Rodriguez Memoirs of Early Texas (ePub)

"Rodriguez, who was born in San Antonio in 1829, lists among his childhood memories seeing the 1836 battle San Antonio...hearing the slaughter at the Alamo." El Paso Times, Dec. 5, 1984

"Rodriguez Memoirs of Early Texas" (San Antonio. 1913) is the title of an interesting book of seventy-six pages written by Judge J. M. Rodriguez, of Laredo, Texas, (1829-1913). Judge Rodriguez was descended from one of the Canary Island settlers of San Antonio, and he himself was born there in 1829. After the Civil War he moved to Laredo, and for thirty-five years was county judge of Webb County. Though printed primarily for the family and friends of Judge Rodriguez, the booklet will be interesting to others. It begins with the writer's recollection of the siege of San Antonio by the Texans in November, 1835.

While this booklet does not pretend to be a history of San Antonio, yet, in a great measure it gives the present inhabitant some idea of the life of the old settlers and pioneers who lived in this outpost of civilization during the time when things were not as comfortable and pleasant as they are today, and whose labors laid the foundation of this beautiful city.

Judge Rodriguez was the type of the best element that helped to make this country. He was by birth and education a gentleman, and his whole life was devoted, as were those of many of his ancestors, to the service of the country. He believed that the making of money and accumulation of a fortune was secondary to the service to his country and to the community in which he lived.

Judge Rodriguez was born in this city, as were his father and his grand-father on both his father's and his mother's side, and he was early honored by the citizenship of this community by being elected to the office of Assessor and Collector in 1858, upon the ticket headed by General Sam Houston for Governor.

After the war he moved to Laredo, Webb County, Texas, where, after a short time, he was elected County Clerk, and thereafter he was elected County Judge, which office he held continuously for 35 years and was County Judge at the time of his death; and while Judge Rodriguez was very fond of the people of his adopted city, his first affection was for the city of his birth. In writing these memoirs he has done a lasting service to the people of San Antonio.