Rufino Punungbayan, Cayetano Buhay, Januario Punungbayan, Valentin Capacia, Juan Sanggalang, and Diego Inumerable pioneered the establishment of the Town. Don Rufino Punungbayan was the first Gobernadorcillo of the Municipality from 1835-1836.

Calaca is on the eastern portion of the present Poblacion, just on the other side of the Bolbok River. Houses in the municipality were built with “Kalaka” roofing. Over time, the barrio grew and thrived. However, the founders were worried about its location, considering the topography of the surrounding vicinity – it was sandwiched closely by the two ravines on both the east and west sides. Hence, they looked for a better site. The present site – a wide plain – was finally selected to be the site of the Poblacion. Roads were laid out as they are now but were not given names. One road at the back of the present church disappeared because no one cared to pass there.

It was in the latter part of the Spanish regime and the early part of the American military rule that the streets were named, mostly in honor of those who contributed to and worked hard for the welfare of the town.

Years later, Filipinos were hired to teach. One of them was Manuel Agregado, appointed as a teacher in 1905 and later became Auditor-general of the Philippines.

Luckily enough, the Second World War spared Calaca from considerable destruction. The first Japanese soldiers arrived in Calaca in the middle of January 1942. Several months later, they commandeered tillable lands and planted cotton around September 1942. This led to the establishment of the Dai Nippon Bosok KK company which succeeded the Tokatu Cotton Company, an earlier establishment.

Around December 30, 1941, USAFFE soldiers were deployed in different parts of the town. The 41st infantry division was strategically stationed in Dela Paz St. along the western portion of the bank of the Bolbok River. A foxhole was dug extending up north to Maugat from the corner of the old Highway, which is now part of Rodriguez St. It strategically positioned 50 caliber machine guns in the occupied area.

The 41st Infantry division left the municipality on December 21, 1941, for Bataan. Soon after the fall of Bataan on April 9, 1942, the underground movement was organized in Calaca. Many of the Calaqueños joined the organization. Secret meetings were held in houses in the Poblacion to map out plans against the Japanese Imperial Forces.

The guerillas of Calaca helped a lot in the expeditious liberation of the town from the Japanese forces. They cleverly managed the detection of Japanese activities and spied on their positions, trenches, dugouts, strength, food supply and ammunition. The Japanese occupation in Calaca lasted from February 1942 until March 6, 1945, when the American Liberation Forces, along with some guerilla units, entered the town. The war did not cause much destruction to the lives and property of the people in Calaca. Most of those who died were soldiers who fought in Bataan and war prisoners who did not survive the Death March.

Shortly after the establishment of the military government in the archipelago several months after the liberation, Calaca was included in the list of beneficiaries under the Philippine Relief and Rehabilitation Administration.

However, several years later, fear reigned once more in the hearts of the natives. During the height of the campaign of the government against dissidents in the central plain of Luzon, the Hukbong Bayan Laban sa Hapon movement spread as far as the most remote barrios of Calaca. It came to a point when the barrio folk took up arms and fought the Hukbalahap (or Huks).

One by one, they surrendered to the government forces which, in turn, willingly granted them amnesty. Those who remained with the movement were considered outlaws and were later killed in action or liquidated by their companions in consideration of a modest sum offered by the government. Hence, the Huk movement in Calaca was suppressed.