ABOUT RANCHO LA UNION®
The land that eventually became Rancho La Union® was initially a Nuevo Santander Land Grant from Spain. Portions of that Land Grant trickled to families in the 18th century that were willing to fend off the French encroachment into the area of what is now south Texas and northern Mexico.
Don Guadalupe Martinez was a descendent of these original settlers. Ranching was an honored way of living and was learned through apprenticeship, rather than formal schooling.
Rancho La Union® is still a vibrant ranch that has many of the original structures. It is home to the jacales (small buildings), historical mesquite fences, and the mystery of the limestone dam where there is nothing but sandstone for hundreds of miles.
Rancho La Union® had been a resting point for those traveling to Corpus Christi from San Ygnacio and Mexico. A surrey, most likely built in the late 1800s, has recently been placed on loan to the Zapata County Museum of History.
When automobiles became popular, there became a need for roads. As a result, in the 1930's, Highway 83 was paved for the use of the autos. This was one of the first major developments of modernization in that area.
As time passed, the families from this old Spanish Land Grant area were being connected to the outside world for the first time, thus changing generational culture.
In the 1940's, more of these families had the opportunity to get an education and leave their small community for other jobs and lifestyles outside of the ranching community.
As a result, many of the earlier ranching arts and crafts have disappeared from the cultural landscape. There are no recent stone and block buildings, as technology has replaced hand dug wells, the hand built earthen dams, and the caliche and stone water troughs.
Don Lupe and Dona Lilia proudly accepted the responsibilities of Rancho La Union® in honor of their heritage, work ethic, and dedication to their community.
Today, the off-spring continues to foster the rich history of Rancho La Union® just as Lupe and Lilia embraced it. Rancho La Union® still exists as a ranch, but is now a multi-disciplinary educational center dedicated to research and the preservation of South Texas history.
THE RANCHO LA UNION® EDUCATIONAL FACILITY
Guadalupe Martinez was born into the ranching industry.
Being a descendent of the original Spanish settlers that inhabited the land and a fourth generation landowner in San Ygnacio, Guadalupe got his education in Laredo and returned to Rancho La Union® and to his ranching roots after completing business school in San Antonio.
Lilia Martinez was also a descendant of land grant families.
However, her true calling was in education. Being a lifelong learner and educator, Lilia dedicated her life to teaching children in Laredo and San Ygnacio, eventually retiring in 1971.
In 2012, Rancho La Union® became a part of The Guadalupe and Lilia Martinez Foundation. The board members voted unanimously to honor Rancho La Union® in the most fitting way by combining both Lupe and Lilia’s passions and turning it into an educational facility. On September 4, 2012, the Trademark Registration as an educational facility was received.
Lupe’s family imprint can still be felt throughout Rancho La Union®.
Whether it be in the jacales that once housed workers, or through the mesquite fences that have survived the test of time, the hard work of many generations is still felt at Rancho La Union®.
All the while, Lilia’s legacy continues as eager students arrive to learn about the past, while embarking on an educational journey, and in awe of what their future brings.
Since becoming an educational facility, Rancho La Union® has impacted students, teachers and programs. Studies and site visits have included, but are not limited to:
-
Project participation has included students and faculty from Texas A&M University-Kingsville, Texas A&M International University, and Eastern Michigan University.
-
A documentary was produced by Webb County Heritage Foundation where interviews were conducted with Professor Jim Glusing and students from Texas A&M University-Kingsville, along with Property Manager, Jack Gilpin. The video featuring the historic importance of Rancho La Union® was shown at the Heritage Foundation’s annual Founder’s Day Luncheon on May 10, 2014.
-
​​The Texas A&M University-Kingsville summer edition of the magazine, Javelina TODAY, contained a two page article titled “Preserving South Texas History” about Rancho La Union® and the studies being performed on site.
-
Rancho La Union® hosted Professor Christopher Talbot, Director of Art from Stephen F. Austin University. Professor Talbot dedicated numerous hours photographing this working ranch for use in a cultural landscape of the Camino Real.
-
Dr. Brent Hedquist from Texas A&M University- Kingsville has documented and presented a GPS map of the entire Rancho La Union® property. His research team plans to obtain more accurate GPS coordinates for future database and mapping purposes.
-
Members and associates of El Camino Real de los Tejas Historic Trail Association toured the historic sites at the ranch as part of their annual meeting.
-
Other organizations such as the Vernacular Architecture Forum, the Yale University Design Studio and The Houston Seminar Group have toured the ranch as part of their cultural study of South Texas.
In addition to being highlighted in documentaries, articles focused on historical preservation, restoration studies, and inspiring students, Rancho La Union® has moved into the future by becoming part of the Zapata County Reloj Del Sol Wind Farm that brings renewal energy to South Texas.
A 30-minute video documentary was released in 2022, winning numerous awards and was highlighted at the Festival de Cannes in France. The video can be found here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1cn6f7ZY0Nc
For more information about educational opportunities Rancho La Union®, email ana@glmfoundation.org.
Courtesy of Webb County Heritage Guild: