José A. Salinas & Maria Emilia Guerra

Jose and Emilia are buried at cementerio de los padres in rio Grande city, texas last photo is salvador salinas (son) and anastacia Guerra de salinas (salvador inherited the main house after Jose and emilia died)

Jose A. Salinas & Maria Emilia Guerra

Jose Atanacio Salinas was born on May 2, 1853 in Cerralvo, Nuevo Leon, Mexico. He was one of seven children born to Jose Salvador Salinas and Maria Margarita Barrera. He had one brother, Jose Eduardo Salinas (youngest child) and five sisters, Margarita, Augustina (aka Faustina), Francisca, Narcisa, and Maria Guadalupe. Narcisa and Maria Guadalupe died as infants within a year of their birth. Jose Salvador died in 1855 at 35 years old leaving a 27 year old widow, Margarita with five children ages from one month old to eight years old. We can assume that paternal and maternal grandparents must have had a big part in helping raise the family. The Salinas family owned property in Monterrey and Cerralvo. Documents of different land deeds shows the family appeared to be well off financially. The children went to school and received a good education. Jose Atanacio was a teacher so his education was beyond secondary school. One can conclude that Jose Atanacio and Eduardo assumed adult roles in the family at a very early age. Jose Atanacio was the first of the family to come to Starr County probably when he was approxicmately 18 or 19 years old seeking. He probably came with a recommendation on hand from family and landed a job at Las Escobas Ranch. Jose Atanacio traveled frequently back and forth freely from Cerralvo to Texas visiting family on both sides of the border. All the sisters lived in Cerralvo, Mexico with their mother. His brother, Eduardo remained in Cerralvo when Jose moved to Texas to care for his mother until she died in 1897. Jose Eduardo remained a bachelor until his marriage at age 56. After his marriage Eduardo moved to Mercedes, Texas and lived there until his death. Jose A. Salinas was intelligent and well educated; known as "El Maestro" because he was inspired to teach others to read and write. Early in his career as a school teacher, Jose was recruited at Las Escobas Ranch in Starr County, Texas by Jose Felipe Guerra Hiinojosa to teach children of family and ranch laborers how to read and write in Spanish. He was paid $5.00 a month for teaching. He was boarded on the ranch as part of the arrangement with Jose Felipe Guerra which was the custom in those days. Las Escobas Ranch was likely the first bilingual school in Texas. Two teachers were hired, Jose A. Salinas taught Spanish and Ezra B. Houston taught English. Jose Felipe Guerra, owner of Las Escobas Ranch, valued education not only for his own family, but the children of the families living and working on the ranch. While teaching at the ranch, Jose fell in love with Jose Felipe's daughter, Maria Emilia Guerra. Jose married Maria Emilia February 12, 1876 in Roma, Texas at Our Lady of Refuge Catholic Church. Jose was 23 years old and Maria Emilia was 21 years old. Maria Emilia was born August 8, 1856 in Roma, Texas. They had nine children, five boys and four girls. One of the children, Salvador Salinas (inherited ranch house) is pictured here with his wife, Anastacia Guerra Salinas in front of their residence. The children were Salvador, Francisco, Zaragosa, José R., Eduardo, Manuela, Margarita, Ramona and Paula. Jose A. and Maria Emilia raised their nine children at the ranch main house headquarters. Jose died April 16, 1928 at Las Escobas Ranch at age 75 from influenza and Maria Emilia died June 30, 1923 in Rio Grande City, Starr County, Texas at 67 years of age. Jose was a widower for five years prior to his death. Both are buried at El Cemeterio de los Padres in Rio Grande City, Texas. Photo above shows Jose A. Salinas and Maria Emilia tombstones. Jose A. Salinas estate was divided into nine tracts in 1933, five years after he died. The nine heirs (9 children-five boys and four girls)received their portion. Las Escobas Ranch property was subdivided into the following: Tract # 1 to Zaragosa Salinas 1590.3 acres, Tract #2 Eduardo Salinas 1552.3 acres, Tract #3 Jose R. Salinas 1659.57 acres, Tract #4 Salvador Salinas 1538.67 acres, Tract #5 Francisco Salinas 1653.13 acres, Tract #6 Paula Salinas Reynaga 1660.95 acres, Tract #7 Margarita Salinas Flores 1660.95 acres, Tract #8 Ramona Salinas Mendoza 1477.65 acres, Tract #9 Manuela Salinas de Guerra 1590.95 acres. The entire Las Escobas Ranch was subdivided into nine properties now mangaged separatedly by the children of Jose A. Salinas and Maria Emilia Guerra.
native vegetation at las escobas Ranch

