James E. Hyslop

James Edwin Hyslop (7 November 1862, Inverness, Scotland – 15 August 1931, El Paso, Texas) was a businessman and landowner of Scottish origin, who settled in the Mexican state of Chihuahua and owner of several mines.

Born in Inverness, Scotland on 7 November 1862, son of William Hyslop and Margaret Gowenlock Hyslop, James came from a wealthy and influential Scottish family, which owned several properties and businesses in the UK. James lived his youth in the city of Church Stretton, England, where he lived with his ten brothers. At the age of 19 years James moved to Oxford, England, to study Mining Engineering in the University of Oxford, from which he graduated with honors.

He arrived in Mexico in 1895, to Parral, Chihuahua, as the owner and CEO of "The Guggenheim Co." mining company which had 20 mines throughout Mexico and 7 mines abroad. In 1903 he acquired the "Hacienda De Santiago", famous hacienda built in the Spanish Viceroyalty, where various agricultural, livestock and textile activities practiced. It was established as the official residence of his family.

Hacienda de Santiago

Later, in 1907 James Hyslop became one of the wealthiest businessmen in Mexico. He had investments in diverse industries such as mining, petroleum, railway transport, sawmills, vineyards, livestock and agriculture. He also acquired properties throughout Mexico and the United States, which led him to become a great landowner. He acquired El Paso Electric along his son, Guillermo Campbell Hyslop, in 1931

Hyslop family in the early 1900s

James married Mary Beckmann, a young woman of German descent, from a wealthy family of Chihuahua. James and Mary fathered seven children, Margaret, William, Mary, Letitia, James, Beatrice and Raphael.

Maria died on 7 January 1954.

On 15 August 1931 James Hyslop suffered a heart attack caused by a courage that made him sick months ago.