Chino Copper Company of Santa Rita and Hurley, New Mexico, Photographs
Collection
Identifier: PAAC-0049
Scope and Content
The Santa Rita Mine collection consists of over 200 negatives and 400 photographs from postcard size to 8" x 10". Most of the material is dated and identified. The majority of the material is pre-1920. Topics range from engineering and structural to photos of assay shop, town views, ball teams, railroad and people involved in mining activities. This finding aid includes a partial listing images which have been assigned unique numbers to identify the various subjects in the collection. The negatives are not numbered or cross referenced to the prints.
Dates
- 1910 - 1940
Language of Materials
English
Access Restrictions
Collection is open to researchers on a request basis only, pending approval of request to view original material.
Copy Restrictions
User responsible for all copyright compliance. Permission to publish must be obtained from Photo Archives. Form to request permission available at: https://www.nmhistorymuseum.org/collections/photo-archives/order-photos
Biographical Information
The history of the Santa Rita mining area began in the early 1800's when a Spanish colonial soldier was shown copper deposits by a friendly local Indian in the area then known as Santa Rita del Cobre. Since then and up until 1909 there were various ventures involved in mining copper deposits in the area, most with mixed success. That all changed in 1909 with the formation of the Chino Copper Company and open pit mining. By 1910 the first steam shovels began working the hills, construction was underway of a concentrator, power plant and ancillary facilties at the old rairoad siding known as Hurley. The community of Santa Rita quickly grew from a frontier settlement into a town of over 5,000 residents. Following the discovery of high grade ore directly under the town of Santa Rita in the 1950's, the town and residents were moved. The giant open pit mine of today measures over a mile and a half across and over 1500 feet deep.
Extent
2 Linear Feet
- Title
- Chino Copper Company Collection of Santa Rita and Hurley, New Mexico, Photographs, 1910 - 1940
- Status
- Under Revision
- Author
- DK
- Date
- © 2011
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Revision Statements
- 07/24/2024: Revised by CD as part of the finding aid update project, 2024
Repository Details
Part of the NMHM Palace of the Governors Photo Archives Repository