History of Success

Nogales Builds Its Future on a History of Success

Nogales boasts a long history of entrepreneurship and mercantilism. The coming of the railroad, the Mexican Revolution, the US military, and the mining industry all served as catalysts for the community’s growth in the early 1900s and its survival during the Great Depression. The resilient pioneer families of Nogales—undaunted by the winds of change that continually swept through the area—built businesses that thrived on the local conditions and later endured through international trade opportunities. For the Nogales Border merchants, the market included not just Santa Cruz County, but all of northern Sonora as well.
Learn more about Nogales, Arizona’s commercial history at the Nogales Economic Development Foundation website.

Early Nogales merchants situated themselves as an integral part of the community, serving on the board of directors of many civic and charitable organizations, holding elected positions in local government, and serving on the local school boards. In fact, most of Nogales’ mayors and city council members have been border merchants at one time. What’s more, many of the descendants of these families still live in Santa Cruz County and continue to cultivate the business legacies built by their grandfathers.