Source Information: 
Census Place
Precinct 4, Cameron, Texas 
Family History Library Film
1255294
NA Film Number
T9-1294
Page Number
507D     

It was sometime before the turn of the 20th century when the El Muerto Ranch was in existence. It was located in former School Lands about four miles north-northwest of where the center of Harlingen would be. It was in survey 28 platted to one J.M. Gonzales. Here Don Julian Villareal and his wife Guadeloupe Montalvo Villareal built a house of sod, mud and sticks. They were soon joined by Calixtro Rosales (1859-1947) and his wife Modesta Villegas Rosales (1859-1944) who also built a simple abode. Their daughter was Leonor Rosales Alvarez would be 100 on 2/2/00. At age 48 on 10/18/1882 Julian would die. His son of the same name would later remove to Harlingen to establish a dry goods store with his brothers. This Julian was born 8/26/76 and died 3/8/38. Both are buried in the El Muerto Cemetery located on Godwin Road east of Combes and running north from FM 508. In 1990 Ofelia Olsson would compile a brief history of the cemetery and a comprehensive list all those buried there.