El Jícaro, Veracruz
Encyclopedia
El Jícaro is a small town in the municipality
of Tierra Blanca
, in the Mexican state of Veracruz
. It stands in the Río Papaloapa basin, at the 83rd kilometer of the Veracruz–Tierra Blanca railroad.
which began in 1910 and lasted for almost 2 decades. Given the country's political and economic situation of the time, everyone, including land owners like Don Joaquín, entered the conflict, mainly to defend themselves. In the latter part of the '20s the country's situation began to change and a relative calm ensued. A friend and revolutionary comrade of Don Joaquín's (a.k.a. "el perro negro"), Pedro Moreno asked him for a plot of land to build a house for his family. Pedro Moreno built his house near the railroad that in those days did not have a stop in the area, where there were only the houses of Don Joaquín and Pedro Moreno. One day the train stopped near the quasi hamlet at the 83rd kilometer, to get water for the locomotive engine
, which had run dry. They went up to Don Pedro's home to get water and they asked him what the place was called. He said it had no name
. The engine driver told him to make one up
. A little startled, for he had never thought of naming the place, Don Pedro looked around him for an idea to name the place. Suddenly he spotted a "chomo" tree full of green and round fruit, the size of a bowling ball
, which is some kind of gourd, whose dry shell is used as a vessel and kitchen utensil. He said let's call it "El Jicaro", which is what the gourds are called in the local vernacular. From then on the place was known as "El Jicaro". Eventually a cantina called el "chomito" run by a famous character named "Zapotito" would open up near the site of the famous "chomo" tree. The railway company
built a station and soon people flocked from nearby areas to board the train up to the Port of Veracruz and the bigger town of Tierra Blanca. Pedro Moreno left the village never to be heard of again. But Don Joaquín remained in El Jícaro
where he built his little empire, in spite of being left penniless by the Mexican Revolution
and the agrarian reform
; Don Joaquín lost the greater part of his land which covered a great expanse of the district (around 2000+ hectares). Most of the land was partitioned into communal land (ejido) and settled by many farmers, mostly of the Delgado clan and Aguirre clan. The communal land settlers made small lots near the railway where they had put the sign with the name of "El Jícaro km 83", and so a small village began to grow. Don Joaquín was left with the lands at the center of Jícaro extending from the San Pablo
river to the Estanzuela river. This area of Mexico being of tropical and torrid climate, has only 2 seasons, the dry season
and the rainy season
. Don Joaquin kept 2 homes, one in town next to the railroad which he used for shipping the goods he produced in his ranches such as cotton, maize, charcoal, cheese, and live stock. In the dry season the "finca" of "El Jobito" in "Paso 'e la Gloria"(his second abode near the Estanzuela river) was more appropriate for cattle grazing, so he would move the cattle ranching operations to this side of his property, approximately 8 km away, when the grasses in El Jicaro started to dry up. Don Joaquín gave land in the center of town for an elementary school
, a municipal agency and introduced electricity, later on his son Reyes(R.I.P.) donated land for both a kinder garden and the senior high school. As time went by Don Joaquin became the richest man in the village. He was the owner of a general store
in the middle of the little town which served as the main area for commerce and social events. He died in the '70s, of a heart attack
while visiting his long time mistress Amada Amador. Many of his descendants still live in the village. In the '80s Clemente Moreno (Don Pedro's eldest son) went to El Jícaro to buy a house where he would retire. It is from him that we learned the anecdotal origin of this village's name. Today El Jicaro has potable water, sewer service, phone service, internet and a paved road. The railway has been made redundant as nobody travels or uses the train for transporting goods. The population of el Jicaro has been greatly diminished by the migration of its young people to other parts of the country and the United States. "Efforts" have been made by the local governments to create jobs. The most recent attempt was a projected Ethanol distillery for use as an alternative fuel
made from the abundant sugar cane
in the area, but apparently it was cancelled. Most people say it was an all too common ploy to get people to vote for the current governor whom is from the area. After he was elected to office he had to serve the larger interest groups i.e.: the massive state owned monopoly Pemex that had recently discovered new oil and gas fields near Mata Gallina. This company does not employ locals as it has a largely politicized trade union.
