Camargo Story

The first Settlement to be founded on the Lower Rio Grande was that of Nuestra Senora de Santa Ana de Camargo. Most of the settlers for this township came from Cerralvo, Cadereyta and Monterrey and surrounding townships. After establishing other towns in the interior of Mexico between Queretaro and the Gulf coast, Escandon arrived at Camargo on March 3, 1749. At the location called, "Paso del Azucar" on the Rio Grande, about two leagues southeast of the present site of Camargo, he met Captain Blas Maria de la Garza Falcon who already had been encamped their with forty other families and some soldiers. In the group led by Captain Blas Maria de la Garza Falcon were Miguel de la Garza Falcon, his brother, and Nicolas de los Santos Coy, father-in-law of Captain Falcon and ex-alcalde of Cerralvo. These settlers were men of wealth who felt a need to risk all for greater gain. The town had already been laid out on the eastern bank of the San Juan River, not far from the Rio Grande, and temporary shelters made, jacales (straw huts). Father Fray Hierro, who had joined Escandon at Padilla and was a missionary from the college of Zacatecas, kept a diary which provides many interesting details concerning the establishment of the first settlements of the Lower Rio Grande Valley. Fourteen settlements were established in a six months period.

More Camargo History

The interior settlements included Guemez, Padilla, Burgos, San Fernando, Cruillas, Borbon, Hoyos, Santillana, Soto la Marina, Croix, Aguayo, Jaumave, Llera, Escandon, Tula, Santa Barbara, Horcasitas, Palmitas and Jimenez. The news about these initial settlements did not arouse the public’s curiosity or interest, but were much interested when they heard that plans were being made to also populated the area of the lower Rio Grande. These settlements all were founded next to the Rio Grande and stretched all the way from Reynosa, with points in between at Camargo, Mier, Revilla (now known as Guerrero) and ended at Laredo. The old town of Guerrero is now submerged and located somewhere in Lake Falcon. My brother Eliu, his wife Maggie, my wife Terri and I visited there in the Summer of 1996. The large limestone church walls had been weathered by exposure of the rise and fall of Falcon dam water level, had not crumbled and gave visual testimony of the kind of inhabitants that once lived there, a pious, organized and hardy group of people. Some of the settlements in the Huaxteca and Sierra Madre regions were refounded and located in different nearby sites. Many of Escandon’s settlement by necessity were later relocated to better ground when environmental conditions proved their original location unsuitable. After three years of experiencing massive floods, the Camargo township was relocated to higher ground since flooding would occur every year and rebuilding on the same site proved futile. All settlements were designated as villas, but the resultant quality of construction for buildings specific to the various villas varied considerably and some did not really meet the criteria to be called a villa. The available material guided the degree of construction. Llera was the first villa founded in the interior in late 1748. The following year 1749, eleven settlements founded in the interior and lower Rio Grande included Guemes, Padilla, Burgos, San Fernando, Altimira, Miguel de los Siete Infantes, Soto la Marina, Santa Barbara, Horcasitas, Camargo, and Reynosa. Aguayo, Escandon and Revilla were established in 1750. Hoyos and Santillana were founded in 1752. Mier was founded in 1753 with 17 families from Camargo relocating to that location. Real de Borbon, Originally a mining camp, and Laredo were established in 1755. Cruillas, Croix, Presas de Rey and San Nicolas, another mining camp, were established in 1770. Matamoros, first known as Rancho Estero Hermoso and then as a Congregacion del Refugio, was founded on 1790 and eventually became a villa. Around these villas, there were many ranchos and a few haciendas. The original settlers were determined to succeed in the venture. Some did receive incentives in land and relocation costs from the Crown, but to insure their future they took with them into the new province their large stock, consisting of ganado major - horses and cattle, and ganado menor - sheep and goats. These robust frontiersmen brought with them many of their fine household items as could be carried. The women in the large group slipped other necessary items, flower and fruit seed, valued family heirlooms, medicinal remedies, small pieces of needlecraft and few items of china, gold and silver. Additional items of gold and silver were later added to their collection from the rich mining districts of Nuevo Leon, principally the Cerralvo area. After the official establishment of the Camargo settlement on Mar 5, 1749, on May 31, 1750 a formal census was conducted on the population. The census was broken into two categories of families that had settled in the area. The first category listed those families living in the area and that