Pachuca, Mexico

		Pachuca de Soto, Hidalgo Nickname: "La Bella Airosa - The Windy City" Coordinates: Latitude: 20° 7′ 0″ N 20.116667° Longitude: 98° 44′ 0″ W -98.733333° Time Zone: Central Time Population: about 1.5 million. Religion: 94% Catholic, 3.5% Protestant, 2.5% other. Website: http://www.pachuca.gob.mx
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The Name

The name Pachuca probably comes from the Nahuatl word Pachoaca or Pachoacan, meaning "place of the rulers" or "narrow place"; it may also come from the word Patlachiuhacan, which means "place of silver and gold." The official name of the city is Pachuca de Soto in honor of Deputy Manuel Fernando Soto, who was one of the founders of the state.

History 

             Pre-Columbian Pachuca de Soto was inhabited by several indigenous groups including settlements connected with the Teotihuacán and Tula cultures.   The Aztecs were the last to govern the region conquering the area in 1438.  In 1528 the Spanish conquerors invaded and destroyed the Ixcóatl population.   The origin of the name “Pachuca”  is not certain but most likely comes from Nahoas Pachoaca or Pachoacan which means “the place of governing"; and it could also have its origin from Patlachiuhacan which means, “place of silver and gold” a name that also fits the legends about Pachuca which said that silver and gold could be picked up off the valley floor.

            The first Spaniards to arrive in the region were Francisco Téllez and Gonzalo Rodríguez who built the first feudal type haciendas and began the first mine called the “Real de Minas de Pachuca.”   Later the mine passed to the Sotomayor Family and later to Don Antonio de la Cadena.

            The mining development of Pachuca began in serious about 1555, when Bartolomé de Medina invented the amalgamacia system which greatly benefited the mines. In the 18th Century, the Conde de Regla, Pedro Romero de Terreros,  brought to life the mine Real del Monte, after finding rich new veins of silver that gave Pachuca an extraordinary growth period.
           

             Although the prosperity and long history of Pachuca might make one believe that the city is full of colonial monuments similar to other great mining cities like Guanajuato and Taxco, however, this is not the case. The reason for the lack of development was its proximity to the capital of the nation, Mexico City.   The rich miners preferred to live in Mexico City,  leaving Pachuca only as a source of their wealth.   Another reason Pachuca developed differently was the purity of its silver which was some of the purest in the world.  Because of its high quality, the silver was used in Mints and therefore Pachuca never developed a tradition of silversmiths that have made other cities famous. 

            In 1869,  Benito Juárez  created the State of Hidalgo,  and designated Pachuca as the capital of the new state. The official name of the city is Pachuca de Soto in honor of the congressman Manuel Fernando Soto  who negotiated the creation of the State of Hidalgo. In 1923, Pachuca was one of the first cities in Mexico connected to Mexico City by regular Air Mail service.            

The City Today

Over the last years Pachuca has seen extensive growth, especially since the 1985 Mexico City earthquake.  Pachuca and its surrounding urban areas are reaching 1.5 million inhabitants and are connected to Mexico City by a four lane toll road.  Pachuca is therefore becoming a “bedroom community” for Mexico City as there are many who live in Pachuca and work in its larger neighbor.   In the next few years the growth of Pachuca could be significant as the state government continues to work to bring small to mid-sized industries to its Capital city.