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THE KING RANCH ALVAREZ FAMILY Page 1 Page 2 (All information was research and compiled by Reynaldo G. "Ray" Alvarez, Jr. 1995-1997)
* At present time we have not found any documents other than those at the Texas State Archives that show that Mexican army colonel, Telesforo Alavez and his wife, Francisca, were the real parents of Matias Alvarez. The reader needs to see Bill Walraven's article (1986) in the Corpus Christi Caller Times regarding the "Angel of Goliad" (Alavez vs. Alvarez name theory). Also see book; "The Magnificent Barbarians" by Bill & Margorie Walraven (1993 edition --- Eakin Press, Austin, Texas) pages 91-98 regarding the Alavez/Alvarez name, Matias Alvarez and his children. Luis, Gerardo, Jacinto, Guadalupe, Maria, etc. & "The Angel of Goliad". Other sources are the historical manuscripts of Judge Harbert Davenport found at the Texas State Archives (Austin, TX) regarding Matias Alvarez, the Angel of Goliad story, Goliad Massacre, etc. Also in these Davenport manuscripts are the 1936 account of Mrs. Elena Zamora O'Shea discussion of her 1902-03 conversations with Matias Alvarez as well as that of Father Joseph G. O'Donohoe's accounts of Mrs. O'Sheas and Matias Alvarez. Another source is the King Ranch "Laureles Division" cemetery. Many Alvarez's and other related family members are buried there (many of Enrique Alvarez' descendants). Many other Alvarez's are buried in the Chamberlain Cemetery in Kingsville and the Riviera, TX Cemetery. Note: All of Matias's children were born in Matamoros, Mexico.
Overview Matias Alvarez was born in or around Matamoros, Mexico in 1836. He was married to Maria Felipa Mosqueda (1841- ? ). the daughter of Pedro Mosqueda (Nosquera?) ( ? -1847) and Maria Guadalupe Olivares (1819- ? .....we are now in the Spanish colonial era!). Maria Guadalupe was the daughter of Jose Maria Olivares and Polonia Llanes (Yanes), Felipa was also the sister of the famed Jose Maria Mosqueda (1834- ? ) (see the book "A Century of Conflict" by Rayburn re: Jose Maria Mosqueda). Jose Maria's granddaughter, Ester Mosqueda Mauricio, age 80, presently lives in Corpus Christi, TX) Matias Alvarez (1836-1913) and Felipa Mosqueda (1841- ? ) had the following children: CHILDREN OF MATIAS ALVAREZ & MARIA FELIPA MOSQUEDA
We do not think that Francisco, Herculiano, or Matias, Jr. ever came to the U.S. (King Ranch), but were born, lived and died in or around Matamoros, Mexico. The only children of Matias Alvarez that came to the U.S. (King Ranch), that family members remember, were Eucebio, Luis, Maria Sostenes, Gerardo, Guadalupe, Rita, Jacinto, Maria Delfina, & Manuel. All were born in Matamoros, Mexico. No present family members has ever heard of Francisco, Matias Jr., Telesforo, Pablo, or Dolores (Matias' children)....The names Telesforo, Pablo & Dolores came from noted historian, Harbert Davenport's documents filed at the Texas State Archives in Austin, TX. regarding Matias Alvarez, the Angel of Goliad, and other related stories. However, Matias had a grandson named Pablo Alvarez who was the son of Luis Alvarez. Pablo was born in 1900 in the King Ranch ( about the same time Mrs. O'Shea was teaching school there [1902-02]), and maybe Ms. O'Shea thought Pablo was Matias son instead of his grandson. In addition, Dolores was the daughter of Maria Sostenes Alvarez (Matias' daughter) and Pablo Blanco and Mrs. O'Shea could have also thought Dolores was Matias child instead of his grandchild. Dolores lived for a time with her uncle, Eucebio Alvarez, and his family in Hidalgo County (see 1910 U.S. Census at the end of this document). According to the 1900 U.S. census, Matias was born in 1840. However if his first born, Francisco, was born in 1856 that would put Matias at age 16. Or maybe he was really 16 and told whomever married him that he was older. Matias was probably older and possibly was born around 1836. We have found that on several occasions the U.S. Census records and actual birth certificates differ from 1- 5 years. For example one of Matias' sons, Eucebio, was born in 1861 (other records have Eucebio born in 1863 or 1864). Another son, Luis, according to the U.S. Census was born in 1865 but his gravestone says 1864. Francisco, Herculiano, and Matias Jr., we don't think, ever migrated to Texas like the rest of their brothers & sisters. Research on these three individuals has not yet started, with the exception of Herculiano. He had Maria, Felipa, Paula and Esmedehildo, all of which were born in Matamoros, Mexico but immigrated to the U.S. We did find one of Maria's daughter's, Hortencia Alvarez Andrade, age 83, living in Corpus Christi, TX. and she said that her grandfather Herculiano Alvarez, was born and reared in Matamoros, Mexico but never came to the U.S. like his father (Matias) and other brothers and sisters. The following are Matias' known children, their spouses and their children: (Not yet researched) (never came to U.S.)