had received government assistance and numbered forty-one. The second category listed those families who had settled without aid from the government. There were twenty-three families in this category and two bachelors. In addition, Blas Maria de la Garza Falcon is listed as the Captain and received a monthly stipend. Several soldiers and their families, and several bachelor soldiers are also listed under the category of sargeant and soldiers. Soldiers also received monthly stipends for their services. The majority of the population is designated as Spanish, while a significant number are designated Mestizos, and only one full blooded Indian. Nineteen of the original settlers of Camargo relocated to Mier on Mar 6, 1953. The promised land has not yet been officially allotted by the year 1753. However, firm in their convictions and committed to their endeavor, the inhabitants have grown accustomed to the area and have begun to scout other suitable areas for further growth and exploitation of the natural resources. Their growing herds of livestock force them to request more grazing land. Thus prominent families of the new villa petition Escandon to grant them lands north of the Rio Grande in the region of the present site of the Rio Grande City. One such petition said, "We beg and request your Lordship," and also included, "that for our greater safety and security you assign us, if possible two hundred sitios of land and the corresponding caballerias, these to be located on the opposite bank of the Rio Grande ... at the place commonly known as Carnestolendas, upstream, that we may use them [to pasture] our cattle, sheep and goats." The petition was signed by Juan de los Angeles Garcia, Miguel Lopez de Jaen, Francisco Lopez de Jaen, Joseph de Hinojosa, and Francisco Ignacio Farias. On March 10, 1753, Escandon granted their request. Escandon reduced their initial request from 200 sitios to 100 sitios (10 leagues square; each league equals four square miles) of prime pasture land (for ganado mayor). He described their grant boundaries as a line running from the north bank of the Rio Grande and extending to the crossing known as La Laja to that of Monteritos on the Rio Grande, then northward toward the Nueces River. As part of the agreement, fifteen new families were to be settled. This increase in the population of Spaniards in the settled areas would help to better withstand and counter the attack of the barbarous Indians. A time limit of six months was given to execute all conditions of the land grant. Some of our ancestors were prominent men who had power and influence in their community. In 1753, Francisco Lopez de Jaen and Francisco Ignacio Farias and two others petitioned Conde Jose de Escandon for additional lands for settlement of new families on the north side of the Rio Grande. Their request was approved by Escandon, but only half the requested land was approved. In addition, a few years later in 1770 Don Francisco Lopez de Jaen and Don Nicolas de los Santos Coy gave oral testimony before Inspector Gomez about the conditions and progress of the Villa of Camargo. We have direct links to these men of importance and other Camargo landowners. These men persisted in their endeavors, by the time of submission of official requests, intrepid pioneers of Camargo had already begun to pasture their herds on Texas soil. Two years later, there were a number of large and prosperous ranches north of the Rio Grande, including those of Don Nicolas de los Santos Coy and Don Blas Maria Farias. There is little doubt where these ranches were located since the description of the land grant gives detailed information of what is now the area of Rio Grande City and adjacent surrounding areas. Captain Blas Maria de la Garza Falcon had his ranch on Carnestolendas, better known today as Rio Grande City. In 1750, he kept this ranch growing with the help of twenty-two servants, most of whom were men. By the year 1757, census figures show he had in his employ more than 100 servants. Events of subsequent years tell us that even though life was hard in the frontier, the settlers had become prosperous rancheros. Rancheros and all citizens of the area had to keep a wary eye for the barbarous Indians who on many occasions came from the north in great numbers to rape and pillage. Death of an adult male is attributed to murder by an Indian in the census of 1750. The rancheros nevertheless prevailed in their quest for greater riches and in the openness that the great abundance of land provided them, their herds of cattle, sheep, goats, horses multiplied. To provide enough pasture land for their growing herds of livestock, these rancheros had made numerous attempts to make use of the land between the Nueces and the Rio Grande. Formal grants of land in the Camargo township were officially made in the year 1767, but such action was preceded by occupation of the land and also occupation of sitios farther into the interior of Tejas. Ownership of specific tracts of land had been established as early as 1757 since several rancherias