Never forget — Last year, dozens of participants took part in the annual Caminata, commemorating La Matanza of 1915, which occurred in the San Benito area. This year’s 3.5-mile walk is slated for Sunday from Heavin Park to a historical marker off the expressway. (San Benito News/Ray Quiroga)
By RAY QUIROGA
publisher@sbnewspaper.com
Relatively few people know that individuals of Mexican heritage were victims of mass lynching and killings in this area during the late 1800s to the 1930s.
Many of those murders, initially justified by labeling the victims as bandits, criminals, and ne’er-do-wells, were carried out by posse members, Rangers, and other groups guised as law enforcement at the behest of officials and rival landowners to seize the victims’ wealth, businesses, and especially property.
A historical marker at the rest area off Hwy. 83 near San Benito, headed towards Brownsville, commemorates brutal killings, known as La Matanza, that occurred in the area during that time.
To honor those lost during La Matanza, the Sixth Annual Día de los Muertos Caminata is scheduled for Sunday, November 2, from 9 to 11 a.m.
The 3.5-mile walk will begin at Heavin Park, located at 705 N. Bowie Street, San Benito, and conclude at the La Matanza of 1915 Historical Marker, situated at the rest area on Frontage Road, heading toward Brownsville.
Ricardo Madrigal and his wife, Janie Algeria, have worked to bring the yearly event to the community for the past six years.
According to Madrigal, the walk began in 2020 when he, Algeria, and a few of their close friends wanted to “get outside” during the pandemic.
Over time, they gathered more people for their cause. The couple was aware of the historical marker and its importance, so they selected it as the endpoint.
Madrigal said that the walk happened during Dia de los Muertos because the holiday honors those who have passed.
“We celebrate their lives because it is an important part of history in the Rio Grande Valley that most people don’t know about,” said Madrigal in a past interview.
He emphasized the importance of public knowledge of critical historical events, mentioning that he was never taught about these issues in school.
“We never knew about the history of San Benito. It was a killing field for law enforcement,” said Madrigal.
Last year’s event featured talks by members of the Refusing to Forget Project, which included renowned Valley historian and educator Juan Carmona. The Refusing to Forget Project documents the massacres.
A representative for former State Senator Morgan LaManita, District 27, delivered a resolution towards the end of the event.
In the aftermath of the murders, Texas State Representative Jose Tomas Canales launched an investigation into the Texas Rangers. The Rangers were charged with 19 counts of misconduct.
In 2017, a marker was placed near San Benito to commemorate those who died. Refusingtoforget.org lists the known names of the victims, but some have been lost to time. The marker in San Benito is one of four in Texas.
The Refusing to Forget Project is an award-winning educational nonprofit on racial violence on the Mexico-Texas border. It produced the exhibit, “Life and Death on the Border 1910-1920” in partnership with the Bullock Texas State History Museum, and was responsible for getting the historical marker approved by the Texas State Historical Commission.
Registration and more information about the walk are available at www.sanbenitomatanzacaminata.com.
“This year, we also gather to protest the detainment and deportation of persons without due process by federal agents (I.C.E.) done in the name of immigration enforcement,” Madrigal said.
Participation is free. Those interested in the history behind the event can learn more at refusingtoforget.org. The walk covers 3.5 miles and ends at the marker, which is at Exit 16 on U.S. Highway 77/83.