San Gaspar de los Reyes

LAT: 21.2666667LON: -102.4833333

San Gaspar de los Reyes (known as San Gaspar or SanGas) is a town that makes up an important part of the Jalostotitlan Municipality in central Mexico.

It is a historic town founded in 1590 and has played a focal part in the Cristero uprising during the tail end of the Mexican revolutionary war of the early part of the 20th century. San Gaspar de los Reyes is made up of a small community (population of less than 1000) that has strong ties to the United States due to its large number of immigrants originating from this town. The current local economy is primarily made up some local services and small markets selling local and organic goods, however the greatest influx of capital come from outside resources including US dollars sent from family members working abroad, as well as from local textile and service industry employees that commute to neighboring towns of Jalostotilan, San Juan de los Lagos, and Teocaltiche. The economy booms during festival periods, primarily on the 6th of January - celebration of the Epiphany, and May 24th celebration of it's patron saint, Maria Auxiliadora. Historic references of business include past textiles and manufacturing as well as current farming and ranching. The famous Rio Verde runs along the edge of town and is well known because it was recently considered to be dammed for energy services that would inundate San Gaspar and it's neighborhing communities. However, international pressure (International Rivers) pushed for the Mexican government to consider alternative construction sites - thus saving this community. Arriba San Gaspar.