History of Quetzaltenangno, Guatemala
As found on Wikipedia June 2008:
In Pre-Columbian times Quetzaltenango was a city of the Mam Maya people called Xelajú, the name derived from “Xe laju’ noj” meaning “under ten mountains”. The city was said to have already been over 300 years old when the Spanish first arrived. Conquistador Pedro de Alvarado defeated and killed the Maya ruler Tecún Umán here. When Alvarado conquered the city for Spain in the 1520s, he called it by the Nahuatl name used by his Central Mexican Indian allies, “Quetzaltenango”, generally considered to mean “the place of the quetzal bird” (although see note on etymology below). Quetzaltenango became the city’s official name in colonial times. However, many people (especially, but not only, the indigenous population) continue to call the city “Xelajú” (pronounced shay-lah-WHO) or more commonly Xela for short, and some proudly, but unofficially, consider it the “capital of the Mayas”.
From 1838 to 1840 Quetzaltenango was capital of the state of Los Altos, one of the states or provinces of the Federal Republic of Central America. As the union broke up, the army of Guatemala under Rafael Carrera conquered Quetzaltenango making it again part of Guatemala.
In the 19th century, coffee was introduced as a major crop in the area and the economy of Xela prospered. Much fine Belle Époque architecture can still be found in the city.
In 1930 the only electric railway in Guatemala, the Ferrocarril de los Altos, was inaugurated, which was later destroyed by mudslides and finally demolished in 1933. It had been built by AEG and Krupp and it consisted of 14 waggons. The track connected Quetzaltenango with San felipe Retalhuleu. The people of Quetzaltenango are still very proud of their railway. A railway museum has been established in the city centre.