Step Back in History

North of Zapata 15 miles or 30 miles south of Laredo is the historical village of San Ygnacio. 

San Ygacio is the oldest townsite of Zapata county.  The town was established in 1830.  The old homes offer "visitors an up-close look at the early Spanish construction..." Many of the homes are built of 18-inch thick sandstone blaock, and feature their original mesquite and cypress lintels, doors, and fenestration. One of the homes has 27-inch walls. 

One of the most interesting sturctures in San Ygnacio is the Jesus Trevino Fort complex which is built in the early 1800's.  Early settlers found shelter from Indian raids in the fort. 

The roof(s) and some floors of the historical buildings was made of 12" of chipichil.  Chipichil is many layers of pressed caleche, a local lime 'gravel', which when becomes like concrete. 

Today San Ygnacio hosted an tour of nine of the buildings.

The tour opened with a tamale lunch served at the cafeteria of the elementary school.  The tamales were served with seasoned rice and beans, and was delicious!

 The Arturo L. Benavides Elemntary School which hosted the tamale lunch.  Notice the limestone used in the architecture of the school

 Glen inside the Uribe (1870) home.  Notice the petrified wood above the door.

Gayla admiring a 1931 Ford parked in front of the Uribe home.

 Mural on a courtyard wall at the Don Manuel Maria Uribe Home, 1873

 The dining room of the 1873 Home.  This home is currently a private residence.

 The opulent bedroom .

 Gayla, checking out one of the sofas in the Uribe home.

A "living fence", planted prickly pear cacti.

(On the Left) More petrified wood inside the Nuestra Senora Del Refugio Catholic Church.  Construction of this building was completed in 1875. 








It was a great afternoon, walking the streets that settlers walked on 182 years ago.