Odds are that if you ask any Brownsville school children, or for that matter, teachers, who Doña Estefana Goseacochea de Cavazos de Cortina was, or what she did, you'd get a blank stare.
Not only have the accomplishments of this great Latina woman gone unnoticed by Texas and local history, but the importance of her family's pioneer efforts in South Texas have been obscured by time and the myopia of Anglo historians.
Doña Estefana was one of the pioneer Latinas who came to South Texas bringing with them the civilizing agents of education and religion. She was born in Camargo, Mexico, in 1782 (the Rio Grande wasn't a border then) and died in 1867 on her El Carmen ranch at 85.
Until the settlers came, the land was inhabited by wandering native nomads who, as far as we know today, neither cultivated the land nor developed it. With the coming of Salvador de la Garza (her father and grantee of the Espiritu Santo Land Grant), all that changed.
Hers was one of the first ones established in Cameron County, El Carmen Ranch that was named after Doña Estefana’s daughter. Rancho Viejo was established by her father in 1770. El Carmen Avenue, named after her daughter, connected these two ranches. Santa Rita (now Villanueva, and the first seat of Cameron County) was also founded by Doña Estefana.
Cavazos said Doña Estefana would always make sure a chapel was built on every new ranch that was founded. Also, she made made every effort for her children to receive an education, and they, in turn, set up schools in the ranches for the sons and daughters of her ranch hands.
Her deeds and accomplishments are often overshadowed by the activities and controversy surrounding her youngest son, Juan Napomuceno "Cheno" Cortina. However, there is no reason why her impact on the economic and social development of the area should take a back seat to his activities.
Doña Estéfana and the families filed suit to defend their title against Stillman’s Land Company. On January 15, 1852, Judge J. C. Watrous ruled in favor of the heirs of the Espíritu SantoGrant, giving them title to the land on which Brownsville was being built. In the legal maneuvering which followed, Stillman's attorney Samuel Belden steered the courts and state authorities so that Stillman ended up cheating his partners and with the deed to the Cavazos land.
Doña Estéfana, her families and her son, "Cheno" Cortina, suspected that the lawyers had worked together against the heirs of the grant. Their suspicions seemed well founded.
Veterans Memorial High School built buy the Brownsville Independent School District is literally in the old La Carmen ranch's front yard. The original Carmen Avenue is on the property’s east side. Her son’s (Sabas) historical cemetery lies in San Pedro, on the north side of the school. Her historical cemetery lies on the school's southeast side. Rancho Viejo, her father’s ranch, lies to its north.
In other words, this is the very land where Doña Estefana was proselytizing and spreading the good message of religion and education.
Her descendants include members of virtually every original family in South Texas. The Cavazos, Cortinas, Olivieras, Trevinos, Zavaletas (Dr. Tony Zavaleta, now a Texas Southmost trustee was once the Dean of Exterior Affairs at UTB-TSC and is her great-great-great grandson), Salinas, Tijerinas, De la Garzas, De Leon, etc., all trace their distinct roots to this great woman who came to South Texas and built it with her own hands.
It would have ben appropriate that if the BISD (and the BHA) wanted to honor the contributions of this pioneer Latina woman, some sort of recognition for her could be placed on the very land that she helped to settle and make productive.
Not only have the accomplishments of this great Latina woman gone unnoticed by Texas and local history, but the importance of her family's pioneer efforts in South Texas have been obscured by time and the myopia of Anglo historians.Doña Estefana was one of the pioneer Latinas who came to South Texas bringing with them the civilizing agents of education and religion. She was born in Camargo, Mexico, in 1782 (the Rio Grande wasn't a border then) and died in 1867 on her El Carmen ranch at 85.
Until the settlers came, the land was inhabited by wandering native nomads who, as far as we know today, neither cultivated the land nor developed it. With the coming of Salvador de la Garza (her father and grantee of the Espiritu Santo Land Grant), all that changed.
De la Garza – needing more grazing land – relocated his family from south of the river at about 1770, established
a ranch on the north bank of the Rio Grande near the mouth, named it Rancho Viejo, becoming the first white settlement in the area near Brownsville, Texas (the site is today marked by a state historical marker placed by the Texas Historical Society - 1936).
a ranch on the north bank of the Rio Grande near the mouth, named it Rancho Viejo, becoming the first white settlement in the area near Brownsville, Texas (the site is today marked by a state historical marker placed by the Texas Historical Society - 1936).
De la Garza later applied for a grant to the surrounding land in 1772. The grant "El Potrero del Espiritu Santo" was officially bestowed to De la Garza by King Charles III of Spain on September 26, 1781. It encompassed fifty-nine and one-half leagues (263,369.9 acres) in what is today Cameron County, Texas.
When the river levee system was constructed, they built a part of it over the family cemetery, although part of remained intact on the southern side. The late P. G. Cavazos, her great-great grandson, from San Pedro, was instrumental in getting the Texas Historical Commission to erect a marker on Doña Estefana's family cemetery off Military Highway where she and her family once operated her ranching empire.
When the river levee system was constructed, they built a part of it over the family cemetery, although part of remained intact on the southern side. The late P. G. Cavazos, her great-great grandson, from San Pedro, was instrumental in getting the Texas Historical Commission to erect a marker on Doña Estefana's family cemetery off Military Highway where she and her family once operated her ranching empire.
