Cócorit

Cócorit is a town located in the municipality of Cajeme in the southern part of the Mexican state of Sonora. Cajeme is located in the Yaqui Valley. The comisario municipal ("municipal commissioner") is Ing. Arturo Soto Valenzuela. Cócorit reported a 2005 census population of 7,953 inhabitants, and is the fifth-largest town in the municipality of Cajeme (after Ciudad Obregón, Esperanza, Pueblo Yaqui, and Tobarito).

History

Yaqui resistance

The town was originally founded in 1617 by the Jesuit Andrés Pérez de Ribas and Tomás Basilio missionaries although the inhabitants were force to leave by the Yaqui native population of the area. In 1835 the town was inhabited again, this time in an independent Mexico; the town was a dependence of the municipio of Buenavista. In 1867 the governor of Sonora (Pesqueira) organized two successful military expeditions to control the Yaquis in Cócorit and neighboring Guaymas. In 1875, Cajemé, a Yaqui leader attacked Cócorit and set it on fire. Under the protection of the Mexican army, Cócorit was repopulated in 1885 with inhabitants of the neighboring towns of El Quiriego and Baroyeca. In 1886, the Yaquis continued to strengthen their positions, but the state and federal governments confiscated more than 20,000 head of livestock. In 1887 Cajemé is captured and was scheduled to be executed in Cócorit before a firing squad. After an interview with Ramón Corral he escaped and was taken to Medano on steamboat but was shot by the army.

American and European immigration

In the early 20th century, the Conant family received a concession from the Mexican government to develop agriculture in the Valley. American immigrants arrive and built a fire station and a water tower. The area was flooded two years and the population sought refuge in Providencia. In 1917 after the first World War, German and Yugoslav families seek refuge in the Valley. A year later, one of the immigrants Herman Bruss, introduced the first internal combustion tractor, furthing supporting agriculture.

In 1927 Cócorit became its own short-lived municipio. In 1928 when the growing neighboring town of Cajeme changed its name to "Ciudad Obregón", it became the cabecera (capital) of the municipio, whose name was changed to "Cajeme".

Tourism

The main attraction of the town is La Casona Cócorit ("Cócorit Mansion"), built in the (19th century) in the colonial architecture. The mansion is currently an art museum with permanent exhibits of paintings and handicrafts. Also, old adobe houses are still preserved until these days. One of the main festivities is the Feria de San Juan Cócorit ("San Juan Cócorit Fair") that takes place every summer on June 24. The "Fundación Cócorit" ("The Cócorit Foundation") also organizes its own fair with artistic presentations.

References

• Link to tables of population data from Census of 2005 INEGI: Instituto Nacional de Estadística, Geografía e Informática

External links

• History of Cajeme.
• History of Cajeme at the Universidad de Sonora site (in Spanish).
• History of Sonora on the Houston Institute for Culture site.
• Yaquis Museum English Tourist Information for the Yaquis Museum.
• La casona Cócorit (in Spanish).
• Committee of Social Promotion of the Yaqui Valley (in Spanish).
• Sitio Oficial de Cajeme Official website of Municipality of Cajeme

Coordinates: 27°35′00″N 109°58′00″W / 27.5833333433°N 109.966666677°W / 27.5833333433; -109.966666677