Spanish Businessmen and Local Association : An Analysis of the Relation between Campomar and the Sociedad Cosmpolita de Socorros Mutuos de Valentín Alsina in the first Half of the 20th Century

Abstract

The aim of this article is to contribute to the knowledge of the integration process of Spanish immigrants in a particular area in the Buenos Aires‟ province, Valentín Alsina, through the study of the links established between the Campomar company, a pioneer of the national industry, and the Sociedad Cosmopolita de Socorros Mutuos de Valentín Alsina, the first relevant institution in the town. As regard this, we will use a variety of historical institutional resources of the Sociedad Cosmopolita and a documentary collection wich is preserved by the Campomar family. This combination will allow us to offer a view about Valentín Alsina‟s local development and his notable industrial imprint, the mutual institutions‟ characteristics and its relation with the Spanish people‟s economic activities in this area.