Today, the opening of this mine is within the city limits and was closed to mining in 1960. It principally produced gold and silver with most of its production occurring in the 17th and 18th centuries. It began operations in 1586 in the Cerro de la Bufa. One of the most important mines from the colonial period is the El Edén mine. Zacatecas was one of the richest states in Mexico. Hospitals and hospices were built in the 1550s. The first house was supposedly built in 1547, just before the fortress and metal foundry. Tall buildings were constructed along here due to the lack of flat area on which to build. The mining camp spread southwards along the course of the Arroyo de la Plata, which now lies underneath Hidalgo Avenue, the old town's main road. The success of the mines led to the arrival of indigenous people and the importation of black slaves to work in them. The camp became a parish in 1550, in 1585, then it was declared a city with the name of "Muy Noble y Leal Ciudad de Nuestra Señora de Zacatecas" (Very Noble and Loyal City of Our Lady of Zacatecas), receiving its coat of arms from Philip II of Spain at the same time. The settlement grew over the space of a few years into one of the most important cities in New Spain and the most populous after Mexico City. In 1550, royalty found its way to Zacatecas in the person of Leonor Cortés Moctezuma, the illegitimate daughter of conquistador Hernán Cortés and Isabel Moctezuma, daughter of the Aztec emperor. This brought a large number of people to Zacatecas, including craftsmen, merchants, clerics and adventurers. This was followed by similar finds in mines called Albarrada de San Benito, Vetagrande, Pánuco and others. The first major vein of silver was found in 1548 in a mine called San Bernabé. Ī military mining camp was formally established in 1548 and called Minas de Nuestra Señora de Remedios. Surveys of the other surrounding hills were undertaken by Tolosa, Diego de Ibarra, Baltasar Temiño de Bañuelos, Andrés de Villanueva and others. The Zacatecos initially fought the permanent presence of the Spanish, but the mining potential of the area strengthened the Europeans’ resolve and the natives were defeated in the 1540s.
A mining camp was soon established at the foot of Cerro de la Bufa. Other expeditions followed, including one by Juan de Tolosa in 1546, who brought back rock samples from Cerro de la Bufa, which were determined to contain high concentrations of silver and lead. And the area initially was simply frontier. Another, Pedro Almindes Chirinos Peralmindes, went to explore the lands to the north, taking Zacatecas with little trouble but not knowing of the riches underneath the soil. One of Guzmán's lieutenants, Cristóbal de Oñate, conquered the area around what is now Guadalajara. In 1540, Nuño de Guzmán traveled from Mexico City conquering what are now the states of Michoacán and Jalisco. The Spanish came to the Zacatecas area via Guadalajara. These peoples were mining silver and other metals in the hills long before the Europeans arrived, making the area important in pre-Columbian times. Eventually, the area came to be dominated by Chichimeca tribes such as the Caxcans, Guachichils, Guamares, Huichols, Zacatecos and others, with the Zacatecos being the most numerous in the area of the city today. The first people to populate the area arrived approximately 10,000 years ago, when the climate was wetter and warmer, with different vegetation and wildlife.
The name means "people of the grasslands". The name Zacatecas is derived from the Zacateco people and has its roots in Nahuatl. Mining still remains an important industry. Today, the colonial part of the city is a World Heritage Site, due to the Baroque and other structures built during its mining days. The area saw battles during the turbulent 19th century, but the next major event was the Battle of Zacatecas during the Mexican Revolution when Francisco Villa captured the town, an event still celebrated every anniversary. Due to the wealth that the mines provided, Zacatecas quickly became one of the most important cities in New Spain, with much of its silver enriching the Spanish crown. Native Americans had already known about the area's rich deposits of silver and other minerals.
Located in north-central Mexico, the city had its start as a Spanish mining camp in the mid-16th century. Zacatecas ( Spanish pronunciation: ( listen)) is the principal city within the municipality in Mexico of the same name, and the capital and the largest city of the state of Zacatecas.