Río Gallegos does not have a foundation record. In 1875, a small captaincy made of adobe was erected. Later on it was abandoned. In 1883, Manuel Coronel occupied that hut. In December 1885 the Marine Subprefecture was set up, close to Coronel´s hut. In 1886 Lieutenant Agustín del Castillo built a stall and a little shed to perform his exploitation tasks and French Gastón Voille built a dive. In 1887 the new governor Ramón Lista, who replaced Carlos M. Moyano, requested and obtained authorization to transfer the capital from Puerto Santa Cruz to Río Gallegos, in order to keep a close watch on Cabo Vírgenes gold wealth. It was December 20th 1887. Towards the end of 1887, Woodman and Rodman and Antonio Férnandez settled down in the incipient city. In the beach, Herbert Felton built a shed. The capital legal transfer was carried out by law only in 1898. The count of persons of Río Gallegos reached 150 persons at the 1895 census. In 1900 the population had ascended to a thousand but the upward rhythm stopped abruptly, the enthusiasm fell and stagnation took place; to such an extent that in thirty years the population had increased only in 2,000 inhabitants.

The first patagonian City Hall was in Chubut. The Welsh people had the public institutions in the flesh, with the idea of the popular sovereignty in the blood. The second City Hall arose in Viedma that we, Argentinians, inherited the self-respect from Spain. The third one was in Río Gallegos. The Commune birth like an authentic expression of the neighborhood will, happened here in the latter part of 1907. That was a time of many novelties for us: the first Council; the appearance, although brief, of an important newspaper; the foundation of a prestigious mutual entity, etc. Before there had been Development Commissions, appointed by the Governor. Later on, there were also Municipial Commissions, if not inspectors, that from the City Hall "tree" many wanted to make firewood in their own way, instead of looking after it with love and diligence, to make it grow straight and vigorous... On 1 December 1907 the first popular elections in Río Gallegos were held. The neighborhood was called in order to choose its first Municipal Council. It was in the days of Governor Dr. Candiotti.The act was calm, being elected Dr. Victor A. Fenton, Manuel Ferrari, Enrique Schroeder, Pedro Larrqandart and Ulpiano Álvarez. Mr. Lisandro B. González was elected Justice of the Peace.

Until 1959 the official foundation date of Río Gallegos City, although it was not totally ignored, passed unnoticed for most citizens because it did not exist until then a law establishing that day as the one in which indeed the construction of the stalls for Subprefecture had been begun. It was 1885, in the presence of Captain Moyano. However, a provincial deputy from Río Gallegos: Marcelino Álvarez, presented a bill to the House of Deputies with that purpose, which obtained unanimous sanction on October 2, 1959. The text of the above mentioned bill states: The Legislative Power of Santa Cruz Province passes with force of Law: "Section 1° - Every year on December 19, it will be celebrated the foundation anniversary of Río Gallegos City, capital of the Province." "Section 2° - The ceremonies to be carried out will be presided over by the authorities of the Province, being the City Hall of Río Gallegos responsible of their organization." "Section 3° - Of Form." In the exposition of the reasons of his project, the author insists on the necessity that each town of the Province celebrates its foundation date, pointing out that until then only Puerto Deseado did. Then he explains that "Río Gallegos had its origin in the erection of the primitive Marine Subdelegation, antecedent of the Marine Subprefecture, name that gets later on. That division was created by Ordinance dated on July 5, 1877 but its construction took place eight years later." Deputy Álvarez adds that "on December 19, 1885 the stalls construction works began, in fact in the same place where School N° 19 nowadays is" (Roca Avenue and Magallanes). He continues saying that "the fact is very well documented in the Villarino Vessel logbook and on the notice of Coronel Muratore, subscribed by Captain Don Federico Sphur and by Frigate Lieutenant Don Miguel Lazcano, respectively." He considers later that "in the mind of every Río Gallegos citizen, the memory of the facts will serve to develop the conscience of a merit that will increase as the years go by." Deputy Álvarez concludes his exhibition of reasons attached to the project, saying he hopes that identical initiatives in other towns of the Province take place, and highlights the courtesy of Mr. Juan H. Lenzi who provided data for doing the project.