Parral, Chihuahua

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Location of the Municipality of Parral in the State of Chihuahua

Hidalgo del Parral, is both a city and the municipality of which it serves as the municipal seat in the Mexican state of Chihuahua. It is located in the southern part of the state, 220 km from the state capital, the city of Chihuahua, Chih. The city's population was 101,147 at the 2005 census, and the municipality's population was 103,519. The municipality includes numerous very small outlying communities in addition to the city. The city was founded in 1631 by Juan Rangel de Biesma as San José del Parral. The name was changed after independance from Spain, in honour of Fr Miguel Hidalgo, widely considered the 'Father of the Country'.

The Palacio Alvarado was once the home of one of the wealthiest mining barons in Parral.

Parral was once a bustling center for silver mining. As early as 1567, the silver mines at Santa Barbara were established in the territory of the Conchos Indians. However, in 1631, a vast new silver strike was made in what is now southern Chihuahua. The strike in Parral led to a large influx of Spaniards and Indian laborers into the area of Tarahumara country north of Santa Barbara. However, the steadily increasing need for labor in the Parral mines, according to Professor Spicer, led to the "forcible recruitment, or enslavement, of non-Christian Indians...the influx of new people and the resulting development of Spanish society no doubt placed increased pressure upon the native population in the region. The large area of southern Chihuahua inhabited by the Conchos Indians included the highway between the mining districts of Parral, Cusihuiriachic, and Chihuahua."^{[citation needed]} After the end of the silver mining boom, Parral was almost completely abandoned in the early 1930s (although the surrounding district continues to be mined for silver and base metals.) It is now a small city mainly dedicated to commerce.

Parral is noted as the place of death of several historical figures, including Mexican revolutionary leader Pancho Villa, who was assassinated on July 20, 1923 and initially buried there, and border ruffian "Dirty" Dave Rudabaugh, a sometime friend and foe of Billy the Kid.