Payo Obispo's foundation

The Mexican Caribbean in Internet

On April 1897, the House Zuvich delivered to the Mexican government a ship called Pontoon Chetumal. The Pontoon came to Campeche's port tug by a steamship of the Mexican company in May of the same year where the commander Othón Pompeyo Blanco waited for instructions of the Federal Government to continue his march to Chetumal's Bay; but since there was a need to cross for Belize, the wait was major because he also wait for official documents.

From there the Iberian steamship tug the Pontoon Chetumal and in its tour up to Chetumal's Bay, increased the crew members.

The crossing was late, slow and terrible, because often the Pontoon was adrift by the cables that suffered burstings.

The governor of Belice, Colonel Wilson; received Othón Pompeyo who explained to him the intentions of the mexican government to establish in national waters (Chetumal's Bay) a maritime and frontier custom in order to have a better understanding with the Mexican laws.

The Pontoon Chetumal, which was tug from Belize to Chetumal's Bay in a time of 11 hours approximately, came to the mouth of the Rio Hondo on January 22, 1899.

During the dismantling some trees were left as protection along the river, to prevent that other crew members who were dealing in the Rio Hondo were not able to notice the advance of the new population. For May there were dismantling four thousands meters in front of the beach and three thousands towards the bottom, remaining and routing the streets and three avenues. On May 5, 1898 Othón P.Blanco founded officially the population of Payo Obispo.

Oral interview with Professor Ignacio A. Herrera Muñoz (town chronicler)