Lake Chapala's South Shore revisited - Tizapan el Alto and Mismaloya

A Great White Egret perches at the top of a spindly tree at the water's edge. Great Whites abound along Lake Chapala's shoreline. They are one of two species regularly encountered, the other being the Snowy Egret. The Great White Egret is the larger of the two. They are both year-round residents of this Mexican lake, unlike the White Pelicans I will show later in this posting. On December 20 of 2024, I led a group of fellow expats over to visit some interesting sites on the south shore of Lake Chapala. 

First, we stopped at a couple of old haciendas located in Tizapan and checked out the interior of the church on the town's plaza. Afterward, we lunched at a restaurant called Mirador del Marinero (Sailor's Lookout). The restaurant is located in Mismaloya, a fishing village a few miles west of Tizapan along the shore. Before we departed Mismaloya, we went down to the water's edge to enjoy the antics of large flocks of White Pelicans. It was a gorgeous winter's day, the kind made for a trip like this.

Overview

Google satellite map showing our route to Tizapan. We took the carretera (highway) from Ajijic to Jocotopec on the western tip of the Lake, then turned south and east along Carretera #15. Once on the south shore highway, traffic is typically light, except when passing through the pueblo of San Luis Soyatlan, where the very narrow street creates somewhat of a bottleneck. About 4 km (3 mi) before reaching Tizapan, the highway passes above Mismaloya along a high bluff. Just off the road to the left, overlooking the Lake, is the Mirador del Marinero restaurant.

Ex-Hacienda Santa Ana

The ruins of the old casa grande are all that is left of ex-Hacienda Santa Ana. In the Google satellite view above, the top of the photo is north. It shows a structure that must have been quite large at one time. Now, only the casa grande's ruined, unroofed walls remain. The property is surrounded on three sides by modern structures. To find it, we followed the highway through Tizapan until we had reached the town's eastern outskirts. 

Highway #15 runs from left (west) to right (east) just above the top of the photo. From the highway, we spotted a large arch (top left of photo) off to our right over the entrance to a street called Calle Jalisco. The sign on the arch says "Fraccionamiento Hacienda de Santa Ana". Turning right (south) off the highway, we headed up the street, passing under the arch. The casa grande's ruins were immediately visible on our left. For an interactive Google map, click here.

The casa grande's main entrance is framed in brick. The walls extending to the north and south on either side are adobe. This (west) side of the structure is difficult to access, because there is a barbed wire fence along the street that parallels the front and there is no gate. However, I discovered that taking the first left turn off Calle Jalisco, and then the next two lefts, we could circle around to the unfenced east side of the casa grande. The ruins were full of brush and rubble, so long pants and good walking shoes or boots were essential. Because we often have no idea of what conditions we will find, we always prepare for anything. 

Hillary explores one of the central rooms. This was her first Hacienda Hunt, but she is an experienced hiker so she did just fine. The walls of the room around Hillary are mostly adobe, but the one along the east side was built with rough stone. I have been unable (so far) to discover much information about ex-Hacienda Santa Ana. The only historical mention I have found is that it existed in 1825. However, a lot can be surmised by the materials used in its construction.

For the first 150 years or so of the colonial period, adobe and rough stone were the primary construction materials. Beginning in the 17th and into the 18th centuries, cut stone and clay bricks were increasingly employed. From the late 18th through the early 20th centuries, manufactured clay brick was widely used. However, there is considerable overlap in these timelines. For example, adobe is still being used in some places in Mexico. I have found only a handful of late 19th and early 20th century haciendas where wood was the primary material and these structures were casas grandes that were not built in the classic style. 

Remains of an interior hallway and a door that opens into an adjacent room. These structures can be seen in the Google Satellite photo at the south end of the casa grande.  As with the main entrance, the doorway above is framed with brick, while the walls are adobe. The ruins suggest to me that the casa grande may have been  constructed much earlier than 1825, possibly in the 18th or even the late 17th century. Additions and modifications were likely made over the next 200-300 years. Just as I can't tell precisely when it was built, I also have no information about when it was abandoned, nor about its owners.

