The province formerly known as Tayabas, now Quezon, was explored by the Spaniards in 1571 and 1572 when Juan de Salcedo visited and explored upon the order of the first Spanish Governor General of the Philippines, Miguel Lopez de Legaspi, the central portion of Tayabas in his march across Laguna to Paracle. The following year, Salcedo led his famous expeditions around the northern coast of Luzon. He visited the "CONTRACOSTA" town of Casiguran, Baler and Infanta.

In 1574, the municipality of Gumaca, then called Bumaka was founded by father Diego de Oropesa, who found a group of native barangays with their own culture and government.

The territory which now constitutes the province of Tayabas was at one time under the jurisdiction of various provinces. The southern and central portions, for example, were in 1585 under the jurisdiction of the province of Bonbon, sometimes called Balayan (now Batangas). The northern portion was divided between Laguna and Nueva Ecija , while the other portion was divided into the provinces of Mindoro , Marinduque and Camarines .

In 1591, Taybas was created into a province under the name of Kalilayan. Its capital was the ancient town of Tayabas, now a barrio in the town of Unisan; where ancient tombs and artifacts can be found. However, by the middle of the 18^th century the provincial capital was move to what is now the Municipality of Tayabas.

The year 1595 marked the spiritual birth of Quezon Province with its incorporation into the Dioceses of Nueva Caceres. The first Catholic Bishop of the province was Fray Francisco Ortiga, and Agustinian Friar, while its first Alcalde mayor was Don Simeon Alvarez, who served from 1625 to 1655.

Quezonians are generally peaceful, passive, friendly, generous and hospitable like most of the Filipinos, although not as deeply religious as the Bicolanos, they are not law- abiding and God- fearing citizens.

Quezon Province have famous sons like Oscar Zalameda,world acclaimed painter; Dick Baldovino, talented photographer known all over Asia, Pepe Merto, internally famous musical composers from Pagbilao, and Father Horasio dela Costa, a Jesuit author and historian.

The Guintong Yaman Ng Quezon which was inaugurated on August 4,1978 coinciding with President Quezons Centennial celebration, is a show window of the cultural heritage of the province, especially that of the late President Manuel L. Quezon.

Quezon Province may be rightfully called the cradle of Filipino nationalism in the same way that Cebu is referred as the cradle of Christianity for in her bosom were born great and uncompromising nationalist such as Quezon and Recto.


ETHNIC ORIGIN OF THE PEOPLE

           Presumably, the native of Bumaca (now Gumaca) were
         descendants of Datu Dumangol and Balkasuso, the pioneering Malay            Datus, who,together with other 8 datus, secretly left the Island of            Borneo, about the middle of the 13^th century, due to the tyrannical
         rule of Sultan Makatunaw and who in turn founded the colonies in            Taal, Batangas which later on spread out toward Laguna Bay
         and penetrated south to the Bicol Peninsula passing the region
         now known as Quezon.  (Philippine History- Gregorio F. Zaide).

             Except for a small group of Dumagats and Negritos who live in            
            nomadically in the hinder lands of Infanta, General Nakar, and
            other forested parts of the province, no other signuificant
            number ethnic tribes is known.

             Another event in the annuals of Tayabas is the revolt of the
          
        "COFRADIA" in 1841. This revolt was led by Apolinario dela Cruz,
           once  a lay student in the San Juan de Dios Hospital. The rebellion             spread to few towns in the neighboring provinces of Laguna and             Batangas. Apolinario was called by his followers "the King of the             Tagalogs".

             Like many other provinces in the country to join the revolution. On             August 15,1898, General Miguel Malvar took possession of Tayabas
           in the name of the Revolutionary Government only to relinquish it to              the American forces upon his surrender in 1902 to the Americans.

            Civil government was establish in Tayabas on March 12,1901 with             Lucena as the capital, with Hon. Cornelius Gardiner as its first
           Governor and H.H. Bandholtz as his successor. On June12,1902, the            district of Principe, formerly as dependency of Nueva Ecija, and the            district of Infanta, including Polillo, formerly a dependency of
          Laguna, were annexed to Tayabas. Six months later, Marinduque,             which up to that time has been a separate province was also
          annexed to Tayabas.Marinduque is now a separate province.

            Quezon’s peaceful loving people were not spared from the
          Japanese  atrocities, for on December 23,1941, what would have             been a joyous Christmas celebration was disrupted by the landing
          of Japanese heroes in the beaches of Atimonan.

           On September 7, 1946, Tayabas was changed to "Quezon Province"             by virtue of Republic Act No. 14 which was signed by His
           Excellency, President Manuel A. Roxas in honor of its most
           illustrious son, Manuel Luis Quezon of Baler, First President of the              Philippine Senate and the Commonwealth of the Philippines.