Domingo Eyzaguirre

He was born in Santiago, Viceroyalty of Peru, the son of the Basque Domingo Eyzaguirre Escutasolo[2] and of María Rosa de Arechavala y Alday.

He improved the yield of some of the poorest lands by his knowledge of chemistry, introduced modern agricultural implements, and, by giving his laborers better than the accustomed wages and caring for their moral and material welfare, soon assembled a colony of well to do and contented people.

From the first years of his country life he agitated the project of a canal to water the barren plain surrounding Santiago, which had been begun some time before, but was abandoned.

When the independence of Chile was finally established in 1817, he resumed his favorite work, and in 1820, amid great festivities, the canal of Maipo was opened.

A few years later he undertook to establish a large cloth factory, with the object of improving the condition of the poor and giving occupation to women and children.