(first name was Aaron, but in old papers, went only by Green) Milstead

Notes: Aaron Green Milstead married his first wife, Sarah Russell, Feb. 6, 1835 in Escambia Co., FL. I think they had three children in Florida, but I’m not sure what happened to them after Sarah died. Also, there are several Lucindas in the Milstead family. Aaron had a sister named Lucinda S. Milstead (m. Thomas Lawson Odom). She lived in Texas, but only as far south as San Antonio.)
Aaron Green Milstead and Leonardo Villarreal were business partners and jointly owned/ran a sugarcane plantation and mill in the RGV between Santa Maria and Progreso and the Rio Grande (Rio Bravo). The families' homes were in Santa Maria, just off Old Military Highway (US 281). If you know where the old church, Our Lady of the Visitation, also known as "Chapel of Santa Maria", is on the right of the Military Highway going West, just look to your left about a mile up before you get to the Hidalgo County line, and that's where their plantation, mill, and business was. Leonardo's son, JM Villarreal, married Victoria Milstead, youngest daughter of Aaron Green Milstead. It seems like it was MORE than a marriage of business partnership convenience between the two men/families...their marriage lasted from 1870 until JM's death in 1926. They had eight surviving children

Additional information from Sebastian Villarreal based on Oral family history:
Colonel John Milstead was the husband of Adelaida Nettles, Aaron Green Milstead was his brother. The came to Texas fleeing a feud. Colonel Milstead had killed someone back in Mobile Alabama. They first settled for a while in Waxahachi, Texas. The, I presume brothers or other relatives were on their trail, John got wind of that and left there and made his way to El Rancho de la Gloria, Jose Maria's ranch. John Milstead asked if he could camp there for a while and my Grand fathers Father told him he could build his home there and raise his family. So that is what he did. Victoria was a little girl at the time.

It is true about the sugar cane plantation, the crop was turned mostly into "piloncio" as I recall my father's stories. I know there is a record of Aaron Green in Hidalgo County, business records and I believe his death records.