Dona Patricia De La Garza De Leon
Victoria, Victoria County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Pioneer Colony Co-founder and Texas Patriot (1775-1849) Came from Tamaulipas to Texas (then northernmost province of Mexico) about 1800, to be at the side of her husband, Don Martin de Leon, as he sought to obtain a Spanish grant to establish a civilized colony here. With her family of ten children, she was a patriot, loyal to the cause of Texas. Her home was a center of pioneer culture. Homesite was later given to St. Mary's Church. Recorded - 1972
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Around 1800, when Texas was still the northernmost reach of Spanish and then Mexican territory, Patricia de la Garza de León crossed from Tamaulipas to join her husband Don Martín de León in his effort to plant a colony on the frontier. Raising ten children, she made her home a hearth of pioneer culture at the founding of Victoria. When the Texas fight for independence came, she stood with the patriot cause.
Why it matters
She is a reminder that Tejano families—and the women who sustained them—were founders of Texas long before Anglo settlement, and helped carry it toward independence.
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Related people
- · Patricia de la Garza de León
- · Martín de León
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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