Minas de Sombrerete Collection

The forms part of the Genaro García Collection, which was purchased by the University of Texas in 1921 from the heirs of Genaro García. The Minas de Sombrerete Collection was described by the Benson's Mexican Archives Project in February 1994.

The collection's physical extent is 3.5 inches. Its materials are in Spanish; their bulk dates are 1825-1851. The collection is also available on microfilm.

The following guide is available in Rare Books Reference: Castañeda, Carlos E. and Jack Autrey Dabbs, eds., Guide to the Latin American Manuscripts in the University of Texas Library. Cambridge, Mass., Harvard University Press, 1939.

The suggested citation for the collection is "Minas de Sombrerete Collection, 1797-1851, Benson Latin American Collection, General Libraries, University of Texas at Austin."

The mines in the district of Sombrerete, Zacatecas, are believed to have been discovered by Captain Juan de Tolosa in 1555. During the 17th century they were owned by the Marqués de Fagoaga. The mines were located in the three departamentos of Pabellón, Betanegra, and Cañada.

The mines were acquired in 1815 by the brothers, Pedro and Narciso Anitúa; after the division of their business interests, the mines were operated by Narciso alone. In 1821, he transferred the mines of Cañada to Guadalupe Chavez and Manuel Mena, who operated them until 1825, when they were abandoned. In 1829, José María Bracho, Guadalupe Chavez, and Salvador Morillo formed a company to work the mines of Cañada; it operated until 1832.

Apparently having abandoned operations in the departmentos of Pabellón and Betanegra in 1821, Narciso Anitúa resumed operations there in 1825 in concert with the Compañía Unida de Minas Mexicanas. After litigation over the closing of the San Lucas mine, Narciso Anitúa regained full control of the mines in April 1833. He formed another company, whose operations were suspended in August 1833. Narciso Anitúa died in 1839; in June 1841, the enterprise was abandoned entirely in consequence of a suit over demolition. At that point, the mines were acquired by group of citizens of Sombrerete. Nine months later, however, the mines were again abandoned because of Indian disburbances. In 1851 sporadic work continued in the departmentos of Pabellón and Betanegra, but the departamento of Cañada had been completely abandoned.

1555	mines "discovered" by Captain Juan [de] Tolosa
1815	tomaron los Sres. D. Pedro y Narciso Anitua las minas de la Cañada, que antes esplotada la casa de Tagoaga igualmente que las de Pabello y Vetanegra; began drainage ... brothers separated their business interests and Narciso continuó por si solo el giro de las minas
1821	Narciso dejó las minas de la Cañada traspasándolas á D. Guadalupe Chavez y D. Manuel Mena, quienes las poseyeron hasta 825 ...
1821	Narciso desistido del negocio de las departamentos de Vetanegra y Pabellón
1825	Cañada abandoned and inundated by Chavez and Mena
1825	minas ... quedaron desiertas por las Sres. Anitua, Chavez, y su socio Mena
1829	José Ma Bracho, Guadalupe Chavez y Salvador Morillo invitaron al año de 1829 para la formacion de una compañía a fin de emprender los trabajos de las minas de la Cañada ...
1829-1831	Una compañía emprendió de nuevo el laborio de la Cañada en 1829 a 1831, y en 1832 se abandonó el negocio
11 Jan. 1829	riot destroyed businesses and fine houses in town
1832	se abandonó el negocio
1825	Anitua que, como se ha dicho habia desistido en 1821, del negocio de las departamentos de Vetanegra y Pabellón, lo emprendió de nuevo en 1825 y mediante un contrato con la compañía unida mexicana, comenzó los trabajos llevandose parados los de cada departamento, ...
1833	Anitua received control again in 1833, after litigation over closing of S. Lucas
	En este estado se hallaba la negociacion cuando su director quizo que se abandonarse, y así lo anunció á la compañía que, por desgracia tal vez que convino en ella; y despues de un litigio suscitado sobre desamparo de la mina de S. Lucas, volvieron todas al Sor. Anitua, cuyo apoderado las recibió en Abril de 1833.
1833	formó una compañía
August 1833	compañía suspended
	hecho el reparto de existencia á los accionistas...
June 1841	abandonaron del todo la empresa á consequencia de un pleito sobre derrocar; en seguida se posesionó de las minas una compañía de vecinos de esta ciudad, ... y nueve meses mas tarde, á causa tambien de disturbios, se desistió resultando una pérdida ...
1851	mines deserted; en realidad, desde que la compañía entregó las minas, no han sido esplotadas; Sres. Chavez y Cervantes trabajan algunas minas de Pabellón y Vetanegra; el de Cañada está completamente desierto.

Source: "El Mineral de Sombrerete," Minas de Sombrerete Collection.

Correspondence, financial documents, literary productions, and legal documents concerning the mines operated in Sombrerete by the Anitúa family. Correspondence includes letters from Lucas Alamán to José María Bracho, a participant in a company formed to operate the Cañada mines, and a letter book (filed as G446 Ms.) containing copies of letters written by Martín Gracia, business manager. Primary recipients of Gracia's letters were Miguel and Angel de Anitúa and José Ynés Alvarez, representative of Miguel de Anitúa.

Financial documents include valuations made in 1825 of the haciendas Nuestra Señora de la Soledad and Purisima Concepción (on which the mines were located), accounts of operating expenses, statements of production, and miscellaneous accounts. Literary productions include an 1836 report on the state of mining and the economy in the district of Sombrerete, Zacatecas, and "El Mineral de Sombrete," a detailed historical analysis of the mines, written in 1851. Legal documents consist of a notice regarding suspension of operations of the San Lucas mine in 1838, a contract, and a document concerning power of attorney.

The Minas de Sombrerete Collection was arranged into Archives and Manuscripts subgroups by earlier library staff. The Mexican Archives Project staff, which completed the processing of the collection in February 1994, created the series. Materials in the Archives subgroup are arranged chronologically within folders. Manuscript number G446 is filed numerically. The subgroups and series are:

I. Archives

1. Series, Correspondence, 1797-1833. Includes letters from Lucas Alamán to José María Bracho, a participant in a company formed to operate the Cañada mines.

2. Series, Financial documents, 1825-1841.

   a.	Valuations of the haciendas N.S. de la Soledad and Purisima Concepción, 1825.
   b.	Reconocimiento ... de todas las existencias de las minas Pavellon y Veta-Negra ..., 1825.
   c.	Memoria de los gastos de la negociacion de Vetanegra, 1830.
   d.	Estado de metales de fuego y patio, 1830-1831.
   e.	Accounts of the Hacienda de la Soledad, 1831.
   f.	Accounts of the Hacienda de la Purisima, 1831-1841.
   g.	Miscellaneous accounts, 1831.

3. Series, Literary productions, 1836 and 1851.

   a.	"El Mineral de Sombrerete," 1851. A detailed historical analysis of the mines.
   b.	Informe on state of mining and economy in the district of Sombrerete, Zacatecas, 1836.

4. Series, Legal documents, 1825-1838. Consist of a notice regarding the suspension of operations of the San Lucas mine in 1838, a contract, and a document concering power of attorney.

II. Manuscripts

G446 :

Letter book of Martín Gracia, 1839-1850. Copies of letters written by business manager, Martín Gracia. Primary recipients of the letters were Miguel and Angel de Anitúa and José Ynes Alvarez, representative of Miguel de Anitúa.

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