Namiquipa

Namiquipa is a town in the Mexican state of Chihuahua. It serves as the municipal seat for the surrounding municipality of Namiquipa.

Namiquipa, Chihuahua
Municipal Seat
Municipality of Namiquipa in Chihuahua
Namiquipa, Chihuahua Location in Mexico
Coordinates: 29°15′01″N 107°24′33″W
Country	Mexico
State	Chihuahua
Municipality	Namiquipa
Franciscan Mission	1763
Town status	1778
Government
• Municipal President	Héctor Ariel Meixueiro Muñoz (PRI)
Elevation	1,888 m (6,194 ft)
Population  (2010)
• Total	1,752
Postal code	31960
Area code	659
Demonym	Namiquipense

As of 2010, the town of Namiquipa had a population of 1,752,^[1] up from 1,718 as of 2005.^[2]

History

The origin of the settlement is an indigenous village called Namiquipa.

Franciscan missionaries established a mission in 1662 or 1663 called San Pedro de Alcántara de Namiquipa.^[3] It was subsequently abandoned.^[4]

Namiquipa was refounded and given town (villa) status in 1778.^[2] The Spanish colonial state established the town and surrounding region as a military colony, and its settlers received land grants in return for fighting Apache during the Apache Wars.^[4]

Namiquipa was a stronghold of Pancho Villa’s popular movement during much of the Mexican Revolution of 1910–1920.^[5] However, in 1916 locals switched sides and formed local militia that collaborated with the United States.^[6] In 1917 Namiquipa was attacked by Villa and his men, who reportedly raped many townswomen after setting the town ablaze.^[7] Villa's commander Nicolas Fernandez managed to take some of the townswomen under his protection, and ordered his soldiers to shoot any one who tried to attack them.^[8] After news of the atrocity spread, Villa lost the goodwill of many villagers across Chihuahua.^[8]