had already been established and the persons living their were later given formal grants to most of those lands. The promised land grants were delayed by seventeen years. Allotment of land was made to the younger generation since some of the original settlers in the intervening years had died or become too old for the rigors involved in running and maintaining a ranch. Among the younger generation of settlers receiving land grants were two young men, Pedro Ignacio Farias and Gregorio Valentin Farias, sons of Francisco Ignacio Farias. Francisco Ignacio Farias had arrived at Camargo with Blas Maria de la Garza Falcon. Francisco Ignacio and a number of the other men had been buddies of Blas Maria de la Garza Falcon while serving in the military. Their long and continuing friendship and bonds of kinship had been the major reasons for settling in this area. Blas Maria de la Garza Falcon had asked them to for their support in getting himself assigned as Captain of Camargo. With their help he successful bid and won his coveted trophy. Count Escandon officially appointed him captain of the Camargo Township. Blas Maria will long be remembered for his role in taming the frontier. Falcon Dam, dedicated to his memory, located a few miles west of Rio Grande City trumpets to the world his great sacrifice and accomplishment. The spirit of adventure and perseverance of these hardy pioneers of refined qualities but of durable character, which helped them rise to meet the frontier challenges. These men and their families are liken to the First Families of Virginia by Florence Johnson Scott. Indeed our ancestors, hardy pioneers that they were, must be recognized for their great sacrifice and efforts, they must be remembered as the First Families of Tejas (FFT). We their progeny should take pride in their great sacrifice and accomplishment. Settlers had to endure years of bureaucratic inactivity and indecision. In 1755 the Marquis de las Amarillas, who had been appointed Viceroy of Mexico by the King of Spain, arrived in Mexico City on November 9, 1755. He reversed the earlier policy of colonization, temporarily suspending the establishment of new settlements and favoring the strengthening of those already founded. The allocation of the promised land grants were also suspended. As a results ten years passed before any new settlements were planned. In March 1757, the viceroy appointed Jose Tienda de Cuervo of Veracruz as inspector of the province of Santander, with an engineer, Augustine Lopez de la Camara Alta, as his companion. The commission which began its duties in April 1757 was to visit each colony, collect statistics (census) on its condition and recommend action necessary for its future progress. Many important facts were collected and included in the final report to the viceroy. The land which had been promised the settlers as part of the resettlement plan had not been allotted. Herds of cattle and flocks of sheep were allow to graze wherever there was good pasture. On two haciendas they found 150,000 sheep. The commission reach Reynosa on the Rio Grande on July 5, 1757, after visiting many other colonies below the river. They found the settlement of Reynosa progressing favorably. However, there seemed to be unequal distribution of wealth since only five or six families controlled the ranches surrounding the villa for a distance of from two to five leagues. At Camargo, the largest and the most prosperous of all the colonies, their report indicated that there were 637 persons living in attractive adobe houses located around the plaza. Only two families had stone dwellings. Inhabitants owned seventeen ranches within five leagues of the town. Reports included that there were 65,000 horses and mules, 26,000 cattle and 72,000 sheep. Two prominent residents reported that they had extensive ranching interests north of the Rio Grande river. Ranchers living north of the Rio Grande included Captain Blas Maria de la Garza and his brother-in-law Nicholas de los Santos Coy. Families often congregated in the city for security and protection, while the men would often be away from the city for extended periods of time tending to planting and livestock and laying the foundation for future land ownership. Jose Tienda de Cuervo, Captain of the Dragons of Vera Cruz and Inspector Judge of Nuevo Santander was appointed by Excelentisimo Señor Virrey Marquis de las Amarillas to head a commission and investigate the progress of the frontier villas. The commission headed by Cuervo completed its inspection tour on August 18, 1757. It proved that the colonization project had been a success and that the gap between Tampico and Matagorda Bay had been closed. The overall results for all the settlements stated a population of 8,000 persons. Livestock totals reported were 80,000 cattle, horses, and mules and over 300,000 sheep. Vast quantities of agricultural and mineral wealth had also been produced. Residents of Camargo had also already established 17 (rancherias) ranches in all directions leading from the town. A detailed description