Delia Ríos Topete and Louis Weitzman came to the Álamos area in 1952. She left a position in San Francisco as a translator for Latin diplomats at the San Francisco Conference, which led to the establishment of the United Nations. Louis left his advertising agency in Los Angeles.

They came to Mexico looking for property for Dee’s parents. Her mother was a cousin of General Ricardo Topete who lived in Huatabampo, and the general’s son currently lives in Obregón.

They were first interested in the Dolisa Ranch, which belonged to Randolfo Salido. Before they could make an offer, the property was sold to Jay Bell of Seattle, WA. They then decided to buy the Caracol Ranch from Tomás García, who was moving to Villa Juárez. The previous owner of these 6,000 hectares (about 15,000 acres) was Epafanio Salido. The owners were wholesalers of sesame seed grown on the ranch, and Polo Acosta later married Tomás García’s daughter. After selling the property to Louis and Dee, they lived in a two-story house on Molina street and developed their still-existing dove-hunting business.

While in Álamos the Weitzmans stayed with Alberto Maas, who owned the hacienda on Calle Sonora. Sr. Maas discovered a mine near Álamos and sold rock, and his Mexican wife, Chona, raised a large family here. Later Dee stayed at the Portales Hotel (owned by Levant Alcorn) while she recovered from malaria. Jimmy Utt and Margo and Hal Findley were local residents of Álamos who they had known in California.

After they purchased the ranch for Dee’s parents, they decided to stay. They noticed the lack of chickens for purchase, so they concentrated on developing this business. They imported baby chicks and helped businessmen in Navojoa to start chicken ranches. They also ran a chicken-feed mill. Later Archer-Daniels-Midland offered to buy the mill business, but Purina came into the area before the sale could be finalized. At this same time, Corral started his transportation with a single jitney servicing the area, and Islas sold gasoline out of a barrel.

A family (mother and five children) came to live on their property and worked for them. One of these girls, Alejandrina, married the son of Paul Robinson, restorer of #1 Calle Obregón. (He later sold that property for $60,000.) Another of the girls, Mercedes, currently lives in California.

The couple returned to the United States from 1957 to 1963. During their absence Highway #15 was built, and when they returned to Álamos they developed a trailer park. They felt the traffic to Mexico City for the 1968 Olympics would bring more traffic their way, and mention was made of flights from Tijuana to Álamos. Part of the trailer park complex was a restaurant on top of a small hill on the property, which they named Caracol; the restaurant became very popular with the residents of Álamos. A favorite Sunday was spent at the Caracol for a fabulous steak, followed by an afternoon bridge and card games. If you ordered a fruit salad, Louis picked the fruit directly from the tree.

Years later, in 1982, Mexican President Luís Echiverría applied a provision in the constitution which allowed unused land to be taken by the government and distributed to indigenous populations as ejidos, or community properties. This gave local Indians small plots of land but did not provide for credit or the means to farm the land. The land could not be sold and it it was not cultivated in two years it reverted to the government. The ejido program remains controversial today.

In a political movement, indigenous people began squatting on private land in the Álamos area. These groups invaded a poultry ranch near the Weitzman’s property, and at 4 a.m. a group arrived at the Caracol, heavily armed with rifles, and demanded ownership of the ranch. They disabled Dee’s car, but she evaded the gunmen and got a ride to Álamos with a school teacher. Beto Franco, the Álamos mayor, intervened on her behalf, and helped her make contact with Governor Ocana. He called to reassure her, and after four days calm returned to the area--although this was followed by a period of petty thievery.

Later, in the 1990 after Louis had died, Dee was confronted at the ranch by a gunman, and the best speculation is that it resulted from a law suit over property rights.

Louis Weitzman’s ashes were scattered on the peak of a mountain, and Sra. Weitzman has continued to live at the ranch. In 2008 she sold it to Mr. and Mrs. Xiao from Seattle, WA, and the family has plans to develop the property.