Biographical
information about General Ignacio Pesqueira
Of all the governors and public men
which Sonora has had, no one is more popular than the illustrious
person whom I am now describing.
General Ignacio Pesqueira was born on December 16,
1820, in Arizpe, at that time the capital of the provinces of
Sonora and Sinaloa, and died at his
hacienda of Bacanuchi on January 4,1886.
His ancestors were well known persons of the old
Sonoran capital, particularly the Hon. Mrs. Petra Garcia de Pesqueira, mother of the general. At an
early age he was sent over to Seville, Spain, living there for some
time, and then going on to Paris to continue a commercial career.
Being in Seville a short time after the death of
Ferdinand VII, he affiliated with the cause of liberty as proclaimed by
his student comrades, and took active
part in the democratic movements which were started in Andalusia, He returned from Europe at the early age of 18, arriving
in Mexico full of enthusiasm, seeing that country fighting between two diametrically opposed ideas. The one was attempting
to reintroduce the spirit of the twelfth century, and the other
represented the liberal spirit of the nineteenth. He affiliated himself with the latter, and thus opened
the doors to a glorious future. He was
initiated to war with a good general Urrea, whose biography also should
be included in the catalog of illustrious men
of Mexico.
He attracted the attention of the Governor of the
State by the fearless-ness and skill with which he tracked down the
Apaches, who were ravaging our soil, and was
named by him Colonel Inspector of the National Guard on the Frontier.
Well known for his liberal principles and
ascendant patriotism, he was elected Deputy to the State Legislature.
He was occupied at that post when the
pronunciamento was issued, by the gandarist party, which put the
Governor Jose de Aguilar in prison. Pesqueira,
in favor of legality, entered the army on the side of executive power,
and heightened the struggle between the parties.
He occupied the capital of the state and chased the revolters away. In the resulting readjustment Pesqueira was elected
proprietary governor with great acclaim by everyone. After the revolt of Comonfort, Juarez was the essence of
justice itself and the rightful one to be elected by the country.
Pesqueira supported him spontaneously and
actively, in order to defend the Constitution of '57, which was being
vigorously attacked by the old army
along with the clerical group. Pesqueira,
struggling with all sorts of obstacles, organized the campaign of
Sinaloa, which had been in the district of the reactionaries. On April 3rd he took the port of Mazatlan
after a very bloody and drawn-out battle. He was rewarded for this glorious day by being made Constitutional Governor of
Sonora, Provisional Governor of Sinaloa, and General in Chief of the forces of both territories plus the Territory of
Lower California.
He returned to Sonora because of political and
military problems which required his presence, since his enemies had incited the various tribes to revolt and plundering. At a
point known as "Las Guasimas" he escaped being captured by his
opponents, saving the old soldier Jose Montijo at
the same time with a great deal of difficulty.
On April 15, 1861 he went from Hermosillo to Esteves, where the
reactionary group had established itself.
Even though Sonora was a great distance from the war zone at the time
of the war of French Intervention, he did not wish to miss the honor of being represented in the Republican
Army which was advancing to fight, and so Pesqueira organized a contingent of 1,000 men who marched in two sections,
reaching Guaymas in July 1862. The Colonels Garcia Morales and Gabriel Corella went along with him.
The governor appointed by Maximilian attempted to
enlist Pesqueira's support and offered him the governorship of the territory of Sonora, but those propositions were
patriotically and energetically refused. It
would take many pages to relate the interesting life of this
illustrious son of Sonora. I will be satisfied to say that in the troubled times when he governed, he knew well how to
defend national honor. In the short intervals of peace he was an active supporter of public education, hiring the well
qualified professor Leocadio Salcedo, who started our high school in
1863. After retiring to private life at his
hacienda of Bacanuchi, he died on January 4, 1886. (pp. 304-307)
[Translated from Compendio de Historia del Estado de
Senora, pp. 180-182,304-307, by A.C.Schwarting, February 27, 1939.]
James Newton Porter
James Newton Porter,
born in Kentuckytown. Texas. December 20, 1853, brought a large herd of
cattle to Arizona in 1881. which be first located in Cochise County.
In 1888. Porter moved his livestock to Graham County
where, using the Flying X and Pitchfork brands, he located them near
Fort Thomas. Here for a number of vears he furnished beef to the
soldiers for allotment to the Apaches.
An energetic businessman. Porter operated stores at
Fort Thomas and Geronimo for a time and became interested in banking in
Safford in 1890, and in Globe in 1900. lie was also interested in the
stage line from Bowie to Globe.
Establishing a home in Globe where be brought his
wife, formerly Ella Caruthers of Texas, and his daughters Stella and
Lillian, he became active in livestock and ranches in Gila County.
At one period of the early 1900's. he became very
wealthy, owning property all over the county. It was during this time
that he purchased a vast mahogany tract in southern Mexico which he
later lost through confiscation. Also in these years he owned stock in
Texas banks and had other widely scattered investments. Among his
properties was a ranch on the present site of Roosevelt Lake, which he
sold to the Government.
He sent his family east to have his daughters
educated there and furnished them with funds with which they traveled
extensively in England and Europe. For years they spent only their
summers in Globe.
The panic of 1907 threw Porter into financial
difficulties from which he never fully recovered. Cattle prices dropped
and his ventures in live-stock caused him such a loss that he gave up
all his property and about 1918 went to Los Angeles to live.
In Los Angeles he engaged in the real estate
business but never regained his wealth. He died there in May of 1921.
For many years J. N. Porter probably had more
influence in the Gila County livestock business than any other single
person.
Two daughters. Mrs. Stella Russell and Mrs. Lillian
Butler, of Dallas. Texas, are the only survivors.
