Colonia Juárez, Chihuahua

Colonia Juárez is a small town in the northern part of the Mexican state of Chihuahua. Colonia Juárez is located in the valley of the Piedras Verdes river on the edge of the flatlands running up to the front range of the Sierra Madre mountains. It is a little north of Mata Ortiz and about 20 kilometers to the southwest of Casas Grandes. As of 2010, Colonia Juárez had a population of 1,035.

Established in 1886, the colony was one of many colonies in Mexico settled by Mormon pioneers. This colonization was part of the larger LDS campaign to establish the State of Deseret while evading the anti-polygamy Edmunds Act of 1882. Although the town was planned before the end of polygamy, much of its growth in the late 19th century was due to Mormon immigrants leaving Utah and other parts of the U.S. due to their practice of polygamy. In addition, Mormon colonies outside of the U.S. proved financially important to the LDS Church during this time when the U.S. Federal government had confiscated much of Church holdings. There are many descendants of these colonies that have attained prominence in both countries, including Mitt Romney, former governor of Massachusetts. In addition, many leaders of the LDS Church have roots in these colonies.

By the beginning of the 20th century, Chihuahua and other Mexican states were home to hundreds of thousands of Mormons and were almost a majority of the state of Sonora. The Mexican Revolution resulted in the exodus of many colonists from the region; some left permanently while others returned after a few years. However, this exodus was no different from the general exodus from the country of middle-class Mexicans who could afford to leave the tumult of the area. Many families of all backgrounds sent women and children to the United States or Europe during the Revolution; others left completely. Though it is true that the Mormon colonies in Mexico were less populated after this exodus, claims of "ethnic cleansing of the gringos" are not supported by the basic historical facts. Indeed, many of the colonists actively supported the Revolution and were befriended by Pancho Villa and other revolutionaries. One of the last battles of the final phase of the Revolution was fought just outside Casas Grandes; several colonists participated in rescuing the wounded and caring for them at the old hacienda known in the histories as "El Refugio," earning the gratitude of the Revolutionary Government.

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