Silver in the Sierra Madre

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Dr. Peter Flawn, president-emeritus of the University of Texas, Austin, began life as a geologist. After a stint in World War II, he teamed up with another geologist, Philip W. Beckley, to explore and develop an old Spanish silver mine in a remote, mountainous area of the state of Durango, Mexico, known as the barancas. Beckley was a true soldier of fortune, flying in and out of the site with a small plane, the only way to reach the Santa Cruz mine. This personal memoir includes the decisions and actions of the Dougherty family of Beeville, Texas, the de facto owners of the mine properties, and others closely associated with the project both from Texas and Mexico. Beckley’s tragic death, either by accident or by a bandit, eventually closed the project. Dr. Flawn retired after a career in university education and dedicated his memoirs to his old friend, describing their association from the period of 1966 to 1972. The author also provides a history of the Santa Cruz mine from 1908 until 1966, as told through reports and letters from a succession of mine managers.