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Beginnings of Nogales as a population center

As we already saw, in 1880 were established customs houses at Quitovaquita, Sasabe, Palominas and Nogales.

The Custom House would be followed by the building of the Sonora Railroad, inaugurated on October 25, 1882, following the creek of Los Nogales, passing by the side of the rock cairn that had been erected in 1854 to mark the spot where the creek crossed the international boundary.

Just before Christmas of 1882, the railroad station was finished. It is was a building made of wood, of two levels, located right at the border, with a smaller building, also made of wood, which was the customs house.

This was followed by the Founding of the Municipality of Nogales through a law, signed by Governor Luis E. Torres, on July 9, 1884. This is the official date of the birth of Nogales.

One Month later, the owners of the Rancho Los Nogales signed a contract with the State Government, through which they donated the necessary land for the establishment of the official township of the new population center.

The birth of Nogales brought with itself a depression in the Guaymas trade. Up until then, the travelers from Sonora or Arizona had gone first to Guaymas in stagecoach, and there boarded ships to their destinies. However, now the route would be totally covered by train, through Nogales to the US side, either to that nation or to board another train in El Paso, as it was already communicated by railroad with central Mexico.

Besides this, many of the main economic activities already established in Guaymas also move to Nogales. The railroad offices move to the border in 1885, and therefore the Nogales railroad station is widened.

That same year, 1885, Manuel Mascareñas ends his commercial association with Rafael Ruiz in Hermosillo and also moves to the border, since he had bought on July 22, 1883, Santa Barbara Ranch to the heirs of Jose Juvera. He will also buy Buenavista later, on May 25, 1900.

On September 15, 1884, the first Municipality Government of Nogales assumes office.