Chañarcillo

Chañarcillo
—  Mining town  —
Chañarcillo train station in 1862
Chañarcillo Location in Chile
Coordinates: 29°32′S 71°01′W / 29.533°S 71.017°W / -29.533; -71.017Coordinates: 29°32′S 71°01′W / 29.533°S 71.017°W / -29.533; -71.017
Country	Chile
Region	Atacama Region
Province	Copiapó Province

Chañarcillo is a town and mine in the Atacama Desert of Copiapó Province, Atacama Region, Chile, located near Vallenar and 75 kilometres from Copiapó. It is noted for its silver mining. The town grew up after the Chañarcillo silver mine was discovered on May 16 1832 by Juan Godoy.^[1] It grew in prominence in the second half of the nineteenth century and became important in the Atacama mining industry and one of the most important mines to the Chilean economy.^[2] It was connected by railway before 1862. Today it is something of a ghost town, since mining activity has declined today.

Magnificent groups of large crystals have been found at Chañarcillo, including proustite, stephanite, chlorargyrite and adamite.

References

1. ^ Swinglehurst, Henry (1893). Silver mines and incidents of travel: letters and notes on sea and land. T. Wilson. 
2. ^ Melcher, Gerardo (2004) (in Spanish). El norte de Chile: su gente, desiertos y volcanes. Editorial Universitaria. p. 24. ISBN 9561117088. http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=xOpjc480ib0C&pg=PA24&dq=Cha%C3%B1arcillo&hl=en&ei=V0I-TILkD8GXOIXq5PYO&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CDAQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=Cha%C3%B1arcillo&f=false.