Credit: Nuestro Stories
The Treviño-Uribe Ranch is a wonderful piece of Texan history that encapsulates the gallantry of the Mexican-American people. It is also one of the few pieces of architecture in existence that reflects a time when frontiers began; its Mexican influence seeped through the southern culture of the United States.
Located on the lower end of Rio Grande, the Treviño-Uribe Ranch is a consequence of the Spanish settlement in Texas in the late 17th century.
Spanish settlements and cattle ranching attracted two Mexican pioneers. Jesus Treviño, a wealthy alderman, and Doña Ygnacia Guitiérrez Uribe, who crossed the Rio Grande to establish new ranches.
In 1820, Treviño, who still had his primary residence at Guerreo Viejo, Mexico, purchased 125,000 acres of ranch land north of Rio Grande. Ten years later, in 1830, he began the construction of a one-room fortified hut as an outpost.
Treviño’s daughter married Doña Uribe’s son and inherited the ranch after Jesus Treviño’s death in 1843.
The fortification has high, thick, windowless walls made of sandstone, with gun ports – and it’s secured by a gate leading to the courtyard.
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The animals were enclosed in a corral in the courtyard so that they would be protected from any outside threat.
The building underwent four to five campaigns of modifications that gave today’s look – always inspired by Mexican construction techniques, The architecture of the buildings adapted to the harshness of the environment, and any threats from American Indians.
The Treviño-Uribe finished their last modification in 1874 and prosperity began on the land. The threat of American Indians diminished; houses, churches, and a central plaza completed the transformation of the land into what is now known as the Historic District San Ygnacio.
Today, the ranch is considered an original witness to the Spanish-Mexican ranching influence in Texas.
Fun Facts:
- José de Escadón, a Spanish colonizer, brought Spanish settlers to the area where the Treviño-Uribe Ranch is located today, promising that they would not pay taxes for ten years.
- Historically, the Treviño-Uribe complex has been known as Rancho San Ygnacio, Fuerte Treviño, “El Fuerte,” and “el viejo fuerte,” among other nicknames.
- Morelet’s seedeater, a small sparrow-like bird, rare in the United States, can be seen around the ranch.
- San Ygnacio is the oldest town in the Zapata County.
- The Treviño-Uribe Ranch was included in the National Register of Historic Places in 1973 and in the National Register of Historic Places in 1998.
If You Go
- Be sure to see the inscription “En Paz y Libertad Obremos” (In Peace and Freedom Let Us Pray) on the roof.
Location: San Ygnacio, Texas
Address: 300-398 Trevino St
Take a virtual stroll here!
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Isaac Vallenilla is a cinema enthusiast with a Major in Modern languages from La Universidad de Los Andes, Venezuela. He has been working as a proofreader, translator, and educator for 6 years. He currently lives in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
