Miguel Gallo Vergara ( La Serena, 1793 - Chañarcillo, March 8, 1853) was a Chilean millionaire mining entrepreneur, politician and patriot. He was mayor of Copiapó for the year 1820, and was appointed a Deputy of the Republic of Chile representing Copiapó,

Chañaral Chañaral is a small coastal city and commune in the Atacama Region, Chile and capital of the Chañaral Province. It is largely unknown by tourists, who generally head straight for towns such as San Pedro de Atacama. The town has no high rise bu ...

and

Freirina Freirina is a Chilean commune and town in Huasco Province, Atacama Region. The commune spans an area of . Demographics According to the 2002 census by the National Statistics Institute, Freirina had 5,666 inhabitants; of these, 3,469 (61.2%) liv ...

from 1849 to 1852. A pioneer of the silver mining industry in Chile, working with

Juan Godoy Juan Godoy (1800 – 1842) was a Chilean farmer and miner who in 1832 discovered an outcrop (''reventón'') of silver south of Copiapó in Chañarcillo sparking the Chilean silver rush. Villalobos, Sergio; Silva, Osvaldo; Silva Fernando and Est ...

from 1832, he is still remembered as an illustrious figure in the Atacama mining industry and in the history of Copiapó.

Early life and patriotism

He was born in La Serena, the son of José Antonio Gallo y Rocalandro, a distinguished gentleman and radical of the 18th century, who was born in Viareggio, Italy. His father died in 1818 at the age of 90. Gallo Vergara was appointed Lieutenant-Governor of La Serena on February 15, 1817. He played a role in securing the independence of Chile, and was appointed to the board of judges for the territorial districts of the new country. He was initially involved with regulating municipal revenues and making improvements to infrastructure. He resigned from this position on November 19, 1818, having fulfilled his duty as a patriot.

Entrepreneurship and death

Gallo Vergara sought to become an entrepreneur. He founded the copper mining company Injenio del Molle, which commenced mining operations in the Sierra de Chañarcillo. Working with

, he was notable figure in the silver mining industry in Chile which took off in 1832. Gallo Vergara was later involved in the wine industry, producing the most exquisite Atacama wines of the period. Miguel Gallo Vergara died suddenly in the town of Chañarcillo on March 8, 1853, leaving his vast fortune to his family. He was survived by his wife Candelaria Goyenechea Sierra and sons

Pedro León Gallo Goyenechea Pedro León Gallo Goyenechea (Copiapó, February 12, 1830 in Santiago – December 16, 1877) was a Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the wo ...

, Ángel Gallo Goyenechea and

Tomás Gallo Goyenechea Tomás may refer to: * Tomás (given name) * Tomás (surname) Tomás is a Spanish and Portuguese surname, equivalent of ''Thomas''. It may refer to: * Antonio Tomás (born 1985), professional Spanish footballer * Belarmino Tomás (1892–1950), ...

. Most sources claim March 8, 1842 as the date of his death, but he was known to have served as a Deputy of the Republic representing Copiapó,

and

from 1849 to 1852 as he succeeded Juan José Aldunate Larraín and was succeeded by

José Francisco Gana Lópe José is a predominantly Spanish and Portuguese form of the given name Joseph. While spelled alike, this name is pronounced differently in each language: Spanish ; Portuguese (or ). In French, the name ''José'', pronounced , is an old vernacul ...

. March 8, 1853 is now cited in genealogical records to be the accurate date of his death. He is still remembered as an illustrious figure in the Atacama mining industry and in the history of Copiapó.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gallo, Miguel Chilean businesspeople in mining Chilean miners 19th-century Chilean politicians Mayors of places in Chile 1793 births 1853 deaths People from La Serena People of the Chilean War of Independence