This Week in Duval County History, July 15-21

 

POSTED BY: CARDENAS.AE@GMAIL.COM JULY 15, 2019

July 15

W.B. Croft donates funds for new Episcopal Church

A new brick sanctuary was dedicated at San Diego by Episcopal Bishop James Steptoe Johnston of San Antonio. A choir of 15 left Corpus Christi on the train to San Diego and 12 more people joined them in Alice. A large group met the train, despite sporadic rainfall as church bells rang out. The church was packed to capacity. Mrs. Jacobs, the church organist, played the Voluntary as the choir led Bishop Johnston and Revs. A. J. Holworthy and Samuel Thulin into the church. At the end of the hour-long services, Rev. Holworthy preached and paid tribute to W.B. Croft and his sister who donated money to build the church. The newspaper account indicated that the Episcopal church was often thought of as a “rich man’s church”. “Today, thank God, this reproach has been removed from the jurisdiction by the consecration of this beautiful building, so complete in all its appointments, the gift of one man and he was not a rich man, as ordinarily, men use that term, to the memory of God and in honor of his beloved parents,” Rev. Holsworth said. The Bishop confirmed three children and gave communion to 37.

Corpus Christi Caller, July  20, 1900

July 16

Rock Quarry takes shape

John Hardy, who was in charge of the rock quarry being developed near Benavides to extract rock for the Aransas Pass Harbor, came to the area to begin developing the site. He expected to take out 7,000 tons of rock. The project would use six steam engines for drilling with each engine having its own wagon of powder and dynamite. Hardy brought a supply of Army tents for use by workers until homes could be built from lumber. Before long it was expected that a new town would spring up.

The Brownsville Daily Herald, July 16, 1895

July 17

“Mexicans” organizing for elections

The Corpus Christi Caller reported that Mexican Americans in Duval County held a “political meeting…at the Garfield House to permanently organize for November elections.” They planned to recruit Mexican American candidates for every county office. The gathering gave pause to the “Americans” who stood outside the meeting place “listening to speeches”. Many Mexican Americans from the area, including Starr County, attended the meeting. Another meeting was planned for Concepcion where candidates would be nominated. “There is dissatisfaction among Mexican citizens on the management of county and public affairs in Duval County,” the Caller reported. The correspondent believed that the Mexicans were making a “grievous error. No one should be led by a demagogue or political sorehead…Americans have never banded together to deprive Mexicans of holding office or voting. A voter that can be bought or sold is not trusted by either party,” the correspondent opined. 

Corpus Christi Caller, July 21, 1888

July 18

Injunction dissolved

Judge Russell dissolved an injunction in the case of C.C. Lewis and others against Sheriff Wright and others of Duval County. It allowed the sheriff to execute an order of sale issued by a court in Bexar County against Francisco Cardena of Duval County for 15,000 acres, 7,000 head of sheep and 10,000 head of cattle.

Dallas Morning News, July 19, 1889

July 19

Jury deadlocks in the murder trial of law enforcement officers

A Duval County jury deadlocked with eleven for conviction and one holding out for not guilty, in a case against A. Dillard and Victor Sebree for the Starr County murder of Abran Resendez. Members of the jury included Alfred Ridder, Charles Adami, W.W. Meek, John Buckley, William Utley, C. Tibilier, B. Miret, W.C. Douglas, Harry Reynolds, F.D. Perrenot, Dan Murray, and Archie Parr. District Attorney, D. McNeil Turner, assisted by Mac Anderson, argued for the state. James B. Wells, J.R. Monroe, and R.W. Stayton represented the accused.

Resendez was killed in Rio Grande City on May 16, 1888. At the time of the killing, he was a member of the grand jury and mail contractor between Rio Grande City and Roma. He was a suspect in a robbery but authorities on both sides of the border were keeping quiet in hope of getting names of others involved. He was arrested and placed in the sheriff’s office where he was killed.

Dillard was a Texas Ranger detailed to Sheriff Shelly on a special matter. Sebree had been a river guard for two years. They were escorting Resendez to a jail cell, which was being opened by the sheriff. Resendez supposedly “resisted and attempted to escape; he was fired upon and killed.” The defendants admitted to killing Resendez but claimed they did so to prevent an escape. The defense claimed the jury could only convict the two of murder in the second degree. 

The courthouse was overflowing during the trial. Defense attorney Monroe displayed too much prejudice to suit the district attorney.  Wells made the closing argument for over an hour. After his closing, it appeared on the jury’s faces as if the verdict would be not guilty. Anderson countered strongly.

Corpus Christi Caller, July 21, 1888

July 20

San Diego gets new cotton gin

A second gin and mill was going up in San Diego and was quite a sight as one entered town coming from Benavides. H.S. Glover was also starting gin in Benavides.

Laredo Daily Times, July 23, 1889

July 21

Freer gets Post Office

A Post Office opened in Freer on July 21, 1927, with Mrs. C.W. “Minnie” Freer as postmaster. Freer was also known as Government Wells and Rosita Valley. The post office application was made under Government Wells.

Texas Post Offices

4 COMMENTSON "THIS WEEK IN DUVAL COUNTY HISTORY, JULY 15-21"

1. David Smith | July 17, 2019 at 8:32 am | Reply
   Howdy, Alfredo. Just reading the post about my wife’s uncle, F. Cadena, thanks for including that.
   My unending curiousity, however, is what variety of rock would be found at Benavides that would be suitable? For a wharf or jetty….My uneducated guess is that caliche or sandstone would not be suitable at all. (?) Does anyone have an input, info, perhaps an idea where this ‘quarry’ was ? (Must have been close to new RR track.)

• cardenas.ae@gmail.com | July 17, 2019 at 11:16 am | Reply
  Thanks, David for your comment. This matter is rather skimpy but what I have is that it “was sandstone of excellent quality. Good for building. Cheaper than brick.” They first tried getting it at Sweden but it was not of the required quality…Sweden proved unsatisfactory. Thirteen carloads came in from R.B. Glover land at the 67th milepost on the Texas-Mexican Railway.” The final reference I have is “A few years ago rocks were blown up, quarried and taken for [the] jetty at Aransas Pass” from Piedras Pintas. Hope this helps.

2. Israel Yzaguirre | July 15, 2019 at 10:11 am | Reply
   July 16th. Rock Quarry. 7000 pounds of rock? That could be carried in a dump truck these days. Perhaps 7000 tons? Just curious.

cardenas.ae@gmail.com | July 15, 2019 at 9:36 pm | Reply
My bad. It was 7,000 tons not pounds! Thanks for the catch.