Ranching at Las Escobas Ranch

Jose A. Salinas and Maria Emilia Guerra de Salinas raised their family at the main ranch house headquaters that Emilia inherited from her parents. Jose A. Salinas learned ranching and many other valuable skills over the years from his father in law , Jose Felipe as well as what he learned from his family upbringing in Cerralvo. He impressed his father in law with his intelligence, work ethics, and his vision on improvements for the ranch. Maria Emilia inherited 18,681.8 acres of land at Las Escobas Ranch after her father's death. Jose was about 36 years old when he continued ranching operations as his father in law had taught him. He implemented improvements in the existing watering system for the cattle and started modernizing ranch operations. Jose A. Salinas, now owner of Las Escobas Ranch started to build his reputation in the county as a hard worker and a man with a vision. He may have been fortunate to have married the boss's daughter but his contributions to the family, his accomplishments, and improvements at the ranch were immeasurable. He was extremely successful in the management of the ranch. Some of the improvements were building a trough 40 feet long between two shallow wells 50 feet deep. He introduced the windmill to replace the older rope and bucket water system. Installation of windmills revolutionized ranch operations. He built sillar-lined wells known as norias de buque to furnish water for ranch residents. Several norias de buque were built around the ranch property to allow cattle to graze more freely without worry of water. Maintenance duties kept wind millers and vaqueros constantly on the move to grease the gears in windmills. Today, windmills are vanishing when in the past, they were as vital as vaqueros to ranching success. When wire was available fencing at the ranch changed to wire with mesquite posts and three strands of wires from post to post to hold cattle in. It was introduced when cross fencing was necessary to divide properties.
Photos above... Jose A . Salinas, Death Certificate, Birth Certificate, Iglesia San Gregorio Magno-Cerralvo
A personal story of an incident with Jose A. Salinas
There are many stories passed around family circles that depict a little of who Jose A Salinas was. He was described as the type of person who was frugal and thrifty. Words like self-disciplined, penny-pincher, non-indulgent, tight and a prudent decision maker. Perhaps this is the reason that Jose A. Salinas propered and had a successful ranch operation. The following is a story about a incident with Jose A. Salinas in Rio Grande City, Texas. "One day Jose was sitting on a bench outside a General Store in Rio Grande City, Texas when a man approached him and asked him, 'Señor, me pude ir a cortar leña?' Jose was a humble man, who didn't dress fancy at all and never looked like a rich man or someone with money. The man was unaware that he was asking the owner of Las Escobas, a wealthy man to cut wood for him. Jose responded, 'Con mucho gusto' (with pleasure). The irony of the whole thing was that Jose had come to town to buy supplies for his ranch workers that lived at the ranch. Jose went and cut wood for the man and received his wages. Jose walked into the store with pride and told the owner of the General Store, "Mira los centavos que me gané". He put his hand in his pocket and proudly showed him what he had just earned cutting wood. The store owner shook his head in disbelief. You see, Jose worked alongside his ranch hands doing the same jobs they were doing and ate same food they ate out in the fields/pasture. He was not a supervisor but a hands-on-manager of 18,000 acres of land. He taught his children to do the same." This story was told over and over to family members as an example of a hard working responsible person with excellent work ethics and humility. It is evident that generation and generation many Salinas followed his example.
Pictured below left to right: Jose Eduardo Salinas, Berta Estefana De Leon, Birth Certificate and their daughter Margarita Viviana Salinas

