Brownsville Preservation Society Q1 2017

ISSUE NO. 1

FEATURES

QUARTER 1

LETTER

LOCAL HISTORY

Welcome New Members Trey Mendez provides an overview of past projects and events and what lies ahead for the Society.

2017

José Tomás “J.T.” Canales Andrew Jacob Lopes, a 6th grader at Vela Middle School, reports on the legacy of local lawyer and politician.

SPOTLIGHT ON CISNEROS HOUSE

BY TREY MENDEZ Even the most casual observer will notice that the house at 207 E. Washington is a gem. On February 4, 2017, it became official, with the unveiling of a Texas Historical Marker.

The Cisneros House, owned by Brownsville Preservation Society members Rene Van Haaften and Marinda Van Dalen, was built for Manuel Cisneros, a prominent Brownsville pharmacist who descended from one of the founding families of Matamoros, Mexico. The home was constructed for a reported sum of $10,000.00 by architect/builder Ben V. Proctor in 1926.

Homeowners Rene and Marinda showcase the new historic marker.

It remained in the family for over 80 years prior to being purchased by Rene and Marinda in 2011. Their love for the home led them to uncover more about its history, much of which was provided by renowned architectural historian Steven Fox, a lecturer at the Rice School of Architecture. The process of obtaining a state marker began shortly thereafter and culminated in February 2016, with an official historical designation by the State of Texas. On behalf of the BPS, we congratulate them for preserving this wonderful piece of Brownsville's past.

Marinda is a civil rights attorney for Texas Rio Grande Legal Aid and manages its Brownsville office. Rene currently serves as the Director of the Brownsville Museum of Fine Art. To nobody’s surprise, Rene has caught the restoration bug and has become active in various preservation efforts. He is currently working on the rehabilitation of a craftsman style home located on the corner of 3rd and E. Adams Streets.

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BROWNSVILLE PRESERVATION SOCIETY

LETTER

WELCOME NEW MEMBERS

BY TREY MENDEZ Our first annual “Tacos + Tequila” ugly sweater party was a success, and clearly showed that we are all bound together by our love for Brownsville, as well as it’s architectural history and charm. This was just the beginning, as I’m certain that we will continue to make the necessary strides to grow our group well into the hundreds. It was my sincere pleasure to host the event, and I can assure you that our board is already looking forward to next year.

Our goals are to preserve, protect and restore our city’s treasures and increase awareness and knowledge in historical preservation. We have equally important short and long-term aspirations. In the short term, we have identified several residential structures that are in need of a little "TLC," whether that means new paint, or overdue repairs, such as roofing or siding.

Through your generous support, as well as that of our community and retail sponsors, we plan to undertake several of these smaller projects, which will inevitably transform the curb appeal of these homes and bring even greater pride to our historic neighborhoods. We could use all the help we can get, however, and we hope that you can volunteer your time or resources to our cause.

We are a 501(c)(3) corporation, so your monetary and in-kind donations are tax deductible.

Our long-term goals are more ambitious and costlier, in that we are focusing on establishing a revolving fund of $100,000.00. This fund would allow us to acquire a distressed or endangered structure and rehabilitate it.

Once the project is completed, it will be sold and those funds will be put back into the fund for the next project, and so on. Through our network, we will be able to

obtain both the contractor and materials at a reduced cost. However, we are looking for volunteer grant writers and/or corporate donors to assist us in establishing this fund. If you know of any opportunities for us, please pass them along.

Lastly, I am proud to report that Phase I of the Jagou Bridge Project has successfully concluded. The brick was cleaned, repointed and the structural components of the bridge were reinforced to ensure that the late 1800s architectural treasure would remain intact for generations to view and enjoy. We are looking forward to Phase II sometime in the coming year.

Once again, I thank you for your interest in the Brownsville Preservation Society and offer a heartfelt welcome. We are only as strong as our members. So remember to spread the word and advocate for preserving our historic structures.

Board Members (2014–2016): Trey Mendez, Shannon Pensa, Dante Pensa, Javier Salinas, Delina Berrera, Carlos Gomez, and Letty Fernandez.

LOCAL HISTORY

BROWNSVILLE PRESERVATION SOCIETY

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JOSE TOMAS CANALES ONE MAN’S FIGHT FOR EQUALITY

BY ANDREW JACOB LOPES Jose Tomas “J.T.” Canales was a very important person in our city. He was the son of Andres and Tomasa Canales. He was born in Nueces County, Texas, on March 7, 1877. His mother was a descendant of Jose Salvador de la Garza, who was the recipient of Espiritu Santo grant.

Once he finished high school, he went to the University of Michigan and received a law degree three years later.

He settled in Brownsville, Texas after practicing law in Corpus Christi and Laredo from 1900 to 1903. Once in Brownsville, he worked in various other positions ranging from county government to education. These positions most likely gave Canales a firsthand perspective on the daily racial discrimination that helped guide his later civil rights work.

FIGHT AGAINST DISCRIMINATION J. T. Canales represented the 95th District in the Texas House of Representatives, which consisted of Cameron, Hidalgo, Starr, and Zapata counties. From 1912 to 1914, he served as County Superintendent of Public Schools in Cameron County. When he held this position, he stressed the use of the English language, United States patriotism, and rural education. In 1914, he served as a Cameron County Judge. From 1917 to 1920, J. T. Canales returned to the Texas House and represented the 77th District, which consisted of Cameron and Willacy Counties.

racial discrimination of Mexican Americans. As one of the first board members of LULAC, he wrote most of its first constitution and helped solidify its goals and purpose.

