Gregorio VILLARREAL was born about 1818. His age is given as 42 in the 1860 Census, indicating he was born between August 6, 1817 and August 5, 1818. The 1880 Census gave his age as 56, indicating he was born between June 6, 1823 and June 5, 1824. I am now assuming that he was born about 1818. He died on Jan 4 1882 in La Grulla, Starr County, TX, USA. He was buried. According to Antonio Molina, his wish was that he be buried in San Antonio de Bejar, and his children complied with his wishes.
I am showing Gregorio Villarreal as the son of Ignacio Villarreal and Manuela Garza, but I have no documents to verify this. I am basing this on two separate sources of oral history. Antonia Molina of La Grulla related to me that she recalled her mother saying that Gregorio and Yrinea Villarreal were brother and sister. My aunt, Odilia Longoria, indicated she had a note from her mother Ana Trevino showing that the parents of Gregorio were Ignacio Villarreal and Manuela Garza. I do know that Gregorio's mother was a Garza, so all the evidence seems to indicate that Gregorio was indeed the son of Ignacio Villarreal and Manuela Garza.

On May 16, 1872, Gregorio Villarreal purchased from Mauricia A. Belden, the widow of Frederick (Federico) Belden, all of the "La Encantada" grant for $3000.00. In the description of the property, the southwest corner was placed at an original land mark called El Cuerudo; then proceeded North 1 degree west for 12565 varas to a large rock for the northwest corner, designated as San Pablo del Granjenito and being near the laguna Retamoza; thence East 10325 varas to the northeast corner, a large rock designated as land mark Layadero (also being the northwest corner of "Encino del Pozo"); thence South 12500 varas to the land mark called San Antonio for the southeast corner; thence west 10000 varas to the place of beginning.

La Encantada comprised 5 leagues, or sitios, of land and had originally been granted by Mexico to Jose Manuel Chapa on June 26, 1834. Jose Manuel Chapa, a citizen of Camargo, became discouraged "due to damage to cultivation from daily incursions by savage tribes" and, on April 10, 1837, sold La Encantada to Antonio Martinez Chapa, citizen of Matamoros, for 300 pesos. Only 12 days later on April 22, Antonio Martinez Chapa combined La Encantada with the Encino del Pozo grant (which he apparently purchased from Luciano Chapa on the same date that he purchased La Encantada from his brother, Jose Manuel Chapa) and sold both of them to French Strother, a citizen of Matamoros, for 932 pesos. French Strother held the properties for less than a year, and then, on March 15, 1838, sold La Encantada and Encino del Pozo to Federico Belden for 500 pesos, only about half of what he had paid just 11 months earlier. Thirty four years later, Federico's widow sold La Encantada to Gregorio Villarreal.

On September 25, 1873, Gregorio sold one league of La Encantada to Manuel Perez and another league to Juan Longoria. Beginning from the westernmost boundary of La Encantada, I believe the Manuel Perez league was the second league toward the east, followed by the Juan Longoria league. (The first league is probably the Garcia league)

The Inventory and Partition of the Estate of Gregorio Villarreal, dated Sept. 15, 1882, indicated his estate consisted of the following:
2 houses, the first "de madera cosina y mitad de solar y ancan cantiquo", and the
second "paredes de ladrillo y techo de madera con un jacal techo pajisos"
5 sitios, known as "La Encantada" (about 22,142 acres)
1 sitio, known as "El Panal" (about 4428.4 acres)
3 cordeles in the upper part of Porcion 93 (about 1328.52 acres)
3 cordeles in the lower part of Porcion 93 (about 1328.52 acres)
52 varas in the Porcion known as "Anacuas" (about 460.55 acres)
1 labor "del cupo de (7) Almudez de sembradura" (about 177.14 acres)
1 "potrerito que sirve para pastiar vestias y bueyes"
1 "solar, uviendo en la villa del Rancho que sirve para encerrar maiz"
494 head of cattle ("ganado baenno")
232 horses and mules ("ganado caballar")
21 hogs
5368 head of sheep and goats ("ganado menor")
24 loads ("cargas") of corn
Various household pieces made of iron, wood and stone
Cash in the amount of $1486.56 being held by Don Eligio Garcia
Cash in the amount of $27.50 being held by Don Nepomuceno Garza
Cash in the amount of $500.00 being held by Francisco P. Juarez
Cash in the amount of $800 being held by Gregorio's brothers, Antonio and Hilario
(This $800 was given to the 4 youngest children, Celso, Romana, Transito, and
Octaviana)
There is some inconsistency here, as a deed dated September 25, 1873, indicates that Gregorio had sold at least 2 (and probably 3) of the 5 sitios of land in La Encantada. A possible explanation is that by this time the La Encantada tract and the Encino del Pozo tract had been combined into one, and referred to simply as La Encantada; this would imply that Gregorio also owned at least 2 (probably 3) of the 4 sitios in Encino del Pozo. Parents: Ignacio VILLARREAL and Manuela de la GARZA.