of these ranches is found in the accompanying map and designation of the various parajes (sites). In the jurisdiction of Camargo, there were 17 rancherias and estancias which belonged to owners who lived in the neighborhood. Ranches were established in all directions up to five leagues away from Camargo. To the east, there were several parajes (sites): At a distance of five leagues the site called Abrevadero de la Laja owned by Juan de Hinojosa, at a distance of four leagues at the site called Puertecitos owned by Francisco Lopez, at a distance of three leagues at the site called Rincon del Estero owned by Bernardo Hinojosa, at a distance of two leagues at the site called Mision owned by Francisco Montalvo and others, and one league away at the site called Abrevadero de la Mision owned by Antonio de la Garza. To the south, there were only three sites: At a distance of five leagues at the site called San Jose owned by Juan Rodriguez, at a site a short distance closer to the city in the vicinity of San Jose owned by Juana Maria Barrera, at a distance of two leagues at the site called Las Abras owned by Francisco Javier Gonzalez. To the west, there were a several sites: At a distance of two leagues from the Villa and located on the right margin of the Rio San Juan at the site called Paso de Azucar owned by Bartolome Treviño, at two leagues distance owned by the widow Doña Maria de Hinojosa, and at a distance of three leagues at a site called La Rancheria owned by Don Nicolas de los Santos Coy, at a distance of four leagues at a place called La Laguna owned by Jose Lopez, at a distance of four leagues at a site called La Mula owned by Francisco de la Garza, , at a distance of five leagues at the site called San Pedro owned by Francisco Garcia, at a distance of five leagues on the left margin of the Rio San Juan at a site called El Salto owned by Diego Flores, and at a distance of 6 leagues at a site called San Simon owned by Domingo Vela To the north two large ranches existed: At a distance of five leagues at a place called Guardado owned by Don Nicolas de los Santos Coy and at a distance of five leagues on the right margin of the Rio Grande at a place called Carnestolendas owned by Captain Blas Maria de la Garza Falcon. Ten years in the future in 1767 some ranchers would be rewarded with the fruits of their labor. Most of the settlers or their heirs received grants to the tracts of land on which they had lived and forged a living since relocating to the frontier territory. In the Camargo settlement, livestock herds totaled 6,050 horses, 68 oxen, 512 mules, 2,621 cattle, 207 burros, and 71,770 goat and sheep. Sheep and goats provided the largest staple of the settlers diet since these animals were small enough to consume within a few days without need for storage. The population of Camargo totaled 637 persons. There were 97 families. Eleven of these families were headed by soldiers, 29 by head of household who had received government aid, and 57 by head of household who had not received government aid. Appendix B details the population of Camargo of 1757. Some of the younger children listed in the Census of 1750 are now listed as heads of household. Francisco Ignacio Farias, the father of Gregorio Valentin, is not listed in the 1757 census. His wife and six children are listed under Juan Rodriguez who remarried Juana Barrera sometime between 1753 and 1757. Thirty fanegas (equals to 45 bushels) of corn (maize) had been planted the previous year and left to grow under temporal conditions. Yield from these fields did not satisfy the local demand which had to be supplemented with purchases from other frontier towns and paid for in livestock. Other agricultural ventures included the planting of caña (cane), frijol (beans), algodon (cotton) and other seeds of fruits. All these plants were allow to grow under temporal conditions because irrigation ditches (acequias) could not be easily built to direct the great abundance of water of the Rio Grande. The land in and around Camargo were classified as very fertile and well suited for growing crops. Vegetables planted and left to grow under temporal conditions produced a plentiful yield. Lettuce plants produced three head of lettuce each. Livestock also responded well to the area. Goats give birth to three or four kids while lamp give birth to two or three. The complete population of Indians, including men, women and children totaled 243. 