SATURDAY, AUGUST 16, 2008
THE ZAPATA TIMES | 11A
CELEBRATION | Continued from Page 1A ZAPATA COUNTY SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION Friday, Nov. 7 Sesquicentennial Park Dedication 9 a.m. Musical selections Flag ceremony Birth of a County — a brief history of Zapata County The Price of Freedom — a tribute to American veterans Red, White & Blue performance — performance tributes Park dedication Evening — carnival, music, food booths and team roping
breakfast Historical reminiscing
Saturday, Nov. 8 Zapata 9 a.m. 5k walk/run 10 a.m. Parade Noon Carnival, music, food booths, team roping and cookoff at County Fair Grounds Evening — Intocable concert Fireworks display Sunday, Nov. 9 Lopeño, Falcón and San Ygnacio 8 a.m. Lopeño Festival — Lopeño, Texas Almuerzo regional — Regional
1 p.m. San Ygnacio Festival – San Ygnacio, Texas Mass — Nuestra Señora del Refugio Mission 2 p.m. Flag and Country Ceremony A cradle of Culture — a historical view of San Ygnacio Honoring Special Guests Pillars of The Community — citizens making a difference Sons and daughters of San Ygnacio — a tribute to local veterans A Salute to Veterans — a tribute to all veterans
With a playground set for children, a basketball court, picnic tables and a botanical garden, the plaza is hoped to become a main attraction for Falcón, Vela said. “I thought of this project as being a very important project because it will give the community a little bit of pride as far as what they have to offer,” Vela
said. The Zapata Sesquicentennial Trail Park will be a walk through history, as markers and 500 memorial benches will be placed throughout the path, Zapata said. “As you walk along the trail, you’re going to be reading all the public officials (from) 1858 to 2008,” Zapata said. “There will be
9 a.m. Falcón festival – Falcón, Texas Visual historical presentation Exhibits Continental breakfast Dedication of the Falcón community park (showcasing antique bridge) Mass — Santa Ana Mission Lunch — Musical Entertainment
Settlers got grants By DORA MARTINEZ THE ZAPATATIMES
COLUMN
his is dedicated to settlers of the Royal Spanish and Mexican land grants in South Texas and mainly Zapata County, where my own family stems from. There is a concise history of the colonization of the lower Rio Grande area. The first source is the English translation of the proceedings of the “general visitation” by representatives of the Viceroy of New Spain in the Guerrero Jurisdiction of Nuevo Santander in 1767 for the purpose of issuing land grant titles to the land grant settlers of the jurisdiction. The second source consists of the Texas general land office entitled “index to Spanish and Mexican land grant.” But this has become a collector’s item and is no longer in print. It is difficult to find. In the Zapata County area, 39 porciones and 15 other tracts of land were granted to individuals and/or families by the King of Spain and after 1823 by the Mexican government. The history of who these grantees were is fairly well preserved. Whatever happened to the grantees and their families, to their land, and to their descendants after the title to the lands passed to the grantees is in many instances obscured in the history of the period from 1767 to the mid 1800’s. From time to time many of the grantees and their descendants were forced to leave their lands
for varied periods of time due to Indian attacks, bandits, sickness and wars. To boards of inquiry, and to the courts, the details of these verification efforts after the mid-1800s are mostly preserved and available in Texas court and land records. Individuals desiring to trace the passage of the land can start their own search in the Zapata County archives located in the Zapata County Library. The records are open to the public and are available to all interested persons, or also the clerk’s office. Another place to conduct research is the Texas General Land Office in Austin. Last but not least are the Texas State Archives. The archives are next to the state capital building in Austin. Shortly after Texas gained its independence from Mexico, on Dec. 22, 1836, the Congress of Texas passed an act that empresarios, commissioners, political chiefs, alcaldes and others were to deliver to that office all titles books, surveys, papers, and documents belonging to the public and pertaining to the land of Texas. Prior to 1850, the State of Texas established a commission, known as the Bourland Miller Commission, to investigate the land titles in Rio Grande Valley. The titles recommended in these “lists” were confirmed by an act to confirm certain land titles herein named.
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SANCHEZ up of a board of 50 people and an additional 100 volunteers, Leal said. Three hundred contributors helped raise more than $30,000 for Zapata. Major contributors to that effort included the county, the school district, IBC, ConocoPhillips and small businesses, Leal said. Though more than $30,000 was raised, the Laredo United Way gave close to $50,000 to Zapata, as the community usually ends up getting more from United Way than it actually raises, said Rodriguez, also the vice president of the campaign in Zapata. This year’s fundraising goal for Zapata will be $50,000. Two agencies that benefit from United Way’s fundraising efforts in Zapata are the Boys and Girls Club and the South Texas Food Bank. Rodriguez said the Boys and Girls Club is an integral part of the community, as it provides much-needed recreational activities and after-school tutoring for children. “It allows for kids to stay onsite and therefore get tutoring services. Parents are given that peace of mind that they can come in and their kids are engaged in positive activities,” he said. “A lot of things can happen to kids between the time that they get out of school and mom and dad come home. We want to be able to raise and support money for the Boys and Girls Club so they can have those activities.” Rodriguez added that as the
| Continued from Page 1A nation’s economy gets tougher, more citizens will be going to the South Texas Food Bank for help. “A lot of our citizens rely heavily on our food bank,” Rodriguez said. “We don’t lose sight of the fact that there is a lot of need, and more and more of our citizens will be turning for help from that agency.”
Plans for New Falcón Plaza were approved by Commissioners Court on Aug. 11. The main attraction for the plaza will be an antique steel bridge older than New Falcón itself. Plans are to restore and renovate the bridge, as well as turn it into a historical attraction. The plaza will also include a playground set, basketball court, picnic area and botanical area. a marker, and you can read about the public officials that (have been) here since the county was made.” In addition, the county has allotted about $43,000 from the hotel-motel tax to be used for the celebration, as it will also bring in tourism. A framework of the celebratory events has been established, but the committee is still adding events and accepting ideas from the community, Montes said. Festivities include heirloom exhibits put together from con-
tributions Zapata County residents. Contributions are still being accepted for these exhibits, and the committee will work with anyone regarding artifacts that require special care, Montes said. To contribute ideas or family heirlooms for the Sesquicentennial Celebration, which runs from Nov. 7 to Nov. 9, call (956) 765-9920 to leave a message for a committee member. (Deanna Mendoza may be reached at 728-2562 or deanna@lmtonline.com)