Adobe has been used for centuries because it is easy to make and cheap. The only raw materials needed are dirt and water, with straw as a binder. Wood molds are packed with the mixture and left to dry in the sun. All these materials are free and readily available nearly everywhere. The only cost is for the labor. In the earlier centuries, forced labor by native people or African slaves could be used. Even after the early 19th century, when slavery was abolished in Mexico, labor costs were minimal. The Revolution raised labor costs somewhat, but adobe remains a cheap building material for those with limited funds but strong backs.

Templo de San Francisco de Asis, Tizapan 

Atrium and facade of the Templo de San Francisco de Asis. The twin towers are reputed to be the tallest in the Lake Chapala area. Construction began on the Templo in 1836 and was finally completed in 1905. Although it is devoted to St. Francis of Assisi, it is a parroquia (parish church) of the Diocese of Guadalajara and was never connected to the Franciscan Order or a monastery. A nine-day patronal (fiesta for the patron saint) is celebrated from September 26 to October 4 and draws visitors and locals totaling more than 10,000 people. The festivities include two parades each day, as well as food, craft stalls and more. 

The apse contains the baptismal font and the main altar. Both the exterior and interior of the church are mostly of the Neo-Classic style popular in the 18th and 19th centuries. Double pillars on each side of the altar frame a tableau of St. Francis helping Jesus off the cross. This portrayal is religious rather than historical, because the two were separated in time by about 1200 years. One source suggests that the tableau is about the humility of St. Francis.

The Virgin Mary stands between two sets of bundled columns. Jesus perches on her left arm. Two tall, elaborate candle holders stand in front. This scene is just to the right of the main tableau with St. Francis and Jesus. To the left of the Virgin is a doorway with a trefoil arch. This form of arch was a common element of Gothic architecture, touches of which can be found in several parts of the church. However, trefoil arches date back even earlier than the Gothic era. They are a characteristic of the architecture brought to Spain by the Moors who ruled parts of the country between 711 AD  and 1492 AD.

One of the nave walls contains this elaborate painting. It seems to be centered on a white dove perched between two mountains who is holding the whole complicated image up with its tiny beak. Several slightly different versions of this painting are repeated on other walls. Their meanings are obscure, but the images are nevertheless striking.

Ex-Hacienda San Francisco Javier

The arch of an aqueduct forms the entrance to ex-Hacienda San Francisco Javier. The aqueduct once brought water to the machinery that was used to process the hacienda's sugar cane crop. The structure where the processing was done can be seen on the right, just beyond the arch. The tiny figure in the center, dressed in red, is Carole. This 500-year-old hacienda is located on the western outskirts of Tizapan. A good way to spot it is the tall, slender smokestack you will see several hundred yards off to the right as you approach the city. It can also be located using this Google map.

Courtyard of the casa grande. Just behind the column on the left are the remains of an old circular fountain that used to be the courtyard's central focus. The steps in the background go up to some second story bedrooms. The casa grande and most of its buildings are in semi-ruins, but are still evocative and photographically interesting. While some rooms are not habitable, a couple of them are still occupied by the caretaker's small family. 

According to official records, the hacienda was founded in 1542 by Alonso de Avalos, one of the original conquistadors under Hernán Cortéz. It was part of the vast holdings south of Lake Chapala that were acquired by Avalos and his family. The hacienda passed through the hands of several different families over the centuries, before finally being broken up during the land distributions that followed the Revolution. 

Allan steps carefully over loose cobblestones outside a door to the stables. Allan is a professional artist and very talented photographer. He is also one of the veterans of our group of Hacienda Hunters. Originally hailing from Great Britain, he lived in the US for many years before moving to Lake Chapala and building a home with his U.S.-born wife Catherine. 

