As a youth, my family would trek us across the desert of the Southwest down into the Mexican state of Chihuahua. When we would arrive to El Paso, Texas, my brothers and I understood that we would not only be crossing an International border, but would be entering into an entirely different way of "living." As we headed south at 60 miles per hour and crossed that 240 mile ocean of sand that exists between El Paso, Texas and the city of Chihuahua, I would imagine and wonder about the stories I had been told and read of Pancho Villa riding horseback through some of those same treacherous miles.

While in Chihuahua, we would be entertained by my Aunt Lupe's husband, Uncle Jose. He was very much a fan of the man and myth known as Francisco "Pancho" Villa. He was even acquainted with Doña Luz, Villa's wife, and would often converse with her about the life and times of Pancho Villa. It was only until after her death that he took us to visit Pancho Villa's and Doña Luz's home in the capital city of Chihuahua, which had been turned into a museum. Years later and after my uncle had passed, I would come to learn why my uncle did not ever have my side of the family meet Doña Luz, which I will touch on much later in the story.

Source: Wikimedia
Doroteo "Francisco Villa" Arango Arambula

Part I

Pancho Villa - Anti-Hero of The SouthWest - Mexican Revolutionary

'Order and Progress'

In a small Adobe built home, on the large Rio Grande Hacienda near San Juan del Rio, Durango, Mexico, Jose Doroteo Arango Arambula was born. The boy was born during the early beginnings of a politically veiled time in Mexico known as El Porfiriato. Little did anyone know at the time, that this baby boy, born in a dirt floor home, would be at the forefront of unveiling the political repression and the unshackling of economic oppression of his country. The date was about June 5, 1878.

“I am not an educated man. I never had an opportunity to learn anything except how to fight.”

- Pancho Villa


Source: centaurodelnorte.com
La Coyotada in Hacienda Rio Grande
Birthplace of Doroteo "Pancho Villa" Arango

Doroteo was forced to grow up fast living on the hacienda. The large land barons, called Hacendados would put everyone to work, including children and the elderly. There would be very little education for the boy, Doroteo. By the time he was an early teen ager, he was the head of his mother's household. He no longer had a father, and it would be up to him to help provide, to be the man. So when his sister was accosted by a wealthy land owner, Doroteo took the law into his own hands, claiming to have killed Agustin Lopez Negrete for the rape of his sister. Doroteo now had to flee into the mountains of the Sierra Madre Occidental.

Little is known about Doroteo's exploits during this time period. He did join up with others to form a band of outlaws. They would primarily steal and loot to survive. Legend has it, that during these times Doroteo learned how to ride horses, shoot weapons and survive in the harsh terrain of the Sierra Madre mountains. It is believed that the leader of the outlaws was a Francisco "Pancho" Villa, and Doroteo had worked his way up to be his right hand. When Francisco Villa was wounded and dying, he told Doroteo, that on that day, Doroteo Arango would die, and that Francisco "Pancho" Villa would go on living forever. Doroteo Arango, from them on became known as Francisco "Pancho" Villa.

Source: Wikimedia
Mexican President Porfirio Diaz ruled from 1876–1911
Pancho Villa would remain a guerilla style bandit until about 1902, when he was captured for stealing livestock. The Mexican "President"/Dictator Porfirio Diaz was attempting to reign in crime and corruption while changing the countries laws to open it up to foreign investment money. The Diaz regime motto was "Law and Order," and it would do what ever measures necessary to ensure it. So when Villa was caught by Diaz's police known as the Guardia Rural, they spared him death, but conscripted him in to military service with the Mexican Federales. This would not last long for Villa. He ended up killing an Officer and stealing his horse during his desertion from the military. Villa's life would remain the life of a bandit until about 1910.
To Be Cont...

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Sources:
wikimedia.org
wikipedia.org
http://staff.esuhsd.org/balochie/studentprojects/panchovilla/index.html
http://mexicanhistory.org/Diaz.htm
http://www.history.com/topics/mexico/mexico-timeline
https://trendyreportmexico.wordpress.com/2013/11/23/la-coyotada-cuna-intacta-de-pancho-villa/
http://centaurodelnorte.com/
http://www.inspiringquotes.us/author/2444-pancho-villa
http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/p/pancho_villa.html
http://www.frasecelebre.net/profesiones/revolucionarios/pancho_villa_3.html
http://www.biografiasyvidas.com/biografia/v/villa.htm
http://regeneracion.mx/el-5-de-junio-nacio-francisco-villa-o-el-centauro-del-norte/
https://www.geni.com/people/Maria-Luz-Fierro-Corral-De-Villa/6000000008692502255
http://www.truewestmagazine.com/senora-dona-maria-luz-corral-de-villa/