US troops messing around at Colonia Dublan





Colonia Dublan had been the U.S. headquarters in Mexico since shortly after the Punitive Expedition commenced. The location was chosen due to its proximity to the railroad.









The town had an American connection, although that was incidental, in that it had been founded in 1889 as an American Mormon settlement. This was not the reason it was chosen for Pershing's Mexican headquarters but it is coincidentally interesting to note that Pancho Villa had treated Mormon American colonist harshly, which may not be surprising as he treated all foreigners in Mexico fairly harshly.









As a result, and perhaps due to the U.S. Army having occupied it for eleven months, 1,500 residents of the town followed Pershing's troops out of Mexico and into the United States. Most never returned, although a few did. Amongst those returning to the United States were the Romneys of later political fame, who had owned a store in the town.









The small town still exists.

U.S. forces left Colonia Dublan.