1929 to 1930

By May of 1929 the neighbors of Colonia Moderna and Obrera complain to the Ayuntamiento that "gasoline deposts and of other combustibles are being installed in their colonies, putting in danger their life and properties" within Nogales. When the Ayuntamiento investigates, the Standard Oil of Mexico repesentant gives him a permit from the Secretaria de Industria y Comercio, dated February 18, with the plans of the installations, "an application for the free importation of materials to be used in those buildings, " as well as the Certification of the Interim Municipal President in February, 1929. The current administration can only try to revoke the permit.

On June 30, the Catholic church of Nogales (the same as the rest of the churches of Mexico), is reopened and delivered to Father Jose Maria Pablos, in a decision from President Portes Gil that tries to calm things before the Presidential elections.

On November 13, Jose Perez notifies the Ayuntamiento, that he has ceded to Eleuterio Valencia the building at Obregon 238, where the Methodist Episcopal of the South Church is located.

After the Escobarist uprising, Guillermo Mascareñas is named President of the Civil Administrative Council of Nogales by Gral. Abelardo Rodriguez, Commander of the Division of Northwest, who defeated the rebels. Mascareñas will have to try to revert the process of dissemination of prostitution and alcohol in Nogales.

In January, 1930, the red light district had finally been closed, although the only consequence was that -as the neighbors complained to the Governor- by the final days of May, the new red light district still remained empty:

"with the exception of just two houses established in the new district, as well as a few rooms, making in total no more than thirty women, [while] the rest of the registered prostitutes, as well as the innumerable clandestines have disseminated throughout the city, occupying rooms among the decent people"

And when the Governor asks the President of Nogales, he answers:

"yes, during the first days of last May, when I assumed the Presidency, I realized with sorrow the environment of immorality created in this town, perhaps due to the unusual circunstances that prevailed during the military uprising. In every cabaret, every bar, women could be seen with permits issued by the rebel authorities, acting as waitresses or entertainers, and with this pretext giving themselves to every kind of excesses and scandals"

And he added that when he saw this situation, he immediately started a campaign to cancel those permits, prohibiting the women to remain in those businesses, until he finally expelled them from those places. "The foreigners have left town, and the rest have returned to the red light district"

His campaign was so effective, he adds, that some bars had to close, among them La Estrella Bar, while among others, like The White Fox, administered by Joe Gross, made him "tempting" offers of paying the Ayuntamiento substantial money amounts, besides the regular taxes.

And he concluded his report adding, with some pride, that studied the offer at a Council Meeting, it was agreed to negate the permit. And he doesn´t stop, but continues his moralizing campaign.

That same year, in mid June, the Rancho del Cibuta lands are occupied by a group that it´s owner, W. W. Barbee, describes as "invaders" and asks for guarantees, while on August 6 the construction of the future Escuela Covarrubias is resumed.