[1] Its origin dates back to 1872, when the old bed of the Río de Oro was filled with the earth that had been extracted to form its new riverbed.

In 1900, the then general commander of the square, Venancio Hernández Fernández, decided to transform the extensive plain that was used as a training camp for the troops and a dumping ground for the population into a forest park.

In 1907 a small temple was built in the center of the park and the commemorative lantern was installed in honor of General Hernández, paid for by a popular subscription initiated by El Telegrama del Rif.

[2] Between 1927 and 1930, pergolas were built, kiosks and walkways were removed, the most important ones were paved and a collection of archaeological remains was installed in the basement of the temple.

At the beginning of the 1930s, the roundabout at the end of the park was lost and the archaeological collection was moved to the area around the Puerta de la Marina, and a public library was installed in the basement of the temple.