Colonia Díaz
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Colonia Díaz was the first permanent Mormon colony in Mexico, located along the
Casas Grandes River The Casas Grandes River is a river of Mexico. See also *List of rivers of Mexico This is a list of rivers of Mexico, listed from north to south. There are 246 rivers on this list. Alternate names for rivers are given in parentheses. Rivers flowi ...
in the northwest of the state of
Chihuahua Chihuahua may refer to: Places *Chihuahua (state), a Mexican state **Chihuahua (dog), a breed of dog named after the state **Chihuahua cheese, a type of cheese originating in the state **Chihuahua City, the capital city of the state **Chihuahua Mun ...
,
Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
. It is now a
ghost town Ghost Town(s) or Ghosttown may refer to: * Ghost town, a town that has been abandoned Film and television * Ghost Town (1936 film), ''Ghost Town'' (1936 film), an American Western film by Harry L. Fraser * Ghost Town (1956 film), ''Ghost Town'' ...
bordered on the east by the
Sierra Madre Occidental The Sierra Madre Occidental is a major mountain range system of the North American Cordillera, that runs northwest–southeast through northwestern and western Mexico, and along the Gulf of California. The Sierra Madre is part of the American C ...
. It was the nearest colony to the
Mexico–United States border The Mexico–United States border ( es, frontera Estados Unidos–México) is an international border separating Mexico and the United States, extending from the Pacific Ocean in the west to the Gulf of Mexico in the east. The border traver ...
. By 1900, Díaz had grown to 623 inhabitants. In 1912, during the
Mexican revolution The Mexican Revolution ( es, Revolución Mexicana) was an extended sequence of armed regional conflicts in Mexico from approximately 1910 to 1920. It has been called "the defining event of modern Mexican history". It resulted in the destruction ...
, Colonia Díaz was intentionally burned and destroyed. Other neighboring colonies were established after Colonia Díaz in the late 19th century, of which only
Colonia Dublán Colonia Dublán began as a Mormon colony, located in the state of Chihuahua (state), Chihuahua, Mexico. It is now a part of Nuevo Casas Grandes Municipality. It is one of two surviving Mormon colonies in Mexico (the other being Colonia Juárez, C ...
, sixty miles south of Colonia Díaz, and Colonia Juárez, 18 miles southeast of Colonia Dublán, are still inhabited. Humans have lived in the Casas Grandes area for at least 1,900 years. The
Mormon Mormons are a religious and cultural group related to Mormonism, the principal branch of the Latter Day Saint movement started by Joseph Smith in upstate New York during the 1820s. After Smith's death in 1844, the movement split into several ...
settlement was established in 1885 mostly to provide refuge for plural families escaping the
Morrill Anti-Bigamy Act The Morrill Anti-Bigamy Act (37th United States Congress, Sess. 2., ch. 126, ) was a federal enactment of the United States Congress that was signed into law on July 1, 1862 by President Abraham Lincoln. Sponsored by Justin Smith Morrill of Vermo ...
, especially after the 1878
Reynolds v. United States ''Reynolds v. United States'', 98 U.S. 145 (1878), was a Supreme Court of the United States case that held that religious duty was not a defense to a criminal indictment. ''Reynolds'' was the first Supreme Court opinion to address the First Amen ...
ruling against polygamy. Therefore, Colonia Díaz is an early example of a
planned community A planned community, planned city, planned town, or planned settlement is any community that was carefully planned from its inception and is typically constructed on previously undeveloped land. This contrasts with settlements that evolve ...
. Farming and stock raising became an important economic factor in the valley during the colonists' presence. By the time Colonia Díaz was ransacked during the Mexican Revolution, the colony had approximately 300 families. By the 1st of August 1912, all American families had left Colonia Díaz, none of which returned.


