Everything about Ciudad Acu A totally explained
Ciudad Acuña, also known simply as
Acuña, (originally
Garza Galán, later
Villa Acuña) is a city located in the
Mexican state of
Coahuila, at
and a mean height above sea level of 280 metres. It stands on the
Rio Grande (locally known as the Río Bravo), which at this point marks the
U.S.-Mexico border, and offers a
border crossing with the
neighbouring city of
Del Rio in the
U.S. state of
Texas. It serves as the municipal seat of the surrounding Acuña municipality. In the 2005 census the city had a population of 124,232, whereas the municipality's population was 126,238. The city is the fifth-largest community in the state.
The Del Rio-Ciudad Acuña Metropolitan Area (DR-CA) is the seventh bi-national metropolitan areas along the United States-Mexican border. The city of Del Rio is situated in the American state of Texas on the north of the Rio Grande and Ciudad Acuña is located in the Mexican State of Coahuila south of the river. This metropolitan area is also known as "Tierra de la Amistad". The metropolitan area is made up of one county: Val Verde in Texas and three municipalities: Lake Amistad, Ciudad Acuña, and Laughlin Air Force Base.
As of 2008, Del Rio Metropolitan Area's population is 48,145 people, and the Ciudad Acuña. Metropolitan Area's population is 144,669 people.
The 2008 population of Greater Del Rio-Ciudad Acuña Metropolitan Area 192,814
Brief history
The first recorded settlement of Acuña took place on
December 27,
1877. It was actually founded by a group of colonists led by Domingo Urias, Irineo Casillas Arevalo, and his wife Maximina Espinoza. At the same time, the
Governor of the State was general
Hipólito Charles who posted a military in the area led by captain Manuel Leal. In
1880 the community received
villa (town) status under its first name of Garza Galán. In
1884 the locality was renamed Congregación las Vacas. Congregacion Las Vacas was then renamed Villa Acuña in 1912 after Saltillan poet
Manuel Acuña. Villa Acuña was finally given the title of city on
September 16,
1951, when it got its present name of Ciudad Acuña.
On
October 24,
1960,
US president Dwight D. Eisenhower and
Mexican President Adolfo López Mateos met in Acuña to sign the initial agreements allowing construction of the dam. Construction plans were not finalized until December
1966 when presidents
Lyndon B. Johnson and
Gustavo Díaz Ordaz met on the international bridge. Presidents
Richard M. Nixon and
Gustavo Díaz Ordaz met for the dedication of
Amistad Dam on
September 8,
1969.
Radio
In the 1930’s in Villa Acuña now Ciudad Acuña, the border blaster XERA made its home. The radio station was started by Dr. John Brinkley, from Kansas. Dr Brinkley wanted to promote his male enhancment operations and used the radio station for that purpose. Due to the purpose of radio Xera and what it promoted the station was closed in 1939 by the Mexican government.
When Villa Acuña became Ciudad Acuña it became famous once more as the location of an international broadcasting station. In
1947 the government of Mexico licensed
XERF-AM, the super-power
border-blaster run by Mexican investors on 100 kW. They used the old XERA facilities and sold its airtime to American Evangelists broadcasting in English to the
United States. In
1959, A group of Texas investors formed the Inter-American Radio Advertising, Inc. which was located in the law offices of attorney Arturo Gonzalez in
Del Rio,
Texas. They ran the broadcasting in Del Rio while the license rested in the hands of Mexican officials. They boosted the power to 250 kW. This super station was where famous disc jockey
Wolfman Jack between
1962 and
1964 became known. XERF-AM is currently under control of the
Instituto Mexicano de la Radio and plays Spanish-language programs and music.
Music
Acuña is referenced in a song called "Mexican Blackbird" on the
ZZ Top album Fandango. The song tells the story of a few men from Texas crossing the border to visit a
mulatto in Acuña.
"Blame It on Mexico" a song performed by
George Strait, written by songwriter Darrell Staedtler, on the "
Strait Country" album tells about one night in Acuña Ma Crosby's (a historic restaurant in Acuña) in the beginning.
"In a bar in Acuña called Ma Crosby's
I found myself not feeling any pain
I told a 'Frisco girl I'd come for freedom
She said she'd only come to catch a train
We struck up some idle conversation
Traded all the troubles on our minds
One thing lead to another in the evening
And I fell in love again for my last time"
Cinema
In the film,
Rolling Thunder (
1977) the villains are known as the Acuña Boys.
Outdoor scenes for the
1992 cult motion picture
El Mariachi were shot here, as well as the bar scenes & street confrontation from the sequel,
Desperado. Actor/Director/Producer: Carlos Gallardo, was born in Cd. Acuña, Coah. Mexico, the actor from the
El Mariachi movie.
Also Desperado was filmed in Acuña at The Corona Club (kitty-corner to Ma Crosby's) located on the main strip (La Hidalgo)
In Kill Bill Vol. II the protagonist goes to see Bill's friend Estaban, who runs Acuña through the strength of his Acuña boys, the fatherless sons of the women he pimps. In another Tarantino movie
Grindhouse, Acuña Boys Mexican Food is featured on a bumper ad as well as a take out drink container in the first scenes of
Death Proof.
The film
Like Water For Chocolate was filmed on (Amistad Lake) in Acuña.
Portions of the film
No Country For Old Men (film) are set in Acuña.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Ciudad Acu A'.
|
External Link Exchanges
Do you know how hard it is to get a link from a large encyclopaedia? Well we're different and will prove it. To get a link from us just add the following HTML to your site on a relevant page:
<a href="http://ciudad_acu__a.totallyexplained.com">Ciudad Acuña Totally Explained</a>
Then simply click through this link from your web page. Our crawlers will verify your link, extract the title of your web page and instantly add a link back to it. If you like you can remove the words Totally Explained and embed the link in article text.
As long as your link remains in place, we'll keep our link to you right here. Please play fair - our crawlers are watching. Your site must be closely related to this one's topic. Any kind of spamming, dubious practises or removing the link will result in your link from us being dropped and, potentially, your whole site being banned. |