Moments in Time is a collection of recovered newspaper briefs and other publications, compiled by local historian, Steve Hathcock, offering a look back at the history of the Rio Grande Valley.
Steve Hathcock is a local historian and a regular columnist for the Port Isabel South Padre Press. He has spent many years collecting and sharing the history of the Rio Grande Valley, as well as treasure hunting and formerly owning an Island-based bookstore.
Shipping Notes
Point Isabel, Texas, March 12.—The schooner Helene, laden with cottonseed sailed from here Saturday, bound for Velasco. The lighthouse supply ship Armeria arrived off Brazos at 8:20 last night, delivered supplies to Padre Island and Isabel lighthouses, and sailed at 9 o’clock this morning direct for Key West.
The schooners C. H. Moore and Mary Jeannette sailed this morning at 9:30, in ballast, for Galveston.
Captain John A. Cotter, United States supervising inspector, reached the city on Friday night from what he describes as a very fatiguing trip to Point Isabel, Texas. The captain was called to the last mentioned point to inspect the steamer Luzon and from Alice, where the railroad terminates, the trip was made in a stage coach a distance of 160 miles, to Brownsville.
The captain reports the cotton crops as looking well, but the corn is burnt up with no rain having fallen in that section for nine months. He hopes that his official ties will not call him to that section of country again for a long time.
(New Orleans States-Item Mon, Jun 17, 1901)
Editor’s Note: The Steamer Luzon belonged to the mixed fleet of shallow-draft merchant vessels that regularly called on the docks at Brazos Santiago, Point Isabel, and the mouth of the Rio Grande. Under federal maritime law at the time, all commercial steam-propelled vessels operating in U.S. waters had to undergo strict annual safety hull and boiler examinations. Because the railroad terminated far north in Alice, Texas, inspectors stationed out of New Orleans or Galveston oftentimes took overland stagecoaches across the arid, drought-stricken “wild horse desert” to certify ships in the lower Rio Grande Valley.
FOUND DEAD
Body of Herder Found With Four Bullet Holes
The body of Pedro Solis, a shepherd, was found dead last Thursday in the brush on the Granjeno ranch thirty miles from town. There is no clue to the perpetrators of the murder. Justice of the Peace Gavito was sent for Friday afternoon and returned Saturday, having investigated the case, but could find nothing to incriminate anyone. Solis was employed as a herder by Antonio Vasquez.
(The Brownsville Herald Mon, Jul 21, 1902 )
Editor’s Note: The ranch, which was named after the granjeno (spiny hackberry), a desert shrub native to the brush country of South Texas and northern Mexico, traces its roots back to Spanish land grants. Following the Mexican-American War, the Garza family established El Granjeno Ranch which was situated along the Rio Grande. Ranches like this primarily functioned as cattle and sheep-herding operations.
Working as alone herder (pastor) in the dense brush country was incredibly dangerous. Border bandits, cattle rustlers, and random violence were daily hazards for lone herders like Pedro Solis and it was not uncommon to find dead bodies in the brush with no witnesses or clues left behind.
In 1872, the local ranch owners donated a portion of their land to form the El Granjeno Cemetery. Though there is no record of where Pedro Solis was buried, one can assume he is occupying a plot alongside the graves of the early ranching families, vaqueros, and laborers of the Rio Grande frontier.
Rest in Peace Pedre Solis, Rest in Peace.
Weed Found In San Benito
SAN BENITO— Police dug up seven small marijuana plants found growing by the resaca near the bridge on Business 77, shortly after noon Friday.
Detective Lieutenant Ernesto Flores said police were in-formed of the plans by an anonymous telephone call to Patrolman David Silva. He added the plants were not cultivated and were growing amid other shrubbery. Flores said, “apparently the seeds were inadvertently spilled there.”
(Valley Morning Star Sat, May 11, 1974)