The city of Rancho Viejo
( historical marker ) is located on US 77
4.8 mi . N of Brownsville, Texas. Rancho Viejo (historical marker) is located on U.S. 77, 4.8 mi. N of Brownsville, Texas. Rancho Viejo was the site of the First European settlement in Cameron County. The area was originaly settled by Jose Salvador De La Garza, who built his ranch , El Espirito Santo, here in 1771. [ Source: Hispanic Texas , A Historical Guide, Texas Historical Commisson , Uni of Texas Press, Austin , p. 235.]
The Cemetery is said to be on the Barrera tract:
From The Heritage sampler:
Barrera : Cameron County. Celestino P. Barreda, a Spainard from Cuba became a prominent Brownsville entrepreneur and land owner. In 1928, he subdivided an 11,000 acre tract on the Missouri Pacific* line in Southern Cameron County. He engaged a sales representative in Chicago who organized trainloads of prospective buyers to the embryonic city of Barreda. They were lured by generous owner- financing. The enterprise included a handsome clubhouse with swimming pool. Many orchard tracts were sold, but the onslaught of the great depression prevented most of the buyers from continuing their payments. (see Russelltown).
Portero Del Espiritu Santo ( Potrero means colt, or colt pasture) granted by Spainto Jose Salvador De La Garza,1781. [ Source : ibid , P. 9.] Cameron County map of 1884 shows the confirmation No. 42 .
