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While the community
of Havana dates back to a Spanish land grant - it is hardly more than
a colonia and a string of businesses along Highway 83 today. The Havanna
cemetery on the south side of the road remains as the town's cultural
cornerstone.
During a severe flood early in the 20th Century - many of the residents
of Havana moved to higher ground which they named La
Joya. |
A portion of
the Havana Cemetery
TE photo, 2001 |
History in
a Pecan Shell
The original land grant was made to José Matías
Tijerina in 1767. Tijerina had come from Europe via Cuba and decided
to name his small Texas community after the Cuban port/capital.
The community was granted a post office in 1886, which moved to Sam
Fordyce in 1905.
Only in the 1970s did the population exceed 100 persons. In 1976 the
community only had 176 people - and ten years later there were only
180. The descendants of José Tijerina are buried in the cemetery.
A rather unusual tombstone (not shown) is one for a Master Sergeant
Perez - who served in the Union army during the Civil War.
Veteran's graves from other wars reflect the high degree of participation
of Mexicans and Mexican-Americans in U.S. conflicts. One shaded grave
has a small handmade helicopter suspended from an overhanging Mesquite
tree. |
Havana Texas
historical marker
TE photo, 2001 |
Historical Marker:
Havana Cemetery in Havana Community. From La
Joya, take US 83 West about 1.8 mi.
Havana
Located on land
known as Porcion 46, ceded by the crown of Spain to Don Jose Matias
Tijerina in 1767, the community of Havana was named for Havana, Cuba,
where Tijerina had stopped on his journey from Europe. Among the early
settlers here were the families of Josefa de la Garza Salinas and
Civil War Union soldier Patricio Perez. A frame church was built in
1891 and named for St. Joseph. Descendants of early settlers still
live in the area. Many Havana pioneers are buried here in the Havana
Cemetery.
(1988) |
A home-made helicopter
hovers above a veteran's grave
TE photo, 2001 |
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Havana, Texas
Forum
Subject:
Havana, Texas
I was surfing the net and happened upon your [magazine]. My heart
skipped several beats and at the same time I felt an overwhelming
sadness. I cried upon reading the story on Havana, Texas. My ancestor
(many generations distant) is Jose Matias Tijerina. I have been researching
how my family arrived in Texas from Spain. I had known that my family
had been given a land grant from the crown, but I kept running into
roadblocks. I have even seen where this 6,500-acre grant appeared
on the Texas map (beginning at the Rio Grande). I would like to ask
if anyone would know if in fact Jose Matias Tijerina is buried in
Havana, Texas, so that I may continue my search. I would like to thank
you and your wife for publishing this information to show how rich
in history Texas is. May we never forget that all of us had a beginning
- no matter how small we were when we started. Respectfully, Diana
Tijerina-Pittman, April 03, 2007 |
| Texas
Escapes, in its purpose to preserve historic, endangered and vanishing
Texas, asks that anyone wishing to share their local history, stories,
landmarks and recent or vintage photos, please contact
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