Soy de Duval

As the New Year broke in 1887, Walter Meek observed that Duval County was a vast sea of land covered with a thick growth of low brush. “Everywhere I go, the food brought before me is positively uneatable,” Meek wrote to his fiancé back east. “Many ranches I visited, the people were so poor that I did not feel like asking them to even sell me something to eat, and when I do, all I could get was a cup of black coffee and a tortilla. It is awful to be so poor and I have great compassion for their distress.” The area Meek was writing about was around Realitos. He described La Rosita as a small ranch containing a general store owned by a Spaniard named Don Jose Vaello. The store tried to stock only items the community needed, which were only the bare necessities of life. At that time, Concepcion was also a small ranching community. Meek described San Diego as always dusty in the summer, and to the people the dust is like a halo “investing their little city in the woods with a charm not appr...

On Nov. 19, 1886, Company C of the Texas Frontier Ranger Battalion, under the command of Capt. Schmitt, moved from Laredo to Duval County and made camp six miles west of Peña Station because of the availability of grass and water. Company C consisted of an officer, 10 enlisted men, and a teamster. They had, among other things, six mules, a wagon, 600 Winchester cartridges, 700 pistol cartridges, a pair of shackles, a B.C. shotgun, and five wall tents. Several horse buyers arrived at Peña but did no trading. New citizens at Realitos included R. R. Savage, Edward Corkill, John Corkill, and O. S. Watson, who killed “another biggest buck” he ever saw. Road master Curtin was planting willow trees around section houses. W. W. Waugh & Co. was cutting and baling hay. Benavides, meanwhile, was experiencing a small building boom. Postmaster Glover was building a residence on the north side of railroad track. Agent Valverde was also building a home close to railroad eating-house. Several smal...

POSTED BY: CARDENAS.AE@GMAIL.COM JANUARY 16, 2014 History too often concerns itself with great people and great events. The comings and goings of the common men doing ordinary things do not often find a way into the history books. This week we will do just that, look at what common folk in Duval County experienced in the fall of 1886, as reported by area newspapers. E. G. Perez of San Diego reported heavy rain fell in the area in early September. The water rose four feet and damaged a bridge of the Texas Mexican Railroad in Benavides, which the railroad promptly repaired. The heavy rain showers continued through the beginning of October. The Rio Grande City mail and passengers had to cross over area creeks in boats. The first norther arrived in early October. Wool was starting to come into San Diego warehouses. Juan Puig of San Diego reported that wool that sold at 11-13¢ the previous spring was bringing 18-20¢ and smiles to local sheepmen. Corpus Christi wool buyer D. Hirsch reported ...

POSTED BY: CARDENAS.AE@GMAIL.COM JANUARY 9, 2014 Politicians were giving weekly bailes in Benavides as the 1886 county political campaign season got underway in October. Early rumors said four candidates would run for county judge. The political parties back then were the Guarache and the Bota. The Guarache was believed to be the poor people or working men’s party and the Bota was for the wealthy landed class. Guarache Party candidates held a large rally in Realitos and another one in Peña; each candidate addressed the crowd in Spanish. Reports of potential trouble between the two factions were dismissed as “bosh”. The Guaraches were steering away from mudslinging and had nothing but good things to say about the Botas. Professional orators ruled the day for the Guaraches and boasted they had more than enough votes to win. The Botas had not called on Penaites yet, reported Jonis, the correspondent to the Corpus Christi newspaper. As the political activity reigned in Realitos and Peña, L...

A week after the Monterey orchestra left Corpus Christi to perform in San Diego, Duval County voters went to the polls and elected a new county judge. James Luby had served as County Judge since the organization of the county in 1878, but in November 1884 attorney J. W. Moses won the post. Other countywide officials elected included L. L. Wright as Sheriff; R. B. Glover, District and County Clerk; George Bodet, Treasurer; J. J. Dix, Surveyor; John Buckley, Assessor; and W. B. Austin, Inspector of Hides and A nimals. Elected to the Commissioners Court, along with Judge Moses, were E. Chamberlain, J. J. Dix and C. F. Sullivan. No election was held in Barronena thus no commissioner was elected from that precinct. J. W. Wright won the post of Justice of the Peace # 1. The county judge refused to allow anyone to look at lists, thus presidential results went unreported.    Residents met at the courthouse to discuss the governor’s proposal to disband the Texas rangers. They adopted a...