Santiago de Querétaro, Mexico

Bakersfield’s Sister City of Santiago de Querétaro (1990 pop. 385,503) is capital of Querétaro de Arteaga state, in central Mexico. It is a distribution center with industries producing machinery and farm implements; the city's cotton mills are among the most important in Mexico. Querétaro is also a popular tourist center. An Aztec city, Querétaro was conquered by the Spanish in 1531. The conspiracy (1810) under Hidalgo y Costilla and Allende that led to the revolution against Spain was planned there. The city was the temporary capital of Mexico when the United States invaded (1847) during the Mexican War. In 1867, Emperor Maximilian and his generals Miguel Miramon and Tomás Mejia were forced to surrender and then taken out and shot on a hill outside the city. In 1917 the Mexican Constitution was written in Querétaro, which retains numerous colonial landmarks and is famous for its 18th-century aqueduct.

Querétaro

Mr. Armando Rivera Mayor of the City of Santiago de Querétaro, Mexico, and two city council members were part of the 36 member delegation from Querétaro that visited the city of Bakersfield in March of 2005 for the formal signing of the Sister City agreements between our two cities.  This agreement was part of a relationship that had started over ten years ago.   With the help of our Mayor Harvey Hall , Manuel Arriola, Mark Martinez and Larry Moxley, our  Querétaro Sister City Committee did an outstanding job in hosting  their delegation. During their visit to Bakersfield, the delegation from Querétaro visited CSUB, the fire and sheriffs’ departments, and a city water treatment plant. They also viewed a demonstration by the Search and Rescue team at Buena Vista Lake. In addition, Mayor Hall hosted a dinner at the Petroleum Club, the Querétaro Sister City Committee hosted the signing luncheon, and Stan Ellis hosted the delegation at the Crystal Palace dinner show.

In July of 2005, a Bakersfield delegation of 40 members from the greater Bakersfield area had a great opportunity to witness the ceremonial signature by Mayors Hall and Rivera in Querétaro, as well as enjoy a full schedule of activities organized for the Bakersfield delegation. These included: formal recognition by the Querétaro City Council of each individual delegate, as well as participation in numerous city and state cultural, educational and business activities that were part of the 474th Anniversary celebration for the city of Querétaro. 

For more information on Querétaro, visit: http://www.municipiodequeretaro.gob.mx/
(official site in Spanish)

http://www.venaqueretaro.com/

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