PIONEER FAMILIES OF THE PRESIDIO SAN AGUSTÍN DEL TUCSON Introduction In 1856 the Mexican army left the Tucson Presidio, taking with them the civil, church, and military archives. At an 1879 hearing, Francisco Solano León was asked what had happened to the records. He reported that they had been taken to Imuris, but didn’t know their whereabouts afterwards (Journals of Private Land Claims n.d.). Some of the records turned up in a closet in Imuris that year and were taken by Alphonse Pinart to California, where they are in the collections of the Bancroft Library in Berkeley. However, most of the Tucson records, including the Catholic baptismal, marriage, and burial records appear to have been lost. Filomeno Santa Cruz reported that some were used as cigarette rolling papers. This project began in 1999, shortly after the discovery of the Leon farmstead adjacent to Interstate 10. While studying that family’s history, connections with other contemporary families became apparent. Tucson was a relatively small community of between 400 and 500 people from the 1770s to the 1850s. By the end of the Presidio years, most of the inhabitants were related to each other. By systematically combing through the surviving records, the lives and stories of several thousand people could be reconstructed. Native American families were not included in this study. There are a smaller number of available records that list the Native American residents of the San Agustin Mission and the Apaches who lived adjacent to the Presidio (see Dobyns 1976: 163-170). The two earliest censuses, for 1752 and 1766, do not list surnames for the residents, and only a few likely matches could be made between the two records. The 1801 census lists surnames, but these people could not be linked with earlier records. A small number of baptisms were recorded for Native Americans between 1844 and 1848. None of the records list the Apache residents. As a result of the lack of records, it proved impossible to adequately track individuals and families through time and prepare family sketches. Information in this document may be used for research with proper citation. Brief entries can be copied and reprinted in scholarly documents or other noncommercial uses. Large scale reproduction is not authorized. This remains the intellectual property of the researcher (i.e. Homer Thiel). Assistance from others in correcting or expanding information contained in this document will be acknowledged. Pioneer Families of the Tucson Presidio Page ii INDEX OF NAMES Carrillo Gurrola Carrisosa Abate Casanova Hernandez Abila/Avila Castillo/Castelo/Gastelo Herran Abril Castro Herreras Acedo/Azedo Chabira Higuera/Yguera (see also Acosta Chamorro Aguirre) Acuña Chavarria Huerta Aguirre (see also Higuera) Chavez Agustína Ciercil? Iguaya [or Yguaya] Alegria Colosio Allande Comadurán Jacome Alvares/Alvarez Contreras Alviso/Albiso Corales/Corral/Corrales Ledesma Alvarado Corona León Amayo Coronado Ligandes Amezquita Crespo Lira Anaya Cruz Lizarraga Andrada/Andrade Cuellar Lopez Apodoca Lujan Arias/Araisa Daniel Luz/Lucas/Luques Aros/Aroz Días/Díaz Arriola Duarte Maldonado Arriquivar Duran Marin Arvizu Marquez/Marques Avila Elías Martinez Avilducea Elías-Gonzáles Mascareño Ayala Escalante Medina Espinosa Mendes Baez Estrada Mesa Baldenegro Evangelista Michelena Balderrama Miranda Balle Federico Monroy Barragan Fernandez Montaño Barreda Fierro Montijo Barrera Figueroa Montoya Barrios Franco Moraga Bega (see Vega) Fuentes Morales Bejarano Moreno Beldarrain Gales/Galaz Morillo Benitez Gallardo Munguia Bernal Gallego/Gallegos Muñoz Borquez/Bojorquez Gamez Buena Gamunez Narbona Burrola García Noriega Burruel Gastelo (see Castello) Nuñez Bustamente Gastelum Gauna Ochoa/Ocha Calvadillo German Ocoboa/Ocovoa Camacho Gomez Ogeda Camargo Gongora Oliva Campa/Campas/Campos Gonzáles Orosco/Orozco Cancio Granilla/Granillo Ortega Canelo Grijalva Ortiz Cano Guana Osorio Canoro Guevara Otero Pioneer Families of the Tucson Presidio Page iii Oya Valenzuela/Balenzuela Pacheco Valle Palacios Vasquez/Basquiz/Yescas Palomino Vega/Bega Pena/Pina Vera Verdugo/Berdugo Peralta Vergara Perdigon Vilderray Perez Vildusea/Bilducea/Bildeluca Polanco Villa/Villasenor Preciado Villaescusa Quijada Yguera (see Higuera) Quintero Zambrano Ramirez Zamora Rangel Zapata/Zepeda/Cepeda Ribera/Rivera Zúñiga Rico Zurita Rios Rodriguez Romanos Romero Ruelas Ruis/Ruiz Saavedra Saiz/Saez/Saens/Saenz Salazar Sanchez/Sanches Santa Cruz Sardina Sierra Siqueiros Sisneros Solares Solis Soqui Sortillon Sosa/Soza Sotelo Soto Tacuba Tapia Telles Tisnado Tona Toraño Ureñ Urquijo Urrea/Urreas/Urias Urtado/Urtrado Usarraga Valdez Valencia Pioneer Families of the Tucson Presidio Page 1 ABATE Don José María Abate enlisted as a soldier in the Spanish army on 15 February 1755. He served in the