The Different Options for the Development of the Nogales Economy

One consequence of the defeat of Villa in Nogales, in November of the previous year, is the establishment of Military Camp Stephen D. Little in Nogales, Arizona, to protect the border of Mexico. It will bring an economic injection in salaries of $380,000 a month. At the same time, new arrivals bring open stores that sell clothing to the soldiers. In Nogales, Sonora, prostitution directed to the soldiers of the military camp also is started.

The tolerance zone during those years, located in the Barrio del Ranchito (between Diaz and Torres streets, and Hidalgo westward up to the hill), has then, as it´s main businesses: El Japones of Ana Arvizu, El 30-30 of Amparo Teran, besides those of Ramona Garcia, Flora Cisneros and Paula Loaiza. Later, El Salon Rojo and La de Primera will also open. Both, belonging to a woman with a strange name: Ladislao Camacho. To these, we can also add El Alacran, belonging to Luisa Batiz.

Plutarco Elias Calles is named Governor by the Carranza government, on August 4, 1915, and his Decree No 1, signed on September 13, also puts Sonora under another prohibition law. It will last until 1919.

Besides this, in Nogales he orders the removal of the border fence built by Maytorena, while in the Northern extreme of today´s Moctezuma street, a slaughterhouse is established.

The Calles Government

On March 19, 1916, Governor Calles orders the expulsion of all the priests from Sonora as well as the closing of the churches. Therefore, the Purisima Concepcion temple is closed, and will remain closed until April, 1918.

In public health, the more prevalent sicknesses are malaria for men, and for women: "...venereo siphilitic, in the brothels..." That year, another graveyard is opened (today´s Heroes) in lands expropriated to Alejandro Villaseñor, while on April 10, the Nueva Creacion school is inaugurated. It is located in the old home of Prospero Sandoval. Besides this school, Nogales has the Escuela Superior (today´s Pestalozzi) as well as the schools at Buenavista, La Arizona and Planchas de Plata.

On the 26th, another Circular is sent to all the hotels of the Villa: Paris, Fronterizo, Imperial Cafe, America, Escoboza, Abadie and Sonora, warning them that if it is discovered the practice of prostitution in them, they will be fined $50 the first time, and another $50 and 15 days of jail for reincidence. The reason, the dissemination throughout town of this practice.

Crisis in Nogales: the struggles between Wilson and Carranza

Internationally, and as a consequence of Villa´s attack to Columbus, New Mexico, Nogales, Arizona is reinforced by several machine gun companies, some others of signal corps, almost a regiment of artillery, another one of light cavalry as well as six regiments of infantry. At the same time, the US government establishes an embargo to all kinds of food exported to Mexico. Nogales, Sonora, who depends almost totally from Nogales, Arizona for it´s food supply, suffers enormously. The Sonora State Government initiates an inventory of grains and seeds in Sonora, trying to supply food to the border, as well as to have a food reserve in case of a US invasion of Mexico.

But that isn´t all. The US Consul office in Nogales, Sonora, is moved to Nogales, Arizona, while in the neighboring town it is ordered that everybody who has a weapon, must register it, and the Sheriff determines if they are confiscated.

Also, Governor Hunt asks for the declaration of Martial Law in Southern Arizona, although President Wilson rejects the petition.

This situation will remain during May, June and July, while Nogales, Sonora will see that as the days pass, things are getting worse.

During July, it is decided to evacuate the whole population of Nogales, remaining only a small body of volunteers directed by the Police Chief, Ruben Rivera, to take care of the town, and it isn´t until the beginning of August that the danger of invasion fades away.

Nogales resurgence

At the end of August, 1916, the candidate to Presidente Municipal, Astolfo R. Cardenas, who had arrived two years earlier to Nogales from Baja California, promises the 5,000 nogalians that if he is elected, he will rebuild the bridges on Campillo and Arizpe streets, as well as finish the slaughterhouse and embellish the graveyards, and the "...formation of a new colonia..." in the lands known then as Huerta de San Antonio.

In the following elections, he defeats Jesus Palma, and after his assuming office, he begins a project of restructuring of Nogales that will go far ahead of his campaign promises.

