History of Hermosillo

French Intervention in Mexico. In 1879, the capital of the state of Sonora was moved from Arizpe to Hermosillo. In 1881 the railroad linking Hermosillo with Guaymas and Nogales was finished, allowing for economic expansion in the area by bringing in mining equipment and modern agricultural equipment. Since then, the city has been an economic center for northwest Mexico. During the Mexican Revolution, forces loyal to Pancho Villa were repulsed by General Manuel M. Diéguez. After the assassination of Francisco I. Madero in 1913, Venustiano Carranza, then governor of Coahuila, sought refuge in Hermosillo. Here Carranza began the Constitutionalist Movement, and because of this, Hermosillo has the nickname of the "revolutionary capital of the country."

From the late 19th century and through the first two decades of the 20th, Chinese immigrants came into Sonora state. One of the places in which a significant number settled was the city of Hermosillo. Some of these immigrants had capital and used it to establish businesses, especially shoe manufacturing and clothing. Some of the most successful Chinese-owned businesses in Sonora were based in Hermosillo and sold their merchandise to other parts of the country. However, by the 1920s anti-Chinese sentiment had become strong in Sonora state, with many Chinese leaving for Mexico City or the United States.

In the 1980s, Ford built a plant here, which had a great impact on the city's and state's economy.

Hermosillo is the site of a tragic fire at the ABC child care center on June 5th, 2009. According to the Procuraduría General de Justicia en el Estado (State Attorney General Office) of Sonora, 49 deaths attributed to the fire at the ABC child care center. The fire apparently started at a car and tire depot then spread to the child care center. Most of the children died of asphyxiation. There were about 100 children inside the building and firefighters had to knock holes in the walls to rescue the