Our family’s course was forever altered when my great-great-grandfather, Irineo Longoria, married Inez Cavazos. Her presence and legacy were not only significant—they were transformative.
Without Inez, the events that unfolded in Santa María and beyond might have taken an entirely different path.
I’m deeply grateful to my friend and Cavazos historian, Roberto Canales for generously sharing a rich trove of knowledge about the Cavazos lineage.
His connection to our family is especially meaningful—his beautiful wife, Isabel Canales Cavazos, is a direct descendant of our common ancestor, Inez Cavazos, my maternal great-great-grandmother.
Most of the information in this post comes from Roberto’s years of dedicated research.
The rich history the Cavazos line brings to Texas runs deep into the roots of our heritage.
To start, I feel it’s important to note that not every family line begins with a captain sailing into the New World under the Spanish flag. Ours did. That figure was Captain Juan Cavazos, who arrived in the New World in 1626.
Several generations later, his descendants were entrusted with royal Spanish land grants which are covered below.
Not every lineage survived the violence of Indian raids, endured the upheaval of revolutions, and later went on to produce a high-ranking military general, an esteemed educator, and a gridiron legend. But ours did….sustained by the enduring strength of the Cavazos blood in our veins.
They didn’t merely walk this land….they claimed it, shaped it, and left behind a legacy not just remembered, but etched into the very geography of the region.
My great-great-grandfather, Irineo Longoria, married into more than just a respected family—he married into destiny. His bride, Inez Cavazos, carried a legacy carved into the very soil of South Texas and northern Tamaulipas. Through her, two powerful families—the Longorias and the Cavazos’….became one.
And when they did, something bigger than either of them began.
________
Tragedy and Tenacity: Inez’s Origins
Inez Cavazos entered a world shaped by influence and shadowed by uncertainty.
Her family name may have opened doors, but it couldn’t shield her from the brutal realities of the region. As a young girl, she lost both her parents—José Antonio Cavazos and María Teresa de la Garza—who, as noted in the book Once Upon a Time (1st edition, published by the Rio Grande Valley Hispanic Genealogical Society), were killed by Indian raiders in 1819.
Orphaned but not overcome, Inez was raised by extended family, molded by hardship, and destined for greatness.
Her first marriage was to Pedro Villarreal, a fellow Spanish land grant recipient who was awarded the porción known as San Pedro de Carracitos.
He was a land baron with holdings so expansive they would later encompass the modern-day towns of Los Indios, Olmito, and Cavazos, Texas….stretching northwest of Brownsville along the Old Military Highway alongside the Rio Grande River.
After Pedro’s death, Inez married Irineo Longoria—uniting two powerful dynasties through their marriage.
________
The Cavazos Legacy: Roots of the Rio Grande
The Cavazos family was already legendary.
In 1767, when the Spanish Crown carved up the northern frontier into porciones, Inez’s grandfather, José Onofre Cavazos, and his brother, Juan José Cavazos, were granted prime ranching territory near the Rio Grande…Porciones 17 and 18.
Interestingly, both of these were just south of what is now Abram, Texas….as stated in my previous posts, a location deeply connected to the Longoria lineage.
Inez’s father, José Antonio, and his brother, José Francisco, were also granted neighboring lands—Porciones 21 and 22.
Alongside Paraje de Dolores (the Longoria ranch) and the Villarreal porciones also mentioned in earlier posts, these holdings came to dominate the region on both sides of the river.
They weren’t just landowners—they were builders, leaders, and protectors. Their influence radiated across the region, laying the foundation that others—including the Longorias—would build upon.
________
The Longorias: Guardians of the Land
The Longorias, too, were resilient and respected—shaped by the same harsh land, the same shifting governments, and the same constant threats. They were ranchers and fighters, rooted in honor and grit. But it’s important to recognize that the Longoria story, as we know it today, would not have taken the shape it did without the Cavazos.
Through Inez, the Longoria line gained more than land—they gained stature, alliances, and a powerful connection to one of the most important families of the Spanish colonial frontier.
Together, they forged a legacy far greater than either could have shaped alone.
________
Before the King Ranch, There Was San Juan de Carracitos
One cannot speak of the region’s legacy without acknowledging the land once called San Juan de Carracitos and its connection to José Narciso Cavazos, Inez’s second cousin.
Long before the rise of the King Ranch, there stood San Juan de Carracitos—an origin too significant to overlook.
Narciso Cavazos was granted 471,582 acres—the largest land grant in the region. It was Cavazos land that dominated the horizon, long before the King Ranch rose to fame. This is something we must never forget.
After Narciso’s death, his son José Manuel Cavazos sold 13,284 acres to Inez’s brother, José Nicolás Cavazos, who was invited to settle and defend the land against continued Indian raids. Both Nicolas and Jose were more than ranchers…they helped lay the foundations of a new way of life.