History

Prior to the arrival of settlers in late-19th century, the
Apache The Apache () are a group of culturally related Native American tribes in the Southwestern United States, which include the Chiricahua, Jicarilla, Lipan, Mescalero, Mimbreño, Ndendahe (Bedonkohe or Mogollon and Nednhi or Carrizaleño an ...
people lived in the Casas Grandes valley along the river of the same name. Mexican hunters and trappers avoided the area because of fear for the Apaches. The first
Mormon pioneers The Mormon pioneers were members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), also known as Latter Day Saints, who migrated beginning in the mid-1840s until the late-1860s across the United States from the Midwest to the S ...
to settle in Mexico established temporary camps adjacent to the Casas Grandes River. Within weeks Colonia Díaz was established as the first permanent Mormon colony in Mexico. The name came from then Mexican President
Porfirio Díaz José de la Cruz Porfirio Díaz Mori ( or ; ; 15 September 1830 – 2 July 1915), known as Porfirio Díaz, was a Mexican general and politician who served seven terms as President of Mexico, a total of 31 years, from 28 November 1876 to 6 Decem ...
,The Deseret Weekly
Volume 48, page 573 (Google eBook); Deseret News Company, 1894.
whose general policy encouraged foreign colonization. No report has been found of clashes between the Apache Indians and the Mormon colonizers. In 1888 settlers then founded
Colonia Dublán Colonia Dublán began as a Mormon colony, located in the state of Chihuahua (state), Chihuahua, Mexico. It is now a part of Nuevo Casas Grandes Municipality. It is one of two surviving Mormon colonies in Mexico (the other being Colonia Juárez, C ...
, south of Colonia Díaz. By mid-1890 the settlers in Díaz had planted some 2000 shade trees, 15,000 fruit trees and 5,000 grape vines in the fertile soil of the
Casas Grandes Casas Grandes (Spanish for ''Great Houses''; also known as Paquimé) is a prehistoric archaeological site in the northern Mexican state of Chihuahua. Construction of the site is attributed to the Mogollon culture. Casas Grandes has been design ...
valley, where Colonia Díaz was established. All orchards and pastures surrounded the community, which consisted of a compact grid of about 140 blocks. None of the Mormon colonies had local political leadership. All civil decisions were made locally by LDS bishops and the Stake President. A request was submitted in 1911 to then Chihuahua governor Abraham González for town leadership for Colonia Juarez, Colonia Dublán and Colonia Díaz. The decision for self-government was postponed and never reached due to the civil unrest of the Mexican Revolution centered in Chihuahua. Mormon settlers in Mexico maintained friendly relationships with President Díaz. In 1901 colony leaders made two visit to the Mexican President reporting on the settlers industry, education and economic development. Although considered a dictator by the LDS communities, Díaz was praised for his religious tolerance. It probably was that favorable relationship with the President that caused Colonia Díaz to be the only Mormon colony to be completely burned to the ground during the Mexican Revolution.


Pre-Columbian culture

The largest identified settlement in Northern Chihuahua is known today as Paquimé or Casas Grandes. Casas Grandes was probably a backwater until about 1200 CE when
pochteca ''Pochteca'' (singular ''pochtecatl'') were professional, long-distance traveling merchants in the Aztec Empire. The trade or commerce was referred to as ''pochtecayotl''. Within the empire, the ''pochteca'' performed three primary duties: market ...
(traders) from the
Aztec The Aztecs () were a Mesoamerican culture that flourished in central Mexico in the post-classic period from 1300 to 1521. The Aztec people included different Indigenous peoples of Mexico, ethnic groups of central Mexico, particularly those g ...
empire or other Mesoamerican states to the south turned it into a major trading center. A diametrically opposed theory is that Casas Grandes was established by the elites of the
Anasazi The Ancestral Puebloans, also known as the Anasazi, were an ancient Native American culture that spanned the present-day Four Corners region of the United States, comprising southeastern Utah, northeastern Arizona, northwestern New Mexico, a ...
from the north who were fleeing their homeland during its decline. A third theory speculates that Casas Grandes is a community that grew over time to dominate its region and adopted some religious and social customs from the civilizations of Mesoamerica. The language the inhabitants of Casas Grandes spoke is unknown. Given the Mesoamerican influence on Casas Grandes
Nahuatl Nahuatl (; ), Aztec, or Mexicano is a language or, by some definitions, a group of languages of the Uto-Aztecan language family. Varieties of Nahuatl are spoken by about Nahua peoples, most of whom live mainly in Central Mexico and have smaller ...
was probably widely spoken but it was not the primary language of the people. For unknown reasons, Casas Grandes was abandoned in about 1450. In 1565 nearby Indians, non-agricultural nomads, probably
Suma Suma may refer to: Places * Suma, Azerbaijan, a village * Suma, East Azerbaijan, a village in Iran * Sowmaeh, Ardabil, also known as Şūmā, a village in Iran * Suma-ku, Kobe, one of nine wards of Kobe City in Japan ** Suma Station, a railway ...
or Jano, told The Spanish explorer
Francisco de Ibarra Francisco de Ibarra (1539 –June 3, 1575) was a Spanish-Basque explorer, founder of the city of Durango, and governor of the Spanish province of Nueva Vizcaya, in present-day Durango and Chihuahua. Biography Francisco de Ibarra was born a ...
that a war with village dwellers, the
Opata The Opata (written Ópata in Spanish, pronounced with stress on the first syllable: /ˈopata/) are three indigenous peoples of Mexico. Opata territory, the “Opatería” in Spanish, encompasses the mountainous northeast and central part of the ...
, four days journey west had caused the abandonment of Casas Grandes and that the inhabitants had moved six days journey north. That suggests the people of Casas Grandes joined the
Pueblos The Puebloans or Pueblo peoples, are Native Americans in the Southwestern United States who share common agricultural, material, and religious practices. Currently 100 pueblos are actively inhabited, among which Taos Pueblo, Taos, San Ildefonso ...
on the
Rio Grande The Rio Grande ( and ), known in Mexico as the Río Bravo del Norte or simply the Río Bravo, is one of the principal rivers (along with the Colorado River) in the southwestern United States and in northern Mexico. The length of the Rio G ...
in New Mexico. The Casas Grandes people might've also migrated west to
Sonora Sonora (), officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Sonora ( en, Free and Sovereign State of Sonora), is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the Administrative divisions of Mexico, Federal Entities of Mexico. The state is d ...
and joined or became the Opata whom the Spaniards found in the mid-16th century living in small but well-organized city states called “statelets.” It is also possible that Casas Grandes was abandoned because opportunities were greater elsewhere. Other communities in the Southwest are known to have been abandoned in favor of a new home.


