The history of Spanish and Mexican land grants in South Texas is deeply intertwined with genealogy. These grants weren’t just property—they were promises of opportunity that drew our ancestors north, especially under colonization efforts like those led by José de Escandón.
Later, as Mexico asserted control, additional land grants were issued—extending as far as the Nueces River and beyond. These tracts shaped communities, family legacies, and borders that remain significant to this day.
If you’re researching land history or tracing your family roots in the region, the book New Guide to Spanish and Mexican Land Grants in South Texas by Galen D. Greaser is an invaluable resource.
📘 What Makes This Book Special?
This guide is packed with historical detail and legal context. It explores the origin, evolution, and impact of land grants issued from the Spanish colonial period through Mexican independence, and into Texas’s statehood.
Highlights include:
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Detailed case studies of individual land grants
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Historical narratives of settlements like Laredo, Mier, Camargo, and Reynosa
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Legal analysis of sovereignty shifts following the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
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Appendices covering specific grants, mineral rights, and Mexican real property laws
Greaser also provides a glossary and bibliography, making this an accessible yet deeply informative read.
Book Cover:
🧭 What You’ll Find Inside
The book is organized into two parts:
Part 1: The History
Once Upon a River: Spanish and Mexican Land Grants in South Texas
– Villas del Norte
– The Visita General of 1767: The Porciones Grants
Laredo
Hacienda de Dolores
Revilla
Lugar de Mier
Camargo
Reynosa
– Large Land Grants North of the Rio Grande (1777-1800)
– Policy Reforms: Royal Grants, 1802-1812
– Unsettled Times: 1810-1821
– Independent Mexico
– The Public Lands ofTamaulipas: The Laws
– Land Grants in Northern Tamaulipas
– A Flood of Fire on the Rio Grande: Change in Sovereignty and Boundaries
The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo and Texas
-Confirmations
Appendix I: The “Blood” Title: Andres Bautista Pereda and Jose Manuel Pereda’s
Spanish Grants
Appendix II: The Jose Francisco Balli “La Barreta” Grant: A Case Study
Appendix III: “Sal del Rey” and Mineral Rights in Texas
Appendix IV: Opinion on Several Points Related to Real Property in Mexico
Glossary
Bibliography
Part II: The Land Grants
Explanatory Note for Entries in this New Guide
Entries A-Z
General Index
I really enjoyed reading this book and getting the information that I needed about my ancestor’s land Grants on both sides of the Rio Grande.
What sets this book apart is its inclusion of land grants not only in South Texas but also on the Mexican side of the Rio Grande—giving researchers a fuller picture of the region’s historical landscape.
I bought this book for $15 from the Texas General Land Office, the link is below.
📚 Where to Buy or Find It
- Buy Your copy at the Texas General Land Office for only $15.00.
- Look for a library Near You, Check WorldCat.org.
If you’ve read the book or found valuable insights into your family’s history, feel free to share your experience in the comments. Exploring these pages is more than a historical exercise—it’s a personal journey across generations and borders.
Note: This blog psot was last updated on May 7, 2025
I need help with my geneology and heritage.my name is james micheal ariola my great grampa was montezuma ariola we were told we had a huge spanish land grant.
Sign up to the free email series “Meet Yoru Ancestors” to learn how to do Mexican Genealogy Research. Here is the link https://mexicangenealogy.info/meet-your-ancestors/
after discovering that my family on my mother’s side probably got land grants. I wonder if those can be reclaimed. I know there was an issue with a childless widow inheriting all my mother’s family’s lands when my uncle died. is that contestable . I know it is a long shot. this is land in candela , salinas victoria area. After geology research i learned I was a direct descendent of Blas Maria De La Garza Falcon
I have no idea, I think you need to consult an attorney.
I want to put my 2 cents worth. If the land is in Mexico, it has a lot of red tape for many reasons. My father had a big tract of land in northern Mexico and when he died, we had our share of problems, as we had the right to inherit but not to hold the land. This of course was before NAFtA in 1984. There has been many changes since then. Once you sell it, It is hard to bring a large amount across the border as there is only a certain amount of money that can be crossed over and has to be declared. There were many headaches involved. If it is oil producing, that is a horse of a different t color. We interviewed two attorneys and ended up hiring one.
Margaret
Picon 18 n19 is my grandfather’s six times back or generations
Thank you for your research! This is all so amazing. I am an heir to 5 porciones/land grants, from the Rio Grand, South Texas and Coast. Our families won Land Grant Rights in the early 2000’s and still in litigation, over the Mineral Rights. Distant cousins of ours, Won Mineral and Land Grant in about 1996. For a Beach, across the street from me, Called Bali Park, on Padre Island, in Corpus Christi. I would love to speak to you. Today, is the anniversary of “The Wreck of the 300”. A wreck of Spanish treasure ships, on our coastlines. April 29, 1554. Artifacts are displayed in our Local Museum.
Hello,
My family also has land grants in Texas. I would love to hear your experience. [email protected]
My husband’s 3rd grandfather was Jose Maria Aldrete, grandson of Martin de Leon. Jose Maria owned 5000+ acres in Refugio County. When his uncle Agapito de Leon was murdered by Mabry Gray, Jose Maria fled to Mexico with his aunt (Agapito’s widow) and two of his brothers.
Taxes came due for his property but he was in Mexico. The property was supposed to be put up for auction, but it was sold instead for $4.40 ($.28 county; $1.12 state; $3.00 fees). We obtained a copy of that transaction from Refugio County. That property still has the name Jose Maria Aldrete and is loaded with oil wells.
Hello Moises,
I was born in San Juan, Texas in 1951. My abuelito, Ramon Serna, lived and owned the grocery store across the street from the small Catholic church that use to sit near the corner of 2nd and Nebraska St.
Life led my parents to NW Indiana – near Chicago. I grew here, but I have never forgotten my roots.
That is why I am so excited to be able to visit my hometown again! I will be back in "el valle" during the week of Sunday, June 22nd.
Is there any way I could meet up with you for lunch during that week? I am sure you are very busy, and I really do not want to impose on you. Still, I am hoping to treat you to a nice lunch during my short visit.
If you do not mind, I would be honored to meet you as I consider us to be primos.
I would also love to have you sign some of the wonderful, and useful, books I have bought from you. I really admire all you have done, and I anticipate many more great accomplishments in the future as well.
Thank you for your consideration and look forward to hearing from you soon!
Primo, it will be an honor to meet with you. I will sned you an email to the address you left here so we can get on the same page.