commune comprised the districts of Cáhuil, Peñablanca, and Cocauquén. It was one of the most extensive communes of the department of San Fernando. However, the local government was yet to be established.