This unusually tall doorway shows the various materials used over the centuries, including adobe, brick, and cantera around the door frame. The plaster that still remains in patches once covered the whole adobe wall. This was  to prevent deterioration, but even un-plastered adobe can survive for centuries. In desert conditions it can last for thousands of years. The word itself has survived almost unchanged for 4000 years.

Please! Tell me when my release date is?  While wandering by one of the old buildings, we were startled to encounter this pitiful little guy peering wistfully through the bars. We were mystified, but finally decided that this was just another example of the quirky, whimsical, Mexican sense of humor. After taking a few photographs, we decided that lunch was in order and set off for Mismaloya. To see more of this hacienda and learn about its tumultuous history, click here.

Mismaloya

Speaking of quirky, this sight greeted us upon our arrival at the restaurant. Santa was frantically scrambling up a Christmas tree, but a large pooch had taken hold of his pants and left him somewhat exposed. I've seen a lot of Christmas decorations in my 77-year lifetime, but never one like this! The Mirador del Marinero restaurant is located just off the north side of Highway #15, on the edge of a small plateau overlooking Mismaloya. The hill drops off very steeply beyond the tables you see in the background. This provides a stupendous 180 degree view of Lake Chapala, including at least 25 miles of the northern shoreline.

A local fisherman heads out past a flock of White Pelicans. While we ate, we observed large numbers of pelicans gathered along Mismaloya's shoreline. Periodically a flock would rise up in a cloud of flapping wings when disturbed by a passing boat or sometimes for no apparent reason at all. We decided to drive down to the shore to get a closer look. Unlike the egrets, the pelicans visit seasonally, arriving in force between December and March. This is also pretty much when most of the our Canadian population drops in and for pretty much the same reason. Both groups are known locally as "snow birds".

In a secluded nook along the shore, pelicans preen, flap their wings and mill about. This flock numbered about two dozen birds and they were clearly enjoying themselves. Since I was using my telephoto zoom, I was able to stand far enough away that they were not concerned by my presence. Of course, they are quite used to people being nearby, since the people who clean the fishermen's catch feed them fish scraps. There is such a thing as a free lunch! 

White Pelicans taking off. As this photo shows, the pelicans are not entirely white. The ends of their wings are black and their beaks and feet are orange. While the pelicans are clumsy and a bit comical when they walk around on land, they are graceful both in flight and while swimming. White Pelicans are different not only in appearance from their Brown Pelican cousins, but in  their behavior as well. 

The Whites migrate seasonally from Canada and favor fresh-water inland lakes, but the Browns generally hang out along the Mexican seashore year-round, although some do migrate. The Whites swim in long flotillas to herd fish close to shore. There, they can catch the fish simply by ducking their heads into the shallow water. The Browns, by contrast, glide along in the air over the waves, looking for prey. Then, they swoop up to a height from which they can dive down into the water.

This completes my posting on Tizapan and Mismaloya. I hope you enjoyed it. If so, please leave any thoughts or questions in the Comments section below or email me directly. If you leave a question, please include your email address so that I may respond in a timely manner.

Hasta luego, Jim

The South Shore on a brilliant winter's day

Great White Egret eyes the water hungrily at the fishing village of Petatan. A few days before Christmas, Carole and I took our Oregon friends Mike and Dawn on a tour of some of the sites of Lake Chapala's South Shore. The day was gorgeous, brilliant with sunshine but cool with winter breezes. The haze which sometimes hangs over the Lake in the winter was largely absent, leaving the view crystal clear. Every fold and angle of the North Shore mountains, many miles across the Lake, was sharply defined. First we visited the small fishing village of Petatan, about 90 minutes around the Lake's shore from Ajijic between Tizapan el Alto and Cojumatlan de Regules.

