busses. History The name comes from the Chichimeca word hapu or hapur which means place of ashes. The municipality has its own coat of arms, divided into five parts, one of which is in the center. These panels include images of Saint Luke, the patron saint, corn, mining and maguey. The last three refer to the area’s basic economic staples from the pre Hispanic period to the present. At the bottom the words “Lugar de Cenizas” which is the translation of the Chichimeca name in Spanish. The municipal seat traces its origins to the pre Hispanic period. It was originally inhabited by the Otomi, but it was then conquered by the Purépecha Empire. Soon after the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire, the Spanish soon took over Purépecha lands. Aporo then became part of an encomienda headed by González de Salazar called Taximaroa. The Spanish settlement was officially founded in 1540 by decree of the Spanish king with the name of San Lucas Aporo. This recognition was for the help of the local Otomi in the Conquest. The Spanish founders are named as two friars, Francisco Motolina and Lino Montes y Zuiza. Evangelization efforts in the area were headed by Martín de la Coruña. The first train passed through the municipality in 1890. It was struck by a smallpox epidemic in 1911. After Independence, Aporo was part of the municipality of Irimbo. However, administrative and religious conflicts eventually caused the creation of a new municipality in 1921 encompassing the Chupio Valley. The first municipal president was C. Celestino Velazquez. Three years later, the seat lost its status and the area became part of the Senguio municipality. Its final status as an independent municipality was set by state decree in 1927, with its current boundaries. Since then, Aporo has had over sixty municipal presidents. References Municipalities of Michoacán