Finding Aid
Parral Fondo Colonial
4,138 archival records from the Archivo Histórico Municipal de Hidalgo del Parral (AHMP), 1612–1821. Six sections covering colonial governance, military affairs, treasury, church, notarial protocols, and miscellany.
Records by decade
Each bar = one decade.
Sections
| Section | Records |
|---|---|
| Gobierno y administración | 1,648 |
| Milicia y guerra | 1,069 |
| Hacienda y tesorería | 901 |
| Notarías y protocolos | 304 |
| Miscelánea | 157 |
| Iglesia | 59 |
Top locations
| Location | Records |
|---|---|
| Real de San José del Parral | 1,977 |
| Sin lugar | 305 |
| Varios | 162 |
| Ciudad de Durango | 156 |
| Real de San Diego | 154 |
| Valle de San Bartolomé | 140 |
| Chihuahua | 116 |
| Guejoquilla | 90 |
| Valle | 84 |
| México | 75 |
About this collection
The Parral Fondo Colonial is the colonial-era archive of Hidalgo del Parral (San José del Parral), one of the most important mining centers in 17th and 18th century northern New Spain. The archive documents nearly two centuries of civic, military, ecclesiastical, and economic life in what is today the state of Chihuahua.
Records span from the early mining boom of the 1630s through Mexican independence. The collection is rich in documentation of the silver mining economy — land grants, mine claims (minas y terrenos), treasury accounts, and militia rosters reflecting the defense needs of a frontier society. Notarial records include testaments, property transfers, and freedom letters for enslaved individuals.
This index covers six of the archive's seven sections. The Justicia section, which contains judicial records and represents approximately two-thirds of the full collection, is not yet available online at the source. Records link back to the finding aid at rootspoint.com, maintained by RootsPoint with the cooperation of the archive.