Petatan's White Pelicans mill about, waiting for fish scraps from the cleaning shed. Petatan is famous for the multitude of pelicans which gather around the tip of the small peninsula every winter. I have previously posted pictures and lots more information about Petatan and these large intelligent creatures. The pelicans migrate from as far away as southern Canada. On the day shown above, we arrived early while the fishermen were still out with their nets. Only one fish cleaning shed was operating by the water's edge. The three young women at the table smiled shyly and nodded when I asked if I could take pictures. I selected this photo from many I took because I particularly like the way the sunlight sparkles off the water in front of the pelicans. Unlike their usual carefully arranged convoy formation while swimming, these birds were milling about in every direction, excited by the tidbits occasionally tossed out by the busy women.

Large wings spread, a pelican prepares to take flight from his rocky perch. The White Pelicans' personalities change dramatically depending on whether they are flying, swimming, or perching. In the air, they create a dramatic, graceful, and somewhat prehistoric appearance as they glide for long distances just above the water. In the water, they form long lines, two or three birds across and sometimes hundreds of birds in length. The lines snake in "s" curves across the water as they maneuver like naval convoys. It is only on land that their comical side emerges. Many birds will attempt to perch on the same tiny outcrop. Disputes break out, with much flapping of huge black-tipped wings. When their attention is drawn, all of the long yellow beaks will turn at once toward the subject of interest.

Snowy Egret examines the contents of a beached boat. The Snowy Egret is a smaller cousin of the Great White, and I have featured both species in previous postings. When I first observed egrets along the shore, I assumed the smaller Snowy was the female mate of the Great White, or perhaps an immature offspring. Upon further investigation, I discovered that they are separate species. The obvious differences, other than size, can be found in the beaks and feet. The Great White's beak is yellow while the Snowy's is dark. The Snowy, in turn has yellow feet, as seen above, while the Great White's are an elegant black. What confused me originally was that the two can often be seen fishing together in close proximity, as if they were mates.

Parrochia de San Francisco de Asis, in Tizapan. A parrochia is the central, or headquarters church, in a community. It may service several smaller churches in the area. Tizapan's parrochia was decorated with streamers for Christmas when we arrived. A special Mass was under way inside, so I refrained from photos of the beautiful interior. Tizapan is a small, clean, bustling city of almost 14,000 people, founded in 1529 near a village of Chichimeca Indians. The present Parrochia de San Francisco is relatively new, having been built in stages between 1836 and 1905. On a previous visit we stopped by the wonderful ruins of the Hacienda San Francisco, on the extreme western outskirts of Tizapan. The hacienda operated for almost 500 years, but was broken up during the 1910-1917 Revolution.

Keeping an eye on things. As I approached from a distance, I noticed something strange about this unpainted statue in front of the church entrance. Although the rest of the statue was completely unadorned, the sculptor (I presume it was him) had placed startling blue-glass eyes in the head. The eyes create a weird, sort of space-alien feel about the piece. The person portrayed is D. Abundio Anaya "Gran Protector de Nuestra Parrochia" (Great Protector of our parish church). Tizapan was a center of Catholic resistance to reforms instituted by the Revolutionary Government in the 1920's. Radical Catholic activists started an armed revolt called the Cristero War which lasted from 1926-1929. Thousands were killed on both sides throughout Mexico and the struggle was particularly intense in Jalisco State where Tizapan is located.

View from the Parrochia, down Francisco Madero street. Looking through the gates of the church, you can see the crowded booths of the Christmas fiesta that was under way when we arrived. Booths lined the streets for several blocks in every direction, as mariachis played in the plaza and families picnicked and shopped at the little stands. You could buy anything from Christmas toys, to children's clothes, to fresh vegetables and newly killed chickens.

Palacio Municipal gleams in the bright sunlight. The Palacio faced the plaza, opposite the church, as is usual in Mexican towns. The municipal government is the equivalent to a county government in the US, and usually has the same name as the largest town in the municipality, in this case Tizapan. The young man in the foreground has almost certainly spent some time in the US, probably someplace like Los Angeles given his clothing. In small Mexican towns and cities it is very unusual to see a man wearing shorts or having a shaved head. These are north-of-the-border styles. He may be home visiting relatives for Christmas.

