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| HISTORY: Jose Antonio Balli-Cavazos (1813-1887) founded the Balli
or San Antonio de los Esteros Ranch About 1848, in the Llano Grande
Land Grant of his great-grandfather, Juan Jose Hinojosa. The ranch was
probably named after Balli's patron saint. His family name (Variant Valli,
Ballin) signifies "dweller in a valley".
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| His grandparents Matias Cavazos and Manuela Hinojosa had inherited her
Share of (3325 Vares or 9283 feet river frontage x 30,000 vargas) of
the Llano Grande Land Grant. Their children; Ramon, Lino, and Antonia
inherited in turn.
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| Antonia had married Jose Manuel Balli-Villarreal, and when she died,
their son Jose Antonio Balli-Cavazos (1813-1887) acquired 1320.5 varas
river front, a portion of which he Inherited from his mother Antonia and
the balance acquired by purchase from his brothers and sisters.
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| San Antonio de los Esteros (or Esteritos) Ranch consisted of 7,000 acres
or two square leages and extended from the Rio Grande, north 15 miles. It
contained two bodies of water beside the the river frontage, enough to
pasture large stocks of cattle. The Ballis also raised corn, beans and
squash for domestic use in the fields close to the Rio Grande.
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| According to Antonio's son, Manuel, his family owned and used the land
since 1839. For a few years around 1838, they fled across the Rio Grande
because of Indian raids.
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| Antonio Balli married Manuela Rubalcaba in 1837, and they had eight
children: Manuel (born in Mexico 1838, died after 1903), Refugia, Antonio
(1851-1913), Francisca Natividad, Maria Inez, Victoria, and Librada.
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| When Hidalgo County was founded in 1852, Antonio Balli registered the
first cattle brand at the county seat of Edinburg (Hidalgo County) on
November, designed as (JAV) connected with a flat circle over the A.
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| When Don Antonio Balli died in 1887 (his widow died in 1897), the
property was verbally partitioned amony his seven children. Each receiving
188.5 vargas river frontage. By 1913, most of the land was sold to the
American Rio Grande Land & Irrigation Company of Merceden for land
Development.
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| The first Balli in America, was Pedro Balli (1545-1600), a printer, of
Salamanoam, Spain. He reached Mexico in 1569, where he married Catalina
del Valle and had three sons. Balli was named fourth printer of the New
World by royal decree of King Phillip II in 1574. His printing house was
located on the corner of Honeda Street and Lic. Verdad on the plaza in
Mexico City. He produced over 60 books, including some in native language
and others for the University of Mexico.
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| Descendants of Pedro Balli II moved to Nuevo Leon. By 1750, Nicolas
Balli (1701) and Josefa Guerra de Balli were living in Sabinas Hidalgo,
about 70 miles north of present Monterrey. They had five (5) sons, Jose
Manuel, Bartolomeo, Juan Jose, Juan Antonio, and Jose Maria Balli. Durning
the colonization of Nuevo Santander by Jose de Escandon in 1749, Jose
Maria Balli and Juan Antonio Balli settled in Reynosa and became rimitive
settlers.
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| At the time of the General Visit to assign lands to settlers in 1767,
Jose Maria Balli was one of the surveyors, and received porcion 72. His
brother Juan Antonio Balli received porcion 13.
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| In 1800, because of continous flooding of the original site, the villa
of Reynosa moved downstream 11 miles onto land donated by the Juan Jose
Antonio Balli Family. Manuel Balli is probly descendant from one of these
two Reynosa settlers. |
| At San Antonio del Estero Ranch, a one-acre plot was set aside for a
family cemetery. First family member buried in the Balli Cemetery was
Atilano Pina in 1874, the husband of Natividad Balli- Rubalcaba. Ranch
founder, Antonio Balli and his Wife, Manuela Rubalcaba are also buried in
the ranch cemetery, according to Mr. Arturo Balli of Donna. Last Balli to
be buried in the ranch cemetary was Apolonio Balli-Salazar (1869-1956).
