It was founded in 1645 by the Jesuit missionary Marcos del Río, with the name of San Francisco de Huásaca.
[2] Important communities from Huásabas now live in Hermosillo, the capital city of Sonora, Tucson, Arizona and Santa Ana, California.
Special celebrations take place on August 15, when the "Fiesta Patronal" occurs to commemorate the Assumption of Mary, the patron saint of Huásabas, including dances in the main square, rodeos, horse races, and music bands on the streets.
Holy Week is extensively celebrated with solemn Catholic rites and a vivid performance of the Via Crucis on Good Friday.
In Huásabas cowboy culture is historically and profoundly rooted, which can still be observed in men's clothing, specially the extensive use of Texan style hats (sombreros) and boots, rodeos (jaripeos), and the extended usage of horse riding among cattle tenders.