An abuelo teases his nietos in this small family vignette. The grandfather on the bench was having fun with his grandchildren. Notice that he and all the men on the bench wear long pants and cowboy hats, the dominant style in this community. Abuelos are deeply respected in the Mexican community, and families, although usually quite large, tend to be very close.

Mismaloya, another fishing town, affords a magnificent view. We stopped for lunch in Mismaloya, located on a steep hillside overlooking the Lake between Tizapan and Tuxcueca. In the picture above, you are looking northwest towards Ajijic and Chapala directly across the Lake. Highway 15, which rims the South Shore, runs above the town. Just off the highway is the Mirador del Marinero (Sailor's Lookout) restaurant. This is one of my favorite spots to eat along the South Shore, both for its food and its spectacular 180 degree view.

Looking northeast from the Mirador del Marinero restaurant, toward Mezcala. What might be first taken for floating lirio, or water hyacinth, is actually lake grass. This photo shows how shallow the Lake is, out to a considerable distance. At the center-right, you can see a fisherman's boat, coming in with his afternoon catch. At this point, Lake Chapala is probably about 12 miles wide.

And now for lunch! I ordered Mojarra al mojo de ajo. I knew al mojo de ajo meant seasoned with garlic, and that it was some kind of fish, but I wasn't prepared to get the whole thing, fins, eyeballs and all! The fish were gutted (fortunately), slashed several times along each side, and then thrown on the grill. It was actually quite tasty, if a little bony. I avoided the gaze of my finny repast. In addition to the main course, this restaurant serves up an astonishing amount of food as appetizers, including chips, salsa, sliced jicama, roasted and seasoned potatoes, and a cup of hot, spicy soup. No one need walk away hungry from the Mirador del Marinero.

This concludes my posting on our South Shore visit. I greatly enjoy hearing from people, so if you'd like to respond, you can either leave a comment in the section below or email me directly. You are also more than welcome to forward a link to my blog to anyone you'd like.

If you leave a comment below with a question, please include your email so that I can respond.

Feliz Navidad! Jim

Lake Chapala's south shore treasures Part 1: Hacienda de San Francisco Javier

The cool shade of the Hacienda veranda was enticing on a hot afternoon. We knew virtually nothing about the ruined hacienda on our map when we visited Tizapan el Alto with our friends Denis and Julika. However, a later internet search yielded more--but sometimes contradictory--information. I'd like to offer special thanks to Tony Burton for his help in my research. Tony is the author of several excellent books about the Lake Chapala area. For a start, Tizapan's name means "white land rising", referring to the chalk deposits in the area. In 1524, Captain Alonso de Avalos subdued the Chichimeca indians then inhabiting the area. He was a relative of the Conqueror Hernan Cortes, who liked keeping things in the family. Avalos was granted huge estates as his reward. The Province of Avalos, part of the Kingdom of New Galicia, was named after him. In 1542, construction began on one of his many estates, the Hacienda de San Francisco Javier.

To reach Tizapan el Alto from the north shore area of Lake Chapala, one must drive west to Jocotopec, and then south and east along Highway 15. The one-hour drive runs along the south shore of the Lake and is very scenic. The Hacienda is located on the extreme west end of present-day Tizapan el Alto, near the Fracciamento San Francisco. Although it was marked on our map as a ruin, I found out later it is owned privately by the Garza family. The Garzas don't seem to understand the tourist gold mine they possess. There are no facilities for tourists, and no informational signs or materials. A young Mexican man and his family inhabit the ruined main house. He spoke no English and my Spanish is still poor, but I was able to elicit permission for us to wander about as we liked. No fee was requested, but I gave him 10 pesos for his trouble.