First missionaries

Brigham Young Brigham Young (; June 1, 1801August 29, 1877) was an American religious leader and politician. He was the second President of the Church (LDS Church), president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), from 1847 until his ...
, the president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the time, sent an expedition of missionaries led by Dan W. Jones to Mexico to investigate the possibility of preaching to the Mexican communities and to search for probable settlement options. The missionaries met with several local and regional officials and found a favorable opinion. Mexican president Porfirio Díaz was also known to encourage foreign settlements. This friendly environment encouraged settling first in Arizona through the end of the 1870s. After Young's death, the settling projects in Mexico shifted from a proselyting foundation towards finding a refuge for families that had adopted plural marriage and felt threatened by the US Government's prosecution of polygamists. Even though plural marriage was illegal in Mexico, government officials welcomed the benefits of foreign investments and colonization by Americans and their resources, ignoring their cultural differences. In January 1885, LDS President John Taylor visited the Mexican states of Sonora and Chihuahua, selecting the
Casas Grandes Casas Grandes (Spanish for ''Great Houses''; also known as Paquimé) is a prehistoric archaeological site in the northern Mexican state of Chihuahua. Construction of the site is attributed to the Mogollon culture. Casas Grandes has been design ...
valley for the place where settlements were to be established. Several ambassadors were sent from
Salt Lake City Salt Lake City (often shortened to Salt Lake and abbreviated as SLC) is the Capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Utah, most populous city of Utah, United States. It is the county seat, seat of Salt Lake County, Utah, Sal ...
to negotiate purchasing of the lands and for official arrangements of foreign colonists to be accepted in Chihuahua. In May 1885 approximately 400 prospective settlers, mostly plural families from Arizona established temporary camps on the shores of Casas Grandes River. Most of the settlers arrived before land negotiations were completed. They were forced to wait in their temporary camps, where money, resources and comfort were compromised. Within weeks most colonists in Casas Grandes were reduced to poverty and sickness. Surprisingly, President Díaz interceded in behalf of the colonists, which lead to the first official settlement, named by their intercessor: Colonia Díaz.


