The town of San José de Gracia is located in the
township of Tepatitlán, Jalisco in the Altos Sur region
(State of Jalisco) at 95 km from the city of
Guadalajara toward the northeast. Founded in the year
1793,
it is situated at an altitude of
1980 m, with a pleasant temperate climate and gentle
prevailing winds from the east. Its neighboring towns are Capilla de Guadalupe, San Ignacio Cerro Gordo,
Arandas, St. Francis of Assisi, and Tototlán Atotonilco.

History
San José de Gracia is considered to have originated in the early 19th century, when the brothers Francisco, Salvador, Antonio Rafael, and José Antonio Hernández Padilla divided the land among themselves, settling there with their families and laborers. While no formal founding document exists, one can say that the first inhabitants of what would become San José de Gracia began to settle around that time. The first chapel was built by 1822, and a permanent vicar served until 1867. Construction of the current San José parish church began on March 19, 1889, marking the start of a defined urban layout. It was officially established as a parish on May 15, 1910, with Fermín Padilla as its first parish priest. From the promulgation of the Constitution in 1917, which established the structure of the municipality as known today, the population of San José de Gracia remained within the municipality of Tepatitlán, with the category of Political Commissariat. San José remained so until 1939, when the council of Tepatitlán appointed the first Delegate, thus becoming a Political Delegation.

Climate and ecosystem
San José de Gracia has a semi-dry climate with an average annual temperature of 25°C, maximum temperatures of 33 to 35°C in May, and minimums of 3 to 5°C in January, although temperatures at some points reach 0°C during the winter. Annual precipitation ranges from 900 to 1000 mm, with the rainy season typically June to September.

Relief
Geology. The region is characterized by predominantly
igneous rocks of volcanic origin, specifically the
basalt, as well as rocks, called rhyolite,
"red quarry, which is important to be part of
the raw material from which the temple was built
St. Joseph parish and the tepetate, just
origin, as representative of the parish church.
Soils predominate called Ferric Luvisol, soil
fine-textured, highly susceptible to erosion than
are characterized by an enrichment of clay and
are very acidic. They are "red soils" characteristic of
entire region and encourage the planting of agave cultivation
blue for the case of maize in optimal conditions
moisture and fertility, provide very good returns.
Soils
The dominant soils belong to the type luvisol ferric
Planosol eútrico and Feozem háplico and as soil
partners include the Pelican and Planosol vertisol
molic soil.

Flora
Plant associations are composed of
thornscrub northeast and natural grasslands
located east, south-central and west, is observed
cloud forest areas of runoff
Cerro Chico and Cerro Gordo, are likewise
oak forests in the upper part of the hills
mentioned, from the height above 2,000
mar.4 level

Fauna
Some species such as rabbit, hare, coyote, fox,
skunk, armadillo, deer, reptiles and various
birds.

Natural Resources
The natural wealth available to the displayed
forest dominated by white oak species,
pine, oak, mesquite, ash, and licorice,
mainly.

Land Use
Most agricultural land has a use and
livestock, in addition to the planting of mezcal. Tenure
land mostly corresponds to the property
private.

Hydrology
The area belongs to the Lerma-Chapala-Santiago hydrological region, the Santiago-Guadalajara basin, and the Zula River subbasin. Within this area is Las Hormigas stream, a tributary of the Zula River. The place
is characterized by the potential for subsurface water.

Topography
In the area are: to be 0 to 2%
occupy most of the area to the west,
South and Southeast unsuitable for urban development by
little inclination that hinders runoff
stormwater; outstanding 2 to 5% to the north,
northeast and southwest, suitable for urban development;
slopes of 5 to 15%, north and northeast over the
slopes of Cerro Chico, and conditioned for the
urban development, but for agriculture and
livestock; slope greater than 15%, located to the north
and northeast of the area, on the slopes of Cerro Chico to
from an elevation of 1950 meters above the mar.

Events
Celebrations in Honor of Saint Joseph - May
Festivities in honor of the Virgin of Guadalupe - December
Festival commemorating the centenary of the Parish of "San José" - May 15, 2010

References