(Not yet researched) (never came to U.S.)
Herculiano (Arculiano) Alvarez (1857- ? ) and Blasita De La Rosa ( ? - ? )(never came to U.S.) had the following:
Eucebio Alvarez (1861-1917) and Jesusa Silva (1871-1956), both buried in Riviera, TX. had the following:
Luis Alvarez (1864-1941) and Augustina Garza (1877-1932) both buried in Riviera, TX. had the following:
Maria Sostenes Alvarez (1870- ? ),bi ? and Pablo Blanco ( ? -1924), buried in Riviera, TX. had the following:
(Maria Sostenes later divorced Pablo) Gerardo Alvarez (1874-1914) and ? (1st wife) had the following:
(not yet researched)
Rita Alvarez (1880-1944) and Francisco Quintanilla, Sr. (1870-1928) both buried in Kingsville, TX. had the following:
Jacinto Alvarez (1881-1938) and Virginia Bledsoe (1879-1960's) both buried in San Antonio, TX. had the following:
(not yet researched)
None..... (He never married) As of March l995, the history or whereabouts of the other children of Matias Alvarez..... Francisco, Herculiano, Matias, Jr., Guadalupe, and Maria Delfina are unknown. We cannot find death certificates on any of these "other children" of Matias at the Texas State Archives or Texas Dept. of Health (or course Maria is buried in New York State). We know Maria Delfina and Guadalupe existed because they are listed in the 1900 U.S. Census as children of Matias and other family members remember them. In Texas, the recording of death certificates did not start until l903 and were not really enforced until sometime in the late 1920's. Family members say that all of Matias' children were born in or around the Matamoros....some said possibly in the Camargo, Mexico area. However according to the 1900 U.S. Census, Matias was born Feb. 1840 in Matamoros, Mexico. His parents are probably buried in Matamoros, Mexico. However in a recent trip to Matamoros' oldest cemetery, We could not find any gravestones or records on Matias, Telesforo Alavez (Alvarez) and others. We checked the "Registros Civil" (civil registers) and church records in Matamoros and could not find them either. The folks there told me that most of the records before 1860 were virtually non-existent and many of the records from 1860 to 1868 were missing and incomplete (many people took these records home for safekeeping during the French occupation (1860-1868) and never returned them. Also Mexico had many revolutions in which churches, civil records and buildings were burned or destroyed. Whatever record books that exist are in so poor condition that they literally "fall apart" in your hands (ie: a 1861 Matamoros civil register book that we looked through trying to find Luis Alvarez's birth certificate). According to records at the Texas State Archives (Harbert Davenport Manuscripts), when Matias Alvarez first came to the U.S. he worked around the Ft. Brown Area (Brownsville, Texas) and on the Yturria & Cortina Ranches (Lower Rio Grande Valley area). Story has it that Capt. Richard King gave Matias a job at the King Ranch in 1884 (King died a year later in 1885). We don't know if Matias' wife moved to the King Ranch with him. The last child born to both of them "in Mexico" was Manuel in 1886. But according to 1900 U.S. Census records Manuel was born in 1882 and Maria Delfina was born in 1885. However family members have always said that "Manuel" was the youngest of the children and his death certificate has him born in 1886. Maybe when Matias went to work on the King Ranch in 1884 he left his wife in Matamoros, Mexico to have their last 2 children(?). Or maybe the wife joined them later, maybe not(??). Matias' wife, Felipa, is not listed in the 1900 Census in Matias' household. He is listed as a widower and head of household living with some of his children, Maria Sostenes, Maria Delfina, Jacinto & Manuel, in Nueces Co. Pct.#4. (See attached 1900 Census info.). She probably died sometime between 1886 & 1900. According to some old documents, Rita Alvarez Quintanilla had once stated that her mother, Felipa, had died of pneumonia but did not specify when or where, probably sometime between 1886 and 1900. However according some other family members, Rita's daughter, Rita Q. Rodriguez (Rita had a daughter named Rita), once stated that her grandmother, Felipa Mosqueda Alvarez had died on the King Ranch and was buried in a place called "La Boveda." Mr. W.A. "Pot' Brown, the caretaker of the Riviera Cemetery, once took me to a large field that the locals called "La Boveda" which was once a lake and had also been the place where several soldiers had died and were buried. These soldiers were passing through this area, became ill (small pox or some other similar type disease) and were buried there. This place was