Mexican Revolution

In February 1911,
Francisco I. Madero Francisco Ignacio Madero González (; 30 October 1873 – 22 February 1913) was a Mexican businessman, revolutionary, writer and Public figure, statesman, who became the 37th president of Mexico from 1911 until he was deposed in Ten Tragic Da ...
entered the state of Chihuahua from his brief exile in the US border and led 130 men in an attack on Casas Grandes, south of the Mormon colonies, initiating the Mexican Revolution. Up to that point, the Mormon colonists had established a friendly relationship with their Mexican neighbors. During the initiation of Madero's revolt, there were some efforts made by local officers to enlist the loyalty of the Mormon settlers to the federal ranks. Nevertheless, the settlers maintained a position of neutrality during the developments surrounding them. The LDS Church's headquarters had also endorsed a policy of strict neutrality. The unstable conditions in the Country didn't affect the Mormon colonies much, except for occasional stealing of pasture fences, horses and cattle used mostly for beef. Madero was actually known to produce receipts for the confiscated goods taken from the colonists, in case the Revolution triumphed. There were no reports of plundering by the Federal Government. Strain in Chihuahua increased after the fallout of
Pascual Orozco Pascual Orozco Vázquez, Jr. (in contemporary documents, sometimes spelled "Oroszco") (28 January 1882 – 30 August 1915) was a Mexican revolutionary leader who rose up to support Francisco I. Madero in late 1910 to depose long-time presid ...
from Madero's ranks. Orozco's rebellion was funded mostly from confiscated livestock, which he sold in Texas, and where he bought weapons and ammunition. Once it was known that the Mormon settlers had arms, a small force of 35 men led by Enrique Portillo was sent among the colonies to disarm them. On July 12, 1912 a rebel leader by the last name of Arriola confiscated all the flour from Colonia Díaz
gristmill A gristmill (also: grist mill, corn mill, flour mill, feed mill or feedmill) grinds cereal grain into flour and Wheat middlings, middlings. The term can refer to either the Mill (grinding), grinding mechanism or the building that holds it. Grist i ...
and ordered their guns to be surrendered by the next day.
Thomas D. Edwards Thomas D. Edwards (1847–1935) was the U.S. Consul (representative), Consul at Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, 1905–17 and Cornwall, Ontario, 1919–22. Biography Edwards was born on April 30, 1847, in Floyd, New York to John and Mary Evans, immigrants ...
, the U.S.
Consul Consul (abbrev. ''cos.''; Latin plural ''consules'') was the title of one of the two chief magistrates of the Roman Republic, and subsequently also an important title under the Roman Empire. The title was used in other European city-states throug ...
at
Ciudad Juárez Ciudad Juárez ( ; ''Juarez City''. ) is the most populous city in the Mexican state of Chihuahua. It is commonly referred to as Juárez and was known as El Paso del Norte (''The Pass of the North'') until 1888. Juárez is the seat of the Ju ...
, approved the refusal of giving arms and ammunition to the revolutionary forces. The colonists' senior official, Junius Romney, met with the rebels' leader Amador Salazar about the issue of the taking arms against the colonists' will. Salazar agreed to leave the colonies alone on condition that they didn't interfere with the revolution. Salazar and Orozco had signed guaranties for the colonies. A few weeks later the violence intensified in Chihuahua leading to more rebel groups staking the colonies in search for weapons and other goods. On a train trip to
El Paso El Paso (; "the pass") is a city in and the seat of El Paso County in the western corner of the U.S. state of Texas. The 2020 population of the city from the U.S. Census Bureau was 678,815, making it the 23rd-largest city in the U.S., the s ...
, Texas on July 14, Salazar told Romney that tensions escalated with the American colonists because of his belief that the US Government had made alliances with Mexican president Madero.United States Congress. Senate. Committee on Foreign Relations
Investigation of Mexican affairs: preliminary report and hearings of the Committee on foreign relations
United States Senate, pursuant to S. res. 106, directing the Committee on foreign relations to investigate the matter of outrages on citizens of the United States in Mexico, Volume 3, Part 2, page 2723-2755; (Google eBook).
In El Paso, Romney was instructed by LDS apostle and former Casas Grandes colonist
Anthony W. Ivins Anthony Woodward Ivins (September 16, 1852 – September 23, 1934) was an apostle of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) and was a member of the church's First Presidency from 1921 until his death. Early life and fa ...
to make decisions on behalf of the colonies should violence escalated too quickly. On July 17, LDS President Joseph F. Smith and the
First Presidency Among many churches in the Latter Day Saint movement, the First Presidency (also known as the Quorum of the Presidency of the Church) is the highest presiding or governing body. Present-day denominations of the movement led by a First Presidency ...
sent a wire agreeing that the course pursued by the Mormon colonists ought to be determined by Romney and his Stake leadership. Finally, in the end of July 1912 Salazar called upon Romney to inform him that he had withdrawn all guaranties favoring the colonies. Orozco had given the order that no American in Mexican soil could be allowed to own weapons. The raid began in
Colonia Dublán Colonia Dublán began as a Mormon colony, located in the state of Chihuahua (state), Chihuahua, Mexico. It is now a part of Nuevo Casas Grandes Municipality. It is one of two surviving Mormon colonies in Mexico (the other being Colonia Juárez, C ...
with the looting of the Union Mercantile Bank. Romeny agreed with the colonists to give up their weapons and ammunition. All families were driven from Colonia Díaz on July 28. Colonia Juarez came next in the raid on July 29, followed by Colonia Pacheco. During the collection of weapons, the Mormon colonists began shipping the women and children off their lands. The decision was made locally, since the colony leaders felt it was too dangerous to wait for confirmation from
Salt Lake City Salt Lake City (often shortened to Salt Lake and abbreviated as SLC) is the Capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Utah, most populous city of Utah, United States. It is the county seat, seat of Salt Lake County, Utah, Sal ...
. The rebels fled to the mountains on July 31 while the Mexican Army appeared and engaged as many rebels remained in the valley. Some colonists returned to Colonia Juarez and Dublán. The state of destruction in Colonia Díaz was so large, no colonist ever returned to that land.