________
Rancho Carracitos and the Rumors of Revolution
During the Texas Revolution in 1836, General José de Urrea of the Mexican Army camped at Rancho Carracitos—part of the vast Cavazos estate—on his way to Goliad.
As most of you may know, days later, on March 27th, under the orders of General Antonio López de Santa Anna, Urrea’s troops executed over 300 Texian prisoners in what became known as the Goliad Massacre. Just weeks earlier, the Alamo had fallen.
These tragedies sparked a fire that would lead to Texas independence—and our ancestors weren’t just reading about it. They were living it. Their ranches became staging grounds. Their choices shaped the world around them.
________
Legacy in Uniform and Under Lights
From this powerful lineage came one unforgettable branch—descendants of Anastacio “Tatita Tacho” Cavazos, Inez’s nephew.
One of Tatita’s sons, Lauro Cavazos Sr., would carry the Cavazos name even further.
A proud World War I veteran and later a respected foreman of the King Ranch, he played a key role in defending the land during the legendary Noria Raids…boldly standing against bandit forces in a clash that captured headlines across Texas.
The legacy of Hispanic excellence continued through his sons—each one a reflection of the example set by their father.
Lauro Sr.’s strength, work ethic, and quiet leadership laid the foundation for greatness.
• Lauro Cavazos Jr., the first Hispanic to serve in a U.S. Cabinet, was appointed Secretary of Education under Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush from 1988 to 1990. Prior to that, from 1980 to 1988, he served as President of Texas Tech University, guiding thousands of students and inspiring generations of young Hispanic leaders.
• General Richard Cavazos, the first Hispanic four-star general in U.S. Army history, was a hero of both the Korean and Vietnam wars.
In 2023, Fort Hood in Killeen, Texas, was renamed Fort Cavazos in his honor. In January 2025, he was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroic efforts in Korea.
Fort Cavazos, for those unfamiliar, is one of the largest military installations in the United States. It spans over 214,000 acres and is home to the 1st Cavalry Division and the 3rd Cavalry Regiment….two of the Army’s most distinguished armored divisions.
• Robert Joseph “Bobby” Cavazos, the 3rd brother, became an All-American football legend at Texas Tech in 1953. Known for his electrifying runs and unshakable grit, he carried the family legacy onto the field like a banner of pride.
His greatest performance came during the 1954 Gator Bowl, where he led Texas Tech to a 35–13 victory over Auburn, rushing for 141 yards and scoring three touchdowns. He was named co-MVP alongside Auburn’s quarterback Vince Dooley.
These weren’t just great men, they were brothers. And their story began with Inez’s nephew, Tatita Tacho, a quiet but steady force whose values have echoed through the generations.
________
Juana Cavazos: Kidnapped by Indians, Forged by Survival and into Legacy
And then there’s Juana Cavazos, granddaughter of Narciso Cavazos, the original grant-holder of the land that would later become the King Ranch.
Raided by Comanche Indians, Juana and a friend were captured and taken. While her friend was later killed, Juana adapted to survive, living with the Comanches for nearly three years and becoming part of the tribe.
One day, while the Comanches were trading furs at a post in what is today Glen Rose, Texas, a man named Charles Barnard recognized her as non-Native. He traded several horses for her release.
Charles later married Juana, and together they became the founders of Somervell County, Texas, where Glen Rose now serves as the county seat.
If you ever visit Glen Rose, you’ll find a statue commemorating the day Charles rescued Juana from captivity.
In a moment straight out of legend, her brother Juan Cavazos recognized her during a cattle drive along the Chisholm Trail on his way to Fort Worth. Against all odds, the family was reunited.
________
Why This Matters in Our Longoria History
The marriage of Irineo Longoria and Inez Cavazos wasn’t just a milestone in our family—it was a turning point in the history of the borderlands. It fused strength with legacy, grit with vision.
Without the Cavazos, the Longoria family would not have reached the heights it did.
Although some of these Cavazos icons were not directly related to us, I felt it necessary to post about the Cavazos because their legacy shaped the very fabric of the region we come from…and their story is inseparable from our own.
Through my great-great-grandmother Inez Cavazos, their blood runs through our veins, linking us to a heritage of resilience, influence, and deep roots in South Texas history.
As we’ll explore later, Irineo and Inez, together with their son Juan Miguel, established the Longoria Ranch, which would go on to serve as a foundational model for the irrigation techniques that shaped the development of the Rio Grande Valley.
These names—Longoria. Cavazos. Villarreal.—weren’t just etched into land grants.
They were etched into history.
And now, they live on in us.
Longoria/Cavazos/Villarreal Proud.
Your Primo,
Sam Cavazos