Santa Bárbara, Chihuahua
Encyclopedia
Santa Bárbara is a city
and seat of the municipality of Santa Bárbara
, in the northern Mexican state of Chihuahua. As of 2005, the city had a total population of 8,673.
, governor of the state of Nueva Vizcaya
. The Indians in the region when the Spanish arrived were the Chichimecas
who were described as "naked barbarians, very poor and having nothing to eat except roots and prickly pears." The Spanish were attracted to the region by discoveries of silver and Santa Barbara grew from a population of 30 in 1575 to 7,000 in 1600. It was the northernmost outpost of Nueva Espana in the 16th century. Santa Barbara became a wealthy frontier town of slavers, ranchers, miners, adventurers, and priests.
Santa Barbara is located on a tributary of the Conchos River and was the jumping off spot for several expeditions to New Mexico
including Chamuscado and Rodriguez
in 1581-1582, Antonio de Espejo
in 1582-1583, and Juan de Onate
in 1597.
On December 17, 1930, the town was designated a city by an act of the legislature. Today, Santa Barbara is overshadowed by nearby Parral but the extensive mine tailings tell of its former prominence.
s of the municipality.
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 municipality of Santa Bárbara
Santa Bárbara (municipality)
Santa Bárbara is one of the 67 municipalities of Chihuahua, in northern Mexico. The municipal seat lies at Santa Bárbara. The municipality, one of the smallest in Chihuahua, covers an area of 424.2 km²....
, in the northern Mexican state of Chihuahua. As of 2005, the city had a total population of 8,673.
History
Santa Bárbara, Chihuahua, was established in 1567 by Spanish conquistador Rodrigo del Rio de Losa during the rule of Francisco de IbarraFrancisco de Ibarra
Francisco de Ibarra was a Spanish Basque explorer, founder of the city of Durango, and governor of the Spanish province of Nueva Vizcaya, in present-day Mexico.-Biography:...
, governor of the state of Nueva Vizcaya
Nueva Vizcaya
Nueva Vizcaya is a province of the Philippines located in the Cagayan Valley region in Luzon. Its capital is Bayombong. It is bordered by, clockwise from the north, Ifugao, Isabela, Quirino, Aurora, Nueva Ecija, Pangasinan, and Benguet.-History, people and culture:The name was derived from the...
. The Indians in the region when the Spanish arrived were the Chichimecas
Chichimeca
Chichimeca was the name that the Nahua peoples of Mexico generically applied to a wide range of semi-nomadic peoples who inhabited the north of modern-day Mexico and southwestern United States, and carried the same sense as the European term "barbarian"...
who were described as "naked barbarians, very poor and having nothing to eat except roots and prickly pears." The Spanish were attracted to the region by discoveries of silver and Santa Barbara grew from a population of 30 in 1575 to 7,000 in 1600. It was the northernmost outpost of Nueva Espana in the 16th century. Santa Barbara became a wealthy frontier town of slavers, ranchers, miners, adventurers, and priests.
Santa Barbara is located on a tributary of the Conchos River and was the jumping off spot for several expeditions to New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
including Chamuscado and Rodriguez
The Chamuscado and Rodriguez Expedition
The Chamuscado and Rodriguez Expedition visited New Mexico in 1581-1582. The expedition was led by Francisco Sanchez, called "El Chamuscado," and Friar Augustin Rodriguez, the first Spaniards known to have visited the Pueblo Indians since Francisco Vasquez de Coronado 40 years...
in 1581-1582, Antonio de Espejo
Antonio de Espejo
Antonio de Espejo was a Spanish explorer who led an expedition into New Mexico and Arizona in 1582-1583. The expedition created interest in establishing a Spanish colony among the Pueblo Indians of the Rio Grande valley.-Life:...
in 1582-1583, and Juan de Onate
Juan de Oñate
Don Juan de Oñate y Salazar was a Spanish explorer, colonial governor of the New Spain province of New Mexico, and founder of various settlements in the present day Southwest of the United States.-Biography:...
in 1597.
On December 17, 1930, the town was designated a city by an act of the legislature. Today, Santa Barbara is overshadowed by nearby Parral but the extensive mine tailings tell of its former prominence.
Economy
The municipality produces wood products and nuts from trees such as walnuts, mesquite, junipers, acamos, gatuños, willows and madroños. Fruits grown in the region are peach, pear and apple. These products are being sold worldwide. The city also continues to rely on mining of lead, silver, gold, zinc, fluorite and other minerals. Lead is now the most important mineral produced in this city. The mines collectively occupy 7,180 hectareHectare
The hectare is a metric unit of area defined as 10,000 square metres , and primarily used in the measurement of land. In 1795, when the metric system was introduced, the are was defined as being 100 square metres and the hectare was thus 100 ares or 1/100 km2...
s of the municipality.