Geography

Colonia Díaz was established in a flat within the
Casas Grandes Casas Grandes (Spanish for ''Great Houses''; also known as Paquimé) is a prehistoric archaeological site in the northern Mexican state of Chihuahua. Construction of the site is attributed to the Mogollon culture. Casas Grandes has been design ...
valley, 40 miles directly south of the
Mexico–United States border The Mexico–United States border ( es, frontera Estados Unidos–México) is an international border separating Mexico and the United States, extending from the Pacific Ocean in the west to the Gulf of Mexico in the east. The border traver ...
and 18 miles from the border at the point where the boundary line makes a square angle of
Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...
. The area has no mountains within a radius of approximately 15 miles. The
Sierra Madre Occidental The Sierra Madre Occidental is a major mountain range system of the North American Cordillera, that runs northwest–southeast through northwestern and western Mexico, and along the Gulf of California. The Sierra Madre is part of the American C ...
that divides the states of
Sonora Sonora (), officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Sonora ( en, Free and Sovereign State of Sonora), is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the Administrative divisions of Mexico, Federal Entities of Mexico. The state is d ...
and Chihuahua is about 50 miles from where Ciudad Díaz was located. The
Casas Grandes River The Casas Grandes River is a river of Mexico. See also *List of rivers of Mexico This is a list of rivers of Mexico, listed from north to south. There are 246 rivers on this list. Alternate names for rivers are given in parentheses. Rivers flowi ...
ran through Colonia Díaz from the southwest in a southeastern direction. A few natural disasters hit the area where the Mormon colonies were established. The
1887 Sonora earthquake The 1887 Sonora earthquake occurred at 22:13 UCT on 3 May in the Teras mountain range of northwestern Mexico. It was widely felt, with some damage being recorded up to from the epicenter in both Mexico and the United States. The earthquake had an ...
caused landslides and fires in the mountains affecting mostly the colonies settled on the Sierra Madre Occidental. Some houses in Colonia Díaz suffered damage as a result of the earthquake, mostly the houses roofed with heavy log rafters that were untied to the adobe walls and fell in when the walls collapsed. Heavy and unexpected snowfall would also affect the colony's crop business. Colonia Díaz sat along the flood-prone banks of the Casas Grandes River. In 1908 heavy rains overflowed the river, which flooded Colonia Díaz and most of the surrounding fields. The flood washed away the precautionary sandbags and the town's
levee A levee (), dike (American English), dyke (English in the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth English), embankment, floodbank, or stop bank is a structure that is usually soil, earthen and that often runs parallel (geometry), parallel to ...
, as well as houses and furniture. Many residents lost their business from the flood.


Location

Colonia Díaz was located in northern Chihuahua. The nearest Mexican city was Ascensión, four miles north of Díaz. El Paso, Texas is 200 miles north and the city of
Chihuahua Chihuahua may refer to: Places *Chihuahua (state), a Mexican state **Chihuahua (dog), a breed of dog named after the state **Chihuahua cheese, a type of cheese originating in the state **Chihuahua City, the capital city of the state **Chihuahua Mun ...
is 250 miles south of the location where Colonia Díaz existed. In 1886 Colonia Díaz consisted of 7000 acres. Subsequently 27,000 acres were purchased to add to the community. The trip from
Utah Valley Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to its ...
to Colonia Díaz took three months. Most settlers actually traveled in a hurry for the fear of arrest from the Marshals that were enforcing the laws against polygamy.Karl Young
Early Mormon Troubles in Mexico
''
BYU Studies ''BYU Studies Quarterly'' is an academic journal covering a broad array of topics related to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ( Mormon studies). It is published by the church-owned Brigham Young University. The journal is abstracted ...
'', Vol 5, No 3 (1964).
The first settlers of Colonia Diaz located at the banks of the Casas Grandes River. Instead of using their wagon boxes as homes, they initially made dugouts along the bank of the river, plastered them with mud and let it dry, then covered them with the wagon tarps. The fronts of these dugouts were later rocked up, providing adequate temporary homes until they could build better ones.


