This northern Mexican town amidst the Sierra Madre Oriental has its roots in the 16th-century Spanish Empire, where it became a vital trading post between San Antonio, Tampico, and Mexico City.

It was here that Mexicans held off Americans but ultimately surrendered during the Mexican-American War; it was here that Mexicans saw the French retreat during the French intervention. The city has seen its fair share of conflict, but today, the city remains a vital source of steel production for Mexico.