My father-in-law grew up in one of those distant mining towns of Durango, reachable only by plane. Were he alive today, I would have loved to talk to him about this fascinating article which delves into the back story of the Durango drug trade that led to the era of Chapo Guzman. There is now a super highway that connects the high-altitude city of Durango with the Pacific resort city of Mazatlan passing over the Espinazo del Diablo (the Devil's Backbone) section of the Sierra Madre. Nathaniel's article reveals how this poor, remote, and seldom-policed region birthed the Mexican drug trade.
YES! Tayoltita was one of the biggest and richest mines not just in Mexico, but in the world, back at the turn of the century. A fact I mention in the full-length scholarly article that's the basis of my recent post - it's on full open access here in case you're interested: https://academic.oup.com/past/article/265/1/235/7633893
I think the Duranguense historian Antonio Avitia Hernandez mentions it in his book on Durango's cristero rebels, too (the subject of a future post of mine here for sure!). And I bet the cronistas of San Dimas / Tamazula / Canelas etc know a whole bunch more, too... Not to mention the guys at the Durango state archive...
Ah man no way! Very cool you've got a family connection to those incredible mountains and the amazing people who live there - do you still visit your wife's family up there, presuming some of them are still about? It's really one of the most 'México profundo' parts of the country that I've been to - and I've been to quite a few - but that 'rugged ranchero' thing up in the Sierra Madre is really like no other!
Had a trip planned to visit with my father-in-law but he passed away of a heart attack. All the family that was there now lives in the city of Durango.
Ah sorry to hear that, man. Still, Durango - or Duran-york, as my compas there jokingly call it - isn't a bad place to hang out either, scorpions or no scorpions! Anyway, nice 'meeting' you here and I'll be looking forward to more instalments of 'Mexico Life' as the year rolls on...
My father-in-law grew up in one of those distant mining towns of Durango, reachable only by plane. Were he alive today, I would have loved to talk to him about this fascinating article which delves into the back story of the Durango drug trade that led to the era of Chapo Guzman. There is now a super highway that connects the high-altitude city of Durango with the Pacific resort city of Mazatlan passing over the Espinazo del Diablo (the Devil's Backbone) section of the Sierra Madre. Nathaniel's article reveals how this poor, remote, and seldom-policed region birthed the Mexican drug trade.
Tayoltita was the name of his hometown. Did you come across any information on that place in your research?
YES! Tayoltita was one of the biggest and richest mines not just in Mexico, but in the world, back at the turn of the century. A fact I mention in the full-length scholarly article that's the basis of my recent post - it's on full open access here in case you're interested: https://academic.oup.com/past/article/265/1/235/7633893
I think the Duranguense historian Antonio Avitia Hernandez mentions it in his book on Durango's cristero rebels, too (the subject of a future post of mine here for sure!). And I bet the cronistas of San Dimas / Tamazula / Canelas etc know a whole bunch more, too... Not to mention the guys at the Durango state archive...
Ah man no way! Very cool you've got a family connection to those incredible mountains and the amazing people who live there - do you still visit your wife's family up there, presuming some of them are still about? It's really one of the most 'México profundo' parts of the country that I've been to - and I've been to quite a few - but that 'rugged ranchero' thing up in the Sierra Madre is really like no other!
Had a trip planned to visit with my father-in-law but he passed away of a heart attack. All the family that was there now lives in the city of Durango.
Ah sorry to hear that, man. Still, Durango - or Duran-york, as my compas there jokingly call it - isn't a bad place to hang out either, scorpions or no scorpions! Anyway, nice 'meeting' you here and I'll be looking forward to more instalments of 'Mexico Life' as the year rolls on...