The James Howard Collection documents the life of a mining foreman who lived in Guadalajara, Mexico. Most of the papers relate to Howard’s experience as a foreman at the Amparo Mining Company. The materials, written in both English and Spanish, include blueprints and plans for mining equipment, a large amount of photography from throughout the region, and a personal diary from Howard. The collection also includes a small amount of biographical material about Howard, including personal correspondence and a genealogical chart for the Howard clan.

James H. Howard was born in England on January 20, 1868. In 1883 he emigrated from England and came to New York; he then moved to Texas in 1885, where he worked for the International Mining Company as a timberman. In 1889 Howard moved to Guadalajara, Mexico, where he settled in the American Colony of Colonia Seattle. Howard took a job working at the Amparo Mining Company in Bolaños, a mining district north of Guadalajara.

1.4 lin. ft. (1 archives box and 5 oversize folders)