Juan Bigas Moulins

Early years Born in Barcelona, Spain, Juan Bigas Moulins immigrated to Puerto Rico when he was eight years old. His parents were Francisco Bigas and Margarita Moulins. His father established a bakery in Peñuelas, and by age 12 Bigas Moulins was helping in his father's business.

Business Upon the death of his father, Bigas Moulins moved the Peñuelas bakery to the corner of Plaza Degetau and Corcordia streets in Ponce, converting it into a flour and dry goods business called "La Catalina". It was later moved to calle Estrella in Ponce and named "Las Mercedes", operating as a bakery and soda crackers factory business.

Family life Bigas Moulins married in Puerto Rico in 1887.

Legacy

In the 1970s, a building was erected on the block formed between Cantera, Estrella, Salud, and Guadalupe streets in Ponce to replace the original Plaza del Mercado de Ponce Isabel II marketplace building. This original structure was located on the block bounded by Atocha, Castillo, Victoria, and Leon streets. The new building was named the Plaza de Mercado de Ponce Juan Bigas Moulins (Juan Bigas Moulins Ponce Marketplace), in honor of Bigas Moulins. It functioned as Ponce's Plaza de Mercado marketplace for some twenty years while the original Plaza de Mercado Isabel II underwent renovations. In addition to having a building – today called Ponce Servicios – named after him, Bigas Moulins is also honored at Ponce's Park of Illustrious Ponce Citizens.