CHIHUAHUA, a city of Mexico, capital of Chihuahua State, about 1,000m. N.W. of Mexico City and 225m. S. by E. of El Paso. Pop. (1910) 39,706; (193o) 59,607. The city stands in a beautiful valley opening northward and hemmed in on all other sides by spurs of the Sierra Madre. It is 4,63 5f t. above sea-level, and its climate is mild and healthy. The city is laid out regularly, with broad streets, and a handsome plaza with a monument to Hidalgo and his companions of the revolution of 181o, who were executed here. The most noteworthy of its public buildings is the fine old parish church of San Francisco, begun in 1717 and com pleted in 2789, one of the best specimens of 18th century archi tecture in Mexico. It was built, it is said, with the proceeds of a small tax on the output of the Santa Eulalia mine. Other promi nent buildings are the Government palace, the Porfirio Diaz hospital, the old Jesuit college (now occupied by a modern insti tution of the same character), the mint, and an aqueduct built in the 18th century. Chihuahua is served by the Mexican Central, the Kansas City, Mexico and Orient and the Mexico North western railways. Mining is the principal occupation of the surrounding district, the famous Santa Eulalia or Chihuahua el Viejo mines being about I2m. from the city. Manufacturing is making good progress, especially the weaving of cotton fabrics by modern methods. The manufacture of gunpowder for mining operations is another old industry.
Chihuahua was founded between 1703 and 1705 as a mining town, and was made a villa in 1715 with the title San Felipe el Real de Chihuahua. Because of the rich mines in its vicinity it soon became one of the most prosperous towns in northern Mex ico, although the State was constantly raided by hostile Indians. In 1763 it had a population of nearly 5,000. The war of independ ence was followed by a period of decline, owing to political disorder and revolution, which lasted until the presidency of Gen. Porfirio Diaz. In the war between Mexico and the United States, Chihuahua was captured on March 1847, by Col. A. W.
Doniphan, and again on March 7, by Gen. Price. In 1864 dent Juarez made the city his provisional capital for a short time.