Source: Mr. Arturo Balli of Donna, Texas and Fresno, Califorina. ARGL&I
Chain of Title, Llano Grande Grand, Share 2, 1913, Garcia, Clotilde. Padre
Nicolas Balli and Padre Island.;www.balli.com
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Balli Family Lineage:
Mauricio Balli Married Francisca M. De Balli
Pedro Balli (B: 1545) Married (August, 1559) Catalina Del Valle
Pedro Balli Married Mariana De La Cruz
Geronimo Balli Married (July 12, 1591) Ines de Bastida
Nicolas Balli Married(1608) Mariana Castro
Antonio Balli Married Martina Perez
Nicolas Balli Married (1706, Madrid, Spain) Josefa Fuera Guerra
They had the following Children:
Juan Antonio Balli Guerra, Jose Maria Balli Guerra(*), Juan Jose Balli Guerra, Rosa Maria Balli Guerra, Jose Santiago Balli Guerra
Juan Antonio Balli Guerra Married (1749) Francisca Rosalia Villarreal Rodriguez
They had the following children:
Maria Gregoria Balli Villarreal, Maria Guadalupe Balli Villarreal, Jose Cipriano Balli Villarreal,
Ana Catarina Balli Villarreal, Maria Josefa Balli Villarreal, Jose Enrique Balli Villarreal, Jose
Francisco Balli Villarreal, Jose Antonio Balli Villarreal, Jose Ignacio Balli Villarreal, Jose
Manuel Balli Villarreal, Juan Antonio Balli Villarreal
Jose Manuel Balli Villarreal Married (February 7, 1791) Maria Antonia Cavazos Hinojosa
They had the following children:
Jose Antonio Balli Cavazos, Jose Francisco Balli Cavazos, Ygnacio Balli Cavazos, Victoria
Balli Cavazos, Refugia Balli Cavazos, Isidro Balli Cavazos, Manuel Balli Cavazos
Jose Antonio Balli Cavazos (1813- June 1887) Married (December 2, 1837) Manuela Rubalcaba
Galvan (1824 - 1897 )
They had the following children:
Manuel Balli Rubalcaba, Antonio Balli Rubalcaba, Primo Balli Rubalcaba, Refugua Balli
Rubalcaba, Natividad Balli Rubalcaba, Maria Ines Balli Rubalcaba, Victoria Balli
Rubalcaba
Maria Ines Balli Rubalcaba Married (November 26, 1871) Benigno Casares De Leon
They had the following children:
Ildefonso Casares Balli (B: February 16, 1873 D: September 30 1940) Pedro Casares Balli,
Lazaro Casares Balli, Jose Casares Balli, Julia Casares Balli, Maria Ines
Casares Balli (1886-1969), Antonia Casares Balli, Celestina Casares Balli, Manuela Casares Balli
Antonia Casares Balli Married Jesus Garza Robles
They had the following children:
Josefina Garza Robles Casares (B:10/20/1917) , Francisca Garza Robles Casares, Jesus Garza Robles Casares
Note: The manner in which the last names appear are as they appear on the document that I was given. It is worth noting that in the Spanish tradition the last name closest to the persons first name is the fathers last name the second last name that follows is the mothers last name. This was done so as to make it known from which families you were from. In this particular case
you will notice that there are three last names attached to the relatives first name. It is not known why this has occurred in our family and is the only family noted in this manner in the document that I have.
They should read: Josefina Garza Casares, Francisca Garza Casares, Jesus Garza Casares.
This ends the direct Balli Lineage for our family.
This Balli family is the family of Father Nicolas Balli Hinojosa whom South Padre Island, Texas is named after and once belonged to. Father Balli was given this land after having a cape tied to the back of his horse and being told that the land that this cape touched would be given to him by the Spanish Crown. When Father Balli died he willed the land grant to a nephew (Juan
Jose Balli Treviņo August 6, 1828) The direct descendants of Juan Jose Balli Treviņo were fighting for their Spanish land grants and mineral rights in court and won.
(*) Jose Maria Balli Guerra Married (February 17, 1760) Rosa Maria Hinojosa de Balli Benavides They had the following children:
Nicolas Balli Hinojosa (Priest), Juan Jose Balli Hinojosa, Jose Maria Balli Hinojosa
Juan Jose Balli Hinojosa Married Maria Ignacia Treviņo
They had the following children:
No Hiers
Jose Maria Balli Hinojosa Married Paula Treviņo
They had the following children:
Francisco Balli Treviņo, Josefa Balli Treviņo, Maria Guadalupe Balli Treviņo, Carmen Balli Treviņo, Juan Jose Balli Treviņo (benefactor of Father Nicolas Spanish land grants), Rosa Balli Treviņo, Concepcion Balli Treviņo
This information was given to me by Tio Jesus Garza (Tio Jay). The research does not have a name of the researcher so that I can give credit where credit is due. If you know of or remember who did this research please email me ( eden1169@prodigy.net ) |
