Alamos Revived

It is only a little over fifteen years ago that Alamos was generally regarded as a ghost town by the American tourist. Once an important mining center and a political power in the Mexican Northwest, it had been reduced by wars, revolutions and economic upheavals to a quaint little place in the state of Sonora, inconspicuously hidden away in the foothills of the Western Sierra Madre. The last revolutionary period, which lasted from 1910 (the fall of Porfirio Díaz) to about 1940 (the end of the Cárdenas administration) almost dealt it a deathblow. But Alamos had the stuff to resist and was not entirely forgotten. The great mine-owners, the wealthy merchants and ranchers of the past had made it a city of uncommon beauty, and even in desolation and decay it attracted those who took the trouble to leave the usually travelled highways.

It was W. Levant Alcorn who recognized the possibilities of the half ruined city. Coming from his dairy farm in Pennsylvania for a brief vacation in 1947, he promptly made up his mind to buy one of the abandoned mansions overlooking the Plaza, which had once been the residence of the fabulous mine owner and landlord, Don José María Almada. Mr. Alcorn returned and with the help of a local builder he transformed the colonial mansion into the first hotel in Alamos under American management, LOS PORTALES. The job was completed in 1951, combining modern conveniences with old-time glamour and offering hospitably a front seat to the ever changing spectacle of life on the Plaza. The whole undertaking took a lot of ingenuity and courage and was a matter of much trial and error. Building materials had to be brought in over thirty-two miles of rough dirt road from Navojoa. The workmen were completely innocent of modern methods and baffled at the American pace. There was no bank, electricity ran only from sundown to midnight, and water was scarce. But Mr. Alcorn was undaunted. The International Highway was then being built through Sonora, and a fresh breeze of the future was in the air. The citizens of Alamos, always courteous, were cooperative, as they realized that here was their chance to save the city from final ruin.

Restoring a house is an absorbing occupation

The chief source of their wealth was gone when the principal mines were no longer profitable. They were closed in the first decade of the century and a great exodus began. The population dwindled in the following forty years from an estimated 10,000 to about 2,000. Most of the big holdings of the Alamosans were confiscated under the revolutionary laws of the agrarian reform. These laws were promulgated in the Constitu tion of 1917, but not until the thirties were they dras tically enforced. However, vast stretches of wild country were classified as grazing land not subject to confiscation, and a few of the great families were able to retain sizable herds of cattle. They were the small remaining core of Alamos, where cattle raising had always gone side by side with the big mining industry and still is the backbone of the economy. Agriculture was practiced on a small scale. Whoever owned or rented a plot of ground grew corn, beans, vegetables and fruit for his own use, and this has not changed. A crop of sesame was and is always negotiable. Beekeeping was practiced more extensively than now. The tannery remained active and the leather workers found a market in larger cities. The export of the "Jumping Bean" (a larva moving violently inside a seed) made its ingenious initiator, Señor Joaquín Hernández, a rich man. He keeps men and boys busy for a couple of months each summer gathering this specialty of the Alamos region. A printing press has been in the hands of the Hernández family for two generations. Attempts to introduce other industries failed. The once prosperous tequila distillery on the Colorado Ranch had to be closed in 1918, when a new state law (Elías Calles being governor of Sonora) forbade the sale of liquor and the planting of maguey. This prohibition lasted only a few years, but the manufacturing of tequila was never taken up again, nor were the maguey plantations renewed. The interesting old vats on the Colorado and other ranches in the vicinity are the only reminders of this phase. Naturally, the cantinas did better than ever after the repeal. We should not picture Alamos as a place of gloom in those times. It remained a city of song, those gay Mexican songs with a sob of sadness in them that moves the heart.

Hospitable and generous, the old families would not accept defeat. They remained true to their church even at the time of its greatest difficulties (1926 and 1933), they retained their servants and continued their way of life. If their fiestas were not so lavish as before, the young señoritas were no less attractive in their organdy dresses than their grandmothers had been in importations from Paris. This fine pride and lighthearted defiance the patrician homes stripped of their luxuries, the burning candles and tolling bells, serenades, Saturday dances and lonely guitar strummers all gave the old city an air ofromance which cast a spell over the visitor from the north and is not lost to this day. As soon as adequate accommodations were available, and the necessary publicity came into play, more and more tourists came, and so great was the appeal that many of them wished to stay. And so Mr. Alcorn became "The-Man-Who-SellsRuins." The first house on Calle Juarez was restored and provided with a modern bath and fireplaces. Others followed soon, and the enthusiasm was great. Mr. Otto Skutt, affectionately known by the natives as "Sonrisal" (Ever-smiling), earned his title of "One-Man-Chamberof-Commerce." We have now over fifty American cou ples residing here.