He was married to Maria Ysidora RAMIREZ on Jul 2 1848 in Camargo, Tamaulipas, Mexico. The 1880 Census indicated that two of Gregorio's grandchildren were at his house on June 5, 1880, when the census was taken. They were 11 year old Anita and 6 year old Enrique, who is noted as having small pox. Anita and Enrique were children either of Gregorio's eldest son Manuel or of his eldest daughter Gabriela. Gabriela was also present in Gregorio's house when the 1880 census was taken; she was 27 years old at the time and thus Anita and Enrique could have been her children. Children were: Manuel VILLARREAL, Gabriela VILLARREAL, Jose Cildo VILLARREAL, Maria Rita VILLARREAL , Celso VILLARREAL Ramirez, Romana VILLARREAL, Transito VILLARREAL, Octaviana VILLARREAL.

La Encantada remained under the control of the Beldens for about 34 years, until May 16, 1872, when Mauricia Arocha Belden, the widow of Frederick (or Federico) Belden, sold La Encantada (probably including Encino del Pozo) to Gregorio Villarreal for $3000. Gregorio Villarreal, a resident of Camargo, was the great-grandfather of Zoila Villarreal, my mother.

Gregorio Villarreal was still residing in Camargo when he died in 1882 and it is doubtful that he ever actually established a permanent home at La Encantada. I believe that Gregorio Villarreal used La Encantada and Encino del Pozo only for their stated purpose when they were initially granted to the Chapas -- as "agostadero", or for the grazing of livestock.

Within a year after purchasing La Encantada, Gregorio Villarreal began selling off 1-league parcels to other citizens of Camargo, starting with the most westerly league of land and proceeding east. First, on a date I have not yet determined, he sold the most westerly league of land to Eligio Garcia (whose future grandsons were Esteban and Eligio Garcia). Then, on September 25, 1873, Gregorio Villarreal sold the second most westerly league of land to Manuel Perez. Gregorio then sold, on that same date of September 25, 1873, the third most westerly league to Juan Longoria, my father's great-grandfather. Sometime later, Gregorio apparently sold the fourth most westerly league of land to his brother Sabas Villarreal, whose wife, Isabel Ramirez, was a first cousin of Gregorio’s wife Maria Ysidora Ramirez

Family oral history indicates that the first ranch to be located on the La Encantada land grant was named "La Mesa" and was founded by Manuel Perez on the southern part of the league he had purchased. The next ranch to be founded was probably "Tacubaya" by the Garcia's on the northern part of the league the elder Eligio Garcia had purchased.

The league purchased by Juan Longoria, who was to become a compadre of Gregorio Villarreal three years later, was adjacent to the Perez league. The league purchased by Juan Longoria encompasses lands known today as “Santirenea” or “Santa Yrinea”, after a ranch named after Juan Longoria's wife Yrinea Villarreal. Sometime later, Gregorio apparently sold the fourth league of land from the La Encantada grant to his brother Sabas Villarreal, the husband of Isabel Ramirez, the first cousin of Gregorio’s wife Maria Ysidora Ramirez, giving rise to a ranch named "Santa Isabel".

Family oral history states that the first ranch established by the Villarreal family on La Encantada was named "El Tepeguaje", at a site situated on lands later sold to Scott & Hopper. After the sale to Scott & Hopper, Celso Villarreal, a son of Gregorio Villarreal, established a ranch called La Primavera, situated due west from “La Mota de la Encantada”, a grove of white oak trees noted on the original survey map of La Encantada for Juan Manuel de Chapa. La Primavera ranch grew to include many houses by the 1920’s, but as the land began to be partitioned and in some cases sold off, the ranch site eventually was razed and disappeared sometime in the 1940’s or 1950’s. Today the site of La Primavera is no longer on lands owned by any of the heirs of Gregorio Villarreal.

At some point, probably simultaneously with the La Encantada purchase, Gregorio Villarreal apparently also purchased the Encino del Pozo land grant because after he died his estate included a total of 5 leagues of land, one league from the La Encantada grant and four leagues from the Encino del Pozo grant.

Inventario

The heading on the cover page of the Inventory of the estate of Gregorio Villarreal, purchaser of the La Encantada and Encino del Pozo land grants. The inventory contains 36 pages and details each child's inheritance.

Gregorio Villarreal died on January 4, 1882, his wife having preceded him in death by six and one-half years. On September 15, 1882, the heirs gathered to approve and receive their respective inheritances. The Inventory and Partition of the Estate of Don Gregorio Villarreal Garza and wife included 5 sitios, or leagues, of land in “La Encantada”. This obviously refers to the remaining acreage that Gregorio Villarreal owned in both the La Encantada and Encino del Pozo tracts. The history of purchases and the resulting ownership may help explain why the two grants were combined into one by the Texas legislature when they were confirmed on June 17, 1904.
Page 8 of Inventario (click to enlarge)
The 8th page of the Inventory of the estate of Gregorio Villarreal itemizes the “Ganado Bacuno” (sic), or cattle livestock, and “Ganado Caballar” , or horse livestock.

