Title
Durango. Toponymy
The state and its capital were called the namesake city located in the English province of Vizcaya.
Gutierre Tibón, studies of this and other issues, consider that the meaning is "plain between high "or" extensive plain ", ie, flat and fertile land limited by elevation, or very large. Durango
can also be translated as "bracken", "place of ferns, as shown in the book Etymology of Names Basque, Isaac López Mendizabal.
Finally, another version that appears in the Encyclopedia of Mexico said that Durango means "beyond the water."
The first inhabitants of the city were the Nahuatl, nomads from northern continent, two thousand years ago. During the Postclassic period the city was occupied by natives and their contemporaries Tepehuano Zacatecos from Southeast Guadiana valley, to Nombre de Dios.
The origin of the ancient city is due to mineral Cerro del Mercado, named in memory of its discoverer, Captain Ginés Vázquez de Mercado. The English conquistador Francisco de Ibarra made a voyage of discovery in 1554, where he discovered a large tract of land in the northwestern part of New Spain and was appointed governor of the Province by the Viceroy Don Luis de Velasco on July 24 1562. Once
Francisco de Ibarra received his appointment as Governor of the Province set out to make a start with his new exploration investment. Founded new cities and traveled throughout the vast territory discovered by him to found the province baptized with the name of Nueva Vizcaya, in memory of his birthplace. He founded the city of Durango on July 8, 1562. A few years earlier
the Guadiana Valley had found himself Ibarra. It was a bright, wide valley, rich in moisture, because of two rivers that cross it. Equipped with a long hill where, in addition to wood that could profit had game and fish in rivers. They were also near where mine were. This motivated him to choose the Guadiana Valley and found the head of its governance.
Once you locate the site, ordered from Valle de San Juan in one of his captains, Alonso de Pacheco, a group of soldiers to make the outline of the New Village.
Following the English custom of founding a city, Alonso de Pacheco, in compliance in all respects to the orders received from Ibarra, proceeded to mark the spot where he was to become the Plaza de Armas, the center of Villa Nueva. North said the seat for the first church, which was that of the Assumption, and to the south of the palace of the governors. East and west, the lots were distributed between the first neighbors.
As ignorant Alonso de Pacheco Ibarra wanted the name to give the new town, started to call "Guadiana" for the valley in which it was founded.
Ibarra did not want the new city would have elements that may hamper their progress. So, using his talent and Christian and humanitarian spirit reached out to the natives by giving them clothes and food, also invited to help build houses in the village and make a canal to carry water from the springs located west of the valley. All this work remunerated Ibarra what the Indians and neighbors who helped him.
As the Villa was mainly agricultural, there was need to cultivate the surrounding land, so Ibarra gave both neighbors and the natural, farm implements, and during the first year, the Francisco de Ibarra said as he raised the first crops.
At the foundation of the city's first event was a mass officiated by Fray Diego de la Cadena, held as tradition relates, on the southeast corner of the streets today and Juarez February 5, Ibarra attended, their Captains and neighbors.
Then came the ceremony of the foundation. Somewhere in the Plaza de Armas stood first the royal scribe, Sebastian Quiroz, who sat at a table drafted the act of the foundation and standing before him, with their dress uniforms, Francisco de Ibarra and his captains, along with them the lieutenant Martin Renteria carrying the banner that had accompanied their conquests. Next to them is Ana Pacheco Leyva, who was the first English woman who came to Durango.
From that day the town was called "Durango", in memory of the birthplace of its founder. Its name means "beyond the water."
The town of Durango is now a decent place in which to live, has a rich past historical and challenges that motivate for a better future, is at the same place of great potential.