A second hotel was opened at the end of 1953. The CASA DE LOS TESOROS, which under the efficient and gracious management of Darley Gordon has become renowned as one of the finest small hotels in all Mexico. Later another need was filled when General Anselmo Macías opened a well-run motel, the MOTEL ALAMOS, on his spacious grounds, and since the road has been paved up from Navojoa, Polo Acosta's beautiful Trailer Camp has become very popular. Ruins? Yes, there are some left, but lately the Mexicans have become interested in restoring them for their own use, which is a wholesome development. Several Americans have built new houses in the traditional style, which vie with the old in grandeur and charm. Anybody contemplating living in Mexico can get detailed information and courteous directions from any Mexican Consulate. Briefly: As Alamos is situated more than fifty km from the ocean and one hundred km from any foreign border, a foreigner can acquire property in his own name provided he comes in as an inmigrante. In the last two years the immigration requirements have been considerably eased for people over fifty-five. An "immigrant-retired" has to prove that he has an assured income of $240 a month, plus $80 for his wife. He can bring his household furniture and car duty free and can buy a residence, but has not yet the right to work. After five consecutive years of residence he becomes an inmi grado without losing his American citizenship. He is granted the rights of a Mexican citizen except voting and can then engage in any gainful business or occupation, a privilege denied to the tourist.

Not many Americans come to Alamos with the ambition to work. Most of them want to enjoy the freedom of retirement. And where could they find a more satisfactory place? Where a more salubrious climate? Alamos is easy to reach by driving less than 400 miles south from Nogales on the International Highway to Navojoa and from there thirty-two miles east on a paved road into the hills. Easier still by private plane, as we have an excellent airport, which was completed in 1960. A taxi will rush to the port as soon as the plane is heard. At an altitude of 1360 feet above sea level, Alamos has ideal weather conditions from October to May: Blue skies and sunshine all day, the air balmy and soft as silk. We have some chilly spells in winter, but only the outskirts are occasionally touched by a light frost overnight. All the American homes have fireplaces, but the Mexicans still prefer the natural temperature in adequate clothing. There may be a week or so of short rains in November and again in January. The summer heat is eased by the almost daily rains from July into August. The temperature seldom exceeds 96°F. but varies in the different parts of town. By noon the clouds pile up, and the storm usually breaks with a wonderful tropical shower late in the afternoon. Then we often have rainbow over rainbow, and the sunsets are gorgeous. The nights are cool, the early mornings a delight. Most of the Americans leave for the summer, but those who stay find it the best, the true Alamos time, tranquil and leisurely. The houses, with their walls two feet thick and ceilings up to fifteen feet high, are cool, and the patios are shaded by trees. We can use fans, as the electricity runs now twenty-four hours (since 1960, being generated at the Mocúzari dam on the Mayo River). Most houses have private wells as well as city water. To provide an adequate supply for the growing population the city is putting in a new well. When the rains come, man and beast rejoice, and the hills are clad with velvety green almost overnight. It is the time of the blue morning glory and the flaming tabachín; the rose-colored San Miguelito (coral vine) covers the hillsides like a perpetual sunrise, and the cattle walk down to drink from shining pools. A second spring has come. Alamos lies in a region where tropical growth and desert meet, an area of great interest to the naturalist. It also abounds in unusual minerals, and so geologists, botanists and zoologists make Alamos their headquarters for extensive studies. Anthropologists come to observe native tribes. The nature lover finds beauty along the trails the year around. All winter we see great white blossoms on the bare branches of the Palo Santo, and from the end of January into March the loveliest of all the flowering trees, the Amapa, delights the eye with orchid colored blooms in large stands on sheltered slopes. Our horseback riders make many discoveries passing through primitive villages and by the ruins of stately country houses. They may ford the rushing waters of the Cuchujaqui and rest nearby on our favorite picnic grounds under ancient sabinos and the widespread branches of great wild fig trees. Or they may ride in another direc tion and visit Uvalama, the pottery village where our huge flowerpots and earthen water jars are made by frail little women. It is not far from Aduana, the old mining center, which was the chief source of Alamos' past wealth. It is hard to believe that this romantic half-ruined place was once ringing and bustling with thousands of mine workers. The vanishing spark of life was revived in recent years, as a Canadian Corporation re-opened the famous Quintera and the mines of Promontorios. These mines are far from exhausted. There is a huge cave near Promontorios, said to go clear through the mountain, inhabited by millions of bats. It is little known, but in the flickering light of a torch it offers a spectacular sight, black precipices dropping down into nothingness.

