Public Works Contractors at the Northern Mexico Border (1919–1934) A look at the Communications and Public Works Ministry's “Building Department”

At the beginning of the twentieth century, the Mexican government embarked on an ambitious program to construct and repair public structures built near the country’s northern border. For several years, the architects and engineers of the Secretaría de Comunicaciones y Obras Públicas (SCOP) (Ministry of Communications and Public Works) prepared business consultation files. The state then selected different types of building contractors. A study of several cases reveals the diversity of their profiles.