Huehuetoca
Encyclopedia
Huehuetoca is a municipio (municipality) in Mexico State, central Mexico
, and also the name of its largest locality and municipal seat.
huehuetocan, which has several interpretations. The reduplicated
stem huēhue- carries the meaning "old" or "ancient", but the etymology of the remainder is debated. Some sources interpret tocan as “followed” or “language.”
group led by Mixcóatl
into the area around 528 CE
. The settlement was conquered by a number of people. The original Huehuetocan village was destroyed by the Otomi
from Xaltocan. These Otomi were then vanquished by the Huexotzincas, the Tlaxcaltecas, the Totomihuacas from Cholollan and the Cuauhtinchantlaca from Tepeyac. With each wave of conquest, the village became part of a larger political system. The last native people to control the village were the Tecpanecas.
After the Conquest of Mexico by the Spanish
, Huehuetoca, along with Cuautitlán
, Zumpango and Xaltocán
were given to the conquistador Alonso de Avila as an encomienda
, or as a sort of feudal territory. The area was evangelized by the Franciscan
s based in Cuautitlán, and it is thought that the first church was founded by Friar Pedro de Gante
. By the mid 1500’s, Huehuetoca and thirteen other nearby villages were managed by a secular authority, against the wishes of the local Indians. At the beginning of the 16th century, Huehuetoca was chosen as the site of one of the first drainage projects for the Valley of Mexico. Beginning in 1607, engineer Enrico Martínez
, persuaded the Spanish vice-regal authorities of the need to build a canal to drain and divert the waters of the Valley. The project initially attracted the attention of notable engineers , artists and political figures including the viceroy, Luis de Velasco II, himself. The complete project took around 200 years to complete.
In 1816, during the Mexican War of Independence
, resident Pedro Saldirna was accused of heading a rebel group by the local priest. However, Saldirna was not prosecuted. Haciendas near the town were sacked during the Mexican Revolution
by Zapatista
s.
The Cuautitlán River crosses just north of the town and flows into the canal built for drainage of the Valley of Mexico
. This river/canal is also called the Nochistongo, named after an old village that was located in what is now the State of Hidalgo.
The town was also a stop on the Mexico City - Nuevo Laredo
rail line that was inaugurated in 1888 by the National Mexican Construction Company (Compañía Constructora Nacional Mexicana) and later run by the Mexican National Railroad Company (Compañía del Camino de Fierro Nacional Mexicana). This rail line was widened here between 1901 and 1903 to also serve as a link north for Toluca and other central-Mexico localities.
The town contains a number of historical sites including the Parish of San Pablo, dating from the 16th and 17th centuries, The Viceroy Luis de Velasco House, also known as the House of the Viceroys, from the 18th century. This house served as a residence for the viceroys when the came to visit and monitor the Nochistongo drainage project. Other sites include the Chapel of El Calvario, from the 19th and 20th centuries, the Bridge of El Calvario, from the 19th century, the Bridge of los Arcos del Acueducto, from the 19th century and Temple of San Miguel Jagüeyes, from the 18th century.
of the State of Mexico. The State of Hidalgo borders to the northwest. It occupies a territory of 161.98km2. The territory contains a number of eroding volcanic cones, most of which belong to the Sierra de Guadalupe and the Sierra de Tepotzotlán. Significant elevations include Mount Cincoque, also known as Mount Huautecomaque (2,630 meters), the Cerro Grande Guaytepeque, also known as Cerro de la Estrella (2,700 meters), the Cerro de Ahumada, also known as the Mesa Grande, (2,580 meters) and the Cerro de Guaytepeque (2,250 meters). The area’s main river is the Cuautitlán River. Because of the drainage project of the 17th century, this river now leads to the Tula River in Hidalgo, instead of the Valley of Mexico. The municipality contains two large dams to store wáter for agricultural use, 16 streams, most of which contain wáter only in the rainy season, and 15 ponds or small lakes. The two largest are called the San Miguel de los Jagüeyes and the Jagüey Prieto. The area has a rainy season during the months of June to October and a dry season from November to May. During the year, temperaturas range from 6.9°C in the Winter and 23.8°C in the summer, with an average of 15.4°C.
The municipality is primarily agricultural, with fields dedicated to corn, alfalfa and vegetables. Sheep and goats are also raised here, with zebu
being recently introduced.
The municipality is growing rapidly, mostly because it is located in the Mexico City Metropolitan area. The operators of the Tren Suburbano, the commuter rail that connects the northern suburbs with Mexico City has expressed interest in building a branch that will lead to Huehuetoca. In late 2008, the housing developer ARA, announced plans to build 26,000 homes in the municipality over the next several years.
