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The site was settled from the western (Sonora) side by Mormons moving south from the U.S. into Mexico. When Utah was being considered for statehood in 1856, political pressures arose from Washington to have the Mormon faith renounce plural marriages. This was opposed and it took until 1890, when the Woodruff Manifesto was accepted by the LDS church, for the practice of plural marriages to be officially rejected. Utah then gained statehood in 1896. Prior to that and having watched pressures build against them, many Mormons who refused to yield to pressures left the U.S. for Mexico where they were free to continue their desired lives. President Porfirio Díaz permitted Mormon colonists to enter Mexico in 1885. Numerous colonies and ranches were established and many still exist today. Cave Valley near Cueva de la Olla was one such 1880s settlement location and is abandoned. Others, such as Colónias Juarez and Dublán in the lowlands near Casas Grandes, are vibrant communities today. Ironically, after rejecting the United States, the upheaval caused by the Mexican Revolution caused many such settlers to be evacuated en masse from Mexico and returned to the U.S. in 1912. After the fighting stopped, many returned to Mexico but the Revolution had left lasting changes.
Today Alfredo owns the Ojos de Pratt Ranch. Visitors are welcomed and given free run of the area. Bring everything you may need as there are no supplies available. Alfredo does not formally charge his visitors but a twenty-five peso tip per person helps support the facilities and is much appreciated. Visitors can choose between the enclosed bath house or the outside large steel tank seen above. The road in requires a high-clearance vehicle and passenger cars are not suitable. Rainy conditions can make matters worse and local knowledge of road conditions is recommended.
Ojos de Pratt
Deeper into the Sierras on a bumpy road leading down into a canyon lies a local gem. Privately owned, the Ojos de Pratt (Pratt Springs) is the site of a Mormon ranch from the late 1800s. An apple orchard, willow trees, and a thermal spring provide the perfect setting on a day’s outing for a picnic lunch and a soak. The springs flow into an enclosed bath house and an outside open steel tank. The ranch is isolated and the perfect place to relax and briefly forget about the rest of the world. Signs mark only part of the way from the turnoff in El Willy and it still helps to have someone along who is familiar with the route.
Alfredo is your host at the Ojos de Pratt Ranch.