This was the most populated city in Veracruz more than 100 years ago

Estaba en medio de Veracruz y la Ciudad de México

Have you ever wondered what the largest city in Veracruz was in 1900? Today we’ll tell you. 125 years ago, the state of Veracruz had a total population of 980,000 inhabitants, divided into 18 cantons and 181 municipalities. However, the distribution of the population in the main cities of the time may surprise you.

The most populated city in Veracruz in 1900 was neither the port of Veracruz nor Xalapa, but Orizaba, with 32,393 inhabitants. In second place was Puerto Jarocho with 29,000 inhabitants, followed by Xalapa with 20,000.

Why did Orizaba have more population than the port? The answer lies in its intense industrial activity. Like León in Guanajuato, Orizaba was known as the “Mexican Manchester” due to its textile, machinery and steam factories.

Its strategic location, halfway between the port of Veracruz and Mexico City, also contributed to its growth. In contrast, the port of Veracruz, despite its intense trade, had an unhealthy climate that made permanent settlement difficult, so many people preferred to live in cities such as Córdoba, Orizaba or Puebla.

Other important cities in Veracruz in 1900 included:
Coatepec: In fourth place, with 8,500 inhabitants.
San Andrés Tuxtla: In fifth place, with 8,415 inhabitants.
Córdoba: In sixth place.
Huatusco: In seventh place.
Santiago Tuxtla: In eighth place.
Tuxpan: The great city of the north, with 5,400 people.
Xico: In tenth place, with 5,200 inhabitants.
Tlacotalpan: In eleventh place, with a little more than 5,000 people.
Papantla: In twelfth place, with almost 5,000 inhabitants.
Some cities that are prominent today, such as Poza Rica, had not yet been founded in 1900. Others, such as Minatitlán and Coatzacoalcos, then known as Puerto México, were significantly smaller. Minatitlán had only 1,200 inhabitants, while Puerto México (Coatzacoalcos) had 2,900 and its full name at the time was San José, Puerto México.

Source: lasillarota