One of the first mining towns established north of Zacatecas was the town of San José de Avino, discovered by Captain Francisco de Ibarra in 1554. However, its exploitation began several years later, around 1630. Despite this, it was abandoned for long periods and was re-exploited around 1730 by the Basque José de Echaez. It was during this time that the name "Real de San José del Avinito" was formally adopted.