Hers was one of the first ones established in Cameron County, El Carmen Ranch that was named after Doña Estefana’s daughter. Rancho Viejo was established by her father in 1770. El Carmen Avenue, named after her daughter, connected these two ranches. Santa Rita (now Villanueva, and the first seat of Cameron County) was also founded by Doña Estefana.
Cavazos said Doña Estefana would always make sure a chapel was built on every new ranch that was founded. Also, she made made every effort for her children to receive an education, and they, in turn, set up schools in the ranches for the sons and daughters of her ranch hands.
Thus, this pioneer woman, in fact, initiated the custom and culture of education long before the State of Texas, Cameron County, the City of Brownsville, or even the Brownsville Independent School District, existed. One of her sons (Jose Maria) went on to become a tax-assessor collector for the eventual Cameron County and another (Sabas) would become a wealthy and successful rancher dominating the local agrarian economy.
Her deeds and accomplishments are often overshadowed by the activities and controversy surrounding her youngest son, Juan Napomuceno "Cheno" Cortina. However, there is no reason why her impact on the economic and social development of the area should take a back seat to his activities.
In 1852, Charles Stillman, after taking over a valuable portion which included the 1,500 acres in the present city of Brownsville and Fort Brown, from the Espíritu Santo Grant, continued his assault on the Espíritu Santo Grant, leading to the Cortina raids, the worst border disturbances in Texas history.
Doña Estéfana and the families filed suit to defend their title against Stillman’s Land Company. On January 15, 1852, Judge J. C. Watrous ruled in favor of the heirs of the Espíritu SantoGrant, giving them title to the land on which Brownsville was being built. In the legal maneuvering which followed, Stillman's attorney Samuel Belden steered the courts and state authorities so that Stillman ended up cheating his partners and with the deed to the Cavazos land.
Doña Estéfana, her families and her son, "Cheno" Cortina, suspected that the lawyers had worked together against the heirs of the grant. Their suspicions seemed well founded.
There are indications that it was a series of clever, legal maneuvers that gained Stillman the land and the Cavazos families had to sacrifice to obtain even a measure of justice. Owners of the land grant had to sacrifice the land on which Brownsville stood, and a league of land (4,428 acres) from Doña Estéfana's property was paid to attorneys in order to get them to secure her title to the rest of the grant.
Proof of ownership was something the owners of the land grants had to do over and over.
After gaining confirmation of title to the other fifty-eight leagues that made up the grant, Doña Estéfana gave up her title to the Brownsville land for $1.
After gaining confirmation of title to the other fifty-eight leagues that made up the grant, Doña Estéfana gave up her title to the Brownsville land for $1.
Fighting Stillman and company might have cost Doña Estéfana and her family the entire Espíritu Santo Grant, so the compromise was probably a wise decision. Concerning the litigation, many Americans felt that the whole Espíritu Santo Grant should have been thrown out on grounds that the owners were Mexicans.
Veterans Memorial High School built buy the Brownsville Independent School District is literally in the old La Carmen ranch's front yard. The original Carmen Avenue is on the property’s east side. Her son’s (Sabas) historical cemetery lies in San Pedro, on the north side of the school. Her historical cemetery lies on the school's southeast side. Rancho Viejo, her father’s ranch, lies to its north.
In other words, this is the very land where Doña Estefana was proselytizing and spreading the good message of religion and education.
Her descendants include members of virtually every original family in South Texas. The Cavazos, Cortinas, Olivieras, Trevinos, Zavaletas (Dr. Tony Zavaleta, now a Texas Southmost trustee was once the Dean of Exterior Affairs at UTB-TSC and is her great-great-great grandson), Salinas, Tijerinas, De la Garzas, De Leon, etc., all trace their distinct roots to this great woman who came to South Texas and built it with her own hands.
It would have ben appropriate that if the BISD (and the BHA) wanted to honor the contributions of this pioneer Latina woman, some sort of recognition for her could be placed on the very land that she helped to settle and make productive.
It would have constituted a source of pride and self-esteem to our young Hispanic female students and provide a role model to emulate. It would also recognize the contributions of Latina women to our area, a subject that has been neglected for way too long.
3 comments:
Interesting point when you consider how very few if any Latina women left a photo of themselves or maybe wrote a diary that their ancestors would have the foresight to save and eventually donate to the historical association for posterity. Most Latina or rather, Mexican women were taught to submit to their macho husbands' every whim. If you want prominent Latina women to be recognized you have to save their history otherwise they will be long forgotten. You are finding continual fault with the BHA where there isn't any. This seems rather like an excuse to attack Mr Stone who by the way, was not set to the task of selecting what scant resources are available to the BHA (no thanks to families who throw out their parents and grandparents' mementos). Sorry to be the one to tell you Juan - Brown folks are not as mindful as White folks when it comes to saving and sharing their history. I thought you knew. It's nice that you tell us about Doña Estefana Goseacochea de Cavazos de Cortina but how many will remember that long name? How is anyone supposed to know this history if someone else doesn't make it more publicly accessible than your blog? I thought it was Helen Chapman who was one of the fist to advocate education and religious worship for the underprivileged of Brownsville. Thanks for setting the record straight - on his blog of yours.
"Wandering nomads"? I take it that means the Native Americans who were killed off, ran off, or enslaved by the Spanish Freebooters that drifted across the Rio Grande River.
One man's heroic pioneer is another mans thief and oppressor. How selective we are in our outrage.
Keep up the good work. Give your reader more historical information that make us be proud of our ancestors.
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