The colorful rebel leader of the Mexican Revolution astride hid famous horse "Seven Leagues." He commanded the "Division of the North" alleged to be the largest army in Mexican history. Villa was assassinated in an ambush while riding in his car (Photo: O.T. Aultman, 1911)

Pancho Villa Doroteo Arango was Pancho Villa's real name. He was born in Mexico in 1878 and killed in July 1923. At the age of 16, he became a bandit. He broke a Mexican law (which since then has changed) and he was the cause of another law to be changed. He had two sisters, 15 and 12 years of age. Martina was the 12 year old and they lived as sharecroppers in a place called Gogojito Ranch. Don Nigrete was the landowner and one day he broke into Pancho's family home and raped Martina. Right afterwards, Doroteo came in from the fields and found his sister in his mother's arms and Don Agosto Lopez Nigrete saying "I had her already, so give her to me." Doroteo left and told another man what had just happened and this man supplied him with a gun. In his fury, he returned home and unloaded the gun on Don Nigrete, who is fatally shot after being hit three times.

After this incident he left and began robbing and giving to the poor. In 1913, he became a soldier and officially changed his name to Francisco Villa. He was not an educated man but he was very astute and cunning. In military circles he was a statistician but his downfall was brought on when he was betrayed by one of his own men and defeated in 1923. Pancho Villla's men, known as Carranzistas, fought very close to our area when his soldiers fought in Matamoros.

Pancho Villa lived in Canotio and had six wives. The two laws that were changed because of Pancho Villa were one, that men (in Mexico) that are defending the honor of a woman have the right to defend the woman even if it leads to the death of the perpetrator, and that any man that was under his rule as a General, had to marry the woman he was interested in.

To many, Pancho Villa was considered the "Robin Hood" of Mexico, but unfortunately he was also considered a bandit, even in Mexico, up until 1974.

Summarized by Mrs. Albie M. Lopez as told by Mrs. Clara Zepeda