history
The Story of Our Ranch
Every story has a beginning, and like most stories it all depends on who is telling the story. And if you look, you will find a lot of stories about Las Escobas from the many who can trace their family lines to various descendants of the ranch founder.
The JSM Ranch is no different and our connection comes by marriage to a direct descendant of the founder, Jose Felipe Guerra Hinojosa.
The short version of our story goes like this...
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There was was an ambitious rancher in the early 1800s who bought land and raised a family in Starr and neighboring counites of S Texas., Jose Felipe Guerra Hinojosa. At a certain point he hired a Mexican teacher, Jose Andres Salinas, to take up residence at Las Escobas and teach English to his children and the children of the families working on the ranch. As often happens in the shade of mesquite tree on a clear fall day, the teacher fell in love with the founder's daughter, Maria Emilia Guerra. They married in 1876 and were gifted 18,000 acres from the bride's father. They had 9 children, one of whom was Jose Salvador Salinas. That family lived in the Salinas house that JSM is restoring.
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Jose Salvador Salinas grew up on the ranch, married and had 3 sons; one of those sons was Jose Amador Salinas. Jose Amador and his brothers ran the ranch together for a time in the mid 20th century. Jose Amador married Maria Mercedes Garcia in September 1972 and lived on the ranch in his great grandfather's house until his later years when his health required him to move into Rio Grande City.
His nephew currently runs the 4,140 acre JSM Ranch LLC for a private company and is bringing Las Escobas back to life...join us and see where yesterday meets tomorrow.
Framed Photo of the old Salinas House.
(Est: Early 1950's)
~ Progress of the Salinas Headquarters House ~