Jesus Garcia’s Selfless Actions Saved an Entire Mexican Town

A photograph of a steam locomotive from a 1912 book. A speeding train, accidentally lit dynamite, and a hero named Jesus Garcia all feature in the tale of the town Nacozari de Garcia. (Public Domain).

One day in the early 20th century, railroad worker Jesus Garcia’s quick-thinking actions saved several lives when a train exploded. Although Garcia died that fateful  day, his selflessness turned him into a national hero.

Jesus Garcia (1881–1907) was the eighth child born to a family in Hermosillo, Mexico. At the age of 17, Jesus Garcia went to work for a local railroad company in Nacozari, Sonora, Mexico. His first job was to haul supplies in and out of a nearby copper mine as a water boy. His hard work ethic earned him several promotions from brakeman to fireman to engineer.