Ures

Ures lies in the valley of the Sonora River, where cultivated land follows the water between dry hills. The river valley was home to Ópata communities before Spanish missionaries established a series of villages along its course. Ures became one of the most important mission settlements in this part of Sonora.

The Jesuit mission of San Miguel de Ures was founded in the seventeenth century. It formed part of a network that included Baviácora, Aconchi and other river towns. The Jesuits were expelled from Spanish dominions in 1767, and by 1793 Ures was among the missions that had been secularized. The settlement continued to serve as a centre in the river valley as colonial rule gave way to independent Mexico. The river towns remained connected by the valley’s routes and fields.