| 000060 Visit since
In 1938, the Rivera family
came to Vallarta from San Francisco, California.
He was Mexican but had been raised in the United
States. He opened a barbershop on Juárez Street, where my daughter Yolanda's
clothing store is at present. His daughter spoke English
fluently and taught it to local people. Señor
Rivera applied for a concession for distributing newspapers
and magazines. He started selling newspapers from his
barbershop. Although the shop was small with two narrow
doors, it was sufficient for his business.
Señor Rivera awakened
the local people's interest in reading and for being
informed about the outside world. Although the interest
was ignited, it was difficult to get the newspaper
on time for being transported by mule from the big
city. We found out local people were eager to learn
about the outside news and felt somehow connected
with civilization.
Rivera left Vallarta in 1939, as he grew concerned
about the Second World War affecting the United States.
I bought the newspaper consignment from him.
By the time I bought the newspapers
and magazine consignment, we hand already bought
and had settle into our new home. Over the years,
the house has gone through many changes and remodeling.
When we first bought it, the décor was Mexican
country, and the layout simple. It had a big wide,
hardwood colonial door, followed by a hallway at
the entry. Inside the house, distributed along the
corridor, and had long windows with bars facings
the street. The kitchen had an island with rustic
charcoal burners. At the end of the house there was
a corral with fruit trees. The property measured
about half a block and the boundaries ended at the
corner of Juarez Street. My husband moved his pharmacy
to the end of the corner where there was a big room
with several doors.
At the news pharmacy, I used a little space to display
my magazine. I was surprised to learn how eager were
local people to be in contact with the outside world.
The number of subscriptions started growing each day.
I had to add more shelving and subscribe to more magazine
in order to keep up with the demand.
 |
|
The
Contreras family and the Raizes, the original
landowners of the Union of Cuale Mineral area 1938. |
Years later we remodeled and pharmacy and moved it
back to the other side of the property facing Juarez
Street. We renamed it Reforma Pharmacy. My daughter,
Catalina, graduated as a chemical-pharmacist, biologist,
and took over the pharmacy business. My magazine business
also grew. I was selling a variety of newspapers as
well as Mexican and American magazines.
In 1953 we leased out the corner on Juarez and Iturbide
Streets to Mexicana. Airline.
Now everything has changed. only
memories remain.
In 1938, during the tenure of young Mayor J. Jesus
Palacios, a series of projects were completed. New
streets were open as well as dirt road routes to neighboring
towns.
Catalina
Montes de Oca Aguilar
Read Doña
Catalina Montes de Oca Aguilar Autobiography
Archives by
date
Note: The segments
from the book "Puerto Vallarta en mis Recuerdos" -both
versions- are published in PVMirror.com with the
express authorization of Sra. Yolanda Contreras de
Garduño, co-author of the work and owner of
the copyrights thereto. Any reproduction thereof,
partial or total, in any medium is prohibited.
Note: Distinguished
reader, if you know of any story, anecdote, biography
or event, or if you have any photographs that you
feel should be presented to the world through this
section, or if you know someone we should interview
to get more information on the history of Vallarta,
please feel free to contact us at: editor@pvmirror.com
To purchase the book
| in USA
Mail to: Puerto Vallarta,
My Memories
P.O. Box 1107 Borrego Springs, CA 92004 U.S.A.
Email: pvrmymemories@hotmail.com
* Please include check or
money order payable to: Yolanda G. McCullough,
for US $25.24.Tax, Shipping ["priority mail"]
and handling are included.
Or:
www.amazon.com - www.barnesandnoble.com |
|
in Puerto
Vallarta:
Libreria Limon
315 Veniustiano Carranza
Col. Emiliano Zapata. |
|
Current
Weather Report
