Before being called The Mines, it was known in many parts of the Republic by the name of Mines of Bracamonte or Mines of Forest Cow. Those who called it Mines of Bracamonte suppose that it must have been named after its founder, Don Jose Agustin de Bracamonte. Others say that a Spaniard whose last name was Bracamonte had some gold panning stations in those parts and so people started calling the place Mines of Bracamonte.

As for the name of The Mines of Forest Cow, some believe that the name was given because of the numerous wild animals known as the cow, meaning tapirs, found in the area. What is certain is that in some official documents the name appears as The Mines of Forest Cow.

The pirate raids off the Pacific coast around the year 1740, commanded by Vice Admiral Jorge Anson, who attacked villages in the interior of Panama, including La Villa de Los Santos, perhaps incited a fear of pirates in many of its inhabitants and spurred them to hide in our mountains, and over time they stayed there.