El Colegio Altamirano: Education in the Vaquero Capital of Texas
Hebbronville's Roots in Hispanic Institutions
An unassuming daycare center in modern-day Hebbronville dates back to 1897, when it was established as a bilingual school for local Mexican and Tejano children. As one of the few remaining structures of its kind in South Texas, the building dispels myths about the lack of educational values in Mexican American communities during that time. Located at the corner of Pine Avenue and Santa Clara Street, it is surrounded by several other historic and architectural gems that reflect Hebbronville's roots in Hispanic institutions, such as churches and schools. Explore this friendly small town located one hour east of Laredo and visit the places where generations of untold history happened.
Aspirations of a ranching community
The area now known as Hebbronville has been a predominantly Hispanic community since the land was first colonized by Spain in the mid-16th century. It bears the nickname "Vaquero Capital of Texas" because Mexican cowboys have shaped its cattle ranching culture and economy for many generations. By the late 19th century, Mexican and Tejano ranching families in communities such as San Diego, Benavides, and Hebbronville placed a high value on education. This challenges the lingering belief that Mexican Americans were traditionally uninterested in formal education or that they simply accepted victimization in the face of educational segregation and exclusion.
A little School's legacy
In the late 1800s, Mexican communities in the area sought to establish their own bilingual and Spanish-speaking schools for their children. El Colegio Altamirano was founded in 1897 by a group of middle-class Mexican American community members in Hebbronville and offered a famously rigorous 6-8 year-long curriculum. Subjects included social graces, music, art, math, reading, writing, and more. The school was known for producing high-achieving graduates, with many students transferring to public high schools in Jim Hogg County upon completing the program.
Classes were held until Altamirano closed in 1958. Many similar schools in nearby communities have been lost to time, but the structure of El Colegio Altamirano remains. Although it has since been renovated, the foundation of the original one-room school is still intact.
Maintaining Culture
What distinguished El Colegio Altamirano from the Mexican schools in West Texas at the time was that it was not an “Americanization” school. While the Blackwell School in Marfa, for example, strictly prohibited the retention of the Spanish language and culture, Altamirano and similar schools did not. Señorita Emilia Davila, known as the "intellectual mother" of Hebbronville's children, even placed a strong emphasis on Spanish arts and culture throughout her lengthy teaching career at Altamirano.
Altamirano's reach
Besides the school itself, there are a few other nearby places that tell its story. The Garza Home, Hebbronville's oldest building, was constructed in 1893 by merchant and news carrier Don Bonifacio Garza. Since its construction, Old Garza has housed many local families, served as a refuge for nuns fleeing religious persecution in Mexico, and was even used as a post office for a time. Notably, it housed teachers from El Colegio Altamirano during its active years, as it was situated just across the street.
A few blocks away is the Old Hebbronville Cemetery, the resting place of generations of vaqueros, merchants, farmers, and other Hebbronville community members. Rancher and co-founder of El Colegio Altamirano, Ascension Martinez (d. 1928), is buried here.
An Unexpected Arrival
The legacy of Hispanic institutions in Hebbronville expanded with the arrival of the Catholic Franciscan Friars in 1926. After fleeing religious persecution from the secularized Mexican government during the Cristero Wars, the Franciscans settled into a parish that had been serving Hebbronville since the 1890s. Valuing education like the ranching community of Hebbronville did, the Franciscans established the Little Flower School in 1930 to provide children with a parochial facility. The friars also constructed the stunning colonial revival-style seminary, known as Scotus College, for religious studies in 1944, and added a new chapel with a pink stone façade in the 1960s. Both the church and seminary still stand proudly as Hebbronville landmarks, located just across the street from El Colegio Altamirano.
The adventure
Hebbronville is a small town brimming with history in unexpected places. Spend the weekend exploring its real places and discovering how Hispanic communities have shaped them over generations.
Day One
Tropical Trail Region
Old Garza House
At 602 E Santa Clara St, across from Scotus College, is Hebbronville's oldest building. Picture what it might have been like to live in this tiny home, as teachers and nuns often did.
Day two
Note
The Museum Foundation of Hebbronville, which oversees Hebbronville's historic sites, is a small non-profit organization with a knowledgeable but limited staff. Please use the contacts provided to schedule your museum visits and get the most out of your experience.