An image of Talo’fo’fo’ bay from 1949

An image of Talo’fo’fo’ bay from 1949.

Prior to Spanish colonization, this bay was a hub for several villages. The CHamoru people lived along the Talo’fo’fo’ and Ugum Rivers. There was also a village across the bay in Pikpuk (spelled by the Spanish as Picpuc or Pucpuc). In the hills above the bay, you can find a cave system where Ancient CHamorus drew pictographs, hinting that they may have been used for religious ceremonies or as typhoon shelters.

In 1672, a year after the start of the CHamoru-Spanish Wars, Påle’ San Vitores had a Catholic Church built in Pikpuk, as part of his efforts to reinforce the position of the new religion in the island community. That same year, San Vitores was killed, and the CHamoru-Spanish Wars entered its most violent phase. In 1678, a period of some of the most fighting intense fighting in Guam, Pikpuk was attacked by the Spanish, in an effort to capture anti-Spanish CHamorus. The charge was led by a CHamoru Christian Maga’låhi named Alonso So’on. After the village of Pikpuk was defeated, houses were burned, and twenty beautiful canoes were destroyed by fire.   

Due to the violence of the CHamoru-Spanish Wars, an unknown number of CHamorus fled to other islands in Micronesia, and other islands stopped visiting the Marianas out of fear that they might be next in line for conversion and colonization. For several generations there was very little contact or exchange.  

In the 1780s, a group of canoes led by Luito from Lamotrek in the Caroline islands arrived in Talo’fo’fo’ Bay seeking to trade with the Spanish, helping to re-establish a connection again between Guam, the CHamoru people and the rest of Micronesia.