170 Indians had been baptized and 33 had been married by the church. The rest were found to be too inexperienced or too old to learn christian doctrine. All these Indian families had been rounded up and congregated in the mission, in the manner of the Congrega System. The priest told the auditor that the Indians in the mission had been converted to the Catholic faith and were peaceful to all the settlers. Many of the younger Indians had been converted to the Catholic faith, while some of the older Indians found it difficult to learn christian doctrine and could not be baptized. This priest also stated these Indians had on many occasions helped many a ranchero by bringing strayed livestock to him at the mission. These Indians were found to belong to five different tribes: Tareguanos consisted of 22 men with bow and arrow and 77 women and children; pajaritos (birds) consisted of 19 men with bow and arrow and 37 women and children; venados (deer) consisted of 23 men with bow and arrow and 28 women and children; cueros quemados (burnt skins) consisted 6 men with bow and arrow and 17 women and children; and tejones (raccoons) consisted of 15 men with bow and arrow and 18 women and children. The Spaniards gave each Indian tribe an animal name and may have done so by whatever first impression was first gained of them. These had been nomadic tribes and all the men of these tribes had worn few clothes and carried bow and arrow. The Indians although congregated around the mission had not been assigned property. Indians had assigned to their use 40 mares, two jackasses and 18 oxen. In the common mission grounds, the Indians cultivate fields of maize, frijol, calabazas, sandias and melones. All yield from these fields was distributed to the Indians for their sustenance. Indians had lived in the mission compound without any major incidences or absence from the area. The padre at the time of the inspection express the hope that livestock would be provided to the Indians. Indians living in the Camargo mission lived in adobe homes with thatched roofs. Roofs were made of dried weeds and grass. They cultivated a small area next to the mission priest’s home (Padre Garcia Resuarez) where they grew corn and pumpkins. Padre Resuarez had supervised Indians in the construction of a church of 75 feet in length and 21 feet in width. Padre Resuarez found the Indians to be good workers. Indians were also involved in performing many other skilled tasks such as brick laying, carpentry, blacksmithing, soap making and cardadores de lana (wool). Indians living in the vicinity, but not yet christianized and living outside of the Camargo mission, wore few clothing. A Spaniard based on what he saw named one such Indian, Chief Pocaropa which means Chief of few clothes. The Indians of the Rio Grande delta were expert hunters and killed larger animals with the use of bow and arrow. Smaller animals they could easily beat to death with a stick or rock. They hunted deer, peccary, possum, rabbits, rats, mice, birds, snakes, wild horses, and Spanish livestock. They also gathered fruits, roots and herbs. The most widely used plants included the prickly pear, mesquite (bean pods), and maguey (root crown). Of these the prickly pear was the most common. Other wild plants included garlic, onions, yucca (flower buds), palm, roots of all sorts, fruits and herbs. In 1738 Ladron de Guevara who had campaigned to lead the colonization effort that was subsequently given to Jose de Escandon wrote in his journal during one of his visits to the area about conditions on the Indian encampment and practices by the Indians. Ladron also noted that the Indians perform facial tattooing as a status sign. He saw that they had ample supplies of bow, arrows and quivers, including a drill for the exclusive purpose of starting a fire. Even after the Cuervo Commission of 1757 found a thriving community at Camargo, found the Indians living in the mission at peace and gave a favorable report to Marquis de Amarillas. Marquis remained unconvinced and continued to hold to his original decision to halt all new colonization. The Marquis de Amarillas died in 1760 without reversing his decision. His successor served only a short time and was succeeded by Marquis de Cruillas in late 1760. During this time, the influx of new settlers remained unabated even without official sanctioning. Ten years later after the census of 1757, settlers still have not been assigned their promised grants. By this time Count Escandon had become impatient with the government officials because the land that had been promised to his settlers had not been allotted. He began a systematic campaign and through his influence and that of other officers familiar with conditions in the colonies, the Royal Commission to the Colonies of Nuevo Santander, was finally appointed by the Viceroy Marquis of Cruillas in 1767 to make the land grants assignments. This commission was composed of Juan Armando de Palacio, Jose de Ossorio and a corps of assistants whom were finally authorized and empowered to begin assignment of the land to the settlers in the new territory. By 1770, when Licenciado Don Jose Nepomuceno Gomez visited the township of Camargo, he found all the Indian nations leaving in peace and within the walls of the mission. He also found that 192 families with 1,008 persons were living in and in ranches in close vicinity of Camargo on the Porciones assigned to them in 1767. Testimony about the living conditions and progress made by the pioneers in subjugating the land were given by Don Nicolas de Los Santos Coy and Don Francisco Lopez de Jaen. Don Juan Antonio Solis from the villa of Cerralvo served as executor.