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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, The Wilson County Historical Commission, the Wilson |
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County Historical Society, and the City of Floresville celebrated |
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the dedication of an Official Texas Historical Marker for Rancho de |
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Pataguilla on April 5, 2025; and |
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WHEREAS, Around 1740, the vast grazing lands of Rancho de |
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Pataguilla were granted to Mission San Juan Capistrano; the grant |
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encompassed over 66,000 acres, extending from Mission San Juan and |
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sprawling out through Bexar County and what would become Wilson and |
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Karnes Counties; on the north, it was neighbored by Rancho el |
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Paistle, lands allocated to Mission Concepcion; the eastern |
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boundary started at San Bartolome in El Rincón and extended seven |
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leagues up the eastern bank of Cibolo Creek to the "healing |
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springs," present-day Sutherland Springs; and |
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WHEREAS, The rancho primarily served as grazing land for |
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larger animals, and by 1762, it was estimated to have 3,500 sheep |
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and almost as many cattle, along with mules, donkeys, horses, and |
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oxen; vaqueros from Mission San Juan likely drove livestock there |
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on a regular basis to sustain the Indians and other residents; in |
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1782, private ranchers Simon Arocha, the militia captain at San |
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Antonio de Béxar, and Juan Arocha petitioned Spanish Governor |
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Domingo Cabello for eight leagues of land near Calavaras Creek at |
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Rancho de Pataguilla, more formally known as Rancho de San Rafael de |
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Pataguilla; the brothers stated that they had lived on the ranch |
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since 1766 and kept cattle corrals on Pataguilla Creek; on June 20, |
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1782, their request was granted; their property, spanning some |
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34,000 acres, was eventually subdivided among their heirs; during |
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the 1800s, after the missions secularized, communities and large |
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ranches sprang up on the land; Jose Maria Flores bought a tract from |
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the property, and his daughter, Josefa Flores Barker, later donated |
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some of her inheritance to Wilson County; that land became the |
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permanent county seat of Floresville, which was named for the |
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Flores family and established in 1872; and |
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WHEREAS, For nearly 300 years, Rancho de Pataguilla has |
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contributed to the rich heritage of the region, and the ranch's |
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special role in the history of South Texas is truly deserving of |
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this special recognition; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 89th Texas |
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Legislature, 2nd Called Session, hereby commemorate the dedication |
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of the Official Texas Historical Marker for Rancho de Pataguilla |
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and commend all those involved in securing this designation for |
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their efforts. |