Historical Information Los Algodones, B.C. Mexico

Historical background of the Border Port of Los Algodones

The name of the town that we know as Los Algodones (The Cottons), Baja California, comes from the word cotton that has been cultivated in this region since old times. It is believed that it derives from Halchidomas that is the name of a Yuma Indian Tribe that inhabited that region since the beginning of the XVII century. Nonetheless, the phonetic similarity was the cause that the old town that divides Mexico with the United States between dunes and the Colorado River is known as Los Algodones.

Afterwards the name was taken for the Ranch Los Algodones that had 48,000 acres (19,420.8 hectares), and it is located at the west bank of the Colorado River (in the northwestern area of what was then territory of Northern Baja California). This great extension included rich lands due to the overflows of the Colorado River that the Indians used for their crops. The ranch had been granted in concessions by the Mexican Government to Mexican Owners that had the possession free of taxes.

The town of Los Algodones at the end of the XIX century initiated the canalization works of the Colorado River promoted by Mr. Charles Rockwood to water the Mexicali and Imperial Valleys. On this date, coinciding with the foundation of the Town Los Algodones, colonials arrived from Sonora called “Andrade Cowboys.”

The wild plants of the region grew on the sides of the Colorado River, and they reached heights of 5 ft. They formed a flower that gave as a fruit the cotton plant.

Los Algodones is situated in a region with signs of prehistoric traces (like Yuma) where they have found stony materials, at considerable depths (16 ft.), a great number of mammoth bones like premolars, knee-caps, vertebras, etc., and up to cylindrical utensils of small diameter like hitting clubs where you can notice the participation of the hand of man.

The first Algodones housing was established in the high part of the sandy plain now known as Andrade. As the Colorado River lowered its waters (in that time it was navigable according to the pictures of the Yuma prison museum), it looked for its main bed in a gradual way according to what we see in the frames left by the rain erosion in the mountain pilot side, and in the arsenic formations that are almost petrified.

In 1878 when the dividing line was marked between Mexico and the United States, on the American side it kept the name Andrade and on the Mexican side it was called Lerdo (in honor of the former President Lerdo de Tejada). Since 1878 the town of Yuma, Az. was founded, and 10 years later the name Lerdo was changed to Los Algodones; it was starting to be known in the coastal region of the Baja California Peninsula.

In 1879 it was sold to Thomas H. Blythe who was interested in irrigating the desert lands with the Colorado River water in both sides of the border. Blythe had already tried to reach the Palo Verde, California Valley region where now is located the cAlong with Guillermo Andrade, his partner, he was successful in irrigating the lands from the Sonora side of the River, and afterwards he began the task of canalizing the Colorado River to water the west side of both areas of the border; in 1883 he suddenly died without a will, and did not accomplish his goal.

Ten years after Blythe’s death a court in Ensenada, that was the capital of the northern territory of Baja California, declared to return the property of the ranch to the Mexican Government. Andrade then bought it in June of 1896.

In 1901 in the Northern Baja California District, the Ensenada Municipality was the only one formed with eleven local heads that were: Ensenada, Tijuana, Tecate, Los Algodones, Real del Castillo, and the ones that were in charge of a judge. That same year Mr. Manuel Vizcarra, who was the juridical and administrative authority, requested to the Ensenada Chief Politician to build a court at the Sharp Floodgate, but due to the River flooding the people was obligated to move to another place and that was how the Mexicali and the Calexico Valley came about.

In 1904 the Los Algodones and Mexicali municipality was divided assigning Wenceslao Sifuentes as local judge for Mexicali, and Maximiliano Marquez for Los Algodones.

The canalization was the achievement of several American entrepreneurs, and the success came through when the water started flowing and irrigating Calexico, Ca. in May 1901. Some time later on Andrade sold the Ranch along with all the land he owned in Baja California to Harrison Gray Otis, an editor for the Los Angeles Times newspaper. The name of Guillermo Andrade survives in the little town across from Los Algodones in the north side of the border called La Meseta de Andrade (Andrade’s Plateau).

The economic growth of Los Algodones had a great boom when the Dry Law was ordered and applied in the United States during the war; the casinos and alcohol businesses had a demand due to the floating population of Indians and colored people that came from the State of Arizona, USA. Likewise, these people came to gamble or to drink beer; this was the tourism that prevailed in that period. In that time Algodones had a Sub-delegation political category, and it was where some house gatherings like the River (Mexicali) depended from (1901-1902). This is the way the town’s life began to develop; it was until the arrival of Colonel Agustin Sanguines that the town really saw its activity, and when he bought Los Algodones from the house gatherings of the river (Mexicali) he ordered the transfer of the political powers from Los Algodones to what later was going to be called Mexicali. Nonetheless, Los Algodones kept functioning as a sub-delegation, and it was not the same; although later on it had a boom with regards to canteens and bars. What really brought it down were the political type situations that went on.
It was the strength and good will of its people and the local and state governments that brought it back up, and started a new boom with regards to tourism that has been the sustenance of the majority of the businessmen, professionals, and tourist service providers. ity that bears his name.

Along with Guillermo Andrade, his partner, he was successful in irrigating the lands from the Sonora side of the River, and afterwards he began the task of canalizing the Colorado River to water the west side of both areas of the border; in 1883 he suddenly died without a will, and did not accomplish his goal.

Ten years after Blythe’s death a court in Ensenada, that was the capital of the northern territory of Baja California, declared to return the property of the ranch to the Mexican Government. Andrade then bought it in June of 1896.

In 1901 in the Northern Baja California District, the Ensenada Municipality was the only one formed with eleven local heads that were: Ensenada, Tijuana, Tecate, Los Algodones, Real del Castillo, and the ones that were in charge of a judge. That same year Mr. Manuel Vizcarra, who was the juridical and administrative authority, requested to the Ensenada Chief Politician to build a court at the Sharp Floodgate, but due to the River flooding the people was obligated to move to another place and that was how the Mexicali and the Calexico Valley came about.

In 1904 the Los Algodones and Mexicali municipality was divided assigning Wenceslao Sifuentes as local judge for Mexicali, and Maximiliano Marquez for Los Algodones.

The canalization was the achievement of several American entrepreneurs, and the success came through when the water started flowing and irrigating Calexico, Ca. in May 1901. Some time later on Andrade sold the Ranch along with all the land he owned in Baja California to Harrison Gray Otis, an editor for the Los Angeles Times newspaper. The name of Guillermo Andrade survives in the little town across from Los Algodones in the north side of the border called La Meseta de Andrade (Andrade’s Plateau).

The economic growth of Los Algodones had a great boom when the Dry Law was ordered and applied in the United States during the war; the casinos and alcohol businesses had a demand due to the floating population of Indians and colored people that came from the State of Arizona, USA. Likewise, these people came to gamble or to drink beer; this was the tourism that prevailed in that period. In that time Algodones had a Sub-delegation political category, and it was where some house gatherings like the River (Mexicali) depended from (1901-1902). This is the way the town’s life began to develop; it was until the arrival of Colonel Agustin Sanguines that the town really saw its activity, and when he bought Los Algodones from the house gatherings of the river (Mexicali) he ordered the transfer of the political powers from Los Algodones to what later was going to be called Mexicali. Nonetheless, Los Algodones kept functioning as a sub-delegation, and it was not the same; although later on it had a boom with regards to canteens and bars. What really brought it down were the political type situations that went on.
It was the strength and good will of its people and the local and state governments that brought it back up, and started a new boom with regards to tourism that has been the sustenance of the majority of the businessmen, professionals, and tourist service providers.