GC
Mexico°N date=December 2010°W
http://www.eljicaro.org
Municipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
of Tierra Blanca
Tierra Blanca, Veracruz
Tierra Blanca is a city and its surrounding municipality of the same name located in the south-central part of the state of Veracruz in Mexico. At the 2005 census the city had a population of 44,171 inhabitants. The city serves as the municipal seat of the municipality, which has an area of...
, in the Mexican state of Veracruz
Veracruz
Veracruz, formally Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave , is one of the 31 states that, along with the Federal District, comprise the 32 federative entities of Mexico. It is divided in 212 municipalities and its capital city is...
. It stands in the Río Papaloapa basin, at the 83rd kilometer of the Veracruz–Tierra Blanca railroad.
History of El Jícaro
El Jicaro was founded around the 1920s on land that belonged to Don Joaquín Fernandez Mora, the offspring of large land owners ruined by the Mexican RevolutionMexican Revolution
The Mexican Revolution was a major armed struggle that started in 1910, with an uprising led by Francisco I. Madero against longtime autocrat Porfirio Díaz. The Revolution was characterized by several socialist, liberal, anarchist, populist, and agrarianist movements. Over time the Revolution...
which began in 1910 and lasted for almost 2 decades. Given the country's political and economic situation of the time, everyone, including land owners like Don Joaquín, entered the conflict, mainly to defend themselves. In the latter part of the '20s the country's situation began to change and a relative calm ensued. A friend and revolutionary comrade of Don Joaquín's (a.k.a. "el perro negro"), Pedro Moreno asked him for a plot of land to build a house for his family. Pedro Moreno built his house near the railroad that in those days did not have a stop in the area, where there were only the houses of Don Joaquín and Pedro Moreno. One day the train stopped near the quasi hamlet at the 83rd kilometer, to get water for the locomotive engine
Locomotive
A locomotive is a railway vehicle that provides the motive power for a train. The word originates from the Latin loco – "from a place", ablative of locus, "place" + Medieval Latin motivus, "causing motion", and is a shortened form of the term locomotive engine, first used in the early 19th...
, which had run dry. They went up to Don Pedro's home to get water and they asked him what the place was called. He said it had no name
No Name
No Name may refer to:* No-Name, a character in the Marvel Comics Universe* No Name , a novel by Wilkie Collins* No Name , a Montenegrin pop group* No Name...
. The engine driver told him to make one up
1-up
1-up , pronounced "one up", is a term in console video gaming that commonly refers to an item that gives the player an extra life, to complete the game. In certain games, it is possible to receive multiple extra lives at once...
. A little startled, for he had never thought of naming the place, Don Pedro looked around him for an idea to name the place. Suddenly he spotted a "chomo" tree full of green and round fruit, the size of a bowling ball
Bowling ball
A bowling ball is a spherical ball made from plastic, reactive resin, urethane or a combination of these materials which is used in the sport of bowling. Ten-pin bowling balls generally have a set of three holes drilled in them, one each for the ring and middle finger, and one for the thumb;...
, which is some kind of gourd, whose dry shell is used as a vessel and kitchen utensil. He said let's call it "El Jicaro", which is what the gourds are called in the local vernacular. From then on the place was known as "El Jicaro". Eventually a cantina called el "chomito" run by a famous character named "Zapotito" would open up near the site of the famous "chomo" tree. The railway company
Railway company
A railway company or railroad company is an entity that operates a railroad track and/or trains. Such a company can either be private or public...
built a station and soon people flocked from nearby areas to board the train up to the Port of Veracruz and the bigger town of Tierra Blanca. Pedro Moreno left the village never to be heard of again. But Don Joaquín remained in El Jícaro
El Jícaro
El Jícaro could mean either of the following geographical locations:*El Jícaro, El Progreso, Guatemala*El Jícaro, Nueva Segovia, Nicaragua*El Jícaro, Veracruz, Mexico...
where he built his little empire, in spite of being left penniless by the Mexican Revolution
Mexican Revolution
The Mexican Revolution was a major armed struggle that started in 1910, with an uprising led by Francisco I. Madero against longtime autocrat Porfirio Díaz. The Revolution was characterized by several socialist, liberal, anarchist, populist, and agrarianist movements. Over time the Revolution...
and the agrarian reform
Agrarian reform
Agrarian reform can refer either, narrowly, to government-initiated or government-backed redistribution of agricultural land or, broadly, to an overall redirection of the agrarian system of the country, which often includes land reform measures. Agrarian reform can include credit measures,...
