History of Guadalajara
History of Mérida
History of Oaxaca
Northern Mexico
Central Mexico
Southern Mexico
History of Guadalajara
History of Mérida
History of Oaxaca
Northern Mexico
Central Mexico
Southern Mexico
FROM SMALL RANCHES TO A TOURISTIC DEVELOPMENT
Pre-Hispanic Era
The indigenous Kumiai people, descendants of the Yuman Group, called the place where the city of Playas de Rosarito stands today "Wa-cuatay."
These inhabitants were essentially semi-nomadic, as they relied on plant, herb, and seed collection during the summer months and engaged in hunting and fishing during the winter.
Currently, the Kumiai community has been reduced to a small nucleus, concentrated in communal lands in a village called San José de la Zorra. It was named so because "Perjau" means "fox" in Kumiai language, and the missionaries complemented it with "San José."
Colonial Era
After the conquest, Hernán Cortés heard fabulous legends about a peninsula or island in the northwest of the country. He sent three expeditions in search of the island of California, which was later revealed to be a peninsula, thanks to Francisco de Hulla.
In 1533, the expedition led by Fortín Jiménez de Bertadoña accidentally discovered the coasts of California. Years later, on September 23, 1542, the great navigator Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo was the first explorer to pass through this area.
History of Rosarito
In 1697, the missionaries of the Society of Jesus began evangelizing starting from Loreto, expelled from the Kingdom of Spain. Seventy years later, King Carlos III ordered that the missions left by the Jesuits in California be given to the religious order of the Franciscans, who later agreed with the Dominicans through a concordat.
In 1772, both orders were given the authority to divide the mission lands at their convenience, establishing a dividing line to mark Baja California under the care of the Dominicans and upper California under the care of the Franciscans.
Around 1773, Fray Francisco Palou was responsible for marking the first border between old and new California, placing a wooden cross amidst a set of rocks known as Mojonera de Palou, on the old royal road corresponding to "La punta que cae a la playa," later called Punta del Descanso, where the Calafia Historical and Cultural Center is currently located.
Subsequently, in 1778, the Dominican Father Fray Luis de Sales found some indigenous rancherías in what is now Rosarito, thus extending a new Dominican border to the Barrabás stream, now known as the Rosarito stream.
19th century
These two political-religious divisions are located within the municipality of Playas de Rosarito and predate the current Mexico-United States international boundary, a result of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo that ended the war between the United States and Mexico.
Finally, around 1834, all Dominican missions, including the missions of San Miguel Arcángel and El Descanso, were abandoned due to the secularization of clergy property and a drastic population reduction.
In 1822, Agustín Fernández de San Vicente was commissioned by Emperor Iturbide to proclaim the independence of Mexico in the Californias. In the report he sent to the Emperor, he mentioned the plain of El Rosario, which was occupied by a ranch located 13 leagues south of the San Diego de Alcalá mission, clarifying that this place marked the boundary between Upper and Lower California.
After Iturbide's fall, the first Political Constitution of the United Mexican States was promulgated, and in the same year, the Colonization Law was published.
In 1827, when Colonel José María Echendia was the political chief of Baja California, he granted a concession of 11 leagues to Mr. José Manuel Machado, bordered to the north by the Tijuana ranch, to the east by the Pacific Ocean, and to the south by national lands.
In December 1874, Don Joaquín Machado obtained legal adjudication of his lands from President Porfirio Díaz, with a property title registered on May 14, 1885, in the Public Registry of Ensenada de Todos los Santos, considered the virtual foundation of Rosarito.
20th Century
By 1923, the original El Rosario ranch had been divided into several ranches: Rancho Las Delicias, Rancho Avena, Rancho del Toro, Rancho Guacuatay, and Rancho Mesa Redonda.
In 1916, over 14,000 hectares of land owned by the Machado family were sold to the Baja California Development Company, which intended to extract oil, a project that was abandoned shortly after. This company changed its name to "Moreno y Compañía." In 1927, construction of the Rosarito Hotel began, which included a private club, a hotel with 10 rooms, and a casino. However, since foreigners were involved, the Federal Government intervened, and the company was sold to Mr. Manuel Barbachano, who developed the Rosarito Hotel.
In 1937, gambling was prohibited in Mexico, leading to the closure of the Agua Caliente Casino in Tijuana, the Riviera Hotel in Ensenada, and the cessation of casino operations at the Rosarito Hotel. However, the Rosarito Hotel continued to attract prominent personalities.
In 1938, the lands of the Moreno y Compañía were expropriated and handed over to Mexican peasants, leading to the formation of the Ejido Mazatlán.
In 1950, the development of the town was promoted by creating a plan that traced the streets.
During the 1970s, new hotels, restaurants, and tourist condominiums were built. New tourist centers emerged along the entire coast.
During the 1970s and early 1980s, Rosarito's growth was moderate but steady. However, in the mid-1980s, there was a strong development of businesses related to tourism.
In the early 1990s, considerable economic development was achieved with the construction and completion of numerous hotels, condominiums, and shopping centers. On December 1, 1995, Rosarito became the fifth municipality of the State of Baja California.
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