Turn of the Century Photographs from San Diego, Texas
Situated in the South Texas borderlands some fifty miles west of Corpus Christi, San Diego was a thriving town already a hundred years old at the turn of the twentieth century. With a population that was 90 percent Mexican or Mexican American and 10 percent Anglo, the bicultural community was the seat of Duval County and a prosperous town of lumberyards, banks, mercantile stores, and cotton gins, which also supplied the needs of area ranchers and farmers. Though Anglos dominated its economic...
Search in google:
Situated in the South Texas borderlands some fifty miles west of Corpus Christi, San Diego was a thriving town already a hundred years old at the turn of the twentieth century. With a population that was 90 percent Mexican or Mexican American and 10 percent Anglo, the bicultural community was the seat of Duval County and a prosperous town of lumberyards, banks, mercantile stores, and cotton gins, which also supplied the needs of area ranchers and farmers. Though Anglos dominated its economic and political life, San Diego was culturally Mexican, and Mexican Americans as well as Anglos built successful businesses and made fortunes. This collection of nearly one hundred photographs from the estate of amateur photographer William Hoffman captures the cosmopolitan town of San Diego at a vibrant moment in its history between 1898 and 1909. Grouped into the categories women and their jobs, local homes, men and their businesses, children at school and church, families and friends, and entertainment about town, the photos offer an immediate visual understanding of the cultural and economic life of the community, enhanced by detailed captions that identify the subjects and circumstances of the photos. An introductory historical chapter constitutes the first published history of Duval County, which was one of the most important areas of South Texas in the early twentieth century.
A Note on TerminologyixPrefacexiMap of Duval County, TexasxivAcknowledgmentsxvMap of San Diego, TexasxviThe Historical Backdrop1The Land2Early Settlers4European Newcomers5From Village to Town6The Hoffman Brothers8Civil War Years11A Catholic Church12Dangers on the Frontier14Other Hardy Newcomers16Sheep Ranching18Formation of Duval County19Advent of the Railroads20Hoffman Siblings in San Diego23Mix of Cultures25Healthful Climate for Some26Social Life27Downturn in the Sheep Market28Overcoming Adversity30Local Politics32Newspapers' Role33Young Willie Hoffman34Life at the Turn of the Century37Traveling Photographers38Willie's Social Circle41The Collins Estate42More Political Violence43Family Business Concerns45The Hoffman Collection49The Photographs57Women at Home59Homes about Town75Men at Work97Mexican Businesses99Services128Anglo Business140Children at School and Church155Families and Friends177Entertainment193Who's Who in and about San Diego211Notes216Bibliography219Index of Names228