; Don Joaquín lost the greater part of his land which covered a great expanse of the district (around 2000+ hectares). Most of the land was partitioned into communal land (ejido) and settled by many farmers, mostly of the Delgado clan and Aguirre clan. The communal land settlers made small lots near the railway where they had put the sign with the name of "El Jícaro km 83", and so a small village began to grow. Don Joaquín was left with the lands at the center of Jícaro extending from the San Pablo
San Pablo
-Geography:San Pablo is a common toponym in parts of the world where the Spanish language is or was spoken.Towns, cities, and counties called San Pablo:*Argentina**San Pablo , Catamarca Province...
river to the Estanzuela river. This area of Mexico being of tropical and torrid climate, has only 2 seasons, the dry season
Dry season
The dry season is a term commonly used when describing the weather in the tropics. The weather in the tropics is dominated by the tropical rain belt, which oscillates from the northern to the southern tropics over the course of the year...
and the rainy season
Wet season
The the wet season, or rainy season, is the time of year, covering one or more months, when most of the average annual rainfall in a region occurs. The term green season is also sometimes used as a euphemism by tourist authorities. Areas with wet seasons are dispersed across portions of the...
. Don Joaquin kept 2 homes, one in town next to the railroad which he used for shipping the goods he produced in his ranches such as cotton, maize, charcoal, cheese, and live stock. In the dry season the "finca" of "El Jobito" in "Paso 'e la Gloria"(his second abode near the Estanzuela river) was more appropriate for cattle grazing, so he would move the cattle ranching operations to this side of his property, approximately 8 km away, when the grasses in El Jicaro started to dry up. Don Joaquín gave land in the center of town for an elementary school
Primary education
A primary school is an institution in which children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as primary or elementary education. Primary school is the preferred term in the United Kingdom and many Commonwealth Nations, and in most publications of the United Nations Educational,...
, a municipal agency and introduced electricity, later on his son Reyes(R.I.P.) donated land for both a kinder garden and the senior high school. As time went by Don Joaquin became the richest man in the village. He was the owner of a general store
General store
A general store, general merchandise store, or village shop is a rural or small town store that carries a general line of merchandise. It carries a broad selection of merchandise, sometimes in a small space, where people from the town and surrounding rural areas come to purchase all their general...
in the middle of the little town which served as the main area for commerce and social events. He died in the '70s, of a heart attack
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
while visiting his long time mistress Amada Amador. Many of his descendants still live in the village. In the '80s Clemente Moreno (Don Pedro's eldest son) went to El Jícaro to buy a house where he would retire. It is from him that we learned the anecdotal origin of this village's name. Today El Jicaro has potable water, sewer service, phone service, internet and a paved road. The railway has been made redundant as nobody travels or uses the train for transporting goods. The population of el Jicaro has been greatly diminished by the migration of its young people to other parts of the country and the United States. "Efforts" have been made by the local governments to create jobs. The most recent attempt was a projected Ethanol distillery for use as an alternative fuel
Alternative fuel
Alternative fuels, known as non-conventional or advanced fuels, are any materials or substances that can be used as fuels, other than conventional fuels...
made from the abundant sugar cane
Sugarcane
Sugarcane refers to any of six to 37 species of tall perennial grasses of the genus Saccharum . Native to the warm temperate to tropical regions of South Asia, they have stout, jointed, fibrous stalks that are rich in sugar, and measure two to six metres tall...
in the area, but apparently it was cancelled. Most people say it was an all too common ploy to get people to vote for the current governor whom is from the area. After he was elected to office he had to serve the larger interest groups i.e.: the massive state owned monopoly Pemex that had recently discovered new oil and gas fields near Mata Gallina. This company does not employ locals as it has a largely politicized trade union.
GC
Mexico°N date=December 2010°W
http://www.eljicaro.org