Tenamaxtlán facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Tenamaxtlán
|
|
|---|---|
|
Municipality and town
|
|
Location of the municipality in Jalisco
|
|
| Country |  Mexico |
| State | Jalisco |
| Founded | March 25, 1538 |
| Area | |
| • Total | 281.5 km2 (108.7 sq mi) |
| • Town | 3.02 km2 (1.17 sq mi) |
| Population
(2020 census)
|
|
| • Total | 7,302 |
| • Density | 25.940/km2 (67.183/sq mi) |
| • Town | 4,940 |
| • Town density | 1,636/km2 (4,237/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central Standard Time) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (Central Daylight Time) |
Tenamaxtlán is a town and a municipality in the Sierra de Amula Region. It is located in the state of Jalisco, Mexico.
Tenamaxtlán was founded a long time ago, in 1538. The person in charge of the town today is the mayor, Mtro. José Manuel Cárdenas Castillo.
Contents
What's in a Name?
The name Tenamaxtlán has a few meanings. Some people think it means "Place where the Stoves Abound." Others believe it means "Place of Tenamaxtles" or "Stone of Stoves."
A tenamaxtle is a special stone. In ancient Mesoamerican cultures, people used three of these stones. They would place them together to hold a comal (a flat griddle) over a fire for cooking.
A Look at History
Tenamaxtlán was once part of the Autlán lordship. A lordship was like a kingdom ruled by a chief. The Tenamaxtlán chiefdom included several other towns. These were Atengo, Ayutla, Soyatlán, Cuyutlán, and Tepantla.
Early Explorers
Between 1524 and 1525, Francisco Cortés de San Buenaventura explored this area. He was a Spanish explorer. He gave orders to Martín Monje and Pedro Gómez in Tenamaxtlán. Martín Monje lived in Tenamaxtlán. He even owned a large area of land that his family later inherited.
Moving the Town
The town of Tenamaxtlán was not always in the same place. It first started on the Mesa de las Tablas. This area was northwest of where the town is now. Later, the native people moved to the hill of Ayutepec. But a big flood surrounded the hill, forcing them to move again. They then settled on the hill of Bonete. This is where the Spanish explorers found them.
Founding the Current Town
The current town was founded by people from an old town called Hilotepeque. They gathered at the chapel of Santiago to start the new town. Some of the founders were Francisco de la Cruz, Gaspar Hilario, and José Lorenzo. They met in Santiago de Tenamaxtlán in 1535. The native people were afraid of floods at first. But they eventually agreed to move to the new spot.
Francisco Cortés de San Buenaventura was also there for the town's founding. He was with Juan de Escárcena, who was a royal judge. They helped set up the new towns.
A document called "Title of the Legal Foundation of Tenamaxtlán" confirms this. It says the town was officially settled on March 25, 1538.
Leaders and Buildings
In 1613, the governor of Tenamaxtlán was Don Bartolomé de Jiménez. His son, Diego de Jiménez, took over after him. Both were native chiefs of Tenamaxtlán.
That same year, a friar named Fray Luis Maldonado started building the old temple of Tenamaxtlán. It was dedicated to the Apostle Santiago. Governor Don Diego Jiménez helped with the construction.
Joining the Republic
On August 31, 1823, Tenamaxtlán officially joined the new Mexican Republic. This meant they supported a federal government. The mayor, Dionisio Santana, and other leaders signed a document. They were joined by people from Atengo and Soyatlán. Everyone voted to join the "Republic Federated."
By 1825, Tenamaxtlán had its own town hall. It also included nearby farms and ranches. From 1825 to 1910, it was part of the Autlán region. A law from 1832 shows that Tenamaxtlán was already a municipality by then.
Fun Holidays and Festivals
Tenamaxtlán has many exciting celebrations throughout the year!
Civil Holidays
- March 25 - This is the anniversary of the town's founding. There's a week-long cultural celebration with lots of fun activities.
- September 15–16 - People celebrate Mexican Independence Day.
- December 24 to January 5 - These are the Fiestas Taurinas, which are bullfighting festivities.
Religious Holidays
- June 25–27 - A festival honors the Most Pure Virgin of Perpetual Help.
- After Corpus Christi - The Virgin of the Nativity of Atengo visits the town. People welcome her with great joy and devotion. She stays until August 30. This tradition is over 400 years old! It's one of the oldest pilgrimages in Latin America.
- November 30 to December 12 - Festivities honor the Virgin of the Immaculate Conception and the Virgin of Guadalupe.
