Guadalcázar, San Luis Potosí

Guadalcázar is a small, municipal town located in the Mexican state of San Luis Potosí.

History

The town was one of the many colonies founded by Spanish explorer Juan Cordoba de Guadalcazar. In the decades following its creation, Guadalcazar flourished as a wealthy town. Its main exports were coal, iron, silver, and other industrial materials. This was because of the many hills rich with minerals surrounding the town. After all the minerals apparently were exhausted from the hills in the early twentieth century, the population slowly diminished.

Modern economy and culture

Guadalcazar changed little for nearly half a century, until recently the Mexican government recognized the churches that were built during the town's creation as being of great historical importance. Since then, media attention has been increasing on Guadalcazar, and it is now being considered a place of tourism.

The re-population of Guadalcazar has also increased due to many American miners looking for precious minerals. Minerals have been located deep within hillsides, and the mining process is beginning once again. Despite this change in attention, Guadalcazar's population has hovered steadily between 500 and 900 residents, the majority being elderly.

Events

The main times of tourism are during the summer months beginning in June and during the winter near Christmas. During the summer, there are festivals held in honor of the town and to celebrate the season. This event is commonly known as "La fiesta del Rancho" or the Ranch Festival. In the winter, visitors come again for the religious ceremonies that take place throughout the town. On Christmas Eve, virtually the entire community gathers at the town square to march throughout the town and outskirts praying Catholic prayers. Then, on Christmas day, a large festival is held celebrating the birth of Jesus of Nazareth. The majority of visitors are surprisingly from the United States, as the offspring of the original inhabitants have moved for various reasons. This leaves great Americanized impressions on the local population, resulting in a unique blend of cultures.

Government

The small government is functional yet corrupt, so the community relies on the its population to form non-narcotic trafficants for seats of power.Fact|date=December 2007