Soy de Duval

We know very little of the people who inhabited South Texas prior to Cabeza de Vaca’s time. Fortunately, De Vaca and other Spanish explorers were devoted note takers. Their accounts provide the earliest historic record of men in this part of the world. Prehistory by definition means that no written reports are available from that time. What we know of the prehistoric era comes from archaeological studies. Governmental requirements for uranium mining permits as well as for the use of Federal government grants prompted most of these studies and thus they lack the depth of scholarship one would hope. Regrettably, the scientific language used in reports of these archaeological digs does not make them easily understood by lay readers. Still, they provide the only resource available for this period. Fossil remains found in the Duval County equus beds are the earliest references to people inhabiting this area of Texas. The remains date to the mid Ice Age when mammoths roamed the Texas countr...

The summer of 1884 was hot, dry, dusty and dull in Duval County. Amateur weather forecasters looked at skies and predicted rain but it did not come. Old timers complained of old injuries and said it was a sign the weather was about to change, but it did not. Sheep and cattlemen remained discouraged over the lack of rain. The big question in San Diego that summer was how much would wool be worth? While most sheepmen were readying for shearing, William Hubbard had already sheared his herd and had his clippings in the Collins warehouse in San Diego. While some wool was beginning to come in, prices were questionable. The outlook seemed dismal. Trade in wool was fair, trouble was not whether they could sell, it was whether they would get money for their work. The importance of the sheep trade can best be demonstrated by citing figures reported in the Houston Post that summer. For the year ended July 31, 1884 the Texas Mexican railroad reported shipping , 1,084,051 pounds of wool from San ...

Baseball was one way early Duval residents found ways to enjoy what otherwise was a stressful life in the frontier. In addition to baseball, residents also enjoyed other sporting events such as gun and bicycle clubs. There were other activities, such as school and social events, to keep everyone entertained. Before the start of the school year started in 1887, County Judge James Luby named W. B. Croft, William Taylor, and Henry Parkham to the Board of Examiners to test teacher applicants. The law required that the board be composed of three teachers with proper certifications, but Luby asked for a waiver of this provision otherwise he would have to appoint his mother and sister to the board. The state superintendent of schools approved the exemption and allowed Luby to select three other competent persons. The new board proceeded to administer tests to Addie Feuille, Mr. And Mrs. A. R. Valls, Hays Dix, a Mrs. Sutherland, John McIntire, and T. S. Moses. Miss Feuille got a first grade ce...

The small pox epidemic of 1891 was not the first to afflict Duval County. Small pox was raging in San Diego in August 1879 and the Duval County Commissioners Court appointed a Sanitary Commission to address the problem. Named to the commission were County Judge James O. Luby, Sheriff E. A. Glover and County Physician T. S. Kupfer. The Commissioners Court granted the group authority to bring the epidemic under control. The commission would place a flag at a home where the disease was present. Once the small pox was over at a home, the commission would order the home disinfected. Property owners were required to keep their premises in clean condition and if they refused, the commission was to report the violators to the county attorney for prosecution under state law If the Sanitary Commission believed it necessary, they had the authority to establish a hospital and to take all steps necessary to prevent spread of the disease such as hiring any help they needed including guards and nur...

The dreaded small pox returned to Duval County in 1891, after it had survived an earlier epidemic in 1879. In San Diego, 10 cases were reported but no deaths and the spread of the disease seemed to be slowing. All small pox patients were being taken to the hospital that had been made being ready for the epidemic. The news was not that good in other parts of the area. Residents of Concepcion reported four children died of small pox at the Florencio Benavides ranch within two miles of Concepcion. Another three deaths were reported at Palito Blanco, 15 miles southeast of San Diego in Nueces County. Small pox victim. County Judge J. W. Moses received a letter from the state health officer authorizing Dr. B. Valls to take whatever measures needed to stop disease. The county appointed a small pox force to deal with the epidemic. One member of the small pox force, however, had to leave town unexpectedly after learning two of his brothers had been killed. Charles Adami went in pursuit of the s...

While today farming is a scarce commodity in Duval County, it has not always been that way. In the second half of the 19th century, many landowners were involved in ranching and other livestock pursuits besides cattle raising. It was not rare to hear the joyful news that farmers got rain, and corn and crops looked good and farmers expected a good season. In a trip to Corpus Christi in April 1887, R. R. Savage reported it rained for hours in San Diego. Calixto Tovar of Duval County had 30 acres in corn and six acres in potatoes and watermelons. The Corpus Christi Caller editor took the train to San Diego in search of shekels (money) and declared the area as the “Finest country under the sun.” California not excluded. “As far as the eye could see it was covered with one solid mat of grass and flowers;” daisies and buttercups filled the air with fragrance,” wrote the editor. “Cattle and horses with their sides standing out…and fields of corn and cotton were found in all directions. Du...

The election of 1888 continued to rile folks long after Election Day. But the following December the community took a deep breath to enjoy the Christmas season. Father Bard celebrated the midnight mass or misa de gallo to a full church with more than half of the town in attendance and many standing outside of church because it was packed. After mass, the people enjoyed some eggnog and a fireworks display of shooting rockets, Roman candles and firecrackers. There was also plenty of drinking but no one got into trouble. The next day, on Christmas, the Gun Club held a shooting match in which Juan Puig was the subject of everyone’s jokes after he missed all his shots. Townspeople also enjoyed some horse races and had the choice of two or three dances, one put on by John Buckley Jr. for the young people and another by Willie Rallston at the old Spann Building. Bad weather did not keep people away from a New Year’s dance at the Garfield House. Even though the streets were in terrible condit...