El Rosario

• Official Name — El Rosario • Subdivision Type — Country • Subdivision Name — Mexico • Subdivision Type1 — State • Subdivision Name1 — Sinaloa • Subdivision Type2 — Municipality • Subdivision Name2 — Rosario • Leader Title — Municipal president • Leader Name — Ángel Alfonso Silva Santiago • Established Title — Founded in • Established Date — 1655 • Established Title2 — Founded by • Unit Pref — Metric • Population As Of — 2010 • Population Total — 16,002 • Timezone — Mountain Standard Time • Utc Offset — -7 • Website — Official website • Illustration — Church of Our Lady of the Rosary

El Rosario, a small town about 31 mi south of Mazatlán, is famous for the altar in the town church. The altar alone makes a visit to El Rosario somewhat worth the drive. El Rosario was once the richest town in Northwest Mexico because of the local mining operations. This small town was the home of the famous Mexican singer, Lola Beltrán. They have built a small museum in her honor although the museum is open only sporadically. The local economy produces pottery, furniture, and leather goods. The city was founded on August 3, 1655. It is said that on that day a corporal named Bonifacio was looking for missing cattle. He walked along a river in what is now known as Loma de Santiago, from where the cattle was lost. He went for it and captured it. As it had turned to night he lit a fire. When he woke up he was in for a major surprise, under the ashes of the fire he saw large molten silver adhered to a rock. He then gave the news to his boss. But before he left to give the news he left rosary beads to mark the place. His boss ran to the location to confirm that it was silver and began to extract the silver.

Rosario Sinaloa is the town referred to as Tres Camarones in the writing of Luis Alberto Urrea. The area now is known for growing amapola and marijuana in the hillsides, considered now the new gold mines for the area.