Stolen Heritage by Abel G Rubio

Author:Abel G Rubio [Rubio, Abel G]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: History, United States, State & Local, General, Social Science, Ethnic Studies
ISBN: 9781571681706
Google: jXgLAAAAYAAJ
Publisher: Eakin Press
Published: 1998-01-15T03:31:15+00:00

[10]

Night Riders and Murder

By the time I had located all the pertinent records indicating that the de la Garzas had eventually paid their taxes on the Becerra land grant, I had also accumulated enough research to outline the change in actual possession of this land from my ancestors into the hands of others. I had examined and reexamined such things as standard histories of the area, county records, original maps, and Spanish documents, but it seemed this was not enough. Also, the story became more complete through my gathering and assimilating oral tradition handed down to the elders of my family from many of their parents and elders who had lived through the trying times of the late nineteenth century in Refugio and Goliad counties. During my trip to Texas in the early summer of 1973, I was ready to piece together a complete narrative based on those family stories. What emerged was an account of many of the particulars of the dispossession of the families of Antonio de la Garza and his sister Trinidad between 1874 and 1878.

By the year 1877, the largest landowner in Refugio County was Thomas O’Connor, a nephew of the empresario James Power. By this time O’Connor had amassed over 24,000 acres of land and about 33,514 acres of the Power and Hewetson grant, for a total of 57,514 acres in Refugio County.1 The Refugio County tax rolls for 1871–81 reflected this most impressive accomplishment for a penniless Irish immigrant who set foot on Mexican soil in 1834. He must have indeed possessed an insatiable appetite for land. The census tracts show him to have been in his late fifties by the mid-1870s — at the height of a man’s energy’ and activity.

The Power tract was granted by Governor Vidaurri with the stipulation that it should not be located on lands already occupied by Mexican and American settlers; it was to be established on vacant state lands, and the governor was most specific to James Power that he adhere strictly to the decree.2

The Becerra survey copied from Snively’s original survey report of 1849 clearly shows where the Becerra grant was located. Becerra had occupied that property for many years before he was granted title, which in turn was several years before Power received his title. Becerra probably had been there since 1820. The beginning point of the Snively survey was at the bed of Alamito Creek and included the junction of Copano and Alamito creeks.

The boundaries crossed both creeks on an east and west course. The grant extended slightly west of Alamito Creek and into Aransas County. The Power grant began exactly on the west side (headwaters of Copano Creek) and crossed west of Alamito Creek. Thus, a portion of the Becerra tract was already located where the Power grant was established in 1834, according to the Refugio County maps of 1883 and 1896 (Alamito Creek was shown on the 1896 map). The Becerra survey copied from the original survey report of 1849 clearly showed where the land was located.

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