Tomás Sánchez (captain)

San Agustin Church was the first church established in the new town of Laredo built as a chapel in 1760

Map of Laredo 137 years after founding

Don Tomás Sánchez de Barrera y de la Garza was a veteran Spanish Captain who founded Laredo, Texas, United States and Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico, at the time it was one town in the Nuevo Santander Province.

Origins

Capitan Tomás Sánchez de la Barrera, was born into northern Mexico's oligarchic families. His family roots are traced into the old "hidalgo" families of Andalucia, Spain, and from his mother's side, he came from the powerfull de la Garza family, which controlled a great majority of the land from Corpus Christi to Saltillo, and held important government offices in most of the north of the Viceroyalty of the New Spain.

Founding of Laredo

He first arrived in 1749 to a place he named "El Paso de Jacinto", later called "Indian Ford", which is now west of Downtown Laredo. He then petitioned Colonel José de Escandón, 1st Count of Sierra Gorda for permission to found a town at this location. His petition was granted on May 15, 1755. He named the new townsite, Villa de San Agustin de Laredo, in honor to Saint Augustine and Colonel Escandon's hometown Laredo, Cantabria, Spain. Don Tomás Sánchez first established three families in the new villa. The site selected is located in the San Agustin Historical District in Downtown Laredo near the San Agustin Cathedral.^[1]

Gallery of Old Laredo

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  Typical Hacienda in the late 1700's in Laredo, now La Posada Hotel

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  Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church

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  Typical home in the late 1700's, later the Republic of the Rio Grande Capitol building, now a museum

References

1. ^ City of Laredo; A Brief History of Laredo, Texas

External links

• • Tomás Sánchez de la Barrera y Garza