Infantry in Hibernia for 11 years, seven months, and two days. He then came to the New World and served in the infantry for four years and eight months. He was promoted to Sergeant on 17 July 1771 and served in the Dragoons of Mexico for five years, seven months, and two days. He was then promoted to Ensign on 19 February 1777 and served at the Presidio of Altar for three years and 21 days. He was promoted to Lieutenant on 11 March 1780 and served at Santa Cruz for one year, nine months and 20 days before being transferred to Tucson.1 José was listed as a Lieutenant at the Tucson Presidio from 2 May 1782 and 15 January 1784.2 On 2 May 1782, Abate wrote a letter that described how Native Americans in Yuma decorated their faces.3 ABILA/AVILA Juan Antonio Avila was a civilian living in Tucson with a son and three daughters in 1797.4 Ramón Abila was married to Guadalupe Sierra. They were the parents of one child: i. Ramón Modesto Abila was born on 24 March 1845. He was baptized on 28 August 1845 in Tucson, Sonora, Mexico. His godparents were Bernardino Campas and Rita Campas.5 ABRIL Juan Abril was born around 1762 at the Pueblo of Batuco [?], Sonora, son of Mateo Abril and Regina Ramos. At age 23 he worked as a farmer, was 5 ft 2 inches tall, and was a Roman Catholic. He had black hair and eyebrows, dark skin, gray-brown eyes, a regular nose, a long face, and a light beard. He volunteered at Horcasitas on 9 October 1785 for eight years, receiving three pesos as a down payment. He could not read or write so he signed with a cross, after the duties described in the Royal ordinances were read to him. Antonio Perez and Francisco Escandon acted as witnesses.6 Juan was a soldier stationed in Tucson in 1791 and 1792. He had a 54 peso debt in 1791 and a 82 peso debt the following year.7 Juan was wounded by an enemy (probably an Apache warrior) sometime in 1791 or 1792, receiving a lance wound that cut a tendon. He was so lame that he could do no work standing. He received a medical leave and stayed in Tucson.8 He died on 22 October 1800 in Tucson.9 1Tucson Presidio Annual Report 1783-1784. 2Dobyns 1976:70, 157, 159. 3Dobyns 1976:70-71. 4Collins 1970:22; MS 1079, Box 5, file 83 AHS/SAD. 5Magdalena Catholic Church Records, UAL Microfilm 811, Roll 1, Book 1, page 174, no. 183. 6AGS, Section 7047, document 10. 7AGS, Section 7047, documents 6 and 10. 8AGS, Section 7047, document 10. 9AGI, GUAD 280, Military Rolls of the Tucson Presidio, October-December 1800. 10St. Augustine Catholic Church Marriage Records, 1:85. Pioneer Families of the Tucson Presidio Page 2 ACEDO Adelaide Acedo was born about 1853-1854 in Tucson, Sonora, Mexico, daughter of Jose Maria Acedo and Guadalupe Sardina. Adelaide was married on 16 October 1871 in Tucson to José de Luz Miranda. Desiderio Miranda and Simón Miranda witnessed the wedding. José was the son of Francisco Miranda and Josefa Orosco.10 José de Luz Miranda and Adelaide Acedo were the parents of one child: i. Francisco Miranda was baptized on 10 January 1873 in Tucson. His godparents were José María Acedo and Guadalupe Sardina.11 Andres Acedo was born circa 1824/1825. On 16 March 1848 he was listed as a citizen of Tucson.12 Francisco Acedo was born circa 1799.13 He was married prior to 1831 to Rafaela Granillo. In 1831, Acencio was a soldier at the Tucson Presidio. He lived there with his wife and two children.14 In early 1848 the couple and their five children- Ermenegildo [Eleuterio?], José Ygnacio, Demetrio, Antonio, and Cruz- were living in Tucson.15 On 16 March 1848, Francisco was on the list of “Guardia Nacional Hombres” for Tucson.16 Francisco Acedo and Rafaela Granillo were the parents of five children: i. José Ignacio Acedo was born in 1823. ii. Eleuterio Acedo was born in May 1833 in Tucson, Sonora, Mexico. iii. Demetrio Acedo was born between 1831 and 1848. iv. Antonio Acedo was born between 1831 and 1848. v. Cruz Acedo was born between 1831 and 1848. José Acedo was living in the household of Guadalupe Zambrano and Patra Martinez in 1831.17 José Ignacio Acedo was born circa 182318, son of Francisco Acedo and Rafaela Granilla. On 16 March 1848, Jose was on the list of “Guardia Nacional Hombres” in Tucson.19 José Ignacio acted as an assistant to Ignacio Saens when he surveyed land being given to José María Martinez on 23 February 1851.20 José María Acedo was married prior to 1797 to Juana Baes. In 1797, José was a civilian living in Tucson with his wife, one son, and a daughter.21 José María Acedo was born about 1820 in Tucson, Sonora, probably the son of Loreto Acedo and Ursula Solares.22 He was married prior to 1853 to Guadalupe Sardina. Guadalupe was born about 1833-1834 in Tucson, Mexico. On 11St. Augustine Catholic Church Baptisms, 1:196. 12AGES, Ramo Ejecutivo, Toma 189A.The document lists his age as 23 on 16 March 1848.