It was only by persistent pressuring and demanding by the relatives of the 15 victims that the state of Texas acquiesced and erected the marker. Today, January 28, 1918, marks the anniversary of this tragedy.
It is a perfect example of how racism and poor leadership coupled with a massive influx of armed troops inevitably leads to violent tragedy. Sound familiar?
On the morning of Jan. 28, 1918, a group of Texas Rangers, U.S. Army soldiers from Troop G of the 8th Cavalry, and local ranchers arrived at Porvenir, a remote community in northwest Presidio County on the Rio Grande which is now a ghost town.
They were responding to reports that the Povenir villagers had been involved in recent thefts and killings of ranchers. There was no evidence of any crimes by the villagers.
They came to the ranch of Manuel Moralez and separated 15 able-bodied men and boys from the women, children, and other men.
Though initial accounts denied any wrongdoing, later testimony confirmed that these 15 victims were shot and killed.
In the months following, Texas courts failed to prosecute the assailants that participated in the massacre. This brutality inspired the 1919 state congressional investigation into frequent abuse at the hands of the Texas Rangers known as the Canales investigation. The hearings included statements from witnesses of the massacre and written statements from Rangers that confirmed their participation.
As a result, Texas Ranger captain James Monroe Fox was forced to resign and five officers were fired. Company B of the Rangers was also disbanded. Despite the statements from witnesses and Rangers themselves, no assailants were ever prosecuted.
Here are the names of those murdered: Antonio Castañeda, Longino Flores, Pedro Herrera, Vivian Herrera, Severiano Herrera, Manuel Moralez, Eutemio González, Ambrosio Hernández, Alberto García, Tiburcio Jáquez, Róman Nieves, Serapio Jiménez, Pedro Jiménez, Juan Jiménez, and Macedonio Huertas. May all RIP.
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