HOUSES OF THE SIERRA TARASCANS — BEALS, CARRASCO, McCORKLE 



where Mestizo influence is marked. Nevertheless, 

 in some towns, such as Capacuaro, almost the 

 only nonwooden structure is the church. Struc- 

 tures of wood also occur in the other districts, 

 although they are relatively rare. 



The difference in materials used apparently 

 has a geographic basis. The Sierra region has 

 abundant forests, while often lacking sufficient 

 water to permit easy manufacture of adobes or 



tiles. The other areas have abundant water, 

 but the forests are distant. An exception is the 

 Sierra town of Tarecuato, where, despite abundant 

 forests and the relative scarcity of water, most of 

 the houses are of adobe. In the Sierra it is also 

 becoming increasingly difficult to secure materials 

 for large houses. This fact, together with Mestizo 

 influence, probably is contributing to the spread 

 of adobe, or stone-and-adobe construction. 



THE TOWN OF CHERAN 



The town of Cherau lies at the head of a broad 

 valley about 1,300 feet (400 m.) above the valley 

 floor at an elevation of 8,500 feet (2,500 m.) (pi. 1, 

 lower). The terrain slopes rather steeply toward 

 the west. A small ravine forms the western half 

 of the south boundary of the town; the eastern 

 half of the south boundary hes beyond the ravine. 

 A much larger ravine forms the north boundary of 

 the towTi. A branch of this ravine runs through 

 the town and partly isolates the northeast barrio, 

 or cuartel. Springs at the bottom of this ravine 

 afford part of the water supply. A pipe-and- 

 wooden-trough system also brings water from a 

 spring 9]i miles (15 km.) away to cement tanks in 

 the approximate center of the town as well as to a 

 fountain in the plaza, which lies north of the center. 

 At the northeast is a small cinder cone, which 

 affords most of the stone used for buildings and 

 fences. The town encroaches on the slopes of the 

 cone on the east and south. The northeast 

 barrio, or cuartel, climbs part way up the slopes of 

 another cinder cone. 



Most of the streets of the town are oriented to 

 the cardinal directions, and the central part of 

 town is subdivided into rectangular blocks. In 

 some sections in-egularities of the terrain have led 

 to modifications of the block plan; in these sections 

 streets may follow the curving contom'S. Streets 

 vary in width from mere pathways to about 40 

 feet (12.2 m.). In the heart of town they are 

 often paved with small cobblestones and have a 

 central drain or gutter. Stone-paved sidewalks 

 are common in the middle of town. The main 

 north-south street is traversed by the Carapan- 

 Uruapan highway and was paved with oil macadam 

 in 1940. 



The church, parish residence, school, and the 

 municipal building all front on a central plaza. 

 Except for benches and a fountain, the plaza 

 is bare. Cement sidewalks and a surrounding 

 paved area are contributions from the highway 

 construction. 



The width of the building lots varies from 10 or 

 12 feet (3 to 3.6 m.) to almost an entire block. 

 The depth in most cases is half tliat of the block, 

 but in some cases it may be little more than 

 20 feet (6 m.). As a general rule, however, except 

 in the center of town, the lot is large enough for a 

 small garden, a few fruit trees, and at least a 

 small area devoted to growing types of corn not 

 ordinarily cultivated in the fields (fig. 2). The 

 size of lots varies appreciably, though, in various 

 sections of town. There is no general rule for 

 placing the house upon the lot except in the center 

 of town, where it usually abuts the street, es- 

 pecially if it is of adobe-and-masonry construc- 

 tion. If the house does not front on the street, 

 a fence, generally of stone, is built along the 

 street fine. It usually is designed to keep out 

 all animals including pigs, and customarily is 

 above head height so passers-bj' may not peer 

 over. The interior boundaries are also fenced, 

 but the fences are often less substantial (pis. 2, 

 lower; 3). 



The lots are all owned individually. They may 

 be bought or sold freely and may be sul^divided in 

 various ways. A man with a large lot may sell a 

 portion, creating two lots. Sometimes a man who 

 may wish to enlarge his holdings wOl buy a strip 

 from an adjoining lot or even the entire lot and 

 merge the two pieces into a single lot. Heirs may 

 also divide lots. 



