Regional Office for Culture in Latin America and the Caribbean

Portal of Culture of Latin America and the Caribbean

Ecuador - Trapiche de la Concepción (Concepción Treadmill)

The treadmill is in ruins, the only item left is an ancient boiler, in which the molasses for the sugar loaves was boiled. On one hand, people remember the work in the treadmill as something bitter associated to the period of huasipungo, which they relate to slavery. There are also vestiges of a ditch with the canal that served as water inlet for the treadmill.  

 

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The main reason of the current destruction of the treadmill is the intervention by the community in all the remains of the old country property and the treadmill per se. As an example we may mention the building for the meetings of the parish and the CONAMUNE offices built in the same space where the old house was. The treadmill was in the backyard of the old house, if we are to follow the structure and space distribution implemented by the Jesuits. For this reason, today we can only see the stone and ceramic ruins that would have been a part of or used in some moment in the treadmill. Next to the offices of CONAMUNE there is a stone boiler that was used in the treadmill. 

 

 

Easy access, by car and to the treadmill a short and easy walk
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Concepción Treadmill. . Photo: Edizon León
Concepción Treadmill. Vestiges of the treadmill. Photo: Edizon León

Other data of interest

Ecuador

Historical name

Trapiche de la Concepción (Concepción Treadmill)

Founding Date

Turn of the 18th century

Address

Comunidad de la Concepción  

Classification

Agro-industrial complex

Function-Testimony

Workplace

Access level

Free

Current Use

No use (ruins)

Original use

Treadmill for the production of sugar loaves and coarse rum

Property kind

Community