also thought to be an Indian burial ground (?). La Boveda (which in Spanish means "a burial place") is located east of Hwy 77 between Kleberg County roads #628 and #771. When Kleberg County was constructing several of their county roads in this area, their trenching machines dug up many of these soldier's skeletons. Was there originally a cemetery there for the locals? Is Felipa Mosqueda Alvarez buried there also? Was this area also once a part of the King Ranch (as was "Radiche" until @ 1919?). However, other family members say that "La Boveda" was "west" of Santa Cruz in the King Ranch. Who would have these cemetery records? The King Ranch? Rita Q. Rodriguez also stated that her mother Rita had once told her that around the turn of the century some men had come to see Matias Alvarez about signing some papers regarding a ranch or land grant in the Lower Rio Grande Valley area named "Ojo de Agua." This same land or ranch was one that was also involved with the Balli Spanish Land Grant controversy (Padre Island ?). Note: Nueces Co. Pct #4 later became Kleberg Co. in 1913. On March 18, l995, Francisco "Panchito" Quintanilla, Jr., (at age 89...born Oct.1905) and we located the grave of his grandfather, Matias Alvarez, in the Riviera, TX. Cemetery. Panchito stated that he attended Matias's burial when he was about 8 yrs. of age (in 1913). (Rita Q. Rodriguez once also stated that Matias died in 1913). We located the unmarked grave which is located in the very northwest corner of the cemetery next to the fence on the north side on the first row (the corner grave). Panchito remembers that there was a wooden cross there at one time (it is non-existent now). One of Matias' son's, Luis Alvarez (my great-grandfather), is buried about 5-6 graves from the north fence (northwest) but on the upper 2nd row of Block 1. Block 1 of the Riviera Cemetery is one of the oldest sections and was referred to as the "Mexican section". Also according to one of my father's cousins, "Molly" Alvarez, (Alejandro's daughter), her mother use to put flowers on all the Alvarez graves and then she always put flowers on an "Alvarez" unmarked grave at the very northwest corner of the cemetery, a few graves northwest of Luis Alvarez. That was Matias' grave. Regarding Maria Delfina, one of the Matias' daughters, she was the companion-maid of Mrs. Clara Driscoll of Corpus Christi, TX. Story has it that Maria, while in New York with Mrs. Driscoll, met a man, with the last name of "Martin", married him, and never returned to Texas. In the recent interview (Feb.l995) with "Panchito" Quintanilla, Jr. he stated that sometime in 1936, while taking 15 King Ranch horses (by train) to the Belmont Track in New York, he attempted to locate the family of his aunt Maria Delfina. His Aunt Maria Delfina as well as her husband were already deceased when he tried to locate her family in New York. Maria had died first, followed later by her husband. Panchito states that when he went to her home (approx. 30 minutes from the Belmont Track) to look for her children, he could not find anyone there. Pressed for time, Panchito returned to Texas. The Belmont Track is located in Elmont, Long Island, N.Y. (Nassau County). Then according to Panchito, sometime during the 1940's, "some Anglo persons" from New York state came to Kingsville, TX. looking for "Alvarez" relatives. They said they were related to Maria Delfina Martin. Rita Alvarez Quintanilla ("Panchito", Jr.'s mother and Maria Delfina's sister), had her address and they would write to each other frequently. At present we don't have any copies of these letters or know what ever happened to Maria Delfina. Another of Matias son's, Manuel was born in Mexico Dec. 1882 according to U.S. Census or 1886 according to his death certificate; he never married, died in Bexar County in 1957 and is buried in the Chamberlain Cemetery in Kingsville, TX. In May 1995, Guadalupe Rodriguez Camacho of Kingsville, TX. identified her great-uncle Manuel's grave. He is buried right next to his brother-in-law, Francisco Quintanilla, Sr. (as you are looking at the Quintanilla gravestone, Manuel would be buried to the right). The Quintanilla Family had him buried in one of the many grave plots which they owned in the Chamberlain Cemetery. Manuel Alvarez is listed under the Quintanilla plots at the Chamberlain Cemetery in Kingsville, Texas. Another one of Matias' sons, Luis Alvarez, continued living in Mexico (Matamoros) and probably didn't move to the King Ranch (we think) until sometime between 1894-1898. His daughter, Guadalupe, (I remember her !....my "Tia Lupita"....she took care of me when I was a child) was born in Mexico in 1894. His son Pablo (my grandfather) was born in Texas (King Ranch-Santa Cruz Section) in 1898 or 1900. None of the Alvarez' show up in the 1880 Census, the 1890 is non-existent (destroyed by fire). The first census that any Alvarez showed up was in 1900. Matias shows up on the 1900 Census as a widower and head of the household but does not show up in the 1910 or 1920 Census. He is said to have died in 1913. According to Francisco Quintanilla, Jr.