MEXICAN AMERICANS FARED WELL UNDER PARR’S DUVAL COUNTY MACHINE by Alfredo E. Cárdenas, B.A. A thesis submitted to the Graduate Council of Texas State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts, with a Major in History December 2018 Committee Members: Paul Hart, Chair John McKiernan-González Andrés Tijerina COPYRIGHT by Alfredo E. Cárdenas 2018 FAIR USE AND AUTHOR’S PERMISSION STATEMENT Fair Use This work is protected by the Copyright Laws of the United States (Public Law 94-553, section 107). Consistent with fair use as defined in the Copyright Laws, brief quotations from this material are allowed with proper acknowledgment. Use of this material for financial gain without the author’s express written permission is not allowed. Duplication Permission As the copyright holder of this work I, Alfredo E. Cárdenas, authorize duplication of this work, in whole or in part, for educational or scholarly purposes only. DEDICATION I dedicate this work to Genie, my wife of more than forty years, for her love, patience, support, and encouragement. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I wish to acknowledge all those who instilled in me a love for history and provided me the tools to become proficient in researching and recording it. Dr. Félix Almaraz first perked my interest in history during my Freshman year at St. Mary’s University in San Antonio. Before then I had no interest in history, believing it was in the past and there was nothing I could do about it. I was majoring in political science, and that, I thought, would equip me to make a difference in the present and the future. Dr. Almaraz instilled in me an appreciation of the old saying if you are not aware of past mistakes you are bound to repeat them. He made history come alive, and I was hooked for a lifetime of research and learning about the history of my native environment. I would also like to acknowledge members of my thesis committee for their help, guidance, and support: Dr. Paul Hart, Dr. John McKiernan-González, and Dr. Andrés Tijerina. Also, the many historians who helped me grow in historical research; among them, Dr. Jesús de la Teja, Dr. Emilio Zamora, Dr. Robert Wooster, and the many “amateur” historians like myself who shared their findings with me through the years. Finally, I would like to extend my most sincere appreciation to the many unnamed archivists and librarians who willingly went out of their way to help me in my search for the past. Special thanks to the staff of the Texas State Library & Archives, the Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, the Texas General Land Office Archives, and The Alkek Library at Texas State University. Also, the Nueces County Clerk, the Duval v County Clerk, the San Diego Independent School District, La Retama Central Library in Corpus Christi, the Alicia Salinas City of Alice Public Library, and other depositories containing historical records about Duval County, Texas. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ................................................................................................................................................ v LIST OF TABLES ............................................................................................................................................................ ix LIST OF FIGURES ........................................................................................................................................................... x CHAPTER INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................................. 1 The political boss in history ............................................................................................................. 2 The Montejano model ......................................................................................................................... 6 ANNEXATION .................................................................................................................................................. 9 Medio México ....................................................................................................................................... 11 Vienen Los Angloamericanos ....................................................................................................... 14 El Terreno .............................................................................................................................................. 20 La Gente .................................................................................................................................................. 21 El rancho y el ganado ....................................................................................................................... 24 Llegada del Ferrocarril y comerciantes ................................................................................... 29 Educación ............................................................................................................................................... 31 El acuerdo político ............................................................................................................................. 34 Un tiempo de transformación ...................................................................................................... 59 MODERNIZATION ...................................................................................................................................... 60 The new economy .............................................................................................................................. 62 Ranching to farming ................................................................................................................. 63 vii The discovery of oil ................................................................................................................... 64 The new awakening .......................................................................................................................... 66 The emergent Mexican American ...................................................................................... 67 Los Pinches Rinches .................................................................................................................. 68 Archie Parr takes over ..................................................................................................................... 76 Birth of a new era ............................................................................................................................... 82 RENEWAL ...................................................................................................................................................... 85 Discrimination ..................................................................................................................................... 87 Parr Machine solidifies its base ................................................................................................... 94 Mexican Americans Were Part of County’s Commercial Life ........................................ 96 Yearning for Self-Identity ............................................................................................................... 97 Mexican Americans in Full Control ..........................................................................................103 A Concluding Note ...........................................................................................................................104 CONCLUSION ..............................................................................................................................................106 A Closing Note ....................................................................................................................................111 APPENDIX SECTION ................................................................................................................................................114 BIBLIOGRAPHY ..........................................................................................................................................................125 viii LIST OF TABLES Table Page 1:1850 Nueces County Population by Ethnicity ................................................................16 2:1850 Rio Grande Valley Population by Ethnicity ..........................................................17 3: Duval County Census, 1860 ..........................................................................................22 4: Duval County Population, 1870.....................................................................................22 5: Duval County Census, 1880 ..........................................................................................23 6: Duval County Census, 1900 ..........................................................................................25 7: Results of Duval County Organizational Election, November 11, 1876 .......................50 8: Duval County Voting Age Population, 1880 .................................................................51 9: Duval County Elected Officials by Ethnicity, 1876-1886 .............................................52 10: Duval County Voting Age Population,1900 ................................................................59 11: Duval County Census by Place of Origin, 1910 ..........................................................61 12: Duval County Census by Place