As for livestock, Gregorio Villarreal’s estate included 494 head of cattle and oxen, 232 horses, mares, colts and mules, 21 hogs and 5368 head of sheep and goats. All of the livestock were categorized and valued accordingly.

The estate was divided equitably by value among the 7 surviving children, each one receiving a combination of land, livestock and other property worth $2573.58. Each heir received 1/7 of the 5 sitios of land in La Encantada, or about 3163.14 acres.

At the time of Gregorio’s death, Juan Longoria owned one league of land in La Encantada. After Gregorio’s death, Juan Longoria’s son Ponciano came to control the 1/7 league of land in La Encantada that his wife Maria Rita Villarreal inherited from her father Gregorio. Nine years later, Juan Longoria started to increase his landholdings in La Encantada. In 1891, Juan Longoria purchased 500 acres in La Encantada from Octaviana Villarreal, another of Gregorio’s heirs. Juan died in February 1892; however, his widow Yrinea continued the land purchases in August of the same year by purchasing 250 acres from Romana, another of Gregorio’s heirs. Yrinea died less than 4 months later and no further land acquisitions occurred until after the estate of Juan and Yrinea Longoria was partitioned in February 1897.

The estate of Juan Longoria and wife Yrinea Villarreal de Longoria included 5178 acres in La Encantada, 4415 acres in Porciones 93 and 94 in Starr County, 2214 acres in Gil Zarate’s La Blanca tract in Hidalgo County, 1280 acres in the Julian grant in Starr County, 930 acres in the Rucias tract in Hidalgo County, and 70 acres in Porcion 95 in Starr County. After dividing the land into 8 equal portions among the heirs, Ponciano Longoria inherited 647.25 acres in La Encantada which, when combined with the 3163.14 acres inherited by his wife Maria Rita, brought Ponciano and Maria Rita’s total landholdings in La Encantada to 3810.39 acres.

During 1897 and 1898, Ponciano continued to increase his landholdings in La Encantada, purchasing his seven siblings’ interests in the 750 acres purchased by their parents (a net increase for Ponciano of 656.25 acres) and purchasing 600 acres from Transito Villarreal, another of Gregorio Villarreal’s heirs. This brought Ponciano and Maria Rita Longoria’s total landholdings in La Encantada to 5066.64 acres. In one final transaction in 1910 wherein he traded 132.83 acres in Starr County for his sister Leonor’s interest in an equal amount of acreage in La Encantada, Ponciano brought his total landholdings in La Encantada to 5199.47 acres.

Sometime during the early 1900’s, Ponciano Longoria relocated his family from La Grulla to La Encantada. He first moved his family to a ranch on his La Blanca lands (on the Gil Zarate tract) and used that as his base to scout for a suitable location for his new ranch. Some of my father's younger siblings still recall hearing stories from their grandmother Maria Rita Villarreal about how, during one of his scouting missions, Ponciano encountered some Indians living near a natural spring of water. Once he found a suitable site for his new ranch, Ponciano commenced the building of homes soon thereafter. He named his new ranch “Santa Rita”, in honor of his wife Maria Rita Villarreal.

Not all of Ponciano's children joined him in the initial move to Santa Rita. Staying behind in La Grulla were some of Ponciano’s married children, including my grandfather Eugenio. But soon they too would join their father at Santa Rita. Eugenio would first move his family to Mission, Texas, where they lived for a short while with his wife’s step-brother, Manuel Trevino. They then moved to the La Blanca ranch and remained there until the ranch houses at Santa Rita were constructed, and moved there probably in the year 1914.
Santa Rita Ranch, ca 1918
At the Santa Rita Ranch, brothers Raul (at left) and Leonel Longoria pose with their pet calf, circa 1918.

Ponciano Longoria died in 1915, but the Santa Rita ranch remained the hub of the Longoria family until 1929, when Ponciano’s wife Maria Rita died. A few years prior to that, about 1925, Maria Rita had given each of her six children 200 acres each, with 100 acres fronting the farm to market road FM 755 and the other 100 acres fronting the highway US 281. The three male children built their own homes on their own 100 acre portions. The two eldest female children were living in homes on theirs husband's inherited lands. The only ones who remained at the Santa Rita ranch itself were Ponciano’s youngest daughter Francisca, her husband Simon Treviño and their children. The ranch continued to be occupied until 1987 when the home in which one of Simon Trevino's sons lived burned down. The ranch site currently belongs to one of Simon Trevino’s granddaughters, but many of the original ranch buildings were razed in the late 1990’s.

Today, many of the descendants of Gregorio Villarreal, Juan and Ponciano Longoria, Sabas Villarreal, Manuel Perez and the Garcias still live on their family lands in La Encantada. In some families, the trials and tribulations of life have resulted in large portions of the lands being sold, and many family members, myself included, have had to move away in order to provide for life’s necessities and make a decent living. La Encantada may have lost its enchantment for some of us, but it will live forever in our hearts.