Beginning with the native Ameridians, they had named the village, "Anaparima", which in their dialect means a single hill. This single hill is the San Fernando Hill which is a rich display of flora, fauna and place of quiet enjoyment. To the Amerindians it was not only their home but a spiritual reservation.
Sir Walter Raleigh was attracted by beauty of the hill while sailing along the Gulf of Paria in 1595. He had stopped to visit the natives and the natural beauty of the hill.
After Raleigh left nothing changed. The natives continued their simple way of living until the arrival of the Capuchin monks from Spain. They came to Savanna Grande and founded a Mission at the foothills of Naparima hill and erected a hut and dedicated it to the Immaculate Conception of our Lady.
Anaparima continued to be a small fishing village until 1786 when a parcel of land was granted by Governor Maria Chacon to Isidore. Vialva to lay out 78 lots around Plaza de San Carlos (Now Kings Wharf) as the nucleus of a town.
Vialva did otherwise. He sold the lands to a Frenchman named Jean Jaillet and San Fernando's first attempt to build a town was aborted by the dishonestly of Isidore. Angered by this, Chacon waited until 1792 to establish a town. He had in mind to build one at La Brea to facilitate the development of commerce and the exploitation of pitch, but he gave up the idea and built one in San Fernando comprising 11 acres on which there were 70 housed, a wooden Catholic Church, a rest house for travellers and a detachment of 50 soldiers. Chacon called it San Fernando de Naparima in honour of the infant Prince Ferdinand of Asturias, who later became King Ferdinand VII of Spain.
The centre of the town was Plaza de San Carlos. From that point ran four streets-St. Vincent, Chacon, Penitence and Quenca. Of this early town there is no trace because fire completely destroyed it in 1818.
During that time sugar was the main crop in the Naparimas. French immigrants either owned large sugar plantations or managed them for absent landlords. During that period, two Martiniquans, Francis Cazabon and Rose Cazabon, nee Debonne arrived in Trinidad. Rose gave birth to a son called Jean Michel at Corinth estate in 1813. Jean Michel later became the great painter of the Caribbean after studying art in France.
In those days San Fernando was linked to Port of Spain by sea. Merchants were anxious to develop trade between San Fernando and the French islands of Martinique and Guadeloupe. In response to this, Governor Sir Ralph Woodford granted to the town a loan of $40,000 in 1817 to erect a jetty at Kings Wharf. Although it was built in 1817, it was not until 1837 that it was declared a port of call.
Making use of this port were several steamships which used to transport goods and passengers from Port of Spain and San Fernando. The first was the SS Woodford. It made its first voyage in 1818. There were also the "Paria" and the "Lady Mc Leod".
The Lady Mc Leod made local history when its captain, David Bryce, made a device for franking goods transported on the ship. This device was fashioned into a postage stamp, the first to be issued in the British Commonwealth. It is called the Lady Mc Leod stamp, fetching as much as $90,000 on the stamp market.
The Lady Mc Leod steamer sank off the coast of Vistabella in 1854, but its large brass bell which was located on the steamer's deck was recovered. It is now placed in the foya of the San Fernando City Hall.
San Fernando has been recognised for its diversity in religion. During the 1840 to 1900 many religious bodies came to San Fernando. They include the Anglicans, Methodist, Hindus, Moslems, Protestants and Presbyterians.
In 1845 hundreds of East Indian indentured workers came to San Fernando from different parts of India to work on the sugarcane estates in and around San Fernando.
In 1868 Rev. George Lambert of the United Presbyterian Church started his operations at Cipero Street. This was the nucleus of the Presbyterian mission of which Rev. John Morton, and Dr. Kenneth Grant were early pioneers.
As early as 1856 Rev. William Gamble, a Baptist Minister, after taking charge of the southern districts, moved the Mission from Princess Town to San Fernando and built a manse and church on Harris Promenade. The site of the church in now occupied by the National Insurance Offices. In the forecourt of the building is a stone monument called "Soteria" which was erected in 1991 to mark the 40th year of the liberation of the Shouter Baptists.
From this mixture of people came many noteworthy citizens including Francis Cazabon, who as early as 1845 made representations to have San Fernando become a borough. On October 18, 1845 San Fernando became a borough. The inaugural meeting was held on February 16, 1846, and in 1853 Dr. Robert Johnstone was elected first Mayor of the borough.
Party politics took control of the council's deliberation in 1959 when the council was controlled by members of the People's National Movement. They were defeated however in 1986 by the National Alliance for Reconstruction (NAR). It was during the NAR's term of office that a motion was debated and approved to change San Fernando to a city. The planned date was October 18, 1988, but due to constitutional difficulties it was postponed to November 18.
The people who have lived in this city have varied backgrounds. They are descendants of the global world. Many are young while others are not so young. Regardless of their ethnic background or ages they live harmoniously together. Not many of them are descendants of the original settlers.
Those living in the city came in search of many things such as oil, highland, health and riches. Some found what they sought while others did not. Yet all have found an incomparable place in which to live, to search and explore. And many have found riches other than those sought and have stayed to become rich in living.