Batopilas, Chihuahua

Batopilas is a small town and capital of the surrounding Municipality of Batopilas 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.

History

Batopilas was established by Spanish conquistadores 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.

Geography

The main connection to the outside world is a 5-hour bus connection to Creel, the first 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.

ources

* 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 Tarahumara region.