A giant grindstone dominates the porch. The square hole in the middle would have held the drive shaft as it turned the wheel and ground the corn the indians would bring in from the fields. No doubt the indians were lucky to walk away with any significant portion of the product of their labors. The hacienda system was not set up for charitable purposes. In the early days, the indians were enslaved to work the fields and the various industries. The word hacienda means "a place where something is made or done". Haciendas were self- contained enterprises whose purpose was to enrich the Patron.

A Spanish Patron lived in relative luxury. With slave labor, it becomes affordable to install lovely touches such as the graceful arches and patterned tile floors of the main veranda. The Avalos family prospered for many generations while they enjoyed the fruits of Hacienda San Francisco. They increased their holdings in New Galicia through grants from successive Spanish Viceroys in 1567, 1591, 1593, and 1601.

The eastern end of the veranda was more roughly made. The floor is not patterned tile, but cobblestone and the doors and windows have a more utilitarian appearance. These rooms may have been offices or small workshops. Since the Hacienda functioned for almost 500 years, and underwent many changes during that time, it is difficult to say what may have happened in any particular room or building. Today, the rooms on the left are used to store equipment for the horses that are still stabled on the property. Chickens wander about at will.

Well-maintained equipment shows this is still a working ranch. The "trees" hanging from hooks on the ceiling of this stone and brick room are looped with lariats and other belts and straps used by horsemen. While I took photos, a large black chicken stalked me, angrily clucking at my invasion of her turf.

Beautifully worked wood and leather saddles show pride of ownership. These were two of several saddles lined up on a rail along the wall. All the Mexican cowboys I have encountered around the Lake seem to take great pride in the appearance of their horses and equipment.

Bridles hung in rows on the back wall. Everything was neat, clean, and orderly, in contrast to the shabby condition of the other buildings on the hacienda.

Sleek and well groomed, this horse patiently waited for its rider. We encountered a number of horses in equally good condition on the Hacienda grounds. They were remarkably friendly when approached, a indication that they have been treated well by their owners.

A stately entrance to a crumbling building. This may have been one of the structures that originally had a more august function. Presently it is a combined stable and chicken coop. In the early part of the 1600's the Hacienda de San Francisco Javier passed into the hands of Don Joaquin Fermin Echauri, from Tudela, Spain. Echuari acquired many other properties in the area. He was often entangled in legal disputes at the Royal Audiencia in Mexico city. Eventually, the Echuari family became one of the richest in all of Nueva Galicia. One source indicates that in 1757, the Hacienda was producing wheat and corn, operating a "pan mill" and a sugar mill, and was breeding cattle, mules, and horses. The labor for all this came from the indians, of course. No longer slaves, they were bound to the land by debts incurred at the Hacienda store. Since a hacienda patron controlled all the records of debt, and the indians were virtually all illiterate, there was no way to ever pay off the debt. The centuries of servitude rolled quietly by.

Ancient adobe crumbles in the warm afternoon sun. This may be one of the older buildings on the property. Brick, a more durable but more expensive construction material, was introduced later. I love how adobe ages into soft curves and how--being essentially dirt, pebbles, and straw--it gradually melts back into the earth where it originated. Notice how the cactus plant has grown out of the side of one of the walls.

A stately two-story building graced the north side of the complex. Two horses wandered freely in the ruins. The mix of brick and rough stone in the construction puzzled me. Perhaps brick was so expensive that it could only be used on some parts. Plaster would have covered up a multitude of sins in construction. The Echuari family held on to the Hacienda de San Francisco for almost 250 years, but the fortunes of the family gradually declined. One reason for the decline was the destruction and killing in the Tizapan el Alto area during the War of Independence. However, one source comments that the last Echuari, Dona Gertrudis, "lacked the administrative skills of her ancestors".