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, and also the name of its largest locality and municipal seat.
Name origins
The name "Huehuetoca" is derived from the NahuatlNahuatl
Nahuatl is thought to mean "a good, clear sound" This language name has several spellings, among them náhuatl , Naoatl, Nauatl, Nahuatl, Nawatl. In a back formation from the name of the language, the ethnic group of Nahuatl speakers are called Nahua...
huehuetocan, which has several interpretations. The reduplicated
Reduplication
Reduplication in linguistics is a morphological process in which the root or stem of a word is repeated exactly or with a slight change....
stem huēhue- carries the meaning "old" or "ancient", but the etymology of the remainder is debated. Some sources interpret tocan as “followed” or “language.”
The town
The town originated with the migration of a ChichimecaChichimeca
Chichimeca was the name that the Nahua peoples of Mexico generically applied to a wide range of semi-nomadic peoples who inhabited the north of modern-day Mexico and southwestern United States, and carried the same sense as the European term "barbarian"...
group led by Mixcóatl
Mixcoatl
Mixcoatl , or Camaxtli, was the god of the hunt and identified with the Milky Way, the stars, and the heavens in several Mesoamerican cultures. He was the patron deity of the Otomi, the Chichimecs, and several groups that claimed descent from the Chichimecs...
into the area around 528 CE
Common Era
Common Era ,abbreviated as CE, is an alternative designation for the calendar era originally introduced by Dionysius Exiguus in the 6th century, traditionally identified with Anno Domini .Dates before the year 1 CE are indicated by the usage of BCE, short for Before the Common Era Common Era...
. The settlement was conquered by a number of people. The original Huehuetocan village was destroyed by the Otomi
Otomi people
The Otomi people . Smaller Otomi populations exist in the states of Puebla, Mexico, Tlaxcala, Michoacán and Guanajuato. The Otomi language belonging to the Oto-Pamean branch of the Oto-Manguean language family is spoken in many different varieties some of which are not mutually intelligible.One of...
from Xaltocan. These Otomi were then vanquished by the Huexotzincas, the Tlaxcaltecas, the Totomihuacas from Cholollan and the Cuauhtinchantlaca from Tepeyac. With each wave of conquest, the village became part of a larger political system. The last native people to control the village were the Tecpanecas.
After the Conquest of Mexico by the Spanish
Spanish conquest of Mexico
The Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire was one of the most important campaigns in the Spanish colonization of the Americas. The invasion began in February 1519 and was acclaimed victorious on August 13, 1521, by a coalition army of Spanish conquistadors and Tlaxcalan warriors led by Hernán Cortés...
, Huehuetoca, along with Cuautitlán
Cuautitlán
Cuautitlán is a city and municipality in the State of Mexico, just north of the northern tip of the Federal District within the Greater Mexico City urban area. The city has engulfed most of the municipality, making the two synonymous...
, Zumpango and Xaltocán
Xaltocan
Xaltocan was a pre-Columbian city-state and island in the Valley of Mexico, located in the center of Lake Xaltocan, part of an interconnected shallow lake system which included Lake Texcoco...
were given to the conquistador Alonso de Avila as an encomienda
Encomienda
The encomienda was a system that was employed mainly by the Spanish crown during the colonization of the Americas to regulate Native American labor....
, or as a sort of feudal territory. The area was evangelized by the Franciscan
Franciscan
Most Franciscans are members of Roman Catholic religious orders founded by Saint Francis of Assisi. Besides Roman Catholic communities, there are also Old Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, ecumenical and Non-denominational Franciscan communities....
s based in Cuautitlán, and it is thought that the first church was founded by Friar Pedro de Gante
Pedro de Gante
Fray Pieter van der Moere, also known as Fray Pedro de Gante or Pedro de Mura was a Franciscan missionary in sixteenth century Mexico. Born in Geraardsbergen in present day Belgium, he was of Flemish descent...
. By the mid 1500’s, Huehuetoca and thirteen other nearby villages were managed by a secular authority, against the wishes of the local Indians. At the beginning of the 16th century, Huehuetoca was chosen as the site of one of the first drainage projects for the Valley of Mexico. Beginning in 1607, engineer Enrico Martínez
Enrico Martínez
Enrico Martínez , Henri Martín or Heinrich Martin, was cosmographer to the King of Spain, interpreter for the Spanish Inquisition, publisher, and hydraulic engineer....
, persuaded the Spanish vice-regal authorities of the need to build a canal to drain and divert the waters of the Valley. The project initially attracted the attention of notable engineers , artists and political figures including the viceroy, Luis de Velasco II, himself. The complete project took around 200 years to complete.
