![\"Casa](\"https:\/\/soulofamerica.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Maza-Casa_Machada.jpg\")
Casa Machada, one sample of restored buildings in the historic district of Mazatlan<\/strong>; (c) Soul Of America<\/p><\/div><\/p>\n Mazatlan History begins with In pre-Hispanic times in Mazatl\u00e1n, which means “place of deer” in Nahuatl. It was populated by Totorames Indians, who hunted, gathered fruit, grew crops and fished. Strong evidence suggests their presence in the region for over 1,000 years. Scientists have found petroglyphs on off shore islands that date back as far as 10,000 years. <\/p>\n Spanish explorer Nu\u00f1o de Guzm\u00e1n founded a settlement here in 1531, but it was not successful. Sailors called the place the Islands of Mazatlan because of the many hills, lagoons and estuaries in the vicinity of the natural harbor there. The name Mazatlan was first mentioned about 1602, but it referred to a small village of San Juan Bautista de Mazatlan which is 30 miles south of the current city of Mazatlan. That village today carries the name of Villa Union. Spanish galleons departed the harbor laden with gold taken from the inland mines in the region.<\/p>\n And when gold enters the equation you can bet there are the legends of pirate treasure buried up and down the coast in various coves. It appears that French and English Pirates were the first to take advantage of the benefits of Mazatlan’s hill screened harbor to hide in. They would pounce on those Spanish Galleons up and down the Pacific coast. Colonial government finally took action against the pirates. Reportedly, the pirates were gone by 1800, but the legends of buried gold persists until today. Nevertheless, slavery, slaughter and disease took it’s toll on the local Indian tribes.<\/p>\nMazatlan History<\/h2>\n