An oval window stares out like the empty eye-socket of a skull. There were several oval windows of various sizes within this extensive ruin. Some of the original plaster still covers the wall you can see on the right. In 1810, the War of Independence broke out. It did not touch Tizapan el Alto or the Hacienda at first, but there was much sympathy for the insurgent cause. The indians hated the Spanish as the oppressors at the top of the heap. The hacienda owners were divided in their sympathies. On the one hand, they didn't want to do anything to endanger their own position or properties. On the other, unless they were first generation Spanish, i.e. born in Spain, they were second-class citizens in Nueva Galicia and considered socially inferior no matter what their wealth and accomplishments. Tizapan el Alto and its Hacienda threw their support to the insurgents, who had created a fortress on the island of Mezcala across the Lake. Local heros of the struggle on the south shore were J. Encarnacion Rosas and Jose Santana who organized the indians to support Mezcala and fight the Spanish.

These buildings were probably related to the sugar mill. Behind the buildings you can see the tall smoke stack used in the sugar mill. The support for the insurgents at Mezcala carried a price. At one point, Spanish Lt. Angel Linares invaded Tizapan el Alto and massacred the population and burned portions of the Hacienda. The few survivors fled to the Sierra del Tigre mountains. Lt. Linares got his comeuppance, however. He arrogantly approached Mezcala by canoe with an insufficient force and was captured. He was duly tried, brought back to the ruins of Tizapan el Alto and hanged in the square. To his body was pinned a sign: "where he killed, he died". Very probably, the destruction or dispersal of the working population, even more than the destruction of Hacienda properties, triggered the beginning of a long decline.

Rider out of the past. While we were walking along the main street in the Hacienda, a cowboy in full regalia came galloping through the main entrance and down the street, almost as if on cue. I was instantly reminded of various Clint Eastwood movies of the "Fistful of Dollars" series, which were full of similarly crumbling Mexican haciendas. In 1853, Dona Gertrudis died and the Hacienda passed to Don Felipe Macias and his family. The area was plagued with bandits and the property further suffered as the indians drifted out of the control of hacienda owners across the country. When Porfirio Diaz became Mexico's President, effectively its dictator, he decreed that the hacienda owners should keep the peace with "blood and fire" using what one source called the "White Guards". These were apparently private armies of thugs employed by the haciendados to bring the indians back under their control. The source says that "the Mexicans had left the subjugation of the Spanish but had fallen back into another kind of slavery as laborers who were nothing but slaves to the gentlemen ranchers".

The end of the line. Visitors to the Hacienda pass through this impressive arch. One source claimed that the arch was built in the 1500's as part of an aqueduct system to bring water to the property. Tony Burton is doubtful of this story. The last chapter of the Hacienda story begins with the end of the Diaz dictatorship, and the beginning of the Revolution in 1910. Little changed for the first five years of the Revolution, then in 1915, General Francisco Murguia plundered Tizapan el Alto and burned the barns of the Hacienda. He drafted the peons, gave them rifles, and marched them as cannon fodder against the forces of General Alvaro Obregon at Ocotlan, across the lake. The peons' lack of experience led to a slaughter.

However, the local people benefited from a series of land reforms between 1919 and 1937 which broke up the Hacienda and redistributed the land. The source noted that it may have been a mistake to let the Hacienda facilities fall into ruin as a result of the land reform, because the mills on the property, which manufactured sugar, alcohol, soap, flour, and tanned leather, represented the only industry in the area. Consequently, for the last 60 years, there has been little industrial activity creating jobs for local people. Instead, they have supported themselves by farming and fishing. In recent years, NAFTA has led to large-scale dumping of corn and other agricultural products in Mexico by American agribusiness, and upstream factory pollution has damaged the fishing. Many people have migrated across the border to the US to survive.

This concludes my posting on the south shore's Hacienda de San Francisco Javier. I found the Hacienda visit romantic, melancholy, and mysterious. It is definitely worth a visit if you are in the area, particularly now that you are armed with some knowledge of its history.

Hasta luego! Jim