Demographics

By March, 1894 there were 80 families of members of
the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a Nontrinitarianism, nontrinitarian Christianity, Christian church that considers itself to be the Restorationism, restoration of the ...
(LDS Church) and 660 inhabitants. All houses and the LDS meetinghouse were built of Mexican adobe without a rock foundation. Growth of population was steady but limited by several factors, primarily
transmissible diseases In medicine, public health, and biology, transmission is the passing of a pathogen causing communicable disease from an infected host individual or group to a particular individual or group, regardless of whether the other individual was previous ...
including
malaria Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease that affects humans and other animals. Malaria causes symptoms that typically include fever, tiredness, vomiting, and headaches. In severe cases, it can cause jaundice, seizures, coma, or death. S ...
,
typhoid fever Typhoid fever, also known as typhoid, is a disease caused by '' Salmonella'' serotype Typhi bacteria. Symptoms vary from mild to severe, and usually begin six to 30 days after exposure. Often there is a gradual onset of a high fever over several ...
,
diphtheria Diphtheria is an infection caused by the bacterium '' Corynebacterium diphtheriae''. Most infections are asymptomatic or have a mild clinical course, but in some outbreaks more than 10% of those diagnosed with the disease may die. Signs and s ...
and
smallpox Smallpox was an infectious disease caused by variola virus (often called smallpox virus) which belongs to the genus Orthopoxvirus. The last naturally occurring case was diagnosed in October 1977, and the World Health Organization (WHO) c ...
.


Economy

Settlement in Colonia Díaz was founded largely on farming and stock raising. Significant trade in flour happened due to a
gristmill A gristmill (also: grist mill, corn mill, flour mill, feed mill or feedmill) grinds cereal grain into flour and Wheat middlings, middlings. The term can refer to either the Mill (grinding), grinding mechanism or the building that holds it. Grist i ...
built in 1891. In 1894 a prosperous candy business was reported to have made several thousand pounds of candy from Mexican sugar. Several mills and a broom factory were also in operation in Colonia Díaz. In 1891 many of the men in Colonia Díaz worked and donated resources for the building of the Mexican Northern Pacific railway, although without much compensation. The summer rain of that year was unusually low, so the crops of Northern Mexico were scarce. Most of that year up to the summer of 1893 was characterized by a general destitution of food and clothing. After the summer of 1893 conditions were favorable leading to a prominent fair in October 1896 with local and national officials attending. Subsequent fairs became a notorious feature in the economic prosperity of the colony. Colonia Díaz did not rely entirely on their own wells for irrigation. Most of the water supply for the farming lands came from a large spring on the neighboring mountains, conducted down the flats by way of a wide ditch several miles long.The Deseret Weekly, Volume 45, No 5; page 181
"Mormon" energy and thrift
Accessed 23 Jan, 2014
The inhabitants of Colonia Díaz raised everything they ate except for flour, sugar, and salt which were purchased at the stores. Besides farming and ranching, some residents earned a living as shoemakers, blacksmiths, tanners, carpenters, masons, and a few were store owners, miners and many worked on cattle ranches for their Mexicans neighbors.


Culture

All residents of Colonia Díaz were active members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and religion was at the very center of the colony's culture. Church services were held in a large one-room schoolhouse that could be divided into four separate rooms with hanging curtains. Most residents participated in dances every Friday. The community also celebrated American holidays and some Mexican holidays, especially
Cinco de Mayo Cinco de Mayo ( in Mexico, Spanish for "Fifth of May") is a yearly celebration held on May 5, which commemorates the anniversary of Mexico's victory over the Second French Empire at the Battle of Puebla in 1862, led by General Ignacio Zaragoz ...
. Theater was a constant cultural entertainment, including melodramas, dramas, and comedies.


Education

Schooling was an important priority in Colonia Díaz. The school subjects included geography, reading, writing, arithmetic, and American and Mexican history. Spelling matches were common. Families homeschooled the subjects to their children if they lived too far out of town to get to school easily. After about the eighth grade the children who had saved enough money and had the desire to get more education were sent to Juarez Academy.


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Colonia Diaz American diaspora in Mexico Populated places established in 1888 Populated places in Chihuahua (state) The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Mexico