Martín De León
| Martín de León | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born | 1765 Tamaulipas, Mexico |
| Died | 1833 (aged 68) Victoria, Texas |
| Resting place | Evergreen Cemetery Victoria, Texas 28°48′43″N 97°00′48″W / 28.81194°N 97.01333°W |
| Known for | Empresario founded De León's Colony |
| Spouse(s) | Patricia de la Garza |
| Children |
Fernando (1798) Candelaria (1800) Silvestre (1802) Guadalupe (1804) Felix (1806) Agapito (1808) Maria (1810) Refugia (1812) Augustina (1814) Francisca (1818) |
| Parent(s) | Bernardo De León María Galván |
Martín de León (1765–1833) was a rancher and wealthy Mexican empresario descended from Spanish aristocracy. He was the patriarch of one of the prominent founding families of early Texas. De León and his wife Patricia de la Garza established De León's Colony, the only predominantly Mexican colony in Texas. They founded the town of Victoria and named it "Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe Victoria" after Guadalupe Victoria who had just become the first president of Mexico. The De León E–J (Espíritu de Jesús) cattle brand became the first registered brand in what was to become Texas. The extended De León family included politicians and freedom fighters who helped alter the course of history both in Texas and in Mexico. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark number 6542 placed at Evergreen Cemetery in 1936 acknowledges Don Martin de León's contribution to Texas.Recorded Texas Historic Landmark number 6543 placed at Church and Bridge Streets in 1936 denotes Don Martin de León's home in Victoria.
Martín de León was born in 1765 in Burgos, Tamaulipas, Mexico to wealthy and well-connected aristocratic immigrants Bernardo and María Galván De León from Burgos, Spain. Martín's first career was as a supplier of basic necessities to Real de San Nicolás mine workers. He joined the Fieles de Burgos regiment in 1790, being promoted to Captain.
De León and his wife Patricia de la Garza began ranching in Cruillas following their marriage. In 1799, De León moved northward and established Rancho Chiltipiquin, a cattle ranch in the vicinity of San Patricio County, Texas. Their cattle brand of a connected E and J (Espíritu de Jesús) became the first registered cattle brand in what was to become Texas. The brand had been modeled after one used by the Jesuits, and brought over from Spain when the De León family emigrated. Martín officially registered it in Texas under the family name in 1807.
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