A Personal Story : Jose Eduardo Salinas & Berta Estefana De Leon

Jose Eduardo Salinas was born October 21, 1855 in Cerralvo, Nuevo Leon, Mexico and Berta Estefana De Leon was born August 24, 1898 in Cerralvo, Nuevo Leon, Mexico to Filomeno de Leon and Virginia Garcia del Bosque. Filomeno married Virginia the ranch owner's daughter, Elutério del Bosque. Filomeno was employed as "El Majordomo" of the ranch. When Berta was two years old her mother died. Her father was unable to care for her so her maternal grandparents, the del Bosques sent her to a Catholic Convent for orphans in Monterrey, Nuevo Leon. When Berta was fifteen she returned to her grandparents home- the del Bosque's. Jose Eduardo Salinas while visiting the home of his friend Elutério del Bosque noticed this beautiful young girl in their home. He asked about her and expressed interest by saying he wanted her for his wife. Berta was only 15 years old. Elutério didn't want the responsibility of having Berta in his home so he with the consent of her father made marriage arrangements. Berta cried and pleaded with her father who was equally distraught, but nothing could be done. Don Elutério reminded Filomeno that he was a hired hand, and if he wanted to keep his job he must agree to the marriage. Don Elutério felt that Berta would be marrying into a good family. A young girl raised in an orphanage could not do better. With a heavy heart Berta consented and married Jose Eduardo Salinas, old enough to be her grandfather. Jose Eduardo and Berta Estefana were married in a civil ceremony held February 16, 1913 at the home of his nephew, Rosendo Davis, a judge in Cerralvo and afterwards at the Iglesia de San Gregorio March 9, 1913. After a year of marriage, Berta at age 16 gave birth to a baby girl, born breach after a long hard labor. They named the baby girl, Margarita Viviana Salinas after his mother. Jose Eduardo was thrilled with his child. Berta was very unhappy. The marriage wasn't going well; an arranged marriage to a man old enough to be her grandfather was a difficult situation . Berta asked if she could take her to visit her grandfather, Filomeno. Berta planned to run away with her child to the United States the the help of the Morales family. Berta was 21 years old and Margarita was five. Berta had saved a little money, and took opportunity to run away with the Morales family from Bastrop, Texas. In the darkness of the night they left Cerralvo with the Morales family experiencing danger and tremendous fears along the way. They arrived at the banks of the river and crossed in the early morning in darkness. Berta swam the river, along with the wife of Morales. The children, Margarita and another child were hoisted on a raft by Morales and the driver of the wagon. Once safely across, they went to the train station in Mission, Texas. They boarded the train to Bastrop. They would be there for a year and a half. Eduardo was searching for his daughter until one day he showed up at the house where they were staying. Berta and Eduardo moved to Mercedes living in separate houses with shared custody of Margarita. Berta was now twenty four years old and earned a living as a dressmaker. In July of 1927, Eduardo died of a stroke and seven months later, Berta became ill with pnemonia and died on February 13, 1928. With both parents gone, Margarita was left an orphan at 15 years of age. She was taken in by her neighbor, the Quintanilla family. Margarita had a short marriage at age 16 that ended in divorce. After some time, Margarita met and married Leopoldo Hernandez and had two children, Leo Hernandez and Sylvia Hernandez Flores. The marriage didn't work out and over time she married Joaquin Zuniga and had another daughter, Berta Guadalupe Zuniga. Margarita and Joaquin had a good life and raised their three children. Margarita lived a long life and often talked about her life experiences as a child and the painful and difficult times in her life.
Brothers: JOSE A. SALINAS (bottom picture) JOSE EDUARDO SALINAS' (top picture) FIVE SISTERS: MARGARITA SALINAS BARRERA married Febronio Salinas. They had a son, Jose Longino Salinas born March 15,1875. Jose Longino moved to Mercedes, Texas and lived there until his death. MARIA AUGUSTINA SALINAS BARRERA married Pablo Villarreal and had a daughter Elvia Villarreal MARIA FRANCISCA SALINAS BARRERA married Robert W. Davis and had five children: Beningno, Rosendo, Ma. Guadalupe, Enrique and Amelia. MARIA GUADALUPE SALINAS BARRERA and NARCISCA SALINAS BARRERA died as an infants
OUR LADY OF MERCY CEMETERY-MERCEDES, TEXAS, HIDALGO COUNTY 1st. Picture: Jose Eduardo Salinas and daughter Margarita Salinas Zuniga 2nd Picture: Berta Estefana Salinas (wife of Jose Eduardo) 3rd Picture: Joaquin Zuniga, Margarita Salinas' husband