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Rare 19th-century Baja California Mining Map

A very rare map of the extensive El Triunfo mining district near La Paz, in Baja California Sur. 

The map, lithographed by the renowned firm of Britton & Co. in San Francisco, identifies about three dozen mining properties, all beautifully hand-colored, as well as topography, trails, rivers, arroyos, and numerous towns and ranchos.  It also has three insets maps of Southern Baja California (showing Cabo San Lucas, Todos Santos and steamship routes), Isla del Carmen in the Gulf of California with copper mines identified, and the mining district in the Sierra de las Cacachilas just east of La Paz. A table of distances in both English Miles and Mexican Leagues, notes distances from San Francisco to various Baja California and Mexican ports and towns, by "Land Mule Trails" as well as by water via steamer.

Ranches and towns identified: Ciudad de San Antonio, Rancho de las Flores, Hacienda del Picacho, Hacienda F.A.S.M.C.,

Selection of mines: La Trinidad No. 1, El Rosarito, Doña Margarita, La Empresa, La Trinidad, La Confusion, La Preciosa, La Codicia, La Prosperidad, and many others.

This map was apparently unknown to Ellen C. Barrett, compiler of the most extensive bibliography of Baja California publications and maps (including numerous mining maps). Barrett describes several other mining-related publications and maps by Guillermo Denton, the earliest of which dates to 1875. 

The map is based on the work of surveyors Gustavo Cox, Angel Cabrero, and William Denton. Cox was a mining engineer who also worked in Arizona during the latter part of the 19th-century. Little is known about Cabrero. Much more is known about Denton.  

William Denton (1828–1907), also known as Guillermo Denton, was an English-born surveyor, cartographer, and landowner whose work significantly contributed to the mapping and development of Baja California in the late 19th century. After arriving in the United States during the Gold Rush, he worked as a civil engineer for the United States geodetic survey. Between 1858 and 1860, he participated in a surveying expedition of the Sea of Cortés and coastal Sonora, where he was accompanied by Federico Fitch, son of a well-known San Diego businessman. This expedition likely led to his connection with Elena Cano de los Ríos, whom he married in 1860 in La Paz, Mexico.

Denton's best remembered contributions to Baja California’s cartographic history came during his tenure as a land surveyor for the International Colonization Company (1884–1886), a powerful North American land syndicate seeking to develop the region. His extensive surveying work provided foundational geographic knowledge for land ownership and settlement, though he eventually parted ways with the company. In 1894, Denton became a naturalized Mexican citizen, cementing his role as a key figure in Baja California’s land and resource management. At the time of his death, he was a major landowner, holding several ranches and mines across Northern Baja California, including Rancho Jacume (on the U.S.-Mexico border), Los Algodones Rancho (near the Colorado River), and various mining interests in iron, copper, and gold.

Denton’s legacy in surveying and land mapping was carried forward by his son, Alexander Denton, who continued his father’s work and produced several maps of Baja California, particularly those related to the family's holdings. The San Diego History Center holds the Denton Family Papers, which include original maps, land deeds, and survey documents.

El Triunfo Mining District

El Triunfo, located in the southern mountains of Baja California Sur, was one of the most important mining centers in the region, with a history dating back to the late 18th century when Manuel de Ocio first established a mine there. Control briefly passed to the Spanish Crown, but the venture remained largely unproductive until 1862, when the discovery of silver and gold sparked a mining boom. Many miners who had worked in California’s 1849 Gold Rush flocked to the area, drawn by the promise of new fortunes.

The influx of Mexican and American prospectors transformed El Triunfo into a thriving mining town. In 1878, British investors took over operations under the El Progreso Mining Company, introducing modern smelting techniques and expanding production, making El Triunfo the largest city in Baja California Sur, with over 10,000 residents. The town became a cultural and technological hub, boasting the region’s first electricity and telephone systems, as well as a flourishing arts scene, with musicians such as Francisca Mendoza performing there. Pianos were imported from Europe, and a piano museum remains today as a testament to the town’s former prosperity. However, when mining operations ceased in 1926, the population rapidly declined. Today, with only a few hundred inhabitants, El Triunfo is considered one of North America's best-preserved 19th- and 20th-century mining communities and remains an important site for historical and archaeological study.

Rarity

This map is very rare in the market.

Only 5 examples noted in OCLC (Arizona Historical, UC Berkeley, UC Irvine, British Library and Yale).