Canales also worked as an attorney in Del Rio ISD v.

Salvatierra and Delgado v. Bastrop ISD, both cases concerned the segregation of Mexican schoolchildren.

The milestone cases sought to establish equality and end the systemic discrimination of Mexican American schoolchildren. He advocated for education and equality throughout his life, and even published several books that spoke to improving the moral fiber of men.

Once Canales retired from state office, he became involved with the Mexican- American civil-rights movement. In 1927, he worked to form the League of Latin American Citizens (LULAC), which took on the

Canales biggest fight was as a Texas Legislator in 1918 when he brought charges against the Texas Rangers and demanded an investigation be launched into the widespread abuses of the (continued next page)

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BROWNSVILLE PRESERVATION SOCIETY

LOCAL HISTORY

Rangers against Mexican and Mexican Americans. He also filed bills to address the problems that were largely ignored or altered. He faced racist attacks on the Texas House floor from other legislators and had to endure threats of violence by the Rangers themselves. His work, however, eventually resulted in the Texas Rangers being reorganized to address the abuses and corruption within the organization.

LEGACY

J.T. Canales, Photo Illustration from Bench and Bar of Texas, Volume 1 published by Horace Evans, 1937.

Prints and Photographs Collection, 2014/001-14.

J.T. Canales' work against racial discrimination has left a wide-ranging legacy that continues to affect Mexican Americans today. His courageous actions as a state legislator against the Rangers brought him much criticism and put him and his family in danger. LULAC continues on today in various states and continues to fight on behalf of Mexican American who experience racial discrimination. The organization also continues to advocate for higher education opportunities for Mexican Americans.

Canales' legacy can also be seen on a local level as he was one of the original founders of the Brownsville Historical Society, an organization that even today works to preserve local history in one of the state’s oldest cities.

Canales' noble fight against discrimination and injustice paved the way for generations of Mexican Americans to aspire to higher levels of education and employment and ensured that future injustices will be addressed.

We are pleased to feature this guest contribution by Andrew Jacob Lopes, who is a 6th-grader at Vela Middle School. His report not only reflects our area's unique cultural and political past, but it also demonstrates that history is appreciated by people of all ages.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Handbook of Texas Online, Evan Anders, "Canales, Jose Tomas," accessed March 13, 2017 via http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/fcaag. Uploaded on June 12, 2010. Modified on March 28, 2016. Published by the Texas State Historical Association.

Legislative Reference Library of Texas, Texas Legislators: Past and Present, "Jose Canales, " accessed March 13, 2017 via http://www.lrl.state.tx.us/legeLeaders/members/memberDisplay.cfm?memberID=2588

PHOTOS

BROWNSVILLE PRESERVATION SOCIETY

A LOOK BACK

The Brownsville Preservation Society of Brownsville, Texas is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to protecting and restoring structures within the city’s historic districts.

MAILING ADDRESS: PO Box 1072, Brownsville, TX 78522 WEBSITE: https://brownsvillepreservation.wordpress.com EMAIL: brownsvillepreservationsociety@gmail.com

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BROWNSVILLE PRESERVATION SOCIETY

DIGEST

WHAT IS HISTORIC PRESERVATION?

BY SHANNON PENSA WHAT IS HISTORIC PRESERVATION? Historic preservation (also called, heritage preservation) is an effort to preserve and safeguard buildings, objects, landscapes or other artifacts of historical and cultural significance. In a nut shell, historic preservation strives to preserve the physical past for future appreciation.

National Trust for Historic Preservation emphasizes historic sites and national treasures, but it also cites “ReUrbanism,” or adaptive reuse, as an area of concentration. The Brownsville Preservation Society has also adopted a three-pronged approach to local preservation, aiming to protect structures, restore neighborhoods, and house people affordably within the city’s historic districts.

WHEN DID IT START? WHO ARE OUR MODELS? 17th-Century

Historic preservation has its roots in England with organizations such as the Society of Antiquaries of London. While America’s first preservationists worked to save what is now Independence Hall in Philadelphia, PA nearly a century before the first national historic preservation policy, the Antiquities Act of 1906. In 1949, Congress chartered the non-profit organization National Trust for Historic Preservation.

However, most agree that the modern preservation movement began formally with the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, which created a national historic program to be overseen by the National Park Service. In 1969 the State of Texas passed the Antiquities Code of Texas to protect the cultural and historic resources of the state. Today there are myriad historic preservation groups carrying out noble work on state and local levels.

WHAT ARE SOME APPROACHES? The National Park Service focuses on three elements for historic preservation, including historic site designation, documentation and physical preservation. Likewise, the

Galveston Historic Foundation is highly regarded as a leader in local preservation efforts. http://www.galvestonhistory.org/ San Antonio Conservation Society, founded in 1924, is one of the nation’s oldest historic preservation groups. https://www.saconservation.org/ Bloomington Restorations, Inc. in works to save endangered historic properties in southern Indiana and sell the restored houses to low-income buyers. http://bloomingtonrestorations.org/ ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Encyclopædia Britannica, Jeannette L. Nolen, “Historic Preservation: Safeguarding Treasures of the Past.” https://www.britannica.com/topic/Historic-PreservationSafeguarding-Treasures-of-the-Past-1904217 National Park Service, “What is historic preservation?” https://www.nps.gov/subjects/historicpreservation/whatis-historic-preservation.htm