Batopilas, Chihuahua
Encyclopedia
Batopilas is a small town
, and seat of the surrounding municipality of the same name
, in the Mexican state of Chihuahua, located along the Batopilas River at the bottom of one of the canyons that make up the Copper Canyon
. It has a population of fewer than 2,000 people.
es starting in 1632 as a center for silver mining
. Over the centuries scores of hugely productive silver
mines have been dug in the area; one estimate (Wilson and Panczner) is that mines in the area have produced seven times as much silver as come from the famous silver mine
of Kongsberg
, Norway. Little mining is now done.
Large fortunes were made, most visibly reflected in a castle-like home that Alexander Robey Shepherd
, the last governor of Washington, D.C.
, had built after leaving the United States in 1875. It stands across the river from the center of the village and has long been in ruins. As of 2006 it is occupied by a number of local families that give tours to visitors for a small fee.
Batoplias is the subject of an extended, discursive, but highly charged conversation between actors Marlon Brando
And Alex Montoya in a pulqueria in the 1966 Hollywood movie The Apaloosa.
, half of which occurs on an unpaved mountain road.
The Satevo mission, featuring a large church built four centuries ago with a mysterious past, is 8 kilometers from Batopilas, along the Batopilas River.
Settlement classification in Mexico
Mexico's states classify their settlements in a variety of fashions:-Aguascalientes:Under Article 106 of the Municipal Law of the State of Aguascalientes, the state defines its settlements as follows:...
, and seat of the surrounding municipality of the same name
Batopilas (municipality)
Batopilas is a one of the 67 municipalities of Chihuahua, in northern Mexico. The municipal seat lies at Batopilas. The municipality covers an area of 2,064.6 km².As of 2005, the municipality had a total population of 13,298.-Towns and villages:...
, in the Mexican state of Chihuahua, located along the Batopilas River at the bottom of one of the canyons that make up the Copper Canyon
Copper Canyon
Copper Canyon is a group of canyons consisting of six distinct canyons in the Sierra Tarahumara in the southwestern part of the state of Chihuahua in Mexico...
. It has a population of fewer than 2,000 people.
History
Batopilas was established by Spanish conquistadorConquistador
Conquistadors were Spanish soldiers, explorers, and adventurers who brought much of the Americas under the control of Spain in the 15th to 16th centuries, following Europe's discovery of the New World by Christopher Columbus in 1492...
es starting in 1632 as a center for silver mining
Silver mining
Silver mining refers to the resource extraction of the precious metal element silver by mining.-History:Silver has been known since ancient times. It is mentioned in the Book of Genesis, and slag heaps found in Asia Minor and on the islands of the Aegean Sea indicate that silver was being separated...
. Over the centuries scores of hugely productive silver
Silver
Silver is a metallic chemical element with the chemical symbol Ag and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it has the highest electrical conductivity of any element and the highest thermal conductivity of any metal...
mines have been dug in the area; one estimate (Wilson and Panczner) is that mines in the area have produced seven times as much silver as come from the famous silver mine
Kongsberg Silver Mines
The silver mines of Kongsberg, in Buskerud county in Norway, constitute the largest mining field in Norway, with over 80 different mines.It was the largest pre-industrial working place in Norway, with over 4,000 workers at its peak in the 1770s and supplied over 10% of the gross national product of...
of Kongsberg
Kongsberg
is a town and municipality in Buskerud county, Norway. It is located at the southern end of the traditional region of Numedal. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Kongsberg....
, Norway. Little mining is now done.
Large fortunes were made, most visibly reflected in a castle-like home that Alexander Robey Shepherd
Alexander Robey Shepherd
Alexander Robey Shepherd , better known as Boss Shepherd, was one of the most controversial and influential civic leaders in the history of Washington, D.C., and one of the most powerful big-city political bosses of the Gilded Age. He was head of the DC Board of Public Works from 1871 to 1873 and...
, the last governor of Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, had built after leaving the United States in 1875. It stands across the river from the center of the village and has long been in ruins. As of 2006 it is occupied by a number of local families that give tours to visitors for a small fee.
Batoplias is the subject of an extended, discursive, but highly charged conversation between actors Marlon Brando
Marlon Brando
Marlon Brando, Jr. was an American movie star and political activist. "Unchallenged as the most important actor in modern American Cinema" according to the St...
And Alex Montoya in a pulqueria in the 1966 Hollywood movie The Apaloosa.
Geography
The main connection to the outside world is a five-hour bus connection to CreelCreel, Chihuahua
Creel is a town in the Sierra Tarahumara of the Mexican state of Chihuahua. It is the second-largest town in the municipality of Bocoyna. It is located some to the southwest of the state capital, Chihuahua, Chih...
, half of which occurs on an unpaved mountain road.
The Satevo mission, featuring a large church built four centuries ago with a mysterious past, is 8 kilometers from Batopilas, along the Batopilas River.
Sources
- Wendell E. Wilson, Christopher S. Panczner, "Famous Mineral Localities: the Batopilas District, Chihuahua, Mexico," The Mineralogical Record, 17(1):61-80, 1986 January-February.
External links
- http://www.questconnect.org/tara_maps.htm Maps of the TarahumaraTarahumaraThe Rarámuri or Tarahumara are a Native American people of northwestern Mexico who are renowned for their long-distance running ability...
region.