*Important Notice: Many have contacted me wanting to visit Porvenir. Please be informed that there is nothing to see. Everything was burned to the ground and it is very dangerous and heavily patrolled by the Border Patrol. It is also private land. Crossing the river is against the law and subject to arrest.
The Moralez Family
Manuel Moralez was the land owner at Porvenir. Manuel was married to Francisca Hernandez and they had 6 Children: Leandro, Jovita Eustacio, Manuela, Juanita and Julia who was born on the very night her father was killed.
Photo courtesy of Author Joyce Means: Pancho Villa Days at Pilares
The Hernandez Family
Ambrosio Hernandez was married to Eulalia Gonzalez and they had one child, Victorio.
The Gonzales Family
Eutimio Gonzales who was Ambrosio’s father-in-law. Eutimio was married to Concepcion Carrasco and they had 9 children, Francisco, Eulalia, Pedro, Santos, Refugia, Luisiana, Blasa, Geronimo and a baby.
Photo courtesy of Author Joyce Means: Pancho Villa Days at Pilares
The Herrera Family
|
|
|
Angie Herrera is a descendant of the Herrera family who lived in Porvenir, Texas. This family lost three brothers Pedro, Vivian and Severiano Herrera in the Porvenir Massacre in 1918. They were very young and had only been in Porvenir 10 days. These Herrera brothers had two younger brothers, Martin and Santana. Martin’s job was to take care of the soldiers’ horses. Martin Herrera was Angie’s grandfather. She remembers her Grandfather telling her about the Texas Rangers coming and killing his brothers and left him for dead. He had a scar on his forehead where the Texas Ranger hit him with the end of his rifle. Martin’s mother Juanita Herrera fled to Mexico with his younger brother Santana Moralez Herrera. Martin would cross over to Mexico to see his mother or to bring her back to the United States for short visits. She couldn’t come back to live in Texas ever again. Martin’s Grandmother Estefana cooked and cared for him in Candelaria, Texas. Angie remembers her Aunt Consuelo had a picture of Pancho Villa and she proceeded to asked her Grandfather Martin some questions about the picture and her Grandfather Martin got very angry and told Aunt Consuelo to get rid of the picture. He said, “Because of them (Pancho Villa) they killed my brothers.
Angie said she started looking into the Porvenir Massacre after showing her father, Martin Chavez Herrera, Native American Pow Wows on YouTube. Her father quoted her Grandfather’s words; “We had to deny our Indian Heritage and the Texas Rangers still came and killed my brothers.”
Angie said she started looking into the Porvenir Massacre after showing her father, Martin Chavez Herrera, Native American Pow Wows on YouTube. Her father quoted her Grandfather’s words; “We had to deny our Indian Heritage and the Texas Rangers still came and killed my brothers.”
The Jimenez Family
|
|
|
|
Alberto Garcia was married to Victoria Jiménez and they had 3 children Jorge, Celedonio, and Florencia. Victoria not only lost her husband, Alberto but she also lost 2 brothers Serapio and Pedro Jiménez and her cousin Juan Jiménez.
Pedro and Serapio Jiménez were massacred while visiting their sister Victoria.
Lady Victoria Jiménez Garcia with her brother Pedro, sometime before the massacre.
Lady Victoria Jiménez Garcia with her daughter, Florentina in 1977, sixty years after the massacre. She died in 1982 at the age of 94.
Photos courtesy of Author Joyce Means: Pancho Villa Days at Pilares
The Jáquez Family
|
|
Tiburcio Jaques and Macedonio Huerta were both lost. Tiburcio was married to Librada Montoya and they had 8 Children: Maria, Jose, Cecilia, Marcelo, Alberto, Ezequiel, Rita , and Juliana. Rita Jácquez was married to Macedonio Huertas. Juliana Jáquez was married to Harry Warren. Harry Warren was the school teacher who documented the massacre. Without his documentation, the Porvenir Massacre would have vanished and the story would never have survived. Olivia Warren Morales is the last living granddaughter of Harry Warren. She resides in El Paso, Texas.
Marcelo Jaquez visited Porvenir in the late 70's.
Photos courtesy of Author Joyce Means: Pancho Villa Days at Pilares
The Niéves Family
Roman Niéves was married to Alejandra and they had 7 Children: Ventura, Margarito, Matilde, Francisco, Casimiro, Yner and another child was born on three months after his death.
Nieves family made a trip to Porvenir in 1978. The trip was very heart-breaking and emotional for all who went.
Photos courtesy of Author Joyce Means: Pancho Villa Days at Pilares
The Flores Family
Longino Flores was married to Juana Bonilla. They had 3 children Benita, Narciso, and Juan. Benita was married to Rosendo Mesa who escaped being killed because he was on an overnight trip to get supplies. After the massacre, Rosendo Mesa became the sole provider of the Longino Flores family and his own family with Benita. Juan Flores, the youngest son to Longino Flores became the last surviving person that was there to witness the tragedy and to live and tell about it. He kept the massacre a secret until Elida Tobar and Arlinda Valencia confronted him in Odessa, Texas in 1996. After proving that the massacre had been documented he opened up and began to tell his story to his family and to anyone that wanted to know. Because of Juan Flores major details of the massacre have now been documented. Juana Bonilla Flores struggled with the death of her husband, Longino Flores. She suffered for many years with what we now know as PTSD today. The end result came when she took her own life.
The picture below is the last known photo of Longino Flores alive with family. Top left ,Benita Flores Mesa holding her son, Rosendo Jr. Top Right, Juana Bonilla Flores holding granddaughter Rosa Mesa. Bottom left, Rosendo Mesa and bottom right is Longino Flores. Small child on the side is unknown.
The picture below is the last known photo of Longino Flores alive with family. Top left ,Benita Flores Mesa holding her son, Rosendo Jr. Top Right, Juana Bonilla Flores holding granddaughter Rosa Mesa. Bottom left, Rosendo Mesa and bottom right is Longino Flores. Small child on the side is unknown.
The Castañeda Family
Antonio Castaneda was married to Felipa Mendez. We know very little about this couple except that they had only been in Porvenir for three weeks. We also discovered that his father-in-law, Juan Mendez, owned a newspaper in Pilares, Chihuahua, Mexico and that because of him, affidavits were taken and signed from the families and in turn asked the Mexican government for assistance and the Mexican Ambassador Ygnacio Bonilla asked for an investigation. Thus, making this an International incident.