A major part of this town’s story lies 900 meters underground. Mina La Prieta led to Parral’s founding. So much of the lore surrounds the mine and the people it made rich. Many colonial towns in Mexico were built because of mines, mostly silver, owned by the Spanish Crown and independent Spanish silver barons. The price for the royal license was a fifth of the profits (the quinto real) paid to the King of Spain.
The Parral mine goes back, way back, operating for 345 years, from 1629 until 1974. It was closed as the mine began filling with water, stopping 90 meters below the mine entrance- the level of the local river. Over those years, an extraordinary amount of money was pulled out of the ground. La Palmilla Mine owner Pedro Alvarado made so much money that, at one time, he offered to pay off all of Mexico’s foreign debt. Instead, he built a palace and named it after himself – Palacio Alvarado
A miners’ rustic latrine was called El Caballo. I learned that the best job at a mine site was a caballerango (toilet cleaner). It was considered easy, paid well, and usually went to older men.
I toured the huge mine and was enthralled with the massive equipment, especially the winding engine (mine hoist). Some looked circa 1629, and other pieces looked new. A lot happens over 300+ years
At the end of the tour, I came across an old man outside the ticket sales building, sitting in a plastic chair and keeping an eye on the visitors. I was surprised that he spoke English. He said that he spoke three languages in total. He had a tiny studio here, and it looked like he lived there. While his painting and folk art pieces were crude, the color he added to the scene was brilliant
It’s not unusual for people to seek out a photo when they see me slinging my big ol’ wrist-breaking Nikon. Moms love to have me take photos of their kids. For the first time, a pet owner insisted I take a photo of his dog.
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A peluquería (hair salon) owner insisted I photograph his shop. When he discovered I was riding a motorcycle, he became animated and shared photos of his Harley trike.
When I take photos of people, I nearly always ask first, unless I’m shooting as a shutter stalker, trying to get that candid shot. Because as soon as you ask permission, the scene you wanted to capture is gone. I always hand people my postcard and attempt to explain that the photos will be on my website in a few days. It’s unlikely many look.
Lots more photos here