(grandson of Matias), he stated (in a Feb. l995 interview) that his grandfather Matias was living with them (Francisco Sr./Rita Alvarez Quintanilla household) until his death in 1913. As a small boy , Francisco Jr. remembered his grandfather well. He stated that all his family lived in a little community called "Radiche" which was located on the east side of Hwy. 77 between Ricardo & Riviera, TX. approx. three miles north of Riviera (north of Klegberg County #628 going to the King's Inn). As a small boy, he (Francisco Jr.) and his other brothers used to tie a rope to Matias' porch swing (a swing that Francisco Sr. had made for Matias) and pull or rock him back and forth. Francisco Jr. remembers his grandfather Matias as a very old man, very "white in complexion and with blue eyes....a real Spaniard", he said, that was mostly bed-ridden, except for the times that he was on the porch swing. Francisco Jr. also remembers his uncles, Eucebio, Luis, Gerardo, Jacinto and others coming to his home to visit their father, Matias, before he died. Some of Luis', Gerardo's & Jacinto's children and grand children also have blue eyes. The Radiche Community was part of the King Ranch and later Mrs. King sold that area to a developer around 1919. There were four houses in "Radiche" that were occupied by the Alvarez & Quintanilla families. Then sometime around 1919, a few years after Matias had died, all of the families (Alvarez & Quintanilla), including the homes, were moved west across Hwy.77 to the King Ranch community of "Santa Cruz." Matias was living with his daughter, Rita Alvarez Quintanilla and her husband Francisco Quintanilla Sr. & family (Panchito & others) there in Radiche. The "Santa Cruz" community is located on the westside of Hwy. 77 between Ricardo and Riviera, Tx, approx. two to three miles north of Riviera. According to Francisco, Jr., Matias was not buried in "Radiche" but instead in the Riviera Cemetery because there was not an "official cemetery" located in Radiche, except for a very small one in a field nearby(?) (maybe Matias' wife is buried in Radiche). Panchito did not know the name of Matias's wife (his grandmother). She was already dead before Panchito was born. In addition, we have checked the 1910 & 1920 Census (Francisco Quintanilla, Sr. household) and did not find Matias listed...... he was probably missed by census takers. We also could not find Matias in the 1910 & 1920 Census either living by himself or living in the "Quintanilla or Blanco" households in Nueces or Kleberg Counties. Since Matias only had three daughters and Maria Delfina had moved to New York, Maria Sostenes Alvarez Blanco or Rita Alvarez Qunitanilla were the only daughters listed or left living in South Texas. According to Francisco Jr., he remembers that Matias died before Eucebio Alvarez (who died in 1917), because Eucebio, Luis, and other would go to visit their father Matias before he died in 1913. According to historical accounts of Mrs. O'Shea and other documents at the Texas State Archives, Matias brought his mother, Francisca ("Panchita"), with him to the King Ranch and in 1902-03 this woman was well into her 90's and bed-ridden. Francisca, also known as "The Angel of Goliad", is said to be buried somewhere on the King Ranch in an unmarked grave. Mrs. Richard King knew where she was buried (source: Harbert Davenport & Elena Zamora O'Shea papers at the Texas State Archives). Someone should contact Mr. Bruce Cheeseman, Archivist for the King Ranch Museum in Kingsville, Tex. and ask him about this story, King Ranch cemeteries, etc. If "Panchita" was in her 90's in 1902-03, then she would have been born around 1813, thus making her around 23-25 yrs. old in 1836 when Matias was born. Regarding Riviera, TX. Cemetery records, there are some "unknowns" about some of the Alvarez's buried there or Alvarez burial plots, according to the caretaker, Mr. Brown:
(this person is really Petra Alvarez Tijerina; born 1907 and died on 06/03/1934. Maybe her grave was bought on 06/02/1934). She presently has a concrete cross at her grave but with no name and is buried next to her brother Pablo Alvarez, Sr. in one of Frutoso Ruiz' original 10-12 grave plots. In the Riviera Cemetery one lot is 12.5' x 20' & has 6 grave plots in it.
