In 1885 when Damaso Tamayo was the Governadorcillo (later on called Capitan Municipal) of Palanas, Cataingan was just a barrio which owed its allegiance to the mother town of Palanas.

The site on which the present town is located had been a part of the pasture land of Don Jose Muños, a Spaniard who was then resident of Manila. His administrator, Don Fernando Orizando built several corrals in the interior part where cattle were kept at night. Those corrals to graze in the meadows, the animals strolled to all parts of the pasture, so that every place was practically covered with manure. Because of this manure which covered daily the present site of the town, the people always referred to it as “Kataijan” meaning the place of manure. People localhost/wordpress the different place who visited this place used to call it “Kataijan”. In the course of time between 1881 and 1882, and because of its derogatory connotation, the inhabitants through the advice of Alejandro Yanson changed it to “Cataingan” which has close derivation localhost/wordpress its original name.

Along the shore of the bay Alejandro Yanson, Anastacio Deogrades and several others built their houses which later on formed into barrio, under the strong leadership of Alejandro Yanson, the inhabitants sought the help of Don Jose Cabañas, governor of Palanog (now Masbate) for the separation of Cataingan as an independence municipality.

Accordingly in 1884, the petition was sent to the governor thru Damaso Tamayo, the Governadorcillo of Palanas. This petition was later on submitted to Manila for approval. On July 7, 1885, the separation of Cataingan as an independent municipality was approved by Governor Terrero. Immediately after the separation of Cataingan, Alejandro Yanson was appointed Capitan Municipal, and Anastacio Deogrades as Teniente Absolute