Soy de Duval

Claude Tibilier, one of San Diego’s most prominent citizens, died on March 6, 1899 after becoming paralyzed following several days of dengue fever. He was buried the following day with Father J. P. Bard officiating over a Catholic funeral. Serving as pall bearers were Paul Bears, W. W. Meek, C. H. Hufford, P. Eznal, Frank Feuille, S. H. Woods, and B. Miret. The Corpus Christi Caller reported the funeral was one of “largest seen in San Diego”. The funeral procession left the Tibilier home for St. Francis de Paula Catholic Church and from the church proceeded to the San Diego Cemetery. Tibilier was survived by a wife, eight children, a brother, and several sisters. He was a member of the fraternal organizations the Knights of Honor, the Knights of Pythias, and the Woodmen of the World. He believed in “Republicanism of the heart and Democracy of the fireside”. Two months later, Tibilier’s widow was building a $1,200 home. M. D. Cohn was also building a $1,500 residence, showing San Die...

Special celebrations in Duval County were many and held often in the nineteenth century. They were also quite different from today’s fiestas. In 1887, the July 4 celebration included the San Diego Gun Club putting on a remarkable display of American flags on the fiesta grounds. Tent stands also dotted the ground selling everything from lemonade and to cold while a band struck up a musical fare. The affair more than made up for the community’s failure to celebrate San Jacinto Day on April 21. The large crowd enjoyed a large display of both American and Texas flags. Ferdinand Tibilier raised the Irish flag and the Mexican flag was also flown. The Corpus Christi reporter claimed there were “no Americans … more enthusiastic than were the Mexicans in celebrating the day”. Old Gun Club members taking part in the celebration included Charles Hoffman, M. C. Spann, Tibilier, George Bodet, and Frank Gravis. New members taking part were Avelino Garcia Tovar, Eusebio Martinez, and Antonio Rosales....

Orlando Martinez reads marker for Santo Nino Cemetery. Despite a downpour the night before and threatening skies, a large crowd turned out to commemorate the unveiling of a Historic Texas Cemetery marker at the Santo Nino Cemetery in Duval County on April 18. The day was dedicated to the memory of Jose Noe Martinez for his “commitment and care” of the cemetery. The Texas State Historical Commission granted the historic designation to the cemetery on March 21, 2012 and Martinez passed away three days later. His son Orlando Martinez of San Diego picked up the torch and guided the project through its unveiling. Also on the Santo Nino Cemetery Association are Gloria Guajardo of Laredo, Sara Flores of Corpus Christi, Shelley Bryant of McAllen and Angel Noe Gonzalez from Dallas. The Santo Nino Cemetery is located on El Senor de La Carrera land grant. The state of Tamaulipas granted El Senor de la Carrera to Dionisio Elizondo on October 15, 1835. It consisted of two leagues, six labores and 8...

The May 1879 term of the Duval County Commissioners court considered a number of personnel changes at the elected official level, including resignations, appointments and cancellation of bonds. The court met May 13-16, 1879. At the meeting before, held in February, County Commissioner for Precinct 2, P. W. Toklas had abruptly resigned. At the time, the Commissioners Court had turned down a request from Precinct 2 citizens to have Toklas reinstated. Commissioners, however, were not so inclined to the request of District Judge J.C. Russell who reappointed Toklas in May. The court approved the judge’s recommendation. County Attorney H. S. Lang then presented Commissioners Court with his resignation, which they readily accepted. The court quickly named Charles F. Whitney as Lang’s replacement. Charles and Frank Gravis provided the Court with Whitney’s necessary bond. The Gravis men, however, withdrew the bond they had previously provided for County Clerk Andrew Valles, who then secured t...

On Wednesday, February 27, 2008 William F. Buckley Jr. died in his home in New York City. Why is this of note to readers of this blog? Well, stay tuned and find out. Buckley was a nationally renowned figure and the premiere intellectual conservative in the United States. He is also responsible, many would argue, with the shape and form of the Republican Party that dominated American politics the last quarter century. However, the Buckleys were not always Republican; in fact, Buckley’s grandfather, John Buckley reportedly was among the founders of the Democratic Party in Duval County, although this may be questionable. John Buckley In the fall of 1882, John Buckley moved to San Diego from Washington-on-the-Brazos in search for more suitable climate for his asthmatic condition. He was born in Ontario, Canada and made his way down to Texas to raise sheep. Archie Parr moved the same year to Duval County. John Buckley was 10 years older than Parr and, although they would cross paths from t...

In September 1870, Lewis D. Brown wrote from Rancho San Felipe in Duval County to Texas Adjutant General Col. James Davidson of a raid by Indians in the county. The newspaper Nueces Valley published the letter in hopes of advancing the idea that the government would assign a company of soldiers to the area, perhaps at Fort Ewell.   Brown reported that on the morning of September 25 “a party of Indians, supposed to be Kickapoos  from Mexico, killed Thomas Springfield and his wife, carried off two little boys of his and left wounded a little daughter at his ranch four leagues from here on the Nueces River. . . ”  The Indians, wrote Brown, killed Springfield and his wife about 100 yards from their ranch and stole all their horse stock, about 90 head. They then set out “on the road to the Presto towards Mexico.” The attack was a complete surprise to area residents. Brown noted that a month earlier another band of Indians, which he believed were from the same tribe, had come ...