- Jerez de García Salinas
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Jerez de García Salinas 
Coat of armsNickname(s): Mundo Mágico ("Magical World") 
Jerez de García SalinasCoordinates: 22°38′53″N 102°59′25″W / 22.64806°N 102.99028°WCoordinates: 22°38′53″N 102°59′25″W / 22.64806°N 102.99028°W Country 
MexicoState Zacatecas Municipality Jerez Founded 1569 Government – President Eduardo López Mireles Area – Municipality 587.26 km2 (226.7 sq mi) Elevation 2,000 m (6,000 ft) Population (2005) – Total 56,980 – Demonym Jerezano Time zone CST (UTC-6) Postal code 99300 Website [1] The city and surrounding municipality of Jerez is located in the center of the state of Zacatecas, Mexico. Jerez de García Salinas is the name of the city and "Jerez" of the municipality.
The municipality is bordered on the north by the municipality of Fresnillo, to the east by the municipalities of Calera and Zacatecas, to the south by Villanueva and Tepetongo and to the west by the municipalities of Valparaíso and Susticacán. It has an area of 1,521 km² (587.26 sq mi). Its largest other community is the town of Ermita de Guadalupe, Arroyo Seco, Los Haro and El Durazno.
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Population
According to INEGI the 2005 census of Housing and Population, the municipality of Jerez de García Salinas had a population of 56,980 inhabitants. The population of the municipal seat, which shares the name of the municipality is considerably less, at 38,624 with the remaining 18,356 living in small towns and villages in within the municipal boundaries. The city is still the state's sixth-largest community, after the cities of Zacatecas, Fresnillo, Guadalupe, Sombrerete and Rio Grande.
History
The area around Jerez was inhabited by the Zacatec and Guachichil ethnic groups prior to the arrival of the Spanish. These ethnic groups reacted in bellicose manner to the intrusion of the Spanish into their ancestral homelands. The groups, along with other Chichimeca ethic groups fought the Spanish in the Mixtón Rebellion in 1540 and the Chichimeca War beginning in 1546.
Jerez de García Salinas, was originally named Jerez de la Frontera after the town of the same name in Andalucía, Spain. The first attempt to found the town by the Spanish Crown was in 1569 to serve as a fortress on the northern frontier and guard against the incessant attacks by Chichimeca natives on the wagon trains that passed through the region en route between the mines in Zacatecas and the viceroyal capital in Guadalajara. These first attempts were unsuccessful and it was not until 1570 that the town's existence is first mentioned as being administered by the government in Tlaltenango. The following year the town was abandoned.
In 1569, the town was resettled by a group of captains waging war against the Chichimecs on the frontier. Among the founders were Pedro Carrillo Dávila, Pedro Caldera (father of Miguel Caldera), Hernán González, Cristóbal Caldera and Juan de la Torre. Antique documents of the foundation have the historical investigator of Jerez, Miguel Berumen.
Culture and attractions
Catholicism being the town's predominant religion, many of the town's festivities are associated with religious holidays. The city festivities are celebrated in September to celebrate Mexican Independence and the Virgin of Solitude (La Virgen de La Soledad) and the Guadalupana (Our Lady of Guadalupe) beginning December 12. Another major cultural event is Spring Break (La Feria de Primavera). Every year Spring Break is celebrated beginning Holy Saturday and continuing for Easter week and the week following, with Charreadas (Rodeos), traditional dances, horse races, and cultural festivities. The Parade of the Cowboys (Desfile de los Charros) on Holy Saturday is a never to be forgotten event which culminates with the burning of the Judas effigies (Quema de los Judas) in the early afternoon. The main street is closed to automible traffic and taken over by hundreds of horsemen. Spring Break has attracted tourists from all over Mexico and from residents in the U.S.A
Jerez de García Salinas was designated on July 13, 2007 a Pueblo Mágico. These magic towns (some 30 or so) are believed to present special customs, events, architecture and other regional attributes which are especially worthy of visits by tourists, whether national or international.
Benito Juárez market
The construction of the market was initiated during the Presidency of Don Anastasio Avila, alcalde of Jerez during the 3 year period 1962-1964, and the motivator. Complying with a campaign promise, he promoted the movement of the market place from the Plaza Tacuba and the adjacent streets: Calle de La Parroquia, Reloj, and Aquiles Serdan (in front of the Teatro Hinojosa.)[1]
The Municipal Council (H. Ayuntamiento) was in accord and application was made to the Congress of the State for authority to condemn the land necessary and indemnify the owners. The Council then went looking for the necessary funds and again applied to the Congress of the State for permission to use tax money from the fund to rescue investments based on the following consideration: That the Council would obtain lines of credit from the National Mortgage Bank and the Urban and Public Work Bank. Any loans from which would be amortized partly from the charges collected from renters and services to the building.[1]
On obtaining authorization and confirmation of lines of credit, demolition of existing structures and construction was begun on land adjacent to the Rio Chiquito that cut the town in half.[1]
Mayor Avila was optimistic that the construction would be finished by the end of 1964. When he left office the work was 90% finished. The building was inaugurated on Sunday the 18th of April 1965. Officials in attendance included the new President of the municipality, the Governor of the State and his lady, the wife of former President Avila and other dignitaries; the Governor’s lady unveiled the plaque naming the market Mercado Capitan Angel Pérez, the name of an officer who participated with Government forces against the Cristeros in the Battle of Tesorero, Jerez, Zacatecas in April of 1929. Years later, in 1972, the name of the market was changed to Benito Juárez on the 100th anniversary of his death.[1][2]
Notable natives and residents
- Francisco García Salinas, statistician, politician
- Ramón López Velarde, poet
- Candelario Huízar, music
- Arturo "El Cuate" Pérez, painter
Mexican brass band Los Auténticos de Jerez was founded in the town on 1993 and is based there.
Notes
- ^ a b c d Translated from an article in El Sol de Zacatecas dated 18th of July, 2010 by an anonymous reporter quoting Samuel Correa Carrillo, with the office of the historian for Jerez, Zacatecas, Mexico. It should also be noted that the Municipal Government of Jerez is actually a County government which includes the City of Jerez de Garcia Salinas.
- ^ From this account the ownership of the market rests with the City and County government of Jerez. That is not to say that there is no controversy over ownership. Some of the renters in the building claim that ownership was transferred to them either at the time of dedication or later when the building needed repairs and the renters were asked to contribute to those repairs. These claims need to be verified, but political and economic ramifications have led to blockages in fulfilling Transparency Act requirements. An investigative reporter needs to dig deeply searching for possibly hidden documents to clarify this ownership claim.
References
- Link to tables of population data from Census of 2005 INEGI: Instituto Nacional de Estadística, Geografía e Informática
- Zacatecas Enciclopedia de los Municipios de México
External links
Categories:- Populated places in Zacatecas
- Populated places established in 1563
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