Matías Cousiño
Encyclopedia
Matías Cousiño Jorquera (1810–1863) was a Chile
an coal
magnate
and patriarch of the wealthy Cousiño family. Cousiño's most emblematic coal mine lied in Lota
a small coastal town on the coast of the Bío-Bío Region
, there steam ships that passed the Strait of Magellan
could be resupplied with coal.
as son of José Agustín Cousiño Zapata and Josefa de Jorquera y Alfaro, a family of Portuguese
and Spanish
descent.
During the War for Independence
, his family lost their wealth, and Matías was forced to work at an early age. He worked in the post office of Valparaíso
, where his father was the boss. He went on to succeed his father in 1828. During this time, he married Loreto Squella y Lopetegui, who died giving birth to his first son, Luis Cousiño Squella. Matías Cousiño studied in Santiago without excelling in his studies, but doing so in business.
In 1841, he married Luz Gallo Zavala, who had 2 children. Thanks to his economic power, he was elected to the Chamber of Deputies
, representing the Petorca
(1849–1852) and Quillota
(1852–1855). He was elected senator
between 1855 and 1864 but died on March 21, 1863 in Santiago.
, and the success of this business led him to search for new ventures, one being the new silver mines in Copiapó
. At the end of the 1840s, he expanded into the milling industry in Concepción
. He organized a milling association that exported flour and wheat to the Pacific coast.
His mining career began as a butler in the mines of Ramón Ignacio de Goyenechea, an investor in the silver
mine of Descubridora de Chañarcillo
in the Atacama Desert
. He continued ascending in position until his marriage in 1841, widow of Ignacio de Goyenechea, allowed him to combine the two fortunes. His fortune continued to grow when in 1844, along with Rafael Torreblanca, he invented a new machine to extract metals. He obtained an exclusive permit for its use from Manuel Bulnes
' government for ten years.
In 1850, Matías became director of The Copiapó Mining Group, the most powerful association in Chile.
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
an coal
Coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
magnate
Magnate
Magnate, from the Late Latin magnas, a great man, itself from Latin magnus 'great', designates a noble or other man in a high social position, by birth, wealth or other qualities...
and patriarch of the wealthy Cousiño family. Cousiño's most emblematic coal mine lied in Lota
Lota, Chile
Lota is a city and commune located in the center of the Chile on the Gulf of Arauco. It lies within the Concepción Province of the Biobío Region.-History:...
a small coastal town on the coast of the Bío-Bío Region
Bío-Bío Region
The VIII Biobío Region , one of the fifteen first-order administrative divisions in Chile, comprises four provinces: Arauco, Biobio, Concepción, and Ñuble.The capital of the Region is Concepción...
, there steam ships that passed the Strait of Magellan
Strait of Magellan
The Strait of Magellan comprises a navigable sea route immediately south of mainland South America and north of Tierra del Fuego...
could be resupplied with coal.
Early and personal life
Matías Cousiño was born in Santiago, ChileSantiago, Chile
Santiago , also known as Santiago de Chile, is the capital and largest city of Chile, and the center of its largest conurbation . It is located in the country's central valley, at an elevation of above mean sea level...
as son of José Agustín Cousiño Zapata and Josefa de Jorquera y Alfaro, a family of Portuguese
Portuguese people
The Portuguese are a nation and ethnic group native to the country of Portugal, in the west of the Iberian peninsula of south-west Europe. Their language is Portuguese, and Roman Catholicism is the predominant religion....
and Spanish
Spanish people
The Spanish are citizens of the Kingdom of Spain. Within Spain, there are also a number of vigorous nationalisms and regionalisms, reflecting the country's complex history....
descent.
During the War for Independence
Chilean Independence
Chilean War of Independence was an armed conflict between pro-Independence criollos who sought political and economic independence from Spain and royalist criollos, who supported the continued allegiance to and permanence within the Spanish Empire of the Kingdom of Chile...
, his family lost their wealth, and Matías was forced to work at an early age. He worked in the post office of Valparaíso
Valparaíso
Valparaíso is a city and commune of Chile, center of its third largest conurbation and one of the country's most important seaports and an increasing cultural center in the Southwest Pacific hemisphere. The city is the capital of the Valparaíso Province and the Valparaíso Region...
, where his father was the boss. He went on to succeed his father in 1828. During this time, he married Loreto Squella y Lopetegui, who died giving birth to his first son, Luis Cousiño Squella. Matías Cousiño studied in Santiago without excelling in his studies, but doing so in business.
In 1841, he married Luz Gallo Zavala, who had 2 children. Thanks to his economic power, he was elected to the Chamber of Deputies
Chamber of Deputies of Chile
The Chamber of Deputies of the Republic of Chile is the lower house of Chile's bicameral Congress. Its organisation and its powers and duties are defined in articles 42 to 59 of Chile's current constitution....
, representing the Petorca
Petorca Province
Petorca Province is one of eight provinces of the central Chilean region of Valparaíso . Its capital is the city of La Ligua.-Administration:...
(1849–1852) and Quillota
Quillota
Quillota is a city and commune located in the Aconcagua River valley of central Chile's Valparaíso Region. It is the capital and largest city of the Quillota Province where many inhabitants live in the surrounding farm areas of San Isidro, La Palma, Pocochay, and San Pedro...
(1852–1855). He was elected senator
Senate of Chile
The Senate of the Republic of Chile is the upper house of Chile's bicameral National Congress, as established in the current Constitution of Chile.-Composition:...
between 1855 and 1864 but died on March 21, 1863 in Santiago.
Birth of the entrepreneur
He quit his work at the post office to begin exporting animals to ArgentinaArgentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
, and the success of this business led him to search for new ventures, one being the new silver mines in Copiapó
Copiapó
Copiapó is a city in northern Chile, located about 40 miles east of the coastal town of Caldera. Founded on December 8, 1744, it is the capital of Copiapó Province and Atacama Region....
. At the end of the 1840s, he expanded into the milling industry in Concepción
Concepción, Chile
Concepción is a city in Chile, capital of Concepción Province and of the Biobío Region or Region VIII. Greater Concepción is the second-largest conurbation in the country, with 889,725 inhabitants...
. He organized a milling association that exported flour and wheat to the Pacific coast.
His mining career began as a butler in the mines of Ramón Ignacio de Goyenechea, an investor in the silver
Silver
Silver is a metallic chemical element with the chemical symbol Ag and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it has the highest electrical conductivity of any element and the highest thermal conductivity of any metal...
mine of Descubridora de Chañarcillo
Chañarcillo
Chañarcillo is a town and mine in the Atacama Desert of Copiapó Province, Atacama Region, Chile, located near Vallenar and 75 kilometres from Copiapó. It is noted for its silver mining. The town grew up after the Chañarcillo silver mine was discovered on May 16 1832 by Juan Godoy...
in the Atacama Desert
Atacama Desert
The Atacama Desert is a plateau in South America, covering a strip of land on the Pacific coast, west of the Andes mountains. It is, according to NASA, National Geographic and many other publications, the driest desert in the world...
. He continued ascending in position until his marriage in 1841, widow of Ignacio de Goyenechea, allowed him to combine the two fortunes. His fortune continued to grow when in 1844, along with Rafael Torreblanca, he invented a new machine to extract metals. He obtained an exclusive permit for its use from Manuel Bulnes
Manuel Bulnes
-Sources:* Juan B. Alberdi, Biografia de general Bulnes...
' government for ten years.
In 1850, Matías became director of The Copiapó Mining Group, the most powerful association in Chile.