The Nogales city government economic situation is terrible then. To the Nogales Electric Light, Ice and Water Co., supplier of electricity, the city owes all the supply since 1913, a total of $3,248.64. To Banco Nacional de Mexico it is owed $30,000 as well as accumulated interests for the loan made to the city in 1911. To Antonio Proto it is owed $1,000 in overdue rents of the Municipal Market. The recorder archives were burnt down by the Villistas in November, 1915, so there is no way to collect those taxes. Besides this, the education situation is extremelly critical, as the existing schools cannot cover the demand of students.

On October 25, the new Presidente Municipal orders the closing of all of the brothels in town (five in total), which are allowed to reopen outside of town limits. When their owners protest, he allows them to remain open, as long as the girls cannot get out of their homes, under pennalty of $10 to $50. However, by next July, they are allowed to go shopping on Mondays and Fridays, from 11 AM to 1 PM. The saloons are allowed to remain open from 7 PM to Midnight.

On January 11, 1917, the Regulations of Prostitution are put into effect, and on the 13th it is ordered that the girls there must pay a fee of %5, while the brothels will pay $10.

The last days of the year, the Police Chief orders a search warrant in all the establishments that violate the alcohol prohibition. Among them are the Hotel Cananea, the "...cave of Bowman and Ahumada..." as well as near the "old graveyard". Nogales has already two graveyards. The Rosario and the new one (today´s Heroes)

Also, the new government starts the job of forming a new property register database. By 1917 it collects $129,177.59, while by 1918 collects $111,375.72, and by 1919 it reaches $149,963.13

However, the most important act of this government in the conformation of a new postbelic Nogales, is that on April 21, !917, the Compañia Constructora de Sonora buys from the Reforma Land and Cattle Co, two strips of land, at each side of the railroad tracks, extending from the Southern end of the Fundo Legal up to where is located a "piece of rock known as El Polvorin" (that is, today´s corner of 5 de Mayo with Ruiz Cortinez).

Immediately after this, several houses for workers are started, in the old Orchard of San Antonio, employing municipal workers in the construction.

Besides this, the bridges on Campillo Street as well as Aguirre and Arizpe are rebuilt, and as the slaughterhouse is surrounded by the growth of town, it is moved further South, to El Carricito Creek.

Besides the Nueva Creación School, another school is also finished on July 1917. However, the Nueva Creación School won´t last much, as General Obregon chooses it as his home in Nogales. Soon after this, he will open a brokerage house to import and export chick peas, cattle and machinery "for which I have the best contacts in the US" he will explain. He will also buy and sell land and mexican mines.

The Mexican Revolutionary inherits not only the home of the porfirist family Sandoval, but even the economic activity that had made them rich: an border agency of brokerage.

To compensate in something the lack of this school, the Ayuntamiento rents a building that belonged to Fletcher, and now is owned by the Banco de Sonora, to establish there the Escuela Mixta No. 1.

Those years, the only legal economic activity is either to have a store in the Mercado Municipal or an itinerant one.

In September, 1917, the Compañia Constructora de Sonora donates to the Municipality the lands located East of the Railroad "...where the houses for poor nogalians who were built by the Municipio..." A total of 24 blocks, of 8 lots each.

However, two months later the donation is reversed. The reason: Article 27 of the Constitution forbids to the Ayuntamientos to administer lands.

To avoid the financial loss to the Municipio, it sells again everything to the Compañia Constructora de Sonora at the same price of the building of the houses, adding that the homes built there should be sold to poor people.

However, those are mere good wishes. By January, 1918, the lots sold in that area already reach the value of $36,000, while in the lands located East of the railroad tracks will be developed the Colonia Moderna, the most expensive area in Nogales during those years.

In April the Purisima Concepcion church is reopened, and left under the administration of Father Jose M. Pablos, while in May the Municipio is allowed to sell beer to benefit both, the Municipality and Escuela Cruz Galvez. In June, a new movie theater, Cine Lux, is opened in front of Plaza 13 de Julio, and a few days later, Juan Uzeta opens a showcase "for the selection of the merchandise that will be sold by The Paso Store" in Nogales, Arizona.