Welcome to El Puerto Ranch located Southwest of Hebbronville, Texas.

     The history of El Puerto Ranch (El Puerto de Las Animas) can be traced to the early 1800's in Texas history. Two brothers “Don” Manuel and “Don” Julian Vela Ramirez were deeded a large grant of land by the Mexican Government known as “El Puerto de Las Animas”. It was at that time that the brothers “Don” Manuel Vela Ramirez and “Don” Julian Vela Ramirez earned a prominent position in the history of South Texas. The Ranch prospered and the families grew. Julian Vela Ramirez married Eva “Vita” Cuellar, daughter of a Spanish Captain, “Don” Fernando Cuellar y Cuellar. Julian Vela Ramirez and Eva Cuellar were blessed with the following children, Santiago Vela Cuellar, Virginia Elvira, Aureliano and Ysidro Vela Cuellar. In 1813 the roof of the main house was burned during an Indian raid, the Vela family endured and after a short period of time, the roof was rebuilt by Don Isidro Vela Cuellar, son of Manuel Vela Ramirez and wife. Soldiers would pass through the “El Puerto Ranch” for supplies, the fresh underground water and behind the walls of the hacienda, safety from the massive three foot thick walls. The ranch remained in the Vela family, passing from generation to generation.

     When Texas became a Republic, the Mexican grant of title was recognized and honored by the Republic of Texas and later by the government of the United States. In March 1879, the building was restored and refurbished; materials (main beams to the roof) were shipped from New Orleans to Corpus Christi and taken on horseback and wagon to the ranch which lies approximately 25 miles southwest of Hebbronville, Texas in what is now A.A. Martinez County road in Jim Hogg County. The ranch under Isidro Vela Cuellar became “El Puerto Grocery Store” and served the local ranchers and those traveling from south Texas to Hebbronville, Texas and beyond for many years.

     In 1850 a company of Texas Rangers, under the command of Captain John S. (Rip) Ford, established a Ranger camp at a community known as “Los Ojuelos” located south of Mirando City, Texas. “Los Ojuelos” was to serve as a Texas Ranger outpost from its Laredo, Texas headquarters, to police the trade and smuggling along the roads and trails running through the site, from Laredo to Corpus Christi, Texas. Within the history of El Puerto ranch, one can read and learn from the written stories and Mexican ballads of the famous gun battle or more so the ambush of three Tequila smugglers known as “Tequileros” by the Texas Rangers that occurred on November 3, 1922, close to El Puerto Ranch. The “Tequileros” were buried in the small private Catholic cemetery located on the ranch property. The burial site is surrounded by tequila bottles since the time the three Tequileros were buried. The cemetery also contains several Vela family members going back several generations, along with other unknown souls in unmarked graves.

     After the death of Julian Vela Ramirez, Eva Cuellar along with two of her children left the El Puerto ranch and returned to Ciudad Guerrero, Tamaulipas, Mexico. In 1910, Santiago Vela Cuellar with health failing and his youngest son Isidro Vela Cuellar returned to live at El Puerto Ranch and volunteered to manage all of the families properties within the land grant until 1915, when Santiago Vela Cuellar passed away. Soon after his death, Isidro Vela Cuellar married Petra Celestina Garcia. Isidro and Petra had five children, Gordiano Vela Cuellar (wife Ercilia Leal), Hortencia Vela (Salazar), Elvira Vela (Montalvo), Jose Maria Vela (wife Emory) and Santiago Vela Cuellar (wife Benita). Isidro Vela Cuellar passed away in Laredo, Texas on June 22, 1955. Gordiano Vela Cuellar, the oldest of the five children became the inheritor of the section of land on which the original ranch house (grocery store) was and built and still stands to this date.

     In March 17, 1979, Gordiano Vela Cuellar, along with several of his brothers/sisters, Jose Maria Vela (wife Emory) and Santiago Vela and a large group of Vela family members and relatives celebrated the centennial of the main ranch house restoration and history. The Vela family, the history and celebration was honored by W.P. Hobby, president of the Senate; Betty King Secretary of the Senate and John Traeger, with a historical Senate Resolution S.R. No. 200.

     Gordiano Vela Cuellar known for many years as “El Coronel” married Ercilia Leal from Concepcion, Texas. Gordiano and Ercilia Vela Cuellar had two children born in Hebbronville, Texas. The first child Hilda Eva Vela passed away at a very young age of illness and was buried at the ranch family cemetery. A short time later the second child was born, Maria Eva Vela in Hebbronville, Texas. Soon after the birth of Maria Eva Vela, Gordiano and Ercilia Vela Cuellar moved to Laredo, Texas, where the family grew by three more children, Maria Luisa, Armando and Ercilia “Bebe” Valentina Vela. In Laredo, Texas, Gordiano Vela Cuellar became a Police Officer and served the community for over 35 years until his death on February 2, 1981. Ercilia Leal Vela passed away on May 10, 1999 and was buried next to Gordiano.

     Currently El Puerto Ranch is owned/managed by Jose M. Garza with wife Hilda Ramirez Garza, son of Eva Vela Rangel (deceased), Brigido Flores and sister Raquel Flores, children of Maria Luisa Flores (deceased) and Ercilia "Bebe" Valentina Vela de Speed.

                                       Owner/Executor: Joe Garza (956)369-2273  jgranch@aol.com