La Historia y Población de Aguascalientes (1575 - 1790)
Peter Gerhard described early Aguascalientes history in "The North Frontier of New Spain." On Oct. 22, 1575, La Villa de Aguascalientes was created by decree and affiliated with nearby Santa Maria de los Lagos (now Lagos de Moreno). The first notice of a parish at Asunción was circa 1605, but chaplains served various presidios before that. Bernal Sánchez spoke of a priest at the Villa in 1601, but as we all know, the marriages and baptisms we now have access to only begin in 1616.