After nearly a century of disrepair the looming 47-meters tall La Ramona smelter smokestack in the quaint old mining town of El Triunfo, BCS will receive a makeover.
Nestled in the heart of a region dependent on tourism and its natural beauty, the partners in this initiative believe that the restoration of “La Ramona” is an important first step in the economic and cultural revival of El Triunfo, a small village located in the mountainous region of the southern portion of the peninsula. The La Ramona smokestack was constructed in the 1890s by El Progreso Mining Company, during a time of extensive industrial growth on the Baja California peninsula. After decades of unrestricted resource extraction, primarily for metals such as gold and silver, the industry began to decline and La Ramona was eventually abandoned.
Over the past century, La Ramona has suffered significant structural damage due to age, lightning strikes and hurricanes. Today, amidst reports of new mining operations across the Baja California peninsula, this coalition is reinvesting in the proven economic potential of cultural, historic, and natural tourism, beginning with the “La Ramona” restoration.
Recognizing the cultural and historical significance of the structure, as well as the physical dangers that further degradation would cause for the local population, in 2015 two nonprofit partners—the Corredor Histórico CAREM, A.C. and the International Community Foundation (ICF) — collaborated with the Ejido of El Triunfo, the legal owners of the property, to design and implement an initiative to restore La Ramona. The project’s other major partners include the Mexican National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH), the Mexican Ministry of the Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT), the Reforma Agraria, the State of Baja California Sur, and the Municipality of La Paz, as well as private sector affiliates in El Triunfo.
The next critical step towards restoring the project requires the cooperation of many residents and visitors, beginning with fundraising for the $160,000 dollars necessary to cover the restoration work! To kick start the fundraising effort, local supporters have organized the El Triunfo Gastronomic Festival, which will be held at Bar El Minero on Saturday, November 19th from 2PM onward.
Additionally, the community invites you to “Adopt-A-Brick” and help them reach the 3,500 Brick Goal needed to begin construction through a U.S. tax-deductible donation to the International Community Foundation at: laramona.kimbia.com/adoptabrick.
