 The village was founded in the sixteenth century by some the earliest Spanish settlers to the region, and the town itself has an international reputation for its continuing tradition of religious wood carving.López's family was an important part of that tradition with George being the sixth-generation santero of the family.He is the son of the legendary carver and furniture maker Jose Delores Lopez, 1868–1937, who is credited with reviving the tradition of santo carving in Cordova.