Again and again we are asked: What do you do in Alamos? To tell the truth, we are so busy we forget about time and age. One of the most absorbing occupations is building or restoring a house. It is a challenge which brings great rewards. The trip to Navojoa has become easy since the pavement was finished in 1960, but is less necessary now that we have a local hardware store for current needs, where also lumber and other building materials are available. There are a few brick buildings in Alamos, but most of the houses are built of adobe, plastered and painted. As Alamos is regarded as a National Monument, the appearance of every building within the city limits has to conform with the traditional colonial style. Within these restrictions the workmen are eager to learn modern methods, and the Americans are glad to teach them. There are features where modern improvements have been questionable, and the most debatable is the roof. Simpler ways have been tried out, but the traditional design is considered the best for this climate, though by no means the cheapest. It is still a matter of experiment. Just say “roof” at an Alamos party, and you have a lively conversation started.

As the most immediate occupation of the men is building, so is cooking for the women but don't keep the dividing line too definite! We have very little packaged and canned food in Alamos, and so the housewife has to start from scratch like her grandmother. Plenty of good meat is on the market at less than a dollar a kilo (two pounds) for any boneless cut, including filet mignon. It is now kept under refrigeration, but we still have to age it and beat it to get best results. In winter we can buy safe pork and tender venison at our doorstep. Fresh vegetables are available in season and cheap: carrots, string beans, tomatoes 16¢ a kilo at their best. Starting with juicy papayas early in spring, we have an abundance of fruit until fall (sweet cantaloupes less than 4¢ apiece). We even have a Super Mercado, where we can count on getting fresh eggs, plump frozen chickens from reliable hatcheries and fresh milk from the owner's dairy farm. This big tienda is at the same time the center of an extensive wholesale business, and you may see a string of donkeys bringing in produce and carrying away staples, while powerful trucks are loading and unloading at the same time the old curiously mingling with the new. The city market also is well supplied, and it is fun to browse around and pick the best.

The little tiendas have no display windows, but you can make surprising discoveries from hand-embroidered tablecloths to guitars and Mayo rugs. The leather shops export beautiful hand-tooled saddles (about $32 in Alamos). If you are a rock collector follow the arrows to Chona Maas Rockhound's Oasis to find interesting specimens.

Antiques are hard to get, as the most valuable pieces have been sold in hard times. But when a find is made, it adds to the beauty of our home. We love our homes and can find or train loyal help to keep them in order. Many of us are fond of gardening and are richly rewarded by flower and fruit. The gulf is within easy reach, and our fishermen often bring delicious fish red snapper, corbina, pompano eno enough to share with the neighbors. You can buy excellent fresh shrimp. Our hunters distribute wild duck and pigeons by the dozen. A hunting lodge is scheduled to be opened next winter by Polo Acosta, and a Landing Marina is planned on the beautiful sixteen mile long lake of Mocuzári.

As we have no nightclubs, no theatres or concerts, not even television, we do a lot of entertaining at home. We have superb cooks in the colony, and our spacious houses and patios lend themselves perfectly to festive occasions. Some of our fiestas have the quality of the Arabian Nights: flares all over the grounds, flowers and candles under the high portales, mariachi or soft music playing, choice drinks and exquisite food. These are events to be remembered.

While the overall atmosphere is conservative and by no means "arty," Alamos attracts the artistic temperament. With all our down-to-earth activities, our artistic and intellectual interests do not stagnate. Alamos, with its old masonry and cobblestones dark-eyed children Playing and donkeys bringing firewood with its baroque church in hues from gray to coral in the changing light of the day, quaint typically Mexican scenes in forgotten corners, with its colorful processions and candlelit posadas at Christmastime it remains a city for the artist. The first artist who lived and painted here set the standards high, and these standards are upheld by those who followed. We have some noted artists here and others still struggling with the medium. A group meets regularly for sketching. Photography is perhaps the most popular hobby. Some of our photographers have been honored with national prizes. The study of Spanish opens new vistas and widens our understanding of the Mexican people. Most of us study the history of Mexico, and particularly of Sonora. We read good books, and exchange them, and get together to hear fine records. There are men among us yes, women too, who have made a mark in their particular field of endeavor, be it in business or law, in engineering or chemistry, in the medical field or in the world of theatre and film. We even have a famous yachtsman living in this land-locked city. All these different elements create a lively exchange of ideas. We have no organization or club, for a spirit of genuine good will toward each other and toward our Mexican hosts holds us together without any rules or regulations. The Americans like to show their appreciation to this hospitable city by contributing generously to the charities, but leave the initiative to the Mexicans. As long as we refrain from meddling and remember that we are guests here, returning courtesy by the same token, we are made to feel at ease.

The tide has turned for Alamos. It has now 5,500 inhabitants and is no longer a place haunted by the past, but a beautiful little city expanding in the sunshine. Alamos is what it was meant to be by its builders two hundred and more years ago, their mansions whole and freshly painted, a city of natural activity, of song and dance. The harmony of its architecture remains intact and invites a gracious way of living. This is the heritage which saved it from ruin.