For more than 300 years, the Philippines were a colony of Spain and no place was spared in Spain's desire to convert the Filipinos into Catholicism. The Spanish influence, up to this day, can still be seen, heard and felt in the daily lives of Filipinos. It is reflected in the architecture of buildings both old and new, the Filipino language dominated by Spanish-rooted words and refreshing "siesta" enjoyed by the people at certain times of the day. Most of us can still remember when our grandparents spoke fluent Spanish. These are just a few of the countless ways the Spaniards had influenced the Filipino culture.

The town of Santa Maria was no exception. It shares a similar history as the rest of the country in its Spanish experience. During the Spanish era, religion was the tool in educating people. Catholic missionaries performed religious services in the villages. It had been told that on one of these routine religious visits to the villages, a missionary extended his mission beyond the then most eastern town of Pangasinan, called Asingan (the birthplace of Pres. Fidel V. Ramos), to a sparsely-populated plain by the Agno River. The missionary observed that this village could develop and prosper with ease because of its Ilocano families who impressed him with their hospitality. He decided to befriend them and since that day was the day of the Virgin Mary, he offered mass among the villagers and to commemorate that special day, he proclaimed and named the place Santa Maria in honor of the Virgin Mary.

After the passing of many years, the local founders of Santa Maria transferred its location (presently called Barrio Namagbagan) to its present site near red clay ("de pila") promontory which served as a formidable barrier against erosion caused by the annual overrunning by the Agno River of its banks, thereby preserving the village. The name "Santa Maria De Pila" was therefore coined and adopted for many, many years. This name of the town distinguished it from other towns in the Philippines similarly named in honor of the Virgin Mary. Most past and present residents of Santa Maria, Pangasinan have used the name "Santa Maria De Pila" to refer to their hometown, not only because of nostalgia, but because their town is more noted for the latter unique name even beyond the physical boundaries of the province of Pangasinan.

Santa Maria was founded in January 10, 1855, and was a town of its own until 1863 when it became a   barrio of the town of Tayug. In 1877, it was again granted status a municipality and was run by a Captain. Records indicate that the following served as Captains until 1890 when the Americans came and started their regime: Eugenio Vinluan, Jacinto Anulacion, Rosendo Anulacion, Calixto Ortiz, Cipriano Pasamonte, Domingo Apiado, Laurencio Bautista, Telesforo Carbillion and Pedro Padilla.

The town of Santa Maria is past its reputation as a small, sleepy town dependent on other municipalities for its survival. One of the reasons why it has not prospered as quickly as its neighbors was the lack of good roads connecting it to other towns so that its agricultural produce could be transported no only to the local market but to the other outlying areas. Much has changed since the 1970's. Although it still depends on agricultural and tobacco industries, the past decades have indicated economic growth in other sectors. The vast improvements in its infrastructure system, mainly the construction of concrete-paved roads and reinforced bridges contributed to the steady growth. The town is now a proud location of Pangasinan State University, which has become a focal point of studies, innovation and experimentation in agriculture. Other projects are the construction of a town library and a museum which will both feature facilities and equipments of the latest technology.

The present town administration under Mayor Jose Ginez is continuously pursuing the progress and development of the municipality.