Let’s talk about Naco, Arizona this week. With a population of 1,045, Naco is smaller than its Mexican twin across the border, Naco, Senora (population 6,401). It is also less well known than its neighbor down the road, Nogales, Arizona which has a population of nearly 20,000 people and holds one of the nation’s largest border crossing stations. Naco was originally settled by the Nahua and Opata people. In fact, the word Naco means cactus in the Opata language. Prior to Congress establishing it as a port of entry in 1902, Naco was your typical Arizona desert town. Known for copper mining and ranching, the location between the US and Mexico was not top of mind for the locals. In fact, the border was kind of an afterthought, until one day, there was a border through town. The border eventually became big business and still is today (you can check current crossing wait times here). To help manage the border Fort Naco (or as the locals call it, Camp Naco) was created. Camp Naco housed Buffalo Soldiers who, while not protecting the border, played baseball against neighboring towns. Camp Naco has some interesting stories and this site is worth a read.
Photo: Library of Congress
We have always been fascinated by border towns. These towns often operate as one cohesive community despite being divided by a boundary. This boundary can take different forms: it might be an invisible state line that still holds immense significance, or it could be a visible and constant presence like a wall. A massive, steel, seemingly impassable wall. Despite these obvious physical divisions, the relationships across the border create a sense of unity within the community. People are truly resilient, and walls, despite their intent to divide, often fail to separate communities. Even if a wall is erected, places like Naco find inventive ways to transcend it. For 28 years, Naco, Arizona played an annual volleyball game against Naco, Senora, using the wall as the net. Loser of the game had to host the annual party. Yes, the wall might become larger, ending the annual volleyball games, but the collective spirit of the two Nacos continues.
Naco was the first place in the continental United States to suffer an aerial bombing by a foreign power. We use the term foreign power loosely as the foreign power in question is Patrick Murphy, an Irish-American with a bi-plane who was just helping out his friends. Long story short, in 1929 during the Cristero War in Western Mexico, rebels were looking for a way to get the upper hand on the Mexican Government. They hired Mr. Murphy to drop bombs on the Sonoran area of Northern Mexico. As war tends to do, this situation did not go to plan and quickly turned chaotic. Before he knew it, Mr. Murphy was unintentionally dropping bombs on the Naco, Arizona side of the border causing significant damage and injuries throughout the town. Government forces eventually shot down Murphy’s plane but he managed to escape into Arizona where he was not exactly welcomed with a ticker tape parade, but not treated like a war criminal either. Hollywood is missing a golden opportunity here for a movie about Naco. In this case, the Irish-American would naturally be played by Liam Neeson. Who are we kidding, Liam Neeson does not accidentally bomb the wrong country. This story has Jack Black written all over it.
As all small towns go, this one is worth a visit. Either to check out Camp Naco or to have a drink at the Gay 90’s Bar, complete with the mural of good ole Patrick bombing the town nearly 100 years ago.
Dude. So interesting!
Creative and interesting.