Taming the Wild Horse Desert
Pobladores Database
El Arcabuz
There is not a single owner for Rancho El Arcabuz listed in the 1782 padron. El Arcabuz was at the edge of the Mier jurisdiction, and was founded by settlers from Cerralvo who were first associated with Camargo, and they may have been there prior to the foundation of Nuevo Santander. The name "El Arcabuz"suggests the ranch's antiquity. An arquebus is a type of long gun that appeared in Europe and the Ottoman empire during the 15th century, and the name was in use for various firearms until the 17th century. The ranch was located about 25 miles due east of Cerralvo, the first settlement and capital of Nuevo Leon from 1582 - ?, a period during which the arquebus was in common use.
It is unclear exactly on which porcion the ranch was located. In 1782 it was described as being on the edge of the Mier jurisdiction, so it was probably on one of the last three porciones of the Mier jurisdiction (9-11), although the site of the modern village of Arcabuz appears to correspond to porcion 13.
Mier 1782 Padron
The following residents were listed at this place in the 1782 padron (church census) of Mier, Nuevo Santander (listed by household number):
122 Francisco Angel de la Garza, español, married, age 46.
122 Maria Cayetana Peña, española, an unmarried girl, age 39.
122 Maria Juana de la Garza, española, an unmarried girl, age 20.
122 Jose Marcelino de la Garza, español, a youth, age 18.
122 Maria Balbina de la Garza, española, a child, age 14.
122 Pablo Jose de la Garza, español, a child, age 12.
122 Juan Jose de la Garza, español, a child, age 10.
122 Maria Salome de la Garza, española, a young child, age 7.
122 Carlos Valentin de la Garza, español, a young child, age 5.
122 Jose Rafael de la Garza, español, married, age 0.66.
123 Juan Antonio Perez, español, married, age 36.
123 Maria Santos Lopez, española, married, age 36.
123 Jose Antonio Perez, español, a child, age 14.
123 Francisca Tomasa Perez, española, a young child, age 8.
123 Jose Andres Perez, español, a young child, age 6.
123 Juan Nepomuceno Perez, español, a young child, age 4.
123 Maria Tomasa Perez, española, a young child, age 3.
123 Jose Damacio Perez, español, a young child, age 1.
124 Jose Francisco Gonzalez, español, married.
124 Gertrudis Peña, española, married.
