Agua Prieta travel guides

Agua Prieta is a town in the northern part of the Mexican state of Sonora (31°19′52.64″N, 109°33′43.2″W). It stands on the U.S.-Mexico border, adjacent to the town of Douglas, Arizona, USA, and covers an area of 3,631.65 km². In 2000, Agua Prieta had an estimated population of 61,944 people, and a literacy rate of 96.3%. 89% of the homes in the city have electricity, 94% have running water, and 86% are connected to the sewer system. The city's most important economic activities, in descending order, are industry, commerce, and farming.

History

Agua Prieta began growing at the end of the 19th century as railroads were built between Douglas, Arizona and Nacozari, Sonora to transport minerals. As a result, the first settlers of the town were those employed by the U.S. mining company Phelps Dodge Corporation, which was based in Douglas, Arizona. The town was founded in 1899 as the Commissary of Fronteras, but did not become an independent municipality with its current name until August 28, 1916. Rodolfo L. Márquez was the new municipality's first president. It rose to the status of Villa on May 8, 1933, and it was officially placed in the category of city relatively recently, on November 11, 1942.

Agua Prieta played an important role in the Mexican Revolution. Plutarco Elías Calles and Lázaro Cárdenas, two future presidents of Mexico, both lived in the town during its early years. In 1916, Pancho Villa made a night attack on Agua Prieta that was repelled by the forces of Obregon, assisted by large searchlights powered by American electricity. In 1919, the Plan de Agua Prieta was signed in a curio shop near the Mexico-United States border, which called for the repeal of the government headed by Venustiano Carranza. The army headed by Álvaro Obregón eventually deposed Carranza.