(first name on grave is scratched off)
On above person #2, which is in the "old" part of the cemetery (Block 1),..... this person is Eucebio Alvarez who is "now buried" next to his wife Jesusa in a "newer section" of the cemetery (Block 15). He died in 1917, she died in 1956 and according to Eucebio's daughter-in-law (Rafaela Tijerina Alvarez...wife of Samuel Alvarez, Sr.), Eucebio was later moved (@1956-58) to be next to his wife. Rafaela states that her husband Samuel, Sr. scratched off the name "Eucebio" from this old gravestone when his father was moved to the other location, so that people would not think there were "two" Eucebio's buried in the cemetery. However, Samuel, Sr. did not scratch off the last name of "Alvarez" because there are two of Eucebio's infant children buried in the two graves next to his old and empty grave (as you are looking at Eucebio's old gravestone, the two graves would be to the right). These two infants, according to Rafaela T. Alvarez, both died at birth or shortly there after and were younger than her husband Samuel, Sr. who was born in 1907. Therefore these children were born and died sometime between say 1908 and 1917 (1917 is when their father Eucebio died). The infants were both males, one named Gregorio and the other, Jesus Alvarez. On person # 3; (J. Alvarez).... That could be Jesus Alvarez, infant son of Eucebio Alvarez.....or maybe this plot was bought by Jerardo (Gerardo) in 1913 before he died in Jan. l914. However Gerardo is buried in Kingsville, TX. Or could this be a child of Luis, Eucebio, Jacinto, or Gerardo, etc.. They had many children that died as infants, etc. Maybe this plot was never used by an Alvarez family member, but given out to someone else.(?) Or maybe it was purchased by Jacinto Alvarez for his father, Matias Alvarez, who we think died 1913. I once heard a family member make reference to a "Jose Matias." In my research I have found out that many of the old cemeteries in Texas listed the grave plots by the "person's who purchased the plot" and not by the person who is actually buried there. On #4; (J. M. Alvarez).....Maybe this plot was bought in 1917 or 1920 by Jacinto Alvarez (who is really buried in San Antonio, Tx., San Fernando Cemetery); maybe he gave it away to someone else or maybe it is an infant of any of the Alvarez'; born in 1917 and died in 1920 and was never documented or recorded(?). According to family members, Jacinto did have at least two children that died as infants and Luis had 20 children, 10 who died as infants or young children. For Riviera Cemetery information contact: Mr. W.A. Brown (or Betty) Riviera Cemetery Association P.O. Box 53 Riviera, TX. 78379 Ph: 512-296-3230 or 296-3620 Note: First person to be officially buried in the Riviera, TX. Cemetery was in 1909. I have checked the Kleberg County Clerk's Office (which did not start registering Alvarez deaths until 1926 and Alvarez births until 1899), the Texas Health Dept. (Vital Statistics Dept.) and the Texas State Archives in Austin, Texas and the above "unknowns" have not been found. It should be noted that just because a death certificate states the "place of death", that does not mean that a person is "buried" in that county where he/she died. After death the body could have been transported for burial elsewhere....ex: to Kleberg County from Bexar County or from Nueces Co. etc.. Or many Kleberg County residents could have died in a Corpus Christi hospital, buried in Kleberg County and the death certificate would still be registered in Nueces County. Note: Kleberg County was not organized until 1913. It was part of "southwest" Nueces County Pct #4. In Texas, death certificates were not required until 1903 and not really enforced until the late 1920's or early 1930's. Many women's death certificates were not registered until after 1932. Prior to that many people died and were buried in unmarked graves on farms and ranches, etc. Likewise many were born at home, using "midwives", and the birth's not recorded until later, if at all......Sometimes women would return to another female relative or parent, say in Mexico, to have their children and later return to their Texas home. My grandmother, Angelita Ruiz Alvarez, was such a case. Also checking the Texas State Archives Death Certificate Index (1903-1940), I found no "Matias Alvarez. However even though Texas Law required death certificate to be filed after 1903, many, especially those living in farms & ranches, never filed anything.....just buried the person out in a field, etc. Same thing happened with births....especially in Mexico. In addition, sometimes "informants" in a death certificates sometimes could not pronounce or spell the deceased name. For example, in the death certificate of Luis Alvarez, his first name is misspelled (Louis instead of Luis). However in Gerardo's death certificate, his name is spelled "Jerardo" instead of Gerardo. My father, Reynaldo Ruiz Alvarez, always said his grandfather's family on the Luis Alvarez side came from the Matamoros, Mexico area.
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Copyright © 2004 Angel of Goliad Descendants H. P. |
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