Monterrey
After several unsuccessful attempts to found a city here, in 1956 Diego de Montemayor christened his 34-person settlement Ciudad Metropolitana de Nuestra señora de Monterrey, after the Conde the Monterrey, then de viceroy of Mexico.
Monterrey struggled as an outpost, but it slowly became the core of a sheep-ranching area. In 1824, Monterrey became the capital of the state of Nuevo Leon in newly independent Mexico. In the Mexican - American War, Monterrey was occuped by US troops led by Zachary Taylor after three days of fierce fighting. The city was occuped again in the 1860s by French troops, who were driven out by Benito Juarez's forces in 1866.
The city was the site of the first heavy industry in Latin America- the iron and steel works of the Compañia Fundidora de Fierro y Acero de Monterrey. |
Monterrey is surrounded by the Sierra Madre mountains at an elevation of 1,800 feet above sea level. The mountain view is spectacular and is dominated by Cerro de la Silla (Saddle Mountain), which has come to be a symbol of the city. Despite being nestled in such a rugged environment, there are many routes into and out of Monterrey, including excellent highways, railroads, and Monterrey's international airport which offers daily flights to and from many cities in Mexico and the United States. |
