Part 2: social happenings in 1887

Victor Garcia, 74, married his seventh wife when he was 40 and reportedly had 15 children with her. All were living and doing well. He had another 16 children by six former wives. The Corpus Christi newspaper correspondent quipped that it looked like Garcia was “good for 20 more years.”

President Cleveland pardoned Robert Doughty, the stepson of Duval County Assessor Frank C. Gravis. His crime was not reported.

Ranch men were feeding cattle prickly pear and cottonseed with success. John C. Caldwell was surveying in Duval County and found some strange antlers. One was of a deer head with a third horn or antler growing out six 6 inches from its forehead. The other oddity was two heads of stag’s antlers horns locked until death during a fight. The horns were on display at Wolfram’s Saloon in Corpus Christi.

Judge Luby was finishing up a house near J. W. Shaw’s residence, which he would rent to L. Pena. Capt. E. E. Deviney will also rent a house from Luby.

Toribio Guerra bought the Ybanez ranch and Juan Puig bought the Glover ranch near Benavides.

Ludwig Brandt, 66, a resident of Duval County for nine years, died suddenly. He was a skilled mechanic from Germany who had worked for the Russian government. He was the father of Otto Brandt of San Diego. He was Lutheran and his wife survived him.

A Mrs. Benavides died leaving eight children and a husband. She had made reputation for herself by fighting a wild cat that had attacked her four-months-old baby in its cradle several months before. She killed cat and saved child.

County Treasurer George Bodet; Sheriff Wright, Deputy Sheriff Leno Cuellar, Juan Gonger (Gongora?), and Ramon Gonzales went to Floresville as witnesses in a case against Guerra and Martinez who were charged with horse theft.

M. Cohn, one of San Diego’s merchants, used to ride a fine horse on city streets. Business has increased so much that he is talking of getting married, settling down, and quitting his “wild habits.”

Judge Luby; Commissioners Edward Corkill, William Hebbron, Frederick Ridder, and Pedro Eznal met as a Board of Equalization.

Father Bard married L. Pena and Adelaida del Barrio. Also married a couple who had run away.

A rattlesnake bit a little boy, whose last name was Bryden. Dr. L. B. Wright attended to his wound.

E. Corkill was gathering cattle in Realitos to take to the Indian Territory. The town was improving rapidly. The “Alcalde” had all stumps and brush cut and cleared out of the city limits. From the amount of freight that arrives weekly, it is becoming an important station. The ranch men and local merchants Downs, Cadena, and Staples do extensive business.

Judge Luby named W. B. Croft, William Taylor, and Henry Parkham to the Board of Examiners. The law required three teachers with certifications to be members of the board, but the judge wrote to the state superintendent pointing out that if he appointed teachers as the law required, he would have to name his mother and sister. He asked that a waiver be granted allowing him to appoint three “competent” persons and it was approved.

At the end of June, A. L. Muil finished the Catholic Church in Benavides.

Joe Ibáñez | October 7, 2014 at 4:21 pm | Reply (Edit) Thanks, Alfredo, it is very inspiring to read documented representations of my family in early San Diego. The reference to an "Ybanez" ranch near Benavides is remarkable. I wish I could obtain more particulars about this ranch but alas may not ever be. I thoroughly enjoy your posts about San Diego and Duval county's history.