Between the time of the Cuervo inspection of 1757 and the 1767 royal visit, Escandón continued to develop the province and make changes both he and Cuervo had recommended in their reports. Burgos and Escandón were relocated to high ground. Three additional villages were strategically established to protect against Indians threats. Cruillas was founded on May 9, 1765, at a place called Los Encinos, half way between Santander and Burgos. A list of the early settlers has been published. It shows forty-one families from a number of places such as Las Salinas, Cadereyta, Valley of Pilón, San Fernando, Saltillo, Guajuco, Burgos and Santa Catarina. By 1770 the villages population had grown to seventy-seven families with three hundred and ninety persons. The nearby mission of Monserrat was under the direction of Padre Joseph Lira. The second village was founded in 1766 and named San Carlos. It was a mining camp, located east of the Real de Borbón. Four years later the population stood at fifty families with 135 persons. At first the Christianized Indians resided in the village along with the other settlers, but in 1770 the mission of Boca del Puerto de Loreto was built nearby. On June 3, 1770 the third and final village was established. It was called Croix and was located southwest of Padilla. With the founding of this village, the initial phase of settlement came to an end. Twenty-seven new Spanish-mestizo settlements had been created within seven years: Aguayo, Altamira, Burgos, Camargo, Croix, Cruillas, Dolores, Escandón, Güemes, Horcasitas, Hoyos, Jaumave, Laredo, Llera, Mier, Padilla, Palmillas, Revilla, Reynosa, San Carlos, San Fernando, Santa Bárbara, Santander, Santillana, Soto la Marina, Tamaulipa, Tanchipa, and Tula. It was also the end of the Escandón era. The promised division of lands to the settlers had begun. The famous porciones were becoming a reality for many of the settlers. Escandón had been relieved of his governorship in 1767 on charges of poor administration, which were later proved false. However, he died in Mexico City on September 10, 1770 during the proceedings in which he was defending his activities, large holdings, and wealth.
Posted on: Sat, 03 Jan 2015 18:58:14 +0000
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