In 1816, during the Mexican War of Independence
Mexican War of Independence
The Mexican War of Independence was an armed conflict between the people of Mexico and the Spanish colonial authorities which started on 16 September 1810. The movement, which became known as the Mexican War of Independence, was led by Mexican-born Spaniards, Mestizos and Amerindians who sought...
, resident Pedro Saldirna was accused of heading a rebel group by the local priest. However, Saldirna was not prosecuted. Haciendas near the town were sacked during 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...
by Zapatista
Liberation Army of the South
The Liberation Army of the South was an armed group formed and led by Emiliano Zapata that took part in the Mexican Revolution. The force was commonly known as the Zapatistas....
s.
The Cuautitlán River crosses just north of the town and flows into the canal built for drainage of the Valley of Mexico
Valley of Mexico
The Valley of Mexico is a highlands plateau in central Mexico roughly coterminous with the present-day Distrito Federal and the eastern half of the State of Mexico. Surrounded by mountains and volcanoes, the Valley of Mexico was a centre for several pre-Columbian civilizations, including...
. This river/canal is also called the Nochistongo, named after an old village that was located in what is now the State of Hidalgo.
The town was also a stop on the Mexico City - Nuevo Laredo
Nuevo Laredo
Nuevo Laredo is a city located in the Municipality of Nuevo Laredo in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas. The city lies on the banks of the Río Grande, across from the United States city of Laredo, Texas. The 2010 census population of the city was 373,725. Nuevo Laredo is part of the Laredo-Nuevo...
rail line that was inaugurated in 1888 by the National Mexican Construction Company (Compañía Constructora Nacional Mexicana) and later run by the Mexican National Railroad Company (Compañía del Camino de Fierro Nacional Mexicana). This rail line was widened here between 1901 and 1903 to also serve as a link north for Toluca and other central-Mexico localities.
The town contains a number of historical sites including the Parish of San Pablo, dating from the 16th and 17th centuries, The Viceroy Luis de Velasco House, also known as the House of the Viceroys, from the 18th century. This house served as a residence for the viceroys when the came to visit and monitor the Nochistongo drainage project. Other sites include the Chapel of El Calvario, from the 19th and 20th centuries, the Bridge of El Calvario, from the 19th century, the Bridge of los Arcos del Acueducto, from the 19th century and Temple of San Miguel Jagüeyes, from the 18th century.
The municipality
The municipality borders the municipalities of Tepotzotlán, Zumpango, Tequixquiac and CoyotepecCoyotepec
Coyotepec is a town and municipality in Mexico State in Mexico. The municipality covers an area of 12.30 km².As of 2005, the municipality had a total population of 39,341....
of the State of Mexico. The State of Hidalgo borders to the northwest. It occupies a territory of 161.98km2. The territory contains a number of eroding volcanic cones, most of which belong to the Sierra de Guadalupe and the Sierra de Tepotzotlán. Significant elevations include Mount Cincoque, also known as Mount Huautecomaque (2,630 meters), the Cerro Grande Guaytepeque, also known as Cerro de la Estrella (2,700 meters), the Cerro de Ahumada, also known as the Mesa Grande, (2,580 meters) and the Cerro de Guaytepeque (2,250 meters). The area’s main river is the Cuautitlán River. Because of the drainage project of the 17th century, this river now leads to the Tula River in Hidalgo, instead of the Valley of Mexico. The municipality contains two large dams to store wáter for agricultural use, 16 streams, most of which contain wáter only in the rainy season, and 15 ponds or small lakes. The two largest are called the San Miguel de los Jagüeyes and the Jagüey Prieto. The area has a rainy season during the months of June to October and a dry season from November to May. During the year, temperaturas range from 6.9°C in the Winter and 23.8°C in the summer, with an average of 15.4°C.
The municipality is primarily agricultural, with fields dedicated to corn, alfalfa and vegetables. Sheep and goats are also raised here, with zebu
Zebu
Zebu , sometimes known as humped cattle, indicus cattle, Cebu or Brahmin cattle are a type of domestic cattle originating in South Asia, particularly the Indian subcontinent. They are characterised by a fatty hump on their shoulders, drooping ears and a large dewlap...
being recently introduced.
The municipality is growing rapidly, mostly because it is located in the Mexico City Metropolitan area. The operators of the Tren Suburbano, the commuter rail that connects the northern suburbs with Mexico City has expressed interest in building a branch that will lead to Huehuetoca. In late 2008, the housing developer ARA, announced plans to build 26,000 homes in the municipality over the next several years.