The Transition of Puerto Peasco Puerto Peasco, Mexico, or to us gringos known as Rocky Point, began its life close to 90 years ago. In the 1920s Puerto Peasco was known as Cerro de Peasco and was merely a temporary camp for passing fishermen. Over the years that small fishing camp began to develop into a full fledged fishing community and Americans began to notice the potential of the area as a tourist destination. Presently Rocky Point is in a transitional phase, drifting away from its roots as a shrimping town and quickly becoming one of Mexico’s most popular tourist destinations.Discovered in the early 1920s by two wandering fishermen named Victor and Benjamin Bustamante, Rocky point seemed destined to remain a small fishermen’s encampment. That was, until a well known Mafioso and close associate of Al Capone named John Stone took interest in Rocky Point. In 1929 Stone had built Rocky Point’s first hotel and drilled a well so the town could finally have fresh water. Stone and his guests enjoyed fishing, hunting, gambling, and drinking (this was during prohibition) until 1931 when the Mexican government took away Stone’s business license and forced him out. Once again Puerto Peasco returned to being a quaint fishing village on the Sea of Cortez. In 1936 Mexican president Lazero Cardenas visited Rocky Point and he too, saw its vast potential and ordered a pier constructed for the fishing boats. He also began building a railroad to connect Rocky Point with Mexicali and the border. During World War II the United States government, along with cooperation of the Mexican government, built a paved road connecting Rocky Point to the border. The U.S. government feared attacks on its west coast ports and this gave them access to a backup port on the Sea of Cortez.In 1955 Rocky Point’s true calling was revealed when the shrimp industry really began to thrive. Soon enough Rocky Point’s sales were...
