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A Historical Overview of San Carlos Bay Mexico
San Carlos, Sonora, Mexico, home to several thousand American and Canadian retirees and beautifully immersed in Mexican culture and tradition, is a relatively new resort destination, enacted by the State of Sonora Congress as the New Township of San Carlos Bay, Nuevo Guaymas on September 28th, 1963. And, as such, its history is significantly tied to nearby Guaymas - a seaport city of 175,000 residents, just 16 km southwest of San Carlos. Guaymas was in turn was discovered by Spanish explorers in 1539.
Guaymas Historical Background
According to Horacio Vazquez del Mercado, Guaymas Historian narrator, the Guaymas area was occupied by the Guaymenas Indian tribe. The Yaqui, Guaimas and Seri Indians lived in this natural habitat, sustained by the waters of the Sea of Cortez, which provided an abundance of food and the imposing figure of the Tetakawi ("Goat teats") mountain, which supplied mystical powers for their warriors.
In 1701, Padres Salvatierra and Kino founded a short-lived mission settlement in Guaymas. The mission was soon destroyed by the Guaymenas Indians, but another attempt was made in 1769 in San Jose de Guaymas.
During the 1847 Mexican-American War, 2 US naval vessels, the 'Eagle' & 'Reliant' captured the Guaymas area taking control of the harbor & town until late 1848, and then very briefly in 1853 by the 'freebooter' William Walker.
In 1854 the French pirate 'Captain Rousset' operating from his boat in the Sea of Cortez attempted to overtake Guaymas in a surprise attack with a well-armed group of 400. The battle, which lasted 4 days, initially overwhelmed local forces but by the end local militia forces remarkably captured the pirate leader.
The area was briefly occupied again in 1865 by the French under Emperor Maximilian. The first two decades of 1900 brought revolution to Mexico, and the port/cove areas suddenly became supply points for General Francisco (Pancho) Villas 'Army of the North'.
By 1910, ships from California, China, England, France and Germany were regularly unloading freight at Guaymas for exports to the U.S.. While its import/export role declined, it's commercial and sports fishing role gained in importance.
In later days, Guaymas reached international importance, since it was the supply gate in the American Civil War and in the State of Arizona war against its resident indians. War material and supplies arrived from San Francisco, California and were transported in mule caravans along a commercial corridor from Guaymas to Tucson, Arizona. A new cargo corridor between Guaymas and Tucson still is being promoted between the Sonora and Arizona State Governors.
San Carlos History Fact Sheet