Barronena Ranch
Realitos, Duval County, Texas
Marker Inscription
The Barronena Ranch is an important reminder of early South Texas ranching. Named for a creek (now called Los Machos) which traverses the property, the ranch was part of a larger tract owned by Diego Hinojosa, who received a grant of five leagues from the Republic of Mexico. In 1856, Hinojosa received a state of Texas patent for 2237 acres of this land. James O. Luby (1846-1932) later owned a part of the ranch. a native of England and a Confederate veteran of the Civil War, Luby became the first county judge of Duval County in 1876. Barronena Ranch was purchased by J. M. Bennett (1831-1920) in 1905 and has remained in the Bennett family since that time. The nucleus of the ranch is a 19th century adobe house, reportedly a stage stop between Goliad and Laredo. Other structures include a native rock water trough and storage tank; a native rock wall more than one mile long; remains of a dipping vat and smokehouse; and rock foundations of other buildings, including a blacksmith shop. Richard King, grandson of the founder of the King Ranch, leased the Barronena Ranch in the 1920s. Santa Gertrudis cattle, developed by the King Ranch, were introduced here following World War II. (1989)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
The Barronena Ranch preserves the deep roots of South Texas ranching, on land granted by the Republic of Mexico to Diego Hinojosa and patented under Texas in 1856. Later owners included James O. Luby, an English-born Confederate veteran who became Duval County's first judge, before J. M. Bennett bought the ranch in 1905 and kept it in his family. Its adobe core reportedly served as a stage stop between Goliad and Laredo, and after World War II the King Ranch introduced its famous Santa Gertrudis cattle here.
Why it matters
The ranch ties together Spanish-Mexican land grants, Anglo settlement, and the rise of Texas's legendary cattle culture across more than a century.
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Related people
- · Diego Hinojosa
- · James O. Luby
- · J. M. Bennett
- · Richard King
Themes & tags
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