John Pugh met with representatives of the History Club on the portal of Las Palmeras restaurant during a return visit to Álamos. He had lived in Álamos from 1951 - 1961 when he was a young boy and his parents were Baptist missionaries. Their principal residence was at 22 Galeana, a house reted from a well-to-do merchant named Guiterrez.

John was seven years old when he came, and he said there was persecution against all religions in Álamos at that time. It was also difficult in making friends. He said his sister experienced acceptance by the other girls, but it was far more difficult for him to be “one of the boys.” His neighborhood friends provided “cover” for him going to school, and he also took his dog with him because other boys would throw stones. Despite all of this, he said Álamos was a wonderful place to grow up; he became bilingual, and spent many years working for the Immigration and Naturalization Authority in California.

Álamos in the 1950s was still in ruins; Levant Alcorn had only recently bought property, and few homes were restored. In fact, many homes had caved-in roofs, or roofs badly in need of repair. The living was primitive: there was no electricity until 1957, when a diesel generator gave them electricity for three hours a day. There was only one doctor. There were few cars in town until the highway, which followed the original railroad tracks, was built in 1961. After that, people traveled to Álamos pulling Airstream trailers, parking them at the airport.

John remembers flying kites and using sling shots. The police tried to stop the boys from using sling shots, and they were allowed to use corporal punishment against any defiant boys!

The revolution was only thirty years in the past when John lived in Álamos, and he said that few old men were in town as a result of deaths experienced during those violent years. He heard that during the revolution Álamos had its own army to protect the town, and that the soldiers were paid from treasures buried in the silver mines. He also heard stories about Yaqui raids, particularly in the area where the airport now exists, and that the indians would raid and then stay for years at a time.

ohn told about a place on Cerro Álamos, a small casita, where it was alleged that the priests housed women. The casita was in a valley, built in a colonial style, and it consisted of two rooms made of stone and amapa wood. There was a stream, fruit trees, pears, and pomegranates. Huge stones were placed to divert the water to trees and plants, and there was evidence of mule trains--probably leading to the mines. The mines were located below the priests’ house, but these mines were closed and hidden during the revolution.