It all started with a cattle property called Vuelta del Ombú.
Uruguayan Víctor Navajas, a prominent resident of the city of Santo Tomé and one of its founders, bought the farm. Then one of his sons, Adolfo Navajas, named it Las Marías in 1912, shortly before his death. That same year his widow Concepción Centeno de Navajas moved there with her four children, determined to stay and make a living from the land, adding to the classic cattle raising activity some plantations.
Defying tradition, in 1912 he bought two thousand yerba mate plants and planted them in Las Marías; although he was unsuccessful, the family kept the record of that attempt.
In 1924, Víctor Elías Navajas Centeno, heir to Las Marías, once again challenged the traditions of the region by successfully planting the southernmost yerba mate plantations on the planet
Some time later, Don Victor decided to continue innovating, and started the integral production of yerba mate, from the nursery to the packaging at origin. In 1940, the Taragüi brand began its journey to then stand out in a competitive market.
In this context, the need for a medical service and a school became a priority in Las Marías, in addition to guaranteeing housing for the workers' families. Thus a community was formed with the family spirit that characterizes it to this day.
In the forties and fifties, the incorporation of Don Victor's oldest sons into the productive activity had a multiplying effect. Tea, which had been cultivated in the region of Misiones, also began to be developed in Las Marías in an integrated manner. In just a few years, it achieved top scores worldwide.
On the other hand, the forestations initiated in response to the challenge of taking advantage of low-lying areas unsuitable for yerba mate and tea, gave rise to the development of a growing wood industry.
In the 1960s, Don Victor decided to retire. He resumed intensive livestock farming as an occupation and created the Victoria Jean Navajas Foundation, focused on education and reaching out to the entire community. Some time later, he traveled the world, built the chapel of Las Marias cemetery and died at the age of 64 in Barcelona, on July 10, 1967.
