CULTURAL TOURISM IN SITES OF MINING HERITAGE
Dolores is one of the oldest mines of this region. In the 19th century one of the two first steam machines to drain Real del Monte mines was installed in this place; these days we can still admire the Cornish engine room, headframe, hoist room and hoist, all of them clear examples of electricity application to mining work, as well as offices and houses. In order to visit it and tour its surface, it is necessary to form a group of interested people and contact the AHMMAC, to schedule a visit.
This mine was denounced by Tomas Antonio de Navarrete in 1727, the mine still has from this period an aqueduct and the perimeter walls. The engine room, compressor room and a house known as ¨the superintendent house” integrate the most representative group of transformations or tracks from the steam era introduced by the English company and continued by Mexican businessmen throughout the 19th century. The importance of this mine as part of following administrations plans compelled them to adapt or add new elements for the development of the activity. Since 2001 Acosta Mine is a site museum, receives its visitors from Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
The exploitation of this mine began in the last decades of the 19th century, but it wasn’t until the third decade of the following century when its activity intensified, becoming one of the four most important mining units of Real del Monte and Pachuca Company after 1906. Due to the fact that this mine stopped its activities in the year 2003, its equipment and machinery are practically complete: hoist, compressors, buckets for ore, etc., and a big steam boiler. This mine is located at El Hiloche neighborhood, in the forest of the same name. In order to visit this place (only its surface), is necessary to have a group of interested people and contact AHMMAC staff.
This mine was famous for its abundance by the middle of the 18th century, due to its high quantity of good quality metal, almost 7 kilograms of silver per ton and a half of ore, but its exploitation stopped when its working areas became flooded, in spite of the efforts made by its owners to drain it. It wasn’t until the 20th century that this mine recovered its importance; worked continued until 2005, that is the reason why this mine, just like Purisima, still has a lot of its machinery and equipment in good condition. In order to visit this place (only its surface), is necessary to have a group of interested people and contact AHMMAC staff.
This mine was denounced in 1865 by Mr. Martiarena and Mr. Chester. Today, this mine still has an impressive engine house and a steam hoist in its interior, in addition to a high-voltage electric power distribution center, a boiler area and a big deposit of mineral nucleus. This place is maybe the most important example of the steam era and the beginning of the electricity era in this mining district. Since April, 2008 this mine belongs to the Historical Archive and Museum of Mining, A.C. and it is open to the public as site museum and interpretation center of the old mining district, open Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00 to 18:00.
Most of its architectural remains correspond to the American period, in other words, they are from the first half of the 20th century. The metal headframe, hoist room, electric hoist –still in use- and house are the most outstanding areas of this site. Currently, this mine can only be observed from the exterior. It is located on the Pachuca-Tampico road, between Real del Monte and Omitlán. To visit it (only its surface) it is necessary to have a group of interested persons and contact AHMMAC staff.
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Archive photos AHMMAC, contemporary photos Marco Antonio Hernández, © Copyright All rights reserved.